The art was done by M0n0kUmA on Quotev and I'm sobbing rn because Bearnice.

This chapter was a pain in the ass to write because writer's block slapped me right before starting this, which is also why this was published a little late. I've been trying to write the next chapter as well, but it isn't looking so good, so that may also take some time.

Manga spoilers in the second part.

———

Icy wind pierced through her skin as she wrapped her paper-thin blanket even tighter around her body. Her knees were pulled up to her chin, curling in on herself to try and preserve what little body heat she had circulating. She blinked her eyes open to blankly stare at the dirty footprints of all those people rushing past her to return home before the dark clouds above her started letting the snow fall.

A small cough ripped through her dry throat and she quickly raised a bony hand to cover it. She relished the brief warmth her breath gave before tucking her head and closing her eyes.

If I stay here, will I go to sleep like Mama and Papa?

Footsteps hurried by her.

Why is no one helping me?

A cart filled with food supplies rattled by.

Why does this hurt so much?

"Honey . . . " She heard a quiet voice in front of her but she didn't look up. "Please?"

A gentle hand rested upon her shoulder, its warmth searing through her blanket and heating her skin. She lifted her heavy head and blearily looked at the woman in front of her. Her eyes focused on her navy blue kimono, wondering how the soft and warm fabric would feel.

"Child, what is your name?"

She opened her mouth, moving her lips in the shape of a name she barely recalled.

"Kalindi." The woman smiled, her hand brushing away the strands of tangled hair in front of her face.

"Kalindi, where are your parents?"

"Mama and Papa?" The girl swallowed around the dryness of her throat as the woman nodded. "They are asleep."

"Oh? Did you wander out while they slept? Has it been long since they fell asleep?" She shook her head.

"I didn't run away. They slept for so many days and wouldn't reply, so I came here."

The woman's eyes grew watery as she looked back at the man standing behind her. He had a similar expression on his face as he tucked his hands into the sleeves of his robes. When he nodded, the woman looked back at her.

"Kalindi, would you like to come home with us?"

She hesitated. It was cold, but she was sure she would get to see her parents when she went to sleep. If she went with these people, she didn't know the next time she'd see them.

"But . . . "

This time, the man came forward, kneeling down beside the woman. "We'll take care of you until you can see your parents again."

"You'll be safe and healthy," The woman added, "You wouldn't want your parents to worry about you, right?"

The girl nodded. She would like her parents to be happy when she saw them next. Maybe these people knew her parents and they could help wake them up.

"Okay," She replied and both adults' faces glowed, the woman smiling lightly as the creases on the man's face softened. The woman held out her hand.

"Come with us."

The man removed the outer layer of his clothing and wrapped it tightly around the girl. As the soft cloth rubbed against her skin, the girl pressed her nose to the cloth, feeling the cloth already warm from being worn by the man. It was heavy for her weak body to hold up, but the woman swiftly picked her up and carried her on her hip.

The woman turned to the man. "Honey, let's go home."

The girl tightly clutched the navy blue robes of the woman, burying her nose in the crook of her neck and feeling the rush of heat flow through her body.

