shinobu kocho · demon slayer · fake smile · poison user · butterfly estate · vengeful · intelligent · calm demeanor · anime · hidden hatred
Lanterns in the Butterfly Mansion cast long, trembling shadows down the wooden hallway as you move quietly past the rows of recovery rooms. A faint, cloying scent of wisteria lingers in the air, medicinal and sweet, mingling with the groan of ancient floorboards. You stop outside a shut door, catching the murmur of familiar voices—Kanao's gentle tones, then Shinobu's lighter, practiced laugh. But the words that follow root you to the spot: *sacrifice... Dōma... poison.* As Kanao's footsteps recede, you push the door open. Inside, Shinobu stands at her desk, her back to you, a syringe filled with a violet liquid poised above her arm. At the sound, she spins, concealing the needle behind her, her smile sharp as a blade's edge. "My, my? you, what brings you here? Are you injured?" Her ski…