"Lady Daki, look! Candy! Real candy!"
Koharu held back the urge to pop the candy Kanae had just given her straight into her mouth.
She glanced back at Mei, who looked different from before.
After a moment's thought, she ran over and held the candy out to her.
"Brat, don't get cocky."
Mei looked at her and sneered. "What's so great about candy? With my power and status, I can have as much as I want."
"Come on, Lady Daki, don't say that. This is the first time I've ever gotten something this nice. Here, I'll share one with you."
Koharu wasn't bothered by the sarcasm at all.
She'd known what kind of personality Daki had back at Kyogoku House.
In the past, she wouldn't have gone near her even if someone paid her.
But now she'd seen how Daki clung to Shuya's back like a docile little cat.
Maybe she really had changed.
Plus, they'd all been bought out of Kyogoku House by Shuya. They were going to see each other a lot from now on.
So she wanted to get a little closer to her.
Koharu cheerfully picked out one piece and pressed it into Mei's hand.
"This is nothing. You think I'm gonna thank you for it? Dream on. People who want to suck up to me are lined up all the way to France."
That's what Mei said.
But she still swallowed hard as she stared at the candy in her hand.
Before she became a demon, her family had been dirt poor—probably not even as well off as the Kamados who sold charcoal.
Because of her unusual silver-white hair and Gyutaro's ugly face, their own family had despised them.
So from a very young age, the two siblings had to rely on each other.
Something like candy was already a luxury in this era.
Hundreds of years ago? Forget it.
As a human, Mei had never once tasted candy.
After becoming a demon she'd tried, but by then she couldn't taste normal food anymore.
Mei thought about Shuya's promise—that she'd be able to feel sunlight and taste human food again.
She didn't know what he'd done, but she could already stand in the sun and feel its warmth.
So… maybe she could eat this candy?
She glanced secretly at Koharu, who wasn't paying attention, then quickly peeled off the wrapper and shoved the jewel-like candy into her mouth.
The second it hit her tongue, a wave of nausea exploded in her mouth. Mei immediately spat it out.
"What the hell?! Disgusting! Bleh, bleh, bleh!"
Of course it tasted awful.
She could stand in the sunlight only because this was Greed Island.
Shuya could make the island itself not hurt her, but he couldn't change her demon body back into a human one.
If he could do that, he wouldn't need to make contracts with other people.
He could just trade for ownership and reshape their bodies however he wanted—give them power and immortality directly.
"Lady Daki, how could you?! That's such a waste! It's so good!"
Koharu, who had been happily sucking on her own candy, saw what Mei did and looked genuinely heartbroken.
She carefully picked the spit-out candy off the ground.
Maybe if she washed it…
Koharu looked at Mei, clearly upset.
"You're calling something this disgusting 'delicious'?"
Mei didn't know what candy was supposed to taste like.
She didn't know if the horrible flavor was because she was a demon… or because candy actually tasted like that.
She felt strangely annoyed by Koharu's reaction, but mostly she was just pissed that she'd eaten something so gross.
Mei glared at Koharu. "You little brat. You did that on purpose, didn't you?"
"So scary~"
Seeing Mei angry made Koharu freeze up like a mouse staring at a snake.
She started trembling and instinctively huddled together with the other girls.
Kohong stepped in front of Mei.
"Lady Daki, please don't bully Koharu."
"Hah? What the hell did you just say? You trying to defy me? Want me to eat you?"
Mei gave Kohong a strange look, lips curling. "Though with a face like yours… you might actually be worth eating."
"I—I don't believe you!"
Kohong hesitated for a second, then thought of Shuya. She steadied herself and stood her ground, eyes firm.
"You little—!"
Mei gritted her teeth, feeling like she was being looked down on.
But she knew she couldn't actually do anything to Kohong because of Shuya.
Still, she could scare her.
Colorful ribbons unfurled from her back like octopus tentacles, twisting through the air.
They coiled and hovered, ready to strike the moment Kohong moved.
Kohong just pressed her lips together nervously, but she didn't step back.
Mei found herself in an awkward spot.
"No fighting, okay? We should all get along~"
Thankfully, Kanae stepped in and saved her.
Mei side-eyed her. "Who are you?"
"I'm Kanae Kocho. And you're Mei, right? If you want, you can call me big sister, just like they do."
After talking with Shuya, she'd given up on her old dream of living peacefully with demons.
At least, she wasn't going to try it with any demons besides Mei.
She'd already felt what Shinobu went through after losing her.
But she was still happy.
Just the day before yesterday—the same night she became a real woman—Shuya had brought back Tamayo and Yushiro, demons who didn't hurt humans.
They just weren't staying in the same area as them yet.
Once she went back, she definitely wanted to meet them properly.
Mei looked at Kanae like she was an idiot.
"What kind of nonsense are you spouting? I'm Daki. Upper Rank Six Daki. I'm not 'Mei.'"
"And I've lived so long I don't even remember how old I am. You want me to call you big sister?"
"But… you're not Upper Rank Six anymore."
Kanae rested her finger on her chin and blinked at her.
"What?!"
Mei felt a jolt.
She thought back carefully.
After she made the deal with Shuya and gave him ownership, the mark in her eyes that showed her rank had disappeared.
Her Blood Demon Art was still there, but even the life-link she shared with Gyutaro—the one that meant they both had to die at the same time—was gone.
A strange, complicated feeling rose in her chest. She didn't know what it was.
Her golden eyes rippled without her realizing it.
