Chapter 39: Yesterday Once More 2.0
With all matters settled and the necessary discussions concluded, the temporary Hashira Meeting drew to a close. After bidding farewell to Ubuyashiki Kagaya, the three Pillars departed.
"The number of Hashira is beginning to grow again," Kagaya murmured, his gaze following their retreating figures. "I can almost see the glorious sight of all nine Pillars reunited, a scene reminiscent of the Demon Slayer Corps during the Sengoku period."
Beside him, Amane offered a gentle smile. "That day will come."
...
Returning to the Medical Department, Akira first sought out the two elderly physicians. He thanked them sincerely for their long years of contribution to the Demon Slayer Corps and relayed Kagaya's message of gratitude. After a sufficient exchange of pleasantries, the two men voluntarily resigned, accepting a peaceful retirement under the escort of the Kakushi.
As Akira was seeing the two old doctors off, a familiar voice called out to him.
"Kanzaki-kun, what are you doing?"
He turned to find Kochou Kanae. She was already dressed in the attire he remembered so well from his past life: two green-and-pink butterfly hair clips nested in her hair, and a haori patterned like the wings of a butterfly, white fading into a soft pink at the edges. Beneath the loose fabric, her figure was beginning to blossom with a gentle maturity.
Compared to the night they had first met, she seemed even more beautiful now, her entire being radiating a soft, warm aura.
"I'm sending two old men who have dedicated most of their lives to the Corps home for a peaceful retirement," Akira explained, turning to face her fully. "After all, you and your family are here now, aren't you? I've personally witnessed your father's medical skill. Those two have more than earned their rest." He offered a small smile, then quickly shifted the topic.
"Enough of that. I have some good news for you. Today, I proposed to the Master that the Medical Department be renamed. He agreed. From now on, this place will be known as the Butterfly Mansion."
"Eh?" The sudden announcement left Kanae stunned, her mind momentarily filled with a flurry of question marks. The weight of Akira's influence, the news of the renaming itself, and the deep significance behind the name 'Butterfly Mansion' all struck her at once, leaving her speechless.
"Since you'll all be living here permanently, calling it the Butterfly Mansion should make it feel more like home, don't you think?" Akira found her slightly dazed expression amusing, but he pressed on, not giving her a chance to recover.
"Oh, and one more thing. I'll be living here permanently from now on as well. I am now the Sound Hashira of the Demon Slayer Corps, and I need to be responsible for patrolling and guarding an area. The location of the Butterfly Mansion happens to be perfectly suitable as my residence."
He took a small step closer, his tone softening. "We'll have plenty of time together in the future, so let's drop the formalities. You seem a bit older than me, so you can just call me Aki, like my other friends. I'll call you Kanae directly. How does that sound?"
"Mmm..." Overwhelmed by the cascade of information, Kanae found herself unsure how to even begin responding. She could only manage a small, shy smile and a nod. "Mmm."
"Then it's settled," Akira said, his own smile widening. "I still need to head back to my master's place, so I'll be off. I'll leave the task of officially announcing the renaming to you, Kanae. See you later."
"Ah, oh... see you later," she finally managed, snapping back to reality. She waved as she watched his not-so-tall figure gradually recede down the path, a deep and unfamiliar emotion stirring in the quiet corners of her heart.
After a moment, Kanae composed herself and turned, her steps light as she headed towards her parents' room. Her haori fluttered with her movement, as if it were a real butterfly taking flight, and the delicate wings of her hair clips seemed to open and close with a life of their own.
...
Walking back along the road to Mount Momo, Akira recalled Kanae's earlier behavior and couldn't help but chuckle. The girl, who already possessed a certain mature charm, had shown such an endearingly dazed expression. It was the perfect real-world example of what his past life's culture had called 'gap moe'.
Both Kanae and Shinobu, who was still just a child, were lovely girls. He would never allow them to be harmed by that monster, Douma. To protect them, and everyone else he cared for, he needed to become even stronger. Akira, who couldn't even instantly kill a Lower Rank demon, was still a world away from being able to face an Upper Moon.
He temporarily pushed those thoughts aside, quickening his pace towards Mount Momo. He had to personally inform the former Thunder Hashira, Kuwajima Jigoro, of his succession as the new Sound Hashira. It was also a proper farewell, as he would be living at the Butterfly Mansion from now on.
Still, Mount Momo was well within his new guarded territory, so it wouldn't be difficult to visit in the future. His patrol range also included the small town where he once lived and the vicinity of Mount Sagiri. These areas had been carved out from Giyu and Shinjuro's territories. Akira was quite satisfied with this arrangement; it meant he would still have chances to see his friends and his other master during his patrols.
