The Hashira Meeting Hall was unusually quiet.

All nine Hashira sat in their usual places, waiting.

Kagaya Ubuyashiki stood at the center with his gentle smile.

"I have called all of you here today for a special reason."

The Hashira immediately became attentive.

"A new Hashira has recently been promoted."

A few brows lifted.

A new Hashira at such a young age was already rare enough.

"Her name is Shirayuki."

Kagaya paused for a moment.

"There are some things you should know about her before meeting her."

The room grew silent.

"Shirayuki suffers from a severe memory disorder. She forgets many things shortly after they happen. Sometimes conversations. Sometimes names. Occasionally even events that occurred only hours ago."

Several Hashira exchanged glances.

Mitsuri's eyes widened.

Shinobu tilted her head curiously.

Sanemi clicked his tongue.

Kagaya continued calmly.

"So I ask all of you to be patient with her."

Then his smile deepened slightly.

"And one more thing."

"Do not mistake her appearance for weakness."

The room became even quieter.

"She may look like a child."

"She is not."

"Shirayuki became a Hashira at the age of fifteen."

Even Sanemi raised an eyebrow.

"Please welcome her."

The doors slowly opened.

Creaaaaak...

The moment Shirayuki stepped into the room—

A cold wind swept through the hall.

The temperature seemed to drop instantly.

Several Hashira felt chills run down their spines.

Not because of the cold.

Because of her presence.

She was small.

Very small.

Her height was only slightly shorter than Muichiro's.

She looked no older than eleven or twelve.

Long white hair.

Pale skin.

An expressionless face.

No emotion.

No smile.

No anger.

Nothing.

Just silence.

And somehow...

That was the unsettling part.

Mitsuri's thoughts:

She's so cute!

Wait... why is she so scary...?

Obanai's thoughts:

That's a Hashira...?

No... Master's warning wasn't a joke.

Shinobu's thoughts:

Interesting.

She doesn't even react to everyone staring at her.

Sanemi's thoughts:

Tch.

What kind of creepy brat is this?

Muichiro's thoughts:

She looks cold.

Like snow.

Shirayuki walked forward without looking at anyone.

Not Mitsuri.

Not Sanemi.

Not Shinobu.

No one.

Then—

Her eyes landed on Giyu.

For the first time...

A faint warmth appeared in her otherwise empty expression.

Not a smile.

But something close to peace.

Giyu looked back.

A silent acknowledgment.

Nothing more.

Nothing less.

The exchange lasted only a second.

Yet every Hashira noticed it.

They know each other.

The realization spread throughout the room.

Shirayuki finally took her place.

The meeting continued.

After discussing several matters, Kagaya dismissed everyone.

The room became quiet once again.

Nobody moved.

Everyone was still processing what they had just witnessed.

Finally—

Mitsuri couldn't hold herself back anymore.

"Hi, Shirayuki!"

Shirayuki looked at her.

Mitsuri smiled brightly.

"I'm Mitsuri Kanroji! Nice to meet you!"

"Nice to meet you too."

The response was polite and flat.

Mitsuri leaned forward excitedly.

"Okay, I can't stop myself from asking."

"Why is your uniform different from ours?"

Everyone looked down.

Indeed.

Her uniform was noticeably different.

Shirayuki blinked.

"I don't know."

"..."

"I asked a Kakushi once."

Everyone waited.

"What did they say?"

Shirayuki thought for a moment.

"They gave me a creepy smile."

Mitsuri immediately covered her mouth.

"And then they said..."

Shirayuki paused.

"Um..."

"Uh..."

"Ah..."

"They said something."

Silence.

Then Shirayuki looked completely serious.

"I forgot."

For a second nobody reacted.

Then—

Pfft.

Mitsuri burst into laughter.

"Hahahaha!"

Realizing what she did, she quickly covered her mouth.

"Ah! Sorry!"

Shirayuki nodded.

"It's okay."

"I don't remember most things anyway."

Mitsuri laughed even harder.

Even Shinobu struggled to hide her smile.

