"Hehehehehehe."
"You look happy, Teacher."
"Ah, can you tell? Is it obvious?"
"Yes, incredibly so."
The joy of receiving a name from my teacher still lingered the next day, even while teaching Nobuya medicine preparation.
By the way, my teacher left this place at dawn. It seemed Lord Muzan had called him.
He said he would return and spar with me once things were settled, so until then, I must not neglect my training and strive diligently.
"It's just... I received a wonderful gift from someone I respect."
"I see. If Teacher is happy, I somehow feel happy too! But what about today's medicine score?"
"45 points."
"Ah, you're cold there."
"Medicine is prescribed to patients, so I have to grade strictly."
It was not long ago that I drilled all the basics and fundamentals into Nobuya. Lately, I've been having him make medicine directly for the sick people in the village.
The method is for Nobuya to diagnose patients himself and make medicine based on his judgment, then I grade that medicine. After all, the fastest way to learn anything is through practical experience.
"Didn't you say Yuriko is over seventy? This medicine would be a burden on the elder's stomach."
"But wouldn't a weak medicine have no effect?"
"There's no point if side effects make things harder. I'll remake Yuriko's medicine, so watch carefully later. ...Ah, but this ointment is well made. Is it for Shunjo?"
"Yes, it's medicine for back pain."
"Hmm, just give this to Shunjo as is."
"100 points?!"
"No, 70 points. The effect seems good, but the medicine doesn't spread smoothly, it's not sleek, and the finish is a bit clumsy."
The light vanished from Nobuya's face in an instant.
"It's the highest score you've received so far, aren't you happy?"
"But Teacher's direct disciple always got 100 points, right?"
"Kyūtarō was quick-witted and had excellent memory and dexterity."
Moreover, he was a child with an extreme dislike of losing. In my Shabana days, when Kyūtarō received 80 points for his first medicine and was furious, he immersed himself in preparation work with an assassin-like glare that made me want to check, "You're not making poison, are you?"
Thanks to that, from then on, he consistently scored 100 points. He even produced work so good that I wanted to give extra points, making Shabana Tsukuru wonder where this Granger came from and want to call him out.
"But Nobuya, you have talent. You'll do much better once you get used to it."
"Really? Can I beat the direct disciple?"
"Hmm~ I wonder about that."
"I'll study hard!"
Nobuya, fists clenched, overflowing with motivation. He's such an unadorned, honest child. If I had met him in my Shabana days, he might have been a good junior to Kyūtarō.
"Then, could you go gather some ingredients needed for Yuriko's medicine?"
"Yes. I'll also try to find the Blue Spider Lily."
"I'll wait patiently~"
I waved goodbye to Nobuya as he set out to search for herbs.
The Blue Spider Lily still hasn't been found. Once, with the help of villagers, we thoroughly searched this mountain but ultimately couldn't find it. It seems it's probably not on this mountain.
If I can't find the Blue Spider Lily, Lord Muzan won't cooperate with my research. Without financial support, I can't proceed with research on medicine to turn demons back into humans, and separately, the material costs for the medicine I absolutely want to make are also enormous.
That is, Mom's medicine.
The decryption of the research notes returned by my teacher along with the Nichirin Blade was finally completed not long ago.
According to the confirmed correct recipe, that medicine requires immense effort, a long time, and vast funds to complete.
The efficacy will only be known after completion, but even before making it, I have a预感 it will become a remarkable medicine.
"...I should search for the Blue Spider Lily myself too."
In that case, Rui and 'Mom' must guard this place. Honestly, it's unsettling to leave the children at home, but considering the risk of taking them outside and being spotted by the Demon Slayer Corps, it's much safer to leave them here.
Considering Rui and 'Mom's' hunger state, I can only leave home for a few days at most. I should manage somehow in that timeframe.
Rui has also become quite skilled at handling demonic arts lately, so he should be able to escape with 'Mom' no matter what happens. In an emergency, Lord Muzan would help too.
Then, shall I go search for the Blue Spider Lily once?
"(I have something to consult with Lord Muzan.)"
The friend who declared, "I'm going out to find the Blue Spider Lily for a bit!" sent a telepathic call just hours after setting off on the journey. With such a serious voice, Kibutsuji Muzan immediately summoned the friend to the Infinity Castle.
The friend's face was gloomy, head hung low and bowed in depression. Clearly, something had happened where he started his journey after leaving home.
When Kibutsuji Muzan urged him to tell what happened, after a long silence, the friend looked up with a gaze like a sulking child and said.
