The moment he finished speaking, the balloons in Rin's hand blurred into afterimages, shooting straight toward Zenitsu's face.
"Waaah! Help!"
Zenitsu scrambled away in panic. The balloon smashed against the bluestone slab where he had been standing, exploding into a massive splash.
"Focus! Don't just scream!" Tanjiro immediately drew his wooden sword, trying to deflect the attacks with the hilt.
But the water balloons Rin threw were not only incredibly fast, they also changed direction mid-air under the influence of chakra.
Even with Tanjiro's keen sense of smell, he couldn't avoid a curving balloon that struck him squarely on the forehead.
Splat!
Tanjiro was instantly drenched like a soaked rat.
"Attacking the god of mountains?! Take this!" Inosuke grabbed a stone from the ground and hurled it at the tree.
Hanging upside down from the branch, Rin tilted his head slightly, letting the stone pass by his ear.
He casually flicked out two water balloons, smashing them directly against Inosuke's boar mask.
For the next half hour, the backyard of the Butterfly Mansion turned into a one-sided disaster.
"Help… stop throwing them, boss! I was wrong! I shouldn't have been jealous that you're handsome! Gulp—!" Zenitsu rolled around in the mud, already on the verge of a breakdown from being hit so many times.
Just as the chaos reached its peak, light footsteps sounded from outside the moon gate leading into the backyard.
"Oh my~ I could hear all the commotion from far away. Shinobu-chan, your courtyard is really lively!"
A bright, cheerful voice rang out.
A girl with long hair fading from pink to green stepped in with a smile, wearing a rather revealing Demon Slayer uniform.
A natural blush colored her cheeks, and she carried an exquisite food box in her hands.
The Love Hashira, Kanroji Mitsuri.
Walking beside her was a slightly exasperated Kocho Shinobu.
Shinobu wore a light purple haori today. The moment she saw the three mud-covered figures rolling around in the courtyard, along with Rin hanging upside down from the tree, she felt a headache coming on.
"Rin san, you're bullying them again," Shinobu sighed, though there was no real reproach in her tone.
Rin released his grip, flipped lightly through the air, and landed steadily on the veranda, not a single drop of water on him.
"Just training." He clapped his hands, his gaze settling on the food box Mitsuri had brought. "Did you bring something good?"
"Hello, Rin-san! I'm the Love Hashira, Kanroji Mitsuri!"
The moment Mitsuri saw Rin approach, her eyes sparkled with countless pink stars. She clasped her hands to her chest, screaming internally.
Haa!! He's so handsome up close! Not only does he have the aura of a powerhouse, but there's also this lazy, charming vibe… how is anyone supposed to resist this?!
She quickly held out the food box. "This is sakura mochi I made myself! I heard Rin-san was here, so I specially brought it for everyone to try!"
"Thanks."
Rin didn't stand on ceremony. He took the box, opened it, picked up a pink sakura mochi, and took a bite.
The sweetness was just right, carrying a faint cherry blossom fragrance. It tasted quite good.
Mitsuri watched Rin eat the sakura mochi, her cheeks flushing with excitement. She couldn't help but lean close to Kocho Shinobu's ear and whisper:
"Hey, hey, Shinobu-chan! How far have things progressed between you two? I heard you're not only living in the same courtyard, but he even carries the sachet you gave him on missions! That's basically newlyweds! When's the wedding? Can I come?"
The barrage of questions made Shinobu's mind go blank.
The Insect Hashira, usually sharp-tongued and composed, looked like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. Her face flushed bright red, and even her words came out in a stammer.
"Mi—Mitsuri! What nonsense are you talking about?! Newlyweds… we're not like that at all! He's just a shameless freeloader!"
"Eh? Are you lying?"
Mitsuri blinked her large eyes, then looked at Rin in disbelief. "But the way you looked at him just now was full of love! That can't be faked! It's the unmistakable scent of romance!"
Shinobu was both flustered and furious, wishing she could disappear into the ground.
Just as she was about to argue back, a strong arm suddenly wrapped around her shoulders.
Rin casually pulled her into his embrace. With his other hand, still holding the half-eaten sakura mochi, he brought it to Shinobu's lips.
"Don't listen to her nonsense."
Rin glanced at Mitsuri, a sly smile curling at the corner of his mouth. "We're not newlyweds. We're still in the passionate stage of our relationship."
Boom!
It was as if a bomb had gone off in Kocho Shinobu's mind. Her entire body stiffened on the spot.
She instinctively opened her mouth—and Rin seized the moment to stuff the sakura mochi in.
"Waaaaah!!!"
Kanroji Mitsuri covered her cheeks with both hands, practically steaming as two puffs of hot air burst from her nose.
The sudden display left her dizzy. Overwhelmed by the sheer sweetness, she stomped her feet in place.
"It's too sweet! This is way too sweet! It's a hundred times sweeter than the sakura mochi I made! Wuu wuu wuu, I want to fall in love too! I want a bold, overbearing boyfriend like this!"
Mitsuri cried out, completely immersed in her own pink fantasies, even tearing up from excitement.
Zenitsu, who had just climbed back up from the courtyard, saw this scene and took another devastating blow. His eyes rolled back, and he collapsed, foaming at the mouth.
Tanjiro rushed over and pressed his philtrum. "Zenitsu! Hang in there, Zenitsu!"
Shinobu finally snapped back to her senses. She bit down hard on the sakura mochi in her mouth, shoved Rin's arm away in embarrassment and anger, and stomped hard on his leather boot.
"You shameless liar! Shut up!"
She turned and ran without looking back, leaving only an exasperated shout behind her.
"Don't expect to eat lunch today! I'm going to the kitchen and dumping all your food for the pigs!"
Watching Kocho Shinobu's retreating figure, as well as the Love Hashira beside him still starry-eyed, Rin couldn't help but chuckle.
Teasing this easily flustered butterfly was far more entertaining than dealing with those dull demons.
"Um, Rin-san…"
Mitsuri wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes, suddenly recalling her real purpose. Her expression turned slightly more serious.
"Actually, besides delivering the sakura mochi, I also came to pass along a message from Oyakata-sama."
Rin's smile faded as he turned to look at her.
"Oyakata-sama said that, based on the latest intelligence gathered by the Kakushi, traces of demons have been found in a remote mountain forest to the northeast."
Mitsuri swallowed, her tone growing heavy. "That's where the Swordsmith Village is located. And it seems the Twelve Kizuki are gathering in that direction as well."
At the mention of the Swordsmith Village, a deep glint flickered in Rin's eyes.
That big fish, Muzan, had finally taken the bait.
"Understood."
Rin brushed the crumbs from his hands, his gaze passing over the courtyard wall toward the northeastern horizon.
"Tell Oyakata-sama to prepare logistics and the corpse retrieval team. This time, I'll make sure every Upper Rank that dares to show up there is stripped to the bone."
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12 Advance chapters:Patreon/slept01