She's so warm.

~~~

It was pitch black when you opened your eyes. You sat straight up, feeling sheets rustle around you.

Can I still not . . .

You shook your head.

First things first, figure out if I am in danger.

"Where am I?" You muttered. You moved your hands around, leaning this way and that. It felt like you were on a bed (judging by the cloth sheets and pillows) and there was a small wooden side table right beside the bed (judging by the sound your hand made as it smacked against it).

When you felt a soft wind blow from behind you, you turned around to see an open window with the moon just barely peeking out from some clouds.

A wave of relief washed over you as you watched the crescent moon shine into your room, illuminating the white sheets and empty beds around you.

You let out a sigh as the clenching around your heart released.

I can see things again.

You didn't know what kind of Blood Demon Art that was, but not being able to see was terrifying. You didn't know if it would be permanent or if you'd lose your vision forever. You didn't even want to imagine what your life would be like if that happened. In an unfamiliar world filled with dangerous beings, if you lost your sight, it might as well damn you a painful death. You weren't like Himejima, who uses Stone Breathing and built his body to overcome his disability. You didn't have the time to relearn everything about your life. You barely had a year to get everything on track, barely a year to set your plan in motion.

You clenched your fists, rotated your wrists, and flexed.

"Everything seems to be in order." You poked the bulge on your arm and nodded resolutely. "Still as firm as before."

You took the blanket off and stared at your feet, wiggling your toes. When you could move them without any pain, you dangled your feet off the edge of the bed and stood up. You did a few small jumps on your tippy-toes, squatted, stretched, and sat criss-cross applesauce.

You nodded.

"Yup, looks like things are good."

Now I need to find Bearnice, get my swords, pester Sora —

"Hello!"

"ARHSGKJFLJDSGLK GHOST BITCH!"

You fell on your back and reflexively scuttled away. That was before you blinked at the butterfly-like silhouette in your window, blocking out the little light that had found its way in. You squinted as you tried to see the face of the person (despite already knowing full well who it was).

"This is breaking and entering," You said and the woman giggled.

"Oh my! How can I be breaking and entering into my own house?"

"Well," You stood up and dusted off your clothes (that you just realized were akin to hospital robes. Who even changed you?). "If you happen to be renting out your house to someone else, if you break in there, then even though it's your house, someone else is living there and you're breaking into their privacy. You don't know what they're doing with your house while you're away."

The woman stepped into the room, tilting her head. "Pardon?"

You shook your head. "Nevermind."

The woman giggled, her white and black patterned haori fluttering around as her hand raised to cover her mouth. You found your eyes roaming around her, trying to find the presence of someone else.

She's not here?

The woman suddenly leaned close to you, her nose inches from yours and her purple eyes boring into yours. Her finger booped your nose and you scrunched it before leaning away from her.

Too close, my good woman.

"Hmm, it seems the blindness that plagued you has been healed."

"The what?" You asked. The woman (wait why were you calling her that? You already knew who it was) was still unnecessarily close to you so you were basically bending backward to avoid her.

Without warning, she grabbed your hand and started harshly jabbing your arm.

You flinched, exclaiming, "Dude??" and yanking your arm away from her. Luckily, she wasn't holding onto you too tight and it was easy to pull away from her, taking a few steps back.

"And your arms have been restored of their previous function!" Her voice was light and bubbly as she closed her eyes and smiled.

"Uh . . . " She straightened and moved away from you. "Cool? Can I go on missions now?"

"Of course not!" She exclaimed, lighting a small candle. The yellow light lit up the space so you could see better. "Although your sight may have returned and you can move your arms, I can't guarantee that you would be back to your peak physical condition until you've spent some time resting and rehabilitating here."

You slowly nodded.

"Cool, cool."

The woman (fuck it, we ball) — Kocho Shinobu — stared at you. You got a little restless under her gaze. It was like she was trying to peel you apart and guess your ultimate goal.

"Hmm," She said quietly and rested the candle on the table. "How interesting."

While she forced you to sit down on the bed and performed a basic check-up, you were trying to quickly formulate a plan. A plan for what? Obviously for saving Kocho Shinobu.

Well, you had a plan before, but that was based on Tanjiro's journey in the original story. You never thought you'd go to the Butterfly Estate before that, so you were trying to subtly slide into her DMs without being really weird about it.

No, comparing it to sliding into her DMs is already really weird.

You sighed, teary-eyed.

I'm hopeless.

Kocho Shinobu pressed a hand on your back, instructing you to take a deep breath. When you did, you saw her eyes widen slightly.