".........I told you before, if I behead a demon, I won't speak for 200 days."
"That's right."
By the way, despite making such a promise with Kibutsuji Muzan, this friend was just a few days ago swinging his sword aiming for Kokushibo's neck.
At that time, Kibutsuji Muzan, who was peeking into Kokushibo's vision, clutched his head thinking, "Don't make me laugh, you brat! Did you forget the promise?!" but it seems the friend properly remembered.
By the way, Kokushibo's neck wasn't beheaded, so the promise was barely kept.
"What about that promise?"
"Can you shorten it to 1 minute?"
"If haggling goes that far, it's at the level of robbery."
He's trying to cut not just the number but the unit. No matter how much of a friendship discount, there's a limit to unprecedented discounts.
"Why suddenly? Did something happen outside?"
"As you know, I got into a quarrel with a demon."
"No, I have no idea."
"Huh? Didn't Lord Muzan have the ability to peek into demons' vision? I thought you'd know for sure."
Kibutsuji Muzan can peek into the vision of demons he controls, but he doesn't constantly monitor all demons' vision. So, with a very, very low probability, cases like this are missed.
When explained that way, the friend made an indescribable expression. It was a 'I'm screwed, I shouldn't have said it if he wasn't watching.' expression.
"So, did you behead and kill that demon?"
"I didn't behead the neck, so I didn't break the promise."
"An odd way of putting it. You didn't dismember parts other than the neck, did you?"
"............"
"Really, you!"
The image of Kokushibo dismembering Upper Rank Six, Sairo, into caterpillar-sized pieces flashed through his mind. Like teacher, like disciple, you two are truly a matched pair. Truly fearsome Moon Breathing.
"This time I held back before beheading the neck, but perhaps because I became a demon, my temper got a bit impatient... If the same thing happens next time, I might accidentally do it."
"So you're asking to lighten the punishment? Do you think I'll allow that?"
Even if dismembering is reluctantly overlooked, the moment I permit this guy to behead demons, the Lower Ranks will be annihilated and half the Upper Ranks will be smashed. So, this much must be defended.
"Isn't it a matter of ignoring it if a quarrel starts?"
"I'm not mature enough to let it slide after hearing provocative remarks. Lord Muzan also gets irritated when your sensitive points are mocked, right?"
"......"
Kibutsuji Muzan pondered deeply. Recalling what action he would take if someone pointed out his sickly complexion, after pondering, he nodded with a grim face.
He had no choice but to agree with the friend's words. If told he looks like he's about to die immediately, he would clearly get irritated and do something.
"But beheading is not allowed. I can't permit that."
"Then what should I do if I get into a quarrel from now on?"
The friend complained like that, but it's a simple problem.
"If quarrels don't happen in the first place, it'll be fine. Good, lend me your eyes."
"I've heard of lending ears, but lending eyes is the first time... Owwww?!"
The words changed into a scream midway. The friend clutched his left eye in pain.
As I extended my nails again to carve into the remaining right eye, the red right eye glared at Kibutsuji Muzan.
"Lord Muzan, what did you do just now? Did you spray lemon juice?!"
"Don't make a fuss. I just carved a character."
"A character?! A character on the eyeball, don't tell me that thing of the Twelve Kizuki?!"
"Rejoice, it's Upper Rank Four."
"It's both eyes! How can I be happy!!!"
The friend shouted with all his might and covered his eyes. At that fierce rejection, Kibutsuji Muzan felt a bit offended.
Thinking that carving the emblem of an Upper Rank in the pupils would prevent quarrels with demons, he purely acted out of goodwill, but what is that reaction.
The friend squawking in protest was covering not only the already carved left eye but also the right eye to be carved next, but such resistance was futile before Kibutsuji Muzan, the leader of demons.
There is no demon that can overpower Kibutsuji Muzan with simple brute force. Kibutsuji Muzan mercilessly pushed away the friend's arms.
If the friend's brute force is a mountain gorilla, Kibutsuji Muzan is King Kong. It's a different level, a level.
"Now, what number shall I carve? Ah, right. Taking from your name in this life, carving 0 (零) will do. In Western mathematics, it's also called zero."
"How many strokes do you think Rei (零) has?!"
"Don't squawk as if it has the same number of strokes as 4 (肆), annoying."
By the way, Hantengu was noisier, so this level of commotion was within permissible range. Kibutsuji Muzan used his blood as ink, wielding his nails like a brush. The friend's noisy screams echoing through the Infinity Castle.
Afterwards, the friend with Upper Rank carved on the left and 0 (零) on the right lay on the floor of the Infinity Castle, sniffling.
