The return of Hakuji and the others made Yōsuke feel as though the old days had come back to life.
To help train the Butterfly Sisters, Hakuji and Gyutaro willingly offered themselves as their sparring partners.
"No good, Kanae. Your strikes are far too hesitant! Compassion and kindness are burdens in battle. Once you've chosen to fight, you must carry the resolve to kill your opponent!"
Hakuji rebuked Kanae mercilessly as he met her blade.
She unleashed every form of Flower Breathing she knew, yet not a single technique posed a threat to him. Already her breathing grew ragged.
Hakuji pressed her without mercy.
"Don't treat me like an ally—see me as the demon you must cut down! Show me the will to fight!"
Kanae steadied herself, raised her Nichirin sword once more, and swung at him again.
On the other side, Shinobu was undergoing Gyutaro's training.
"Insect Breathing, Dragonfly Dance: Compound Eye Hexagon!"
Her Nichirin Blade danced, six rapid thrusts striking at Gyutaro's body in succession.
Yet in their spar, Gyutaro didn't even bother using his blood sickles. He let her blade pierce him freely. The weapon's edge carried a heavy dose of wisteria poison, which quickly spread through his body.
His flesh began to fester where the toxin seeped in—but a moment later, his body broke the poison down completely.
"You're too weak. You couldn't cut through the neck of even a slightly stronger demon. And this poison? It's way too mild. Is this really the strongest you've got?"
He scratched his head, genuinely puzzled.
Shinobu's face flushed crimson. She was well aware of her lack of physical strength, and had dedicated herself to crafting lethal poisons to compensate.
The wisteria toxin she now used had already been refined several times over—it was the most potent she had ever created. And yet, Gyutaro dismissed it as far too weak.
Meanwhile, Yōsuke sat inside, leisurely gazing out the window. With Hakuji and Gyutaro guiding the Butterfly Sisters, he could finally enjoy some peace.
Beside him, Koyuki quietly arranged flowers. Watching the sisters ceaselessly hone their techniques, she sighed softly.
"Yōsuke-sama, Kanae and Shinobu truly work so hard."
Yōsuke followed her gaze and smiled faintly.
"Indeed. In just a few short years, they've already grown into reliable demon slayers."
Time passed.
Through Hakuji's and Gyutaro's rigorous training, Kanae shed her hesitation in battle. Each strike of hers grew decisive, no longer hampered by doubt. Though her kindness of heart remained unchanged, it no longer weakened her resolve.
Meanwhile, Shinobu pushed herself to craft poisons strong enough to earn Gyutaro's recognition. Her toxins grew so potent that even he now required time to break them down.
One evening, Shinobu and Ume found Yōsuke.
"Master ( Yosuke-sama), we've arranged to go into town tonight with Hakuji and the others. You're the only one left—we're not going without you!"
Without waiting for his reply, the two girls grabbed his hands and tugged him toward the door.
Yōsuke laughed helplessly.
"All right, all right—I'll come along. No need to drag me."
The group strolled together through the lively, lantern-lit streets.
Hakuji led Koyuki into a jewelry shop.
Shinobu and Ume, their similar temperaments drawing them close, walked hand-in-hand as they explored.
Gyutaro crouched at a stall selling farm tools, eyes shining as he admired a row of sickles.
Kanae, however, did not join the others. She remained quietly at Yōsuke's side.
"Kanae, don't you want to wander with them?" he asked.
She shook her head, a warm smile on her lips.
"More than strolling shops… I just want to enjoy this time with everyone together."
Yōsuke chuckled.
"What a coincidence. So do I."
Soon the others returned from their shopping. Shinobu and Ume bounced out of a fan shop, holding between them a dance fan embroidered with blossoms.
Hakuji and Koyuki emerged from the jeweler's—her hair now adorned with a snowflake-shaped hairpin.
And Gyutaro clutched a brand-new sickle. Though it was only a simple farm tool, he was enamored, toying with it as though it were a treasure.
The group, spirits high, made their way toward their next stop.
But as they crossed a wooden bridge, angry shouts broke the night.
"Take this useless brat away while she's still worth something!"
A bald man seized a rope-bound, battered child from her parents' hands. The girl's eyes were lifeless, her body limp as he dragged her along.
Shinobu frowned, her gaze hardening.
"These wounds… they've been inflicted through long years of abuse. How cruel."
Kanae's eyes filled with compassion. She knelt before the child and spoke gently.
"Hello there. Are you all right? My name is Butterfly Kanae. What's yours?"
The girl only stared back in silence, unresponsive.
The bald man snorted.
"That brat doesn't have a name. Her parents never bothered giving her one. You done asking yet?" He waved a hand dismissively at Kanae.
In an instant, Shinobu slapped his hand aside. As he turned to lash out, a crushing wave of killing intent fell over him—so heavy he could scarcely breathe.
Koyuki brushed the dirt from the girl's hair.
"Such a pitiful child…" she murmured.
From a distance, the parents jeered.
"Hey! If you're taking her, you'd better pa—"
But the words died on their tongues as Hakuji's menacing glare locked onto them, while Gyutaro flipped his new sickle idly in his hand. Neither dared speak again.
Kanae looked to Yōsuke. He met her gaze and gave a gentle nod.
Smiling, she reached out her hand toward the girl.
"Would you like to come with us?"
For a moment, there was no response. Then, slowly, the child extended her hand and grasped Kanae's.
They brought her back to their home. Kanae and Koyuki bathed her, washing away the grime of neglect.
Clean and dressed in fresh clothes, the girl's delicate features shone through.
Everyone gathered around her.
"Let's give her a name!" Ume declared, hand raised eagerly.
"Agreed!" Shinobu chimed in. "It's so inconvenient without one. What should it be?"
Hakuji joined in thoughtfully.
"Since we found her on a bridge, how about Renhashi ('Bridge of Love')? "
Koyuki rolled her eyes.
"Hakuji, please—stop talking."
Ume wracked her brain but came up empty. She turned to Yōsuke.
"Yōsuke-sama, do you have any ideas?"
He shook his head gently.
"Since Kanae was the one who brought her to us, it's only right that she chooses the name."
Kanae gazed into the child's vacant eyes. And then, as though guided by fate, she spoke.
"From now on, you will be called… Tsuyuri Kanao."
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