Then Shinobu spoke.

"I'm more curious about something else."

She looked between Giyu and Shirayuki.

"You two know each other, don't you?"

Giyu answered first.

"Our mentor is the same."

"We trained under Urokodaki-san."

Several Hashira nodded.

That explained it.

Before anyone could continue—

"Tch."

Sanemi's voice echoed through the room.

Everyone looked toward him.

He was glaring directly at Shirayuki.

"You're annoying."

The room froze.

Sanemi crossed his arms.

"I've never seen someone this expressionless before."

"No reactions."

"No emotions."

"Nothing."

He smirked.

"You're like a second Tokito."

Muichiro blinked.

"...Second Tokito?"

Nobody knew whether to laugh or not.

Shirayuki remained silent.

Sanemi clicked his tongue again.

"See?"

"That."

"That creepy blank face."

Still no reaction.

Then suddenly—

Sanemi stood up.

"Fight me."

The room instantly became tense.

Mitsuri panicked.

"Eh?!"

Shinobu sighed.

"Here we go again."

Shirayuki simply stared at him.

Without answering.

Before she could speak—

"Leave her alone."

Giyu's voice interrupted.

Sanemi immediately snapped toward him.

"Oh?"

"What was that?"

Giyu remained calm.

"Master already explained her condition."

"Stop provoking her."

The vein on Sanemi's forehead twitched.

"The hell's with you?"

"Why are you talking so much?"

A grin slowly spread across his face.

"What?"

"She your girlfriend or something?"

Several Hashira nearly choked.

"Or maybe you've got a crush on her?"

Giyu opened his mouth.

Then—

"Brother."

Everyone looked at Shirayuki.

For the first time she addressed Giyu directly.

"Please stop."

Giyu fell silent.

Shirayuki slowly stood.

Her emotionless eyes met Sanemi's.

"Shinazugawa-san."

A cold breeze drifted through the room.

"Let's fight."

The training grounds were cleared shortly afterward.

All the Hashira gathered to watch.

Sanemi grinned.

Finally.

This would be fun.

The fight began.

BOOM!

Sanemi rushed forward immediately.

His sword cut through the air with explosive force.

Shirayuki dodged.

One step.

Two steps.

Three.

Effortless.

Almost like a drifting snowflake.

The battle intensified.

Shockwaves erupted across the field.

The watching Hashira became increasingly stunned.

She wasn't merely keeping up.

She was matching Sanemi.

Then—

Shirayuki finally drew a deep breath.

A strange cold spread through the battlefield.

The grass began turning white.

Frost crawled across the ground.

The air itself seemed to freeze.

Sanemi's instincts screamed.

Too late.

"Snow Breathing..."

The temperature dropped drastically.

"First Form—"

CRACK.

Ice exploded outward across the battlefield.

The earth instantly transformed into frozen terrain.

Sanemi looked down.

His eyes widened.

His feet were trapped.

Solid ice had formed around his legs.

The more he struggled—

The tighter it became.

"What the—?!"

The watching Hashira stood up in shock.

Even Obanai's eyes widened.

The entire battlefield had become a frozen domain.

Shirayuki stood calmly in the center.

White snow danced around her.

Expressionless.

Silent.

Cold.

For the first time—

Sanemi realized why Kagaya had warned them.

This girl wasn't a child.

She wasn't weak.

She was a monster wearing the face of a little girl.

And somehow...

That emotionless stare was far scarier than any rage he had ever seen.

...This is your outfit btw👇👇👇...

...

...

The frozen battlefield crackled under the pressure of Shirayuki's technique.

CRRRRACK...

Ice continued spreading across the ground like a living thing.

Frost climbed over rocks.

Grass disappeared beneath layers of white.

The air became painfully cold.

Sanemi pulled against the ice trapping his legs.

Nothing happened.

The frozen restraints didn't budge.

A vein appeared on his forehead.

He pulled harder.

Still nothing.

"Tch!"

The Wind Hashira's irritation quickly became anger.

Then anger became shouting.

"OI!"

