A sliver of dawn brushed across the horizon.
Shinobu Kocho returned to the Butterfly Mansion just as the day began to break. She gave a simple farewell to the one squad member who had managed to keep up with her, then walked toward the mansion entrance.
In the dim morning light, Shinobu saw a figure waiting for her by the door.
It was Su Chen.
Why is he sitting here?
Shinobu couldn't help but let out a quiet sigh of relief. At least he was safe.
At that moment, Su Chen also saw her.
He stood up and walked toward Shinobu.
A bright ray of light peeked through a gap in the clouds, shining down and illuminating Su Chen's face.
Shinobu couldn't help but stare, feeling somewhat captivated.
The distance between them grew shorter.
Only then did Shinobu notice that Su Chen was carrying bandages in one hand and a small medicine box in the other.
She smiled, a little embarrassed. "Su Chen-jun, were you waiting for me?"
Su Chen didn't answer her question. He walked right over and gently took her hand.
Shinobu's mind went blank for a second.
As she watched Su Chen hold her hand, she felt a strange impulse and didn't pull away.
Su Chen spoke as if he already knew. "You're injured, aren't you?"
Shinobu was startled.
She finally realized he wasn't trying to be forward; he had seen the injury on her hand.
Even though she had tried her best to hide it, Su Chen had still discovered her little secret.
Shinobu felt a strange sense of guilt. "No... I'm not."
"Come with me."
Su Chen led Shinobu to sit on the steps by the door.
He opened the medicine box and gently rolled up her sleeve.
Shinobu's arm was very slender, with fair skin. It was hard to imagine such a small arm could wield a heavy Nichirin Sword.
As her arm was fully revealed, Su Chen saw the wound clearly.
A long gash, likely caused by a blunt object, stretched from her wrist almost all the way to her elbow.
Su Chen frowned and began to meticulously disinfect the wound.
"It hurts..." Shinobu couldn't help but let out a soft sound.
"Don't move," Su Chen said, his voice firm. "The wound hasn't been treated for a while. It's starting to get inflamed."
He held her arm tightly, his gaze completely focused on his task.
Shinobu's heart felt a strange sensation.
Normally, she was used to treating minor injuries like this herself.
And usually, she didn't feel this much pain.
But with Su Chen sitting right next to her, it suddenly hurt so much.
Even though the wound stung, Su Chen was exceptionally careful.
The cool medicine he applied to her arm felt surprisingly warm.
Unconsciously, the image of Su Chen began to overlap with another figure in Shinobu's mind.
"Sister..." Shinobu blurted out.
Su Chen was startled by her word.
He looked at Shinobu, somewhat speechless.
Why does every girl keep calling me 'sister'? he thought, exasperated.
He wasn't even wearing women's clothes! Did she even ask his opinion before deciding to change his gender?
Su Chen, feeling a strong desire to retaliate, suddenly moved the medicine-soaked cotton toward her armpit.
The young Hashira immediately burst into bell-like laughter.
"Hahaha! Su Chen-jun, you're so naughty!"
"Then I'll stop?" he teased.
"Don't!"
As soon as she said it, Shinobu regretted it.
How could I be so immodest? Su Chen is like a younger brother to me! Shinobu, what on earth are you thinking?
But Su Chen didn't seem to have heard her, which made Shinobu breathe a quiet sigh of relief.
"Shinobu, are you still angry?"
Su Chen suddenly looked up, staring directly into her eyes.
His way of addressing her had changed. He wasn't calling her "Shinobu-nee-san" anymore, just "Shinobu."
Anyone could see her expression visibly stiffen.
"Su Chen-jun... what did you just say?"
Su Chen repeated his words. "I said, you are angry."
Shinobu fell silent.
Her gentle smile instantly vanished without a trace.
"Yes," she said, her voice quiet. "Perhaps I have always been angry."
"I've been angry ever since my older sister, Kanae Kocho, was brutally murdered by a demon. I'm angry every time I see others cry because their loved ones were taken by demons, and whenever I hear their desperate screams."
"I'm angry whenever I can't grip my blade properly, knowing I can't cut off a demon's head."
"This anger just constantly builds up inside me. There's this sense of disgust deep in my body that I can't erase."
As she spoke, Shinobu felt her wound stinging more and more.
It hurt so much that, for a moment, she desperately wanted Su Chen to know just how much.
"My sister entrusted her dream to me before she died, but I can't achieve it. I can't achieve it at all!" she continued.
"I'm just... I'm a bit tired. Demons always lie. They kill without reason, just following their raw instincts to survive."
"I can't forgive them. I can't ever forgive them!"
"Perhaps... perhaps the only thing I can do now is just make sure my sister's favorite smile doesn't disappear from my own face. Right?"
The light in Shinobu's eyes quickly dimmed. At the same time, she gently pulled her hand from Su Chen's grasp.
"I'm sorry, Su Chen-jun. I talked a bit too much today."
She stood up. "Thank you for bandaging my arm. Please continue to do your best in the future."
A pale white light was gradually spreading across the horizon.
The young Hashira's figure had already disappeared from the doorway.
Kanzaki Aoi had just stepped outside to pour out some water when she saw Su Chen sitting alone on the doorstep, quietly tidying up the medical supplies.
"Su Chen-jun, were you practicing your swordsmanship all night?" Aoi stared blankly at him.
A strange, sinking feeling suddenly opened up in her heart.
It was that awful feeling you get when you realize someone more talented than you is also working harder than you.
That was exactly what Kanzaki Aoi felt right now.
Just as Aoi was about to urge Su Chen to go rest, one of the younger girls' voices suddenly came from inside the house: "Lady Shinobu is back!"
Kanzaki Aoi hurried back inside.
Su Chen quickly finished packing the medicine box and also walked into the mansion.
At the same time, in a private room on the second floor of the Butterfly Mansion, a curtain was slowly lowered as Su Chen walked away.
Through the faint daylight, a pair of young eyes could still be seen watching from behind the window.
...
Su Chen was truly exhausted.
He almost collapsed as soon as he stepped through his door.
By the time he woke up again, it was already late afternoon.
Su Chen opened his eyes.
The first person he saw was Kanao.
Kanao was kneeling quietly beside his futon, silently watching him.
When she realized Su Chen was awake, her small mouth parted slightly, and she tightly held his hand.
But she didn't say anything.
Su Chen smiled. He guessed that collapsing when he returned must have scared the girls.
At that moment, Kanzaki Aoi also walked over, carrying a small cake.
"Kanao, don't keep holding Su Chen-jun's hand. It's not good for his rest," Aoi gently scolded.
She placed the small cake on a low table.
Just as she was about to say something else, she saw that Su Chen was already awake.
Kanzaki Aoi immediately cried out excitedly.
"Su Chen-jun, you're awake! Kanao, why didn't you call us?!"
Aoi hurried to the corridor and shouted loudly toward the next room. "Naho, Kiyo, Sumi! Su Chen-jun is awake!"
Soon, Su Chen heard footsteps rushing from the next room.