A night of battle had basically completely destroyed the shrine of the Eternal Paradise Faith.
The ignorant monks who aided the demons would be detained by the Ubuyashiki Family. Oyakata-sama would decide whether to execute them or hand them over to the judicial authorities.
As for Taka and the others, they had to carry out a new order—
"Emergency summon! All Hashira-level swordsmen, proceed immediately to the Ubuyashiki Estate!"
"Oyakata-sama has decreed: All Hashira, assemble immediately! Do not delay! Caw—!"
Taka turned his head and saw that even Giyu's perpetually icy, unchanging face had rarely taken on a grave expression.
'Two Upper Moons slain on the same night. An opportunity unseen in a century had arrived.'
'Perhaps the moment for the final battle had already come.'
Taka looked at the messenger crows circling in the sky, somewhat curious: "Why so fast? It's been less than an hour since the news went out from here."
A Kakushi member, dragging a monk's body from the ruins, quickly replied: "Storm Hashira-sama, you wouldn't know! The crows only need to transmit the information to the nearest contact point. Someone there will find a way to convey it to Oyakata-sama by telegram...."
"Telegram? What's that?"
Faced with this question, the Kakushi member was momentarily at a loss where to begin. Kanao interrupted Taka's inquiry.
"More importantly, Taka-san, you should go down the mountain and see Sensei first."
"Are her injuries serious?"
Taka only knew she had been covered in blood. He hadn't had time to check the specific wounds.
"Fortunately, the doctors in the medical unit, by dissecting the monk's body we provided, formulated a specific medicine against the frostbite Blood Demon Art. The lung injuries haven't worsened...."
"But Sensei suffered severe lacerations, causing massive blood loss. She'll probably only be able to lie in bed and recuperate for a while."
"Not dying is the best news." Taka nodded, inwardly relieved.
He could cover for Giyu to deliver a decisive strike, and he could spare no effort with Kyojuro to try and kill Akaza.
For victory, to kill the demon before them, sacrifices were inevitable. He understood that.
But honestly, when Shinobu was severely wounded, for an instant, he was extremely tense.
He was afraid that this blow would really kill her. He was also furious that the enemy had hurt her like this.
'Was it because of our promise, because I had sworn to protect her?'
Taka couldn't say, but as long as she was safe, he was relieved.
"You're going to your main base?" Hakuji crossed his arms, his voice muffled under the boar mask.
Taka nodded, just giving a faint 'Hmm' in response.
"Then I'll go back to Hayama and wait for your news."
Hakuji spread his hands. He knew that, as a former Kizuki, the Demon Slayer Corps wouldn't let him swagger into their core territory. "When the time is right, have your master send word. I'll join you in surrounding Muzan!"
"....So you came from Hayama?"
Hearing that familiar name, Taka's aura turned cold. He looked at Hakuji with an unfriendly gaze.
"....Sorry. Back then, I was still a bastard. I hurt a few people. I apologize to you." Hakuji spoke sincerely, bowing deeply to Taka. "I will use this life of mine to atone for all the blood debts I've incurred."
Taka's gaze lingered on him for a few seconds, then looked away.
"Whatever."
"Let's go." Giyu stepped forward, offering no opinion on Hakuji's decision.
A demon that didn't eat people... this wasn't the first time he'd seen one in the past two years.
Their figures crossed as they sprinted down the mountain.
At the foot of Myoko Mountain, the Fujino Residence was now filled with the dense fragrance of wisteria.
To prevent harassment by other demons during the demon-slaying operation, this was a precaution taken at every temporary recovery facility.
When he pushed open the door to the side room, Taka saw a Kakushi member kneeling by the tatami, carefully replacing the cool towel on the sleeping Shinobu's forehead.
The room was very quiet, quiet enough to hear her faint and rapid breathing.
"Storm Hashira-sama...."
"How is she?"
Taka interrupted the Kakushi member's greeting and looked anxiously at the woman on the futon.
The member respectfully replied: "Vital signs are stable.... But her organs are ruptured. She needs quiet rest, otherwise there will be lasting aftereffects...."