"Now I can't get married..."
"If you can't get married, isn't it a matter of taking a wife?"
"Shut up, you Kibutsuji Muzan-twisted-net!"
The Upper Rank pupils that Lord Muzan forcibly carved were frustratingly effective against demons. Demons, upon seeing my eyes, either ran away or begged, one of the two.
No demons pick fights, and the guys mocking my white hair and red eyes as rabbits all disappeared. Thanks to that, night searches were surprisingly smooth.
If this means I no longer have to swing my Nichirin Blade... well, not exactly.
Perhaps because of the habit of being a demon hunter, when I see demons attacking humans, I behead them without question. Since there's a promise with Lord Muzan, I don't behead the neck, but I chase demons, cutting and cutting other parts.
I got scolded a lot by Lord Muzan, but anyway, since I didn't behead the neck, I got a safe judgment and passed.
Well, still, if it's a demon that doesn't attack people, I treat them normally too.
Even if it's a demon that ate people yesterday, or a demon that will kill people tomorrow, if it does nothing before me today, I just close my eyes.
If I forget the fact that they eat people for a moment and have a conversation, demons sometimes feel unexpectedly like ordinary humans. There were demons with particularly severe mysophobia, and demons as excited as children playing ball.
The demon babbling 'women over sixteen lose their freshness' was so criminal-level that I unconsciously drew my sword, but it hid underground and I ultimately couldn't cut it.
I met many demons over several days like that, but the most surprising was the demon who writes novels.
His name was Kyōgoku, who aspired to be a writer when human.
It was a缘分 when he lent me his roof during a sudden downpour that left me in trouble. With nothing to do as the rain lasted too long, I asked Kyōgoku for permission and rummaged through the bookshelf, accidentally finding a bundle of unfinished manuscripts.
Of course, I read it. Since there was no one around me who writes novels, I was swept up in inexplicable excitement, thinking 'Awesome, cool!'
Unfortunately, I'm not good at language skills, so I don't really understand literary expression techniques or the beauty of style, but the plain sentences were反而 easier to read. The genre is historical fantasy, I guess.
At first, it seemed like a common story, but the more I read, the deeper it tasted. Like dried squid, perhaps. It's a fairly smooth-read novel.
If there's a manga based on this, it would become急剧 interesting from around volume 3, and ultimately, it felt like it had the potential to be animated and become a worldwide hit.
......Huh? What, the后续内容 is missing. The most interesting part!
I want to read the next story…… Teacher Kyōgoku……! When I conveyed my impressions, Kyōgoku made a genuinely surprised expression. Then, as if怀疑ing my words as lip service, he made a disbelieving face.
No, but it was really interesting, no lie. Things like descriptions lightly passed in the first half actually being foreshadowing, the回收 of that foreshadowing being amazing, heartwarming developments where enemies become allies, I conveyed my impressions to Kyōgoku as they came to mind.
However, with my poor vocabulary, I could only say things like 'Amazing! Enjoyable! Interesting!' which was disappointing. Like an elementary school book report.
Still, it seems the passion was properly conveyed. Kyōgoku blushed and smiled, promising to definitely write the next part.
Looking at that alone, he didn't seem like a demon that eats people at all.
It was about two days after Brother went out to search for the Blue Spider Lily.
"Hey, Rui."
'Mom' called me. When I raised my head from the demonic arts I was weaving with my hands, I met her eyes that looked like they would burst into tears any moment.
"How can I become strong?"
"Why suddenly?"
"It's not sudden. I've been thinking. I want to become strong. I want to become strong enough to protect myself."
As 'Mom' spoke, shrugging her shoulders, I was taken aback but soon understood.
"But I'm a coward from the start, and no matter how much time passes, I can't even use demonic arts... If this continues, I'll only be a hindrance to Rei and Rui."
'Mom's' voice, lamenting that she hates that, sounded like it would disappear any moment.
"I'm scared that if something happens, both of you will be in danger because of me. So I want to cry."
I know that feeling too well.
Brother was seriously injured once while protecting me. Remembering that incident, my heart feels like it freezes even now.
If we weren't lucky enough to receive help from Lord Muzan, Brother would definitely have died. The reason I practice demonic arts is also to not repeat that tragedy. To prevent Brother from dying.
"Demons can't become strong without eating humans, right? But we mustn't attack humans... I don't know what to do to become like Rui...!"
As 'Mom' shed tears drop by drop, I swept her shoulders with my hands that had withdrawn demonic arts, at a loss.
