Chapter 103: The Interrupted Plan
"That is true. An equivalent exchange," Akira said, his tone perfectly even. "I am not the type to force others into things—except, perhaps, for those who have completely forsaken their humanity."
He let his gaze drift between the two demons standing before him. "Although you two are demons, you still retain your humanity. Compared to certain 'human-like' creatures who walk in the sun but possess no humanity at all, I am far more willing to view you as people."
He offered a faint, disarming smile. "So, if there is anything you need, you can tell me. We will consider it a trade."
Tamayo gently raised a hand, gesturing for the bristling Yushiro to quiet down. Her deep, violet eyes locked onto Akira's, searching his expression for any trace of deceit.
"Can I..." she began, her voice soft but carrying the weight of centuries of caution. "...trust you?"
"It seems you don't have much of a choice," Akira replied, leaning back slightly. "At least, within the current ranks of the Demon Slayer Corps, you will find it exceedingly difficult to locate another Hashira willing to sit down and communicate with you as calmly as I am."
He shrugged lightly. He had deliberately chosen the word 'difficult'rather than'impossible' for a very specific reason: Kanae.
Given Kanae's inherently gentle personality, if she were to cross paths with Tamayo and didn't immediately draw her blade, she might actually be able to coexist peacefully once Tamayo confessed her tragic past. Even in the original trajectory of this world, Kanae—despite harboring a deep-seated blood feud against demons—held a deep, almost tragic pity for them. She had always sought a path where humans and demons could live in peace.
In Kanae's eyes, the vast majority of demons were once pitiful souls. They were people crushed at the very bottom of society, suffering under relentless oppression, who only twisted into vile creatures out of sheer, agonizing necessity. She believed that those who had suffered so deeply should have been the most understanding of others' pain, capable of living in harmony rather than perpetuating a cycle of slaughter.
It was a painfully naive line of thinking, but that was simply who Kanae was. She was gentle to her very core, her kindness radiating from her soul.
Of course, her gentleness did not equate to foolish mercy. She would never stay her blade against a malevolent demon that preyed on the innocent. Yet, she remained willing to search for the rare few who refused to become enemies of humanity—those who abstained from evil, or perhaps, a miraculous method to sever a demon's reliance on human flesh.
Right now, Kanae hadn't explicitly voiced this somewhat idealistic wish. But Akira was highly observant. He had caught those quiet, fleeting moments of contemplation, the soft light of pity that flashed in her violet eyes whenever they discussed the nature of demons.
Perhaps she had already formed the thoughts but simply couldn't find the right words to express them. After all, Makomo harbored a bitter blood feud against demons, making such a topic incredibly delicate to handle within their household.
Tamayo fell into a long, contemplative silence. The quiet rustle of the wind outside filled the gap between them. Finally, she spoke, her tone carrying a newfound resolve.
"If you are asking about my needs, there is indeed something I would like to ask of you."
Akira didn't interrupt. He simply rested his hands on his lap, waiting for her to elaborate.
"I need you to collect as much blood as possible whenever you encounter the Twelve Kizuki," Tamayo explained, her eyes sharpening with scientific intensity. "The more powerful the demon, the higher the concentration of Kibutsuji Muzan's blood flowing through their veins. This blood is vital. It will help me develop new medicines—both poisons specifically targeting Muzan and other malevolent demons, as well as a cure to turn demons back into humans."
For centuries, Tamayo had been hindered by her lack of combative strength. She had been forced to rely solely on her own blood as a research sample. However, due to the extensive medical modifications she had performed on her own body to sever Muzan's curse, the concentration of his blood within her system was practically non-existent. As a result, her research had stagnated for decades.
Now, a human standing before her—a Hashira, no less—was actively offering cooperation. It opened up the impossible prospect of harvesting the blood of the most powerful demons in existence.
"Harvesting blood... I can certainly try," Akira nodded thoughtfully. "However, do you possess containers capable of safely storing demon blood without it degrading?"
"I do," Tamayo affirmed. "Through experimenting with my own blood, I developed a specialized container that can preserve demon blood for a considerable amount of time. Yushiro also assisted me in modifying the extraction tool. The needle is designed to automatically draw blood the moment it pierces a demon's flesh."
"That is quite convenient." Akira nodded in approval. Then, a sudden thought crossed his mind. He shifted his gaze toward the glaring demon youth. "By the way, Yushiro. How long is the expiration period for those cloaking talismans of yours?"
