There was an uproar among the Demon Slayers today.
Crows were flying to the farthest distances, bringing the message that shocked all.
All Demon Slayers, other than those who were on missions of pursuing ongoing demon incidents, were being called back.
Not to the HQ, though.
Their destination was — the Butterfly Mansion!
Against the dusk, the Butterfly Mansion looked like made up of thousands of blobs of light coming to life.
Every corner, from ground to roof, was decorated with lush flowers and hanging lanterns.
Black-dressed demon slayers were rushing here and there, decorating the walls with tapestries, silk clothes, and vines.
Leading everyone was none other than Aoi Kanzaki.
"You over there!" she shouted, punching at the sky. "That's not scented! I asked for scented sheets!"
"Aa-aa..." the young Kakushi didn't know what to do and ran off.
"I am so gonna..." A vein danced on Aoi Kanzaki's head.
"How dare you laugh..."
Aoi's words caught in her throat.
The one who had laughed was a red-haired man, dressed in plain black kimono. Even in the baggy clothes, his muscular stature couldn't help but stand out.
She remembered what they called this one.
Red Sun looked at the young girl and smiled. "Hey, little girl..."
"Wha... What?" Aoi asked, remembering the white skin and purple eyes he had seen on this man before he had returned to normal appearance.
Red Sun thought of his son, rubbed his chin, and asked, "... would you like to marry..."
One slap and a punch sent Red Sun flying into the air, making him disappear against the dark sky. Literally.
Aoi looked at the two women standing in front of her and blushed.
Her mistress was the most beautiful lady she knew. Still, these two... just how could someone be this beautiful?
With red hair and brown eyes, Meg was dressed in a black-green kimono, an angry twitch dancing on her lips.
Next to her, Moraine the Elegant was dressed in a black-white kimono, her blue hair and eyes contrasting all the colors.
Not far from her, there was an old man with a hunched back. After dealing with everything, Kai had brought Old Sage to the Verse Fusion as well.
"That rascal!" Moraine cursed.
"Humph!" Meg snorted.
Then another woman walked into Aoi's sight.
Her eyes narrowed, for she was seeing her for the first time as well.
Black hair, black eyes, and... normally dressed. This woman looked simple — only if she were to ignore her eyes.
Eyes! Yes, now Aoi recalled. Those silver-gray eyes...
Spawn nodded at Aoi and smiled. "Carry on," she said gently.
Suddenly, laughs overwhelmed the surroundings, making Aoi ground her teeth.
Between the three ladies and Aoi, three little girls came running, playing catch or something.
They all had long, white hair, but their eyes were weird, yellow, gray, and black. It wasn't just that they were loud, but they were a huge pain in the ass, messing up all decorations.
"You three!" Aoi shouted at them as they ran away, sticking out their tongues at her. "You just wish I don't catch you!"
Then, the little manager ran off, trying to catch the Three-Headed Devourer.
After an hour, now thoroughly defeated and tired, Aoi walked into the mistress' room.
Her ears had gone numb, making her incapable of hearing the giggles and words getting thrown around within the room.
Her sight was still working, though.
So, when Aoi lifted her head to report to her mistress, what she saw left her dumbstruck.
Surrounded by the Love Hashira, dressed in a white-pink kimono, and a blond woman, dressed in a pure black kimono, was Shinobu Kocho.
Light seemed to converge around her, draping her shoulders like a cloak.
In her white and violet, bride's kimono, she looked like a fairy among mortals.
Then, after a long moment, Aoi picked up on the words.
"... Ara! Your lips are a little weird, Cersei," Shinobu said, smiling slyly.
"Still better than your height," Cersei threw back. "You look like his daughter."
"Ara!" Shinobu raised an eyebrow. "Where did you learn to talk like that? Entertainment District?"
Cersei's green eyes twitched.
"What do you know about entertainment?" she asked, smiling. She put up flowers on Shinobu's head delicately, tying them to her hair with perfection. "Taking it only half inside you... is not called entertainment..."
"Cough!" The Love Hashira, Mitsuri, coughed. She pointed at Aoi with her chin.
Shinobu and Cersei exchanged a glance and snorted.
"Aoi..." the Insect Hashira looked at her with a smile that melted hearts. "All done?"
"... Yes," Aoi nodded. "They are ... waiting for you ... downstairs."
Shinobu nodded. "Yes, let's go... Sigh!"
Aoi turned around, but then stopped, and faced the three women again.
"Yes?" Shinobu adjusted her hair.
"... What's taking it half inside means?"
The main hall of the Butterfly Mansion was filled with drunken shouts, laughs, and roars of victory.
There was a never-seen... joy in the air, Kagaya noticed.
On one side were the Hashiras. Drinking! Now that was a sight.
On the other side were the people Kai had brought with him, sharing those drinks.
Kai... Even after this long, after spending talking with that man, after sharing their hearts, Kagaya still couldn't unravel the true mystery behind this man.
It was because of this, he had stopped himself from fully trusting Kai.
However, the things that happened a few days back made him finally settle his questioning heart.
This joy. This happiness. This celebration.
If he were to go into the past and tell his old self that he would be seeing such a sight, then he was sure that Kagaya of then would never believe him.
Four of the Upper Ranks were dead.
The Hashiras were all alive, kicking, growing stronger.
And one of them was getting married right in front of his eyes.
Kagaya's sight blurred, hushed tears bubbling in his eyes. Perhaps, now, he could peacefully move on without worrying about the future of demon slayers.
Only if he could see Muzan dying as well...
The strong desire made Kagaya frown, but then the roaring surroundings went quiet, making him rest his thoughts.
Dressed in black kimono, haori, and hakama was Kai, his short, white hair resting neatly against the black colors.
Those snake-like hazel eyes, with the purple rings, still unnerved Kagaya a bit.
Still, he was blessed with the sight to look into hearts.
Kai's heart... was grand, calm, and full of hope.
Kagaya looked at Shinobu, then.
Dressed in white and violet, she looked content.
Kagaya suddenly recalled Kanae Kocho and thought what a blessing it would have been if she were alive today.
The three sisters Kai had brought with him, all powerful than Hashiras, and Kanao Tsuyuri, were walking behind the couple.
When Kai and Shinobu stood right in front of him, the four girls walked away.
"Sit," Kagaya said, smiling, taking a deep breath.
The groom and the bride sat facing each other.
Surprisingly, it was the Water Hashira who came forward.
He put two bowls between the couple and then poured the drink for them.
The Water Hashira still refused to look at Kai, but...
"... Giyu..." Shinobu mumbled, looking at him.
When the Water Hashira was gone, Kagaya proceeded with the ceremony. "Drink."
"I will talk to him later," Kai said, lifting the cup.
Shinobu sighed and smiled back at Kai, lifting her cup as well.
Under the gazes of demon slayers, Kagaya witnessed the couple sharing drinks, promises, and oaths, and pronounced them husband and wife.
When the rituals ended and the shouts overwhelmed the darkest corners once again —
— Kagaya knew the light he had been seeking all this time was sitting right in front of him.
AN: Original Images of Shinobu (in wedding dress) and Kai and Shinobu's wedding are available
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