Watching Kagaya snore away on the tatami mat, Horitake and Shinobu were utterly baffled. For a moment, the tension was so thick that the unspoken sentiment of "every man for himself when disaster strikes" hung in the air, despite their usual closeness.
Shinobu furrowed her brow and shot a suspicious look at Horitake. "Could there be something wrong with your recipe?"
Horitake shook his head vigorously, waving his hands in denial. "Impossible, absolutely impossible. There is nothing wrong with that formula. I'd bet my head on it."
"Then how do you explain the Master falling into a sudden coma?"
"How should I know? This side effect is..." Horitake trailed off, a spark of inspiration suddenly lighting up his eyes. "Wait! Shinobu-san, what if this isn't a toxic reaction? What if his body is just overwhelmed? Think about it—his system was suddenly flooded with a massive surge of vitality. This could be a natural stress response!"
Shinobu paused, her medical mind racing as she processed the hypothesis. The more she thought about it, the more plausible it became.
"You're right! That makes perfect sense!" she exclaimed. "It's likely not a failure of the potion itself, but rather the Master's body reacting to the sudden, violent influx of life force. His constitution simply wasn't prepared for it."
She expanded on the idea, her thoughts flowing faster now. "Yes, exactly. The Master's body is fundamentally different from a healthy person's. Even though the curse has been lifted and he's been recovering, he's still incredibly frail compared to the average adult. When that concentrated life force hit his system, his body couldn't process it all at once. It triggered a protective response—a deep sleep—to allow his cells to absorb the energy at a manageable pace. It's not a coma; it's a restorative slumber!"
Horitake and Shinobu both let out a collective sigh of relief. If their theory held water, Kagaya wasn't in danger. He just needed to sleep it off while his body reconfigured itself around the new energy.
With their nerves settled, Shinobu sent for Lady Amane.
When Amane arrived and saw her husband sound asleep in such a state, she was understandably bewildered and a little panicked. "Horitake, Shinobu... what happened to my husband? Why is he sleeping so deeply?"
Horitake stepped forward to offer a reassuring explanation. "Please don't worry, Lady Amane. We've successfully administered a treatment to replenish the Master's life force and bolster his health. However, because his constitution was quite weak, his body is currently undergoing a rapid recovery process. This deep sleep is simply his body's way of adapting to the changes. It's nothing to fear; he just needs rest. Once he wakes, you'll see the difference."
Horitake's words carried a weight of certainty that was hard to doubt. Lady Amane, trusting his judgment, eased her worries and had Kagaya moved back to their private quarters, where she could look after him while he slept.
Fortunately, the day-to-day operations of the Demon Slayer Corps were currently being handled by Kiriya. Even if Kagaya slept for a day or two, the organization wouldn't grind to a halt.
Once they were certain the Master was settled, Horitake and Shinobu took their leave.
On the way back toward the Butterfly Mansion and Horitake's own home, Horitake finally let out the breath he'd been holding.
"Shinobu-san, I have to be honest—when the Master just keeled over like that, I was terrified. I was halfway ready to grab you and Mitsuri and flee into the mountains!"
Shinobu looked a bit sheepish herself. She tapped her temple with a finger, sighing. "I suppose I was too impatient. Even though I was certain the potion was safe, I should have been more cautious before asking the Master to test it. This was a massive undertaking; I should have taken a few more days to study the potential reactions. I'm just glad it didn't turn into a catastrophe. We're lucky he's just sleeping."
"Yeah," Horitake agreed. "No more 'surprise' human trials after this."
They parted ways at the Butterfly Mansion. Shinobu went straight back to her lab to verify their "sleep-response" theory through data, while Horitake went home to collapse into his own bed.
Since Horitake lived alone and was notoriously lazy when it came to cooking, he continued his tradition of "leeching" meals from the Butterfly Mansion. The residents there—Aoi and the three little ones—had long since accepted him as a member of the family. Whenever Horitake was back at headquarters, Aoi instinctively prepared an extra portion of food. It was a silent understanding that required no explanation.
Over the next day, Horitake spent a significant amount of time at the lab, assisting Shinobu. Through their joint research, they confirmed that their theory was correct: the "fainting" wasn't a side effect of the chemicals, but a biological buffer for Kagaya's specific condition.
By the morning of the second day, a Kakushi named Goto came running into the Butterfly Mansion, looking for them.
"Lord Horitake! Lady Shinobu!" Goto panted. "The Master has awakened! But... his condition is a bit strange. Could you please come and take a look?"
Horitake and Shinobu exchanged a quick look and immediately followed Goto back to the Ubuyashiki estate.
Inside, they found Kagaya sitting up with Lady Amane by his side. The transformation was startling.
The most obvious change was his complexion. His face, which had always been pale and sickly, now had a healthy, vibrant flush. For a man who had spent years looking like he was on the verge of collapse, he suddenly looked remarkably robust.
Horitake discreetly activated his Spirit Vision. The sight was breath-taking. Kagaya's aura, once flickering and thin, was now steady and brimming with vitality. His blood was pumping with a vigor he hadn't possessed in years.
Horitake grinned, his first words upon seeing his leader being: "Congratulations, Master! It seems your recovery is going even better than expected. Your life force and spirit have been fully restored. This is a great blessing for the Demon Slayer Corps!"
While Horitake offered congratulations, Shinobu offered an apology. She bowed deeply, her posture formal and repentant. "I am truly sorry, Master. My lack of caution led to you falling into that sudden slumber. It was a lapse in my judgment, and I am deeply embarrassed."
With one of them playing the role of the boisterous celebrant and the other the solemn penitent, Kagaya couldn't help but let out a soft, genuine chuckle. Even if he had intended to scold them—which he hadn't—he wouldn't have been able to find the words to do so now.
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