Kanae smiled softly at the sight.
"Miss Yuko truly is as gentle as Shinobu said."
Before Yuko could respond, Shinobu's cheeks flushed slightly. Her usually calm voice sharpened into a soft, flustered protest.
"Sister~"
"Hm?" Kanae was surprised by Shinobu's reaction and momentarily spaced out.
Yuko, on the other hand, could only smile helplessly.
Kindness alone didn't put food on the table—it was simply kind people doing kind things.
Afraid her sister might bring up what she had written about Yuko in her letters, Shinobu quickly changed the subject.
"How long will you be staying this time, Sister?"
Kanae pondered briefly.
"Since the Master wishes us to improve our strength, I doubt I'll be assigned to regular missions. I should be staying for quite some time."
Demonic disturbances didn't follow schedules. Demons were scattered everywhere, and news of people being eaten could arrive at any moment.
The Demon Slayer Corps wasn't an official organization. It only had a few hundred members, and the number of swordsmen truly capable of fighting was even smaller.
Meanwhile, demons could multiply endlessly.
Whether ordinary members or Hashira, the moment one mission ended, another arrived.
Mission after mission—unless severely injured and forced to rest, there was hardly any free time at all.
That was precisely why Tsuguko—disciples personally trained by Hashira—existed. The Hashira simply didn't have the time to train everyone.
Looking across history, even armies at war weren't worked this relentlessly. Soldiers at least enjoyed victory after winning battles.
But the Demon Slayer Corps didn't have that luxury.
No matter how many demons they killed, no matter how many Twelve Kizuki they slew—
as long as Muzan still lived, the suffering caused by demons would never end.
The reason the Corps endured such painful, exhausting lives was precisely because of Muzan.
When a person—or a group—is willing to face death to achieve a goal, the goal itself eventually becomes irrelevant.
Humanity had proven this countless times: if humans truly wanted something, there was nothing they could not accomplish.
"Sister, haven't you often had unanswered questions about Snow Breathing?" Shinobu said with a smile.
"Now that the creator is right here, why not ask Yuko directly?"
"Well…" Kanae hesitated, glancing at Yuko. Of course she wanted to—she just wasn't sure…
"Of course," Yuko said with a smile, nodding.
"Honestly, I never expected this breathing style to be passed down at all."
Though everyone jokingly called it a "messy" breathing style, Yuko herself understood why.
Snow Breathing, like Sun and Moon Breathing, placed extremely strict demands on the user's constitution.
In some aspects, it was even harsher.
The Kocho sisters exchanged helpless smiles.
It really was an odd breathing style. If it hadn't been properly recorded, merely explaining the mid-technique transitions would be enough to leave later generations completely baffled.
"How about we begin training Snow Breathing tomorrow?" Yuko asked.
Kanae smiled.
"I'll follow your arrangements, Miss Yuko."
Shinobu suddenly stood up.
"It's getting late. I need to check on the patients."
"I'll come with you," Yuko said immediately.
"Mm." Shinobu wasn't surprised. Yuko was clearly very concerned about the boy named Tanjiro—she had already come to see him as Yuko's disciple.
Kanae also rose.
"I won't be joining you. I promised Kanao I'd guide her sword training."
"Alright."
Tsuyuri Kanao was Kanae's Tsuguko, as well as the sisters' younger sibling—family in all but blood.
She had no name as a child and was later adopted by the Kocho sisters. Tsuyuri was a surname she chose herself, while Kanao was a name personally given by Kanae.
Her breathing style was Flower Breathing, derived from Water Breathing, and her talent surpassed even Shinobu's.
Shinobu's Insect Breathing was an offshoot of Flower Breathing and was considered one of the weakest breathing styles in the Corps.
Kanao herself was simply introverted. When Yuko stayed at the Butterfly Estate, she had spoken with her before.
After parting with Kanae, the two headed toward the infirmary.
Before they even entered, loud, chaotic voices spilled out.
"I drank it, right?! I drank my medicine at noon, right?!"
"Did anyone see me drink it?!"
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry—it's all because I'm too weak…"
"Inosuke, be quiet…"
The noise inside the ward sounded like a bustling marketplace. Yuko glanced sideways and noticed a vein twitching on Shinobu's forehead. Though Shinobu wore a gentle smile, the anger beneath it was impossible to hide.
Still smiling, Shinobu yanked open the infirmary door.
The room instantly fell silent.
Yuko looked inside. On the beds lay Agatsuma Zenitsu, Hashibira Inosuke, and Tanjiro.
Scanning the room, she noticed Nezuko in the corner—her breathing steady inside the box. She must have fallen asleep.
At the sight of two beautiful women entering, Zenitsu's eyes flew open, a perverted grin spreading across his face—
then suddenly freezing, as if he sensed something.
What a strange sound…
Zenitsu secretly observed Yuko standing behind Shinobu.
He had never heard a presence like this before.
The sound was incredibly steady—so steady it lacked any fluctuation at all.
So steady it felt unsettling, like stagnant water.
"Miss Yuko!" Tanjiro cried out happily.
Yuko nodded warmly.
"I'm glad you're alright."
Zenitsu's expression twisted as he turned on Tanjiro furiously.
"You bastard! You knew such a beautiful lady and never told me?!"
Yuko: "..."
She vaguely remembered what kind of personality this guy had.
If not for the boar-headed boy between them, Zenitsu would probably have already lunged at Tanjiro.
"Well then…" Shinobu coughed lightly, smiling.
"You all seem quite cheerful."
Zenitsu's feral expression instantly softened into a polite grin.
"Really? We—"
"Do you think I'm praising you?"
Shinobu's smile vanished instantly, her gaze so cold that Zenitsu shuddered.
Yuko quickly smoothed things over.
"Come now, Shinobu, don't be angry. They sound energetic—so their injuries must not be serious. That's a good thing."
Hearing this, Zenitsu looked over, deeply moved.
So she was a kind, big sister.
Beautiful and kind.
...
Damn you, Tanjiro!!
Tanjiro stared back at Zenitsu's furious glare in complete confusion, having no idea what he'd done wrong.
Yuko didn't pay it any mind and instead looked toward the boar-headed boy lying on the bed between them.
"I'm sorry… I'm sorry… it's all because I'm too weak…"
Was he… shutting down?
Yuko noticed his voice was weak and hoarse—his throat must have been injured.
Well, more obviously—
There was a thick bandage wrapped around his neck.
---
Currently at chapter 474 for advance chapters
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