Tonight... is so quiet...
That night, at the ancestral estate of the Rengoku Clan, Shinjuro sat cross-legged in the corridor outside the room where Kiriya and his two sisters were staying, gazing up at the moon overhead.
Tonight, for once, he had not drowned himself in alcohol. For once, he had picked up his old Nichirin Blade, taking up his duty as Kiriya's guard with renewed vigor.
Days ago, although Shinjuro had not immediately responded to Ubuyashiki's entrustment, when the moment truly arrived, he had ultimately chosen to take up his sword once more.
He had already accepted that the Demon Slayers were doomed. He had long since decided to leave the Corps. So why had he ended up sitting here?
Perhaps it was because, deep down, some small part of him still clung to his duty as a Demon Slayer...
Just as Shinjuro was lost in thought, his gaze suddenly caught a figure approaching slowly from the darkness beyond the main gate.
At first, he thought it might be a traveler who had lost their way in the mountains, coming to ask for directions.
But as the figure drew closer, Shinjuro gradually realized something was wrong.
Because the figure was wearing the standard uniform of the Demon Slayer Corps.
Without a doubt, the other party was a Demon Slayer.
But why would a Demon Slayer come here at a time like this?
Could tonight's decisive battle already be over?
No—if that were the case, the young master behind him in that room would have already run out to celebrate...
For no reason at all, Shinjuro felt a sense of unease.
And when the figure finally approached within ten meters of the estate gate, and he could finally see their face clearly, that unease instantly rose to its peak.
It was Kocho Kanae!
The Flower Hashira of the Demon Slayer Corps—Kocho Kanae!
Why was someone who should have been on the battlefield against the demons appearing here?
What was she doing here at a time like this?
"Flower Hashira, why are you here?"
His hand instinctively gripped the hilt of his blade. Shinjuro slowly rose to his feet and asked in a deep voice.
"Mr. Shinjuro, do you know what I'm thinking about right now?"
Without answering his question, Kanae stopped in her tracks before the estate gate.
The two of them maintained a distance of roughly a dozen meters. Kanae looked up at the wary Shinjuro, that familiar smile on her face.
"I find it strange."
She raised her hand and lightly tapped her temple, smiling as she said:
"What's strange is that even though I came here to kill you all, for some reason, my mind is currently filled with thoughts of Demon Slayers, duty, slaying demons, my mother's dying wishes... thoughts that shouldn't be in my head right now.
And their purpose is undoubtedly only one: to persuade me to go back, to urge me to leave quickly, to not come here, to not make a move against you.
Isn't that really strange?
If I were truly hesitating, I would never have walked this far. Conversely, since I've already come this far, how could I still have such hesitation in my heart?"
Not fully understanding the true meaning behind Kanae's words, Shinjuro only caught one thing from them—
She had come to help those demons kill Kiriya?!
Kocho Kanae... she was a traitor to the Demon Slayer Corps?!
There was actually a spy for the demons within the Demon Slayer Corps?!
And it was a Hashira?!
When had this happened? When had she joined the demons?!
"I've finally confirmed that so-called gods do indeed exist—especially when you decide to defy Them."
Slowly drawing her Nichirin Blade from her waist, Kanae looked at the shocked Shinjuro, her smile growing even brighter.
"Unfortunately, even gods find it difficult to completely alter human thoughts.
Kiriya must die. The bloodline of the Ubuyashiki Clan must also be severed. This is a choice I made long ago.
Rengoku-senpai, since you've already left the Demon Slayer Corps for nearly twenty years, why get involved again?"
Shinjuro didn't respond. He simply drew his own Nichirin Blade as well.
Although he was puzzled about why and when Kanae had betrayed them...
At this moment, such questions no longer held any meaning.
Since Kanae had appeared here, there was only one thing he needed to do now—
Stop her. Protect Kiriya in the room behind him.
The night wind blew. Under the moonlight, a tense, murderous atmosphere spread between the two of them.
Gripping his blade as he stood before the door, Shinjuro, now fully prepared, stared straight at Kanae before him, whose pupils were gradually filling with blood, turning completely crimson.
Although he had left the Demon Slayer Corps for many years, Shinjuro still remembered this technique.
The Final Form of Flower Breathing: **Crimson Spider Lily Eyes**—a technique that maximizes dynamic vision by applying pressure to the eyeballs. Among all Breathing Styles, it is the technique whose effects come closest to the Transparent World.
The drawback is that prolonged use can easily lead to blindness.
To use this technique before even striking showed that Kanae had come with a determination to succeed at all costs.
Tonight, either she would die here, or they would...
Flower Breathing: Sixth Form—Whirling Peach!
In this tense standoff, Kanae struck first.
Her figure leaped into the air, twisting her body mid-flight, and swung a ribbon-like peach-colored slash at Shinjuro!
Flame Breathing: Second Form—Rising Scorching Sun!
Flame Breathing: Fourth Form—Blooming Flame Undulation!
Taking a deep breath and mobilizing the blood throughout his entire body, Shinjuro first swung an upward slash to block Kanae's assault.
Then, with himself as the center, he rapidly swung his blade, sending a vortex-shaped flame slash hurtling toward her!
Flower Breathing: Second Form—Honorable Shadow Plum!
Her wrist shook at extreme speed, continuously unleashing several slashes that formed a barrier resembling blooming plum blossoms before her, intercepting Shinjuro's attack. Without the slightest hesitation, Kanae charged forward again, continuing her assault!
In the estate courtyard, the sound of clashing blades rang out repeatedly. Peach-colored and orange-yellow slashes intertwined endlessly.
[My moves... are being predicted...]
After only a few exchanges at close range, Shinjuro already felt himself being overpowered.
With the advantage granted by the Crimson Spider Lily Eyes, Kanae could anticipate his every move, forcing him to passively defend and continuously retreat.
If this continued, it wouldn't take more than a few rounds before he was defeated!
[I must find a way to buy time. The Crimson Spider Lily Eyes can't be maintained for too long. If I can just hold her off for a while, she'll soon go blind in both eyes. Then the situation will completely reverse...]