In Demon Slayer With Heavenly Insight

Chapter 27: The Rengoku Brothers

The three little girls rushed to Ren's side the moment he opened his eyes.

"Brother Ren, you're awake!"

"When you collapsed this morning, I was so scared! I thought you were injured!"

"Ouch! Brother Ren, I thought you'd never wake up again!"

Ren sat up slowly, rubbing his temple. "How long was I unconscious?"

He recalled overusing his abilities—Bullet Time had pushed him to his limit, leaving him drained. It seemed the technique, while powerful, still required better control.

Looking around, he noticed Kocho Shinobu was nowhere in sight.

One of the girls piped up, "Brother Ren, did you know? Shinobu-sama came back this morning!"

Feigning surprise, Ren smiled. "Really? That's great news."

Kanzaki Aoi approached, handing him a handkerchief. "Shinobu-sama looked after you all morning," she explained as Ren used it to wipe his face.

The little girls eagerly chimed in:

"She was so worried when she saw the wound on your back!"

"I've never seen Shinobu-sama so anxious before!"

"Brother Ren, please be more careful next time during training. That wound was huge!"

Hearing this, Ren instinctively touched his back. He found it bandaged, the faint scent of wisteria lingering on the wrappings.

Smiling softly, he asked, "Where is Shinobu now?"

"She went to see the master," Kanzaki Aoi replied, not noticing the subtle change in how Ren referred to Kocho Shinobu. "She said to let her know as soon as you woke up."

One of the girls exclaimed, "Brother Ren, let me go tell her—"

Before she could finish, Kanoe stepped forward, placing herself protectively between Ren and the others.

"Stop! Brother Ren needs to rest!" she said loudly, her voice unusually firm.

Everyone froze, stunned by Kanoe's sudden outburst. Even she seemed surprised, her face flushing bright red as she realized how intense her reaction had been.

Ren chuckled, breaking the tension. "It's okay, Kanoe. Stay here with me for a while."

Turning to the others, he added, "Thank you for everything, but you can go now."

Though hesitant, Kanzaki Aoi understood his intent. She nodded and ushered the little girls out.

"Alright, Brother Ren, we'll leave. Please rest well."

As the door closed with a creak, silence filled the room. Ren glanced at Kanoe, who stood quietly, her cheeks still red.

"Kanoe," Ren called softly.

She didn't respond, seemingly lost in thought.

"Kanoe?" he tried again.

"Y-Yes?" she stammered, snapping out of her daze.

Ren smiled. "I broke your Nichirin Blade yesterday. I'm really sorry."

"It's… it's okay," Kanoe replied, waving her hands dismissively. She lowered her head, unable to meet his gaze.

"Is it really okay?" Ren leaned closer, his eyes fixed on hers.

The sudden proximity made her jump like a startled deer, her blush deepening. "R-Ren…" she murmured, overwhelmed.

Ren chuckled, deciding to ease up. "Kanoe, will losing your Nichirin Blade affect you much?"

Kanoe blinked, momentarily confused. "Huh? What did you say?"

"Never mind," Ren replied with a soft smile. He made a mental note to craft her a new blade someday.

The thought reminded him of something—the Hashira Training Ground.

---

The sun blazed mercilessly over the Flame Hashira Training Ground, where Rengoku Kyojuro and his younger brother, Senjuro, stood waiting.

Unable to contain his impatience, Senjuro groaned, "Brother, why are we waiting for this Ren guy?"

Kyojuro, ever composed, replied with booming enthusiasm, "Because we must! Ren's arrival is worth it!"

Senjuro wiped sweat from his brow. "But do we really have to wait under this scorching sun?"

"Of course! This is part of our training!" Kyojuro declared, standing tall and resolute despite the heat.

Just as Senjuro considered retreating to the shade, two figures appeared in the distance.

"You're late!" Senjuro called out as they approached.

"Sorry, something came up," Ren apologized before turning his attention to the Flame Hashira.

Rengoku Kyojuro.

Thick eyebrows, fiery eyes, and a blazing energy that radiated confidence—he was just as Ren remembered from the original story. His flame-shaped Nichirin Blade glinted in the sunlight, completing the striking image.

"Greetings. What are we training for?" a soft voice interrupted.

The Rengoku brothers noticed Kanoe standing behind Ren. Originally, he hadn't planned to bring her along, but her determined gaze and silent insistence had convinced him otherwise.

"Today, we won't be training. Instead, we'll be testing Ren," Kyojuro explained, stepping forward with a bright smile.

He extended a hand to Ren. "Long time no see, Rem"

**