As they were bantering, a crow flew down and landed next to Kanae.
"Mission complete, mission complete!!" it screeched in Japanese.
Cade looked at the crow curiously—it was his first time seeing a talking bird. Noticing his reaction, Kanae tilted her head and asked,
"What, never seen a Kasugai Crow? Aren't you a Demon Slayer?"
"Do I look like one?" Cade replied, gesturing to his black robe, cloak, and sword.
Kanae thought about it for a moment. She had to admit, she hadn't heard of any foreigners in the Corps—especially not ones strong enough to split a demon in two without being a Hashira.
"What are you then?"
"I'm just your average, everyday cultivator," Cade said with a casual shrug. He saw no need to hide what he was from Kanae—it wasn't like it could hurt him.
"Cultivator? What does being a farmer have to do with anything?"
Cade blinked. "Farmer?"
He stared at her for a moment before bursting into laughter—a loud, warm sound that echoed through the now-silent clearing.
Kanae tilted her head, violet eyes amused. "Did I say something funny?"
"Not wrong," Cade said between chuckles, wiping a tear from his eye. "I do grow things. Mostly pain for people trying to kill me."
"Ah," Kanae nodded slowly, a sly smile curling at her lips. "So you're a combat farmer."
Cade grinned. "Exactly. I plant swords and harvest bodies."
She raised an eyebrow. "Very poetic."
"Thank you," he said with a dramatic little bow. "It's a fine art."
The crow cawed again impatiently, flapping its wings. Kanae glanced at it, then turned back to Cade.
"So... Cultivator," she repeated, rolling the unfamiliar word around in her mouth. "That's not from around here, is it?"
"Nah," Cade replied, slipping his sword back into its sheath. "Let's just say I took the long route getting here."
Kanae studied him for a moment longer, then turned away, her white haori fluttering in the wind as she began walking down the village path.
Cade watched her for a second, then called out, "You're welcome, by the way."
She glanced over her shoulder, eyes glinting with mischief.
"Oh, I'm sure I'll return the favor someday, Cultivator."
Cade chuckled, shaking his head as he followed after her.
"Can't wait."
"A little late to ask, but… what's your name? I'm Kanae Kocho."
"Cade Vincent. Pleasure to meet you, Miss Kocho."
"By the way, where are we going?"
"I'm going to the village to rest for the night before my next mission," Kanae said. "You, on the other hand, are following me like a lost puppy." She grinned.
"Hey, I saved your life. Also, I'm a foreigner—where do you expect me to go? You're the only person I know!" Cade shot back, grinning as he walked ahead.
He could feel something shifting inside—like the bottleneck to Spirit Master was loosening, and his sword intent was on the verge of evolving.
"Fine. You can come along."
"You weren't actually going to leave me here, right?"
"...Maybe."
Cade sighed, then gave a massive grin. 'I have a feeling this is going to be a long and fun adventure.'
As they bantered and walked together, they began to grow closer. Surprisingly, they were more alike than they realized. They avoided talking about personal matters for now, but even so, a subtle connection was already forming.
When they reached the village, Kanae informed the old man—who had earlier pointed her in the direction of the demons—that the danger was gone. Then, they headed to the local inn. Kanae helped Cade get a room and even paid for it out of her pocket.
The entire time, Cade couldn't help but notice the strange looks he was getting from the villagers. It made sense—it was likely the first time they had ever seen a foreigner.
After resting for the night, they woke up early in the morning, had breakfast, and set off to continue their travels.
"So, Kanae, where are we going now?" Cade asked casually.
Kanae blushed slightly at hearing her first name spoken so naturally but didn't bother to correct him."I have another mission nearby. Are you just going to follow me around?"
"If you don't mind, I feel like sticking with you for now."
They walked in comfortable silence for a while. As they made their way down a narrow path cutting through tall grass and cherry blossom trees, Cade couldn't help but marvel at the natural beauty of the Japanese countryside. The morning mist still clung to the hills, dew glistening on every leaf.
His thoughts drifted to the night before—he had finally comprehended the peak of sword intent. It now flowed through him freely, no longer limited to his blade. He could imbue it into anything: his hand, the ground, even a leaf if he wished. On top of that, he had reached the complete stage of the Void's Whisper technique.
Just as he was losing himself in the moment, Kanae's voice pulled him back to reality.
"So, Cade… what are you doing in Japan? And what exactly is a cultivator?"
Cade smiled, always happy to talk about his path."I heard about demons and the Demon Slayer Corps. I wanted to help—protecting humanity seemed like a worthy enough cause."
He paused, then extended his hand. A faint shimmer wrapped around it as his sword intent appeared like a transparent mist.
"And as for cultivators..." he said, turning to a nearby tree. With a flick of his wrist, he sent a razor-thin arc of energy flying. The tree split cleanly in two, toppling loudly as the cut sealed itself with unnatural precision.
"We use spiritual energy to strengthen our bodies and souls."
Kanae blinked, her expression unreadable. For a moment, there was silence again—only the wind rustling through the leaves.
"That's... Strange," she finally said, a smile of wonder tugging at her lips. Does it change your biology at all, what are the exact benefits to cultivating, are immune to illnesses, do you have any weaknesses?..." Kanae continued asking questions rapidly, her inner doctor exploding with curiosity.
" Hey, Hey, slow down one question at a time." Cade said a bit overwhelmed.
" Sorry, my bad" She said now blushing in embarrassment.
Just as she was going to ask her question the Kasugai Crow Screeched something making her get all serious, noticing this Cade placed his hand on his sword hilt.
" There's a really strong demon up ahead much stronger than the ones we faced yesterday and it's attacking another demon slayer."