34: Butterfly Sisters

Lin Luo had just finished dinner at Yukino Mifuyu's house, the faint, cool scent of her hair still lingering in his nostrils, when a familiar knocking sound came from outside the door. He rubbed his temples and got up — the only person in the entire apartment complex who would knock like that was Tōsu Mafuyu.

Her figure, dressed in her teacher's uniform, was reflected in the peephole, with a few late cherry blossom petals on her shoulder, indicating she had rushed over right after class. The Kouhei Teishoku takeout bag in her hand swayed with her movements, vaguely revealing the outline of a thermal container.

"Coming..." He opened the door, coughing lightly at the appropriate moment.

Kirisu Mafuyu's hand, suspended in mid-air, slowly lowered, her gaze lingering on his slightly pale face for a moment. She suddenly reached out to touch his forehead; when her cool fingertips made contact with his skin, both of them paused in unison.

"The fever's gone down..." She withdrew her hand, a hint of undetectable relief in her voice. "I brought you yam porridge."

She had been restless all day. Since receiving the news of Lin Luo's sick leave in the morning, several messages she sent had gone unanswered. As soon as the last class ended, she rushed straight to his usual teishoku restaurant, not even changing out of her uniform.

Lin Luo stepped aside to let her in, repeating his morning excuse lightly: "It's just a cold, I'll be fine after two days of rest."

But Kirisu Mafuyu still frowned, her gaze meticulously scrutinizing him from his messy hair to his reddened eye corners.

"Do colds require bandages?" she suddenly asked softly.

Lin Luo's subconscious action of tightening his jacket made her eyes darken. Before he could explain, Kirisu Mafuyu had already closed the door with her foot.

With a 'bang' as the door closed, she took two steps closer, her slender fingers reaching directly for his collar: "Let me see."

The cuff of her teacher's uniform brushed against his chin, carrying a faint scent of cherry blossoms. At this distance, he could clearly see her trembling eyelashes and the deep-seated worry in her eyes.

Lin Luo clasped her wrist, deliberately drawing out his words: "This isn't good, Teacher~ Don't do this~"

"I've never taught students to dismiss concern with lies." Kirisu Mafuyu, taking advantage of the situation, pressed him onto the sofa cushion, her knee pinning his squirming leg, and skillfully held his wrist, pinning it to his side. Her uniform skirt brushed against his leg as her other hand unbuttoned his collar. "Let me see."

When the purplish-blue bruises beneath the bandage came into view, her breathing abruptly hitched. The edges of the wounds were an unnatural purplish-black, clearly not ordinary external injuries.

"This is what you call a cold?" Her voice trembled slightly, and her eyes instantly reddened. "Is this how you lie to your teacher?"

Her fingertips hovered above the wounds, not daring to touch. The shoulder line of her teacher's uniform rose and fell slightly. "You're here alone... As your... as your homeroom teacher..." Her words broke off in a sob. She suddenly clutched his clothes, and tears fell on the bandage, leaving dark, spreading marks.

Lin Luo had chosen to conceal it precisely because he feared her reaction. The usually cool and composed teacher, once a student's safety was involved, would quietly reveal the softness hidden beneath her professional facade.

He gently wiped away the tears from her eyes: "They're just superficial wounds, have you forgotten? I have special abilities, I'll recover quickly."

Reminded by him, Kirisu Mafuyu finally recalled that he was no ordinary person. Those extraordinary scenes flashed through her mind, causing her tense shoulders to relax slightly, but her hand, clutching his clothes, remained tight.

"If that's the case," she acutely pressed, "why were you still injured?"

Lin Luo's gaze flickered as he pondered how to evade the question, but then he heard her whisper: "I don't want a student who only lies... and I don't want a neighbor like that either."

Seeing her turn to leave, Lin Luo quickly grabbed her wrist.

"I'll tell you," he sighed softly, slightly altering his account of last night's events. "I encountered an evil person with similar powers to mine, and I suffered a bit during our exchange."

Although he omitted Akaza's inhuman identity, Kirisu Mafuyu could still imagine the danger of the situation from his tight lips and lingering wounds.

Lin Luo gazed at her shaken face, suddenly remembering Akaza's parting words, "I've memorized your scent." His fingertip lightly touched the pendant on his chest; a stream of light flashed, and a red good luck charm appeared in his palm.

"This is for you," he placed the peace charm, embroidered with a Tai Chi pattern, into her hand. "It's been turbulent lately, keep it with you."

The Talismanic Incantation glowed faintly the moment it touched her palm, golden runes subtly visible beneath the fabric. This peace charm was indeed an old item he had 'borrowed' from his grandfather's collection back then. It was said to have once belonged to a Daoist Immortal Master, imbued with an endlessly protective Dao rhyme.

Kirisu Mafuyu's fingertips trembled slightly as she held the good luck charm. Even without understanding cultivation, she recognized the lost Kesi pattern on the ancient brocade, and even more, the warm, lustrous mutton-fat jade clasp — clearly of a quality that belonged in a museum display.

"It's too valuable..." Before she could finish, Lin Luo gently pressed her retreating hand.

"No matter how precious the item..." He paused slightly, his eyelashes casting fine shadows under the light as he tied the red string. "No matter how precious the item, it can't compare to..." His voice cut off abruptly, only tying the red string carefully into a peace knot.

The moment the peace knot was formed, the Talismanic Incantation's light quietly merged into her wrist.

Kirisu Mafuyu's cheeks suddenly flushed red, and she stood up in a hurry, about to leave. She stopped at the genkan, however, and, with her back to him, quietly instructed: "Drink... drink the porridge while it's hot."

