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That day's meeting seemed to last especially long.
Kagaya and several Pillars went into the room and talked for a very long time. Didn't even eat lunch.
After Kanae accompanied me to change clothes, she went to the meeting.
Not until Amane and I had both eaten lunch, sat in the room accompanying her daughters playing cat's cradle, did Kagaya finally come out.
Amane had left food for them warming on the stove. Kagaya brought over his and the children's portions, urged them to eat.
These five children had grown quite a bit. Also precocious and sensible like him in childhood. At such young ages already learned to share household work, often accompanied their parents.
I poked my head out to look at that room again. Wondered what these people were doing inside without even eating.
Not long after, the answer was revealed.
They'd blocked Shinazugawa in the room, thoroughly scolded him for about an hour—from his attitude to his rash actions—before coming out.
Of course Giyu couldn't catch such an opportunity to scold others. Sat there thinking for quite a while. Felt everyone had said everything that could be said. Also smelled the aroma of food wafting from outside.
Simply slipped out first to eat. By the time everyone came out, he'd already eaten his fill.
Honestly, was a bit hateable. No wonder Sabito worried whether he could get along well with colleagues.
Shinazugawa was the last to come out. That violent, gloomy momentum had already been削减 considerably. His expression also became very strange.
I observed carefully. Saw the corners of his eyes were red. Seemed he'd even cried.
Only looked twice before he noticed. Immediately looked back.
Discovering it was me, his expression became uncomfortable. Again silently turned his head to the other side.
I didn't ask what they'd said in the room either. As long as Shinazugawa didn't trouble me again, that was fine.
Later he indeed didn't trouble me again. Just occasionally when meeting at the Butterfly Mansion, it was still somewhat awkward.
Meaning him, not me. When he ran into me, his expression was quite uncomfortable. Couldn't say anything. Randomly nodded once as a greeting.
After this Wind Hashira, Obanai also entered the Hashira ranks with his original Serpent Breathing.
After him was Kyojuro, who mastered Flame Breathing and inherited the Flame Hashira title.
In the blink of an eye, the Hashira members had all changed over. All new faces. Gyomei had become the eldest among everyone.
Hashira positions still had vacancies. Logically speaking, adding Ritsuka and Sabito would be completely fine.
Moreover, the latter had modified Water Breathing, also developed a breathing method more suitable for himself... The problem Sabito always clamored about worrying—the name collision not being cool at all—didn't exist either.
Kagaya asked me to inquire about their opinions again. Who knew before their replies came, I first received news that both were severely injured.
Injured swordsmen were uniformly sent to the Butterfly Mansion for emergency treatment. When I hurried over, only saw an anxious Giyu outside the operating room.
Seeing me, he said: "Sabito and the others... encountered Upper Rank Six. The mark appeared on Ritsuka's body."
Two shocking pieces of news appearing together—I didn't yet know what reaction to make when the operating room door already opened.
The two people pushed out were wrapped head to toe in bandages. Fortunately their breathing was steady. No life-threatening danger.
Ritsuka was injured more severely than Sabito. But her wound healing speed was actually somewhat faster than his.
Not long after Sabito regained consciousness, Ritsuka also woke up.
Hearing the mark appeared on Ritsuka's body, Kanae and Shinobu also gathered over to hear them describe the course of events.
Giyu didn't understand the detailed process. So only explained the causes and consequences.
The cause was very unexpected. Ritsuka had bought a detective novel... the author mentioned in the afterword that the serial murder case was based on real events.
These murders were distributed across different cities. The time span was very large... If plotted on a map, could form a tightly structured web diagram.
That writer said at the end these cases spanned over a hundred years...
Just that he'd collected all similar cases and invented a serial killer. Asked readers not to take it seriously.
But in Ritsuka's view, this was basically saying a demon was committing crimes.
She actually had someone contact the author himself, obtained all the materials in his hands, reorganized them once.
Finally discovered these murder cases indeed as he said were distributed very regularly, centered on a certain city, spreading outward.
Following this clue, Sabito also found other suspicious cases that had been overlooked from the police station's archives.
They confirmed this culprit was a demon. Could live over a hundred years. Most likely had already become one of the Twelve Kizuki.
Finding a demon in a large city was very difficult. Sabito proposed drawing the snake from its hole... Publishing this novelist's afterword and plot analysis in newspapers in the city where the demon was hiding.
Presumably the suspicious and cautious demon wouldn't let go of this human who'd inadvertently glimpsed their secret.
But for ordinary people's safety, they called Giyu to impersonate this novelist. Sabito and Ritsuka ambushed nearby.
Three demon hunters with Hashira-level strength working together—even if the culprit was an Upper Rank demon, they had fighting power. So this arrangement had no problems.
The bad part was that Upper Rank demon was more cunning and terrifying than they'd anticipated.
"That demon's Blood Demon Art can hypnotize." Sabito squeezed out a sentence with difficulty. Then with difficulty turned his face to the other side.
Ritsuka still lay there, breathing lightly. Though her eyes could move, she still couldn't speak.
In Sabito's difficult description, it was a demon with female appearance. Before she came, seemed to have considered the possibility this was a trap.
So didn't directly break into that novelist's house. Instead lurked in the surroundings waiting.
Just like demons in the Pillars' eyes seemed to have nowhere to hide—for that demon, distinguishing demon hunters from ordinary humans also seemed an easy matter.
Breathing methods, walking postures, and certain subconscious movements easily provided that demon with clues.
The reason Sabito and Ritsuka were injured so severely was because they unknowingly fell under the opponent's hypnosis, had attack commands planted.
After that demon appeared and deliberately led them to chase outside the city, after the suggestion in their minds was triggered, Sabito drew his blade and stabbed Ritsuka who'd left her back to him.
And the hypnosis Ritsuka was under also took effect after being attacked. Quickly viewed him as a demon to be slain.
Sabito's face was full of chagrin. Emotions agitated to the point of coughing blood repeatedly. Wanted to fiercely pound his head: "It's all my fault... damn it..."
After Shinobu held down his hand, she said with a stern face: "Now isn't the time for self-blame. If you move recklessly again, I'll tie you up until your injuries heal."
They had several vital areas injured. We didn't continue asking about the remaining details. Let them recuperate first.
Hearing Ritsuka was injured, Ume also specially came to visit. Came holding flowers with Koyuki, even knew to buy get-well gifts.
But as soon as she entered the room, Ritsuka immediately sneezed several times in succession. Then wanted nothing more than to bounce up from the bed.
Giyu was so frightened he immediately pressed her back down. Afraid her wounds would tear open.
But Ritsuka still stared straight at Ume. Said with difficulty: "That demon... has... the same scent... as you."
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