"Mysticism?"
"That's right! Mysticism!"
In the dimly lit office, Akaza and Shinobu Kocho faced each other.
Looking at Shinobu, who was nodding vigorously, he subconsciously raised his hand to scratch his head.
"Shinobu, have you been reading so much these past few days that your brain has turned to mush?"
Living in such a material world, demons were one thing, but Akaza felt that at least humans should try to be somewhat scientific.
"I'm serious, Hakuji!"
Both hands pressed against the desk, Shinobu shouted loudly:
"My ancestors already tried every scientific method over the past few hundred years! It's precisely because none of them worked that I realized we must rely on mysticism!"
"Fine, then let me ask—what exactly do you mean by mysticism? Burning incense and worshipping Buddha?"
"Huh? If that worked, that Demon King would have long since moved all those Buddhas from the temples back to his home to serve as his own fathers..."
Casually throwing out this retort, Shinobu bent down and dragged a duffel bag out from under her desk. Unzipping it revealed two brand-new shovels inside.
"What are these?"
Akaza asked curiously.
"Tools for digging up graves."
Shinobu said with a completely serious expression.
"Huh?"
Wait! What did you just say?
Two shovels? Digging graves? The two of us?
Weren't we talking about the Blue Spider Lily just now? What do we need to dig graves for?
And whose grave are we planning to dig anyway?
Finally completely baffled by Shinobu's erratic train of thought, Akaza stared at her with a vacant expression.
"Hold on, Shinobu. I don't know why you suddenly want to do this, but as a teacher, I feel obligated to tell you that privately stealing and damaging corpses is illeg—"
"Stop with all that irrelevant nonsense! Hakuji, let me ask you—why do you think demons fear sunlight?
And what exactly does the Blue Spider Lily mean to demons?"
"I don't know..."
Stared at so intently by Shinobu, Akaza remained completely baffled.
The answer to this question was something perhaps even Lord Muzan himself didn't know. Otherwise, His Lordship would have already obtained the Blue Spider Lily...
"Then let me add another question. Why do you think demons can only survive by consuming humans, unable to eat any other food in this world?"
"Well... I don't know that either..."
Akaza was still baffled.
Now that he thought about it, why could demons only consume humans?
Thinking carefully, he realized he had never actually considered this question before. He had just naturally started feeding on humans...
"Hmph, of course you couldn't know the answer. After all, Hakuji, you're still trying to think about this using scientific reasoning. That obviously won't work.
But I have already cracked all these mysteries using the mindset of mysticism!"
Arms crossed over her chest, the corners of Shinobu Kocho's mouth curved upward as she announced in an extremely proud tone:
"The key to the answer lies in—Yang Energy!"
Meeting Akaza's eyes, which had been baffled from the very beginning until now, she continued explaining:
"From the perspective of mysticism, all humans possess both Yin and Yang energies within their bodies. Under normal circumstances, these two energies are balanced—neither excessive nor deficient.
But demons are different.
Through the operations of that doctor a thousand years ago, the first Demon King's Yin energy increased dramatically while his Yang energy was suppressed to nearly nothing.
Clearly, this is not something that should happen to a normal living being.
Thus, under the influence of the drastically increased Yin energy within his body, Muzan's body began to mutate. He started fearing sunlight, became unable to consume normal food, and could only survive by feeding on humans...
From this! We can derive the answers to all our previous questions!"
Raising a finger, Shinobu shouted in an extremely proud and excited tone:
"Why do demons consume humans, and only humans?
The answer is: because demons themselves no longer possess Yang energy, but their bodies still instinctively crave its existence!
Therefore, they have no choice but to consume other normal humans to plunder the Yang energy within their bodies, satisfying their own craving for Yang energy!
But this plundered Yang energy will eventually be exhausted! So! Demons must continuously consume humans to maintain their vitality!
Why do demons need Yang energy yet fear sunlight, dying upon contact?
The answer is: because the Yang energy in sunlight is the most intense and fierce! For demons whose bodies contain only Yin energy, they cannot absorb and transform it. Instead, they are burned to death by it!
And the Blue Spider Lily! Is something that contains the purest Yang energy, yet is far less intense than sunlight—the perfect thing to compensate for a demon's deficiencies!"
"Whoa..."
Quietly listening to this long explanation from Shinobu, Akaza leaned back slightly and drew in a sharp breath.
You know what, thinking about it carefully... Shinobu's words actually made some sense?
As long as you could accept her mystical principles of Yang and Yin energy, you'd find her explanations completely logically consistent.
Having become a demon due to the dramatic increase of Yin energy within his body, then all he needed to do was replenish the missing Yang energy to return to normal?
"So, Shinobu, you already know where the Blue Spider Lily is?"
Akaza asked curiously.
"Hmph, hahahaha!"
Upon hearing this, Shinobu placed her hands on her hips and laughed toward the heavens.
"Of course! As the ultimate Yang object in this world, the Blue Spider Lily would naturally grow in the place with the most abundant Yang energy in this world!"
"Like on Mount Everest?"
Akaza asked tentatively. He found that his thinking was gradually synchronizing with Shinobu's.
After all, that place was the closest point on this planet to the sun. Theoretically, it should also be where Yang energy gathered most densely.
Then, he got scolded by Shinobu again.
"Wrong! Completely wrong! Hakuji, you're still thinking about this problem using scientific reasoning! I told you we need to be more mystical!"
[Wait? Am I still being scientific?]
As Akaza's eyes became confused once more, Shinobu raised her index finger and asked seriously:
"First point—Lord Muzan, the Demon King, is the creature with the heaviest Yin energy in this world. Do you agree with this, Hakuji?"
"I agree for now..."
"Good. Now here's the key question—who do you think is the creature with the heaviest Yang energy in this world?"
"Uh..."
In an instant, Akaza was stumped by Shinobu's question.
Right, who exactly should be the creature with the heaviest Yang energy in this world?
According to Shinobu's theory, this person must first appear very "Yang" in nature. Then, following the logic that Yin and Yang repel each other, he must also have a strong restraining effect on Lord Muzan.
Just like that Child of God who drove Lord Muzan into a desperate situation hundreds of years ago... Hmm?
Hmm?!
As if suddenly realizing something, Akaza's eyes snapped wide open.
Wait! The Child of God?
That Child of God?!
The bafflement in his eyes completely swept away, Akaza suddenly looked up at Shinobu before him and subconsciously shouted:
"Tsugikuni Yoriichi?!"