Chapter 62: The Emotionless Girl of the Butterfly Mansion

[TL/N: Read my new work - Detective Conan: I'm a Succubus?!] 

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Aqua merely curled her lips, brushing everything off without much thought.

Esdeath, on the other hand, had a solemn yet expectant look in her eyes.

It was as if she viewed Nanashi not as a man, but as a worthy prey, her gaze burning with desire—not of romance, but of battle.

"..."

Kagaya Ubuyashiki's blind eyes couldn't see the scene before him, but he could sense it.

He could feel an unfathomable power radiating from Nanashi.

He could hear the admiration in his subordinates' voices.

Even his wife's hands, which gently supported him, were trembling.

This was not a moment for hesitation.

This was a moment for decisiveness.

With a calm yet firm tone, he spoke:

"Lord Nanashi, the Demon Slayer Corps will fully cooperate with your plan."

Nanashi grinned.

Explain?

There's no need to explain.

When power is demonstrated, no further words are required.

With cooperation secured, Nanashi laid out the plan.

Muzan Kibutsuji—the most despicable villain in Demon Slayer.

A coward who had spent centuries hiding in the shadows, avoiding detection at all costs.

If he were to sense a real threat, there was no doubt—

He'd disappear without hesitation.

If necessary, he'd bury himself a thousand meters underground, entering a deep slumber for centuries, waiting until all his enemies had died of old age before emerging once more.

To deal with such a spineless creature, they had to exploit his greatest obsession.

And that was—Perfection.

Muzan did not just want to be the Demon King.

He wanted to become the perfect life form.

But even after a thousand years, he remained bound by fear—fear of the sun.

The only way for him to overcome this weakness…

Was to obtain the Blue Spider Lily.

A rare flower he had spent centuries searching for—and failing to find.

What Muzan never realized, however, was why.

The flower only blooms during the hottest part of the day, where the sunlight is strongest—

A time and place that no demon could ever reach.

Nanashi had no idea where to find the Blue Spider Lily.

But he did know where blue spider lilies grew—right around this world's savior home.

But he didn't know where Tanjiro Kamado's home was, so finding it was a task best left to the Demon Slayer Corps.

With more manpower, the search would be faster and more efficient.

While preparations were underway, everyone occupied themselves.

Aqua returned to her favorite pastime—preaching the Axis Cult.

Esdeath, still craving a battle, tried to provoke Nanashi into fighting her again.

But she was met with disappointment.

"If we fight now and cause a commotion," Nanashi explained, "Muzan might sense the disturbance and flee."

Reluctantly, she accepted the reasoning.

Instead, she redirected her frustration toward another target—

Sanemi Shinazugawa.

The stubborn-headed Hashira, still seething with rage, had gotten back up and was ready to charge at Esdeath again.

And once again—

She knocked him unconscious with one effortless strike.

Then he got up.

Then he charged.

Then he got knocked out again.

Over and over.

His screams and battle cries echoed through the headquarters, so relentless that even Kagaya eventually left the scene—

He simply couldn't bear to listen anymore.

Meanwhile, Lemuel had nothing to do and simply followed Nanashi around.

Nanashi, however, wasn't particularly interested in the Demon Slayer Corps.

His main interests were simple—

One: Strength.

Two: Beautiful women.

And Shinobu, eager to grow stronger, had already started hunting demons on her own.

Her reason?

Points.

Nanashi had explained that killing demons earned Doomsday Points—a currency for power.

That alone was all the motivation she needed.

She hadn't even been assigned a mission—

She simply went out and started eliminating demons, trying to accumulate points and increase her strength.

And that's how she encountered Douma.

Nanashi, too, joined in hunting demons—but for a different reason.

He wanted to experiment.

Using air pressure, he compressed a demon down to the size of a thumb—

Until it couldn't regenerate anymore.

That alone proved something important—

Even demons had a limit to their regeneration.

A useful discovery.

Unfortunately, there was a catch.

When they checked their points—

Only Shinobu had earned any.

Neither Nanashi nor Lemuel received anything.

"So much for using demons as an infinite points farm," Nanashi muttered.

The theory was a failure—

But at least it was worth testing.

With nothing else to do, the three decided to head to the Butterfly Mansion.

A place where wounds healed.

The Butterfly Mansion was a medical institution managed by Insect Hashira, Shinobu.

It served as a rehabilitation center, offering treatment and care for injured Demon Slayer Corps members.

Most of the nursing staff were composed of members who lacked swordsmanship talent but still wished to contribute.

As soon as Nanashi and his group arrived at the mansion—

Three small figures came rushing out.

Kiyo Terauchi, Sumi Nakahara, and Naho Takada—the three resident caregivers of the Butterfly Mansion.

"Is someone injured again?!"

The trio shouted in unison, their small eyes filled with concern.

Shinobu smiled gently.

"No, no one's hurt this time. We just have two special guests visiting."

"Ohh!"

The three girls nodded in understanding.

But then—

Their eyes locked onto Lemuel—

And they couldn't look away.

"It's an Angel!"

"Oh my," Lemuel sighed, "My halo always attracts attention wherever I go."

"Angel Sister!"

The three little girls gasped in excitement.

At that moment—

A new voice entered the conversation.

"Angels? Where?!"

A girl with jet-black hair, vivid blue eyes, and twin ponytails approached.

A blue butterfly hairpin adorned her hair, and she wore the standard Demon Slayer Corps uniform, layered with a white nursing coat.

Her serious expression made it clear—

She was the diligent type, always watching for slackers.

But then—

Her eyes landed on Lemuel.

And she froze.

"I-It's... really an angel!"

She covered her mouth, stunned.

Nanashi nudged Lemuel with his elbow, smirking.

"You're quite the celebrity in other worlds, huh?"

Lemuel scratched the back of her head, clearly uncomfortable.

"They just think I look like an angel... I'm not a fan of this kind of attention."

Shinobu chuckled softly, stepping in to clarify.

"Lemuel isn't an angel, girls."

Hearing this, the little ones visibly deflated.

Even as they walked away—

They kept glancing back every few steps, their faces filled with disappointment.

Lemuel could only sigh.

She understood—her appearance naturally misled people.

But in reality, she lacked the abilities of the so-called angels of other worlds.

As they continued into the Butterfly Mansion's backyard—

They saw a lone girl sitting quietly.

Her hair was tied into a neat ponytail, her gaze locked onto a red butterfly perched on her palm.

She watched it in complete silence.

Her expression was blank—

Her eyes void of emotion.

The scene was eerily still.

As if trapped in a moment of time.