The three of you are sleeping soundly in your bed- with Shinobu and Kanae on either side of you and Poyo above your head since you have forgiven him- when there is a knock at your bedroom door.

"(Y/N)-sama," whispers a Kakushi- probably Taro from the sound of it. You groan and sit upright, effectively waking up the Kocho siblings as well. Poyo continues sleeping soundly atop your fluffy pillow.

"There's someone who needs your help."

You're fully awake now.

You leap out of bed, accidentally bumping into Shinobu a few times, and fumble for a robe in the dark. After throwing it on in an attempt to look presentable, you run downstairs to the infirmary, where the door is already open and the lamp is lit, allowing you to see who is inside.

It's him. Rengoku Kyojuro.

Your heart leaps into your throat when he sees you out the corner of his eye. Waving at him, you scurry inside and get ready.

"Just got back from your mission?" you ask as you find your stethoscope and bandages. He lifts his shirt so you can listen to his heartbeat and it exposes all his toned muscles.

"Yep!"

You're mentally screaming as you listen to his heartbeat, occasionally moving the stethoscope to a new location.

Stay calm, (Y/N), just a few more seconds and you'll be done and shit, those are some nice abs-

You realize you've been holding the stethoscope in one place for far too long and he's staring at you, confused.

Fuck.

Your self-restraint is on fire as you tear yourself away from him and begin rolling up his sleeves and pant legs to check for any further injuries, purposefully avoiding eye contact. There weren't that many and most of them had already stopped bleeding, but it was better to err on the side of caution.

"Wait right here. I'll be back in a second."

You head over to the sink located in the corner of the infirmary and begin filling up a bucket with warm water. It's to clean his wounds and it also provides a chance for you to compose yourself after your self-restraint was set on fire when you saw him shirtless.

You take a few deep breaths and shake your head side to side to clear your thoughts.

He's just a patient, (Y/N). Don't let it interfere with your job.

"So, how'd your mission go?" you asked as you started cleaning his wounds, wiping the dried blood away.

"It was unexpectedly difficult! Turns out it was a demon's doing, which I anticipated, but it didn't go down without a fight!"

"What happened?"

He sticks his arm out for you to bandage and disinfect as he speaks.

"There were three demons there, not just one. I managed to defeat them, but I got banged up in the process. It was worth it, though!"

"Three? That must've been difficult for you," you mused as you finished up bandaging his arm. Luckily, his wounds were pretty shallow, and did not need stitches.

"A bit, but it is nothing I can't handle!" he declares, puffing his chest out then wincing in pain at his wounds.

"And the girls?"

He is silent.

"I saved two of them in the nick of time, but everyone else was already dead."

"I see."

There is a silence between you two that feels like an immeasurable void. He hangs his head in shame and bites his lip regretfully.

You do not know what to say. So, you settle for squeezing his hand lightly. The bold move makes him flinch slightly but your hand is warm, soothing his pain.

"I'm proud of you, Kyojuro. You did the best you could despite not being able to turn back the hands of time. You've done well and you'll only continue to."

I'm proud of you, Kyojuro.

The words he'd been wanting to hear ever since he was a child.

He swallows hard. It leaves him feeling shaky and weak but more importantly, he feels... relieved. Relieved and grateful that his efforts had finally been acknowledged.

You are about to pull away when his grip tightens around your wrist.

"Please... just... stay a little longer?"

A small smile graces your face. He looks so cute like this, pouting and eyes silently pleading. You can't refuse a face like that, so you take a seat next to him and idly trace circles on his palm with your index finger.

The flame in the kerosene lamp flickers. You feel your eyelids grow heavy and soon, you are drifting off to the land of dreams besides Kyojuro, head resting on his shoulder.

Shinobu and Kanae are watching from the doorway. Kanae has a fond gleam in her lavender eyes and while Shinobu is pretending to be grossed out by the scene in front of her, she is secretly happy for you.