"What kind of stupid technique is this?!"

He yanked again.

The ice held firm.

"The hell did you do to my feet?!"

The other Hashira silently watched.

Nobody dared interrupt.

"GET ME OUT OF THIS CRAP!"

Shirayuki stared at him.

Expressionless.

Sanemi kept yelling.

"This better not be the best you've got!"

"COME ON!"

"FIGHT PROPERLY!"

"STOP JUST STANDING THERE!"

The battlefield became quiet for a moment.

Then Shirayuki spoke.

"You talk too much."

Silence.

Complete silence.

The world itself seemed to stop.

Everyone froze.

Even Sanemi.

Mitsuri's thoughts:

She actually said it.

Obanai's thoughts:

That took courage.

Shinobu's thoughts:

Ara ara...

How unexpected.

Muichiro's thoughts:

She's right though.

Several Hashira immediately looked away to hide their reactions.

Because—

She was absolutely correct.

Sanemi talked a lot when he was angry.

A dangerous amount.

For a second nobody could believe Shirayuki had actually said it out loud.

Then—

A twitch appeared on Sanemi's face.

Another.

And another.

The smile that followed was terrifying.

"Oh."

His voice was low.

Dangerously low.

"Oh, so the snow brat can talk."

The atmosphere immediately became heavier.

Mitsuri took a nervous step back.

Shinobu sighed.

Now you've done it.

Sanemi's grip tightened around his sword.

His muscles tensed.

The veins on his arms bulged.

"Say that again."

Shirayuki tilted her head slightly.

"You."

A pause.

"Talk."

Another pause.

"Too much."

The spectators nearly died on the spot.

Even Giyu looked mildly surprised.

Sanemi's eye twitched violently.

Then—

His grin widened.

"Fine."

A powerful gust exploded around him.

Wind pressure erupted outward.

The ground shattered.

The ice around his legs began cracking.

CRACK.

CRACK.

CRAAAAACK!

Shirayuki's eyes narrowed slightly.

The frozen restraints were breaking.

Sanemi roared.

"Don't underestimate me, brat!"

BOOOOOM!!

A massive burst of force exploded from his body.

The ice shattered into thousands of pieces.

Sharp frozen fragments flew across the battlefield.

Several spectators instinctively raised their arms.

Sanemi finally stepped forward.

Free.

Completely free.

A savage grin stretched across his face.

"There."

He rolled his shoulders.

"Now we're actually fighting."

The ground beneath his feet exploded.

BOOM!

He vanished.

Mitsuri gasped.

"So fast!"

In an instant Sanemi appeared directly in front of Shirayuki.

His sword descended with monstrous force.

CLANG!

Ice erupted upward just in time.

The blade slammed into a thick frozen wall.

The impact shattered it instantly.

But Shirayuki was already gone.

Sanemi clicked his tongue.

"Fast."

For the first time since the fight began—

He sounded impressed.

Shirayuki landed several meters away.

Snow drifted around her.

Her expression remained unchanged.

Yet everyone watching could tell.

The battle had just entered a completely different level.

And for the first time—

Sanemi looked genuinely excited.

Not annoyed.

Not angry.

Excited.

Because Shirayuki wasn't running anymore.

She was preparing for the next form.

Sanemi charged forward once again.

The battlefield shook beneath his feet.

"STOP RUNNING AND FIGHT PROPERLY!"

"You really do talk too much."

Before anyone could react—

Shirayuki vanished.

Sanemi's eyes widened.

Fast.

Too fast.

She appeared behind him in an instant.

Using his own momentum against him, she twisted, grabbed his arm, and threw him to the ground.

BOOM!

Dust exploded into the air.

The watching Hashira froze.

Sanemi found himself pinned flat on his back.

Shirayuki held both of his wrists firmly against the ground.

No matter how hard he struggled, he couldn't break free.

The strength hidden inside her small frame was absurd.

For several seconds neither of them spoke.

Then Shirayuki calmly tilted her head.

"So?"

Sanemi glared at her.

"Now what, Mister Loud?"

