UGB Chapter 116 Shinobu's Appearance
Chapter 116 Shinobu's Appearance
A sudden declaration abruptly shattered the heavy silence in the ward.
Tanjiro, Nezuko, and Zenitsu all widened their eyes and stared at the other side of the hospital bed.
Inosuke was wrapped in bandages, revealing only his delicate face. His sharp eyes and brows carried a youthful arrogance as he enjoyed the attention he received from everyone.
He raised his chin slightly, staring at Tanjiro with a smug look, his tone arrogant and self-righteous.
"Call me 'boss' right now. I'll protect you from now on. Anyone who dares to mess with you, I'll chop them down first!"
Although her words were arrogant, Tanjiro and Nezuko clearly sensed that beneath this arrogance lay a pure and reliable sincerity.
Zenitsu, however, glanced sideways at Inosuke, his lips curled into a disdainful smirk as he muttered under his breath.
"With yourself wrapped up like a dumpling, struggling even to get out of bed, you're the one who needs the most protection, yet you dare to speak so arrogantly."
The sound wasn't loud, but it landed precisely in Inosuke's sensitive ears.
"What did you say?! You noisy sparrow, how dare you look down on me?!"
Inosuke instantly bristled, jerking himself up from the bed and angrily yelling at Zenitsu.
Zenitsu was not to be outdone and immediately retorted, going head to head.
The two argued back and forth, their faces flushed, and the original tension completely dissipated in the noisy chatter, making the air lively and vibrant again.
Tanjiro and Nezuko exchanged a smile and quickly stood between the two, gently mediating the situation. Tanjiro soothed the agitated Inosuke while calming the agitated Zenitsu, their eyes filled with tender smiles.
"Oh my, it seems like everyone has a really good relationship. It's so enviable."
A soft, gentle female voice, like a spring breeze, suddenly rang out at the door of the ward. The tone was gentle and carried a faint smile, instantly silencing the two noisy people.
The four of them were all taken aback and turned to look at each other simultaneously.
Shinobu was dressed in a light purple butterfly-patterned kimono, her long hair flowing smoothly over her shoulders. A gentle smile played on her lips as she gazed tenderly at the four people in the ward.
Despite having no imposing presence whatsoever, she instantly silenced the noisy boys and girls, making them stand up straight obediently. Even the most unruly Inosuke quieted down.
Of all the Pillars, Nezuko's feelings for Shinobu Kocho are the most special.
Besides Giyu Tomioka, who always protected them, there was also Sanemi Shinazugawa, who wanted to kill his own brother.
Shinobu Kocho was the most unexpected and the one she liked the most.
When others saw that Tanjiro was a demon, they either drew their swords at him or pleaded with him, their eyes filled with murderous intent.
Only Shinobu Kocho remained silent throughout, yet at crucial moments, she subtly left them room to maneuver.
Mizuko knew in her heart that she should be the one who most wanted to kill Tanjiro, but when she actually faced the brother and sister, she did not speak ill of them or take advantage of their vulnerability; she simply watched silently from the sidelines.
This complex yet gentle attitude made Ni Douzi always feel an extraordinary closeness and respect for her.
Seeing that the four of them had become restrained and obedient, Butterfly couldn't help but smile. She slowly walked into the ward, first to Zenitsu's bedside, and then gently lifted the bandage on his arm with her finger, carefully examining the healed wound. Her tone was so gentle that it could melt your heart.
"Yes, you're recovering very well. The wound has healed very smoothly. As long as you take your medicine on time and rest well, it won't be long before you're completely healed."
She paused, her eyes crinkling slightly with a sly smile, and added softly.
"Only by taking my medicine properly and getting better quickly can I hold the hand of the girl I love firmly."
These words struck Zenitsu like a thunderbolt, precisely hitting him where it hurt most.
He froze instantly, his cheeks turning bright red at a visible speed, from his ears to his neck, as if billowing heat was rising from the top of his head, like a steam train about to boil over, and even his breathing became rapid.
He nodded vigorously, almost nodding his head off, his eyes darting around shyly as he furtively glanced at Mi Douzi beside him, his heart pounding so hard it felt like it would burst out of his chest.