"They're cute together, aren't they?"

»»————　♔　————-««

"Southwest! You must head southwest immediately! A confrontation with Lower Moon Four has left at least fifteen dead and over forty injured!"

Your surroundings are a blur as you sprint to your destination. Night had already fallen and a sliver of the moon was hanging high in the sky.

"And what of Lower Moon Four?" you ask your dove.

"The Stone Pillar, Himejima Gyomei, has been sent out to deal with him! Lower Moon Four is already dead!"

"Good," you whisper to yourself. The cold evening air chills your lungs but invigorates you at the same time as you arrive at your destination, your dove cooing to signal your arrival.

You pull up the collar of your shirt and wince at the strong, metallic scent of blood that hits you like a brick. Given your profession, you should have gotten used to it already, but you just couldn't.

Looking up, you could see bodies strewn on tree limbs like rag dolls. Their heads were twisted at unnatural angles, eyes clouded like the sky above.
You didn't have to get a closer glimpse to know that they were already dead. Instead, you hauled them down to earth and laid them to rest nearby. The Kakushi would be here soon to give them a proper burial. The cold, waxy texture of their skin brushing against yours makes you shudder. It is another part of your profession that you just can't get used to.

You mentally said a quick prayer for a safe passage to the afterlife for them as you hopped up onto some collapsed rocks and trees. Gathering all your strength into your legs, you leap high into the sky, soaring above the reach of the trees and giving you a good glimpse of the forest and any injured people.

You may have been the weakest person in the Demon Slayer Corps, but you still had to endure the hellish training that everybody had to go through before Final Selection. That meant you were still stronger than the average person and could pull off feats like that.

You spot a group of injured people off to your left as the moon comes out behind you, providing you with enough light to land and break your fall safely.

"Hello!" you call out to the group of injured slayers. "I'm here to treat you!"
Their eyes light up upon seeing you and their hands reach out to you as if you are their savior. Considering their current situation, it wasn't too far of a stretch.

You treat their wounds, consisting mainly of broken bones, cuts, and abrasions- nothing you couldn't treat-, when you heard footsteps behind you. Heavy and distinct, only one person could have made them.

"Himejima-san!"

He turns towards the direction of your voice. You finish up treating the last of the injured and bound over to him, flinging your arms around him. He flinches at the unexpected action, but relaxes soon and ruffles your hair.

"Ah, if it isn't (Y/N). Are you taking care of yourself?"

"Yes."

"Eating properly?"

"Yes."

"Taking frequent breaks to let your eyes relax? Getting at least eight hours of sleep each night? Drinking enough water?"

"Yes, yes, and yes."

"Good."

He pulls you into a hug, patting the back of your head. You giggle and return the affectionate embrace. Being so strong, he easily lifted you off the ground and onto his back, carrying you through the forest where you can see the Kakushi cleaning up the aftermath of the battle.

"Try not to overwhelm yourself, alright? I know your high position comes with many responsibilities and lots of work, but take care of yourself."

"Okay!"

You giggle and rest your chin on top of his head. Himejima-san was sort of a father figure to you and the rest of the Pillars knew it, so seeing you act like this around him was normal.

"Where to, (Y/N)?"

It takes you a moment to realize he is speaking to you.

"To the Butterfly Estate, please!"

»»————　♔　————-««

"Just got back from a mission, (Y/N)-chan?"

You roll your stiff shoulders, groaning as your muscles screamed in protest. Kanae chuckles as you sigh exasperatedly at her before turning to pick at your dinner.

"Please. I was running all over the mountain trying to treat all those who were injured. But now that I think about it, there weren't as many people who were injured during the last battle against Lower Moon Four..."

"Could it be the quality of the Corps is decreasing?" mused Shinobu, setting aside her chopsticks.

"I sure hope not," said Kanae. "That would be a real problem."

"By the way, Kanae-san," you said, eyeing the newcomer in the room. "Who is this girl?"

