"Shinobu~"
Someone suddenly leaned against her shoulder, breathing out a warm puff of air... like a sweet poison mixed into the heat, or an invisible hand teasing her sensitive ear.
Shinobu, who had nearly dozed off, jolted fully awake, her scalp prickling with tension—she'd never had something like this happen while bathing! When she'd wrapped her towel earlier, she'd checked carefully. Then again, who would be bored enough to skip sleep at this hour just to hide somewhere like this and scare her?
In Shinobu's mind, there was only one person foolish enough to pull something like this.
But she shouldn't be here.
A pair of soft, smooth white arms wrapped around Shinobu's neck from behind, the person's fragrant body pressing close against her, a strand of pink hair drifting quietly into Shinobu's field of view.
The particular scent of steam mixed with a familiar body fragrance filled Shinobu's nose, and all traces of drowsiness vanished at once.
"Are you an idiot?"
Shinobu didn't turn to look, only spoke to the person embracing her in a faintly trembling voice.
"Do you have any idea the entire Demon Slayer Corps is looking for you... and you came back for this?"
"Aww, Shinobu's so worried about me. Big sister's happy."
The arms around her tightened a bit more.
Like hugging a doll.
"Don't joke around!"
Shinobu wrenched free and sat up abruptly, splashing water everywhere.
She'd truly reached her limit—it was because she couldn't stand how this woman treated everything with such indifference, such a carefree attitude, that even when two Hashira from the Corps had burst in to capture her, she'd remained utterly unfazed.
That was exactly why Shinobu could never bring herself to be honest in front of her. Deep down she'd long since accepted her, had long wanted to call her "Inori-neesan," but something held her back from ever saying it.
"Hurry back before someone sees you came in here—then Nee-san and I really will be under suspicion!"
"Relax."
Inori smiled, smoothing back her wet hair.
"I'm not that careless. No one knows I came here."
"..."
Shinobu still wanted to argue, but her thoughts suddenly drifted back to the night this woman had left—this "demon girl" she'd once wanted to capture with her own hands had taken on the Wind and Flame Hashira, two of the Corps' strongest, single-handedly, without losing ground, and even killed Kaigaku right in front of them as effortlessly as drinking water.
Indeed, for someone who knew the Butterfly Mansion's layout inside and out, sneaking in was child's play.
"Let me ask you something."
But Shinobu couldn't allow herself to back down in front of her, so she changed the subject at once.
"Was it you... who killed Kibutsuji Muzan?"
"Who told you that?"
Inori's deep red eyes filled with curiosity.
"Nee-san did." Shinobu lowered her head slightly. "After Muzan died, Master called an emergency Hashira Meeting. They've tentatively concluded it was you... I don't believe it, but Nee-san and the others have all but accepted it as settled fact."
"Well, they're pretty sharp, then." Inori nodded approvingly. "That's right. I killed Muzan."
"...How did you even manage that?"
This lay entirely outside Shinobu's grasp of what was possible. In her mind, Kibutsuji Muzan had long since become the root of all evil in the world, the nearly invincible Demon King of the night, and given how elusive he was—it had been nearly a century since his last confirmed sighting—even if she tried to make up a story, she couldn't have invented one where Inori killed him barely a day after leaving the Butterfly Mansion.
"It's simple, really—nothing strange about it." Inori didn't seem to think much of it. "I just ran into him, we fought, I won. That's all there was to it."
Said so lightly, as if joking, having settled a matter the Demon Slayer Corps had chased for a thousand years—anyone else saying that, Shinobu wouldn't have believed a word. But she knew Inori wouldn't lie to her about something like this, and for a moment she found herself at a loss for words... unsure how to continue the conversation.
"By the way."
Inori suddenly lifted her head, brows furrowing slightly, staring at Shinobu with mock seriousness before breaking into a sly grin.
"Shinobu's starting to develop too, isn't she? Won't be long before you catch up to Kanae—maybe even pass her. Big sister's got high hopes for you!"
—Her gaze wasn't on Shinobu's face at all, but somewhere lower.
Only then did Shinobu remember she was standing there completely bare in front of her—being admired shamelessly like some piece of art. The realization hit her like a bomb going off in her chest, an unprecedented wave of humiliation flooding through her. The girl's small, pretty face flushed a deep red as she immediately crouched back into the water, curling up her body, glaring at Inori with a mix of shame and fury.
"D-don't look there..."
Shinobu could hardly believe the whiny, girlish sound that had just come out of her own mouth.
"Oh? Getting shy now?"
But instead of backing off at such an obvious refusal, it only seemed to fuel Inori's interest further.
"Come on, let big sister take a look."
—She actually leaned in closer!!
"No!"
"Just let big sister check if you're developing properly~"
"No, stop it!"
Shinobu wrapped her arms around herself, resisting with everything she had. Perhaps because she'd never been "bullied" like this before, her wide, dark violet eyes had grown noticeably damp—as if she were about to cry.
—Maybe that went a little too far.
Inori stopped, gently pulling Shinobu close instead, holding her the way one might soothe a small child.
"W-what did you even come here for?"
The girl in her arms looked up, shooting her a resentful little glance, then pouted and asked, clearly sulking.
—Not good. This angle... was way too good.
This kind of innocent little sister acting spoiled with her... thinking about how she'd grow up one day into someone like Kanae, Inori felt a swell of satisfaction.
Just as Inori was basking in the moment, Ouma Mana, residing within her body, spoke up in displeasure.
—Inori, are you out here for a fling or to actually get things done?
Mana knew Inori liked her too, but her habit of effortlessly attracting and bending pretty girls toward her left Mana with no choice but to stay on guard!
—I just think it's fun, that's all, just messing around. Shinobu's still so young, you think I'm some kind of lolicon?
Inori shot back mentally, annoyed, then let go of Shinobu, reaching up to wipe away the tears welling at the corner of her eyes.
"Actually, I came to find Kanae." Inori asked. "But I can't find her anywhere—do you know where she went?"
"..."
—Figured she came looking for Nee-san.
Shinobu didn't overthink things the way Inori did; in her view, the rumor Kaigaku had spread was pure nonsense—Inori and her sister were simply friends, nothing more.
"Nee-san went out on a mission. She won't be back until late."
"Late?"
Inori frowned, glancing back toward the bamboo curtain behind her.
"Sunrise's only a little over two hours away."