Yushiro scowled. He had absolutely zero desire to entertain Akira and wanted nothing more than to drive this dangerous element out of their sanctuary. But feeling Tamayo's gentle, expectant gaze on him, he gritted his fangs and answered seriously.
"If kept strictly out of sunlight, they can last five days without being activated. Once activated, the effect only holds for about a day. Even if I am the one actively maintaining them, a single charm will dissipate after two days."
"Five days..." Akira murmured, his brow furrowing slightly. "That is not quite enough."
He pondered for a brief moment, calculating the travel time for his upcoming plans. Then, he looked up, his dark eyes locking dead onto Yushiro.
"Wha... What do you want?!" Yushiro snapped, a sudden chill racing down his spine under the Hashira's predatory gaze. Unwilling to lose face in front of his beloved Lady Tamayo, he forced his chest out and shouted the question.
Ignoring the youth's blustering entirely, Akira turned his attention back to the elegant demon doctor. "Lady Tamayo, would you mind lending Yushiro to me for a short while? It won't be long. If everything goes smoothly, I can return him to you in less than a month."
"This..." Tamayo blinked, caught entirely off guard by the request.
"Impossible! Don't even think about it!" Yushiro erupted, his hair practically standing on end. "There is absolutely no way I am leaving Lady Tamayo's side!"
Before Tamayo could even process her hesitation, Yushiro lunged. Regardless of the massive gap in their strength, the enraged demon charged forward, swinging a desperate fist aimed straight at Akira's face.
Akira didn't even shift his stance. He simply pivoted his torso, letting Yushiro's fist sail harmlessly past his shoulder. In the same fluid motion, his hand blurred to his waist. He drew his Nichirin Blade just a fraction of an inch, using the solid base of the scabbard to strike the back of Yushiro's head with surgical precision.
A crisp, hollow thwack echoed through the room—a clear indicator of a very solid skull.
Yushiro proved to be quite cooperative after that, his eyes rolling back as he crumpled to the floor, completely unconscious.
"Yushiro!" Tamayo cried out, her composure breaking.
"Calm down, Lady Tamayo. My blade didn't even leave its scabbard," Akira said, waving a hand dismissively. "I just let him sleep for a bit so we could talk."
Tamayo didn't seem to hear him. She hurried to the fallen youth's side, her hands hovering anxiously over him until she confirmed his breathing was steady and he had merely fainted. Only then did she release a long, shaky sigh of relief.
To Tamayo, the demon she had personally transformed to save his life from a terminal illness was like her own child. Whether Yushiro viewed her as a mother, however, was a completely different, highly debatable matter.
Once assured of his safety, Tamayo stood up, smoothing out her kimono as she faced Akira with a stern expression. "Mr. Kanzaki, you mentioned taking Yushiro away from me earlier. What exactly do you intend to do with him?"
"I am heading to a specific location to save someone next," Akira explained, his tone shifting to one of serious pragmatism. "To pull it off, I will absolutely need the deceptive properties of Yushiro's Blood Demon Art. However, the destination is quite far, and his pre-made charms simply won't last the journey. So, my plan is to take him with me directly and have him manufacture the talismans on-site."
"In that case..." Tamayo hesitated, her gaze softening as she looked down at the unconscious boy. "I need some time to think about it. And, above all, I must respect Yushiro's own wishes on the matter."
"No problem. I can wait a few days—"
Before Akira could finish his sentence, the sharp, grating caw of a crow echoed from the sky above the hidden courtyard.
Earlier, while Akira had been busy chasing down Chachamaru, his Kasugai Crow, Ink Shadow, had flown off. Akira had assumed the bird went to a nearby Wisteria House to feed and rest, so he hadn't paid its absence any mind.
Under normal circumstances, Ink Shadow would wait until the early hours of the following morning to return. Its sudden arrival in the dead of night could only mean one thing: urgent news. However, because Tamayo's courtyard was heavily shielded by Yushiro's Blood Demon Art, the crow couldn't visually locate Akira and was forced to circle above, cawing loudly to draw him out.
"I need to step out for a bit," Akira said, his relaxed demeanor vanishing instantly. "We will discuss the specifics later."
Without wasting another second, he turned and vanished into the night, leaving the hidden clinic behind.
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