Tap tap ×2
Outside the house, along the small path leading to the residential area, two eerie black shadows of similar height gradually appeared.
As they emerged, the surrounding air began to darken, and a sinister mist crept over the village, filling it with an intense killing aura.
Crackle! ×N
The lamps hanging along the walls on both sides flickered as the two shadows passed, giving off faint crackling sounds before exploding one after another. The once warm and well-lit village path was now engulfed in darkness—like a haunted village.
"Hmm~?"
The man leading the way—or rather, the male demon—stopped in his tracks. Closing his eyes, he focused his senses on the surroundings, then slowly crouched to the ground and sniffed the surface lightly.
Pop!
A temari ball bounced off the ground with a dull thud. It was caught by a short-haired female demon standing beside him. She wore a black haori over an orange inner robe. Her hair tips and eyes were a faint orange hue, her skin deathly pale, her mouth filled with sharp beast-like fangs—her expression ferocious and utterly grotesque.
The male demon, on the other hand, was different. He wore an earthy-colored coat, with blue prayer beads hanging around his neck. His cropped black hair and perpetually closed eyes added to his ghostly pallor.
"Can you see it~?"
Pop!
She bounced the temari again and teased her companion in a playful tone.
"Mhm~ I can see it."
The crouching male demon grinned eerily. Spreading his palm against the ground, an eye suddenly opened in its center. Blood-like veins spread from the edges as the eyeball swiveled rapidly, making click click wet, sticky noises.
"I've found their footprints."
He looked at his partner with delight.
Rustle.
As soon as he spoke, the pattern in his palm's eye shifted into an arrow shape, pointing toward the dead-end wall ahead.
"Oh~?"
The female demon's grin widened, revealing sharp teeth—a delighted yet twisted expression.
"I see~"
The male demon pressed his hand closer to the ground, letting the eye trace the tracks.
In his vision, footprints appeared along the dirt path—more than one pair. There were many, spreading outward in different directions.
"They circled around here once. There are four of them now... and they're carrying a big box."
He grinned, excitement creeping into his tone.
"Ah~ and there's one among them giving off such a sweet, delicious scent... like a dessert... my mouth's watering."
Slurp~
He exaggeratedly sucked in his drool.
"That lord really values us. Giving us such an important job~ how nice!"
He stood up again, voice brimming with anticipation.
"Hehe~ So how should we kill them?"
Pop!
The temari bounced on the ground again, landing in the female demon's hand. She slapped it rhythmically between her palm and the floor, producing crisp pa pa sounds.
"Hehe~! I can feel the power surging through me~!"
The female demon laughed wildly, her voice echoing through the night like the eerie cry of a forest witch.
"All thanks to that lord sharing his blood with us."
"Then let's kill them in the cruelest way possible—especially that boy... Tanjiro Kamado!"
"After all, he's our lord's first target~!"
"Hehehehe—!"
Rustle!
Their chilling laughter—one male, one female—reverberated through the village, echoing across the night sky like the cries of vengeful spirits. Birds nearby were startled into flight, scattering in panic.
...
Meanwhile, at Tamayo's residence—
"Eh?! So Yushiro... became a demon because of you, Miss Tamayo? But... eh?"
Tanjiro was dumbfounded after hearing Tamayo's explanation about Yushiro's origins. He hadn't even processed it yet. Did that mean she had bitten him? Or that he had wanted to become a demon himself? No... wasn't it said that only Muzan Kibutsuji could—
"Yes... ordinarily, you're right. No one except Muzan Kibutsuji can turn a human into a demon. Your understanding isn't wrong."
Tamayo did not show much of a reaction upon hearing Tanjiro's words. She only nodded silently, as though she had already guessed the reason behind his surprise. In her violet eyes, a complex expression flickered.
"After all, it took me over two hundred years... and I have only ever succeeded in turning this one child into a demon."
"Two... two hundred years?! You said it took you over two hundred years and you only managed to turn this one child into a demon—how old are—"
Thud!
"Ugh—ah!!"
Thump!
Before he could even finish, Yushiro punched him squarely in the chest, knocking him backward onto the floor!
"Hasn't anyone ever told you not to ask a woman her age?!"
Yushiro shouted furiously at him.
"Haa..."
The Shogun let out a quiet sigh... she'd had enough of this kind of farce.
"Yushiro, if you hit him again, I'll be angry."
Tamayo frowned slightly, clearly exasperated, and gave the boy beside her a stern warning.
"Yes, Miss..."
He immediately sat obediently in place, not daring to move.
"...So obedient~"
The Shogun teased him playfully at that moment.
"You—!!"
Yushiro's face instantly turned red. Just as he was about to rise to his feet—
"Yushiro!"
Tamayo called sharply.
"Miss Tamayo..."
"Sit down."
She ordered firmly.
