Shinobu's voice cracked.
"Wha… What do you think you're d-doing???"
Tanjiro could smell several new scents from her that proved she was extremely flustered. Being caught by a strong male like that, there was no way a sixteen-year-old like her could hide her surging, primal emotions.
Thanks to advanced psychological knowledge from his last life, Tanjiro could confidently say he understood the human mind and behavior far better than the average person. And now that he possessed a sensitive nose that could detect even others' emotions, he had the leverage to play his cards right from the start.
'Just need to do it without guilt… Don't waver.'
After the tight hug, he pulled back and looked at her slightly reddened cheeks. With his most natural smile, he said, "I forgot to do it at the perfect time earlier. Heh, sorry for scaring you like that, Koc—uh, Shinobu-san… and believe me, you're a great sister."
He stepped away from the quiet, fidgeting girl and started ascending the stairs while adding, "I'll locate my siblings from here, Shinobu-san. Thanks for your help, by the way… I'll meet you later for breakfast, and we can eat together if you haven't already."
He left her vision in an instant.
"…"
Shinobu's purple eyes were in a daze.
Was she just hugged affectionately by a boy younger than her?
Why was her heart beating so loudly right now…
Wasn't it just a hug…
Her well-trained breathing was completely out of rhythm.
'Hah, control yourself, Shinobu…'
She could only hate herself for acting like an overly emotional girl. She was a Hashira, the Insect Hashira!
How could she dare to lose her mind like that…
Taking a few deep breaths, her heart gradually returned to normal and her Total Concentration Breathing stabilized. Her subdued emotions came back under control, and her mind reverted to its original calm, collected state.
What happened wasn't Tanjiro's fault. He was only thirteen, no matter how big his body or ridiculous his strength was. The fault was only hers to blame, she thought.
Even though she had been hugged so suddenly, there was no reason to experience such an intense breakdown… unless…
Unless she was craving physical affection underneath her indifferent attitude?
That… couldn't be right. Impossible…!
Was she on heat? Or was it her age?
'…yes'
Yes, it was definitely because of her growing age, she concluded.
It had to be.
'Onee-sama… Is this how a girl is supposed to feel…? What a strange feeling…'
She sighed with closed eyes.
'Please look after your sister, Onee-sama. I think I might get defeated by these impulsive sensations…'
With a self-mocking pout, she strode toward the training ground.
After experiencing something like that, she needed to clear her head with some physical training. Although her build was small and her raw strength was minimal, it would still sharpen her agility, which she relied on most.
Her mind involuntarily replayed what Tanjiro had told her, causing her to puff her cheeks even more.
'I… I may be a good sister, but I'm not that great, humph…'
….
On the floor above.
Tanjiro's heightened nerves calmed down on their own.
Hugging a charming girl like that—one he had kinda crushed on back on Earth—was simply nerve-wracking.
Although he recovered almost immediately and maintained his usual composure, the feeling of Shinobu's soft body still lingered in his mind. Not to mention the raw, feminine scent of arousal she had tried so hard to suppress. It hadn't escaped his powerful sense of smell.
Instantly, a small smirk flashed across his lips as his red eyes glittered like twinkling stars.
'Kuku, I can't help but want her even more now…'
[Ding!]
[𖤐 Mission: Have Sex with Shinobu]
[𖤐 Reward: Full Body Tempering]
A cold, monotonous sound rang out as a new panel appeared beside him.
Tanjiro stared, his gaze a bit shocked.
'…What's up with this system… Three missions in a row? Wait a second… I think I get it. Do I have to be around more female leads for the missions to appear continuously? Is that how it works…? But… why didn't I receive any mission last night with Mitsuri… weird, so weird… Hm, wait, don't tell me… I can't get another mission with the same girl unless the already active one is completed?'
"Shit…" he mumbled to himself.
It felt as if he had eaten a ton of bitter candy.
How could this be.
Didn't that mean he would not get another mission from Mitsuri or Shinobu until he had sex with them?
'Tsk, if it's true, so be it… I just have to play by its rules. No point in messing my head over it. I gained my current strength because of this system anyway, so it's fine, I guess…'
Stopping by a window in the hallway, Tanjiro took in the beautiful lush scenery outside, realizing how much he enjoyed his time here.
Truthfully, he was glad he didn't have to live on the mountains anymore and that the Ubuyashiki family had taken care of everything for his family.
Even though Kie was a demon, Kagaya had allowed her to enter their family grounds, the headquarters of the Demon Slayer Corps. Despite knowing there was a chance Muzan could locate their location through Kie's eyes, he still allowed it.
Because of this, Tanjiro was truly grateful.
He knew that in Kagaya's eyes, his value was extremely high. High enough to break Corps rules and accept a demon into his own house.
'Hmm, he must have sensed with his premonition condition that there's no danger… right.'
He thought.
He had already located where his siblings were sound asleep, so he was letting them relax a bit more.
The last few days had been rough for them, so it was fine.
Coming to the end of the hallway, near the balcony, he could see Kanao and Shinobu practicing on the training ground below.
'One's swordsmanship relies on pure speed and grace while the other is busy with a stabbing spree. There are no refined movements at all, hm… are there sword forms derived from Water Style? Ho, it seems likely. Although there are many changes, the basics remain the same…'
Knowing Sun Breathing so well, he could easily break apart their techniques and differentiate the moves from his own original forms.
Given his Swordsmanship Talent, he could also analyze and refine their movements if he wanted to, though unwanted advice might piss them off.
'I guess I'll give them some pointers before returning…'
He was standing in his Selfless State, so his presence was impossible to detect unless the other person was watching him or had a keen sense of smell like his.
'Now then, should I claim the rewards…'
….
[𖤐 Mission: Pat Aoi's head]
[𖤐 Reward: Self-healing]
[Mission completed!]
[You may claim your reward now]
[Claim]
….
[𖤐 Mission: Give Shinobu a tight hug]
[𖤐 Reward: Kanae's Ghost]
[Mission completed!]
[Summon]
….
He clicked "claim" and accepted the Self-healing reward.
Though he felt nothing unusual.
There was no injury on his body. Even when Muzan had unleashed that desperate shockwave shout, he had come out unscathed, without shedding a single drop of blood.
All it had done was cause a little body pain; that was it.
'Should I test the extent of its powers…? Nah, I'll do it later. Maybe I can feed my blood to Mother with this. The cut will heal too, so yeah… I guess I'll do that… She must be hungry, hmm…'
Sensing his mother's calm breathing from behind, he made up his mind.
Giving some of his blood to Kie should be alright. Honestly, he didn't want her to fall into hibernation like Nezuko had in the original timeline.
Narrowing his eyes, he then focused on the next reward.
Well, calling it a reward felt weird…
'Hehh, a ghost… Let's see how it goes. I always wanted to see a ghost, ha…'
.....
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