Kanao caught the falling Itsuki with both hands and let out a breath. "Phew… You're okay."
Itsuki felt like crap. He totally lost face just now, but he didn't have the strength to move, so he just gave up and laid there in her arms. He stared up at her calm, wide eyes, completely silent. The whole thing looked pretty silly.
"Hahaha! Where's all that fire from earlier, huh kid? Hahahaha!"
Itsuki didn't say a word. He just wanted to lay there and rest…
Ding! "Through the host's independent training, Flame Breathing has leveled up to Level 1."
...Rest? What's that? Yeah right. Let's gooooo baby!!
"Jie jie jie jie jie!!"
A loud laugh burst out—and Shinjuro stopped laughing immediately.
Wait. That laugh… Why did it feel more intense than the Flame Breathing technique the kid just pulled off?
Time passed. Two weeks later.
Near the outskirts of Yoshiwara, two girls sprinted down a long, empty road.
The haori of the one behind fluttered in the wind like butterfly wings.
"Sis, come on! Let's hurry. I want to get back to the Butterfly Mansion already!"
"Alright, alright, Shinobu, looks like your speed's improved again."
"Don't just say stuff like that! If you slack off, I'm leaving you behind!"
"Ara, ara~ Shinobu's so adorable."
The two girls were sisters who had just finished a demon-slaying mission. They were headed home.
Not many siblings joined the Demon Slayer Corps at the same time, and even fewer came from the Butterfly Mansion. If Itsuki had seen them, he'd recognize them instantly.
Kochou Kanae—the current master of Butterfly Mansion, and her younger sister, Kochou Shinobu.
Kanae Kocho has a distinctive appearance characterized by long, straight, black hair that reaches just below her waist, with two shorter clumps over her shoulders and arched, ear-length bangs on either side of her face. She often adorns her hair with green and pink butterfly hairpins. Her eyes are pale purple, and she wears a white butterfly-patterned haori
Shinobu Kocho is a petite young woman with a slender build and a fairly pale complexion. She has large eyes that lack pupils, only a haze of gradient purple, making her eyes appear similar to those of insects, and rose-pink lips
"Running like this won't help, though. If you want to be fast, you have to last. You'll burn out if you keep sprinting."
Back then, Shinobu was more hotheaded and quicker to talk back. Kanae, three years older, was more than just a sister—she was like a second mom.
"Hmph, let's race and see then!"
"You're already breathing unevenly."
"Ugh…"
"Shinobu, you still haven't mastered Total Concentration Breathing. You need to keep Insect Breathing active while moving. That'll make you faster without draining you."
Shinobu held her tongue, grumbled inside, but adjusted her breathing just like her sister said.
"Good! See, you're amazing when you listen."
"Hmph… Don't talk to me like I'm five…"
To Shinobu, Kanae wasn't just her big sister—she was everything Shinobu wanted to be. But deep down, Shinobu knew she could never be like her.
Whenever she remembered their parents being killed by demons, she couldn't help it—her chest filled with rage.
But rage alone didn't do anything. If she wanted revenge—or to support, her sister—she had to get stronger.
She would get stronger—
"Caw! Caw! Mission! Mission!"
A Kasugai Crow swooped in, breaking her train of thought.
Another mission already? Wait—that was Kanae's crow. Shinobu tensed. Kanae usually didn't take regular missions. Was this an emergency?
Kanae caught the crow and opened the scroll it carried. Her face grew serious when she saw the handwriting.
"Sis? What's going on?!"
"Don't worry. It's a personal mission—not urgent." Kanae smiled again, like nothing happened. "We're supposed to check on someone in Yoshiwara on our way back."
Shinobu relaxed a bit but tilted her head.
"Who?"
"It's Rengoku Shinjuro, the current Flame Pillar."
Shinobu's expression instantly soured. That name pissed her off. The guy who did nothing, sat around drinking, and still wore the Flame Pillar title? It made her stomach turn. Pillars weren't just about being strong—they were supposed to be examples.
Now he was hanging out in the pleasure district too? Was alcohol not enough—he needed women too?
Gross.
Kanae saw her sister's expression and sighed. She understood. Honestly, she was surprised by the mission too.
"Don't think like that. He's been staying at a Yen Dojo that is nearby lately, apparently with his son. The Master thinks he might be getting back to normal and wants us to check in."
Shinobu's scowl eased up—but just a little.
"Check in? More like cheer up some washed-up old man. We don't even know him!"
"We don't need to know him. If he gets better, it helps the Corps."
"He's an adult. Why do we have to help him?"
Kanae giggled and pulled out a check from the envelope. "Also, we're giving him money. For sake."
"That's supposed to make it better?!"
"Shinobu, it'll be fine. Just think of it as a little side trip. We can even stay in Yoshiwara for ten days."
"…Fine. Let's go already. Mission's a mission."
And with that, the two sisters picked up their pace, guided by the crow flying ahead.
Noon, Ren Martial Dojo.
Itsuki returned again with a jug of sake. Kanao followed behind him, quiet as usual.
"Tch. Come in," Shinjuro called from inside. "Let's see if you last longer this time."
He was still gruff and loud, but after two months of training, Itsuki could tell the old man actually cared. The biggest hint? The fact that he didn't just answer questions now—he asked if Itsuki wanted to spar.
This change had started two weeks ago.
Once Itsuki's Flame Breathing hit Level 1, Shinjuro told him flat-out: "I've got nothing else to teach. Real growth comes from real fights."
But Itsuki was different.
He didn't need life-and-death battles to grow stronger. He just needed to keep eating like crazy and keep earning skill points. Risking his life was optional.
So technically, Shinjuro wasn't needed anymore.
But that was wrong, and Itsuki knew it.
Even if his strength grew on its own, Shinjuro's years of battle experience were priceless. Every little story, every trick, every scar—they were all things Itsuki couldn't get anywhere else.
And not just for him. Kanao learned a lot from listening in too, even watching.
PS: do you guys like the story so far?