The last two times he had returned to Mount Momo, he had arrived around noon and sent Kuwajima tumbling with a kicked-open door. This time, the Hashira Meeting had ended before noon, but by the time he reached the mountain, it was already dinnertime. Surely, he wouldn't make his master fall again.
And then...
Bang!
"Old Man! Zenitsu! I'm back!"
Thud!
"Ouch!" A muffled thump, much lighter than the previous two times, was followed by a distinct cry of pain.
"Eh?" Akira, still holding his door-kicking posture, froze.
He lowered his head slightly. There, sitting on the floor and clutching his head, was Agatsuma Zenitsu, looking up at him with wide, teary eyes.
"Oh, geez! Zenitsu, I'm so sorry!" Akira quickly retracted his foot. "I didn't realize you were right behind the door. My apologies, are you hurt?"
"I'm fine, Brother Aki," Zenitsu mumbled. With his exceptional hearing, he had heard Akira's footsteps from a distance and had excitedly rushed to open the door, not expecting his brother-figure to arrive with such explosive speed.
"You brat! You made me fall twice before, can't you get rid of that door-kicking habit?" Kuwajima emerged from the kitchen, his gaze shifting from the pained Zenitsu to the sheepish Akira. He began to scold him without a moment's hesitation.
"Grandpa, it's not Brother Aki's fault, it was mine..."
Zenitsu's use of "Grandpa" made Akira pause. How long had he been gone? They had already cemented their grandfather-grandson relationship. He glanced at Kuwajima, who was practically beaming with joy at the title, and forcefully suppressed the urge to retort.
'I'm just being considerate of the old man's good mood,'Akira told himself.'It's absolutely not because I'm afraid he'll chase me with his cane. Absolutely not.'
"Alright, Zenitsu, this was my fault. You don't need to speak up for me. The old man won't really do anything to me." Without looking at Kuwajima's expression, Akira ruffled Zenitsu's blond hair, his voice quiet but his tone uncharacteristically serious.
"More, you need to work on your own temperament. You're not the same person you were, afraid of offending everyone. As long as you're in the right, there's no need to be so humble. Here on Mount Momo, the old man has your back. Later, in the Demon Slayer Corps, your Brother Aki will have your back."
He puffed out his chest slightly. "I'm the Sound Hashira of the Demon Slayer Corps now. I can definitely protect you in the future."
"Mmm, thank you, Big Brother... But, Big Brother is already a Hashira? That's so amazing..." Stars seemed to light up in Zenitsu's eyes as he gazed up at Akira, his "Brother Aki" naturally evolving into "Big Brother."
"What's all this about protecting?" Kuwajima grumbled. "You brat, don't lead Zenitsu astray. As a Hashira, you must set an example, not openly show favoritism."
Perhaps it was just a misconception, but Akira felt that Kuwajima's tone was a bit sour.
'Zenitsu has never looked at me with such adoring eyes,'Kuwajima thought.'How dare you, you little brat!'
Akira wisely chose to ignore it.
"Zenitsu isn't someone who can't tell right from wrong," he said calmly. "I just don't want him to be bullied in the future. His personality is still too soft. A true man should have some backbone."
"Mhm, mhm! Grandpa, don't worry! I won't use your and Big Brother's names to do bad things!" Zenitsu nodded his small head up and down rapidly, eager to please.
Agatsuma Zenitsu's personality was largely a product of his environment. Having lost his parents at a young age, he was haunted by the thought that he could die at any moment. This was the root of his obsession with finding a girlfriend, getting married, and having children—a desperate need to pass on his bloodline. Of course, this didn't rule out the fact that he was naturally a bit of a lecher, but most normal people were; it was simply a matter of self-control.
His timid and somewhat weak nature was also a result of being orphaned. A child with no one to support them would never dare to speak firmly to others, always fearing they might accidentally cause offense. This had developed what Akira knew from his previous life as a "people-pleasing personality."
His subconscious reaction to any problem was to apologize, preferring to inconvenience himself rather than argue for his own rights, his only thought being how to smooth things over. He knew that if a situation escalated, others might have help, but he truly had no one to back him up.
It was this combination of factors that led to him being swindled out of his inheritance by a manipulative girl, leaving him practically living on the streets by the time Akira found him.
But now, with Kuwajima Jigoro and Kanzaki Akira in his life, Zenitsu's personality was bound to change.
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