A small gap opened in the Butterfly Mansion's treatment room. A young man with short black hair and two deep scars beneath his eyes met the gaze of Genya, who was standing at the doorway.
"Is that Gen... Hiss!" He seemed to have been kicked hard from inside, immediately stopping his words and bending his eyes into a smile, "Little friend, who are you looking for?"
Genya stared with wide eyes, his face expressionless, "Excuse me, is Sanemi Shinazugawa here?"
The young man didn't answer him, only diverting the topic, "This is a confidential place, little friend, you should leave quickly."
Genya just stared directly into his evasive eyes, "Excuse me, is Sanemi Shinazugawa here? He is a Demon Slayer Corps' Kanoe Swordsman."
The young man helplessly furrowed his brows, pulled his body back in, and a moment later poked his head out again, "Sanemi says he's not here~"
The squinting eyes and the triangular eyes looked at each other.
"Kuwano Masachika!" A beast-like roar erupted from the room as the silver-haired, spiky-haired man angrily reached out and grabbed his senior's collar, "Can't you speak properly?!"
"Brother!" Genya's eyebrow shot up, "Are you injured again?"
Masachika furrowed his brows and gently patted Sanemi's arm, "You know I can't lie, let go, Sanemi~"
Sanemi pulled open the door, somewhat irritatedly running his fingers through his messy hair, and said gruffly, "No... it was from fighting with this guy, Kuwano Masachika."
"Don't slander me, alright? Clearly— Ugh!"
Sanemi ferociously covered his mouth, "If you say one more word, I'll smash your head in!"
"I'm your senior, hey!"
"I'm a Kanoe Swordsman!"
"Brother!"
Haruto withdrew his gaze from the lively treatment room, watching several girls bustling about in the courtyard, and turned his head to ask Kanae, "Are they all your Tsuguko?"
"Mm." Kanae nodded softly, "No matter where they come from, no matter their background, for now, they are all Tsuguko of the Butterfly Mansion."
"Are you still holding onto that idea of 'redeeming demons'?"
"Of course. Everything I do is to accomplish this." Kanae's words were gentle yet firm, "Miss Tamayo, Yushiro, doesn't their existence precisely prove that I am not alone on this path?"
"Miss Tamayo is a special existence, and Yushiro is even more special; he is the only demon in the world not transformed by Muzan's blood. Only these two demons have been born in a thousand years, so they are hardly representative." Haruto still didn't believe in demons who could control their desires; even Tamayo only truly repented after consuming humans for a period.
"Shinobu and I, and the children of the Butterfly Mansion, are all working towards this goal."
"What if you sacrifice yourself to a demon?"
"I would never regret it."
Bathed in the sunlight, Kanae's irises bloomed into a beautiful pink, like cherry blossoms.
The conviction in her eyes, like the morning glow, was so dazzling that Haruto had to avert his gaze.
Kagaya, Kyoujurou, Kanae... Haruto chuckled, letting out a long sigh, "Perhaps you are right."
In his misty blue eyes, the bullet comments were boiling.
[What if you sacrifice yourself to a demon? I would never regret it!]
[Even if my body perishes, I will surely slay the evil demons!]
[It's on topic! It's on topic!]
[Demon Slayer Swordsmen truly need great perseverance and great wisdom! A loving hug to my husband and wife~]
[Husband and wife? So you're the extra one? You play quite wild, little thing...]
[Are you forcing me to ship Star Flower?]
[Shinobu's emoji pack ahead, please check it out~]
Haruto raised an eyebrow, his gaze turning to the doorway.
"Huff... huff..."
Faint, heavy respite sounds came from outside the Butterfly Mansion. Kanae immediately turned her head, "Is that Shinobu?"
A girl with a side ponytail and baby fat on her face poked her head in blankly, "Sister Kanae, please come help."
"It's Kanao. Where's Shinobu?"
Shinobu... was stubbornly dragging a cherry blossom tree as tall and thick as her body, huffing and puffing as she walked towards the Butterfly Mansion.
Even after two years, the little girl hadn't grown much taller; it was estimated she wouldn't exceed 1.6 meters even as an adult.
Unlike her unchanging height, her temper had become increasingly stubborn, and with her often sly little thoughts, the little girl was sliding further and further into the abyss of tsundere.
"Oh my, oh my, Shinobu, is it very heavy?" Kanae worriedly wanted to help.
Kochou Shinobu, whose face was already pale from exhaustion, was about to nod when she suddenly saw the white-haired Swordsman, Fifth Prince, poke his head out, "Oh my, oh my, Shinobu, is it very heavy?"
"Not heavy! Not heavy at all!"
Shinobu bit her bloodless lower lip, raising her head high, "When did Brother Haruto arrive?"
Haruto walked forward with a chuckle, easily hoisting the cherry blossom tree onto his shoulder, "Alright, go drink some water quickly... By the way, why buy a cherry blossom tree?"
The Tsuguko named Kanao had already scurried off to fetch water, offering it to Shinobu with an expressionless face.
"Thank you, Kanao."
Kochou Shinobu moistened her lips with water, looking enviously at Haruto effortlessly carrying the tree, "Ah... it's just that big sister said before she wanted to plant one in the courtyard."
"Your sister probably meant..." Haruto circled his fingers to make a round shape, "A sapling this small, but you brought back one this big."
..." Kochou Shinobu looked at her sister, who was smiling with pursed lips, and explained nervously, "Sister said that after this tree is planted, it will be named 'Certain Victory,' and when its cherry blossoms flutter, that will be the day we defeat Muzan and achieve victory."
"So if we buy a full-grown tree, we'll win sooner?" Haruto's eyes widened. He gave her a strong thumbs-up, sincerely praising, "Shinobu, you're so smart!"
"Pfft." Kanae still couldn't hold it in, her shoulders shaking as she turned away to laugh.
Kochou Shinobu lowered her eyes, "Mr. Takanashi, please let me do it myself."
"Are you angry?"
"No."
"You called me Mr. Takanashi, you must be angry."
"I'm not angry."
"I really think you're very smart."
"..."
Haruto and Kanae, who was painfully suppressing her laughter, quickly exchanged glances, then Haruto quickly leaned his face close to Kochou Shinobu, "Are you angry?!"
"Crunch, crunch." This was the sound of tightly clenched back teeth. The girl finally couldn't bear it anymore, clenching her fist and delivering a series of uppercuts to Haruto's waist, "You knew and you still asked!!"
Haruto, who had endured a barrage of 'powder fists,' was unharmed and energetically asked Kanao to get him a shovel to plant the tree.
As for Genya... forget it, that kid was unreliable. As soon as he saw his scar-covered brother, he'd turn into a nagging mother, probably applying medicine to him right now.
Kochou Shinobu rubbed her wrist, looking puzzled. How exactly did Brother Haruto's muscles grow? Punching them felt harder than iron.
Whoever becomes his wife in the future will be at a disadvantage, hugging a big iron lump at night.
No, at 18, he doesn't have a romantic partner. It's hard to say if he'll find a wife in the future.
She huffed at Haruto, who was planting the tree, which left Kanae a bit bewildered.