As he spoke, the member's gaze flickered.
There was something he didn't know whether he should tell this Hashira.
"Is there something else?"
"....The Insect Hashira's body contains an unimaginable amount of wisteria poison.... Although this toxin is theoretically harmless to humans, at such a dosage.... we can't judge the outcome...."
Taka recalled the day he had talked about wisteria poison with Shinobu. She had been evasive on the topic.
'So that was the reason for her strange emotions back then...'
'This foolish woman.'
Taka walked straight to the sickbed and sat down beside Shinobu.
At this moment, her face was as pale as paper.
Thick bandages wrapped around her body, with faint traces of blood seeping through, rising and falling with each breath.
That strong woman, who always pretended to be cheerful, hiding the anger and pain deep within her heart, now looked like a flower ravaged by a storm… so fragile that a light touch would shatter her.
As if sensing a familiar presence, Shinobu's long eyelashes fluttered. She slowly opened her eyes.
Those purple eyes were first somewhat unfocused. Then, as they focused on Taka's face, a glimmer of light slowly welled up in her pupils.
"Taka...." Her voice was as faint as a thread of silk, as if drifting from a very distant place. "You succeeded...."
"Doma is dead."
Taka stared into Shinobu's eyes and responded word by word: "I personally cut off his head, injected your poison into his body, and watched him fall completely into hell."
Shinobu's breathing caught.
Tears once again uncontrollably welled up, silently sliding down the corners of her eyes, disappearing into her temples.
Although she had already wept once before this, when Taka firmly told her how the demon who killed her sister had been slain-
the cold, heavy, nearly self-destructive anger that had constantly lingered in the depths of Shinobu's soul finally melted away.
For this day, she had turned herself into a revenge machine, forcibly extinguishing her own nature.
Wearing her sister's haori, learning her sister's smile-
Even going so far as to replace all the blood in her body with poison, just to die together with that enemy.
But now, that enemy was dead, and she was still alive.
Was there anything more satisfying than this?
She didn't sob loudly, just cried silently like that.
It was a kind of grievance and relief that had built up for too long, finally bursting forth completely at this moment.
Taka looked at her, silent for a long time. Suddenly, he extended that hand, covered in calluses and scars, and clumsily wiped the tears from her cheek.
"It's all over, Shinobu. I don't want to see you cry. Your sister probably wouldn't want to see that either."
Shinobu looked at him and suddenly gave a weak smile.
"Taka.... you really are.... haven't improved at all. At a time... like this, a normal person... would say something... more gentle, wouldn't they?"
"I can't." Taka answered very directly.
"...I know you can't." Shinobu labored to extend a hand and grabbed the corner of Taka's clothes.
Her grip was very weak, yet she held on tightly.
"...Thank you, Taka.... Thank you...."
Taka felt that slight weight on his clothes. An inexplicable ripple spread through his chest.
He couldn't describe the feeling, only felt that being able to help her fulfill this promise brought a warm current to his heart.
Anyway, this feeling wasn't bad.
Taka looked at Shinobu and calmly said: "Don't push yourself anymore from now on. Smile when you want to smile. Be angry when you want to be angry."
"When all this is over, if you have nowhere to go, you can come to Hayama."
"Sensei's dojo is still short of a doctor to brew medicine."
Shinobu was stunned. She looked blankly at Taka, and only after a long time did she weakly whisper: "Are you.... inviting me?"
"I suppose so. I hope you take care of yourself. No more taking poison."
"Ara.... how unreasonable...."
Taka stood up, his movement clean and efficient, without a trace of hesitation.
He knew that Giyu had been waiting outside the door for a long time, and that the situation at the Ubuyashiki Estate was probably a thousand, ten thousand times more urgent than here.
He had no unnecessary attachment. He resolutely turned and left.
The moment the door closed, Shinobu seemed to have exhausted all her strength, sinking deeply into her pillow.
She turned her head, looking at the dawn light streaming through the window, and murmured softly: "Really... a man so clumsy he's lovable, Nee-san...."