Aoi followed his gaze and noticed he was staring at a thick wooden pillar near the engawa.
Tanjiro wore a funny smile as he kept looking at it.
'You think you can sneak around in my presence? Heh…' He laughed inwardly.
A second later, a soft voice came from behind the pillar.
"Ara, you found me~ And here I thought my footwork was getting better. Moh~ How did you find me?"
Out stepped Kocho Shinobu, wearing an embarrassed smile.
She wore a dark purple-tinted Corps uniform unlike the others, with a butterfly-patterned haori over it. A butterfly ornament decorated the back of her black-to-purple hair, tied in a bun.
Her build was small—way smaller than Tanjiro's, barely 150 cm or so.
"Good morning, Kocho-san. Thanks for taking care of my siblings. It's great to finally meet you." He gave a slight nod. "As for how I sensed you… well, let's say my nose is extremely sharp. To be honest, I could pick up such a unique scent like yours even from far away."
"…"
Aoi and Shinobu went quiet all of a sudden.
Tanjiro noticed the misunderstanding and added with a calm face, "…That sounded a bit off, alright. But I'm just stating the truth. Kocho-san does have a really distinctive scent compared to others. It's quite easy to lock onto. And since you were using the same breathing technique as me, I could easily tell it was none other than the Insect Hashira."
'Yeah, no shit. All I smell from her is pure hatred and anger. She really hates demons, huh. Can I really trust her to leave my mother under her care? Hm, she's not that crazy, I bet. I'll see how it goes. If I can't trust her completely, I'll just search for Tamayo even if I have to scour all of Tokyo…'
Shinobu suddenly chuckled. "Pft…" She suppressed her laugh, wiping the corner of her eye before saying with an amused smile, "What a surprise. I never thought I'd have a day when I'd get caught peeking because of how I smell… It's so funny. Haha…"
As for Aoi, she seemed flustered and took a few steps away from Tanjiro, her ears slightly reddened.
'He… he's dangerous! His nose is dangerous too…!' she shrieked inwardly.
She was a bit frightened by his sense of smell, wondering what else he might have picked up from her body at such close distance…
'Argh, these thoughts…'
She shook her head and calmed her mind instantly. What was she even thinking? Such dirty thoughts… She needed to reflect on herself deeply!
Shinobu stopped her fake laugh (which Tanjiro noticed easily) and glanced at Aoi before speaking.
"You should really consider Tanjiro-kun's offer, Aoi… He's such a good, dependable brother to his siblings. And he's so strong he won't die easily. Isn't that great?" she said with a closed-eye smile.
'…Is that how you put it, you heartless woman.'
Aoi's gaze flickered with several emotions before she nodded.
"I will think about it, Kocho-sama." She became quiet immediately.
Shinobu gave a nod and clapped her hands afterward.
"Well then, how about I accompany Tanjiro-kun further? I'm free for the time being anyway… How about it?" She looked at Tanjiro expectantly.
"I don't mind," he said casually.
Shinobu showed a small smile.
"Yay, then follow this big sister."
Aoi, back to her usual self, bowed lightly before returning to her work.
She just wanted to be useful in any way possible. Even though she could not fight demons because of her lacking confidence and willpower, she didn't want to be useless. That drove her to contribute as much as she could to the Demon Slayer Corps.
Shortly after parting with Aoi, Tanjiro and Shinobu came across a short girl practicing elegant sword forms in the training ground. She was completely immersed in her practice and didn't notice their arrival.
The girl wore simple white clothes soaked in sweat, clinging to her body. She had fair skin, tied black hair, sharp lilac eyes, and a petite figure very similar to Nezuko's.
Shinobu didn't disturb her and continued into the mansion with Tanjiro.
"She's my little sister, Kanao. She's thirteen, just like you. I'll introduce you to her later since she doesn't like being interrupted mid-training. Hah, she's a very quiet girl, so I doubt she'll engage in conversation with others. I can't help but blame myself for being a failure of a sister to Kanao… If only Onee-sama were still here…"
Realizing she was rambling, Shinobu touched her forehead and laughed. "Look at me complaining like an idiot, hehe."
'Right, another traumatized girl… Sigh, that little shit Douma. I'm gonna cut his ass off next. What was his cult's name again? Paradise something… Ha, Eternal Paradise Faith, right! Wait for me, you bitch. This bad boy is coming for you…!'
Tanjiro sighed while shaking his head, choosing not to meddle in her personal affairs.
However, the system panel suddenly flashed, and a third notification appeared below the other two.
[𖤐 Mission: Give Shinobu a tight hug]
[𖤐 Reward: Kanae's Ghost]
"…!? W-What?"
He spoke out loud involuntarily, his face expressionless.
Shinobu's confused gaze fixed on him. She was spooked by his sudden reaction.
"What happened, Tanjiro-kun? Did I make you uncomfortable? I shouldn't have…"
"No… it's not that." He cut her off, shook his head with an understanding look, and explained, "I… I just realized what Kanao-chan must have gone through after losing her elder sister… If it were me, I would have fallen into despair…"
Shinobu showed a surprised expression.
"I see…"
She then suddenly bumped her shoulder against his, or at least tried to, only reaching his bicep because of her height, and said with a smile, "Heh, don't be like that… What matters is the present. We should live for the living. Isn't that how it goes until now? Hah, now shall we end these mood-ruining talks and meet up with your siblings?"
Tanjiro showed a warm smile and nodded.
"They're up, right?"
"Yes, Onii-chan~" She gave him a teasing look before continuing forward.
'Would you look at her… Anyway, this bitch of a system, is it really fucking around with me? Ghost… of her dead sister!? How's that even going to work? Ah, fuck… And what's with the hugs, headpats, kisses, sex… This system is definitely a sick pervert!'
His thoughts went wild in his mind.
Quickly following her steps, he had to decide what to do with this mission.
Should he do it… or not?
But despite thinking hard, he couldn't make a solid decision.
'Goddamn it, I'll just do it…'
Making up his mind, he acted immediately. If he was going to do something, he had to do it quickly and sincerely. That was what he had decided for himself.
"Kocho-san…" he mumbled.
Shinobu heard his warm voice and began turning to look at him, but what she saw made her heart thump loudly. Her breathing grew unstable as her eyes widened.
Tanjiro hugged her body tightly without a word. His right hand held the back of her head in a warm embrace while his other hand wrapped around her back.
A strong masculine scent rushed into her nose almost instantly, causing her face to flush with embarrassment, especially from his powerful strength and hard muscles. It was too much for a girl who had never been held by a man other than her father since childhood.
"Wha… What do you think you're d-doing???"
....
Patreon.com/ lordazathoth
30+ chapters already!
Next update will be on Sunday.