"There have been multiple reports of woman disappearing in these area. Please my child, exercise caution..."
Despite the serene tone, Kanae took the message very seriously. The area has been filled with recent reports of missing woman and all the slayers that visited couldn't find the demon. Well, all the male slayers. Every single female slayer that was sent to investigate has failed to report back, so Ubayashiki has decided to send the only female Hashira there to investigate. Regardless, the fact that a Hashira was needed to investigate can only do nothing but provide reassurance and tension at the same time. Reassurance that a Hashira will be there, and tension on what situation was it that needed a Hashira. If Kanae had to guess, it was most likely a Lowermoon. Maybe if she was unlucky, an Uppermoon. Regardless, Kanae returned to the Butterfly Mansion with confidence and no signs of fear. She would slay this demon and avenge all those innocent woman's lives.
As she approached her home she walked past the injured slayers and reached her office. Ever since she became a fundamental slayer to the corps, she offered her premise as a safe haven to be the headquarters for the medical and experimental field of the corps. Her enormous manor has been transformed into a hospital and research department, with her and sisters running the whole operations. Some times she finds it tough, but it helps that she isn't alone. Her younger sister, Shinobu, helps tremendously with the injured, and Kanae has no doubt that soon her medical expertise would surpass hers (even if she can be a little rash). Although Aoi is training for final selection, she has also taken an interest in the medical field. Naho, Sumi, and Kiyo are all young but enjoy the company and atmosphere in the manor and are always eager to entertain the injured. As for Kanao, she unfortunately still obey commands and doesn't partake in anything on her own will, but Kanae has no doubt that she will meet someone to open her heart. In the meantime, she is also training for final selection and is making tremendous progress just from looking at Kanae train. It's safe to say that Kanae loves her sisters to death and will continue to run the Butterfly Mansion as a hospital, even if she hates the stress that comes with it. Besides, she's certain she doesn't have room to complain when Ubayashiki runs the whole Demon Slayer Corps in the entirety of Japan by himself.
As she finished packing her supplies, she stumbles upon Shinobu with her supplies too. "Oh my, Shinobu do you have a mission?"
"Yes Nee-san! I'm coming with you!"
Kanae's face entered a face of shock before switching to a serious one. "Shinobu. This mission is dangerous. There's a chance a Moon will be there."
"All the more reason I should come!" Shinobu responded before looking down. "I know I'm not strong enough to cut a demon, but I can still be of use. If there are casualties there I can come to there aid."
Kanae's face softened as she looked at her sister. All her life she has only seen Shinobu try endlessly to get stronger, but to no avail. Yet despite these shortcomings, she still never gave up and picked up medical practice to help others in need. "Alright, you can come". Despite her worries, Kanae saw the merit in her sister's statement. Shinobu looked up with her eyes wide before shifting to a smug look and a smirk.
"Lets go Nee-san! We're gonna kick that demon's butt!"
"Aah Shinobu, there's no need to be so vulgar"
...
The location was quite far from home and even while traveling all day and most of night, they reached the destination in three days at midnight to be exact. The reported area composed of a small town and a large forest, so the sisters decided to split up with Shinobu investigating the towns people and Kanae investigating the forest. However before they could split they shared some quick dialogue.
"Shinobu, if you see the demon, make sure to call me first. Don't take any risks."
"Got it Nee-san. Please, be careful."
Soon Kanae entered the forest and started investigating. If it weren't for the circumstances, Kanae would have taken some more time to admire the scenery. The trees were tall with the leaves partially covering the moonlight, creating a light shower of moon rays illuminating the area. The surrounding plants composed from tranquil plants to exotic flowers, not ones you typically find in the wild. The wildlife was quiet, yet stilled carried its presence throughout the forest with chirps and rustles any now and then. Kanae turned her attention to a butterfly hovering near a flowerbed. It was white with a black design on its wings, similar to the one her haori has. It seemed to be caught in its blue petals and stems, its wings somehow caught in the icy blue. Kanae felt pity for the insect and was about to approach it when a small gust of wind came and shifted the flower bed, allowing the butterfly to escape its entanglement. Kanae lips formed to a smile as she saw the butterfly flap away, heading towards another one with a purple design instead. Kanae and her sister always had a level of admiration for butterflies when they were children, and that admiration only grew as they got older. They even adopted the insect in their name, and soon the whole corps became aware of the sisters love for the insect. Kanae loved sharing her love for the beautiful creature, and if Sanemi was here she would spend hours recounting the countless species of butterflies to someone who doesn't find value in insects but regardless listens diligently to her rants.