I don't know what to say at times like this. Clumsy comfort won't soothe this child's heart that genuinely wishes to become strong.
Thinking and thinking about how to stop 'Mom' from crying, one method suddenly came to mind.
"'Mom', there might be one way."
"Sniff, sob... Re, really...?"
"Yes, if that person permits it. You know..."
If there's an unfamiliar woman in our house after returning after several days, anyone would inevitably frown, right?
When I asked with a frowning face, "Who are you?" that woman burst into tears terribly.
It was 'Mom' transformed after drinking Rui's blood, I was told. I got scolded terribly by Rui for making a girl cry. I was ridiculed a lot by Lord Muzan via telepathic call.
If you knew, you should have told me in advance, you brat.
Leaving aside Lord Muzan who choked laughing too much, when I asked the children the reason for the transformation, they said Rui shared his blood so 'Mom' could become stronger.
Thanks to that, 'Mom' not only became able to use demonic arts but also gained the ability to transform, which was previously impossible, and was very happy. Thinking to try being like a real mom for once, she took on her current appearance, it seems.
Her eyes, eye color, and facial features resembled Rui's, so when the two stood side by side, they looked like parent and child.
"But staying transformed will be tough. You'll get hungry too, so let's release it now."
"No, this side feels like real family."
The moment 'Mom' puffed her cheeks like that, a loud rumbling sound from her stomach echoed.
See, you're hungry after all.
Fortunately or not, that night there was a corpse that had fallen off a cliff, so I brought it home and fed it to the two. Still seeming不足, they ate my arm about twice too. Perhaps because 'Mom' became stronger, it felt like they ate much more than usual.
By the way, Lord Muzan really permitted a demon sharing blood with another demon.
Curious, I asked and got the answer, "Because I like Rui."
With a毒-like smile on his lips, Kibutsuji Muzan recalled the day that would come someday.
Just that thought made his chest flutter and his soul pulsate.
──The reason he permitted a demon sharing blood with another demon is because it's the wish of a child he likes.
It wasn't a lie, but the purity of that truth was low. The friend's innocence, believing such superficial reasons without suspecting the ulterior motive, was adorable.
"Now, a stronger demon will be that much hungrier. Facing a demon in its growth spurt, cutting your flesh and dedicating your body, how long can you endure? How long can you act human?"
Amid the creaking of the elegant chair's backrest, a soliloquy flowed out like a song. A sigh leaked out from his heart waiting only for that moment to come quickly.
"Quit being human. Devour it along with trivial emotions."
What benefit is there in leaving a human heart in a demon's body? What reward can be gained by taking the human side?
Humans are weak. Therefore, demons who retain much humanity are also weak. They perish quickly, stabbed in their heart's weak points and die.
Leaving the human heart as is will become an unparalleled vulnerability for that man who dies easily this way and that.
So become a demon quickly. Be dyed completely, to the bone, deep in the heart, to the edge of the soul. And quickly bring peace to my heart.
"By the way, I thought young demons who can't overcome sunlight and are only weak are trash not even worth discard, but unexpectedly, they have their uses. ...Hmm."
──Kibutsuji Muzan sank deep into thought. Rolling multiple brains simultaneously, scanning the existence of numerous demons, he selected suitable individuals matching the conditions.
Weak, small, young demons who can't abandon their human parts and only run away.
He had already asked beforehand where the friend plans to go next. If he scatters weakened bait in that location, the guy will definitely fall into the trap.
If called 'kind,' it sounds good, but in reality, he'll try to help children without deep thought, like picking up dogs or cats on the street, without a plan.
"If mouths increase, things will proceed faster."
To make the friend a complete demon, Kibutsuji Muzan harbored one malice here and plotted goodwill that would only be a nuisance.
Unaware that it would call forth hell in the future.
Since Teacher Rei came to this mountain, it seems a bit of vitality has started to return to the village.
"Hey Nobuya, how is Lord Rei? Is he healthy?"
After finishing that day's studies and returning to the village, Shunjo, working in the fields, asked in a hoarse voice.
Until not long ago, he lamented that his back hurt and he couldn't go to the fields, but now, as if lying, he's lively and his steps coming out of the field are steady. Seems the ointment I gave worked well.
"Yes, he was healthy. Here, new medicine."
"Thanks. Whose medicine is this time? Yours or Lord Rei's?"
"Mine."
"Huuu~ It was you~. Lord Rei's medicine seeps in smoothly, but your medicine stays on the skin till the end, they say. The effect is good though."