...

The afternoon sun streamed through the cafe's glass window, casting warm light spots on the table. Lin Luo arrived on time, and sitting opposite him were the Butterfly Sisters.

Memories returned to their first meeting — he smiled as he greeted Kanae, politely complimenting her attire for the day. A light purple butterfly hair ornament trembled gently by her temple, complementing the haori embroidered with wisteria flowers.

Just as Kanae was about to respond, a petite figure suddenly emerged from behind her. Shinobu, with her hands behind her back, tilted her head and scrutinized Lin Luo from head to toe, making a surprising remark:

"You're the one my sister can't stop thinking about? You're quite handsome, but..." She deliberately drew out her words, winking playfully, "you seem a bit too serious."

These words made both Lin Luo and Kanae freeze, and the atmosphere instantly became subtle. Kanae's cheeks flushed a faint red as she gently chided: "Shinobu, don't talk nonsense."

Shinobu scooped up a spoonful of strawberry parfait, her eyes narrowing in bliss: "It's as delicious as they say online! Sister, you should try some too~"

As she spoke, she brought the spoon to Kanae's lips, who turned her head to avoid it.

"Shinobu, be more reserved." Kanae helplessly straightened her haori, which had been nudged askew by her sister, then turned to Lin Luo with an apologetic smile, "Please excuse her impoliteness."

Shinobu pouted as she withdrew the spoon, then her eyes suddenly lit up: "Speaking of which, last night, Sister rummaged through her closet to pick out clothes, even her most treasured butterfly hairpin..."

"Shinobu!" Kanae gently interrupted, the tips of her ears slightly red.

Lin Luo cleared his throat, pretending not to hear Shinobu's revelation. He noticed that the coffee in front of Kanae was almost untouched, so he asked with concern: "Is it not to your taste?"

Kanae hadn't expected him to be so observant, and she nodded shyly: "This taste... it's a bit unique."

"Sister is just too traditional!" Shinobu sighed, shaking her head as she enjoyed her cake. "There are so many delicious things in this world, but she only likes those old-fashioned flavors."

Kanae smiled gently, her fingertips caressing her teacup: "Some habits, like the scent of wisteria flower, are deeply ingrained in memory."

Lin Luo smiled at her words: "Then let's meet at a tea house next time. I know an old shop that makes authentic Japanese confections; it should be to your taste."

Kanae's lips curved into shallow dimples, her fingertips lightly tracing the rim of her teacup: "Alright."

The sunlight fell just right on her trembling eyelashes, like a swallowtail butterfly resting on a wisteria flower.

The afternoon sun was perfect as the three of them left the cafe and arrived at a residence that also offered Kendo lessons.

As they passed through the courtyard where wisteria hung, Kanae naturally slowed her pace, walking side by side with Lin Luo on the bluestone path. The hem of her haori gently brushed the steps as she slightly turned her head to explain:

"The Master specifically arranged the meeting here. It would indeed be inconvenient to travel back and forth to headquarters."

The paper door slowly slid open, and amidst the lingering tea fragrance, a figure could be seen sitting upright inside. Kanae paused at the threshold and did not enter with him.

Inside, the aroma of tea wafted, and the man seated at the head of the room slowly raised his head. Although his face was covered in terrible scars and he was blind, his voice was as calm and gentle as a clear spring:

"Thank you for coming. Before we begin, please allow me to recount a Destiny that has spanned a thousand years."

His gesture of gently caressing the teacup was elegant and composed, each syllable carrying a peculiar rhythmic quality.

"In the Heian period, my ancestor was prophesied not to live past twenty. A benevolent doctor, unwilling to give up, did his utmost to prolong his life. However, the ancestor, whose condition worsened, repaid kindness with enmity, cruelly murdering the physician."

"Ironically, the medicine concocted by the physician subsequently took effect, granting the ancestor an immortal body, but also transforming him into a light-fearing, man-eating demon — Kibutsuji Muzan."

He tilted his head slightly, as if listening to the language of the wisteria flower in the courtyard.

"From that day on, the Ubuyashiki clan was cursed, and all its descendants were frail and died young. Until a divine oracle was received: pour all efforts into eradicating demons, and the Bloodline would continue."

"For a thousand years, we have intermarried with daughters of Shinto priests, formed the Demon Slayer Corps, and used our brief thirty-year lives as fuel, solely to continuously track that eternal evil and utterly destroy it."

Ubuyashiki Kagaya's fingers tightened slightly on his knees, his knuckles white: "Since Yoriichi Tsugikuni almost annihilated the demons in the Sengoku period, forcing Muzan to lie dormant for a hundred years..."

His voice carried an uncontrollable tremor: "No one has been able to slay a Twelve Kizuki again. Yet you not only exterminated lower rank six, but also severely wounded upper rank three. In a thousand years, this is the most significant Breakthrough."

A violent cough interrupted his words. Just as Lin Luo showed concern, a silver-haired woman, her hair like a waterfall, quietly emerged from behind a screen. She knelt beside her husband, her slender fingers gently stroking his back, her movements so practiced it seemed she had experienced countless such moments.

"This is my wife, Amane," Kagaya's breathing gradually stabilized, "a shrine maiden who inherited the Bloodline of a Shinto priest."

Amane bowed slightly to Lin Luo, her fingertips still tracing calming runes on her husband's back. wisteria flowers, fallen from the courtyard, gently adorned her hair, which was as radiant as moonlight.