"Oops! I'm late! My sincerest apologies!"
The loud voice of the Flame Hashira, Rengoku Kyōjurō, drew everyone's attention even before he entered the room.
As the inheritor of the Flame Breathing, even though he had not been a Hashira for long, his formidable strength and cheerful, reliable personality had earned him great popularity within the Demon Slayer Corps.
"Kyōjurō, the news was so shocking that we had no choice but to summon you back overnight. It must have been hard on you."
Kagaya spoke with a gentle smile. Every time he saw the ever-enthusiastic Kyōjurō, he could feel the vibrant and abundant life force radiating from him.
He was like a blazing flame in the cold night, always exuding strength, warmth, and dependability. Beside him, Amane placed a tray with freshly brewed tea in front of Kyōjurō.
"Hahaha! Upon hearing the news of Doma's death, I felt my entire body heat up! It wasn't hard at all!" Kyōjurō replied in his usual loud voice, bending down to take the teacup and turning to thank Amane.
However, as soon as he turned his head, his sharp eyes immediately noticed Gyomei exuding an eerie aura from the corner of the room like a cold stone; Tengen, lying weakly in the hallway, struggling to breathe; and Sanemi, sobbing in a corner of the courtyard.
He instinctively widened his already large eyes, then absentmindedly took a sip of tea.
Shinobu, who was about to explain the situation, was completely speechless upon hearing his booming declaration.
"Hey, hey! You're the Flame Hashira, can you act normal for once?"
Unlike her elder sister, Shinobu, who had not yet suffered the trauma of losing a loved one, still had a fiery temper. A cross-shaped vein bulged on her forehead in frustration.
Wasn't he supposed to be wondering why his fellow Hashira were injured? And yet, the first thing he did after taking a sip of tea was to loudly declare it delicious, what kind of behavior was that?!
"Hahaha! It hurts—hah—it still hurts—haha!"
Tengen couldn't help but laugh, but each laugh pulled at his torn muscles and nerves, causing him to wince in pain.
The sound of rapid footsteps echoed.
Just like the grief-stricken Tengen, a newly appointed Water Hashira, Tomioka Giyū, appeared at the courtyard entrance.
Silent and reserved as always, he walked in expressionlessly, greeted Kagaya with a bow, and then turned his gaze toward his fellow Hashira, who were clearly not in their usual state.
"Huff—hah—huff—Kanae! Hahaha! This kind of power! Let the demons taste it! Let them experience it! This pain worse than death is the best punishment!" Sanemi, who had finally recovered from his moment of emotional turmoil, let out a twisted and terrifying laugh.
Simply killing a demon with a single slash was too easy for them! They should make every demon suffer this kind of soul-crushing agony!
Kyōjurō and Giyū both turned their gazes toward Shinobu, who was the only one among them still unscathed.
They had been summoned back overnight at their leader's request.
Apart from hearing the news of Doma's death, they knew nothing else.
"It's —yesterday, I received word from the area near Eternal Paradise Faith…" Kanae repeated the explanation she had given to Kagaya earlier.
"What a brave man!" Kyōjurō, noticing Sanemi's sour expression, loudly praised his courage in an attempt to lighten the mood. And indeed, the atmosphere did ease up.
Kanae, Shinobu, Tengen, and even Kagaya himself couldn't help but laugh. However, Sanemi's expression only became even darker!
Seeing that all the Hashira had now returned, Kanae put an end to the playful banter. She began channeling natural energy into them, allowing it to flow through their bodies and clear their pathways.
Those who had reached the level of Hashira were already among the most elite of the Demon Slayer Corps, each possessing extraordinary talent. Though they were still young and had yet to reach their full potential, their physical resilience was strong enough to endure the cleansing process of natural energy, though none as robust as Gyomei.
She then noticed Shinobu's eager expression and sighed helplessly. As her own flesh and blood, of course, she wanted Shinobu to grow stronger.
However, her sister had a naturally weaker constitution, her bones were delicate, and neither her muscle strength nor internal organs were as sturdy as the other Hashira.
She simply could not withstand the baptism of natural energy.
"Onee-san! Let me try it just once!" Shinobu bit her lip, her small face filled with determination and reluctance to accept her limitations.
She had been born with a weaker constitution than most, lacking the strength to even decapitate a demon. But she had never given up—passing the trials, joining the Demon Slayer Corps, learning medical techniques, and constantly improving herself in every way possible.
Everyone was working hard to eradicate demons completely, there was no way she would stop here!
"Shinobu..." Kanae gently placed her palm on the side of her younger sister's stubborn face, feeling deeply conflicted.
Natural energy was something Shinobu's body simply could not withstand. But faced with this resolute little sister, how was she, as an older sister, supposed to persuade and guide her?
Oh, Kami-sama—! Please grant your devout follower guidance.
Kanae activated the divine contract through the natural energy within her body.
At that moment, Kei, who had been playing in the swimming pool with Kushina, sensed the contract's call. A fraction of his consciousness emerged through the power of the contract and entered Kanae's spiritual domain.
Shinobu, you and your sister truly have opposite temperaments. Kei's voice echoed within Kanae's mind.
I sincerely apologize for disturbing you. My younger sister has had a frail constitution since childhood... Kanae held the small divine idol in her hands, closed her eyes, and began explaining Shinobu's situation to Kei.
Though she felt a bit embarrassed to bring it up, Shinobu was her dear sister...
The tiny divine idol, less than two inches tall, emitted a faint spiritual glow.
The next moment, the idol transformed into a tiny humanoid figure. It stood up from Kanae's palm and beckoned toward Shinobu.
Everyone present watched Kanae's actions closely.
Seeing the small idol suddenly transform into what looked like a tiny, living person, they instinctively swallowed hard.
Was this... really not an illusion?
"Is this your true size?" Shinobu blinked her large, violet eyes, bent forward slightly, and leaned in close to her sister's palm.
Kei raised his hand and flicked his finger.
A compressed burst of air struck her forehead, producing a crisp sound. She stumbled back, stunned, and clutched her forehead in confusion.
Hearing that satisfying thump sound, Kei instantly felt refreshed.
"Kami-sama! I'm so sorry! She didn't mean to be rude, she's just... not very good with words!"
Kanae quickly bowed and apologized. Shinobu was way too reckless! How could she say something like that to a deity?!
"Come here, let me check which training method suits you." Kei waved at the overly nervous Kanae before turning his attention back to Shinobu.
"Huh?!" Shinobu's eyes lit up. Forgetting about the red mark on her forehead, she eagerly moved closer again.
Getting flicked on the forehead was nothing compared to the chance to grow stronger!
Kei gazed at the girl before him, who was several times larger than his Wood Release avatar.
With a slight sigh, he decided that next time, he shouldn't conserve his energy. Then, he placed his palm gently against Shinobu's forehead.
"Hmm... You have some congenital deficiencies. Your cell and bone density are low, but your spiritual strength exceeds your physical strength. Water and Yin attributes, huh? Hmm, chakra isn't suitable for you... You should train in magic instead."
"Huh?" Shinobu blinked in confusion.
Before she could process his words, a slight tingling sensation spread through her mind.
In the next moment, her vision began to change. The air around her seemed to be filled with faint, bluish light particles, along with a few scattered dark ones.
Completely unfamiliar knowledge started appearing in her mind.