31 Rest

Giyu's eyes slowly opened as he found himself staring at a wooden ceiling. He scanned the room with tired eyes, a familiar sight that confirmed his suspicions before his mind could fully catch up, he was at the Butterfly Mansion. 'Did I pass out?' he thought, his mind quickly drifting to the battle with Upper Moon Two. He had failed to slay the demon, allowing it to escape.

Looking down at his body, covered in bandages, Giyu could feel his skin still aching beneath them. As he rose from the bed, he tried to stand up.

A sudden sound of breaking pottery echoed through the room as his body crumpled to the ground, his fall knocking over a vase of flowers, Giyu was alarmed by the lack of strength in his feet. He calmed himself, remembering the strain his body had undergone from using the Twelfth Form. It wasn't just his legs—his entire body had been pushed to the limit.

The last time he'd exerted himself like this was during his battle with Upper Moon Three and the Demon King. Back then, he realized that anything less than his best wouldn't be enough.

Given a second chance, he made a promise to himself not to make the same mistake again. This time, he would give his all from the very beginning, and this battle had been the perfect example. From the moment his eyes locked onto the demon, Giyu had done everything in his power to change the outcome.

He smiled, clenching his fists. Though the demon had escaped, Kanae was alive. That was enough of a victory for him.

His thoughts were interrupted as the door slowly opened, and a small figure stepped inside. Their eyes met, and Giyu watched as Shinobu froze in place for a moment, a drop of sweat rolling down her face. She snapped out of it and rushed toward Giyu, who was still sitting awkwardly on the floor.

"Tomioka-san!" she called out, kneeling down beside him, her eyes scanning his body. She looked unsure, fidgeting as she checked him over. "Are you okay? Does anything hurt?" she asked, her voice filled with worry.

Giyu, feeling slightly overwhelmed by her sudden attentiveness, awkwardly shook his head. "I'm fine," he replied, his voice steady despite the discomfort he felt at being fussed over. Giyu tried to get up, but once again, his legs failed to muster enough strength.

Without hesitation, Shinobu supported him, taking his arm. "Tomioka-san, please don't make any sudden movements," she said, warry evident in her expression. "Your body was in critical condition, and your wounds haven't fully healed yet. Please, allow me to help."

"Alright, thank you" Giyu muttered, awkwardly accepting her help. Once seated, Shinobu smiled in satisfaction, her expression only making Giyu feel more awkward as he avoided eye contact.

"Tomioka-san," she called his name again, her tone softer this time, almost hesitant. Giyu turned his attention back to her, surprised to see her bow her head slightly. "Thank you," she repeated, her voice filled with sincerity.

"I'm truly grateful to you, for protecting my sister and fighting so hard," she continued. Giyu remained silent for a moment, caught off guard by her words.

"Please don't bow. I'm just glad you and your sister are not hurt. I don't deserve high praise… If anything, it's my fault the demon escaped," he said

Shinobu shook her head, her hands gently gripping his arm as her expression softened. "No, my sister told me everything. You did more than enough." Her voice was filled with conviction, and for a brief moment, Giyu found himself at a loss for words. He wasn't used to seeing Shinobu act this way, so open, so… warm. Not even in his past life had she been like this.

"Ara Ara, it seems you two are getting along quite well," a voice interrupted, and Kanae entered the room. Shinobu who was still holding Giyu's hands froze again, her face turned bright red, and she quickly released Giyu, coughing as if nothing had happened.

"I'm glad to see you awake, Tomioka," Kanae continued, her voice soft as she approached. Giyu nodded, offering a small smile. "Thank you for taking care of me," he said, and Kanae smiled warmly.

"That's the least we could do," she replied, the atmosphere between them calm and cheerful. Then, a thought crossed Giyu's mind. "How long have I been asleep?" he asked. Both sisters' expressions turned a bit solemn.

"You've been out for a little over a week, Tomioka. Your body was frozen, inside and out. Your heart even stopped for a moment," Kanae explained, her voice tinged with guilt. Shinobu also looked sad, but Giyu remained expressionless.

And after a brief check-up, the sisters left him to rest. As Shinobu exited first, Kanae stopped near the door, she hesitated, then murmured, "Tomioka, I'm sorry for leaving you to fight alone."

Giyu's eyes softened. "Please don't be. I was the one who told you to leave," he replied, not regretting his decision. While Kanae might have been able to stop the demon from escaping in that last moment, both knew it was a stretch. In her condition, she would have struggled to keep up, and staying might have made things worse. Kanae smiled faintly before leaving. "Rest well, Tomioka."

***

Twelve hours later, Giyu awoke feeling much better. After eating his favorite meal under the watchful eye of an unusually cheerful Shinobu, he was able to step outside the mansion with her help.

"Oi!" a voice suddenly called from above, and both Giyu and Shinobu looked up to see another pair of eyes staring down at them from atop the mansion's entrance gate, his voice loud and clear "You look like you got beaten up pretty bad. That's really unflashy if you ask me."

"Tengen..." Giyu smiled, recognizing his sparring partner and good friend. Shinobu, however, frowned in displeasure at the sight of Tengen climbing the gates of the Butterfly Mansion but remained silent.

Tengen jumped down, landing in front of them. He quickly patted Giyu on the back. "I heard you fought Upper Moon Two and even beheaded him—almost twice! Guess that's not so unflashy after all," Tengen said, grinning.

Tomioka gave a faint smile, recalling how effective the 12th form had been. "It's all thanks to your teachings."