[Shogun... mind your manners.]
Ei's gentle voice echoed softly within her mind, unlike Tamayo's cold tone toward Yushiro—it carried warmth.
"..."
The Shogun fell silent, obediently closing her mouth. She felt a bit awkward... after teasing him for being obedient, it was now her turn to listen. Sigh.
"There's something I've been meaning to ask—"
She turned to Tamayo on her right.
"Hmm? What is it, Miss Raiden?"
Tamayo met her gaze with calm curiosity, inviting her to speak freely.
"The 'Kibutsuji' you've been mentioning... who is he?"
It was a question she had wanted to ask for some time, but hadn't found the opportunity. Now, finally, she could. They had mentioned this person repeatedly, and she couldn't quite piece together who he was.
"So Miss Raiden isn't aware yet... Muzan Kibutsuji is the progenitor of all demons—and the strongest among them. With his blood, he can strengthen existing demons or turn humans into new ones. But only those with the proper aptitude survive. Those without it... simply die."
Tamayo explained patiently.
"He's the one who killed my family—and turned Nezuko into a demon. I'll never forgive him!"
For once, Tanjiro's expression hardened with killing intent. His eyes burned with conviction, and his clenched fists trembled with restrained fury. It was clear—his words were no empty declaration.
So that's why... no wonder he wished to join the Demon Slayer Corps. He had said it was for his family—and it truly was.
"To turn a human into a demon... is an act of extreme cruelty," Tamayo continued softly, her gaze turning toward Tanjiro. "But please do not misunderstand me—I have no wish to increase the number of demons in this world."
She paused briefly before going on.
"I only do so for those who are terminally ill... or mortally wounded, at death's door."
"And before that, I always ask for their consent: 'Even if you become a demon, do you still wish to go on living?'"
In short... to Tamayo, becoming a demon was a way to escape death itself. If someone truly wished to live—if they refused to surrender to death—then perhaps, through this method, they could continue to exist in this world. Of course, it all depended on that person's will and desire; she would never force anyone.
This was the Shogun's understanding—and she could tell that the woman before her was not lying. Her words carried sincerity, the kind of moral conviction found only in those who bore a healer's heart and the weight of life itself.
"Miss Tamayo!"
At that moment, Tanjiro suddenly spoke up, drawing everyone's attention.
"For those who have already become demons... is there a way to turn them back into humans?"
He asked nervously, his expression filled with hope and unease.
"..."
The Shogun subconsciously turned to look at the woman on her right. Truthfully, she was curious about this as well... after all, if a human could become a demon, there should be a way to reverse it, shouldn't there?
"...There is a way to turn demons back into humans."
Tamayo thought for a moment before answering.
"Really?! What is it?!"
Tanjiro jumped up instinctively, about to rush closer to her, but—
The Shogun already knew what was about to happen.
"Don't you dare approach Miss Tamayo!!"
Thud!
Yushiro moved in an instant, grabbing Tanjiro and executing a flawless shoulder throw, slamming him onto the floor with a loud bang!—and even tried to lift him up again.
Buzz~
The Shogun's violet eyes glimmered faintly, a spark of lightning flickering across her gaze. A thin current ran through Yushiro's left foot—the one he was using to balance himself.
Crackle!
"Waaah!!"
Yushiro's left leg went numb instantly, his body collapsing to the floor. In the process, he accidentally dragged Tanjiro down with him.
Thud! ×2
"Ugh ahhh♂!" ×2
Both of them groaned in pain in unison, stacked like a clumsy tower of bodies.
"Oh my, how careless of you two."
After her subtle intervention, the Shogun gracefully raised a hand to her lips and let out a small, feigned gasp—pretending to be surprised, as though pitying their ridiculous state.
[Shogun~?]
Ei's voice sounded quietly within her mind, laced with suspicion.
'I... didn't do anything. My hands never moved.'
The Shogun replied innocently.
[You're being mischievous again, aren't you? Did that fox teach you this?]
Ei's tone was mildly exasperated. Even her mannerisms were starting to resemble her!
'Ahem... no, it has nothing to do with her.'
The Shogun coughed lightly, clearly avoiding the subject.
[Haa...]
Ei sighed helplessly. Can that fox teach my daughter anything proper? She knows the child imitates everything—and yet she still encourages this! That woman...
"Ow ow ow~ what just happened?!"
Tanjiro slowly got up, rubbing his sore back. Then he blinked in confusion—he could feel something soft beneath him. Absentmindedly, he shifted his weight again.
Plop~!
"Ugh ahhh! You idiot! Get off me!! Your butt's too heavy!!"
Yushiro, who was trapped underneath, was turning blue in the face, pounding desperately on Tanjiro's lower back.
"Ah! Sorry!!"
Tanjiro leapt up at once, revealing the dazed and breathless boy beneath him.
