Alistair's body started to heal instant almost instantaneous once the master left with his associate. But the three pillars of the home remained around him. His body burned and sizzled through their time of conversation. The open wounds he once had cauterized and sealed from the outside.

The entire time Kocho poked at any of his wounds. As much as she sounded like she didn't want to heal him, she really did. It was another reason why he was so entranced to the girl, it reminded him of his mother to his father. This could've been the reason why they got along so well. But her attitude was toward everyone with it, the big sister who teased the younger.

Mitsuri's arm was actually broken, a makeshift sling Kocho quickly threw up before the group would split apart. It was a little noticable for her eyes to watch Alistair anytime he talked. Now she was much more fantasized over the old stranger. "Tell me Alistair. You never once fought a demon, almost lost, but can go toe to toe with a pillar. Was this your plan all along to get one of us." Tomioka asked.

"The demon caught me off guard. None of my enemies back at home carry anything like them. But if I was aware all demons use that snow ability I easily can handle myself next time." Alistair bragged. He leaned on his back foot and crossed his arms and made sure to flex his biceps.

"Oh actually he might be the only one. Demon blood arts vary from demon to demon. He is the only one to use that. I thought I mentioned that to you before." Kocho joked.

"Still outside of the pillars, demons nor other men could stand near me." Mitsuri's face became even more red as she looked towards the ground.

"I'll see if Himejima is looking for a successor. His breathing technique might just be a variation of his own." Tomioka turned over to th exit of the back and started walking. "Might as well be useful until I'm called on next."

"I don't plan on. I just need to return with my family and complete my objective. After that, the new training and knowledge I've gained comes back to defend the villa."

Mitsuri grabbed Alistair's arm and tugged it into her chest. Alistair froze, compared to the brudish and meat head women of his town these girls were on another league. He felt just like a teenage boy going after the young mothers. "I always had a rule from when I was younger. I would marry the man whoever beat me in battle."

"I can't lass. I couldn't bring you to Scotland and I can't stay here with you."

She tugged harder, her face pouted and eyes watered. "The offer still stands for you to accept."

Alistair had to bit the inside of his mouth past the point of the breakage of the skin. His eyes drifted back to Kocho, even with the smile her anger hidden beneath raged. Possibly not out of Jealousy, more likely from her admiring his strength. She grabbed his arm and pulled a hefty step from Mitsuri.

"Marriage proposal or not he needs his injuries perfected or else he'll never have the chance for clear thought. A man wearing a skirt like us needs some attention."

Alistair became lightly confused at Kocho's comment. He realized soon after and pulled on one of the folds of the royal blue leather bottoms. "Lass, where I come from this is known as a kilt. Out of style yes but nothing says a man is stronger than his enemy like free feeling cloths." He laughed and brushed off the kilt. "I like it." He showed his leg forward over Kocho's. "Thought it was pretty cool we had the same style."

Kocho clapped her hands and raised them into the air. As Confused as it was for him, Kocho was planning against him. Four people smaller than him tied spiked ropes around each limb and pulled back. For a moment he floated in the air before he was pinned and attached to a sled.

"Oi! I'll come with you." He struggled against the resistance piled against him. "No need to get kinky."

"It's not for you." Kocho tapped Alistair's nose and jumped in front of the quad group.

Without the ability to think of a way to struggle, his body lugged off with the cart. A small ride sure, but one he had no choice. At least the imprisonment was short and sweet as the manor was close by. It was beautiful as the other, a solid, custom construction designed for a safe and hospitable environment. The main trail up was enveloped in flowers with rich scents and butterflies to match.

He was finally released after he was placed inside a stretch of a room lined with hospital beds. Within seconds a handful of girls rushed Into the room, no older than fifteen and the youngest hitting double digits. They stood in a neat line just in font of the door from tallest, to the middle, to the small triplets. Each of them kind've reminded Alistair of Kocho.

"It's alright everyone." Kocho assured the group and waved them off with one hand. While the other went for the knots around Alistair. "I have this one on my own list."

"Are you sure about that Lady Shinobi?" The middle child asked. Her face appeared angry with her assurance. She wasn't mad, more determined than anything.

"I'm sure. I'd like his first healing as member of the Demon Slayer Corp to be done by his senpai."

"Senpai." He mumbled. "Oh I remember now, elder. Wait." He looked up at the smiling girl above him. "How old are you?"

