Eleven days later, Kanao had Flower Breathing down. She'd memorized all the core techniques and could do them pretty smoothly.
Kanae was genuinely impressed by how fast she picked it up. There wasn't much else she could teach her right now, so it felt like a good time to wrap things up.
Plus, they'd been gone for a while—the Butterfly Mansion probably needed her and her sister back.
On the twelfth day, right around sunset, after wrapping up the day's final training, the Butterfly Sisters stood with Itsuki and Kanao in the courtyard to say goodbye.
"Kanao," Kanae said gently, crouching down to look her in the eyes, "are you really not coming with us to the Butterfly Mansion?"
Over the past few days, she'd grown really attached to the quiet girl. Kanao listened well, trained hard, and always tried her best.
"I... I'm sorry," Kanao said, clutching the edge of Itsuki's sleeve. "I want to stay with Itsuki."
She was clearly torn, though. Her voice was soft, and her eyes were a little glassy. She'd gotten attached too.
"No need to say sorry," Kanae said, still smiling. "You're the best student I've ever taught. Be proud of yourself."
Kanao looked down shyly, unsure what to say.
Shinobu, who was standing beside them, puffed out her cheeks a little. Technically, her own Insect Breathing was based off of Flower Breathing too. So, didn't that make her a student too?
"Oh, right," Kanae said suddenly. "Do you remember the coin I gave you?"
"Yes," Kanao said with a small nod.
"Good. If you ever don't know what to do, flip the coin. Let it help you decide. Just for now."
After Itsuki had told Kanae a little about Kanao's past, she'd tried to think of ways to help her grow. This was one small step—something simple to help her break out of her shell.
Itsuki remembered that idea from the original story. He hadn't brought it up himself, since he'd hoped Kanao would overcome her indecisiveness naturally. But if it helped her for now, he wasn't going to argue.
"Hm... I'll remember," Kanao whispered.
"Kanao's such a good girl," Kanae said, gently patting her head.
Then she turned to Itsuki.
"Itsuki, when you finish your Flame Breathing training, come see us at the Butterfly Mansion."
"I will," Itsuki said. "I'll bring Kanao too."
"Don't forget what I told you," Shinobu added, speaking softer than usual. She'd grown fond of Kanao too—maybe because spending time with her reminded her what it was like to be an older sister.
"I won't," Kanao said. "I remember all of it."
After a few more reminders and bits of advice, they finally said their goodbyes.
As the two sisters walked away, getting smaller in the distance, Kanao raised her hand and waved.
It was the first time she'd ever really felt the sting of someone leaving.
"Feels weird, huh?" Itsuki asked.
"Yeah."
"Remember that feeling. You'll experience a lot more of those. Every time you do, you'll get better at expressing it."
"Okay."
"I know what you're thinking. We'll see them again. Two years, tops. I promise."
"Yeah!" Kanao said with a smile.
Itsuki watched the sun go down, stretching across the horizon. He figured it might be time to visit the Demon Slayer Corps Headquarters soon. Whether or not he joined, he hadn't really decided.
That night, Kanae and Shinobu made it to Flower Street and began their trip back to the Butterfly Mansion.
"You're still thinking about Kanao, aren't you?" Kanae asked, glancing at her sister.
Shinobu looked around. The street was crowded, but she didn't care if anyone overheard.
"Sister, I've been wondering... Itsuki's clearly strong enough to be a Demon Slayer. Why didn't you ask him to join? We could've helped guide him."
Kanae smiled. "You're not wrong. And if he joined, Kanao probably would've come back with us, too."
"Exactly. So... you didn't want them to, do you?"
Kanae blinked. "Wow. I didn't think you'd figure that out."
"Don't underestimate me," Shinobu said, sounding a little smug. "You don't want them to join, do you?"
"You're right," Kanae said softly. "Itsuki and Kanao don't have any reason to hate demons. I'd rather have Kanao learn medicine than wield a sword."
Shinobu sighed. "I knew it."
She stomped her newly healed foot, frustrated. "But Itsuki's not the type to stay out of trouble. One day, he'll drag Kanao into it, like it or not."
"That's where you're wrong," Kanae said. "He'd rather avoid it."
"Huh?"
Kanae tapped her chin, thinking it over. "He's not aiming to kill demons. He's just trying to stay safe and protect kanao. That's why he trains so hard. That's why he listens to other people's stories. He's always preparing for 'just in case.' Even Shinjuro-san has noticed."
Shinobu raised an eyebrow. "If he's not in it to fight demons, then why does the Flame Pillar even bother with him?"
Kanae smirked. "Maybe because he keeps buying him good alcohol."
Shinobu groaned and slapped her forehead. "I walked right into that one."
Kanae chuckled. "Still, it's a good thing."
"How?"
"Have you noticed how different Shinjuro-san is lately? He still drinks, sure, but his energy's better. When he spars with Itsuki, it's like he's come back to life and his son is there with him."
Now that she mentioned it... yeah, Shinobu had noticed.
"So, you see," Kanae continued, "It's not just about whether Itsuki joins or not. He probably won't. And I don't want him to. I think it's more important that we help the flame Hashira recover. When I report back to Oyakata-sama, I'm going to tell him the same."
As long as Itsuki kept training with him, that man might actually climb out of the dark place he'd been stuck in.
"The adult world is way too complicated," Shinobu muttered.
"Oh my, you don't need to understand all of it. Just keep doing your best. You're already a great swordswoman, and I'll always cheer for you."
"Hmph! So, you don't think I'm good enough yet?"
"How could I ever think that?"
Their teasing and laughter continued as they arrived at the edge of the red-light district, in front of a place called Kyogoku House.
Upstairs, behind a curtain, a woman with pale skin and flashy makeup stood at the window, watching.
It was Daki—the oiran of the district.
Her eyes followed the two sisters as they walked.
"What a beautiful pair," she murmured, her smile sharp. "Especially the older one... she's almost as beautiful as me."
Her expression twisted slightly.
"I really want to eat them."
The heavy makeup and pretty face made her look almost like a doll.
But her voice sent chills to anyone who would be nearby.