CHAPTER 85: CHAPTER 85: PINKY PROMISE

Kanae raced forward, her anxiety coursing through every nerve.

Her mind churned with conflicting thoughts. At times, she regretted bringing Sosuke along. His swordsmanship was still incomplete, his skills not yet fully developed. Facing a man-eating demon alone, the outcome was far from certain.

’If I find something I can’t bear to see, I’ll go mad!’

Yet she couldn’t help but fantasize about Sosuke’s victory—a pride she could already feel, though it hadn’t yet come to pass, sending shivers down her spine.

But all these thoughts and emotions coalesced into a gnawing anxiety and restlessness.

Unbeknownst to her, she desperately craved news of the man’s safety. The so-called pride of a victor paled in comparison to his well-being.

It was as if this moment had finally revealed the unconscious, deep-seated place he held within her heart.

He had quietly claimed her entire heart.

Finally, just as Sosuke’s final strike severed the demon’s head, she appeared in the distance.

She watched Sosuke’s blade flash, severing the demon’s head.

But at the same moment... she also saw the demon’s dying strike—a desperate shuto thrust!

"No!!!"

The scream erupted before her mind could even process what she was seeing. Her feet moved like lightning, and in an instant, she was at his side.

Yet during that frantic dash,Sosuke’s body hadn’t touched the ground.

’He... had been pierced?’

The thought instantly transformed her anxiety, which had been coursing through every nerve, into sheer terror. The fear made her hands tremble uncontrollably.

Rushing to their sides, she found all her experience deserting her. She stared helplessly at Sosuke, suspended in mid-air, unable to bear the sight of the arm protruding from his back. Tears welled in her eyes, threatening to spill over.

"You... you..."

She stammered two words before Sosuke spoke, his voice strained, "That really hurts."

"What do I do... what should I do?" Kanae panicked, barely registering the confident tone in Sosuke’s voice.

"It’s okay, it’s okay... His fingers just poked in a little. Just help me pull them out."

Sosuke said.

"Huh?"

Kanae finally realized something was wrong. Pull them out?

She quickly examined him more closely and discovered that Sosuke hadn’t been pierced by the Demon.

In fact, the Demon’s four fingers had indeed pierced his abdomen, but they had stopped there. Sosuke was gripping the Demon’s wrist tightly, preventing its hand from advancing any further.

As if waking from a dream, Kanae’s blade flashed, severing the Demon’s arm instantly.

The already-dead Demon finally began to disintegrate after this final strike.

Sosuke landed on his feet, refusing Kanae’s help. With a grunt, he yanked the fingers out of his abdomen.

The wound was only about an inch deep—not fatal, but excruciatingly painful!

Sosuke winced in pain, sucking on his gums. Using his breathing technique to control the bleeding and prevent excessive blood loss, he finally let out a sigh of relief.

Turning to look at Kanae, he felt a pang of tenderness. "Why are you crying? I’m perfectly fine, aren’t I?"

Kanae bit her lip, wiped away her tears, and moved to Sosuke’s side. She pressed him down onto the ground, knelt beside him, and silently began treating his wounds.

The Demon’s claws were razor-sharp, but thankfully not poisonous. After applying medicine and bandaging the wounds, Sosuke was already bouncing back to his usual energetic self.

By the time the bandaging was complete, the Demon had already turned to ash.

Sosuke let out a long sigh of relief. Seeing Kanae’s red-rimmed eyes, he couldn’t help but feel a warmth in his heart. He tugged at her hand. "I’m okay."

Kanae silently leaned closer, resting her head on Sosuke’s shoulder without a word.

This made Sosuke feel a little uneasy. His eyes darted around before he blurted out, "I was wrong."

"...What exactly did you do wrong?" Kanae asked.

"Everything," Sosuke immediately admitted defeat, relieved to get any response at all.

Kanae glanced at him, her eyes filled with reproach and lingering fear. "Your answer proves you haven’t truly grasped the gravity of your mistake."

"Yes, yes, I haven’t reflected deeply enough," Sosuke chuckled. "Then, Flower Pillar-sama, please enlighten me?"

"Very well!" Kanae replied. "I permitted you to train by fighting demons alone while I was nearby. But why did you chase after that one by yourself? Don’t you realize how dangerous that was? Most importantly, I was right there! You could have taken care of the injured child while I pursued the demon. That way, you wouldn’t have gotten hurt."

Sosuke could only nod. "I didn’t think things through properly. I was too focused on impressing you and didn’t consider the consequences."

"You weren’t trying to show off in front of me. You simply didn’t want him to keep eating people and intended to kill him completely."

Kanae sighed softly. "Actually, there’s nothing wrong with that. I’m the one who was wrong to say you were. Whether you become a full member of the Demon Slayer Corps or continue training with that goal in mind, having such resolve and being able to translate it directly into action is commendable..."

Sosuke nodded silently, waiting for the "but..."

As expected, Kanae continued, "But... recognition is one thing. Worry and fear are entirely different. When the same thing happens to someone else, I can calmly respect their character and honor their sacrifice. But when it comes to you... I, I can’t do it at all. So, it’s actually my fault."

She lowered her head in frustration. "My resolve isn’t strong enough. You’re not the one who’s wrong."

Sosuke let out a soft breath, tightening his embrace around the girl in his arms. Enduring the pain in his abdomen from the pressure, he murmured gently, "No one can ignore the potential danger to the person they cherish most. Your worry, fear, and terror—they all stem from how much you value me. You’re not wrong to feel this way. It was my fault for not considering the consequences of my recklessness and putting you through such agony. I promise I won’t take such risks again. I’ll never let you feel that helplessness again. I swear it."

Kanae, her eyes glistening with tears, looked up at Sosuke. "Really?"

Sosuke nodded solemnly and extended his hand. "Pinky promise?"

"Childish," she scoffed, yet hooked her pinky around his. "It’s a promise! If you lie, you have to swallow a thousand needles!"

Sosuke shuddered. "That’s terrifying!"

"Good! Now you know how scared I was!" Kanae glared at him. "What would I do if something happened to you?"

Sosuke gazed at her with tender affection, pressing a soft kiss to her forehead. "It’s a promise," he whispered.