3 AM
Lying on the roof of the Butterfly Mansion on his back, Tanjiro finally closed the half-finished book and spent some time under the moonlight, gazing at the stars.
He could only absorb so much knowledge at once.
While he remained wide awake this late, Shinobu had fallen asleep an hour ago.
They had eaten together, chatted, and lingered in the lab until she quietly dozed off in her chair.
He would have left her there if not for Kanae, who insisted otherwise.
Like the worrywart she was for her sister, Kanae asked him to carry Shinobu to her room. He complied without delay.
Even so, he couldn't help but chuckle at the thought that the sleepyhead might have a habit of nodding off in her chair.
She was uniquely adorable, he thought.
After gently laying her on the bed and covering her with a blanket like a guardian, he returned to the roof to read and converse with Shinobu's ghost sister.
"You should get some sleep, or it will affect your body," Kanae said softly, resting beside him.
She had learned to control her odd movements since morning. Now she could hold her body completely still without awkwardness or strange posture, making her seem every bit real and alive.
Tanjiro hummed lightly and responded while staring at the brightest star. "Hm… You won't mind the loneliness?"
Turning his head toward her in that lazy pose, he smiled and added. "I can stay awake all night if you want… This much is nothing for me."
She shook her head sternly. "No. You're only thirteen, you brat. While you're always thinking about others, someone has to take care of you too…" Flashing a cheeky smirk, she ordered. "Now sleep. Otherwise, you won't get to talk with this beautiful Onee-san from tomorrow, fufu…"
'…Seriously? Heh…' he clicked his tongue inwardly.
Outwardly, he released a helpless sigh and gradually stood up. "Now, now, don't act like that… I was going to sleep anyway."
With a grin, he grabbed the book and left the roof without a sound.
Left behind, Kanae rolled her eyes in obvious shock. "Ha, he's more of a ghost than me… Appearing and leaving like that."
She then looked at the sky for some time before closing her eyes, recalling past memories in the night's silence.
….
"Tanjiro…" Kie revealed a smile when she saw him arrive through the window.
She immediately made space beside her on the bed, clearly inviting him to join.
Even though she was a demon with no need for sleep, she stayed in that position solely to snuggle with her child and watch his sleeping face all night.
That was all she wanted. Her heart was satisfied with just that.
A warm look appeared on his face.
'Man, I love her…'
Putting the book away, he lay down beside her.
The moment he joined, Kie began to cuddle, enjoying the touch and warmth from his body.
Patting his head with extreme care, she did her best to make him comfortable so her child could sleep soundly.
Tanjiro enjoyed the motherly affection, relaxing his body.
But before he could fall asleep, he saw the reward notification and clicked the claim option.
He hadn't claimed it earlier due to a specific premonition he'd felt.
Yet the instant he did, a powerful electrical discharge jolted his brain, rendering him unconscious.
The last thought he could manage was, 'Fuck, I knew this would happen… For the third bloody time…'
For Kie, it seemed like her child had simply fallen asleep normally, so she didn't realize anything was wrong.
With a motherly smile, she continued caressing his back, enjoying every moment.
Like that, the night passed quietly.
….
"Moshi moshi…"
Warm sunlight filtered through the large window, brightly lighting the whole room.
A meticulously sealed basket stood in the corner, its opening tightly closed.
On the bed, a fairly tall young man lay in deep, soundless sleep.
"Moshi moshi… Are you still alive?"
The same sweet voice rang in his ears, causing him to squint his closed eyes in discomfort while remaining motionless.
However, as if suddenly electrocuted, his entire body jerked upright.
In a single second, he stood straight on the bed so fast that it creaked sharply.
The short woman with a butterfly hairpin got badly startled and couldn't react in time, tumbling backward onto her rear.
"…Ouch, my butt… Y-you… You really have a knack for surprising people, don't you?" she said, raising her eyebrows with a fake angry pout.
Tanjiro slowly looked around the room, taking in the basket, then settled his gaze on the girl beside him. "Shinobu-san, what time is it?" he asked, assessing the situation.
'This fucking system… I have to watch the timing more carefully when claiming these kinds of rewards from now on… Hmm…' he thought.
Shinobu stood up, brushed herself off, and gave him a strange look before answering. "It's past nine… Everyone's already awake and had breakfast."
With a questioning expression, she added. "Do you know why?"
He shrugged his shoulders, stepped off the bed, and began cracking his joints, feeling much more powerful than before.
'Effects of Perfect DNA, huh… Extremely weird. All my senses are screaming superiority. It's not just my physique—even my mind feels like I'm above others… What the heck is this feeling… My strength has increased a lot, control sharpened further… and senses, way more sensitive…!' he contemplated, thoughts racing.
Gazing into Shinobu's purple eyes, he replied with a smooth, confident voice. "Because I was out cold?"
Averting her shy gaze, she nodded. "Nezuko and Kanroji-san tried to wake you up an hour ago, but you didn't even budge… An hour later, you were still the same, so they got worried and asked me to check on you…"
She narrowed her eyes at his defined, masculine chest while he fixed his clothes, staring absentmindedly before continuing abruptly. "Hah, do you know how long I've been trying to wake you up? For a second, I thought you were in a coma. If you hadn't woken up before ten, I would have diagnosed you as such… Lucky you."
Listening calmly, he admitted it with a nod.
Once properly dressed, he came to her side and patted her head before she could react.
His expression calm and serene—unlike last night—she realized.
"Thank you, Shinobu-san." He flashed a smile with softened eyes.
Immediately, her body shuddered. She tilted her head sideways, gaze dropping to the floor.
Her heart began pounding loudly as her cheeks, all the way to her nape, flushed red.
Her feminine aura exploded in an instant, making her look extremely attractive.
Seeing her state, his enhanced mind deemed it obvious.
"Have you had breakfast yet?" he asked.
Shinobu could only shake her head in denial—his hand hadn't left her head.
"Then we can eat together."
Decided, he removed his hand, walked to the door, and opened it. He stepped aside to make way for her and looked at her strangely. "Come on, not hungry?"
She nodded instinctively, her mind in complete shock yet her body fully obedient.
'I… I've been bewitched! Ahh!' she shrieked mentally.
....
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