Faced with the barbed remark from Shinobu Kocho, Yoriichi's expression did not change in the slightest.
Unlike Giyu Tomioka, he did not particularly care whether someone found him "annoying."
What concerned him now was the girl in front of him.
More precisely, it was her body.
Within the sight of the Transparent World, he could see everything.
What flowed through the girl called Shinobu Kocho was not merely blood.
It was a circulation tinged with purple—one steeped in an aura of lethal poison.
Why… would she go to such lengths?
Feeling the hostility in her gaze, Yoriichi let out a quiet sigh.
"I don't care whether you dislike me."
His voice was low. "But… your body is crying."
Shinobu froze for a beat. "What are you even talking about?"
"To make up for your lack of strength—to be able to kill demons—you've stored toxins beyond what ordinary people could imagine in your blood, your bones… even in every organ."
Staring steadily into her violently wavering violet eyes, he asked softly, "Why would you do something like that?"
"Why plant a bomb inside your own body—one that could destroy you… are you trying to die?"
For a single instant, the smile on Shinobu's face hardened into stillness—then vanished as if it had never been there.
Even the wind and snow around them seemed to slow.
She immediately put the perfect smile back in place. "My, my… I'm not sure I understand what you're saying—"
Yoriichi did not stop. He shook his head faintly. "A method that trades life for life… what kind of reason could possibly make you choose that?"
Silence spread between them.
At last, a crack appeared in the flawless smile Shinobu had been maintaining.
The retort she wanted to deliver died in her throat beneath the boy's pitying, compassionate gaze.
For a moment, the Insect Hashira even suspected he had secretly gathered intelligence on her—or that a traitor existed within the Demon Slayer Corps.
To avenge her sister, to kill the Upper Rank demon that devoured human bodies, she had remade herself into a walking poison.
It was her greatest secret—an absolute confidence she had never even told Kanao, who lived by her side day after day.
And if what was written in Giyu's letter was true, this boy had never left these deep mountains. He could not possibly have had contact with any Hashira.
In other words… no one should have been able to know.
So how did he know…?
A sharp unease—like being seen through down to the bone—surged up in her chest. Shinobu tightened her grip on her sword hilt.
Just as the tension congealed to its breaking point—
Creak.
The faint rasp of wood scraping sounded clearly across the snow.
Perhaps the fierce clash earlier had loosened a latch; the lid of the wooden box on Yoriichi's back suddenly opened a narrow slit.
Shinobu's body snapped taut. The instinct honed through countless battles against demons made her adjust her breathing in an instant—ready to deliver a fatal strike at any moment.
But the scene she expected—a demon bursting out with a roar to feast on humans—did not come.
A small, pale hand gripped the edge of the box.
Then Nezuko poked out her little head.
Having gone without food for a long time—and conserving strength—she had shrunk herself into a childlike form.
A bamboo muzzle rested between her lips. In her pink eyes there was no ferocity, no greed.
She looked around the snowy landscape in confusion at first—then her gaze landed on Shinobu, bristling with killing intent.
"Mm…"
Like a startled little animal, Nezuko did not attack. Instead, she drew back, reached out, and clutched Yoriichi's hem tightly.
She hid half her body behind her brother, showing only a pair of timid eyes—wary, frightened—as she watched Shinobu.
The hand holding Shinobu's sword stiffened.
This… was a demon?
No stench of blood. No murderous aura. If anything… she was seeking shelter from a human?
Yoriichi reached back and gently patted Nezuko's head, soothing her. Then he lifted his eyes to Shinobu once more.
"She didn't go berserk when she caught a human scent."
His voice remained calm, each word landing with quiet certainty. "She's only afraid of the blade in your hand—afraid of the resolute killing intent on you. In your eyes, is she still a demon that must be driven out?"
The shock of her secret being exposed—combined with this scene that overturned everything she knew—threw even the quick-minded Insect Hashira into rare confusion.
She wanted to refute him, but faced with the trembling figure hiding behind the boy, she couldn't find the words.
And then—
"Caw—!!"
A shrill, hoarse cry tore open the sky.
A black Kasugai Crow circled down, beating its wings, and shouted in its distinctive booming voice:
"Order! Order!"
"Invite Tanjiro and Nezuko—and their family—back to Demon Slayer Corps headquarters! Back to headquarters!"
The crow landed on Giyu's shoulder. Its bead-black eyes fixed on the group below as it repeated:
"No harm! No harm! This is the Master's command!"
That shout finally shattered the suffocating stalemate.
Giyu let out a quiet breath, his hand easing off the sword hilt.
Shinobu, meanwhile, stared at Yoriichi—then flicked her gaze to Nezuko hiding behind him.
After a moment…
She closed her eyes and drew a deep breath.
When she opened them again, the familiar, inscrutable perfect smile had returned to her face.
Clack.
Her Nichirin Blade slid back into its sheath.
"Since it's the Master's order, then there's nothing to be done."
She smiled at Yoriichi, her tone light.
But this time, within that smile, there was a sharper edge of scrutiny—and interest.
"Then, this young man… no, Tanjiro-kun."
