Doma's severed head rolled to the ground. The girl lightly touched down beside it.
"Hey, what's the deal with that sword of yours?"
The severed head continued speaking, its eyes showing no fear, only mild curiosity. "Its ability to suppress us is way too strong. That's not good news at all. Well... since I'm about to die anyway, I guess it's not my problem anymore. But that swordsmith kid was really out of line, wasn't he? Breaking someone's weapon and not even apologizing?"
Sosuke stared intently at him, but couldn't help but feel a bit speechless at this point.
Noticing Doma's eyes still fixed on him, as if genuinely expecting an apology, Sosuke thought for a moment and said, "You're welcome!"
"...I suddenly think I might finally understand what anger feels like..."
For perhaps only a fleeting moment, a flicker of genuine irritation seemed to cross Doma's eyes. But as his body and head crumbled into dust, whether he truly grasped that fleeting emotion remained a mystery known only to himself.
After confirming the demon before her had been completely annihilated, Kanae immediately turned and, in the blink of an eye, was at Sosuke's side.
"Are you alright?" she asked, crouching down to look at him.
His mask had shattered, revealing Sosuke's true face. However, his features were obscured by blood and grime, making it difficult to discern his original appearance.
He shook his head. "It's nothing serious."
Struggling to his feet, he attempted to stand, but the continuous use of the Gale Sun Hammer and the relentless Sun Breathing had pushed his body beyond its limits.
He managed to rise halfway before his legs buckled, sending him collapsing to his knees.
"...How embarrassing!"
Having just met her, he was already offering such a grand gesture of respect—a bit too courteous, perhaps!
A faint, fragrant scent filled his senses as he found himself cradled in someone's arms, their firm grip supporting his entire weight.
Turning his head, he met Kanae's clear, piercing gaze.
Like a jolt of electricity, he averted his eyes in an instant, hearing Kanae whisper, "Don't push yourself too hard."
"I... um, thank you."
The aftereffects of Sun Breathing were proving impossible to suppress; his heart felt like it was about to burst from his throat!
The harder he tried to control it, the more uncontrollable it became.
"Cough cough cough cough!!!!"
A violent coughing fit erupted from beside them, as if trying to tear the speaker's throat apart.
Startled awake from their daze, Kanae quickly stepped back, leaving Sosuke feeling the ground vanish beneath his feet. He collapsed to the ground with a thud.
"Ah," Kanae exclaimed, moving to help him up again.
Beside them, Shinobu's forehead veins throbbed. 'What... what is this?!'
They had just survived a perilous battle, yet in an instant, the atmosphere had shifted into something strange and awkward.
Seeing her elder sister's cautious, almost guilty demeanor, Shinobu bit her lip and stomped over, huffing, "I'll help you up!"
'No way!'
Every cell in Sosuke's body screamed in protest.
"Elder Sister just finished fighting and must be exhausted. How can you let her help you? Hurry up!"
Shinobu's words were perfectly reasonable.
Kanae, who had initially thought she could endure, suddenly found herself at a loss for words.
'Am I acting too strangely?'
Realizing this, she quickly nodded. "Alright, then. Thank you, Shinobu."
Having sent a message via Kasugai Crow, reinforcements from the Demon Slayer Corps should arrive soon.
This forced Kanae to temporarily abandon her plan to rush back to the Butterfly mansion.
On one hand, the demon had been slain, and the crisis was over. On the other hand, traveling at night with the severely wounded Sosuke would be unwise. She decided to stay, tend to his bleeding wounds, and wait for reinforcements to arrive before leaving together.
The flames still flickered in the large house, and the bodies had been carefully laid aside.
Sosuke lay near the firelight, his wounds already bandaged by Kanae.
Shinobu entered from outside and said, "I've had the Kasugai Crow send a message confirming the crisis is resolved. I also reported the slaying of Upper Moon Two. The Kakushi will be here soon to handle the aftermath."
Kanae nodded, sitting beside Sosuke and quietly studying the new weapon.
"But Elder Sister, you're truly amazing! To kill Upper Moon Two, one of the Twelve Kizuki, so effortlessly..."
Shinobu's voice carried a hint of excitement as she spoke.
Kanae gave her a gentle look and shook her head slightly. "It's not that simple."
"Hmm?" Shinobu looked at her elder sister, puzzled.
"The key to our victory wasn't actually me," Kanae said, glancing at Sosuke, who had fallen asleep beside them.
Shinobu glanced at Sosuke. Though reluctant to admit it, she nodded. "True, this swordsmith did play a role."
"Not just a role..." Kanae shook her head with a smile. "There were two crucial factors. The first is this sword. It gave me an unprecedented experience, and he forged it."
"This new Nichirin sword?" Shinobu had noticed the sword's unique form and was eager to try it out.
Kanae chuckled and handed her the weapon.
As soon as Shinobu grasped it, her expression shifted slightly. "It's so heavy."
"Heavy?" Kanae blinked in surprise.
"It's not particularly heavy, just significantly heavier compared to my own blade," Shinobu said, puzzled. "Elder Sister, can't you feel it?"
Kanae shook her head, suddenly recalling that Sosuke had asked for a drop of her blood before she left the Swordsmith Village.
'Could it be because of that?'
Though she had a hunch, she couldn't be certain.
Instead, she said, "This Sword has enhanced my striking speed. Moreover, it seems to transmit a constant warmth through the hilt, greatly delaying my stamina depletion. Most importantly, this blade is particularly effective against demons, suppressing their regeneration speed."
"I noticed this from the very beginning. Upper Moon Two's strength was truly formidable... At first, he seemed to be toying with me, even deliberately allowing me to strike him. But to both our surprise, the wounds I inflicted refused to heal properly."
Kanae recalled the details of the battle, her eyes still wide with astonishment. "What's even stranger is that when I severed his arm, it regenerated faster than some of the minor cuts."