Nothing was said. We all stood there, simply looking at each other. Their gazes flickered from Eri's horn to me. 'They must be confused by Eri's appearance and how she is able to survive in the sunlight.' I wasn't too familiar with the exact events of Demon Slayer, only some of the main plot points.
Lost in thought, I suddenly felt Eri's grip on my side tighten, probably scared of Sanemi. Just as I was about to speak, Sanemi rushed at us, ready to strike. I quickly dropped the bags and summoned Muramasa, but as soon as I did, a wave of fatigue and pain washed over me. 'Seems like Muramasa is reacting to the Wisteria flowers and that Nichirin blade. It's also affecting me.' I thought, while barely managing to parry the vertical strike from the Hashira.
Sanemi leapt back and took a stance, glaring. I held Eri tighter in my arms, preparing for the next move. I saw Sanemi shift slightly before he spoke, "Second Form: Claws, Purifying Wind!" A gust of wind sharp like claws raced toward us. 'Fitting name.' I thought dryly.
I moved quickly, retaliating with Muramasa in my left hand, though the strike felt weaker than usual. "Cursed Slash" I spoke as a wave of red energy collided with Sanemi's attack. Both attacks were nullified, but Sanemi's rage only seemed to grow.
Just as he prepared to launch another assault, Gyomei stepped in. "That's enough, Shinazugawa. They aren't here to fight."
Sanemi seemed like he was about to ignore him, but Gyomei took a single step forward, positioning himself between us. He turned to Eri and me, his expression calm. "Are you lost?"
I gave him the truth. "We're trying to get home, but we need a place to stay for now."
The 7'2" giant approached us slowly. He stopped just close enough to reach out if needed. "If you follow us, we can offer lodging for both of you." Gyomei then knelt down, reaching into his clothes and pulling out a small sweet, which he offered to Eri with a gentle smile. "Would you like a sweet?"
Eri looked up at me, and I gave her a reassuring nod before putting her down. She hesitantly took a few steps forward, and I instinctively shifted my weight onto my toes, ready to act if anything happened. But Gyomei simply smiled warmly at her. "What's your name, little one?"
The size difference between them was almost comical, and though Eri looked terrified, she still answered in a soft voice. "I-I'm Eri."
If it weren't for his sharp senses, I would've doubted he even heard her. "It's nice to meet you, Eri. I'm Himejima Gyomei, but you can call me Gyomei." He gently placed his massive hand on her head, patting her softly before handing her the sweet. I watched his body closely, waiting for any sign of a sudden movement, but there was none.
He rose to his feet and motioned for us to follow him. "Come this way, please... uh?"
"Sasaki Ryou." I answered, unsummoning Muramasa. "But Ryou is fine, Gyomei-san."
As we began walking, we passed Sanemi, who still looked furious, and approached Mitsuri, the Love Hashira. Meanwhile, Eri was already distracted by the sweet in her hands.
We walked in silence for a while, heading toward the compound where Eri and I would be staying. After some time, a somewhat jittery Mitsuri spoke up.
"How is she able to survive in the sun?"
I turned to her. "Because she's not a demon."
Eri froze and looked at me. I turned to her and explained. "Demons die if they're exposed to sunlight. Since you're still alive, you're not a demon."
'Can't say the same for me, at least when it comes to other things.' I thought. The moment the three Nichirin blades got close to me, I started feeling even weaker than before. It was slowing down my recovery. In the long run, it didn't mean much, but if Muzan or his servants were to fight me, it might make me sweat a little.
Mitsuri spoke again. "Then why does she have a horn?"
I hummed and lifted Eri onto my shoulders, noticing she was getting tired. "She was born with one. Just like I was born with certain abilities." I mentioned myself, hoping to divert their attention from Eri. It worked, judging by how Mitsuri's eyes shifted toward me, though she didn't ask any more questions.
Gyomei's voice cut through the silence. "We're here."
We arrived at a large house, one I vaguely recognized. Gyomei confirmed it for me.
"This is the Butterfly Mansion. Kocho Shinobu runs it."
'Thought so.' As we approached the front entrance, Sanemi and Mitsuri broke off from the group.
"Bye-bye, Eri-chan!" Mitsuri waved cheerfully, while Sanemi ran off without saying a word.
Gyomei knocked lightly on the door, and after a brief wait, we were greeted by a young, blue-eyed girl. "Himejima-sama! What brings you here?"
Gyomei's large frame blocked her view of us, so he stepped aside to let her see. When she did, her reaction was one of shock and worry. "U-uhm, Himejima-sama, t-that's a—"
Gyomei kindly interrupted. "This is Sasaki Ryou and Eri. They are both humans."
That seemed to calm her down as she took a deep breath. "I-if you say so. But what can the Butterfly Mansion do for you all?"
"They need a place to stay and recover," Gyomei explained.
'Does he know?' I wondered as the girl frowned.
"I would have to ask Shinobu-sama if it's okay to have more people here." That got me thinking about the events. 'Right, the cast gets injured and comes here to recover and train.'
"Very well." Gyomei nodded. "Please guide these two inside, though. If Shinobu can't take them, I will find someone else."
He left before she could respond. Sighing, she then turned to me and warily glanced at Eri. "P-please follow me."
I complied.
It didn't take long for us to arrive at what I assumed was the recovery ward. 'Sounds like people are already in here.' As Kanzaki Aoi, the girl, opened the door, the noise suddenly stopped. Inside, I was greeted by a young man wearing a boar head on top of a crying blond-haired man. 'The hell?' Kanzaki didn't even react, only yelling at them.
I felt a gaze on me, and when I turned, I locked eyes with Tanjiro, who was looking curiously at me and Eri. 'Wow, his eyes are kind.' They held an innocence that couldn't be easily explained. Our eye contact was broken when the yelling match resumed, pulling my attention back toward the others. I picked up Eri and put her down by my side.
Just then, the door Kanzaki had closed behind us opened again, revealing Shinobu Kocho in her full 4'11" height. I looked down at her, and she looked up at me, and the room fell silent once more.
"Are you two the ones I was told about?" she asked.
'How did she hear about it so fast? Kanzaki was with us the whole time.' I wondered. Nodding, I replied. "Yeah, we just need a few nights of rest here. Is that okay?"
She broke eye contact and walked past me. "That is fine, though I will need a blood sample from the young girl."
I felt Eri latch onto my leg, her fear evident at the suggestion. "Sorry, that can't happen. She doesn't respond well to doctors." My tone made it clear I wouldn't argue about it. "If that's a dealbreaker, we'll show ourselves out."
Shinobu laughed, but it was clearly fake. "Very well. Then a blood sample and check-up from you will suffice. Is that acceptable?"
I nodded. "Yeah, that's fine."
"Good." she replied with a nod. "Follow me."
She moved past me again, heading for the exit. I followed her, and just before we left, she stopped, turned back toward the recovery room, and addressed the boys. "And boys? Please be quiet."
They froze, nodding quickly. She closed the door and walked past me once more, leading us to a vacant room. 'Kind of hot when she's scary.' I thought.
Once we reached the empty room, she informed us that a late lunch would be served soon and then left.
"Well Eri, this'll be home for a while." I said. She gave a shy nod in response. I sat down on the futon. "I'm going to get a little shut-eye. If you need anything, don't hesitate to wake me up."
The effects of the Nichirin blades and wisteria had taken a toll on me. 'Hope the pendant charges quickly enough.' I thought before drifting off into a nap.