Kanae could feel her cheeks get warmer as she thinks of Sanemi. Her mind always got foggy whenever he was around. At first she didn't like him. When he became a Hashira the first thing he did was disrespect Ubayashiki, and that already put him in her bad graces. But she immediately saw the change towards appreciation for the Master, and although she still had some distaste for him, she was willing to get to know him. So she approached him, and he pushed her away. He was rash, angry, short-tempered (kind of like an extreme version of Shinobu) and always yelling. It was definitely something Kanae didn't like, and she hated his rude behavior to others. But overtime he could see the kindness in his actions. The kindness behind saving a family. The kindness from quietly comforting small children from trauma. The kindness of his respectable behavior towards woman behind his brash words. The kindness shown whenever comforting a family that had one of its members become a demon. She could the deep hatred to demons, and the matching kindness to humans. And Sanemi would always listen to her, even if he didn't enjoy the topic or disagreed with her. When she shared her dream for humans and demons to live in harmony with him, he got mad and responding with angry remarks. But he still listened and waited for her to completely finish her statement, and Kanae respected him for that. It made Kanae want to know him better, and that curiosity soon turned into acceptance, and that acceptance soon turned into admiration, and that admiration soon turned into love.
It hit her like train, but she soon became madly in love with him. She already found Sanemi attractive, but soon she couldn't help but stare at his built muscles, his rough scars and his model face. She loved the way he was protective of his comrades and his presence. She often found herself lost in those grey eyes and found her heart fluttered when she saw him smile. If she told herself in the past that she would fall in love with someone with a personality as rough as his, her past self would stare in aghast and wonder if she was in the effects of a Blood Demon Art. Kanae too wonders how she finds his personality so hot, and it made her feel like those girls in love with a bad boy. Rest in peace, but if her parents saw her situation they would have freaked out. She tried to deny it at first, convincing herself that there was no way she could love someone like him, but in the end she gave up and accepted her feelings. It was quite nerve racking when Kanae admitted to Sanemi about her feelings. She felt joyful to know that he too felt the same way and sad that he thought he didn't deserve her. It admittedly took some convincing and reinforcement, but soon they started dating and other people would come to realize. Gyomei and Rengoku would give her congratulations and Tengen would give some... interesting advice (seriously why did he tell her? That should be something he tells Sanemi not Kanae). Giyuu didn't comment on anything, but he never comments on anything so Kanae figured it didn't bother him and she didn't mind that. However when Shinobu found out, she went ballistic. Her reaction was quite the chaotic one, and she had the balls to even go to Sanemi and confront him. Safe to say Kanae will make sure to never put two boiling kettles in the same room. It took some time, but Shinobu eventually accepted the relationship, and really that's all that matters to Kanae. In this type of career, it makes Kanae hopeful for her future with Sanemi. As a result, she also shares this love with her sisters, telling Kanao that she will find someone that makes her heart fluster, and teases Shinobu on getting a boyfriend. It makes her heart tight and fluttery as she feels the butterflies in her stomach. When she gets home, she's definitely getting dinner with Sanemi an-
Kanae stops as she spots a clearing in the forest. When she approaches it she takes in what she sees: a manor surrounded by beautiful nature and plants. It makes her envious of the scenery, but also suspicious on who has the lifespan to create such an sophisticated garden. As she entered the manor she stumbled upon the writing in the walls.
'The Eternal Paradise Cult?' Kanae never heard of this cult before but from the words 'Cult' and 'Eternal', she can guess it's related to a demon. She explored the rooms and traversed deeper into the manor, her senses being at a all time high, each reaction to new parts of the building slowly building the adrenaline in her heart. She kept venturing cautiously until her nose finally picked up the familiar scent of iron. Almost like a chemical reaction, she immediately started running to the scent, bypassing all the rooms until finally, she reached a bedroom housing a man eating a woman's corpse. Kanae drew her sword and the demon immediately stopped his meal to look at her in the eyes, revealing the kanji "Uppermoon 2".