You turn your attention to the said girl. She is no more than ten years old, with bluntly cut bangs and hair pulled into a side ponytail, fastened off with a purple and white butterfly hair clip. Her big purple eyes stare into your (e/c) ones inquisitively and you wave to her.

"Hello. My name is (Y/N) (L/N). What is yours?"

She is silent. All she does is blink at you and it unnerves you a bit.

"Ah, her name is Tsuyuri Kanao. She chose it for herself earlier today. It has a nice ring to it, doesn't it?" asked Kanae.

"Chose it for herself earlier today?" you repeated, not sure if you were quite understanding it. "What happened?"

"We were just making our daily rounds around the city when we came across her being led off by a man while tied to a rope," explained Kanae. "The man told us she had no name since her parents never gave her one, so we bought her from him. From the little we could get out of Kanao, her parents sold her due to their impoverished lifestyle."

"Is that so...?"

Kanao's stomach growls behind you but she doesn't touch her food.

"Honestly!" exclaims Shinobu, throwing her hands up into the air in exasperation. "I told nee-san this was a bad idea, but she didn't listen to me! She can't even do anything by herself. Look, (Y/N), you'll back me up, right? You heard just now how her stomach was growling, but she won't touch her food even though it's right in front of her! She has to be told to do so. A girl who can't do anything by herself is no good!"

You're half-listening to her as you scoot your way over to the girl. She doesn't react, just blinks more as you settle in next to her. You pick up the bowl of rice with one hand and the pair of chopsticks with the other.

"It's alright," you say. "You're in a place now where you can make decisions by yourself without being reprimanded for them. Now, say ah!"

To your surprise, she obliges, letting you feed her.

Shinobu looks as if she's about to lose it. She's pulling at her hair and the veins on her forehead are bulging in vexation. Kanae is still smiling brightly behind her.

"(Y/N)-chan! I thought you'd understand me better than even nee-chan!" she fumes.

"That may be so, but I understand her plight better," you say as you wipe some soup away from the corner of her mouth with a napkin.

"And stop feeding her like she's a baby! She can do it herself!"

"Now, now," said Kanae, patting her little sister's back. "Let them be. They're having some bonding time, don't disturb them, Shinobu."

She lets out a high-pitched muffled screech, then turns away to face the wall as she fumes silently. Kanao flips a coin she pulls out of her pocket. It lands on heads. She crawls into your lap, plopping herself down gently and staring at your uniform with particular interest.

"Do you want to become a demon slayer, Kanao?" asks Kanae as the young girl fiddles with the hem of your skirt.

A small, barely perceptible nod.

"Then it's settled!" she says brightly, clapping her hands. "Starting from tomorrow, Kanao will become my Tsuguko! I'll train her to become one of the finest slayers the world has ever known!"

She gets up to walk over to a cabinet,
where she pulls out her sword.

Unsheathing it, she shows it to Kanao, whose wide and curious eyes are reflected in the shining and polished steel. She hesitantly reaches out a finger to touch it, to which Kanae laughs and guides her small finger along the pink strip running down the middle of the otherwise white steel.

"Soon, you too will be able to wield a sword like this," she explains as she sheathes her sword.

"Nee-san! No swords during dinner!" scolds Shinobu as she whips around to glare at you three. "You even said so yourself!"

"Sorry, sorry! But Kanao is so cute!"

"She is," you agreed as you began playing with her hair and pinching her squishable cheeks.

"(Y/N)-chan! Nee-san! I swear, I'm going to have a brain aneurysm thanks to you two one day!"

Kanae's delicate laughter rings out across the Butterfly Estate. It's carefree and lighthearted, reminding you of the few moments of peace you had in this world.

For now, it is just the four of you underneath the moonlit night sky. You cherish this moment dearly where you can forget about demons and your responsibilities.

For that is the last time you see Kocho Kanae alive.