Shinobu chuckled softly and turned to walk towards Inosuke's sickbed.
When Inosuke first met Shinobu Kocho, he tried to escape the Butterfly Mansion by relying on his brute strength. However, he was subdued by Shinobu Kocho with her extremely fast movements after only a few steps, leaving him no room to resist.
In Inosuke's pure understanding, Shinobu Kocho was someone so powerful that he was in awe, yet so gentle that he felt at ease, far from being as weak as she appeared on the surface.
Upon seeing her approach, the usually arrogant and unruly young man inexplicably became shy, lying obediently without daring to move, even softening his breathing.
Shinobu Kocho bent down to examine his wounds, gently patted his shoulder with her fingertips, and smiled tenderly as always.
"Inosuke is recovering very well, but a little slower than Zenitsu. I think Inosuke, with his naturally competitive nature, won't be content to fall behind others, right?"
Once the provocation was used, Inosuke's fighting spirit instantly soared.
What he can't stand the most is being told that he's not as good as others, especially not as good as Zenitsu, whom he dislikes the most.
Almost the instant he finished speaking, he suddenly reached out and grabbed the bowl of dark-colored, bitter-smelling medicine from the bedside table. Without even looking at it, he tilted his head back and drank it all in one gulp.
Even though the bitterness made his face contort, he didn't flinch once. After finishing the drink, he slammed the bowl down on the bedside table, stiffened his neck, and glared at Sun-il with a fierce expression.
"How could I possibly lose to a sparrow that can only chirp! I'll definitely recover much faster than him!"
"I won't lose to a wild boar that only knows how to charge around!"
Zenitsu's competitive spirit was completely aroused. He grabbed his own medicine bowl, gritted his teeth, closed his eyes, and gulped down the full bowl of bitter medicine. He didn't care that the medicine was dripping down his chin. He just glared back at Inosuke with a defiant look.
Tanjiro and Nezuko stood to the side, dumbfounded, their eyes filled with shock.
Butterfly, with just a few words of gentle comfort and provocation, managed to get the two most disobedient boys to drink the bitter medicine in a rush. Her gentle yet insightful emotional intelligence earned the brother and sister's admiration from the bottom of their hearts.
After tidying up the medicine bowl, Shinobu Kocho slowly turned around, her gaze gently falling on Nezuko. Her smile faded slightly, replaced by a more serious expression.
"Nie Douzi, the lord specifically asked me to pass on a message to you."
Mi Douzi's heart tightened, and he immediately stepped forward, straightened his back, and looked respectful and serious.
"My lord says that based on your achievements, including slaying the former Lower Moon Six and the former Lower Moon Four, and facing powerful enemies head-on without retreating an inch, your merits alone are enough to qualify you for the position of Pillar. You should be granted the position of Pillar."
Shinobu Kocho conveyed her lord's will clearly and distinctly, her tone filled with heartfelt praise.
"However, considering all factors, your several demon slayings were all done in cooperation with Tanjiro and his sister, rather than alone. You lack the record of independently slaying Upper Moon demons. Therefore, you will be temporarily granted the rank of Class A Swordsman. Once you have accumulated enough solo combat achievements, you can be officially promoted to Pillar."
As soon as he finished speaking, the ward fell silent.
Zenitsu's eyes widened, his mouth gaped open wide enough to fit an egg, his face filled with shock, and his heart screaming wildly.
[Rank A? Only one step away from becoming a Pillar? Nezuko is actually that strong?!]
Inosuke froze on the spot, looking down at the Aoi character level mark engraved on the back of his hand, his fingertips clenching slightly.
[Grade A...I can do that too!]
The boy secretly made a vow in his heart, and the flame of his competitiveness burned brightly again. The frustration he felt when Tanjiro overcame the sunlight was now transformed into motivation to move forward.
Tanjiro stood beside Nezuko, his eyes filled with undisguised smiles and pride as he gazed tenderly at his sister.
Despite the honor of being a Class A swordsman, Mizuko showed no joy or excitement.
She simply raised her head calmly, looked at Shinobu Kocho, and spoke softly:
"Lady Shinobu Kocho, can my brother and I still go on missions together?"