The moment Kanae's gaze shifted toward her, Nezuko felt her heart skip. She quickly dropped her head, silently begging in her mind: Don't look at me… don't look at me…
But Kanae either didn't notice her embarrassment or didn't care. She kept watching.
The second those gentle eyes landed on her, Nezuko's body gave a tiny shiver.
Then Kanae spoke, her voice warm and inviting. "Little one, do you want to learn Breathing Techniques to avenge your family too?"
"Huh?"
Nezuko blinked in surprise. She had expected the conversation to circle back to Shuya, but instead—
A wave of relief washed over her.
Just as she was about to politely turn down the offer and escape this "rival-creating machine" of a woman, Kanae continued on her own.
"How about learning Flower Breathing from big sister? It's a style I created myself. And when you use it, the most wonderful fragrance floats around you~"
"Fragrance?"
Nezuko tilted her head, genuinely confused. Wasn't Breathing supposed to be for killing demons? Why would it smell good? Was it supposed to make the demons enjoy eating her more? That didn't sound right at all.
She avoided Kanae's eager eyes, scratched her cheek, and mumbled, "But… I already started learning Sun Breathing from Shuya-nii."
"Eh?"
Kanae's face immediately fell. She looked genuinely heartbroken. "What a waste… such a soft, sweet girl like you not learning Flower Breathing with me? It's too much!"
She wasn't surprised that Shuya knew Sun Breathing. After everything he had done—including bringing her back from the dead—mastering the strongest Breathing Style felt almost ordinary in comparison.
"Sister—"
Kanao gently tugged on Kanae's sleeve and said in her usual soft, dazed voice, "I… I know Flower Breathing."
Kanae's eyes widened in shock. She looked down at the quiet girl. "Kanao… are you trying to comfort big sister?"
Before Kanao could answer, Kanae swept her into a tight hug, rubbing her cheek against the girl's delicate face. "Big sister is so happy!"
Kanao didn't speak, but her eyes half-closed in quiet contentment, clearly enjoying the affection.
Kanae kept talking, voice bright. "Kanao, keep working hard and become a Hashira. Then with little Shinobu and me, the Butterfly Mansion will have three Hashira! We'll be amazing!"
"Mm."
Kanao nodded blankly. She didn't really understand what Kanae was saying, but agreeing with her sister was always the safest choice.
"Sister!"
Shinobu's voice cut in from a few steps away, clearly annoyed. One second her sister was talking about wanting them to be happy, and the next she was pushing Kanao to become a Hashira?
Kanae pouted and waved her hand dismissively. "It was just a casual comment, okay? It's a shame Aoi didn't live up to expectations. Imagine—a logistics group like the Butterfly Mansion producing three Hashira? The rest of the Corps would've been shocked!"
"Huh?"
Aoi felt like she'd been stabbed in the chest. She stared at Kanae with a hurt expression. Wait… why am I suddenly involved in this?
Kanae noticed Aoi's face and quickly backtracked. "Sorry, sorry, Aoi! I didn't mean it like that. Even if you didn't become a Hashira like little Shinobu, you still keep the entire Butterfly Mansion running perfectly. That's incredible too!"
She smiled warmly. "And now that big sister is here, you girls won't have to fight anymore. You and Kanao just need to stay happy every day. That's enough."
Aoi's expression softened again. But when Kanae said she would handle all the fighting herself, Aoi couldn't stay quiet.
"Kanae-nee… can you quit the Demon Slayer Corps?"
Her voice was soft but serious. "You already died once for them. There's no reason to keep fighting, right? And now… you're with Shuya, aren't you? Why not think about yourself for once?"
Even though Aoi hated demons just as much as anyone, her words came straight from the heart.
Kanae looked genuinely surprised. She didn't argue right away. Instead she thought about it carefully, then nodded.
"You're right, Aoi. My life doesn't belong only to me anymore. I have responsibilities now."
She clapped her hands, suddenly excited. "It's decided! Let's go ask him together and see what he thinks!"
Before anyone could react, Kanae grabbed both Aoi's and Kanao's hands and started pulling them toward the door.
Shinobu watched her sister with a deadpan stare. She knows exactly what she's doing. This "asking Shuya" thing was clearly just an excuse to drag everyone over to see him.
But Shinobu didn't call her out. She had just promised not to stop Aoi and Kanao from getting closer to Shuya, after all.
"Um—"
Nezuko raised a timid hand. "Can I… go now?"
She had already used up every drop of courage kissing Shuya earlier. Facing him again—especially with this whole group—was impossible.
Before anyone could answer, a loud crash echoed from somewhere nearby.
"Shuya-nii?!"
Nezuko's head snapped up instantly. The sound had come from the training hall—the exact place she had just left.
Without another word she grabbed her wooden sword and bolted toward the noise.
Kanae and Shinobu exchanged a quick glance. They trusted Shuya enough not to worry, but this gave them the perfect excuse to follow.
Kanae laughed softly. "Let's go see what's going on too."
She didn't wait for anyone's opinion. She simply dragged Aoi and Kanao along with her.
When they reached the training hall, the group immediately spotted Shuya.
And right there in his arms, locked in a deep, passionate kiss, was a beautiful purple-haired girl—Saeko Busujima.