Demon Slayer: The Ultimate Defense System

"By the way, Mitsuri," Yohan asked casually as he blocked one of her punches, "weren't you off to find Shinobu earlier? What brings you back here, sparring with me instead?"

Hearing that, Mitsuri's cheeks puffed up in frustration, and her attacks suddenly packed more force.

"It's all Shinobu's fault! She used to go on and on about how she'd never associate with Tamayo, saying things like she was only keeping an eye on her to prevent her from doing anything bad."

"But look at her now! In just a couple of days, she completely changed her tune!"

"I went to show her my new recipe today, and she turned me down! Can you believe that? She was laughing and chatting away with Tamayo instead!"

"Hmph! I'm so mad I could explode!"

Yohan couldn't help but chuckle at the sight. "So my dear Mitsuri got ditched by her best friend, huh? Poor thing."

"Hahaha."

"Don't laugh! Take this!" she cried, embarrassed and angry, throwing a punch toward his face.

Yohan quickly blocked it and said with a grin, "Okay, okay, I won't laugh anymore."

"Then let me make it up to you. I'll be your training partner."

He refocused, blocking her strikes with care and attentiveness, clearly not taking this lightly.

Meanwhile, a short distance away in the courtyard, three girls with round, shiny eyes were peeking at the pair training.

"So that's Yohan and Mitsuri? The ones Kanao mentioned?"

"Yup, yup! I overheard them talking earlier. That's definitely them."

"They're sparring! I heard that Yohan guy is super strong."

"I really wanna see how good he is!"

"Me too!" three voices chimed together.

Then, all of a sudden, they noticed something strange. Why were there four voices instead of three?

The three girls turned around quickly and spotted Kanzaki Aoi standing behind them, hands covering her mouth in horror.

"Oh no, oh no, what have I done?" she thought in a panic. "I was supposed to bring these girls back to study, not blurt out that I wanted to watch Yohan train!"

Usually strict and proper, Aoi felt like her image had just collapsed in front of these juniors.

Over by the training spot, Yohan had caught wind of the commotion. "Hmm?"

"Kanzaki Aoi? And who are these little ones?" he asked, glancing at the three wide-eyed girls in white uniforms. They looked oddly familiar.

The girls bounced in place excitedly and raised their hands. "Yohan-oniichan!"

"We're Terauchi Kiyo, Nakahara Sumi, and Takada Naho!"

"We're currently training hard at the Butterfly Estate to become nurses!"

"Yup yup!" they echoed, full of energy.

"Haha! Yohan, I—uh, I was just here to bring them back to their studies," Aoi added, her tone a bit stiff.

"Liar!" the three girls shouted in unison.

"Aoi-oneechan, you totally said you wanted to watch Yohan-oniichan train!" they accused without mercy.

Aoi's face flushed bright red.

"Ah? You wanted to watch me?" Yohan blinked, looking genuinely confused. "What exactly did you want to see...?"

Di-doo di-doo di-doo~

Mitsuri, sensing danger, immediately latched onto Yohan's arm like a clingy kitten. Her eyes narrowed, full of vigilance, as she stared at Aoi. This was supposed to be the responsible, serious girl from before—what was with this sudden shift?

These are the words of a wolf in sheep's clothing!

The world suddenly felt like a much scarier place to Mitsuri. She tightened her grip protectively around Yohan's arm.

"Ah—no, no! That's not what I meant!" Aoi flailed, panicking. "I didn't mean I wanted to see Yohan... like that!"

"I meant... I meant I really admire his strength! The way he's able to fight demons head-on without fear... that kind of bravery…"

Aoi's words trailed off into a whisper, her face turning beet red, her head hanging lower and lower.

"So that's what you meant," Yohan said, finally understanding.

"But Aoi, aren't you also part of the Demon Slayer Corps? Why would you feel that way?"

He was genuinely curious. When he'd first met her, she seemed so sunny and confident. Was there more beneath the surface?

Faced with everyone's expectant gazes, Aoi finally gave up trying to hold it in.

"You're right! I passed the Final Selection and became a full Demon Slayer. But I was terrified of going to the front lines... I was too scared, so I withdrew and took up medical duties here at the Butterfly Estate instead."

Her voice trembled as if she were holding back tears.

"I see…"

"Doesn't that make me a coward? I became a Demon Slayer, but I ran from the battlefield because I was afraid. All I do now is stay here and patch people up while they fight and bleed out there."

"Tokito Muichiro, who passed the Selection the same year as me—he's a Hashira now. And me? I'm still here, hiding, tending to the wounded."

"You too, Yohan—I heard about you fighting against Upper Moon demons."

"I'm just... a coward!"

With that, all the emotions Aoi had buried for so long came rushing out. Every time she had scolded a wounded slayer for being reckless, every time she stitched someone back together, she'd masked her own feelings of guilt and powerlessness.

She had always felt ashamed.

Ashamed that the people she treated were out there risking their lives while she couldn't even muster the courage to fight beside them.

"You really think that, Aoi?" Yohan asked gently.

"Isn't it the truth?" she shot back, voice cracking.

"No. Not at all. Even if you're not out there fighting demons yourself…"

"You're the one giving those fighters a second chance. You're the one healing their wounds, helping them walk again, letting them return to the battlefield."

"You're already part of the strength we carry into battle."

"I'm sure every slayer out there fights with your will and care carried inside them."

Aoi's eyes widened, shimmering with unshed tears.

In that moment, she finally understood the meaning behind the smiles and the determined gazes of the wounded slayers who had waved goodbye after leaving her infirmary.

They hadn't looked down on her.

They had carried her spirit with them.