Demon Slayer : The Silent Journey-Chapter 171: The attack on the Butterfly Mansion (2)

[3rd POV]

The Butterfly Mansion was in full bloom.

Spring had draped the garden in vibrant colours, and the air was filled with the sweet scent of cherry blossoms, wisteria, and blooming peonies. Delicate petals floated lazily on the breeze, swirling through the air like tiny pink snowflakes before landing softly on the grass.

A few butterflies danced between the flowers, their wings catching the sunlight as they flitted gracefully around the garden. Birds chirped cheerfully from the branches of trees, their songs blending harmoniously with the rustling of leaves in the wind.

Amid this picturesque setting, Tanjiro and Kanao sat on the grass, surrounded by the beauty of the season.

The wooden bowl between them was filled with small, colourful pebbles, each crafted with care and painted with intricate designs like flowers, clouds, and tiny animals.

"Okay, Kanao," Tanjiro said softly, his usual bright smile lighting up his face, but there was a... softness to it this time. A warmth that lingered in his eyes longer than usual. It was the kind of stuff you would see on a young man as he gazes at the woman he loves.

"This time, I'll get it right. I won't overshoot again."

Kanao gave a simple nod as she sat across from him. Her face was stoicism but her violet eyes reflected the flowers around them. Tanjiro had to put effort into not staring.

"I believe you, Tanjiro," she said.

Tanjiro's heart did a little flip.

"Ah... there it is again..." he whispered, loud enough so only he could hear. It had been happening a lot lately.

He felt his face grow warm, and suddenly, the breeze didn't feel as cool as it did a moment ago.

Was he getting sick? He was somewhat aware that he had feelings for the young girl but could feelings show physical symtioms? He was sure he loved his family, his brothers, sisters and mother. But he never felt like this before.

It was new.

"Alright," he cleared his throat, determined to push his thoughts aside. "Let's do this again. I'm not going to send this one flying into the pond."

Kanao's lips twitched ever so slightly, the ghost of amusement flickering in her eyes. They were playing pebble toss in the garden. Tanjiro who had been in bed due to his injury for a few days now was healed enough to move outdoors again so they were playing the game to pass the time.

Kanao was also in the middle of her monthly rest so she found no problem in spending time with the boy.

"Good luck," she murmured softly. He needed it with the way he was playing so horribly so far. Not that she could blame him, he was still recovering after all.

Tanjiro took a deep breath, gripping a bright red pebble with Nezuko's ribbon painted on it. The goal was to toss the pebble as close to the line as possible. They could knock each other's pebbles while doing so as well.

The decorations were to determine whose was whose.

"Here goes..."

He flicked it gently, putting just the right amount of force behind it this time. The pebble rolled smoothly along the grass, stopping just a few inches away from the line they had drawn earlier.

"YES!" Tanjiro's face lit up with a victorious smile "I did it!"

"Hmm..." Kanao tilted her head slightly, examining the position of the pebble with a thoughtful expression.

"It's close," she murmured softly, her fingers brushing against a pale pink pebble painted with cherry blossoms.

She flicked it effortlessly.

The pebble rolled forward... smooth, steady... and stopped just barely closer to the line than Tanjiro's.

"Ah..."

Tanjiro blinked.

"...I win," Kanao said softly, her lips curving into that same barely-there smile. A Flower Breathing user and an injured Water Breathing user, it was rigged from the start.

But Tanjiro stared at her for a moment. Forget about the unfairness, he was completely forgetting about the game.

'Her smile....' the image lingered still like a tattoo on his mind.

'I like it,'

..

"Ah... no, no, no. Focus, Tanjiro. Focus!" he scolds himself while gathering coherent thoughts.

"You're getting better," Kanao said, her eyes glancing toward the pebbles with quiet approval.

"Ah... yeah," Tanjiro mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly.

"Are you okay?" Kanao tilted her head slightly, noticing the pink dusting his cheeks.

"Ah! Y-Yeah! Just... um..." Tanjiro scrambled for an excuse. "It's... the weather! So warm! Spring, you know! Hahaha!"

Kanao blinked, her gaze drifting toward the sunlight filtering through the cherry blossoms.

"Yes," she murmured softly, her voice barely above a whisper. "It's... nice."

Kanao's eyes, usually filled with quiet observation, were softer now. She seemed so peaceful and comfortable. It made his heart squeeze.

"Your turn, Tanjiro," Kanao said, her voice gently pulling him back to reality.

"Ah, right!"

