Chapter 7 – Butterfly Mansion's
Kibutsuji Muzan.
There wasn't a single member of the Demon Slayer Corps who didn't know that name.
It was a name no one could forget.
A name that symbolized ruin—the beginning of all tragedy.
He was the First Demon.
Born during the Heian Period, over a thousand years ago.
And even now, he remained the only being in existence capable of creating more demons with terrifying ease.
Unlike the vampires or zombies from fairy tales that spread like disease, demons in this world could not reproduce.
No demon—aside from Muzan—had the power to create more of their kind.
He was the source.
The origin of every demon.
And because of that, he was the ultimate target of the Demon Slayer Corps.
Almost everyone who joined the Corps had a personal reason—someone or something they lost to the demons.
Now, the garden grew quiet. Heavy.
Giyu Tomioka finally broke the silence.
"…Where is he?"
Shinobu Kocho answered with a soft smile.
"Unclear. Oyakata-sama described it… as something of a test."
"…A test?"
Giyu frowned, then nodded slowly.
If the Corps leader hadn't issued a full mobilization order…
And if Shinobu herself remained here rather than taking the field…
Then this wasn't a decisive battle.
More likely, it was a probe.
A move to gauge the enemy's strength.
Because if Kibutsuji Muzan had truly shown himself—fully, openly—then the entire Corps would already be on the move.
Without hesitation.
"In that case," Shinobu said, turning to Hikaru, "no need to waste words."
"Come with me, young man."
— — —
Hikaru didn't object.
After all, that was why he'd come here in the first place—
To get close to the core of the Corps.
Sure, he hadn't been granted a personal audience with the highest leader.
But this…
This was a Hashira.
That alone was more than enough.
Muzan's appearance could mean one thing—
The story he vaguely remembered…
Had begun.
Even if he didn't recall every beat of the timeline, Hikaru understood one thing:
Whatever came next would be far more dangerous than anything so far.
He followed Shinobu Kocho through the garden paths, along wooden corridors, and across stepping stones bathed in afternoon light.
His gaze remained on the girl walking ahead.
Her hair tied into a ponytail shimmered softly, swaying with each gentle step.
Shinobu Kocho.
The Insect Hashira.
This was only his second time encountering a Hashira in person—after Giyu.
Her body was small.
She didn't exude the overwhelming pressure of brute strength.
But—
Underestimating her would be fatal.
To their side, the wisteria trees bloomed in full glory. The air was thick with sweet, subtle fragrance. A flock of butterflies danced under the sunlight, painting a scene so tranquil it felt like a dream.
Shinobu Kocho—the butterfly who dances with death.
And within that graceful dance…
Lay a hidden sting.
From this distance, Hikaru could see it—the faint warping of air around her body.
A high-level Breathing Technique resonance.
The stronger the swordsman, the deeper the turbulence beneath that mist.
Shinobu halted.
She turned.
Hikaru stopped as well. His body tensed.
This was it…
His muscles activated. His stance dropped subtly. One hand floated near his waist, knees slightly bent.
After fully synchronizing with this body's memories, and surviving two weeks of real battle and training—
Hikaru could no longer be called an amateur.
He was a warrior now.
So when Shinobu opened her mouth again—
His instincts were already preparing for a trial.
But—
"Please rest for now."
"…Huh?"
His mind blanked momentarily.
His brain struggled to process the words.
And that's when—
Chaos erupted.
Tiny footsteps echoed from inside the house.
A group of little girls burst out from the doors—barely waist-height to Hikaru. Before he could speak, one of them lunged straight into him.
Hikaru toppled backward, and within seconds—
He was strapped onto a small wooden stretcher and dragged into the building.
He could've fought back—maybe. But the absurd strength of those girls was beyond reason.
And… he sensed no malice from them.
So he let himself be carried away.
But just before the doors closed—
He glanced one last time at the girl standing in the garden.
The wind whispered.
By the edge of a koi pond, Shinobu Kocho stood in silence.
Her expression was peaceful. Her smile warm—like the morning sun.
But—
Her eyes were empty.
As if holding something that could never be put into words.
"Get some proper rest," she said, her voice soft as silk.
"Only with a healthy body… can you reach the dreams you chase."
Her words flowed with the breeze, vanishing into the ripples on the water.
But by then—
Hikaru was already gone.
— — —
"What do you think, Kanao?"
Shinobu turned her gaze to the side of the garden.
A girl with long black hair stepped slowly over the stone path. Her face held no expression. Her violet eyes were blank—like a doll that had forgotten how to feel.
She stopped a few paces from Shinobu.
Sweat beaded on her cheek.
"You've grown… haven't you?"
Shinobu's voice remained sweet.
Her smile didn't falter.
But it was…
A very, very false smile.
— — —
And that was how Hikaru learned what a "medical examination" meant in this old-fashioned world.
Pulse checks.
Muscle testing.
Full-body inspection.
Inside and out.
The process lasted from midday until sunset.
"…Your body is insanely healthy!" exclaimed the girl in charge of the evaluation.
She was a petite girl with twin ponytails—Aoi Kanzaki, the head medic of the Butterfly Mansion.
"She's right, she's right!" chimed in one of the small girls who'd dragged him in earlier.
Hikaru offered a faint smile.
He wasn't sick.
Unlike most patients here—broken, bleeding, clinging to life—he was in peak condition.
Now he understood—
This was the Butterfly Mansion.
Part recovery ward, part headquarters.
Run under the direct oversight of the Insect Hashira.
"Are we done?" Hikaru asked gently.
Aoi nodded. "All finished."
"I have a small request," he said calmly.
She tilted her head. "What is it?"
But then her face shifted.
Her brows knit together as she snapped sharply, "Even if you're not a patient, you still have to follow the rules here!"
"I will," Hikaru replied without resistance.
"I just want one thing…"
"…I want to study medicine here."
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