Chapter 78: Tatsu, I'm Entrusting Everything to You
"Knock, knock, knock."
Just then, the sudden sound of knocking came from outside the door.
"Guests inside... is everything alright?"
Immediately after, an old man's voice, tinged with hesitation and caution, drifted through the door.
It was the Innkeeper.
Kanae's body suddenly stiffened.
In that instant, her instincts as a Hashira of the Demon Slayer Corps and her protective nature as an older sister suppressed her internal breakdown.
She immediately realized their current predicament:
Inside the room was Tatsu, who was a demon,
and her younger sister, a Demon Slayer swordsman, who had been tied up after attempting an attack.
If an ordinary person saw this scene,
it would not only cause panic but might even bring unnecessary trouble and expose Tatsu's whereabouts.
Kanae quickly raised both hands, using the wide sleeves of her Haori embroidered with butterfly patterns,
to vigorously wipe the tears from her cheeks.
She swiftly tidied her somewhat disheveled collar and the stray hairs at her temples.
Within seconds, her eyes, which had been filled with sorrow, forcibly concealed all traces of vulnerability.
When she lifted her head again, that gentle, dignified Flower Hashira—the one who seemed capable of bringing hope to others even in despair—
had returned.
However, if one looked closely, they could still detect a hint of redness at the corners of her eyes that could not be entirely hidden.
Kanae stood up quickly and walked to the door.
She reached out, placing her hand on the wooden doorframe,
and slowly pulled it open just enough to reveal her face,
while perfectly maintaining a gap that blocked the view of the room's interior.
Kanae leaned out slightly,
looking at the Innkeeper standing outside, his back slightly hunched and his face full of concern.
"My friend and I are fine."
The Innkeeper looked at the young girl before him, whose smile was gentle and whose beauty seemed almost otherworldly.
Clearly, there had been a massive commotion in this room just now—first, a sound like a heavy object slamming into the wall,
followed by a crisp metallic clash, and then a dull thud of someone hitting the floor.
The noise had been so loud that even he, downstairs, had heard it clearly.
No matter how he looked at it, it didn't seem like they were "fine."
"Um... Miss, are you and your companion truly alright?"
The Innkeeper rubbed his hands together, his gaze lingering for a moment on the redness at the corners of Kanae's eyes, deepening his suspicion.
"I was downstairs just now and heard a very loud noise coming from your room.
It sounded... like the sound of a struggle,
so I thought some accident might have happened."
In this era, legends of "man-eating demons" had never truly died out among the common folk.
As an Innkeeper running a business, his greatest fear was a guest having an accident in his shop.
However, the young lady before him and the gentleman who always wore a bamboo hat
were major clients who had handed over a generous sum for accommodation and hush money the moment they arrived last night.
In this world, with enough money, one could make even a ghost turn a millstone. Faced with such lavish guests,
the Innkeeper naturally didn't dare to pry too much into their privacy, fearing he might accidentally offend his noble patrons.
Kanae keenly caught the suspicion in the Innkeeper's eyes.
She knew that if she didn't provide a reasonable explanation, the man likely wouldn't leave easily.
The look of apology on her face deepened as she lowered her head slightly,
assuming a perfectly standard and well-bred posture of apology.
"I am truly terribly sorry for startling you, Mr. Innkeeper."
Kanae's voice took on a perfectly timed hint of helplessness and indulgence,
like a gentle older sister cleaning up after a mischievous younger sibling.
"It is actually my younger sister.
She traveled through the night yesterday and was very exhausted, only just waking up.
Since she was a child, she has had a very bad morning temper, and perhaps because she didn't sleep well in a strange place,
she threw a bit of a tantrum upon waking and accidentally knocked over our bags and tools,
which is what caused such a loud noise."
Hearing this explanation, most of the suspicion on the Innkeeper's face finally dissipated.
He was a man of the world and knew that some young ladies from wealthy families indeed had willful tempers.
Moreover, this young lady's attitude was so sincere
and her smile so gentle that it was impossible to harbor even a shred of doubt.
