In Demon Slayer With Heavenly Insight

Chapter 26: Worry

The sky showed hints of dawn as Kocho Shinobu finally returned to the Butterfly Estate.

After bidding a simple goodbye to the one team member who had managed to catch up, she made her way toward the house.

Through the soft gray light, she spotted a familiar figure sitting by the door.

It was Ren.

Why is he sitting here?

Kocho Shinobu sighed in relief. Fortunately, he seemed unharmed.

At that moment, Ren noticed her too. He stood up, walking toward her. A faint ray of light pierced through the clouds, illuminating his face.

Kocho Shinobu unconsciously froze, her gaze fixed on him.

As the distance between them shortened, she noticed Ren holding a bandage in one hand and a small medical kit in the other.

She smiled sheepishly. "Ren-san, were you waiting for me?"

Ren didn't answer her question. Instead, he approached her, took her hand, and examined it closely.

Kocho Shinobu's head buzzed, and she froze in confusion.

Ren's calm voice broke the silence: "You're hurt?"

Shinobu blinked, momentarily stunned.

It wasn't until then that she realized Ren wasn't holding her hand out of familiarity, but because he had noticed her injury.

She instinctively tried to deny it. "N-no, it's nothing serious."

"Sit," Ren said firmly.

Without waiting for her consent, he guided her to sit on the steps in front of the door.

Opening the medical kit, Ren gently lifted the sleeve of her haori, revealing her arm. Her thin, pale arm was a stark contrast to the heavy Nichirin Sword she wielded.

The wound became fully visible: a jagged cut running from her wrist to her elbow.

Ren's brows furrowed as he carefully began disinfecting the wound.

"It hurts," Kocho Shinobu winced softly.

"Don't move," Ren said, his tone steady. "The wound is inflamed because it wasn't treated immediately."

As he worked, Kocho Shinobu felt an odd warmth.

Normally, she was accustomed to tending to her own injuries, brushing off the pain as trivial. Yet now, she felt oddly fragile under Ren's touch, as though the pain intensified just because he was there.

For a moment, Ren's focused expression overlapped with a memory.

"Sister..." Kocho Shinobu murmured unconsciously.

Ren froze, looking up at her in confusion.

"What did you just call me?" he asked, his face blank.

Kocho Shinobu quickly realized her slip-up and turned red. "Ah, nothing! It was nothing!"

Ren smirked, mischievously moving the disinfectant toward her side.

Kocho Shinobu yelped, giggling uncontrollably. "Haha, Ren-san, stop! That tickles!"

"Will you focus now?" Ren asked with mock seriousness.

"Haha, okay, okay!"

The playful atmosphere lingered for a moment before Ren's expression shifted.

"Shinobu, are you still angry?" he asked, his voice quieter this time.

The smile faded from her face.

"What did you say?"

Ren repeated, "I said, are you angry?"

Kocho Shinobu fell silent, her gaze lowering.

After a long pause, she finally spoke: "Perhaps I've always been angry."

Ren stayed quiet, letting her continue.

"Ever since my sister Kanae was killed by a demon, I've been angry. Every time I see someone crying because they've lost someone they love to demons, I feel it. Every time I hear their desperate screams, it's there. Whenever I hold my blade but fail to strike a decisive blow, that anger grows.

"It's like an endless pit, constantly deepening, constantly expanding. It's always there, simmering inside me."

She glanced at her arm, her voice trembling. "My sister entrusted her dream to me, but I... I can't fulfill it."

Tears welled up in her eyes. "Demons lie. They kill out of instinct. They destroy lives without reason. I can't forgive them. Ever."

Ren's hand froze mid-motion.

"And yet, I force myself to smile, hoping Kanae would be proud if she could see me. I carry her dream, but I feel like I'm failing her every day."

Kocho Shinobu pulled her arm away from Ren's hands, her head bowed low.

"I'm sorry, Ren-san. I've said too much. Thank you for the bandages. Please, continue working hard."

With that, she rose and disappeared through the door.

The sun peeked over the horizon as her figure slipped away.

Ren remained seated on the threshold, quietly packing up the medical kit.

Just then, Kanzaki Aoi walked out, a jug of water in hand.

"Ren-san, were you practicing swordplay all night?" she asked, noticing his tired expression.

For a moment, she hesitated.

The thought crossed her mind: Why is someone stronger than me working harder than I am?

Before she could say more, a call came from the house: "Shinobu-sama is back!"

Aoi hurried back inside, leaving Ren alone.

Ren stood and stretched before making his way to his room.

---

Upstairs, behind a thin curtain, a pair of violet eyes watched his retreating figure.

---

Ren was exhausted. He didn't even make it to his bed before collapsing on the floor.

When he woke, it was already afternoon.

The first thing he saw was Kanoe sitting silently by his side.

"Good morning," Ren said groggily, his lips curling into a soft smile.

Kanoe remained quiet, her hands tightly clutching his.

Before Ren could ask, Kanzaki Aoi entered, holding a small cake.

"Kanoe, don't cling to Ren-san like that! He needs rest," she scolded lightly, placing the cake on the table.

Noticing Ren was awake, Aoi's face lit up.

"Ren-san, you're awake!" she exclaimed, then darted to the door to call for the others.

"Shinobu-sama! Ren-san has woken up!"

The sound of footsteps echoed from the next room as the girls hurried to check on him.

Ren sighed, shaking his head with a small chuckle.