Little Shinobu

"As for how I know all this, well, that's a secret!" Kanae winked playfully at Tamayo and smiled.

"Is that so?" Tamayo nodded, not pressing further. She was more interested in why Kanae had come to find her. "May I ask how I should address you?"

"My name is Kanae Kocho. You can just call me Kanae, and I'm currently the Flower Hashira of the Demon Slayer Corps."

"As I thought... Well then, Kanae, what brings you here today?"

Kanae waved a hand casually. "It's nothing major. I came to deliver some good news and also to offer you some assistance."

Tamayo's curiosity piqued. She wasn't too concerned about the good news but had a guess about the assistance. Given what Kanae had said earlier, it likely had something to do with the research on turning demons back into humans.

"Could it be that you've encountered the Twelve Kizuki and obtained their blood?" Tamayo pondered silently, thinking about how easy it would be for a Hashira like Kanae to take down a Lower Moon demon.

After a moment of contemplation, Tamayo smiled kindly at Kanae. "You truly are an unusual person, Kanae. Most members of the Demon Slayer Corps would have drawn their swords and attacked us on sight."

"Well, if it were any other Hashira, they might indeed have done so," Kanae chuckled. She knew all too well that most Hashira wouldn't hesitate to attack any demon, regardless of their nature.

Tamayo took a deep breath. "You mentioned good news. What might that be?"

Without any hesitation, Kanae dropped the bombshell: "Muzan Kibutsuji is dead."

"What? Are you certain?" Tamayo's face instantly shifted, her voice trembling with disbelief. The intensity of her emotions was clear, her previously calm demeanor now replaced with shock, anxiety, excitement, and a burning hope.

Tamayo's eyes flickered with emotions—fear, disbelief, excitement, and a longing desire to believe. Muzan Kibutsuji, the source of all demons, was dead? It was too much to process.

Kanae nodded confidently. "It's true. You can go and check for yourself. Apart from you and Yushiro, there are no other demons left in this world."

Tamayo didn't respond immediately. She stood frozen, her body trembling, causing Yushiro, who stood nearby, to grow concerned. "Lady Tamayo, are you alright?"

Tamayo didn't answer Yushiro's question. As he took a step forward, intending to check on her, she suddenly raised her head, letting out a crazed laugh.

"He's dead! Finally dead! That filthy Muzan Kibutsuji is gone!" She laughed hysterically, consumed by the joy of her long-awaited vengeance.

A few moments passed before Tamayo regained her composure, returning to her graceful and elegant demeanor.

"Apologies, Kanae, for that outburst," Tamayo said, bowing slightly, though without any hint of embarrassment. It was as if the person who had just been laughing maniacally wasn't her at all.

"No need to apologize. I didn't expect to see that side of you, but it was certainly refreshing." Kanae smiled, her interest in the elegant woman before her growing. She was so different from how she appeared just moments ago.

Kanae's knowledge of Tamayo was limited to the brief segments shown in the memory fragments. She had no idea about the full history between Tamayo and Muzan.

Yushiro opened his mouth to speak, only to realize that he really didn't know Tamayo as well as he had thought. He felt a pang of guilt, realizing he hadn't fully understood her suffering all this time.

"Thank you for bringing such wonderful news. Now, what kind of assistance were you talking about?" Tamayo asked.

If Muzan was dead, that also meant the Twelve Kizuki were gone, which would make it almost impossible to obtain their blood for her research. The hope of turning herself and Yushiro back into humans now seemed out of reach.

But Tamayo wasn't disappointed. The primary reason for her research had always been to destroy Muzan. Turning herself back into a human was merely a side goal.

As long as Muzan was dead, she didn't care what happened to her afterward.

However, what Kanae said next rekindled Tamayo's hope for completing her research.

"Tamayo, I have some of Muzan's blood, along with samples from most of the Twelve Kizuki."

As she spoke, Kanae pulled several containers from her storage space, each filled with vibrant red liquid.

"These are the blood samples I collected. With these, I believe you'll have everything you need to complete your research, right?" Kanae said as she handed the containers to Tamayo.

Tamayo's eyes widened in surprise as she looked at the containers. She was astonished by how Kanae had seemingly pulled them out of thin air, but she didn't dwell on it.

"What will this cost me?" Tamayo asked, knowing full well that nothing came without a price.

"If you were still working on the cure to defeat Muzan, I'd have asked for nothing in return since it would benefit both of us. But now that he's dead, what's in it for you?"