He muttered to himself internally:
Wealthy young ladies are certainly hard to serve; just waking up can cause enough noise to tear the house down.
But on the surface, he immediately put on a fawning smile.
"Oh, so that's how it is! As long as you're alright, as long as you're alright."
The Innkeeper waved his hands repeatedly, the wrinkles on his face bunching up as he smiled.
"As long as the guests are safe, I can rest easy.
Um... however, Miss, even though I know it's just your sister's morning temper,
please try not to make such a large commotion.
After all, it is still early morning, and other guests are still resting.
You see..."
Kanae immediately followed his lead and bowed deeply once more,
her beautiful eyes filled with sincere regret:
"I understand, Mr. Innkeeper.
This was indeed rude of us.
I will have a proper talk with my sister and guarantee she won't make such noise again
to disturb the other guests' rest.
I am truly sorry for causing so much trouble for your inn."
Seeing Kanae apologize so politely and humbly, the Innkeeper actually felt a bit embarrassed.
He quickly took a step back and waved his hand.
"Not at all, not at all, you are far too kind.
Then I'll leave you to it; I won't disturb you further.
If you need anything, just call me at any time."
"Alright, take care, Mr. Innkeeper."
Kanae smiled as she watched the Innkeeper turn and leave, until she heard his footsteps gradually fade down the wooden stairs,
finally disappearing below.
"Click."
She gently closed the door.
The moment the gap was completely sealed, cutting off the hallway light and any prying eyes from outside,
the mask of "strength and gentleness" on Kanae's face shattered instantly.
The smile vanished without a trace, replaced by an unmistakable exhaustion and sorrow.
Her shoulders slumped as if all her strength had been drained away.
Powerlessly, she leaned her back against the wooden door, closed her eyes, and let out a long, heavy sigh.
She leaned quietly by the door for a few seconds, trying to calm her heart which was still pounding wildly in her chest.
Then, she slowly opened her eyes and turned her gaze back to the center of the room.
Under the somewhat dim light, Tatsu was still sitting quietly by the low table.
And on the tatami mat beside him,
Kocho Shinobu was bound with a technique that was extremely professional yet guaranteed not to bruise her skin.
Shinobu's eyes were closed, her brow furrowed tightly; even in unconsciousness,
a lingering, inseparable hostility remained on her face.
Kanae walked back to the table step by step and slowly knelt down beside Tatsu.
She couldn't take her eyes off Shinobu.
The mere thought that lethal wisteria poison was flowing through that petite body
made her heart feel as if it were being squeezed by an invisible hand, making it painful to breathe.
"It's all my fault..."
Kanae's eyes turned uncontrollably red again.
She lowered her head, her hands tightly wringing the hem of her Haori.
"If only I had noticed something was wrong with her sooner,
if only I had cared for her more,
if only I hadn't been so naive as to think she had truly let go of her hatred...
Shinobu wouldn't have done something so self-destructive behind my back.
I've failed so much as an older sister..."
Tatsu put down his chopsticks and gently pushed the bowl of ramen aside.
He turned his head, his crimson demon eyes quietly watching the girl beside him who was lost in deep self-reproach.
He reached out with his pale, well-defined hand,
and placed it over Kanae's hands, which were tightly clenched and trembling.
A demon's body temperature was low, carrying a hint of chill,
but what it conveyed to Kanae at this moment was a reassuring sense of stability.
"Kanae."
"Look at me."
Kanae's body trembled slightly as she slowly raised her head,
her tear-filled purple eyes meeting Tatsu's crimson pupils.
"This matter is not your fault."
Tatsu looked into her eyes and spoke each word with profound gravity.
"But..."
Kanae instinctively tried to argue.
"There are no 'buts'."
Tatsu gently interrupted her, the pressure of his hand increasing slightly.
"Shinobu's hatred for demons stems from the death of your parents
and the malice this cruel world has inflicted upon you both.
That hatred has already taken root and sprouted in her heart, growing into a towering tree.
