Chapter 110: An Uninvited Guest
Following the brief, chaotic farce, the two humans and two demons settled across from one another in the dimly lit room. The atmosphere gradually softened into something surprisingly harmonious. That is, of course, if one ignored the seething young demon sitting in the corner. Yushiro glared daggers at Akira, his jaw working as he opened his mouth several times to snap a retort, only to snap it shut again in silent frustration. He looked the very picture of weak, pitiful, and helpless.
"Actually, I am rather curious," Kanae murmured, breaking the quiet. She tilted her head, her dark hair slipping over her shoulder. "What exactly were those 'offensive words' you mentioned earlier, Akira-kun? The ones Yushiro-san might say?"
"Do you really want to know?" Akira turned to look at her. Kanae's striking pinkish-purple eyes sparkled with innocent curiosity, shimmering with the quiet joy of a woman who was simply happy to be here, safe by his side. Out of the corner of his eye, Akira caught Yushiro opening his mouth to speak. Akira shot the demon a freezing glare, carrying enough silent threat to force Yushiro's teeth together with an audible click.
Tamayo offered a faint, apologetic smile, choosing to remain silent. She had raised Yushiro, after all, and she knew exactly the sort of abrasive, unfiltered insults he hurled at any woman who wasn't her.
"Akira-kun, tell me. Please?" Kanae leaned in just a fraction closer, her voice dropping into a soft, melodic tease. Since the day they met, she had always carried herself with mature, gentle grace. Seeing her act this playfully spoiled—like a sweet, coaxing girl—sent a sudden, pleasant weakness straight to Akira's knees. He cleared his throat, trying to maintain his composure.
"The truth is," Akira sighed, entirely unable to resist her charm, "this guy has completely warped aesthetic standards. He was going to call you... ugly."
Kanae blinked. A look of genuine bewilderment crossed her delicate features before she shifted her gaze to the scowling demon across the low table. While she was far from narcissistic, she certainly didn't believe her appearance warranted being called 'ugly.'
"Is there a problem with that?" Yushiro snapped, his devotion overriding his fear for a split second. "In this world, compared to Lady Tamayo, all other women are just—"
The word died in his throat. It wasn't out of sudden self-awareness or politeness. It was because Akira's thumb had casually flicked the guard of his Nichirin Blade, exposing an inch of cold, gleaming steel from the sheath. The metallic hiss echoed sharply in the quiet room.
Seeing Yushiro swallow hard, his face a mix of sheer terror and stubborn defiance, Kanae couldn't hold back anymore. She covered her mouth with her sleeve, a soft, musical giggle escaping her lips. Realizing that Yushiro was simply a fanatic utterly blinded by his admiration for Tamayo, any lingering offense vanished. There was no need to take the skewed opinions of a deeply obsessed demon to heart. Besides, she thought, a warm flush dusting her cheeks, as long as Akira didn't think she was ugly, nothing else mattered.
As the tension dissolved, the conversation shifted. Kanae gently inquired about their past, specifically how two demons had managed to survive without preying on humanity.
"In truth," Tamayo began, her voice lowering into a somber register, "the only demon here who has truly never consumed human flesh is Yushiro. My own hands... they were once stained deep with blood."
Tamayo cast a brief, questioning glance at Akira, mildly surprised he hadn't already shared her history with the young Hashira. Yet, she didn't press the issue. Instead, she folded her hands in her lap and slowly began to recount her long, tragic life.
As she spoke, the serene composure she had cultivated over hundreds of years began to fracture. The placid surface of her eyes rippled, revealing the turbulent depths hidden beneath. Within her gaze flickered a desperate, agonizing longing for the family she had lost. Then came the raw, burning hatred for Muzan, intertwined with a crushing, suffocating guilt for the innocent lives she had taken when the demonic hunger first consumed her. It was a heavy, suffocating aura of eternal regret.
"Lady Tamayo... you are truly a strong person," Kanae whispered, her voice trembling slightly. The rims of her pinkish-purple eyes had turned red, glistening with unshed tears.
To endure such unspeakable tragedy and still maintain the clarity of one's own mind required a terrifying amount of courage. Kanae had seen it too often—people who completely collapsed after a major upheaval, either choosing to end their own lives or retreating into a hollow, dream-like stupor to escape the pain. Tamayo had faced the abyss and forced herself to stay awake.
"Strong... perhaps." Tamayo offered a fragile, self-deprecating smile. She certainly did not view herself through the same heroic lens. She knew the dark truth of her own mind. Over the past few centuries, she had stood on the precipice of despair more times than she could count, fully prepared to step off and end it all.
