1 Day Later...
Ishida was laying down in his mansion, in his own room, when finally his eyes opened. He immediately sat up, realizing where he was as he looked around his familiar surroundings.
'It's my room. What happened? Did I lose consciousness back then?' He tried to recall the situation and the incident of the fight against Upper Moon Two, Doma, and the way he was exhausted at the end, losing consciousness after Doma fled due to the sunlight. 'Where are Sakura and Kazuki?'
He looked around his room and stood up. His body felt completely fine at this moment. He walked out through the door.
As he stepped out from his room, there was no one outside. He began thinking about where they could be, then looked down at his body. He was fine, but how long had he been unconscious? As he was questioning a few more things, someone knocked at the door.
He walked up and opened it to find Mitsuri Kanroji, the Love Hashira, standing outside with a bright smile on her face.
"Ishida-san! You're awake!" she exclaimed, her eyes sparkling with genuine relief and joy. "I'm so glad! I was getting worried, you know! You've been sleeping for so long, and I kept wondering when you'd wake up!" She bounced slightly on her feet, the large bundle of food in her arms shifting with her movement.
Ishida blinked, slightly surprised to see her here at his mansion.
Noticing his confusion, Mitsuri's cheeks flushed slightly pink. "Oh! I should explain! I brought you some food! I made pancakes—lots of them—and some rice balls, and tempura, and ohagi, and—well, I thought you'd be hungry when you woke up!" She held up the containers enthusiastically. "The Master asked me to check on you since I was nearby, and I thought, 'Why not bring something delicious?' Food always makes recovery better, don't you think?"
"Thank you, Kanroji-san. That's very thoughtful of you," Ishida said, stepping aside to let her in.
Mitsuri walked inside, carefully setting the food containers on a nearby table. The aroma of fresh cooking filled the room immediately.
"How long was I unconscious?" Ishida asked.
"One day!" Mitsuri replied, turning to face him. "Well, a full day and a bit more, actually. The Corps was informed about your fight through the kasugai crows, and they sent kakushi to bring all three of you back. You were brought here, and all three of you were treated." She giggled slightly, putting a hand to her mouth. "Funnily enough, even with the most wounds, you were the one who recovered the fastest! The medical team was amazed!"
Her expression then shifted to one of admiration, her eyes shining. "Fighting an Upper Moon for that long... Ishida-san, that's incredible! You're so strong and brave! Not many people could do what you did!"
"Where are Sakura and Kazuki?" Ishida asked, his concern evident.
"Oh, they're at the Butterfly Mansion!" Mitsuri replied cheerfully. "They're getting treated there. Though they're fine now—they've already started recovery training! Shinobu-san said they were surprisingly resilient for their experience level. They must have learned a lot from you!"
Ishida nodded, relief washing over him.
"Well then, I should leave you to rest and eat!" Mitsuri said, clasping her hands together. "Make sure you eat everything! You need to regain your strength!" She started walking toward the door, but paused just before reaching it. "Oh! And when you get some time, the Master wanted to meet with you. He said there's no rush—just when you're feeling better!"
With that, she gave him one more bright smile and stepped outside, closing the door gently behind her.
Ishida stood there for a moment, processing everything. Then his expression darkened slightly as he looked down at his hands.
"No... I was weak. I was way too weak," he muttered to himself. "I thought I had grown stronger, but..."
He remembered the fight—the overwhelming power, the near-death experience, the helplessness he'd felt despite all his techniques.
'He was Upper Moon Two. That means there's one stronger than him as well. And then Muzan himself.' His jaw clenched. 'If I can't even beat Doma, it's pointless to think about defeating Muzan. I need to grow stronger. Much stronger.'
But then his stomach let out a loud, unmistakable grumble.
He looked over at the food Mitsuri had brought, and despite the dark thoughts swirling in his mind, he couldn't help but acknowledge the more immediate concern.
"I've been out for too long. The hunger is real," he said to himself with a slight sigh. "Let's eat something first."
Moments later, he sat down at the table, looking at the spread of food before him. Steam still rose from the pancakes, and everything looked carefully and lovingly prepared.
"Thanks for the food, Kanroji-san," he said quietly to the empty room.
He took a bite of the pancake, and his eyes widened slightly. It was delicious—perfectly fluffy, sweet but not overwhelming, with just the right texture. Despite everything weighing on his mind, despite the looming threats and his perceived inadequacies, in this moment, he could at least appreciate this small comfort.
He continued eating, his mind already beginning to form plans for the training that would come next.