(Extra chapter)
Kiyokawa Izumi wasn't lying, nor was he feigning modesty.
Compared to a true Hashira, there was still a huge gap.
Take Senior Brother Giyuu for example; when he appeared again, he easily insta-killed Lower Rank Five.
It was a total one-sided crushing!
Without having mastered the Demon Slayer Mark, Transparent World, or the Scarlet Blade, he severed Rui's neck with a single effortless strike.
If Kiyokawa Izumi were to deal with Lower Rank Five—any demon other than Rui—he could solve it easily.
But against the real deal, he truly couldn't win!
The gap in strength wasn't something that could be bridged just by pushing oneself.
Kamanue was different.
First of all, he hadn't become lower rank six yet.
Secondly, there was still over a year before he would be "laid off."
This period of time was undoubtedly crucial!
Give him another year, and he could eat at least ten more people, right?
His developed abilities would also be more comprehensive and perfected, wouldn't they?
Kiyokawa Izumi hadn't encountered Kamanue at his Peak, yet even so, the fight had been incredibly difficult.
By comparison, the gap between him and a Plain Hashira was all too obvious!
According to his own estimations, once he mastered Total Concentration Breathing Constant and grinded his breathing and swordsmanship levels to LV5, he would roughly have the strength of a Hashira.
Strength,
Speed,
Endurance,
Agility.
In all these aspects, his attributes weren't particularly outstanding; he had to pick up physical training again.
"So, Mr. Kiyokawa Izumi still remembers that he needs to pay back the money."
Kochou Shinobu's lips curled up slightly as she asked with a smile, "Then, when will you be paying it back?"
"This is exactly why I didn't want to come to the Butterfly Mansion!"
Kiyokawa Izumi's gaze admired the ceiling as he couldn't help but mutter to himself.
Let me leave!
I don't want to stay in the Butterfly Mansion!
"Come on, open your mouth and take your medicine!"
Her fair right hand picked up the teacup from the table. Big Sister Shinobu, her tone gentle and a smile in her eyes, stared at Kiyokawa Izumi, who was deliberately looking away.
One second, two seconds... she just kept staring at him.
"Can I not drink it?"
Kiyokawa Izumi couldn't help but show a distressed expression. He still remembered the bitter taste from the last time he took medicine—he couldn't help but suspect if she was teasing him on purpose.
"Wasn't it agreed that some honey would be added? Why was it still so bitter?"
"No, you can't!"
"Then, is there honey in it? If I drink the medicine obediently, can you buy me some Soda?"
"I want to drink Ramune!"
(A lemon-flavored carbonated drink sealed with a glass marble, affordable and known as the 'taste of the common people'.)
"I also want to drink Cola!"
Kiyokawa Izumi's tone sounded as if he were saying: Rich big sister, I want to drink it, can you buy it for me?
Veins throbbed faintly on her smooth, fair forehead.
A slightly stiff smile hung on Kochou Shinobu's face, and her hand gripping the teacup tightened slightly.
"Be good and listen!"
The teacup filled with medicinal soup was shoved in front of him. Seeming to catch the hidden threat in her tone, Kiyokawa Izumi stopped teasing her, sat up obediently, and endured the discomfort to gulp down the medicine in one go.
To his surprise, it didn't seem that bitter?
There was a faint hint of sweetness?
This medicine probably wasn't brewed by Kochou Shinobu herself, right?
Could this argumentative and easily irritable girl be so attentive?
...After feeding him the medicine, Kochou Shinobu quickly left the ward.
Lying alone in bed with nothing to do, Kiyokawa Izumi suddenly heard a faint, crisp sound of tapping on glass.
He sat halfway up and looked toward the window. A Kasugai Crow was perched outside, repeatedly tapping the glass with its beak.
"Be careful. If you really break the glass, a certain ill-tempered and black-hearted woman will pluck all your feathers out."
"That smile is just a facade; her temper is quite bad. If she really wants to pluck your feathers, I won't be able to stop her!"
Hearing this, the Kasugai Crow immediately stopped its tapping and began preening its feathers as if nothing had happened.
"Tsk!"
Seeing his pet being so cowardly, Kiyokawa Izumi was instantly filled with frustration.
"What are you afraid of? You weren't this cowardly when facing demons."
"So what if you break the glass? You can fly! Once you take to the sky, she won't be able to catch you, right?"
How embarrassing!
As my Kasugai Crow, how can you be so cowardly?
"I might not catch it, but I can find its owner... Mr. Kiyokawa Izumi, don't you agree?"
"..."
Kiyokawa Izumi took a deep breath and just as he turned his head, he saw Kochou Shinobu standing outside the door.
What frightened him was that the smile on her face had long since vanished.
Can you Hashira make some noise when you walk!
Every single one of you is like a real ghost, walking without a sound!
When did she get here?
Didn't she just leave a moment ago? Also, as a Hashira, shouldn't you be very busy?
I'm doomed!
How much of my bad-mouthing just now did she hear?
No wonder the little guy was preening its feathers as if nothing happened; the bastard didn't even warn its master!
"Don't misunderstand, I was talking about Aoi-chan..."
Just as he finished speaking, Kanzaki Aoi appeared behind Kochou Shinobu, carrying a tray and looking expressionless.
"..."
"Uh, actually, I was talking about Kanao! Yes, I was talking about Kanao!"
Even someone as thick-skinned as Kiyokawa Izumi couldn't help but feel a bit awkward at this moment.
"Ill-tempered?"
"Very black-hearted?"
"Are you talking about me, Mr. Kiyokawa Izumi?"
_________
300 Energy Stones - New extra Chapter