Shinobu tilted her head slightly, voice soft. "About what you just said—"
"On the way back to headquarters, I think… we'll need to have a proper 'talk.'"
-------
Enjoying the story? Support the author and get access to early chapters by joining my Patreon!
Find me at My : pat*eon*com/RuneA
I, Herta's Fiancé, the Universe's Number One Male Fist (114 Chapter (Simulpub-Full) )
Zenless Zone Zero: I'm a Succubus in Sixth Street (400 Chapter)
Reborn in Type-Moon, My Sister is Aoko Aozaki (254 Chapter)
MyGO!! A Story Voiced by Me (140 Chapter)
BLEACH: Blade of Purification (158 Chapter)
Konoha: Starting the Game as Yoriichi (400 Chapter)
My Real Job is Spying on Konoha, but I'm Also its Hokage (140 Chapter)
The Pinnacle of the Navy! Starting from Being Captured by Garp (172 Chapter)
Watching Yu-Gi-Oh! short videos is making the veteran players lose...(80 Chapter)
Uma Musume : The Trainer Who Just Wants to Live (200 Chapter)
Zenless Zone Zero The Random Kamen Rider (200 Chapter)
Genshin Impact: It All Began With Me Being Stepped On by Arlecchino (120 Chapter)
Naruto: I Can Synthesize Summoning Beasts (96 Chapter)
Demon Slayer: The Great Swordsman's System, Disciple of Yoriichi (140 Chapter)
My Wife is a General, but I'm an Emanator of Abundance! (160 Chapter)
Type-Moon: My Nine-Fold Path (140 Chapter)
Uma Musume: They're Peeking at My Diary, and All of Tracen is Panickin (Ending)
The Wild History of Type-Moon world (70 Chapter)
Reborn in Conan, But I Refuse to Be the Bad Guy (80 Chapter)
Ruan Mei is begging me to go back? But there's no going back anymore (140 Chapter)
Just a Slacker at Tracen Academy (165 Chapter)
Survival in Blue Archive (70 Chapter)
Kimetsu no Yaiba: Doma Wasn't Hated Today, Either (100 Chapter)
The Vibe of This Chat Group is a Little Off (100 Chapter)
Heartbreak Simulator: I Broke Them and Made Them Cry (80 Chapter)
The Talentless Trainer Doesn't Want to Restart (80 Chapter)
A Journey Starting as a Quincy (80 Chapter)
Uma Musume: The Master of Romance Obstruction (80 Chapter)
Uma Musume: You Can't Be a Hero Without a Little Chemical Enhancement (40 Chapter)
Honkai Impact 3rd Your Boyfriend is Really Amazing (40 Chapter)
Warhammer 40K: My Fiancée, Fulgrim (180 Chapter)
Classroom of the Elite: Trying to Capture Me! (120 Chapter)
Genshin Impact My Named Senji Muramas (150 Chapter)
A Chef, the Vice-Captain of the Rocks Pirates? (160 Chapter)
Naruto : My Uchiha Girlfriend is Too Tsundere (130 Chapter)
Type-Moon: Reincarnated in a Lostbelt, I Became the Alien God (90 Chapter)
The Way These Horse Girls Look at Me Is Terrifying! (160 Chapter)
Naruto: Tsunade's Deskmate (130 Chapter)
I Just Want to Live a Normal (50 Chapter).
Genshin Impact: A Hundred Confessions? It's Just a System Task (70 Chapter)
OnePiece : Starting as a Veteran of the Roger Pirates (60 Chapter)
Uma Musume : I Have Special Horse Taming Techniques (180 Chapter)
Uma Musume : My other self is a Horse Girl (110 Chapter)
Jujutsu Kaisen : All Affection Stats Maxed Out (190 Chapter)
Satou Kazuma's Decision to Live by Swindling, Starting from Re:Zero (60 Chapter)
Bleach : Ichigo! Take Over the Soul Society (78 Chapter)
Crossover Anime: The Master of Plagiarism with a 'Love Obstacle (130 Chapter)
Arknights Succubus Nurturing System, But I'm a Quiet Office Worker (80 Chapter)
Genshin Impact: Using My Personas to Break the Hearts of Players (50 Chapter)
One Punch Man : i am King? (140 Chapter)
Genshin: My Stats Are Irresistible (50 Chapter)
Naruto: Master of Dream Fulfillment! (60 Chapter)
Why Are All My Chat Group Friends Spin-Off Characters? (80 Chapter)
Arknights : Batman System (30 Chapter)
Chat Group: Swapping Bodies with the Bad-Ending Herta from the Start (46 Chapter)
DanMachi: Why Did My Dungeon Turn Into a Soulslike Game? (44 Chapter)
Losing Money on Uma Musume...What Do You Mean You Actually Won? (65 Chapter)
I'm Gotou Hitori—Who Are You? (40 Chapter)
Were You Ever Even a Uma Musume? Stop Making Things Up! (47 Chapter)
Demon Slayer: Yoriichi Tsugikuni Reborn : Starting from Tanjiro Kamado (33 Chapter)
If there's a particular novel you're enjoying on Patron, please give it a 'like' so I know to focus on it