The girls left the room just as the final knot became undone. Behind that large smile that never left, a Aurora blossomed. It wasn't like the beauty of a smile or the grace of butterflies. It felt like a roach on the wall. The pain the creature endured popped through the hidden wings on her back.

"Don't you know to never ask a woman her age?"

Her arms reached for the inside of her butterfly komoto. The devilish sword that only a delicate one could ask to wield. His neck snapped sideways away from the slit of the blade. She stabbed down into the sled and chipped off the first chunk.

In response his hand grabbed the sword's blade. Even with his strength he couldn't break the fancy blade. His enhanced and thickened flesh was no match.

His other hand grabbed her wrist and threw her across the room. Yet she acted like it was a game and landed softly on the bed. She placed her hand over her mouth and giggled. "You didn't cut your hand did you, with that brute grip?"

He looked at his hand and grinned himself. "So what if it did?"

"I had to do it in the privacy of my own home to respect my master's orders. But if I'm right with your skills and your refusal to die against the demon you fought. You're one yourself."

"If I was a demon wouldn't someone of your rank recognize me?" He sat up and joked back to one of the beds. "I got my effects on girls, some guys, but I'm not a demon alright."

She jumped at him with another swing. It missed as he curled in his hip and quickly slid away from a head attack. She hit one wall after one attack and went into another immediately.

Alistair tried his best against each of the attacks. He punched and palmed the blade away with each drive or either slid around the large room.

"Demons are always evolving. It's going to happen eventually that one will slip through." She bounced behind Alistair; she kicked into the back of his knee and held his jaw up with the blade to his throat. "But I know that already. I'm still above any demon I will come across."

"So why ask then? What is this all about?" Alistair flexed his throat and threw his head forward. He pushed past the blade and palm punched the girl's chest across one of the beds. "Why is this coming all of a sudden?"

"Demon Slayers require years of training against demons. Practice and dedication for our practice to get where you are."

Alistair stopped in place, he realized and instinctively stopped. His foot snapped up and flipped the bed rapidly in the air. His foot smashed forward at her. As expected she jumped to the side and flew. He grabbed the other bed and tossed it behind her.

His body glided after his inital jump and caught the girl off guard. He came in front of her path and pinned her against the wall. Alistair grabbed her wrist and bashed it into the same wall. He held her entire hand with the sword and wrapped his legs around her chest.

"I fought for years. I covered my body from scars of torture and annihilation. I've had friends die, brothers and sisters of arms murdered because of me. When I became strong enough to swing a sword I fought for pleasure and business."

He released her and dropped to the ground. Right after Kocho also dropped to the ground with her sword holstered. "I've seen many fight because that's all they knew. But none reached against the twelve moons. Until I met you."

"Then follow me." He surveyed the room while his eyes kept on the girl. Very few items around him could do little more than delay the girl. And that's if he could break them apart before her first strike. "I can't convince you with words of who I am. But my actions will do something for you."

"Pinky promise?" She lowered her sword and held up her hand with her pinky raised.

The action had his body jump from the shock and tumble his feet over. He quickly recovered his stand and walked up to her. He wrapped his pinky around hers and confirmed it with a pump.

"That means you can't leave my side until I can trust you."

Alistair smirked at the small girl. He grabbed her side and plopped her to the ground. "This is better for me than you."

"We'll see how it goes. But now let me treat you properly now."

"And maybe some clothes?"

"I guess I can do that. Oh Konoe!" She aimed her voice for the door. "Can you retrieve some clothing for our guest?"

The tallest girl from the group entered the room with a set of perfectly folded clothes in her hands. Her blank stare matched with a hollow smile left him shaken. A shaken gulp drove down his throat as he grabbed the blueish hospital clothes.

"Thank you young one." He nodded down.

She didn't answer with anything, without a nod, or a verbal response, or even a bat of the eyes. She twisted around and left the room. He looked back at Kocho's lively smile. "Is she not fond of me being here?"

"That's just Konoe. Her personality will never change or dive into either side."

"Alright." He cleared his throat. "You can leave my side for the moment. I promise I won't go anywhere."

"Very proud of your big body. But shy with the smaller body." She walked to the door while she waved behind herself. "I see."

He waited for the door to fully close before he finally relaxed his body. He stumbled to one of the untouched beds. His back fell back with his arms as well. The clothes dropped on his face while an exhausted sigh shouted out.

He pried off the clothes and sat up. "Is she flirting with me or does she act like that to everyone?" He slowly went down the buttons of his kilt and tossed the glorified rag and slipped on the new clothes.

