Demon Slayer: My breathing technique went awry after Nezuko pushed me down.

Then, under the strange gazes of the crowd, she raised the sword, carefully examined the bloodstains on the tip, and even brought it to her nose to smell it.

"Hey! That's on my butt—"

Before Shirakawa Yu could finish speaking, Kocho Shinobu had already sensed something.

"So you have rare blood type~ No wonder."

Bai Chuanyu: "..."

Even though I was seen through, something still felt off.

Shinobu Kocho did not think there was anything wrong with her behavior.

After all, besides being a worm pillar, she has another identity—a pharmacist.

Scientific research shouldn't be so complicated.

"It's okay~" She gently shook the blade, her tone light. "If it doesn't work the first time, I'll just increase the dosage. The medicine will always work, right?"

As she spoke, she twisted her wrist, and the blade slid back into its sheath.

Bai Chuanyu, who was familiar with the original plot, knew that she was concocting a new poison.

Sure enough, when the blade was drawn again, a faint liquid shimmered on the tip under the moonlight.

Shirakawa Yu's eyelids twitched.

It's all leaking out... How much did they use?!

Clutching his left buttock, which was still throbbing despite the bleeding having stopped, Shirakawa Yu was somewhat embarrassed and annoyed. "Did you think I'd be able to sneak up on you again?!"

"Um......"

Butterfly tilted her head and thought about it seriously.

Then she smiled.

She smiled very gently.

"Probably not," she said.

Shirakawa Yu was just about to breathe a sigh of relief.

“But,” Shinobu Kocho continued, her smile unchanged, “I don’t need to ambush you anymore~”

As she spoke, her gaze turned to Lei, who was being controlled by an invisible force in the air.

"Your condition for controlling him isn't that he can't move, but rather that your gaze must be on him, right?"

Shirakawa Yu's smile froze.

"I've been observing," Shinobu explained lightly, "whether you're moving or defending, you're always facing him. You haven't turned around even once!"

Her smile grew even brighter.

"In other words, if I attack you from your diagonal rear or side—"

"You can't turn back, right?"

Bai Chuanyu: "..."

It’s over.

That wicked woman.

Butterfly paused, looked at the expressionless Tomioka Giyu behind her, and spoke with a hint of smugness in her tone.

"You don't think I'm as stupid as Tomioka, that I wouldn't notice?"

Giyu Tomioka: "???"

He turned his head stiffly and looked at Shinobu Kocho.

For the first time, a clear look of doubt appeared in those usually calm eyes.

"Me, stupid?" he asked, emphasizing each word.

His tone was extremely serious.

Shinobu Kocho waved her hand, "Oh, I was just giving an example, don't mind it~"

Giyu Tomioka: "..."

He was silent.

A few seconds later, he slowly spoke.

"I'm not stupid."

He still spoke slowly and deliberately, one word at a time.

Shinobu Kocho nodded perfunctorily, "Yes, yes, yes, I'm just not very smart~"

Bai Chuanyu watched this scene from the sidelines and suddenly felt...

Although the words are different,... this scene feels so familiar~

Shaking his head, Bai Chuanyu retorted stubbornly, "So what if you know? Senior Brother can't break through my defenses, do you think you can?"

"Senior brother?"

Shinobu Kocho, who had already assumed a fighting stance, suddenly paused.

She turned around, looked at Shirakawa Yu, and then at Tomioka Yoshiyuki.

"You are... fellow disciples?"

Clearly, she arrived midway and didn't hear the earlier conversation.

Giyu Tomioka was withdrawn and, upon hearing this, only offered an instinctive interpretation.

"His name is Anonymous, and he is Master's newly accepted disciple. Although Master doesn't want to acknowledge him."

Shirakawa Yu broke through the defense instantly.

"Don't talk nonsense if you don't know! Master clearly likes me a lot! Also, my name is Shirakawa Yu!"

Giyu Tomioka: "I'm telling the truth."

Shirakawa Yu: "Can't you just tell the truth like that?! It's hurtful, you know that?!"

Giyu Tomioka said "Oh" and looked at Shinobu Kocho.

It seems I wanted to send those words to her as well.

At this moment, Shinobu's expression had become quite interesting.

She glanced at her fellow disciples again, took a deep breath, and a subtle hint appeared in her smile.

"I didn't mean any disrespect to Urokodaki-senpai~"

She spoke very seriously.

"But... his eye for choosing apprentices was truly..."

She paused, as if searching for a suitable word.

"...It's a long story."

Giyu Tomioka: "..."

Bai Chuanyu: "..."

Tanjiro: "!!!"

"I won't allow you to talk about my master like that!"

Tanjiro suddenly stepped forward, his face serious.

???

Shinobu Kocho was stunned again.

"Master? You're also a disciple of Urokodaki Sakonji?"

This time, she took a good look at Tanjiro and Nezuko, who was clinging to his clothes.

She could clearly sense that the female ghost was different from ordinary ghosts.

But no matter how different they are, they're still ghosts.

Butterfly Ninja narrowed her eyes, her smile still gentle, but her tone softened.

"Who is this person next to you...?"

"Her name is Nezuko, and she's my sister!"

Tanjiro straightened his chest.

Then, as if he felt it wasn't enough, he solemnly added:

"My own sister!"

Behind him, Giyu Tomioka silently raised his hand and covered his face.

Shinobu Kocho remained silent.

She looked around the scene—

On one side is Tanjiro, and his female demon sister Nezuko, whom he is protecting behind him.

On one side was Shirakawa Yu, and the two little female ghosts he was protecting behind him.

Behind him was his senior brother, Yoshiyuki Tomioka, who seemed to intend to protect his two junior brothers.

"I see~ Senior Urokodaki is truly... a very good teacher~"

Her smile remained unchanged, but a vein throbbed quietly on her forehead.

"One family...and three outstanding individuals."

It was impossible to tell whether the tone was one of praise or sarcasm.

But the atmosphere on the scene did indeed become subtle.

Shinobu Kocho did not continue her attack.

After all, she was currently surrounded by three fellow disciples, and if she were to forcefully intervene...