Chapter 28: Tanjiro's Oath
Hakuya rushed toward the female demon and kicked her squarely in the head, sending her flying backward.
The bystander she'd pinned down was saved, though a chunk of flesh had been torn from his shoulder. Still, he'd survived.
Hakuya's violent action shocked the surrounding onlookers. No one expected such a refined-looking young man to strike with such force.
"Hakuya-senpai, please don't kill her! Please!" Tanjiro called out, fearing his senior might execute the demon on the spot.
Tanjiro was reluctant to kill this transformed couple because he believed they were innocent—merely victims used by Muzan Kibutsuji to facilitate his escape.
They hadn't consumed human flesh yet. Tanjiro believed they could overcome their demonic urges, just as Nezuko had.
Hakuya nodded in acknowledgment.
Having kicked the female demon away, Hakuya immediately closed the distance. He gripped both her wrists firmly in his right hand while pressing one knee against her back. With his other hand, he pinned her head to the ground, completely immobilizing her.
"Don't look, sweetheart! Daddy's here, don't be afraid!" Muzan's young daughter, terrified by the violent scene, buried her face in his chest. His human wife clutched at his sleeve in fear.
"Rei, this is dangerous! We should leave!" Seeing that Hakuya and Tanjiro were occupied restraining the demons, Muzan gestured for the young woman to depart with him.
She nodded quickly in agreement. Muzan and his family then left the scene, melting into the panicked crowd.
Tanjiro, still restraining the male demon, suddenly remembered Muzan. Turning his head to see the Demon King leaving with his false family, Tanjiro was overwhelmed by a surge of resentment and fury.
Consumed by mounting rage, Tanjiro couldn't contain himself. He shouted after Muzan's departing figure: "Muzan Kibutsuji! I will never let you escape! No matter where you hide, I will find you! Even if you flee to the depths of hell itself, I'll follow you there and take your head!"
Muzan Kibutsuji, who hadn't gone far, naturally heard Tanjiro's vow. He didn't stop walking, but his eyes flashed with cold malice.
"What's wrong with that boy? How strange!" Rei asked, glancing back nervously.
"I don't know. Perhaps he's mentally disturbed. Don't concern yourself with such irrelevant matters," Muzan said dismissively to his wife.
Just as Tanjiro finished his oath, the city's police officers arrived on the scene.
"What's going on here?"
"Are they drunk?"
"Young man, release that person immediately!"
The officers spoke over each other, trying to assess the situation.
Seeing the police arrive, Tanjiro immediately addressed them. "We can't let him go yet! Please bring restraints—we need to secure him properly!"
The officers showed no sign of complying with Tanjiro's instructions and reached out to grab him.
"Please stop! No one can hold this man down except me!" Tanjiro tried desperately to make them understand.
"Move aside! Don't make us use force!" The officers ignored Tanjiro's warnings completely.
"Wait—what's wrong with this guy's face? Has he gone mad?" One of the officers finally noticed something wrong with the man Tanjiro was restraining.
"Stop talking nonsense! Just pull this kid off him!" another officer urged.
"No! If you make me let go, he'll kill people! You can't handle him—please don't interfere!" Tanjiro refused to release the male demon, knowing the officers' lives would be at stake.
On the other side, Hakuya was also surrounded by several police officers. However, compared to Tanjiro's desperate pleading, Hakuya took a much more direct approach.
When the officers approached, Hakuya immediately shifted his grip from the demon's head to the back of her neck, tightening his hold with lethal precision.
Then Hakuya lifted the female demon from the ground and held her in front of himself, using her as a hostage to threaten the officers.
"Don't move! Otherwise, I can't guarantee this woman's safety!" Hakuya said coldly.
"What do you think you're doing? I'm warning you—release that woman!" The officers were clearly afraid Hakuya might do something extreme, so they didn't dare approach him.
At that moment, the female demon in Hakuya's grip was snarling at the officers, making it clear that if he released her, they would all become her next meal.