But every single time she raised a hand against herself, the memories would surge back. The warm smile of the husband who had loved her deeply. The soft face of her child, who hadn't even lived long enough to learn how to speak. And then, the horrific image of their broken, torn bodies lying in a spreading pool of crimson blood. Following that came the faces of the countless innocents she had slaughtered while trapped as a puppet under Muzan's control.
And inevitably, rising from that sea of blood, the true culprit would appear in her mind's eye: Kibutsuji Muzan. He was the monster whose flesh she wished to tear apart with her bare teeth, whose bones she wished to grind into dust. With her great vengeance unfulfilled, how could she possibly allow herself the mercy of death?
That burning hatred was the anchor that kept her sane. It was the sole reason she had locked herself away, studying medicine day after agonizing day for centuries. She had endured the violent, agonizing rejection of her own demonic biology, forcibly altering her cellular structure to survive on minimal amounts of human blood. She had transformed herself from a mindless predator into a demon who could live without hunting humanity.
"However," Tamayo said softly, the tension easing from her shoulders, "I am deeply honored to be called a 'person'by a Hashira, rather than a'demon'. Miss Kanae, Akira-san... you are both incredibly kind-hearted people."
"You can direct all the praise for kindness to Kanae," Akira replied with a dry chuckle, leaning back on his hands. "As for me, I highly doubt the guy sitting next to you agrees with that assessment."
Tamayo turned her head to look at Yushiro. The young demon, who had been busy shooting venomous glares at Akira, instantly stiffened. His expression snapped into one of absolute, starry-eyed reverence.
"I unconditionally support everything Lady Tamayo says!" Yushiro declared loudly, puffing out his chest.
Thanks to Yushiro's predictable outburst, the heavy, suffocating atmosphere brought on by Tamayo's tragic past dissipated, returning the room to a comfortable, lighthearted warmth.
"So, what are your plans now, Lady Tamayo?" Kanae asked, pouring a fresh cup of tea.
"That likely depends entirely on Akira-san's intentions." Tamayo looked directly at the young man, her eyes sharp and perceptive. "You must have some arrangements in mind for us already."
"I wouldn't call them formal arrangements yet. Just a few ideas," Akira replied smoothly. During their journey to Asakusa, he had already briefed Kanae on his overarching plans, including the highly sensitive and special nature of the Kamado family. "As for Yushiro, I need him to come with me to help relocate a certain family safely. As for you, Lady Tamayo..." Akira leaned forward, his tone shifting to business. "I wonder how your research on the medical samples I provided is progressing?"
"I have formulated several theories on how to further improve their efficacy," Tamayo answered, her scientific curiosity momentarily overriding her reserved demeanor. "However, I simply haven't had the time or resources to conduct detailed experiments yet."
Kanae's eyes widened slightly in realization. "Akira-kun, do you want Lady Tamayo to participate in the medical research alongside my father and Shinobu?"
"Exactly." Akira nodded, laying out the core of his strategy. "As long as she can produce tangible results, and assuming Yushiro is willing to assist me in saving lives, I am entirely confident I can convince Kagaya-sama to allow Lady Tamayo to cooperate covertly with the Demon Slayer Corps." He held up a hand, his expression turning serious. "However, due to her unique nature as a demon, this alliance must remain strictly confidential. It cannot be made public to the other Hashira or the general corps members for the time being."
"That does not matter," Tamayo said, pressing her hands to the tatami mat and bowing her head in a gesture of deep gratitude. "Just being granted the opportunity to reach this level of cooperation is more than enough. Akira-san... thank you."
"Don't be so quick to thank me. The matter hasn't been officially settled yet—"
Before Akira could finish his sentence, a sharp, panicked shout tore through the tranquil room.
"Wait!" Yushiro bolted upright, his face draining of color. "Someone—no, a demon has breached the perimeter!"
Sheer, unadulterated panic gripped the young demon's features. The intruder possessed absolutely zero presence. If the hostile entity hadn't physically passed through the boundary of the illusion he had carefully set up, Yushiro wouldn't have sensed their approach at all—even with his monitoring talismans actively scanning the area.
Akira didn't waste a single breath asking questions. In a blur of motion, he snatched up his Nichirin Blade and stepped out onto the porch. His sharp eyes immediately locked onto the courtyard.
A gaunt, horrifyingly emaciated figure was dragging itself across the dirt, crawling tremblingly toward the clinic.
Without looking back, Akira drew his blade, the steel hissing against the scabbard, and roared, "Kanae! Take them and get out of here!"
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