Giyu Tomioka fell silent as he looked at the extended paw from Tom. It was clear that he didn't want to touch it, but he also didn't seem inclined to reject Tom outright. After a brief hesitation, he squatted down, gently held Tom's paw, and lightly pinched the soft pads.
"This..." Tomioka's pupils shrank slightly. It was a seemingly simple act, yet there was an inexplicable sense of magic to it.
"No one can resist the temptation of a cat," Tom said proudly, retracting his paw. He then leaped onto Tomioka's shoulder, patting his head lightly. "From now on, you're my mount."
Turning his gaze toward Tanjiro, Tom continued, "Boy, you're now a member of the Demon Slayer Corps. Take your sister to Sagiri Mountain for training. The one who turned your sister into a demon is none other than the Demon King, Muzan Kibutsuji. If you want to turn your sister back into a human, you'll need the strength to challenge him."
Listening to the talking cat, Tanjiro looked at Nezuko, who had shrunk to the appearance of a three-year-old child, and then glanced at his mother and younger siblings. A hesitant expression crossed his face. Everything was happening so quickly—demons, the Demon Slayer Corps, a talking cat, his sister becoming a demon, and the attack on his family. It was too much for him to process, all of it overturning his worldview as a young boy.
But now wasn't the time for him to dwell on the shock. He understood what Tom had said. If there was a chance to turn Nezuko back into a human, Tanjiro was willing to do anything, even if it meant risking his life. Yet, the question remained—if he took Nezuko for training, what would happen to his family?
Tom, sensing Tanjiro's concern, stood up on Tomioka's shoulder and placed both paws on Tomioka's head, looking down at Tanjiro. "Don't worry about your family. We'll send them to the Butterfly Estate, where they'll be safe. Besides, you can't live here anymore, can you?"
Hearing this, Tanjiro glanced at the house destroyed by Muzan's thorn whip, then back at the cat perched on Tomioka's shoulder. After a moment of contemplation, he bowed deeply to Tom. "I'm truly sorry to trouble you. I leave my family in your hands."
"Don't worry about it. Leave it to me." Tom's long whiskers trembled slightly as he raised his head in acknowledgment.
"No scent of lies..." Tanjiro muttered to himself, his nose twitching. He looked up at Tom with a mixture of surprise and gratitude. Tanjiro possessed an exceptional sense of smell, allowing him to detect emotions and lies in people's scents. On Tom, all he smelled was honesty and reassurance.
"Then take your sister to Sagiri Mountain, and we'll be on our way too," Tom said.
The Kamado family began packing their belongings, while Tom demonstrated his impressive hands-on abilities by constructing a wooden box for Nezuko. This box would allow Nezuko, as a demon, to hide from the sun while being carried on Tanjiro's back. But this was no ordinary box—Tom had added several mechanisms to it. It could launch axes, pop out umbrellas, and even transform into a chair. If better materials had been available, Tom would have added machine guns so Nezuko could sit inside and "bang bang bang," turning the box into a mini Taisho Gundam.
However, there was no rush; Tom could always make further upgrades later. Since there was no quick way to kill Muzan yet, he needed to maximize the benefits during his time in this world. Even though the system's first-world mission was a subjugation task, Tom knew he couldn't rely on future missions being the same. The more versatile his abilities, the better he'd be able to handle any challenges that might arise.
With everything ready, the group parted ways. Tanjiro, carrying Nezuko in the wooden box, set off for Sagiri Mountain to begin his training. Giyu Tomioka had initially planned to leave as well, but Tom, not wanting to walk on his own, insisted that the Water Hashira of the Demon Slayer Corps stay on as his personal mount. Together, they escorted the Kamado family to the Butterfly Estate deep in the mountains.
The Kamado family's home was located on Kumotori Mountain in Okutama County, Tokyo Prefecture, which was quite a distance from the Butterfly Estate. Before, Tom had no choice but to travel on foot, but now that Tomioka Giyu was around, Tom wasn't about to run on the ground anymore. The Kamado family, consisting of Aoi Kamado, her young children, and the rest, were slow travelers. As a result, it took them fifteen days to finally reach the secluded Butterfly Estate in the deep mountains.
Despite the cold, the estate was a different world altogether. There was no snow within the mountainous area where the Butterfly Estate was located. Instead, the estate was surrounded by lush green trees and vibrant flowers, with butterflies flitting about, and the temperature was noticeably warmer and more comfortable than the chill outside.
"It's so spectacular here," remarked Takeo Kamado, the second son of the Kamado family, gazing at the mansion nestled in the forest and the caregivers moving in and out.
"And it's so warm," added Hanako Kamado, as she gently touched the flowers growing by the roadside. Butterflies flew around her, filling her eyes with wonder.
"There are many hot springs near the Butterfly Estate," Tom said, lounging lazily on Tomioka Giyu's shoulder. "It's very comfortable to soak in during the winter. You'll be living here from now on."
Tom jumped off Tomioka Giyu's shoulders and looked at the Kamado children with a slight smile. "This is my territory as well. If you ever need anything, just let me know. You're my people now. Anyone who bullies you will have to deal with me."
"Yes, Master Neko! We understand!" Takeo Kamado and the other four children looked at Tom with admiration in their eyes.
"I really don't know how to thank you, Master Tom," Aoi Kamado said as she bowed slightly. "I've noticed there are many injured people here. Although I'm not trained in medicine, I'm more than capable of taking care of patients and handling housework. Please, let me help."
Since encountering Muzan, the Kamado family had received nothing but kindness from Tom, and Aoi, being the mother of six children, wanted to express her gratitude in any way she could.
The Butterfly Estate, being the medical hub of the Demon Slayer Corps, was managed by the Flower Hashira and Insect Hashira. However, the Demon Slayer Corps had always operated in secrecy, without official support, and was often short-staffed. Aoi's offer was certainly welcomed by Tom.
"We want to help too!" the Kamado children chimed in. Having grown up in hardship, they were all accustomed to sharing housework and wanted to contribute in any way they could.
As they spoke, a gentle voice called out, "Ah, ah, ah! So lively! Tom, you're back."
Everyone turned toward the voice and saw two beautiful women wearing butterfly hair accessories walking down the path. The one who had spoken was the woman in front, with long, smooth black hair, purple eyes, and a colorful butterfly-patterned haori. She smiled warmly as she approached.
Following closely behind her was another woman, with purple bangs framing her face. She wore a mint-green butterfly-patterned haori and had a more serious, focused expression.
These two were the Flower Hashira of the Demon Slayer Corps, Kanae, and her sister, the Insect Hashira, Shinobu.
"Ah! It's the big sister! I want a hug!" Seeing the two sisters approaching, Tom immediately abandoned the Kamado children and leapt toward them!
Shinobu, not fond of furry animals like cats or dogs, quickly took a step back. However, Kanae didn't mind and allowed Tom to land in her arms. She smiled warmly and gently stroked his back.
"Meow~~~," Tom narrowed his eyes and purred contentedly.
The good news was that after becoming a cat, he could have close contact with beautiful girls whenever he wanted. The bad news? Well, even though he could get close to them, he was still... just a cat. No matter how much time he spent with these lovely ladies, it wasn't quite what he had in mind. This served as a reminder that he needed to turn back into a human as soon as possible.
Shaking his head vigorously, Tom pulled himself out of his daydream. Propping his front paws on Kanae's chest, he shyly looked up at the Flower Hashira—the one he had saved from Upper Rank Two, Douma, two years ago—and quietly handed her a note.
Kanae unfolded the note, which read...
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Enjoy the chapter
Next chapter On monday
Should I use Bold letter for speech
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