"Right... so what's the method, Miss Tamayo?!"
Tap tap!
Tanjiro hurriedly stepped forward again to face her—only to accidentally step on Yushiro's face in the process.
Smack!
"Ugh—ah!!"
The poor boy nearly blacked out again.
"No matter the wound or disease, there must always exist a medicine or treatment," Tamayo said calmly, ignoring the chaotic scene. "Though at present, we have yet to find a cure that can turn demons back into humans. It may be an exceedingly slim possibility."
"...Oh, I see..."
Tanjiro's shoulders drooped with disappointment. The fragile spark of hope that had ignited within him was swiftly extinguished, leaving behind only quiet frustration.
"But as long as there is hope, we will never give up. Until we find the cure, we will continue searching—that is my duty and my purpose as a doctor. For that, I would like to ask for your help."
The 'your help' was clearly directed toward both the Shogun and Tanjiro.
"What kind of help?" Tanjiro asked earnestly.
"For the research, we must study the blood of various demons. First, I need to collect a sample of your sister's blood. Second, please gather samples from demons who possess a high concentration of Muzan Kibutsuji's blood."
Tamayo stood and retrieved a specially designed syringe from a drawer, handing it to Tanjiro.
"As for you, Miss Raiden—if possible, please assist him. I'm counting on you."
"I understand... I'll accompany him anyway."
The Shogun nodded casually, glancing at Tanjiro. Since their paths aligned, she might as well lend a hand—it wasn't as though it would hurt to do so.
"As for Nezuko, I heard you say she has been asleep for two years now—and yet, she has never consumed human blood or flesh. Normally, such a demon would have gone berserk long ago. But she hasn't. She remains calm, rational even. This miracle may well become the key to everything moving forward."
"..."
The Shogun turned her gaze toward the girl lying on the floor like a docile pet. The moment their eyes met, Nezuko blinked up at her adorably, her expression soft and innocent.
[This little one truly knows how to tug at the heartstrings...]
Ei murmured softly, her tone tinged with warmth.
'You could say that...'
The Shogun replied casually.
"However... the demons who carry Muzan Kibutsuji's blood are those who have inherited portions of his power. In other words, they are closer to him in strength—and each one of them is immensely powerful. That's what makes this task so cruel."
Tamayo's expression grew solemn.
"..."
Tanjiro fell silent as well. Yet when he glanced at Nezuko, his hesitation vanished. Yes... he had no other choice. If there was even a chance to return her to normal, he would face anything.
"I can't really grasp what you mean by 'strong'... even if you say it aloud, it doesn't quite feel real to me."
The Shogun brushed aside a strand of hair that had fallen over her shoulder, her tone calm and unconcerned.
"Hmm... I can understand that," Tamayo replied with a faint, knowing smile. "After all... from what I've seen, Miss Raiden—you are already more than strong enough."
She said this with quiet amusement. From the moment the woman had nearly drawn her blade earlier, Tamayo had sensed it—that killing intent, that pressure. It was not something that belonged to ordinary beings. That aura... she had only ever felt it before from Muzan Kibutsuji himself—or perhaps from the highest ranks of his demons. Perhaps even beyond them.
Buzz~!
But the next instant—
As if sensing something, the Shogun's violet eyes flashed with light. Before anyone else could react, she moved with blinding speed, lunging toward Tamayo and pulling her into her arms, shielding her protectively.
Buzz~ ×N
In the same breath, several lightning barriers burst into existence around everyone in the room.
The sequence of movements lasted less than a second—it all happened so fast that the others barely registered it.
"!"
Tamayo hadn't even processed what was happening when she found herself being held tightly against the Shogun's chest. Her face froze in stunned confusion, about to ask why—when she suddenly felt it. The illusionary barrier around the house had just been shattered by an external force.
She understood immediately—so that's why this woman had reacted.
As if to confirm her realization—
BOOM!
A temari ball, like a cannon shell, tore through the wall and shot straight toward Tamayo's head!
The Shogun, already anticipating the attack, pushed the woman downward in one smooth motion, pressing her into her lap in a protective hold.
Whizz!!
Bang!
The temari shot past, grazing the space where Tamayo's head had been an instant before, and exploded through the opposite wall.
Puff~
Tamayo, forced into the Shogun's lap, suddenly found herself buried against the woman's white-stockinged thighs. The faint fragrance that clung to her—soft, elegant, and intoxicating—instantly filled Tamayo's senses. For a moment, her face flushed bright red, her composure wavering. Even as a demon, she felt her control slipping, her heart racing dangerously fast.
"...!"
She quickly shut her eyes, forcing herself to regain composure. She hadn't expected this woman's scent to be so... alluring. It was like a drug crafted to entrance demons—so sweet, so potent—that even she, of all beings, had nearly lost herself for a moment.