Kanae smiled softly. "I told you earlier, I admire what you've done. Consider this a gift with no strings attached."

"Thank you, then," Tamayo said, holding Kanae's gaze for a few moments before accepting the containers with a smile.

"I've given you everything you need, so I'll be on my way now. I hope the next time we meet, you'll both be human again," Kanae said as she turned to leave.

"Kanae, it's already quite late. Would you like to stay here for the night?" Tamayo offered.

"No need. My sisters are waiting for me at home," Kanae replied, waving her hand as she declined the offer and left the house.

Tamayo stood at the door, watching Kanae's figure disappear into the distance. After a few minutes, she turned back toward the house.

"Yushiro, it seems we'll be busy for the foreseeable future. Put our work as doctors on hold for now," Tamayo said as she walked inside.

"Understood, Lady Tamayo," Yushiro replied firmly, following her back into the house.

As the door closed behind them, the house once again blended into the night, hidden behind the blood demon art barrier.

…

After returning to the Butterfly Estate, Kanae didn't use her points to further enhance her strength. Instead, she decided to chat with the group.

[Kanae Kocho (Level 4, Stage 1): The Demon Slayer Corps has officially disbanded.]

Just as Eriri had predicted, once it was confirmed that all the demons were gone, Kagaya Ubuyashiki announced the dissolution of the Demon Slayer Corps. The thousand-year-old organization was no longer needed.

[Arifureta (Level 4, Stage 2/Group Leader): Isn't that a good thing?]

[Arifureta (Level 4, Stage 2/Group Leader): By the way, Kanae, weren't you planning on coming to our world? How about joining us in school? It'd be fun!]

[Eriri (Level 8, Stage 5): Yeah, I agree! Plus, Shinobu and Kanao haven't been to school before, right? It'd be a great experience for them!]

Eriri and Arifureta's suggestion made Kanae think. She had already planned to settle in Eriri's world eventually, and this seemed like a perfect opportunity to take her time. It might also be good for Kanao to meet new people and open up.

[Kanae Kocho (Level 4, Stage 1): That sounds like a great idea! Once I finish wrapping things up at the Butterfly Estate, we'll head over.]

[Arifureta (Level 4, Stage 2/Group Leader): Awesome!]

[Eriri (Level 8, Stage 5): Want me to come pick you up? Shinobu and Kanao aren't group members, so they can't use the interdimensional travel tokens, right?]

[Kanae Kocho (Level 4, Stage 1): No need. Once everything's settled, we'll use the portal when Sakura's birthday event happens.]

[Eriri (Level 8, Stage 5): That works. By the way, we already have a Shinobu here, so we might need a way to tell you two apart.]

[Kiss-Shot (Level 4, Stage 4): I've told you before, don't call me Shinobu! My real name is Acelora! Start using that!]

[Eriri (Level 8, Stage 5): Rejected. "Shinobu" has more charm. Let's just call the other one "Shinobu-chan."]

[Eriri (Level 8, Stage 5): Yup, decision made!]

[Kiss-Shot (Level 4, Stage 4): …Fine, do whatever you want.]

[Kanae Kocho (Level 4, Stage 1): I think "Shinobu-chan" is pretty cute. Haha!]

As Kanae laughed at the group chat, Shinobu, who was nearby, noticed her amusement.

"Sister, is something funny happening in the group chat again?" Shinobu asked curiously. She was used to Kanae suddenly laughing while chatting with the others.

"Yeah, something like that," Kanae replied with a mysterious smile, giving her sister a teasing look.

Shinobu raised an eyebrow. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

Kanae cleared her throat. "Oh, it's nothing much. By the way, Shinobu-chan, how would you feel about going to school with me and Kanao? We're joining Eriri's world soon."

"If you're going, then I'll go," Shinobu replied without hesitation. As long as she could stay by Kanae's side, she didn't mind.

Then, Shinobu's expression shifted as she realized something. "Wait… what did you just call me? Shinobu-chan?"

Kanae smiled sweetly. "It's a cute name, don't you think? Eriri came up with it."

"Eriri… Eriri-san…" Shinobu trailed off, remembering the overwhelmingly beautiful girl she had met. That girl's beauty had left a lasting impression on her.

"Well, if Shinobu-chan doesn't like it, you can always bring it up with Eriri the next time we see her," Kanae teased, her eyes sparkling with mischief.

Shinobu turned her head, pretending not to care. "It's just a name. Call me whatever you want. I don't mind."

What Shinobu didn't realize was that her reaction was the very definition of a classic tsundere.