On the eighth day,
The first rays of morning sunlight broke through the clouds. Marcus Lee, his clothes tattered and reeking, wandered dazedly along a path overgrown with thick wisteria.
His body felt slightly feverish, and his throat seemed blocked, making each step heavy and labored.
Looking around, he saw none of the other swordsmen who were participating in the selection.
Was he the first to arrive here?
In the distance, a figure gradually appeared.
It seemed to be a woman.
She wore a deep indigo kimono, her figure slender and graceful, exuding an elegant aura.
'Who is this?'
Marcus's sluggish brain struggled to process.
She looked familiar, but he could not recall her name.
His gaze remained fixed on her as she approached, not with any desire or admiration, simply in a daze.
Even if a beautiful woman stood before him, in his current exhausted state, he felt nothing.
'Who is she, again?'
Marcus panted heavily, his body feeling like a worn-out machine, unable to process even a simple thought.
The woman's skin was pale and flawless, her features soft and refined. Her purple-black eyes gleamed like gemstones.
Her hair was an unusual silver-white, flowing like a waterfall, with a few strands slipping past her temples. Perhaps from traveling, a faint sheen of sweat dotted her smooth forehead.
When Marcus saw her signature low ponytail, recognition hit him instantly.
This was none other than the wife of the Demon Slayer Corps leader Amane Ubuyashiki.
"I…"
The words barely left his mouth before the world spun.
Everything around him seemed to rotate, dizziness overtaking him.
He lost his balance and collapsed to the side before he could finish speaking.
He had meant to say, I don't want to join the Demon Slayer Corps!
No dramatic twist occurred. He did not fall onto Amane Ubuyashiki. She was still some distance away. She quickened her pace but could not reach him in time.
Marcus hit the ground hard and lost consciousness.
…
At the Butterfly Estate,
Marcus opened his heavy eyes, the world blurred around him.
'Where am I?'
'This bed is so comfortable… but this isn't my home!'
'Could I have… traveled again?'
He instinctively tried to lift his hand, only to find his body completely unresponsive.
No one had tied him down.
His mind was alert, but his muscles remained numb, leaving him paralyzed.
In short, he was experiencing sleep paralysis.
Marcus remained calm, trying to move a finger. If he could move even slightly, he could gradually regain full control.
After a moment, he succeeded.
He lifted his arm slowly. Pain shot from his shoulder wounds, causing him to inhale sharply.
"Would you like some water, Mr. Lee?"
A gentle voice sounded nearby, and Marcus instinctively turned his gaze.
He froze.
A girl with silky, shoulder-length hair appeared, adorned with her signature purple butterfly hairpin.
Her face was small and delicate, features neat, eyes a soft lavender like gems.
Her skin was pale and flawless, her lips curved in a faint, gentle smile. Yet something felt off.
It was not a smile born from her heart. Her eyes were faintly cold.
She was slender, much smaller than an average woman.
Beneath her kimono, she wore the standard Demon Slayer Corps uniform. Over it, a thin haori with white edges embroidered with black butterflies.
'She is… Shinobu Kocho?'
'Why am I here?'
'This must be the Butterfly Estate…'
A dull ache pressed between his eyebrows.
The exhaustion of completing the selection finally caught up with him. His slightly feverish body was not a sign of awakening a mark; he had merely been chilled by the mountain air.
"Mr. Lee?"
The girl tilted her head slightly, a trace of curiosity in her gaze at the dazed young man before her, still wearing that faint smile.
"Water…"
Marcus began to speak, struggling to sit up.
His muscles felt paralyzed, offering no strength.
A heavy weight seemed to press on his chest, making each breath difficult.
Finally managing to sit upright, he was met with a peculiar scent.
Shinobu Kocho smiled gently, holding a ceramic cup filled with medicinal tea. In a voice meant to soothe a child, she said,
"Here, open your mouth. You must drink your medicine when you're sick."
"?"
Marcus stared at her, unable to respond.
Although the original body of this world's Marcus was young, he himself was not.
If memory served, Shinobu was only eighteen at the time of her death.
In his previous life, barely out of high school, she was just a little sister before him.
"Be obedient!"
Seeing him still zoning out, Shinobu's eyebrows rose slightly, and her tone firmed, emphasizing her words.