The Butterfly's Dance, Hearts of Comrades — The Light Shinobu Saw - The Ice Cage and the Silent Scream

Dawn was still a little ways off. Shinobu ran through the mountain path. Footsteps muffled, breathing controlled. Her pouch was packed with poison needles—every last one, including spares. In her pocket, a single vial of poison still in development. Before leaving the mansion, she'd quietly checked her butterfly hairpin one more time. The analysis results from that night wouldn't leave her mind. The ice crystal pattern. Almost identical to the report from four years ago. A demon bearing Douma's blood was here. (A demon carrying the blood of the one who killed Sister...) Once she confirmed it—she still hadn't decided what came next. But her feet wouldn't stop. Anger burned inside her body. As the mountain grew deeper, the air changed. Shinobu came to a halt. (No scent of wisteria flowers.) Evidence she'd entered demon territory. She took the stance of the Insect Breathing and moved forward slowly. Moonlight filtered through gaps in the trees, casting dappled shadows on the ground. Then, something white caught her eye at her feet. Frost. A thin layer of frost covered the earth. (The user of ice blood demon art is close.) Shinobu's chest pounded. But she crushed that sensation beneath her anger. Forward. Keep moving forward. A dry branch snapped beneath her foot. Crack. An absurdly loud sound echoed through the quiet mountain. Shinobu froze for an instant. (...Worst timing.) She muttered only that under her breath, then moved again. For someone who'd charged out on pure rage, she was being careless about the details. Even she knew it. The cave entrance came into view. Black rock face, gaping open. And standing before it— A figure in human shape. But not human. Eyes clouded white. Breath freezing white as it left its mouth. Like a winter morning, slow and deliberate. The demon simply watched Shinobu. Appraising her. Not thrashing about like a beast. That made it all the more terrifying. Shinobu moved. Insect Breathing, Butterfly Dance. She lunged. A thrust. Aimed at the neck— The demon stepped back half a pace. The blade cut through empty air. Its trajectory had been read. As if it had known all along. She switched poison compounds for a second strike. In that instant, the demon raised its left hand. Crack. The blade froze solid from the base. A chill that pierced through to her fingertips. The sword grew heavy, wrenched from her grip. Metal rang against stone. Shinobu retreated, hand diving into her pocket. She grabbed the poison vial and threw it. The demon swung its right hand. A wall of ice materialized with a boom. Glass shattered. Poison spread across the ground. Useless. The next moment, something crawled up from beneath her feet. Ice chains. Both arms, both legs—bound in an instant. Her body lifted into the air. —Then slammed down. Boom. The ground caught her body. Her head spun. A dull grinding ran through her ribs, and she couldn't breathe. The taste of blood filled her mouth. No sword. No poison vial. (No weapons...) Pressed against the ground, Shinobu couldn't move. The ice chains bit into her skin. A cold that pierced through flesh and reached her bones. The demon slowly crouched down. Moving with complete ease. Its face came before hers. White-clouded eyes stared at her intently. "You... are Kanae Kochou's sister, aren't you?" A low voice. "Douma-sama said that woman's blood was delicious." Those words shattered something in Shinobu's mind. Her head went white. Her vision wavered. The memory of that dawn four years ago came crashing down all at once. Kanae, lying on the ground covered in blood. Still smiling. Speaking in a trembling voice. —Shinobu. Don't hate demons. Keep smiling. She'd tried to honor those words. Kept a smile plastered on for four years. Never let anyone see. Even when Tanjirou said "I smell sadness," even when Giyuu said "You're pushing yourself," she'd buried it all behind that smile. But the truth was. She hated them. Hated them. Hated them so much she couldn't bear it. So sad she was breaking apart. In the grip of the ice chains, her entire body began to shake. Tears spilled over. She couldn't stop them. Something voiceless rose from deep in her throat. Shinobu forgot how to smile. The mask came off. And then—it became a voice. She cried. Out loud. Four years of it came pouring out all