"You've lived for so long… You must have had such a hard time all these years, Mei."
Kanae stepped forward and gently hugged her.
"So it's okay. You can treat me like your big sister. You can be as spoiled as you want."
"So… warm…"
So many people were watching. Did she, Daki, have no pride left?
Mei instinctively tried to pull away from Kanae's arms.
But she quickly felt a gentle warmth coming from her—like something that could calm her down.
And Kanae smelled like flowers. It was really nice.
There was something strangely comforting about Kanae. Mei didn't want to leave her embrace.
It was different from the feeling she got from Shuya.
Without meaning to, she remembered a winter from her human childhood.
Back then, she and Gyutaro had just run away from that horrible house and were trying to survive together.
They huddled under a leaky straw mat they'd found somewhere in the freezing snow.
Even though their bodies were cold and shaking, like they might die at any moment, their hearts had felt strangely warm.
Right now… she felt that same warmth coming from Kanae.
Mei murmured without thinking, "Nii-san?"
As the word left her lips, the cold, arrogant golden color in her eyes slowly faded.
It returned to the gentle blue she'd had as a human.
The pure, beautiful blue of innocence.
She finally remembered.
After becoming a demon, she had instinctively buried those memories.
She wasn't Daki.
She wasn't Upper Rank Six.
Her name was Mei.
Mei of the plum blossom.
Kanae smiled as she looked at the obedient girl in her arms.
She could feel the shift in her emotions.
Just like Shuya said… this child really was special.
Kanae gently corrected her. "Not nii-san. It's nee-san."
"No… big brother…"
Mei suddenly pushed Kanae away.
Only now did she realize how many terrible things she had done to Gyutaro over the hundreds of years since she became a demon.
Memories flooding back, she ran straight to Shuya and grabbed his collar.
"Where's my brother?! I can't feel him anymore! What did you do to him?!"
Shuya was surprised by the color change in her eyes.
Even more surprised that the once-spoiled Daki was this worried about Gyutaro.
After the initial shock, he actually felt glad.
Even if Mei was worried about another man right now, it proved she was becoming the Mei he wanted.
Not the selfish, sharp-tongued Daki from before.
Shuya gently patted her head.
"I didn't do anything to your brother. You can't feel him because you belong to me now. Don't worry. I won't hurt him."
Shuya wasn't lying.
If he could accept Daki, then Gyutaro—who had a better personality—was no problem.
He just couldn't trade for Gyutaro's ownership or bring him into Greed Island.
So his plan for Gyutaro was simple: have him clean up the underground storage pit Daki had made in Yoshiwara.
Let the living ones go. Bury or burn the dead.
Then, once night fell, Gyutaro was supposed to go to the Butterfly Mansion on his own. Shuya would have someone pick him up and take him to Tamayo.
Mei had been too distracted earlier to notice.
"Really?"
Mei looked up at him with big eyes. "I want to see my brother."
Shuya asked, "Right now?"
Mei's voice was firm. "Right now!"
"Fine. Come with me then."
Shuya thought for a second, then didn't refuse.
He turned and gave Kanae an apologetic look. "I'm taking her somewhere for a bit."
He took Mei's hand and led her back to where the Crossing Gate was.
Good thing he hadn't gone through it to the Butterfly Mansion yet. That would've been annoying.
They stepped through the gate and returned to the spot they'd left earlier.
Shuya used En to find Gyutaro's location, then led Mei to him.
The man was still working hard.
"Big brother?!"
The moment Mei saw Gyutaro's dirty figure, she couldn't stop herself from running to him.
"Mei? Why are you back?"
Gyutaro scratched his head, still holding a corpse over his shoulder, unsure whether to put it down.
Mei stood in front of him, looking at her dazed older brother.
"Big brother… I'm sorry."
"Why are you apologizing to me?"
Gyutaro didn't understand.
"I—"
Mei started to explain, but Gyutaro was staring hard at her eyes.
Gyutaro sounded shocked. "Mei… your eyes?"
"My eyes?"
Mei was confused.
But Gyutaro knew.
Those were Mei's eyes.
No one else in the world had such beautiful blue eyes except his little sister.
Gyutaro muttered blankly, "You're back… Mei, you're really back?"
"Mm. I'm back, big brother."
Mei understood what he meant.
She nodded happily, a gentle smile on her face.
"That's great… That's really great."
Gyutaro dropped the corpse from his shoulder and started dancing around in pure excitement.
"Pfft~"
Watching her brother's clumsy, happy movements, Mei couldn't help laughing out loud.
She wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes.
Tears of joy.
"Thank you… for bringing Mei back."
Gyutaro looked at Shuya seriously.
"Letting Mei stay with you was the right choice."
No matter how many times he had to do it over, he would still choose to become a demon.
All these years, he'd only wanted to see Mei again.
Right now, seeing his little sister the way she used to be…
He had no regrets left.
Even if Shuya asked him to assassinate Muzan right now, he would agree without hesitation.
"From now on… please take care of Mei for me!"
Gyutaro grabbed Mei's hand and placed it in Shuya's.
If this man could bring Mei back to who she was… then maybe he was someone worthy of entrusting his sister's future to.
For him, his sister's happiness was the most important thing.
Mei stared at her brother in shock. "Big brother?!"
"Uh…"
Shuya looked a little embarrassed.
"It's not like we're saying goodbye forever. You don't have to make it so dramatic."
"I-Is that so?"
Mei blinked, caught off guard.
Gyutaro scratched his head and answered blankly, "Yeah… I guess so?"