Chapter Thirteen: Shinobu the Butterfly

"Hello, my name is Hanyu."
Seeing the other party introduce themselves, Chu Fan responded politely as well.

"I already know your name," she replied. "Last night, the master sent word. I heard that you possess the strength of a Pillar even without a Nichirin blade. That's truly remarkable." Butterfly Shinobu gave Hanyu a quick, appraising glance, her smile both gentle and sincere.

The master had given Hanyu high praise, claiming that his talent and strength were on par with the Mist Pillar, Muichiro Tokito. Muichiro was widely acknowledged as the most gifted among the Nine Pillars. He joined the Demon Slayer Corps and, within just two months, rose to the rank of Pillar—a feat never before seen. Although Tokito's amnesia made his personality difficult, his strength was undeniable and, as a comrade, he was exceptionally dependable.

Now, with another trustworthy companion joining their ranks, it was only natural to feel pleased.

"I've also heard much about all of you. Your reputations are well-deserved," Chu Fan replied, his tone warm.

He knew full well the strength Butterfly Shinobu possessed. Though she was petite and, as a woman, neither her strength nor speed could match those of the men, she excelled at medicine and was a master of crafting poisons especially lethal to demons. For lower-ranked demons, her poisons could kill in an instant. During the decisive final battle, the Demon Slayer Corps had been able to defeat the formidable and troublesome Upper Moon Two largely thanks to Shinobu's poisons. Her contributions were indispensable.

For this reason, Chu Fan never underestimated Butterfly Shinobu despite his own superior overall strength. Moreover, not just her—he held a deep respect for the other Pillars as well. Even if he did not always agree with their conduct or methods, there was no questioning the might of the Nine Pillars. Most of them were tragic figures who had dedicated their lives to slaying demons.

"Though I know you say it out of courtesy, I am nonetheless delighted," Shinobu said with a bright smile. "I've heard, Hanyu, that your residence is right next to the Butterfly Mansion. If you have time, do stop by for a visit. Let’s talk again when you’re free."

With that, Butterfly Shinobu turned and re-entered the Butterfly Mansion to catch up on her sleep. She had just returned from a mission and had stayed awake specifically to meet the man who had earned the master’s highest praise as the next Pillar. Her patience had not been in vain; she had met this powerful newcomer.

Though his true abilities remained unknown, her first impression of him was not at all unfavorable.

Led by Koju, Chu Fan soon settled into the luxurious courtyard residence adjacent to the Butterfly Mansion. "Lord Hanyu, your weapon and uniform will be arranged for you within the week. For now, I will see to your daily needs. Please take this time to rest well. I will go and prepare your meal now. If you would excuse me for a moment," Koju said respectfully after showing Chu Fan around his new home.

Chu Fan nodded, and Koju hurried away to prepare his food.

The Nichirin blades for Pillars were always forged much more quickly than those for ordinary Demon Slayers. The sooner a Pillar received their sword, the sooner they could eradicate demons and save others from suffering.

Standing in the courtyard, Chu Fan gazed at the small lotus pond, where fish glided gracefully through the water. The atmosphere was peaceful and serene. The mansion itself was fitting for someone of his current constitution—a robust sixteen points. With advanced meditation serving as a substitute for sleep, Chu Fan felt not the slightest fatigue, and his mana had fully recovered after a night of travel.

As Koju prepared his meal, Chu Fan began practicing single-handed elemental transformation in the courtyard, igniting his entire right hand with flames. For now, he could only achieve elemental transformation with both hands and not yet with his entire flame robe. In fact, before entering the world of Demon Slayer, his flame robe had already lost twenty-three points of durability in just eight hours, leaving only seventy-seven points remaining. Fortunately, he had purchased a garment with high fire resistance; otherwise, any other clothing would have been reduced to ashes long ago.

Though a hundred and seventy mana points seemed a lot on paper, in practice, Chu Fan would expend it all in less than three minutes if he maintained elemental transformation. If he activated Fusion Origin and elemental transformation while also unleashing flames, his mana would be exhausted in under a minute.

Thus, he had to train diligently to maximize his extremely limited mana. Once depleted, Chu Fan fetched a wooden practice sword from the weapon room—distinct from a Nichirin blade and intended solely for training. He had anticipated choosing the human side upon arriving in the world of Demon Slayer, so he had studied basic swordsmanship in advance.

Though he longed to carve a bloody path through this world, he knew all too well about the advantages of those with foreknowledge, the so-called Fated Ones. Given their accelerated ascent, Chu Fan predicted that, within a month at most, Muzan Kibutsuji might attack with the Upper Moons at any time. He could not be certain how long the Nine Pillars or the "Child of the World," Tanjiro Kamado, would survive.

Still, he would make the most of every moment to train and increase his swordsmanship.

Chu Fan was beginning to sense the benefits of his high constitution. It bestowed a body as resilient as stone, extraordinary stamina, and a recovery rate far beyond that of ordinary people. Against opponents of high constitution, insufficient strength would make it difficult even to break through their defenses.

He swung his wooden sword in the courtyard, following the movements from memory. Each strike stirred the air into currents, sending leaves rustling across the yard. His precise control was the only thing preventing the wooden blade from shattering under his power.

Even after meeting Butterfly Shinobu, Chu Fan still lacked a clear sense of his own strength in this world. Shinobu’s attributes ranged from ten to fourteen—in particular, her agility was the highest at fourteen, but her strength was only ten and constitution twelve. Her overall stats were low, but the breathing techniques allowed her to unleash strength and speed beyond her base attributes. Chu Fan recalled that Shinobu was the physically weakest among all the Pillars, so she could not serve as a proper benchmark for a formidable warrior.

Nevertheless, through her, he was confident that even without a Nichirin blade, he could easily dispatch any of the Lower Moons under Muzan Kibutsuji.

"Send word to the master: even if my Nichirin blade hasn’t arrived, let me know of any rumors about demons. I will take care of them," Chu Fan said as he practiced with the wooden sword, a thought occurring to him.

The crow resting in the corridor understood and nodded, flapping its wings and flying off. It, too, recognized this man as a true warrior.

An hour later, Koju returned carrying rice balls, dumplings, and a bowl of miso soup. Witnessing how Chu Fan could stir up gales in the courtyard with simple sword swings, Koju’s admiration and respect only deepened.

"Lord Hanyu, you must be hungry. Though it was a bit rushed, I have prepared your breakfast."