As they walked through the forest, trying to stay hidden, they realized the injured Demon Slayer had fainted from exhaustion—forcing Cade to carry him over his shoulder. Slowly and carefully, they made their way to the nearest village, taking a roundabout route to avoid any potential threats.
When they arrived, they rented two rooms at a small inn—paid for by Kanae, of course—and laid the injured Slayer in one to rest. After ensuring he was stable, the two of them sat in the other room, sharing a quiet moment of peace as the sun began to set outside.
"So, Kanae," Cade began, stretching his arms a bit, "how long have you been a Demon Slayer?"
"I've been with the Corps for about three years now," she replied with her signature gentle smile. "I joined alongside my younger sister."
"Oh? You have a sister?" Cade asked, making an effort to keep the conversation going.
Kanae nodded, a flicker of warmth in her expression. "Yes. Her name's Shinobu. She's clever, and always up to something mischievous."
Cade grinned. "Sounds like she takes after you."
"More than she'd like to admit," Kanae said with a quiet laugh. "Though she's… different. Her approach is less brute force and more precision. She had to find her own path."
"You must worry about her a lot."
Kanae's smile faded slightly, though it didn't disappear. "I do. But she's part of the medical team, so she isn't exposed to as much danger… Still, it's terrifying. Every mission could be the one where I don't come back. But I made a promise—to survive and to take care of her."
Cade glanced toward the window. "A good promise. One worth keeping."
A moment passed in silence before Kanae lightened the mood again. "So, Cade Vincent—Mr. Weird Foreigner—are you planning on sticking around long enough to meet Shinobu?"
He smirked. "If she's anything like you, then I'm definitely curious."
"She might stab you just for that," Kanae teased.
Cade chuckled. "Wouldn't be the first time someone tried."
The warmth between them lingered as the lanterns outside flickered on, casting a soft golden light into the room.
"So, how are we sleeping?" Cade asked with a raised brow.
"Idiot. Isn't it obvious? I get the mat, and you can sleep on the floor like a gentleman." Kanae replied, grinning.
Cade sighed and walked to one of the room's corners, sitting cross-legged. "It's fine. I think I'll meditate instead. I can easily go a night without sleep at this point. Good night, Kanae."
Kanae looked like she wanted to ask something but decided against it. Instead, she quietly got ready for bed.
As Kanae changed and lay down, Cade began meditating. He felt it—he was on the verge of breaking through to the Spirit Master realm. He slowed his breathing, calmed his mind, and began channeling his energy inward.
One hour later:
Kanae had fallen into a peaceful sleep.
Suddenly, Cade opened his eyes. His body began to float gently above the ground, the spiritual energy from a mile radius rushing toward him. It circled through his meridians and core, purifying his body and soul, burning away lingering impurities. His aura pulsed. His power surged.
He had broken through.
Spirit Master.
Quietly, Cade stepped forward—and vanished. He reappeared outside the inn in an instant.
He had teleported.
"Finally," he whispered to himself, excitement lighting his eyes. "I've managed to use the Void Step technique!"
He had comprehended the second martial art of the first level of the Void Sword Sutra.
"I should add this to my training regimen... but first—"
He leapt into the air, gathering energy around himself to conceal his presence, and rose higher—until the village was a speck below.
Whoosh!
Cade was flying.
A grin spread across his face as he soared through the night sky. There was something magical, something freeing about flying under your own power—no tools, no tricks, just raw will and mastery.
He flew for nearly an hour, carving paths through the air, testing his limits, savoring the wind on his face—until his energy began to dip.
Reluctantly, he descended and made his way back to the inn.
As he entered the room quietly, Kanae stirred slightly in her sleep but didn't wake. Cade glanced at her, then sat down in the corner again, cross-legged.
He smiled to himself.
The journey was only just beginning.