Tanjiro grabbed another pebble, determined to shake off the strange feeling stirring in his heart and focus on the game.

Win!! Win!!

He had to win.

But as he flicked the pebble, he sent it rolling too far once again, His thoughts betrayed him.

"...."

"Tanjiro..." Kanao's voice was laced with amusement.

"Ah..." He glanced at where the pebble had landed.

"I overshot again..." he muttered, his expression falling. But at least it didn't go into the pond this time.

Kanae giggled softly. "Maybe... you're thinking too much,"

Of course, he was thinking too much. He had been thinking too much for a while now. More than necessary. Why was he thinking about getting married and having children?

"Thinking too much..."

If only she knew.

Kanao flicked her pebble again, landing effortlessly close to the line. She has mercilessly put his effort into shame.

"Wow..." Tanjiro murmured, "You're amazing, Kanao..."

Kanao's cheeks were dusted with the faintest pink.

"I've... practised a lot," she said, "We used to play such games all the time when everyone was together. My sisters and...bih brother Seiji, they like games,"

Tanjiro smiled.

"Well, I'll keep practising too," he said, his voice full of unnecessary determination that every shounen protagonist has, "So one day, I can beat you fair and square."

Kanao glanced at him from beneath her lashes, her expression unreadable for a moment. But then...

She smiled.

"Good luck, Tanjiro."

And just like that...

Tanjiro's heart was lost to spring.

...

...

////////////////////

"This was not what I had in mind when I came to visit my injured student," Giyu said with a straight face as he peeked his head from a hidden corner of the mansion.

"I know!! It's so much fun isn't it?" Kanae said, her head peeking out above him from the same corner.

They were spying on Kanae and Tanjiro.

No, perhaps it was wrong to say they. It was more like the Flower Hashira was forcing her passion and perverted hobby onto the Water Hashira.

"I'm not sure I share your sentiment Lady Kanae. I feel like I'm being creepy," Giyu said.

Kanae just laughed it off, "Pffft...don't sweat it. There is nothing wrong with watching them like this. It's fun,"

Kanao was older than Tanjiro so it wouldn't be wrong to say that she saw herself in her. A little bit. It ticked something in her heart to see them like this. Perhaps it was a way to deal with the longing she had for her lover in her heart.

"If it's not wrong then why are we hiding," Giyu asked with his calm voice and unimpressed eyes.

"Becuase we are giving them privacy," Kanae answered like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Giyu tilted his head and he felt his brain cells committing mass suicide. Giving them privacy by spying on them, how did that even work? Truly he would never understand women. He had given up a long time ago and for good reasons like this.

Giyu moved away from the place and left Kanae to spy on her own devices. He walked away and looked around the compound, observing the people working in the Butterfly Mansion.

It seemed his student was doing well and was busy with a girl at the moment. So he searched for something to keep him occupied for a while.

The cool breeze brushed against his face as he wandered deeper into the mansion's grounds. The afternoon sun was slowly setting into the horizon, sinking between the mountains as darkness cropped up. The world was getting quiet, it was the beginning of silence.

At least that was how it was supposed to be.

But silence was a fleeting concept in the Butterfly Mansion whenever Inosuke was around.

Giyu's sharp ears picked up a commotion before he even saw it.

"INOSUKE!! INOSUKE!"

Aoi Kanzaki's exasperated voice echoed across the compound.

Giyu's eyes narrowed slightly as he followed the source of the chaos.

"COME BACK HERE! YOU'RE STILL INJURED!!"

Turning a corner, Giyu was met with...

Pure madness.

Inosuke was sprinting across the courtyard, shirtless despite the bandages tightly wrapped around his chest, arms, and forehead. He moving at full speed on all fours like a wild beast. His movements were almost animalistic as he zigzagged erratically to avoid capture.

"Why is he running... like that?" Giyu wondered with a blank expression, watching as the injured boy bounced through the courtyard, narrowly avoiding a group of terrified attendants carrying trays of herbal medicine.

"WOOOAAAHHH!! YOU CAN'T CATCH ME!! YOU STUPID HUMAN!! DON'T YOU KNOW FOUR LEGS ARE FASTER THAN TWO??!! HAHAHA!!!" Inosuke roared as he used four limbs to outrun Aoi who ran with only her legs.

"INOSUKE!!"

Aoi was right behind him, her face flushed with frustration, her sleeves rolled up, and her wooden sandals pounding against the ground as she chased after him with the determination of a Hashira facing a demon.

"GET BACK HERE, YOU LUNATIC!" she barked, her voice filled with righteous fury. "YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO BE RUNNING AROUND LIKE THAT!!"