"Oh my~ It seems a beautiful meal has come to feed me a third course! Oh and you seem to be a pretty slayer too!" Douma said excitingly as he wiped the blood off his lips.
Despite the revelation of Douma's position, Kanae didn't waver. She instead used Concentration Breathing and immediately went for the head, resulting in her sword being caught between two fans.
'Flower Breathing, Sixth Form: Whirling Peach' Kanae mentally said as she spins around and uses her body weight to deliver a powerful slash on Douma, resulting in his arm being cut off and the room being destroyed.
"Woah, you're really strong! I must admit I wasn't expecting that~" Douma calmly said with a shocked expression as he jumped to get distance and immediately regrew his missing arm. Douma then takes out his fan to hide his smile and says "can it be that you're a Hashira? Ohh I'm gonna have so much fun with you~ I'm Douma. May I ask your name~"
Kanae fixed her stance before responding with a serious face. "I'm the Flower Hashira, Kanae Kocho. I suppose that all the reports of missing woman have been because of you?"
"Yes that's correct! Those poor woman were seeking salvation and came to me" Douma said before shedding some crocodile tears. "They were so pitiful and didn't have a purpose. But now they achieved piece by living with me. And soon you will too!". Douma then rushes and clashes with Kanae's katana, sending her through the wall and into the living area of the Manor. She quickly regained her stance, still shocked however by the speed the demon had. "However it's been a while since I battled a Hashira, a female one to be exact~ So forgive me if you have to wait to achieve true salvation. I enjoy playing with my food~"
...
She was losing and both of them knew it. Her legs were full of cuts and her arm had been seriously bruised from the cold. It was obvious that Douma wasn't even trying, yet he was still overpowering her in every way, it was truly humiliating. The icy air was interfering with her breathing, making her slowly lose her touch and stamina. Meanwhile, Douma was just standing with a smile plastered on his face, all his wounds healed like it was nothing.
"Amazing Kanae-chan! You truly are a Hashira, putting up a splendid show just for me! Perhaps I should match that same effort just for you~" Douma said sinisterly as he once again blitzes to Kanae. Kanae swings her sword but Douma dodges and gets close. Kanae could see the trajectory of his fans reach her chest and at that moment she knew she wasn't gonna see her sisters alive. Memories flashes in her mind, her brain replaying every key moment in her life, trying to rack up anything that could help to survive. Instead all she saw were moments of her loved ones. Shinobu. Aoi. Kanao. Sanemi. Naho. Sumi. Kiyo. Gyomei. Ubayashiki. Everyone flashed in her mind, but mostly Shinobu and Sanemi. She hated how after this she wasn't going to be able to see her sister find her true love. Talk to Sanemi about the different types of flowers and butterflies. Tease her sister. Kiss Sanemi. All those aspirations were slowly being blown away by Douma's fan coming to her chest.
'This is it. I'm sorry everyone...' Kanae closes her eyes and braces for the pain, only to be hear a clank instead. She opened her eyes only to be met with the familiar white haori of "destroy" in her lovers back. "Sanemi?!"