"Have you learned Total Concentration Breathing: Constant?" You nodded, trying to guess what she was thinking.

Kanao would still be training right now, right? Would she have learned it by now?

Oh! That reminds me! Would the three Butterfly Girls be here? Or are they too young?

Would any of the pillars be here?

You put a hand to your chin as she checked the other arm more carefully.

What would be the best way to get closer to Kocho? Would she listen to me if I tell her to stop taking the wisteria poison? I don't think so. She was pretty set on revenge in the original story.

You then recalled all those isekai main characters who thought that nothing would change in the character's personalities when they entered the story. A chill ran down your back.

Please don't be yandere. It would be nice to be able to save you without changing your entire personality.

"Open your mouth."

You robotically obeyed.

Anyway, if Ubuyashiki took my advice to collaborate with Tamayo, maybe she and Kocho could come up with a poison that would kill Douma without Kocho sacrificing herself. Oh! What about an ultra-demon-killing poison guaranteed to kill every demon who eats it? That would be cool!

You mentally smacked yourself.

No matter how cool that is, it's not like I could help with making that happen. I did my best with giving Ubuyashiki the idea of getting Tamayo and Kocho to work together earlier than in the original. What else can I do? I'm only good at fighting.

"All done." Kocho took her hands back. She took out a pill from who knows where. "Open wide~"

You robotically obeyed.

Should I taunt her? No, that's stupid. She'll hate me and wouldn't trust me with all the juicy, top-secret info. Sparring? I'm good at that. Hey, that's a good idea! Under the guise of getting back into shape, since there's technically no other actual demon slayer who fights demons except for her, I can say I want to spar for practice.

You blinked, your eyes feeling strangely heavy.

"The hell? Why am I sleepy already?" You mumbled, feeling Kocho push your shoulder down and you flopped onto the bed.

"Sleep is good for the ill!" She brightly replied.

"What?" You slurred. "Did I 'et dru'ed?"

She giggled. "Perhaps I'll introduce myself in the morning! In the meantime, sleep well!"

Your eyes closed to the shape of a butterfly fluttering out of your window.

"FUCK DRUGS! I HATE DRUGS! DRUGS CAN GO ROT IN A DITCH! IF I EVER RUN INTO DRUGS EVER AGAIN, I'M GOING TO BURN THEM!!"

You massaged your sore throat.

I should've listened to my mom when she always told me not to go near drugs. I was a fool. I'm sorry, mom.

I wonder how she's doing.

A small whimper caught your attention and you looked to the side. You saw a small girl with short hair and pink butterfly hair clips cowering beside the bed, the glass of water in her hands only half filled. The rest had fallen out because of the horrible trembling of her hands.

She let out a small squeak as you met her eyes.

"Ah — " You started but were cut off.

"Here!" The girl thrust the glass into your hands and ran away. She tripped on the way out but before you could ask if she was alright, she had raced out of the room.

"Oh."

Which one was her name? I think Sumi is the blue one, so is she Kiyo or Naho?

You slowly sipped whatever water was left in the glass.

She's the pink one, so maybe —

"Good morning!"

"ARSJDGJKHADJKD!" You spat out the water you were drinking. "JESUS' FUCKING BALLS!"

Kocho Shinobu hurried to your side, patting your back as you struggled to stop coughing.

"Are you alright?"

You took a few deep breaths before making the 'okay' sign.

"I'm good," You wheezed.

"You seem to do this very often," She continued, her voice dripping in concern. "Is this a condition you were born with?"

You resisted giving her a side-eye.

Girlie, this is your fault. Even ghosts aren't as stealthy as you.

When you calmed down, she stepped back, bringing out a notepad and pencil.

"Now, can you tell me your name?"

You cleared your throat. "My name is (L/N) (Y/N)."

Kocho smiled, "I am Kocho Shinobu. Nice to meet you!" She brightly smiled and you awkwardly smiled back.

"Yeup."

Why is she so nice??

You didn't think she'd be this nice to you during your first-ish meeting. Given, you were comparing it to Tanjiro's first meeting, where he was being attacked by her so you were rightfully expecting at least a few passive-aggressive comments about something or the other (probably about you managing to get this injured even when going on a mission with a Pillar).

Which reminded you . . .

"Hey, Miss Kocho, is Tokito okay?" Kocho looked up from her notepad.

"Tokito Muichiro, the Mist Pillar?" You nodded, eagerly waiting for her words. You'd hoped he was okay since you had no idea what happened after you passed out. Another demon could have jumped him while you were out and you would be none the wiser.

She hummed, tapping her chin with her pencil. "Tokito only needed basic first-aid, so he left the day he came in."

You let out a breath of relief.

"Whew. Good."

Kocho continued to talk. "He also brought a friend with him." She walked to the window and rested her notepad on the table. "I was a little surprised about who he brought, but he said that she was a very important person to you."

You perked up.

"Is it Bearnice?"