Her choice to inject wisteria poison was an extreme measure she took for the sake of revenge.
It was her own internal obsession driving her, not because you did anything wrong."
He knew Kanae was prone to blaming herself for everything,
so he had to use the clearest logic to sever her groundless self-reproach.
"You have already done well enough, Kanae.
You have always used your gentleness to dissolve her hatred,
and you have always used your life to protect her.
You cannot monitor her every second, nor can you see through every secret in the depths of her heart.
She is a Demon Slayer, and she has her own agency and resolve."
Tatsu paused, his gaze sweeping over the sleeping Kocho Shinobu, a flash of complex emotion in his eyes.
He was a demon; he knew very well the disasters demons brought to humanity.
From a human perspective, Kocho Shinobu's actions
were those of a tragic hero willing to sacrifice everything to slay demons.
But from Kanae's perspective, this was undoubtedly like carving out her sister's heart with a knife.
"So, stop imposing guilt that doesn't belong to you upon yourself.
Your tears and self-blame right now won't help solve the problem; they will only cause you to collapse."
Listening to Tatsu's words, Kanae bit her lower lip hard as her tears burst forth again.
But this time, it wasn't because of desperate self-reproach,
but because of the release of being understood.
Tatsu's words were like a sharp scalpel, precisely lancing the abscess in her heart.
Though painful, it squeezed out those festering feelings of self-blame bit by bit.
However, the reality of the problem still sat before them.
What should be done about the toxin in Shinobu's body?
If Shinobu woke up and remained stubborn, or even threatened her own life, what could she do?
Confusion appeared in Kanae's eyes once more.
If she couldn't stop Shinobu, she might truly have to make a painful choice:
Taking Shinobu back to the Butterfly Mansion, even if it meant confining her until a way to purge the toxin was found.
But if she did that, she would have to leave Tatsu.
Tatsu captured the struggle in Kanae's eyes.
His heart skipped a beat uncontrollably.
He understood the look in her eyes.
If he didn't intervene, if he couldn't provide a way to break this deadlock,
Kanae would very likely choose to leave him for the sake of her sister's safety.
To Kanae, family was the most precious thing in the world.
She could never stand by and watch Shinobu walk toward self-destruction without acting.
And for Tatsu, Kanae was likewise someone he absolutely could not lose.
In this world filled with slaughter, Kanae was the only light for him as an 'outlier'.
She was the anchor that allowed him to maintain his humanity.
It was Kanae's gentleness that had accepted him, preventing him from degenerating into a monster that only craved flesh and blood.
If he lost Kanae, he didn't know what he would become over the long years.
Perhaps he would go mad, or perhaps he would fall into total depravity.
He would never allow that to happen.
Moreover, deep in his heart, Tatsu knew that the source of this matter was ultimately him.
If he weren't a demon himself, Kocho Shinobu would not have drawn her blade today.
It was a cycle of cause and effect; since he was a demon and since he wanted to keep Kanae by his side,
then he had to take on this responsibility.
Tatsu slowly withdrew his hand from Kanae's.
He looked at her:
"Kanae, look at me."
Through her tear-blurred vision, Kanae looked up, her gaze falling into that crimson abyss.
"I will resolve this for you."
"I will make Shinobu give up on injecting the wisteria poison.
I promise."
Kanae was stunned.
Tatsu had never lied to her.
As long as it was something he promised, he would certainly do it.
If there was anyone in this world who could break the indestructible ice of hatred in Shinobu's heart,
if there was anyone who could pull Shinobu back from the abyss of self-destruction,
Kanae believed that person must be Tatsu.
She didn't ask how he planned to do it,
nor did she question how a demon could convince someone who hated demons to their very core.
She just looked at him quietly, handing over all her vulnerability, all her expectations,
and her heart, without reservation, to the man before her.
"Mm..."
Kanae gave a soft reply.
She leaned forward slightly, resting her forehead gently against Tatsu's shoulder.
"I believe you, Tatsu.
Everything... I'm entrusting it to you."
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