Sanemi didn't respond back and instead opted to dash towards Douma and unleash an attack. Kanae would have a million questions on what just unfolded, but right now her body immediately gave out as the adrenaline dissipated from her veins. She fell on one knee as she saw the scene unfold, Sanemi and Douma clashing together like a cyclone, leaving only destruction in the surrounding area. Douma still seemed like he wasn't breaking a sweat or going his full power, however he did seem to up his damage output to match Sanemi's aggressive attacks. Sanemi was impressively holding his own against the Uppermoon. Kanae knew Sanemi was strong. Stronger then her, but this felt different. It was almost as if he suddenly gained multiple years of experience and was able to effectively use it to full capacity. His arms swayed rapidly and furiously, but his legs maintained composure and speed. His chest was constantly breathing at a steady pace, but the cold air was slowly taking affect on him. As Kanae wobbled out of the incoming attacks and collateral damage, she took her emergency first-aid to apply dosage on her cuts and warned Sanemi about the air. Sanemi still didn't look at Kanae or responded to her, but did acknowledge the warning and proceeded with ferocious caution. As the battle soon ventured outside, Sanemi was slowly reaching his limit, and Douma would note the twilight and conclude that sunrise is near. But only after Sanemi unleashed a powerful attack against Douma's ice clones. Kanae realized that the clones were powerful enough to stop a tired Sanemi, and she immediately leaped into action and unleashed a form to destroy the clones. However it was all in vain as the Uppermoon vanished and escaped from the daylight. Kanae was frustrated that she let the demon escaped, but more relieved that she was able to live. She thought she was going to die. If it weren't for Sanemi-
"Sanemi! Are you okay?!" Kanae said worryingly as she whipped her head to see her lover. Sanemi finally turned his head to look at her, and she could see the state he was in. He had cuts and bruises all on his skin, his Haori torn with some ice dwindling on his shoulders. His hair was a mess, with white ice and snow outshining his already white hair. But his eyes. Kanae could see his eyes almost delve into tears. Kanae was shocked seeing his grey eyes show so much vulnerability, it wasn't like him at all. He slowly limped to her, and Kanae immediately snapped out of her trance.
"Sanemi wait! You shouldn't walk! Let's rest and find Shino-". Kanae couldn't finish her sentence as Sanemi's face fell to her shoulders and his arms wrapped around her. "You're fine... you're here" Sanemi said quietly, his voice cracking. Kanae was once again shocked and felt like she was seeing a new side of him. The only time she has ever seen him with so much emotion was with his family, but this blew that out of the water. Kanae just hugged him back, eyes still wide as she could hear Sanemi pass out and his body become limp.
"Sanemi, wait! Hold on for a minute!" but it was too late. Sanemi's eyes closed and his breathing entered a deep state. Kanae slowly put him down and finally let out a deep sigh. She was still heavily injured from the fight and needed rest too.
"Nee-san!". Kanae quickly turned her head to the source of the sound, only for her eyes to be met with Shinobu's worried face. Shinobu immediately ran to Kanae and gave her a hug, making her the second person Kanae received a hug from with tears on her shoulder on the same day. Coincidently, both people are hot-tempered.
'Nee-san I was so worried!" Shinobu said frantically. Her voice hoarse as she kept rambling. "The residents at the town said that there was a cult and then someone mentioned that his wife was missing and before said that the wife was going to reach salvation and then she didn't arrive and then they sent a search party and then a week later they found her body and th-"
"Shinobu! Please, calm down. Everything is okay" Kanae said in an attempt to calm her sister. As she got a better look she can see Shinobu ugly crying. Her cheeks had streaks from the tears and her nose was getting runny. Her face was red and her eyes were just so sad. Kanae hasn't her cry at this level since their parents died.
"Nee-san" Shinobu said. Her sentences were a lot more clearer but she was still clearly crying. Her eyes stared deep into Kanae's soul and she could feel her heart aching. "I thought you were gonna die" Shinobu said crying. Her voice was horse and full of voice cracks, but she didn't care. Her sister almost died and her life was about to end. "If it wasn't for Shinazugawa-san... I-I thought I was gonna lose my last family"
And Kanae suddenly felt like the most stupid person on earth. If Sanemi hadn't come, she would have received a fatal injury. Sure, she might have still been able to stay alive for a few hours and fend off the demon, but eventually she would succumb to her injuries and die. And Shinobu would have to live knowing that she was alone. And Kanae unfortunately knew her sister. Knew her too well. When their parents were killed, Shinobu pushed everyone away except for Kanae. No matter who, whether it be Gyomei or even Ubayashiki, Shinobu would remain distant and handle all that trauma by herself. It was because of Kanae that Shinobu didn't have to carry that pain herself, that she was able to heal. The pain grew the sisters bond, and they became extremely attached to one another. If Kanae died... She wouldn't know what would happen to Shinobu. Just that Shinobu would have pushed everyone away and take in the pain by herself. She wouldn't share it with the other butterfly girls and none of the Hashira, leading her to a path of self destruction, and that made Kanae cry. Cry that if she died, she would essentially be killing her sister's happiness. She felt so stupid and hated how she was going to just leave without helping her sister. It scared her so much that the tears couldn't have stopped even if she wanted to. Kanae hugged her sister again, this time fully embracing her.