Kocho didn't seem to hear you, beckoning to something outside the window. You heard a few thumps before a loud thud as you saw a bear shove her upper body through the window.

"Bearnice!" You got out of bed and rushed to her. Her snout nuzzled your head as you wrapped your arms around her, running your hands through her soft fur. Her familiar warmth made you relax, and it also seemed like she got a bath, judging by how her fur smelled like flowers.

I feel stinky now.

Bearnice licked your face and you let out a small giggle as you buried your face into her fur.

"I'm glad you're okay."

"Aw, how cute."

You hugged Bearnice a little longer before stepping back.

"So what do I do now?"

Kocho led you back to your bed and forced you to sit down. She then pointed to your empty water glass (which you now realized was probably laced with some medicinal drug, though, it tasted exactly the same as normal water).

"Continue taking that medicine for the next three days, three times a day after meals. After tomorrow, you will be starting rehabilitation training to get back in shape."

Your eyes gleamed.

Now's my chance!

You raised your hand. "I have a question." Kocho nodded for you to continue. "As a part of the training, can I spar with you?"

"Spar?" Kocho tilted her head, her smile still plastered on her face. "Why would you want to spar with a Pillar?"

"Why not? You're strong and I can learn from you."

She had a strange, almost surprised look on her face. Then she blinked and her smile was back on her face.

"Very well! If I do not have any prior engagements, I will spar with you."

You did a small fist bump.

Yissss!!

Your diabolical plan to become friends with all characters who were destined to die tragic deaths was underway.

▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂

Bonus Scene:

After (Y/N) arrives at the Butterfly Estate — Sora frantically rushed through the air, her heart thumping erratically as she rushed to the Master's estate.

Why did that idiot get so injured? She was with a Pillar! How unlucky was she?!

The Master's wife looked up at the sky as Sora fluttered beside her.

"Sora?" She said, stroking her head. "What brings you here? I do not recall you having a mission."

Sora, panting, replied, "I wish to talk to the Master."

Lady Amane shook her head. "He is currently meeting with the Mist Pillar."

Sora, although she was expecting to hear that response, felt an unnatural anger at Lady Amane's words. She respected the Pillars just as much as any Kasugai crow, but she couldn't help but criticize the Pillar who emerged with barely any injuries while allowing the junior he was supposed to look after end up with almost fatal injuries. Sora remembered overhearing Kanzaki Aoi of the Butterfly Estate commending the kakushi of their work.

"If she had arrived even ten minutes later, I'm not sure we would have been able to treat her."

Sora wasn't sure why she was so angry. She wasn't truly loyal to the girl. She was just following her because the Master asked her to.

It's only because if the girl dies, the Master would be sad to lose a slayer he believed could be a Pillar.

Yes, she was only angry because if she died, the Master would be upset. Perhaps that bear would also be sad. She doesn't care much for the girl. The stupid, clumsy, irresponsible girl who somehow managed to get into the Mist Pillar's good graces.

Sora wanted to wait for the Master to finish speaking with the Mist Pillar, but when the door opened and the Mist Pillar walked out, he informed Lady Amane that the Master wished to rest and promptly left. Sora decided it wouldn't be best to bother the Master now, so she took her leave as well, flying back to the Butterfly Estate.

Hmph. At least now that the girl is on bed rest, she won't have the energy to order me to deliver boatloads of letters to her lover.

Taisho Secrets:

— Himbo (Y/N) era starts now but not actually but yes

— When Kocho was telling you about Tokito's condition, she withheld the information that he stayed longer than what was required for his treatment. She also didn't mention how she saw him looking rather concerned when the kakushi brought you in

— Kiyo, the pink Butterfly Girl, thought you were a little scary because when she'd gone to put a glass of water on your bedside table, your eyes shot open and you started screaming in a language she didn't understand. Additionally, you were one of the most intimidating demon slayers she'd ever seen, barring the Pillars. The Pillars were always nice to her though, and she didn't know what you were like, so she was scared out of her mind

— Kocho Shinobu finds you interesting for not having any reservations about her. She also noticed that you didn't seem surprised by her stating that she was a Pillar

— Halfway through writing this chapter, the author discovered the AI character website and kept dying to the Yoo Joonghyuk bot. They rage quit after a little while and gained the energy to finish the chapter. Additionally, the Secretive Plotter bot can have the author's hand in marriage

———

This chapter was kind of eh. You can tell the writer's block was particularly bad since I barely managed to reach the minimum number of pages I try to write for every chapter.

Question of the day: Do any of you passionately follow K-Pop? If so, what are your thoughts about the current industry? I've been watching industry analysis videos recently so I'm curious about what other people may think.