"Sorry, Kochou, I've troubled you!" Kyojuro Rengoku, now awake, leaned against the headboard. His booming voice showed no sign of him being severely injured.
"It's my duty. Mr. Rengoku, you've sustained such injuries yet act as if nothing happened." Shinobu bowed her head, changing Kyoujurou's bandages, administering a painkiller, and disinfecting the wound to prevent infection.
"Not a single one of the 204 people on the train died. As expected of Mr. Rengoku." She finished wrapping the bandage and tossed the blood-stained one into the waste bin.
"This time, it was also thanks to Young Kamado and the others. Otherwise, it wouldn't have been as simple as losing an arm!" Having lost an arm, Kyojuro Rengoku was not disheartened. As long as he was alive, he would not stop swinging his sword.
As long as demons existed, he would not stop hunting them, because he was the Flame Pillar!
Shinobu sat upright on a chair, her hands clasped on her lap, her gentle face now serious.
"Is Upper Moon Three really that strong? Even Mr. Rengoku, you couldn't defeat him."
"He's very strong. I think even in my best condition, my chances of winning against him might be less than forty percent." Kyojuro Rengoku's expression darkened, his gaze heavy.
"If Yoizumi hadn't been there, I might really have died by his hand."
If that Upper Moon Three had cooperated with Lower Moon One from the start, they probably would have been completely wiped out.
"Oh, speaking of Yoizumi, is he alright? After all, he's a demon who doesn't eat humans, and he was exposed to sunlight after suffering such injuries." Kyojuro Rengoku sounded worried.
"Yes, he's fine."
"I've now seen why the Master allowed these two demons to join the Demon Slayer Corps."
"Demons who act to protect humans!"
Kyojuro Rengoku laughed heartily.
"Mhm! I approve!"
"Yes, be careful, your wound might open!" Shinobu, holding a basin of bloody water, reminded him.
"I'll be leaving now. Mr. Rengoku, please rest well."
"Mhm!"
..."Hi~ Tanjirou and Zenitsu are both fine, but you can only eat light foods for now~" After checking on both of them, Shinobu's voice was gentle.
"Yes, thank you, Miss Shinobu." Tanjirou nodded in gratitude. Although the after-effects of Hinokami Kagura still lingered, he could at least move around a bit.
He wanted to check on Yoizumi-nii and Mr. Rengoku.
Looking at Shinobu, who was packing her medicine box, Tanjirou asked, "Miss Shinobu, is Mr. Rengoku alright?"
"Mhm, Mr. Rengoku is very energetic~"
Hearing this, Tanjirou smiled in relief.
"That's great."
"I'm going to see him."
Carefully getting up, Tanjirou tested his steps after his feet were fully on the ground. Finding no issues, he bowed to Shinobu.
"Goodbye, Miss Shinobu!"
"Your body hasn't fully recovered yet, be careful."
Shinobu watched his eager retreating figure, reminding him.
"Zenitsu, you should rest first, since you landed on the back of your head." She turned to Zenitsu, who was lying motionless on the bed, and said.
"Yes..." Zenitsu's face was pale. Everything had happened so suddenly back then, and now that he was relaxed, he realized his head hurt terribly.
Passing by Yoizumi's room first, Tanjirou knocked and entered after receiving a response, finding Yoizumi once again sitting at his familiar desk.
Did he start reading as soon as he woke up?
Yoizumi's clothes were severely damaged, so he had changed into a patient's gown from the Butterfly Mansion. Kanzaki Aoi had taken his original clothes, and as someone with full domestic skills, she understood how to repair them after examining the stitching.
She promised to finish within about a week.
As Tanjirou approached, he noticed Yoizumi-nii's troubled expression and blinked in confusion. What had happened to make Yoizumi-nii so bothered?
"Yoizumi-nii, what's wrong?"
Yoizumi rested one hand on his forehead, his sapphire eyes full of bewilderment.
"Tanjirou, humans are so hard to understand."
"I can't think of any other humans besides those."
"?"
Huh?
Is Yoizumi-nii starting to ponder the meaning of life?
It's true that people start thinking about these questions at a certain age.
Tanjirou patted his brother's shoulder. Seeing Yoizumi-nii so energetic, he felt relieved.
It definitely wasn't because he didn't understand what was going on at all.
"If you have any questions, Yoizumi-nii, you can ask Miss Shinobu."
"Miss Shinobu looks like a very knowledgeable person."
"She said she wouldn't tell me." Yoizumi said in a calm tone, his clear, bright eyes wide open.
"Uh..." Tanjirou couldn't quite grasp Shinobu and Yoizumi's way of interacting. They were very familiar with each other, but Yoizumi-nii seemed to be at a disadvantage.
Although Yoizumi-nii seemed naive and easily bullied in front of familiar people.
Could it be... Miss Shinobu is unexpectedly a bit cunning?
Never mind, Miss Shinobu isn't a bad person anyway, and thinking that way about her isn't polite.
"Perhaps Yoizumi-nii will suddenly understand one day!" Tanjirou nodded sagely.
One day?
When would that be?
"I'm going to see Mr. Rengoku. Do you want to come along, Yoizumi-nii?"
"Mhm." He hopped off the chair and landed on the floor. He probably couldn't figure it out even if he thought about it all day, so it was better to go for a walk.
Hiding in the shadows, the two slowly walked to Rengoku's ward. Kyojuro Rengoku was leaning against the headboard, looking out the window, his red-orange eyes sparkling.
Hearing movement, he saw Yoizumi and Tanjirou and greeted them with a smile.
"Yo! Young Kamado and Yoizumi!"
"You both look very energetic!"
His booming voice could be heard from far away.
"You too, Mr. Rengoku!" Tanjirou unconsciously raised his voice in response.
"Hahaha! You've seen me at a disadvantage."
"Now I can't even get out of bed. If there were a hole, I'd want to crawl into it!"
Kyojuro Rengoku said earnestly.
"In a few days, when my strength has recovered enough, I can help you with your treatment." Yoizumi walked to the bedside and poured a glass of water for Rengoku. He was speaking so loudly, he needed some water.
"That would be a great thanks! Your ability is not..." Before he could finish, Yoizumi interrupted him.
"After all, you are a Pillar. The Demon Slayer Corps needs you, and there are more demons for you to slay."
He had intended to ask if Yoizumi's ability would burden him, but seeing Yoizumi interrupt, Kyojuro Rengoku, who was not someone who couldn't read the room, understood that he didn't want his family to worry.
"Mhm! Thank you very much!"
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