Shunjo, whose back pain improved, talks more and his voice is louder. Thanks to that, standing and talking makes it noticeable.
When Shunjo mentioned Teacher Rei's name, one grandfather from the rice field, one grandmother from the doorway poked their faces out, and soon my surroundings became bustling with people.
Elderly people seeking medicine swarmed, instantly becoming noisy, and people surrounded me starting various small talks. The topic, of course, all about Teacher Rei.
The village elders seemed to regard Teacher Rei, who saved them from illness, like a divine messenger. In this封闭 village, the appearance of white hair and red eyes feels that mysterious, so it's understandable.
If I hadn't heard from my mother that there are people born with such colors in the world, I would have shown the same reaction as everyone.
"When Nobuya's mother passed away, I really thought it was the end."
"With no medicine and unable to go to a doctor, we all prepared to die back then."
"I never knew we could recover like this. It's all thanks to Lord Rei."
"That tattoo-covered person helped a lot too."
"I want to repay somehow..."
Shunjo grabbed his chin and groaned as if it's difficult.
Teacher Rei gladly accepts words of gratitude but stubbornly refuses物品. When the recovered villagers all went to express thanks, he firmly refused the food gathered from each house.
In this village with no proper财产, there's nothing to give besides meals, so everyone tried to repay in every way, but Teacher Rei wouldn't accept even trivial food.
If you don't eat, you can't live, but what does Teacher Rei eat to live? Dew, perhaps. Nah, no way.
"Nobuya, come here for a bit."
While surrounded by elders and I was also racking my brain, from afar, my father called me.
My father was emaciated when lying sick, but after getting up, he became much healthier. The weight lost from malnutrition hasn't returned, but he has regained enough energy to take on village work.
"Why, Father?"
"There's something I need help with."
I thought it was some labor to assist with, but it was to harvest the pomegranates that bloomed behind the house.
The smoothness of the split pomegranate revealing its seeds reminds me of Teacher Rei's eye color.
"Pick them and take them to Lord Rei."
"But Teacher probably won't take them, right?"
"It's fine. It's seasonal food, so make sure he eats it."
When my usually quiet father unexpectedly spoke so strongly, I didn't say anything more and reached for the pomegranates.
But they really bore a lot this year. Last year, there was only one withered fruit that even birds wouldn't peck, but why did pomegranates bear especially many this year? Perhaps because we buried Mother here?
Did tree roots entwine into Mother's corpse, pulling and squeezing, making it nutrient, bearing beautiful fruit here?
I stared intently at the picked pomegranates. Looking at the crimson pomegranate as if it sucked Mother's blood, strangely, it didn't feel ominous.
That's probably because Mother was such a beautiful person.
"They say pomegranates taste like human flesh, is that true?"
When I muttered without thinking, my father turned around in shock. At my father's grim expression, I was more shocked.
Frantically excusing, "I read it in a Buddhist book," my father's eyebrows soon softened.
"The story of Kishimojin?"
"Yes, the story where Buddha hands pomegranates to eat instead of humans."
"...Nobuya, can you write Kishimojin in kanji?"
Of course I can write it. It was easy. Using a suitable tree branch as a brush, I scribbled on the ground.
However, when my father saw the '鬼子母神' I wrote confidently, he shook his head.
"Kishimojin, who stopped eating people, is not an oni, so there are no horns."
My father erased the first stroke of '鬼,' the dot on top, and looked at the character that lost its horns, smiling faintly. What's funny? Somehow, Father was a bit strange today.
"Father, are you tired? You should rest early today. I'll do the night patrol."
After learning that the cause of the illness was the river, and the river was polluted because a suicide's corpse drifted down, Father climbed the mountain every night to check the cliff. If there was a corpse, it was to hold a funeral before it drifted away.
"No, I'll do the patrol from now on too. Rather, take the pomegranates quickly. If you dawdle, it'll become night."
After sunset, going to Teacher Rei's house is forbidden. Following Father's words, I hurriedly hugged the pomegranates and ran up the mountain.
Seeing the split pomegranate, Teacher Rei gently refused, saying "Nobuya, you eat it," but when I said Father insisted he must eat it, he reluctantly put one seed in his mouth as if resigning.
"Is it delicious?"
"...Probably delicious, I guess."
Giving an ambiguous answer, Teacher Rei picked and ate the second seed. Third, fourth seeds continuously.
I couldn't watch till the end because I had to return before night, but I think Teacher Rei probably ate them all.
When I returned home and told that story to Father, Father smiled very happily as if relieved, saying "I see."
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