The door swung wide open with the triplets running through the door. The didn't say a word to him unless giggles counted. They didn't to him. They paused for a second to look at him before they snatched away the cloth and ran out.

Finally the last girl made her way into the room after the small ones. She made it two steps into the room and stopped with a large stance and crossed arms. "Lady Kocho asked me to practice with you and warm up your reflexes with you. If you want of course."

"I haven't eaten in a solid day. Any food perhaps?" He pushed himself up and walked to the girl. He patted her head before he got out to the hall.

"Hey! Don't do that!" She scrabbled his hand away but still followed to his side. "If you are that hungry I can get you some food." Her stomach growled shortly after.

"If I may be so forward, let's eat together? I'd like to learn of bit."

"If it is what you request, Lady Kocho told me to accept."

Alistair smiled and laughed. "If you don't want to then you don't."

"No!... I'll do it." She pointed to the right and lowered her head slightly. "Let's eat outside, it's a great view for you to see."

Less than an hour went out as a full meal was laid out into the backyard of the manor. Both him and the small girl sat in slight silence as they picked their feast. It was a simple palette of riches and meats of red and white laid out in separate bowls.

"I overheard you aren't really a Demon Slayer but you know everything." She looked up with her forever pouted face. "Can I know your secret."

Alistair paused eating and grinned at the girl. "What you probably didn't hear is that air spent nearly a decade training under their art's. Without even knowing it!" He laughed and went for another scoop of sticky white rice. "By when I was six I learned about the breathing techniques but to be honest, I thought that's how every fighter did. So swords, breathing, styles, it was built into me."

"And your injuries. After my years of this place I never seen someone in your events come so clean."

Ah." He placed the bowl down and pulled the shirt to expose his shoulder. A giant blackened scar burned around his shoulder. "Thats because of my breathing technique. I make my blood boil and heat up my flesh so it cauterized itself. It maybe genetic but they just dont scar after the healing process is over." He picked up the bowl and ate another spoonful. "Lots of questions."

"Lady Kocho wants to know if she can trust you. And so do I. But it explains your power level against on of the twelve moons."

"I'll tell you something kid. Want to know why I'm here? I came for my parents notes. One of the things they were working on and studying. Imagine building an army where it wasn't about the heaviest build guys, the most money, I mean, guns? Where I come from a sword is nothing. But this technique, I've lived through getting stabbed in the head." He threw his arms up and huffed. "All I want to be is free with my nation. All they have now is my brother and my sister to protect them and hope that nobody invades. Nobody knew me and my parents left." He lowered his head and smiled. "All I want, if my people to be safe."

"That is quite a goal you got there. It's quite admirable. But do you have the skills on your own? If you practice with me I can get you those reflexes and lessons to give back to your homeland."

"That's cute you want to help me, but you sure you can stand with me? I maybe a heavier man but I can still run with a child."

"If you say so."

"I don't mean harm or ill intent. As soon as I get my sword, I'll get my notes. Then return home. I've been gone for a year my wi" he paused. "My willpower to stay away is fading. I feel myself uneasy." He bit his lip. "Evem with the beauty of this land." He took a moment to survey the land before he scooted closer to the girl. "Lady, Kocho, does she fancy anyone in particular?" His only response was a weird look. "Like a partner she gets along with behind the orgsnization?"

"She gets paired up with Tomioka alot 'cause their personalities don't clash very often and their style compliment each other."

"What about romantically?"

"I never seen them nor heard them together if it wasn't for an assignment."

"Good to know. Good to, know."

"I wouldn't try to get close to anyone if I were you." She warned. She gained his full attention as she continued to eat. "They may seem spastic characters off doing whatsoever in their missions. But we're family. Close bunch with each other's backs. The closer you get to any of them, the harder it is to leave."

"Okay little one."

Hours past by without much interest to Alistair. He stayed by himself after the nice lunch that he himself found successful. He returned to the room he was originally left in and organized it back into the original state. A bliss silent room where Kocho only stopped in to examine his body.

To her surprise what he said was true. The way his body produced heat kicked his system into overdrive and frantically healed himself. Similarly to a demon but at much slower rates. The scar was seared shut after focused seconds and immediately started to produce antibodies and cells to the wound. Even the wounds from the fight with Mitsuri was an eight inch smaller than before.

The night came and Kocho left him for the night. But the ease of rest never came for him. The feeling in his senses never turned down, whatever was out there stole his sleep. As he laid in bed and waited, the bliss never came.