"Can't you see this woman is abnormal? If I let her go, she'll slaughter all of you!" Hakuya was actually prepared to release her at any moment. These people wouldn't understand unless they learned through harsh experience.
Suddenly, a thick, intoxicating fragrance filled the air. Hakuya's vision of the police officers vanished, replaced by an endless sea of flowers—countless colorful patterns surrounding him on all sides.
"What's happening? What are all these patterns?"
"I can't see anything!"
The officers' panicked voices reached Hakuya's ears. From their sounds and scents, Hakuya could tell they remained exactly where they'd been standing. Since he couldn't see them, there was only one explanation: they were trapped in an illusion.
Immediately, Hakuya looked toward Tanjiro and found he could still see him clearly. He called out, "Tanjiro!"
"Hakuya-senpai, do you know what's happening? Are we under some kind of illusion?" Tanjiro responded, sharing his theory.
"We're definitely caught in an illusion. There must be another demon here—possibly one of Muzan Kibutsuji's subordinates. We need to stay alert!" Hakuya warned.
Just as they finished speaking, a man and woman wearing kimonos walked into the sea of flowers.
The woman appeared to be a beautiful lady in her thirties. The man was a cold-looking, youthful boy with an immature face.
Seeing these two figures appear, both Hakuya and Tanjiro immediately raised their guard.
Sensing their hostility, the beautiful woman spoke calmly. "Please don't be alarmed. I'm not here to harm you."
Tanjiro looked at the beautiful woman and was surprised by her scent. Another demon who seemed almost human.
Unlike the overwhelming demonic stench of the Hand Demon or the water-based demon, this woman's scent wasn't as overpowering. It was more subdued, more controlled.
While it wasn't particularly pleasant, it wasn't nauseating or overwhelming either.
"Even when facing someone who's been completely transformed into a demon, you still call them human and intend to help them. Then allow me to help you as well," the beautiful demon said to Tanjiro.
"Why? You have a demon's scent, don't you?" Tanjiro was puzzled by her actions. Don't demons view humans as food? Why would she help him?
"Yes, I am a demon. But I'm also a doctor. Like you, I wish to destroy that man—Muzan Kibutsuji," the beautiful demon continued.
Hakuya, naturally having heard her words, interrupted. "Were you also transformed into a demon by Muzan Kibutsuji?"
The demon turned her gaze toward Hakuya and nodded. "This isn't the place for such a conversation. If you'd like my help, come with me to my clinic."
Seeing the beautiful demon nod and confirm that Muzan Kibutsuji had transformed her, Tanjiro felt a surge of sympathy. He couldn't help but think of his sister, Nezuko.
"Alright! But I need to retrieve my sister first," Tanjiro agreed.
Hakuya had no objections. Since she was offering assistance, the chances of her being an enemy were slim. Otherwise, there'd be no need for this elaborate scene—she could simply attack them within the illusion.
"Then I'll have Yushiro escort you," the beautiful female demon said, gesturing to the stern-faced young man beside her.
After the two sides reached an agreement, Hakuya and Tanjiro handed over the transformed couple to them. Once the beautiful demon dispelled the illusion, they took the opportunity to slip away from the confused police officers.
Meanwhile, Muzan Kibutsuji departed with his wife and child. As the family prepared to board a Western-style carriage—a luxury available only to the wealthy upper class—Muzan found an excuse not to join them. Instead, he ordered the driver to take them back to the mansion without him.
As a dutiful wife, Rei didn't question her husband's independence, only reminding him to return home soon.
After sending the mother and child off in the carriage, Muzan quickly walked into a dark alley.
"Brother, let's find another place to keep drinking!"
"Kohachi, are you alright?"
"I'm fine! I'm not drunk yet!"
As soon as those words fell, the drunkard turned around and bumped straight into Muzan Kibutsuji.
The completely intoxicated man shouted at Muzan somewhat indignantly. "Hey! Watch where you're going!"
Muzan stopped. Perhaps because he was maintaining his gentleman persona at the moment, or perhaps because he didn't want to bother with a drunkard, Muzan actually took the initiative to apologize. "My apologies. I should have been more careful."
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