The spectators immediately went silent.

Mitsuri covered her mouth.

Shinobu's shoulders shook slightly as she fought back laughter.

Obanai looked like he had just witnessed a miracle.

Sanemi opened his mouth—

Then closed it again.

For the first time since the battle started, he had absolutely nothing to say.

The realization only made him angrier.

"Tch."

Shirayuki stared at him.

Waiting.

"..."

"..."

Finally Sanemi clicked his tongue.

"Fine."

The words sounded painful.

"You win."

Shirayuki blinked.

"You surrender?"

"Yeah."

His eye twitched.

"I surrender."

A moment later she released him and stepped back.

Sanemi immediately stood up and dusted himself off.

The battle was over.

Shirayuki looked at him calmly.

"Next time, don't pick fights with me."

The Wind Hashira scowled.

She continued.

"You're my senior, so I was respectful."

A brief pause.

"Next time I might not be."

Several Hashira nearly choked.

Even Sanemi looked stunned.

Then, without waiting for a response, Shirayuki turned around and began walking away.

Just like that.

No celebration.

No pride.

No reaction.

She simply left.

Behind her stood a collection of stunned Hashira.

The silence lasted three whole seconds.

Then Obanai smirked.

"Oh?"

Sanemi immediately sensed danger.

Obanai crossed his arms.

"How does it feel?"

"..."

"Getting thrown around by the new Hashira."

Sanemi's eye twitched.

Obanai continued mercilessly.

"Not just defeated."

"Pinned."

"Completely."

"Couldn't even get up."

"Shut up."

Mitsuri looked away to hide her laughter.

Shinobu failed completely.

A soft giggle escaped her lips.

Then Giyu spoke.

"I warned you."

Everyone looked toward him.

Sanemi narrowed his eyes.

Giyu remained expressionless.

"I made the same mistake."

The room became interested immediately.

"You did?" Shinobu asked.

Giyu nodded.

"When we were training."

Sanemi stared.

Giyu looked completely serious.

"She beat me too."

Several Hashira blinked.

"Although..."

Giyu paused.

"I surrendered before she had to throw me."

For a moment the battlefield was silent.

Then Mitsuri burst out laughing.

Even Shinobu couldn't stop smiling.

Obanai smirked.

"Poor Sanemi."

That was the final straw.

A dangerous aura erupted from Sanemi.

Everyone immediately stopped talking.

He slowly turned around.

The look in his eyes promised violence.

Nobody volunteered another joke.

"Tch."

Sanemi started walking away.

As he left, he continued muttering complaints under his breath.

"Annoying brat..."

"Creepy snow girl..."

"Second Tokito..."

The others watched him disappear into the distance.

And for once—

The loudest Hashira had absolutely no comeback.

Shirayuki continued walking toward her estate.

The snow around her remained calm, almost untouched, as if the world itself made space for her presence. Her long dark hair moved gently with the cold wind.

Everything was quiet.

Until she reached the gate.

She stopped.

“…?”

Her icy eyes narrowed slightly.

Because just a short distance away from her estate stood another one.

She had never paid much attention to it before.

But now—

Someone was standing there.

A familiar silhouette.

As the wind picked up, the haori fluttered.

Crimson eyes.

Messy white hair.

Sanemi Shinazugawa.

“…!”

For the first time, Shirayuki’s expression didn’t change—but her eyes widened just slightly.

And Sanemi reacted the same way.

Both of them froze.

“….”

“….”

A heavy silence stretched between them.

The wind grew colder, sharper, almost uncomfortable.

Sanemi was the first to break eye contact.

“Tch… don’t tell me…”

His voice dropped slightly.

“…you’re not serious.”

Shirayuki tilted her head a little, still calm.

Her gaze shifted between both estates.

Then she spoke, flat and quiet:

“…Neighbor.”

That single word landed like a shockwave.

Sanemi’s eyes widened instantly.

“WHAT?!”

He stepped forward aggressively.

“You’re telling me I’ve been living next to you this whole time?!”