at once. The demon watched and smiled slightly. It slowly reached out. Toward Shinobu's neck. That instant— Whoosh!! A blue slash flew from the side. The demon's arm was severed. Blood scattered. The demon was sent flying backward. Shinobu's eyes turned. It was Giyuu. Black hair with blue streaks disheveled. Sharp blue eyes glaring at the demon. Holding his Nichirin sword ready, saying nothing. "Get away from Shinobu-san!" Tanjirou leaped. Hinokami Kagura flames wrapped around his blade. He unleashed a slash at the ice chains binding Shinobu. Clang! Part of the chain shattered. Her right arm, barely free. (They came... they actually came.) Shinobu watched through her tears. She'd wanted them not to come. But they had. Giyuu's movements were sluggish. His right shoulder. Every time he swung the blade, his expression changed. The sutured wound was opening—each time he drew the blade, his face twisted slightly. Yet he didn't stop. Tanjirou's breathing was ragged too. From using Hinokami Kagura consecutively, his legs were unsteady. His knees trembled. The demon's arm was beginning to regenerate. Slowly. Giyuu lunged. A barrage of Water Breathing strikes. But his movements were slower than usual. The demon evaded and drove an ice blade down. Giyuu was sent flying. "Giyuu-san!" Tanjirou cut in. He caught it with his blade, but his foot slipped on stone and his knee buckled. His hand touched the ground. He tried to steady his breathing but couldn't. Shinobu watched, still bound. Her chest tightened. (If I hadn't come alone. If I hadn't lost control. Giyuu-san's shoulder—Tanjirou-kun—) The tears wouldn't stop. Despair filled her body. (It's all my fault.) The demon turned back toward Giyuu. In that moment, Giyuu's eyes met Shinobu's. Just for an instant. With his face twisted in pain, he looked straight at her. Not anger, not panic—just looking. Confirming that she was there. Shinobu couldn't look away. "Please don't come. You'll get hurt again." She screamed through her tears. Her voice cracked. A voice she hadn't made for four years. Giyuu didn't answer. He turned back and slashed at the demon. And Shinobu cried again at his retreating back. —All three of them were nearing their limits. The demon continued regenerating. It deployed an ice wall again, trying to separate Giyuu and Tanjirou. A thick barrier stood between them. Shinobu crawled her fingertips along the restraint on her left arm. There was still something left in her pouch. Wisteria flower poison. If she could apply it directly, the ice chains would— It would melt too slowly. The cold night air dulled the poison's reaction. It wouldn't work. There wasn't enough time. Dawn was still hours away. But that meant—if the demon retreated into the cave when dawn came, it would be over. Tanjirou rose again on trembling knees. His arms shook. But he stood. Giyuu tried to pry open the ice wall, and Shinobu could see his right shoulder cry out in agony. Shinobu, still crying, tried to move her right arm. (It moves. Just barely.) The spot where Tanjirou's slash had shattered the chains left a tiny gap. Barely wide enough for a finger. And—deep in her pocket, there was still something left. A single needle of ultra-concentrated wisteria flower poison she'd been secretly developing at the Butterfly Mansion. Just one. Not a finished product. But it was there. She couldn't reach it now. But it was there. Giyuu gritted his teeth and charged at the demon. Tanjirou rose on unsteady legs. Both covered in wounds, both falling apart, yet neither stopped. Something began to change inside Shinobu. (I cannot give up.) Still crying, she began to steady her breathing. Total Concentration Breathing—drawing air into her lungs. Blood circled through her body. Heat slowly returned to her frozen limbs. She pushed her finger into the gap in the restraint. That moment. Giyuu took the full brunt of the demon's assault. He was sent flying and fell to one knee. The demon turned back. With a triumphant expression, it looked at Shinobu. Its white-clouded eyes narrowed. "The face your sister saw at the end—it was the same face I'm making now." Dawn was still a little ways off. There was still time.

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Episode 5

Name: The Butterfly's Dance, Hearts of Comrades — The Light Shinobu Saw
Author: Novelia

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