Inosuke, however, was completely unfazed.

Giyu blinked.

For a moment, he simply stood there, quietly observing the spectacle.

"Oi!" Inosuke suddenly shouted, his eyes catching sight of Giyu. "WATER GUY!!"

Giyu froze, his expression blank as Inosuke veered sharply toward him.

"HELP ME! THE MEDIC GIRL IS TRYING TO MAKE ME DO SOMETHING HORRIBLE!" Inosuke cried dramatically as he bolted toward Giyu, arms flailing in exaggerated panic.

Aoi's eyes narrowed. "DON'T DRAG HIM INTO THIS!"

Giyu, however, barely had time to react before Inosuke leapt toward him - attempting to hide behind the Water Hashira like a terrified animal seeking shelter.

"What the—"

THUD!!

Inosuke's momentum was too much. He crashed into Giyu, making him stumble slightly, though the stoic Hashira barely reacted, his balance unwavering.

"Phew! Safe!" Inosuke said with a satisfied grin, crouching behind Giyu as if the Hashira was an impenetrable wall of safety.

Giyu blinked.

"...What are you doing?"

"Hiding!" Inosuke whispered loudly, Not that it mattered since Aoi was already standing right in front of them, her chest heaving as she glared daggers at both of them.

"Hashira or not," she growled, her eyes narrowing dangerously at Giyu, "move aside."

"...No," Giyu said after a moment, his tone as calm as ever.

"WHAT?!" Aoi's jaw dropped. "Why not?! He needs rest! He's still covered in injuries!"

Giyu glanced down at Inosuke, who was now peeking out from behind him with the most innocent expression he could manage. Which was pretty fucking effective when taken into account Inosuke's pretty face.

"...He seems alright," Giyu said simply.

"What was it that you are trying to make him do?" Giyu asked after a second later, his head tilted curiously.

"He is lying!! I am not trying to make him do anything!! He just needs to rest more before he can move around like that," Aoi said in a tired voice.

Giyu turned to Inosuke, asking him with his eyes.

"She is trying to make me do NOTHING!! How can I do nothing!! I am not a tree!! Or puny water!! I'm a beast!!" Inosuke defended himself.

Aoi and Giyu mentally facepalmed.

"Okay, it seems I have taken the wrong side. Inosuke you should listen to Aoi and rest well," Giyu said with a sharp voice. Aoi mentally celebrated.

"....." Inoskue just stood there, staring.

Before he ran again just as quickly.

"WAIT A MINUTE INOSKUE!!" This time, it was no just Aoi as Giyu followed behind her. He did not use his full speed, content to be a part of the chase as a small s,smiled crept on his face.

How would he describe this? He felt...included.

It was fun.

In the end, Inosuke due to his injury tired out and they finally caught him. He struggled in vain as Giyu dragged him back to the mansion with Aoi proudly leading the way.

"THIS IS NOT FAIR!! I WON'T FORGET THIS WATER GUY!!" Inosuke was roaring and struggling like a child throwing a tantrum.

But then....

"I WILL-"

Everything ceased.

One moment things were normal.

But the very next moment they were acutely aware that the sun had finally set and it was dark.

Instincts screamed.

The Hashiras paused.

...

////////////////////

On the other side, Tanjiro suddenly froze on his spot, his nose twitched as he picked up a new scent in the air. It was weird, the smell of blood, decay, thunder, fire, ash and many more.

But the one smell that was the strongest was the stench of a demon.

"Tanjiro...what happened?" Kanao asked in concern.

"I smell.....demons?" he said, his voice grave and heavy like lead.

....

Kanae who was spying on them moved and turned into a blur. She knew how unique Tanjiro's sense of smell was so she acted on that information immediately. She effortlessly leapt into the highest point of the mansion, the roof of the main building.

She stood there, light as a feather but firm like stone. She opened her gaze to the surroundings.

Left.

A rustle in the distant bushes.

Right.

A shadow moved unnaturally between the trees.

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Behind.

A flicker of movement, barely perceptible... but it was there.

A deep frown hung on her face as her eyes glowed eerily in the dark. She saw through the forest and knew immediately what was happening.

They were surrounded.

It was spring, the season of joy.

And the demons came to steal the season.

..

..

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Author : Okay fellas, I played around the bush enough and I've taken a few breaks. I'm ready to cook the best meal for the book yet. With the plans I have in mind, you guys are going to eat good.

Get ready.

500 stones for instant next Chapter.