Shirayuki blinked once.

“…Apparently.”

Silence again.

Sanemi clicked his tongue loudly, turning his head away.

“Tch. Ridiculous…”

But this time, his anger didn’t feel as sharp as before.

More like disbelief… and something else he wasn’t willing to name.

Shirayuki looked at him for a moment longer, then slowly turned her gaze back toward her estate.

“…This explains a lot,” she said quietly.

“Explains what?!” Sanemi snapped immediately.

But she didn’t answer.

Instead, she walked toward her gate as if the situation was already settled in her mind.

Her voice drifted back over her shoulder, calm as falling snow.

“Try not to make too much noise next time, Shinazugawa-san.”

Sanemi stood there, stunned.

Then he shouted after her:

“WHO ARE YOU CALLING NOISY?!”

But Shirayuki had already disappeared inside her estate.

Leaving Sanemi alone outside his gate, staring at the walls between them.

“…Tch.”

He clicked his tongue again.

But this time, he didn’t move right away.

Because for some reason—

Living next to her suddenly felt like a much bigger problem than fighting her.

That night, the snow fell heavier than usual.

Shirayuki sat alone in her estate’s quiet room, the faint glow of a lantern casting soft light across the wooden floor. Outside, the wind moved through the trees like a distant whisper.

She wasn’t disturbed by silence.

She was used to it.

Still—

Her eyes lifted slightly.

“…?”

A sound.

Not inside her estate.

Outside.

A footstep on snow.

Deliberate. Heavy. Unapologetic.

Shirayuki stood up without hesitation and moved toward the veranda. The cold air greeted her immediately as she slid the door open.

And there he was.

Standing at the edge of the boundary between their estates.

Sanemi Shinazugawa.

Arms crossed. Brow furrowed. Looking like he had absolutely no intention of leaving.

Shirayuki stared.

“…What are you doing here?”

Sanemi scoffed.

“Tch. Don’t get the wrong idea.”

He tilted his head slightly toward her estate.

“I was just checking something.”

“…Checking what?”

His eye twitched a little.

“Whether you’re actually going to keep breathing over there or not.”

Silence.

Shirayuki blinked once.

“…That makes no sense.”

“Shut up.”

Another silence fell between them, colder than the snow.

Then Shirayuki spoke again, calmer.

“You’re standing on my property line.”

Sanemi immediately looked down.

Then back up.

“Tch.”

He didn’t move.

Instead, he leaned slightly forward, narrowing his eyes.

“Hey.”

“…?”

“You always this annoying, or is it just for me?”

Shirayuki thought for a moment.

“…I behave normally.”

Sanemi clicked his tongue.

“That’s not an answer.”

For a second, neither of them spoke.

Snowflakes drifted between them like slow falling paper.

Then Shirayuki said quietly:

“You’re still loud.”

Sanemi’s vein visibly twitched.

“…You really wanna start again?”

“I’m not starting anything.”

A pause.

“…You are already loud.”

“—Tch!”

He stepped forward abruptly, but stopped at the boundary line again, like something was holding him back.

Shirayuki noticed.

Her eyes lowered slightly.

“…You’re not crossing.”

Sanemi frowned.

“So what?”

“…You’re respecting the boundary.”

That made him pause.

A beat of silence.

Then he scoffed, turning his head away.

“Tch. Don’t make it sound like I care.”

But he didn’t move forward.

Shirayuki watched him for a moment longer.

Then, unexpectedly—

“…Tea?”

Sanemi froze.

“…Hah?”

She repeated calmly.

“Do you want tea?”

A long silence.

Then—

“What kind of question is that?!”

But even as he shouted, he didn’t leave.

Shirayuki tilted her head slightly.

“…Yes or no.”

Sanemi gritted his teeth.

“Tch… whatever.”

He stepped over the boundary.

Just one step.

But it was enough.

Inside her estate, the wind felt different.

Quieter.

And as Shirayuki turned to lead the way inside, Sanemi followed behind—still irritated, still tense…

But strangely not walking away.

Not this time.