"...What?"
Tanjiro stood petrified.
But Yushiro didn't need even half a second to explode. "TAMAYO-SAMA! Are you serious?! We still have to relocate, find a new hideout, and on top of that you're going to take on a—!"
Raising her hand, Tamayo signaled him to calm down and continued addressing the petrified Tanjiro.
"I don't want to separate you, Tanjiro-kun. That's not my intention. But Nezuko's condition is something I've never seen before. A demon who recovers without eating humans. Who retains part of her humanity, her memories, her emotions. Do you understand what that means?"
"She could be the key to discovering how to reverse demonization."
"If she stays with me, I can study the changes in her body up close. Try to understand what makes her different. And at the same time..." She held his gaze. "I can protect her. Because even if you want to protect her… you both belong to the Demon Slayer Corps. And the stance they take on demons... you already know it."
"..."
Tanjiro stayed silent, torn.
Letting Nezuko be away from him was... no. He couldn't even think about it. It was worse than losing an arm. It was like ripping out his own heart!
…But Tamayo was right.
Nezuko's uniqueness needed to be investigated, and Tamayo was the only person he knew who was capable of doing it. Maybe... maybe that's where the answer to restoring her humanity would come from.
His head told him one thing. His heart screamed another.
Meanwhile, Yushiro was scratching his head like he was about to tear his hair out.
And just when Tanjiro was drowning in his own indecision…
"Let her stay."
Marcus's voice cut through his thoughts.
Tanjiro whipped his head around and Yushiro nearly fell over backward.
But Marcus, unfazed by their reactions, patted Nezuko's head as she looked up at him from below without a clue what was going on, and locked eyes with Tanjiro.
"I know what you're thinking. That you can't leave her. That you're scared something will happen to her. That without you, she won't be okay." He held his gaze. "But relax…"
"I'm staying with her too."
!!
This time Yushiro wasn't just surprised—he went completely insane, so horrified that his expression fell apart.
"What kind of sick joke is this?! Who invited you?! This is OUR place!! Our research! Tamayo-sama's home and MINE!"
He was about to go bald from the anxiety.
Nezuko, fine, okay, she could be tolerated. She was small, quiet, and didn't bother anyone too much.
BUT THIS GUY?!
This shameless, brazen bastard who flirted with Tamayo every time he opened his mouth could NOT stay under the same roof as her!
OVER HIS DEAD BODY!
"I DO NOT AGREE!"
Marcus looked at him, and the arrows in his pupils shifted.
Swish
An invisible arrow pierced Yushiro and slammed him back against Tanjiro's chest.
And then two more arrows appeared. One on his head, one on his feet. Pulling in opposite directions at the same time.
Then Yushiro began to spin like a fan.
Like a human propeller stuck to Tanjiro's chest, leaving blurry circles of afterimages accompanied by a continuous scream that rose and fell in pitch.
"AAAAA—aaa—AAAA—aaa—AAAA!!!"
"..."
Tanjiro watched the whole thing with visible exhaustion.
"...Marcus. Can you stop? Every wound on my body hurts and on top of that I'm getting dizzy."
Chuckling to himself, Marcus didn't stop.
"Tanjiro, there's another reason for you to accept Nezuko staying. One more important than all the others."
Tanjiro, leaning his head back to dodge the arms of the fan-Yushiro whizzing past his nose by millimeters, frowned.
"What reason?"
"Muzan."
With that name, his face changed completely. The confusion vanished, the exhaustion vanished, everything vanished. Only tension remained.
"Muzan can control any demon he's created with his blood." Marcus stopped smiling. "And even though Nezuko is special, her origin is still him."
"If someday you run into Muzan again, and Nezuko is with you at that moment... what happens if he gives her an order? What happens if he controls her by force? Or if he decides it's easier to just kill her right then and there?"
"What would you do, Tanjiro?"
Each question landed like a punch, draining the color from Tanjiro's face.
…He didn't have an answer for any of them, because he'd never considered it. Or rather, he'd never dared to consider it.
"Let Nezuko stay with Tamayo for a while." Marcus continued, softer now. "They might not be able to turn her human right away, but with what Tamayo knows about Muzan's blood and curse, there's a good chance they can sever that connection. Like they did themselves."
"..."
Tanjiro stayed quiet for a long time.
He looked down at Nezuko. She was gazing up at him with those enormous pink eyes, and the only thing reflected in them was him. Absolute trust. Total dependence.
And that was what hurt the most.
'Marcus was right…'
Muzan was a sword hanging over Nezuko's head by a thread. And as long as that thread existed, she was never truly going to be safe.
It didn't matter how many demons he killed, it didn't matter how much stronger he got. As long as the connection remained, Muzan could kill her…
"I-I understand. Nezuko... stays with you. With you and Tamayo-san."
"That's the spirit." Marcus went to give him a pat on the shoulder, but the Yushiro-Blades nearly took his hand off.
Clicking his tongue, he pushed them aside and ruffled Tanjiro's hair.
"Relax. It won't be for long. A month, two at most."
Tanjiro nodded, processing it. And then he frowned.
"But... what about the Demon Slayer Corps? If you're absent that long, the missions…"
"Bah, that's the least of my worries." Marcus waved his hand. "I'll send a letter to Kagaya with Shimei (his crow) and ask for permission. With the Old Man's reputation, I doubt he'll say no."
"Besides, I'll use the time to wait for my new sword," he added, scratching the back of his neck. "So it works out perfectly."
"..."
Tanjiro thought about it for a moment and realized he had no excuses left.
Then he turned to Tamayo, took a deep breath, and bowed so deeply he nearly smacked his forehead on the floor.
"Tamayo-san... I'm entrusting my sister to you. And my senpai, who sometimes causes more trouble than she does." He raised his head with shining eyes. "Please, take care of them both."
Tamayo returned the bow with a warm smile. "Don't worry, Tanjiro-kun. We'll take good care of Nezuko. I give you my word that we'll do everything in our power."
Meanwhile, on the ground, Yushiro was sprawled out like a starfish, eyes spinning and spirals floating around his head.
"Wai... wait... who... who said they could... I still haven't…"
Walking over, Marcus crouched down beside him with a smile. "Yushiro-kun~ Do you agree, or… do you agree?"
Watching the arrows in his pupils gleam and that wicked smile, Yushiro swallowed hard. And from the deepest depths of his being, with a humiliation that burned, he murmured, "...A... gre... ed…"
"Knew you were one of us!" Ruffling his hair, Marcus stood up with a clap.
"Then it's settled! Moving plan is a go! Objective: a new home—safer, more discreet, and more intimate for our life together."
"..."
Tanjiro looked at him with a long face. 'Marcus... could you maybe choose your words better? It sounds like you're all moving in together as a couple.'
Tamayo looked off to the side. The blush returned to her cheeks.
Lying on the ground, Yushiro was already weeping bitterly on the inside. His home. His Tamayo-sama. All invaded by that demon in human skin.
And Nezuko looked at everyone, tilting her head.
"Mmh?"
She didn't understand anything that was going on. But everyone seemed really lively, so it must be something good.
____
Thank you for reading! 🙏
The Asakusa Arc wraps up with a big decision. What was your favorite part? Leave a comment and drop your Power Stones below to support the novel! 💎
________
Craving more? (I know you are! 😏) Support my writing on Patreon and get early access to upcoming chapters, plus bonus content, behind-the-scenes, and a cozy community of fellow readers.
👉 [patreon.com/Athome790]
Your support fuels me. Thank you for the support!