"Shinobu?!"
Tomioka Giyu couldn't hide his surprise at her sudden appearance. At the same time, a wave of relief washed over him.
He shouted toward her without hesitation, "Shinobu! The man holding those chains is most likely the Demon King, Muzan Kibutsuji! Be careful!"
Having another Hashira join the fight was a huge help. If Shinobu could keep Shuya occupied, Giyu could go all-out on the demon woman in front of him, finish her quickly, and then the two of them could team up to take down the real threat.
"Ara ara~ Is that really true? The Demon King Muzan Kibutsuji?"
Shinobu sounded genuinely startled. Her gaze shifted to Shuya in the distance, now carrying a hint of scrutiny.
Aside from being unusually handsome, he looked completely ordinary. Could this guy really be the legendary Demon King?
She drew her Nichirin Blade, spun it once in her hand with a flourish, and called out in a light, playful tone, "Hey there, Mr. Demon. Is what the Water Hashira said true? Are you really the one and only Muzan Kibutsuji?"
"The Insect Hashira, Shinobu Kocho?" Shuya answered with a question of his own, clearly surprised.
While Giyu had only been mildly shocked by her arrival, Shuya was genuinely caught off guard.
He had expected the Demon Slayer Corps to show up eventually—he'd even planned for it by waiting at the Kamado house. In the original story, Giyu had passed by on the very night Nezuko turned into a demon and had been moved by the siblings' bond. But Shinobu wasn't supposed to appear until two years later, right after the Final Selection.
Was this another butterfly effect from his actions?
His mind flashed back to the demon that had attacked the Kamado family earlier that night. If it really had been Muzan himself, the paranoid Demon King would never have made such a loud, messy scene. He always operated in secret to avoid drawing the Corps' attention.
But a freshly turned demon? That was a different story. Newly empowered humans often got cocky and reckless.
That explained why the Corps had shown up so quickly. He just hadn't expected it to be Shinobu.
"Ara ara~ So the demon knows my name?" Shinobu's voice slowly lost its playful lilt and turned serious. "Should I feel honored? But why won't you answer my question, Mr. Demon?"
"Or maybe…"
"You're admitting it?"
"Um…" Tanjiro had been listening to the exchange with growing confusion. He didn't believe for a second that Shuya was Muzan, but he couldn't figure out why Shuya wasn't denying it either.
He felt like he should step in and clear things up.
"Tanjiro," Shuya shot him a look that stopped him cold.
Originally Shuya had planned to wait until Saeko finished sparring with Giyu, then test Sun Breathing himself. But now that a second Hashira had shown up, it was the perfect chance for both of them to practice the new style—one opponent each.
Besides, he was genuinely curious about the Insect Hashira.
He conjured a plain white oak practice sword in his hand, just like Saeko had done, and looked toward Shinobu.
"Miss Kocho, before we start, may I ask you one question?"
"Eh? You want to ask me something?" Shinobu looked mildly surprised. She didn't rush to attack. "Sure. Whether I'll answer it, though~ that's another story."
"So, Mr. Demon, what would you like to know? Are you curious how I plan to kill you?"
"Don't worry, I'll be very gentle. I'll inject the poison straight into your heart so you pass away without any pain at all."
"Doesn't that sound wonderful?"
She delivered the most terrifying words in the softest, sweetest voice imaginable.
Shinobu Kocho really was a frightening woman.
Shuya didn't hesitate any longer. He asked the question that had been on his mind.
"Miss Kocho… is your older sister, Kanae Kocho, still alive?"
"Heh."
Shinobu let out a cold, sharp laugh.
Her gentle smile stayed perfectly in place, but the vein throbbing on her forehead made her true feelings crystal clear.
This bastard… this bastard!!
How dare he say my sister's name right to my face?!
How dare he?!
A filthy man-eating demon had no right to speak Kanae's name.
Except for the day her sister had died, Shinobu had never felt this furious.
The hand gripping her Nichirin Blade tightened until her knuckles turned white. "You really have some nerve, Mr. Demon!!"
Shuya didn't need her to answer. The reaction told him everything.
It looked like he really had arrived too late. Kanae Kocho, the previous Flower Hashira, was already dead.
A shame.
Still, he thought back to the original story and the secret he had just discovered about the Breathing Techniques. Maybe… there was still a chance later.
"Sorry," he said. "I didn't mean to hit a sore spot."
Then, in a completely serious tone, he added, "So… can we make peace?"
"Make peace?"
Shinobu's voice turned ice-cold with barely contained rage. "Go to hell!!!"
She dropped from the tree branch like a butterfly in flight, Nichirin Blade pointed straight at Shuya. There was zero mercy in the strike. Anger had even made her a fraction faster than usual.
"Insect Breathing… Dragonfly Dance… Compound Eye Hexagon!"