"So that's how it was. I never imagined that the birth of demons actually originated from a medical dispute over a thousand years ago..."
In the dimly lit office, after listening to Akaza's explanation, Shinobu Kocho nodded thoughtfully.
Shinobu had indeed thought that the progenitor of demons' birth originated from some kind of acquired change in humans.
But she never imagined that this change could actually be achieved through the combination of just a few types of medicines?!
That doctor who treated Muzan Kibutsuji over a thousand years ago—where did such a genius come from?!
As a fellow medical practitioner, her curiosity now completely exploding, Shinobu truly wanted to travel back in time, open up that doctor's head, and see how it was structured inside!
"It's quite surprising, right? I was also quite surprised when I first heard it..."
Akaza nodded as well.
Regarding how he was initially transformed into a demon, Lord Muzan certainly wouldn't idly chat about it everywhere.
But Lord Muzan would tell Mitsuba.
And Mitsuba would tell those close to her.
So by extension, Lord Muzan telling Mitsuba was equivalent to telling more than half of the Twelve Kizuki.
So Akaza also knew these things.
"So, Butterfly, do you have any ideas?"
"As for ideas, I can't say yet..."
Quickly forming a plan in her mind, Shinobu immediately stood up, looked at Akaza, and said:
"My family... no, my friend's family has conducted some small research on demons for generations. There may be some clues hidden within that we could use.
"I'll go back first to flip through and search, gather the intelligence, then come back to discuss our next steps with you, Hakuji."
"No problem."
Akaza responded readily.
Oh! What is this inexplicably passionate development?
This feeling of secretly doing big things behind everyone's back is so exciting!
"Right, Akaza."
Walking to the office door, Shinobu was just about to reach for the doorknob when she suddenly stopped and said:
"Where exactly has Mitsuba gone recently?"
Hearing this, Akaza casually replied:
"Oh, my sister? She's gone to Osaka Prefecture these days, because she needs to... eh?!"
Halfway through his words, Akaza suddenly froze.
Wait, what did she just call him?
Raising his head abruptly to meet Shinobu's eyes that showed her scheme had succeeded, before Akaza could say anything, he saw her waving with a smile:
"Well then, see you later."
For the current Demon Slayer Corps, intelligence on most Upper Rank demons was no longer considered secret.
Although because demons could freely alter their bodies, most demon slayers wouldn't pay attention to intelligence regarding demons' appearances and names.
But Shinobu was different. During the previous meeting, she had specially noted this point.
Synthesizing the current intelligence on several known Upper Rank demons, Shinobu judged that the probability of Upper Rank Three Akaza being Hakuji was the highest.
Thus, at the moment she was leaving just now, she deliberately tested him.
Unexpectedly, she really managed to test it out.
Those legendary, mysterious Upper Rank demons—so they had been hidden beside her all along...
Recalling her experiences over the past year plus of being colleagues with Akaza, occasionally going out together for late-night snacks, Shinobu only felt it was unbelievable.
Suddenly, she also remembered that time some time ago when she, Mitsuba, and Mitsuba's family and friends went out to play together for an entire day.
Among those people at that time, how many were human, and how many were demons?
"..."
"Speaking of which, little Mitsuba, is it really okay for you to just keep staying here with me and not return to your Tokyo?"
Osaka Prefecture, yet another new day.
In a certain lounge, Muzan—wearing a kimono, mature and enchanting—looked at Mitsuba, who was sitting not far away reading a newspaper, and suddenly asked curiously.
"Why does Master suddenly ask this?"
Slightly lowering the newspaper in her hands, Mitsuba revealed her eyes and asked curiously.
"It's just, Mitsuba, didn't you say some time ago that you're currently planning against those demon slayers?
"I was somewhat worried that with you leaving Tokyo for so long, it might create some variables over there..."
Muzan reminded her.
As the progenitor of demons who had been harassed by those demon slayers for over a thousand years, she truly, truly wanted to crush all these ants to death quickly!
She had finally found a Mitsuba who could dig the demon slayers out from three feet underground and hang them all up to whip, yet for the past five hundred years, she had been clinging to her so-called "dove faction" ideology.
Muttering things like "we must maintain balance, lest the gods refuse to play fair"—such absurd, shaman-like nonsense—stubbornly refusing to completely eradicate the Demon Slayer Corps, making Muzan suffer terribly.
Just go already! It's just one attack and they'll all die, why won't you go!
It wasn't until today that this willful young lady finally got serious, finally deciding to eliminate the Demon Slayer Corps.
When Muzan first heard Mitsuba's decision, she was simply overjoyed, hoping every day that she would play less and act sooner.
But seeing that Mitsuba had been staying here with her recently, seeming to have become addicted to being a manager, Muzan felt a bit nervous again.
My little ancestor, please don't get caught up in your own fun again and forget the proper business...
"No problem, Lord Muzan. Doma is still in Tokyo. With him there, things won't go off track..."
Regarding this, Mitsuba just smiled and replied carefreely.
She wasn't speaking nonsense.
Although Doma normally had an abnormal brain and acted unreliably, this was relative to others.
For Mitsuba, this "Holy Maiden," as long as it was something she ordered, although Doma would occasionally create extra complications, in the end he would always complete it according to standard.
Like the previous battle at the movie theater—although he was talkative and revealed a large amount of intelligence to the demon slayers, he ultimately still achieved the goal of forcing the Demon Slayer Corps to quickly initiate a decisive battle against the demons.
So you see, Doma actually has quite high intelligence; it's just that his thought process is somewhat abnormal. But his strength simultaneously compensates for that somewhat abnormal thought process.
Therefore, considering everything comprehensively, Mitsuba still felt that having Doma handle things in Tokyo for her was no problem. If there really was a problem, she could just remotely control it...
But Muzan didn't think this way.
If you asked Muzan, among the entire Twelve Kizuki, who worried her the most, it would definitely be Mitsuba and Doma.
No ranking between them—the two tied for first place.
Both Mitsuba and Doma were the type who, due to a momentary sudden whim, would create a huge commotion for you. This was especially true when they joined forces.
In Muzan's eyes, the combination of Mitsuba and Doma was like the combination of a rebellious daughter and a delinquent blonde—a degree that made her feel heartache every time she thought of it...
Little Mitsuba, why did you have to mix with that Doma of all people...
And what pained her the most was that because these two demons possessed sufficient strength, no matter how big a mess they created, they could always patch things up in the end.
This caused Muzan to be like a powerless mother, only able to watch helplessly as her rebellious little daughter went out laughing and playing with that delinquent blonde every day, yet powerless to stop it...
She couldn't even find an opportunity to separate these two demons.