"I'm sorry Shinobu... Sorry that I almost left you to deal with it alone... Please forgive me" Kanae said with streams now also affecting her voice.
"I'm... I'm just glad you're okay" responded Shinobu as she fully embraced her sister, refusing to let her go...
...
It's been roughly an hour since sunrise. The Kocho sisters and Sanemi are inside the manor. Sanemi is still unconscious, but patched up. Kanae is also patched up, with bandages around her thigh, calf and arms. Shinobu wouldn't have been able to carry Sanemi since she's too weak and Kanae is still injured, so they opted to send a crow to headquarters and wait for some kakushi to come. As they waited, both of the sisters exchanged their stories. Kanae shared how she found the demon and then later Sanemi showed up and exchanged blows before the Uppermoon escaped. Shinobu in turn, described how she investigated the town and learnt of the cult. Using the cult, she found a man on the outskirts with clear distaste for the cult. He revealed how before his wife was unsatisfied with their marriage and went to the cult to reach salvation. When she didn't come back, the man investigated, only to find her corpse. However when he tried to show the other villagers, any sign of the corpse disappeared. The man then told Shinobu where he found the body and when she reached she heard fighting and reached the clearing. As she entered the manor she saw Kanae about to get slashed before Sanemi saved her. Then the collateral damaged knocked her head and when she woke up it was almost sunrise. It felt like a gut punch to know that Shinobu almost witnessed her death if it weren't for Sanemi.
"By the way, why is he here?" asked Shinobu.
"I wish I knew. All I know is I'm glad he's here" And Kanae truly was. It's because of the love of her life that she was saved. Honestly she felt like he was her knight in shining armor, which only made her blush more. However there were still some things picking on her head. Like how did he know where she was or why he was there. To her knowledge, there was no report sent to the crows before that she might be accounting a higher Uppermoon, so she pondered on what could make Sanemi come here. Also there was the question about his fighting style. He still carried the rash style occupied with wind breathing, but he was more composed and stronger in his strikes. It was like an overnight switch where he suddenly gained the skills to improve. Not to mention later that she caught a glimpse of his sword turning red,, and when he sliced Douma he regenerated a lot slower. And it was obvious that he was avoiding looking at her, only when he did, he broke down and passed out. All these questions were filling her head, and unfortunately they would not be answered until he wakes up. Kanae sighs before looking down at Sanemi. Sanemi was lying down with his head on Kanae's lap. Shinobu at first voiced her concern for an injured person acting like a pillow but in the end gave in. Sanemi looked so peaceful, and it gave Kanae closure as she gently played with his hair. Kanae felt like she could be here forever, however the moment was interrupted when she heard footsteps. She at first thought that the kakushi were here, but then suddenly realized that she just sent the crow an hour ago. Roughly speaking if the crow went full speed, it would take around a day for it to reach headquarters, meaning this was someone else.
"Shinobu, someone's coming. Get ready" Kanae ordered as she gently put Sanemi's head on the ground and shakingly stood up, katana in her hand. Shinobu looked like she was about to say something but then stood up too with her katana in her hand. There was a possibility that it could have been a civilian, but with the way the footsteps are echoing in the manor, kanae could tell that person was running too fast for it to be a civilian. Thinking back, the trees still covered most of the sunlight, making it theoretically possible for a demon to slip in and finish the job. God forbid if it's the same Uppermoon... well Kanae wasn't gonna go down without a fight. She only hoped that the demon would target her first before Shinobu. It might be a struggle, but she was not going to die.
Kanae readied her stance and faced the door where the footsteps are coming from. She can hear it quickly getting louder and louder and louder until the door bursts open. The sisters immediately swing their sword at the incoming enemy only to be met with-
"Tomioka-san??"