Whether it was a misunderstanding or not, Obanai clearly had no intention of clarifying things in front of Mitsuri.
He carefully secured his brand-new Nichirin Blade and walked away, glancing back at two distinct intervals. One frequency was reserved for Mitsuri, his gaze gentle and peaceful. The other was directed at Tetsu no Sosuke... his eyes were... well, intensely predatory!
Sosuke's face darkened visibly.
After Iguro left, Tetsu turned to Mitsuri. "Aren't you leaving?"
"Where would I go?" Mitsuri asked, completely oblivious. "Is there anything I can help with here?"
"...As a Pillar, shouldn't you be incredibly busy?" Sosuke stared in disbelief. "It's obvious you're not needed here!"
"Oh," Mitsuri nodded. "Alright then. I've already prepared the materials and left them with Shinobu for now. If you ever need me to spar with you, just send me a letter! I should get going now—I suddenly remembered I'm actually quite busy. Bye!"
With that, she bounced away and vanished in a flash.
Sosuke let out a long sigh, feeling considerably lighter.
But when he thought about Mitsuri and Obanai, he couldn't help but feel a bit speechless. 'This whole situation... well, whatever. It's none of my business.'
He was about to head back to his room when he stopped abruptly. "Why am I going back to my room? I'm supposed to be going to breakfast!"
It was still early morning, and all the commotion had nearly addled his brain.
The atmosphere at breakfast turned out to be much better than Sosuke had expected. Shinobu, who had only returned a few days ago, had already embarked on another mission the previous night.
Thinking about it, the members of the Demon Slayer Corps must be incredibly busy.
In comparison, the Pillars have a much easier time.
They only need to intervene when ordinary members can't handle a situation.
But the problem is, "can't handle" usually means certain death—their lives serving as a testament to the demons' power before the Pillars finally step in to slay them.
Considering this, Sosuke grew worried about Shinobu's safety.
"The Pillars are strong enough to handle most situations, as long as they don't encounter the Twelve Kizuki. It's the ordinary Demon Slayer Corps members who truly walk the line between life and death every moment."
He stroked his chin. "It seems I need to prioritize my sister-in-law's Nichirin Blade. Whether it will bring about a qualitative change is uncertain, but it should at least significantly improve her survival rate."
In truth, Sosuke knew Shinobu was already quite strong.
While she lacked brute strength, she could compensate through other means.
Moreover, according to the original story, after Kanae's death, Shinobu would become the new Pillar—the Insect Pillar!
"Creating her own Insect Breathing style and becoming a Pillar in such a short time... was it fueled by the power of hatred?"
Sosuke frowned deeply. "But Kanae is alive and well now. Will she lose her drive to improve because of this? Hmm... In any case, I really need to hurry."
He nodded firmly. Hurry—I'll start today!
He already had the Poison Refinement Method. While he didn't yet fully understand her sword technique, he could at least begin refining the iron materials.
After a hearty meal, Sosuke returned to his quarters to write a letter requesting the materials needed for forging a blade.
He needed not only Scarlet Crimson Sand Iron but also a large quantity of purified Wisteria poison.
After finishing the letter and setting it aside, he picked up his pen and paper again to write a second letter.
He needed to investigate the mystery of Mitsuri's Nichirin Blade.
He had no idea how to forge such a flexible blade while maintaining maximum resilience. It must involve some special technique.
He carefully organized his questions, wrote them down, reviewed them thoroughly to ensure clarity, and then entrusted both letters to the Kakushi for delivery.
For the rest of the day, Sosuke had nothing to do.
Although the request for materials should be processed relatively quickly, it wouldn't be completed in a single day.
As for the Village Chief... that would take even longer, given the distance involved.
So he spent the day practicing swordsmanship in the mountains behind the village. He felt he had grasped a subtle, almost mystical sensation while swinging his blade.
However, unlike others, he couldn't yet see the lines of weakness. Fortunately, Sosuke wasn't in a hurry, maintaining his usual calm and steady pace.
That evening, something completely unexpected happened:
Shinobu had been injured!
As Sosuke carried the Sun of genesis back to Butterfly mansion at dusk, he saw Kakushi carrying a stretcher into the estate.
At first, he didn't think much of it, as injured demon slayers were brought to Butterfly mansion daily.
As the stretcher passed by him, he saw Shinobu, her face pale and her body covered in blood.
The sight completely ruined Sosuke's appetite for dinner.
He couldn't help with the treatment and could only wait outside the door.
Other swordsmen from his team told him that the demon they had encountered was exceptionally powerful. Three Demon Slayer Corps members had died, and the rest were seriously injured. Shinobu was relatively fortunate, suffering mostly superficial wounds. However, one member had lost both arms and legs and had already fallen unconscious from blood loss. No one knew what condition he would be in when he woke up.
Sosuke listened to these accounts in silence.
Only when the girls treating Shinobu emerged did he approach and inquire about her condition. Upon learning that her injuries weren't life-threatening, he let out a soft sigh of relief.
As the door gradually closed, he caught a glimpse through the crack of the bandaged girl lying inside, her eyes tightly shut and her face pale from blood loss.
Sosuke didn't enter to disturb them. He simply turned his head silently and walked away.
The courtyard was peaceful and quiet, the beautiful night making him linger.
If not for the heavy and oppressive scene he had just witnessed, Sosuke's mood might have been exceptionally serene.
'But this is reality!'
He tightened his grip on the Sun of genesis in his hand and sat on the courtyard steps, gazing blankly at the starry sky above.
The Demon Slayer Corps—battles, injuries, sacrifices... these occurred every single day.
Sometimes it happened to Demon Slayer Corps members he didn't know, and sometimes to people he knew personally.
Yet the emotional impact of each was entirely different.
Sosuke gently closed his eyes, forcing himself not to think about the injured Shinobu. Instead, he tried to envision a brand-new Nichirin Blade in his mind.
At the same time...
He also hoped, hoped that the Village Chief would make some progress.
If they could truly provide ordinary Demon Slayer Corps members with Nichirin Blades that suppressed demons' regenerative abilities, it would undoubtedly greatly improve their survival rates.
"Since we can't change the past, we must find a way to alter the future... no matter what I can do."