Chapter 6: Chapter-6
The Kamado family had been assigned a place to stay by others in Butterfly House. Tom, Kanae, Shinobu, and Aoi sat opposite each other in the main room. Of course, Tom was lying on the tatami. As a cat, he had the privilege of talking to humans in various postures.
"You mean, you've already fought Muzan Kibutsuji? Not only were you unscathed, but you also protected a family from his hands?!" Shinobu looked at the blue-and-white shorthair cat in front of her, her voice rising in disbelief. Demons had existed for thousands of years, and so had the Demon Slayer Corps. However, in recent centuries, let alone face-to-face encounters with the Demon King Muzan Kibutsuji, even the Hashira, the Corps' strongest members, rarely encountered him. Tom's experience was critical information because the Corps' most important mission was to kill Muzan.
"Stop making such a fuss, woman. The one before you is Lord Tom, King of the Cat Clan. A mere Demon King is nothing." Tom raised his chin proudly, his cat ears twitching. He pulled out a sign from somewhere, on which was written his reply to Shinobu.
"Damn cat! You're so annoying! And! Don't you know how to talk? Why don't you talk to me!" Shinobu was furious at Tom's proud look.
"I saved your sister, so mind your attitude when speaking to me! I don't like talking often, and I certainly don't feel like talking now," Tom retorted, holding up another sign. How could anyone not like cats? This was an insult to his charm! Tom still remembered the first time he met Shinobu and tried to cuddle with her, only to be rejected. What a huge blow to his self-confidence!
"Who told you to eat the pufferfish I was raising?" Shinobu countered angrily. She had a pet pufferfish two years ago, which Tom had fished out of the pond and eaten. If Tom hadn't been her sister's savior, Shinobu would have thrown him out of Butterfly House long ago.
"You're blaming me for that goldfish? I saw it struggling in the water and gave it artificial respiration," Tom said, sitting upright, puffing out his chest despite not being in the right. He raised his chin again, confronting Shinobu as if he had done nothing wrong.
"You little—!" Shinobu leaned forward, her forehead touching Tom's as they engaged in a silent battle of wills.
"Ah! You're shameless! Bullying a poor little kitten!" Tom exaggeratedly yelped and fell backward.
"Okay, okay, Shinobu, stop bullying Tom. We should all get along," Kanae said, smiling gently. She picked Tom up and cradled him in her arms, whispering soothingly to Shinobu. Seeing Kanae stand up for him, Tom squatted on her lap and shot Shinobu a smug look, grinning without a word. Shinobu, seething with frustration, gritted her teeth but eventually sat back down without saying anything more.
"As for your matter, our master sent a message through Di Yao. There's going to be a Hashira meeting, and you are required to attend. I believe it's just a discussion, so nothing too urgent," Kanae explained while stroking Tom's head.
"Huh. Well then, let's head out! I'm sure they'll elect me as a Hashira, right?!" Tom jumped off Kanae's lap, his tail swaying side to side in excitement. Becoming a Hashira wasn't part of his system's tasks, but it sounded fun to him. Tom was always curious, and now, as the Cat King, that curiosity had only grown. He was also keen to learn all the breathing techniques and sword forms. Being a Hashira would give him easier access to these teachings.
"Well, we shouldn't keep the master waiting too long. Let's set off," Kanae said with a smile, standing up. Until now, Tomioka Giyuu had been silent, but he also stood up, his presence almost unnoticeable. Tom, remembering his "mount," leaped onto Giyuu's shoulder without hesitation.
"Go, go, go! Let's move!" Tom chirped.
"It seems Tom really likes Mr. Giyuu," Kanae chuckled.
"Really?" Giyuu blinked in surprise. He had always thought Tom only used him as a mount, but could it be that the cat genuinely liked him? A small smile formed on the cold-faced swordsman's lips, feeling unexpectedly happy.
The journey this time was much quicker than the one from the Kamado household to Butterfly House. With the strength of Hashira, the group moved swiftly. Unlike regular Demon Slayers, they didn't need to rely on the "Hidden" members to transport them while blindfolded to keep the location of the headquarters secret. Being Hashira, they could travel directly.
Like Butterfly House, the Demon Slayer Corps headquarters was nestled deep in the mountains. Its smaller but elegant and luxurious appearance contrasted with Butterfly House's medical facilities. The headquarters needed to remain hidden, so the smaller the complex, the better.
"Hey! You're late! And Giyuu! Why'd you bring a cat to see the master?!" a rough voice shouted the moment they entered the courtyard. It was Sanemi Shinazugawa, the Wind Hashira. His wild, scarred appearance made him seem as difficult as his reputation suggested.
Giyuu didn't bother to respond to Sanemi's comment and simply turned away.
While Tom understood that Sanemi had a tragic backstory, which explained his personality, that didn't stop him from finding the man annoying. Hiding behind Giyuu, Tom rolled his eyes at Sanemi and stuck out his tongue in a very cat-like expression of disdain.
At first, Sanemi hadn't noticed anything unusual, assuming Giyuu had brought along a regular cat. But when he saw Tom's mocking expression and human-like mannerisms, he froze. His eyes widened in shock.
The very next second, Sanemi's fierce temper flared back up. Realizing Tom was mocking him, his bloodshot eyes darkened further, and he reached out to grab the cat directly.
"Come here, you little—!"
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