About the fact that the girl made into a demon by my friend was an absurdly huge eater.
No, it wasn't that I was angry my friend had been eaten so terribly. On the contrary, Kibutsuji Muzan's heart was the exact opposite, piercing through and soaring beyond. A feeling of elation as if breaking through the heavens.
Well, of course, it had to be. Because my friend, who had been suppressing the urge to eat humans, had finally become unable to resist the demon's instinct.
That my friend, who had remained calm even after being eaten by countless demons, was driven to this state by a single girl.
To liken it to horse racing, it was as if the lowest-odds crap horse suddenly charged to the front and pressured from the corner.
So excitement reached its peak, and my mood pierced through the ceiling and soared to the distant firmament. For Kibutsuji Muzan, that girl named Mukago was literally a jackpot lottery ticket.
For reference, Kibutsuji Muzan cannot go out under sunlight, so he has never seen actual horse racing. But he has never been disappointed. Because once he overcomes the sun, he'll go see it. He'll go see it with my friend until he's sick of it.
Anyway, Kibutsuji Muzan was in such an elated mood that a hum came naturally. A festive atmosphere of drinking and singing. A glass tower made from rare blood tonight! Is this the chance to use the rare blood saved for a special day?!
"Hey, rare──"
"If you babble about eating rare blood, I won't make eye contact with you for the next five years."
"I have one rare, high-quality kimono, but how about giving it to that girl?"
"Really? Thank you."
That was close.
Kibutsuji Muzan paused his elated heart. He definitely adds 'rare blood' to my friend's list of forbidden words.
My friend's voice just now was sincere. And my friend's 'sincerity' means Kibutsuji Muzan's mental death.
There was nothing scarier than when that usually noisy guy spoke in such a flat voice. It's a natural disaster, the inverse logic of an earthquake. A fear only those who know can feel.
Fortunately, when Kibutsuji Muzan handed over the kimono, my friend laughed cheerfully in his usual bright voice, "Lord Muzan, thank you~."
With that one word, Kibutsuji Muzan's spirit was hit with Hoymi, Behoymi, Behomazun triple hit! Mental power 10/10 fully recovered!
What an easy man.
For reference, that kimono just handed over was Kibutsuji Muzan's personal collection from when he disguised as a young lady. In other words, a handout. Receive it gratefully.
But how could that young girl know Kibutsuji Muzan's heart. She was just peacefully sleeping, drooling.
"By the way, she sleeps well."
"It's fine, for kids, sleeping is also work."
Every time Mukago, who had a bad sleeping habit, kicked off the blanket, my friend diligently covered her again. That hand was unusually pale. It had a color so devoid of blood that it seemed like he might die any moment, making Kibutsuji Muzan unnecessarily anxious.
"…Hey, is your body condition okay?"
"My body? It's much better. Thanks to Nakime's biwa."
Kibutsuji Muzan already knew about the conversation between my friend and Nakime. Because he peeked through Nakime's vision. From start to finish, perfectly cleared all at once.
It's a secret that he was disappointed seeing my friend calmly brush off a woman's seduction, saying "That's why you're unpopular," then felt relieved for no reason, "As expected of you," and made a fuss alone, changing expressions about a hundred times.
"…But, you know, what should I prepare as a gift for a woman?"
"Just give her a kiss."
"Who asked for advice from a weirdo?"
"Don't worry about trivial things. Things that make women giggle happily are overflowing in the world."
Flowers, jewels, perfume. Pretty accessories, kimonos, ornaments── with so many choices, he couldn't understand why my friend was worrying so seriously.
"No, first of all, I don't have money. I'm screwed."
"Shall I lend you? The loan interest is 10% in 10 days."
"What was Lord Muzan's job again? Loan shark yakuza?"
"It's trade."
"Long-term smuggling?"
"Porcelain. Made by Gyokko, Upper Rank 5. Sells beautifully and expensively."
Cutting off the useless jokes there, my friend coughed once and returned to the main point.
"Borrowing money from someone else to give a gift seems a bit unmanly, so I'll decline the loan."
"Then do flowers. Aren't they blooming everywhere?"
"Flowers…… hmm, flowers…… But something more heartfelt……."
He could just choose appropriately. No matter what he gives, Nakime would be happy just from receiving it from this man.
Of course, she won't show that happiness outwardly and will act calm as always.
Thinking that, was it only Kibutsuji Muzan who felt a surge of mischief? He wanted my friend to choose a gift that would fluster Nakime enough to break that perfectly calm expression.
"……How about a comb?"
"I have to buy it. Hmm, should I look for part-time work even as a demon?"
"Make it. You're good with your hands."
"Don't say it easily. Combs are difficult."
"Make it."
Pushing strongly, my friend seemed to have come around. Seeing my friend scratching his cheek, thinking of making it from bamboo, Kibutsuji Muzan smiled satisfactorily.
Comb (櫛). Read differently, it's suffering and death (苦死).
Due to the words associated with that pronunciation, combs are avoided as gifts, but under one condition, they become an extremely meaningful gift.
For demons, there might be no shared death or suffering, but that's a secondary issue. Thinking about what face Nakime would make when receiving it, he was in a very pleasant mood from now on.
＊
Suddenly, but a boy member was feeling disgusted with the Demon Slayer Corps.
If it weren't for repaying the master who took him in as an orphan, and the will to fight hard for the share of his senior who fell along the way, he might have thrown away his Nichirin Blade right now, grabbed a hoe, and become a rural farmer.
No, of course. Seeing those who were easily swayed by baseless rumors, ran amok with hatred for demons, and drove out Urokodaki Rei, what could he feel other than disgust?
Although he had only fought together once on a horse demon subjugation mission, the boy had never seen such a kind swordsman as Urokodaki Rei.
Even within the Demon Slayer Corps, where it's common sense to risk one's life to exterminate demons, he never lost his stance of valuing life.
Rather than die facing one strong demon, survive to slay ten weak demons── that's how he taught.
When such a kind person was expelled for just one reason of having a past connection with a demon, the anger the boy member felt was indescribable.
The boy member wasn't the only one. His senior was also angry. So angry that he eventually shed tears. The senior held strong admiration for Urokodaki Rei, so it made sense to cry.
Even the aftermath was despairing. The tears dried up, and the hollowed heart turned full circle, bringing laughter instead. He laughed so much that tears came again.
Urokodaki Rei's expulsion was due to a conspiracy by one member. A man aiming for a Pillar's position for money to loaf around had removed countless members who became obstacles by committing all sorts of evil deeds. Urokodaki Rei was a victim.
And his senior, who was slated to be the tsuguko of the Thunder Hashira, injuring his leg was also that man's doing.
Learning this fact, the boy member unconsciously drew his Nichirin Blade. He firmly resolved, 'That guy isn't human; he's an evil spirit. Must be exterminated. Must only be exterminated. A being that must be exterminated. Let me exterminate him. I'll stab him to death wildly.'
But before the boy member could do anything, that man had already been executed by decapitation. They say the neck was cut by Flame Hashira Rengoku Shōjuro.
Recalling the man who caused so much pain to others but faced death painlessly by a skilled blade, the boy member couldn't help but click his tongue grandly. Punishment by throwing him naked into Mt. Fujikasane would have been good too, he thought.
To his senior, who was a victim of that man's evil deeds, the salary he had secretly saved up was delivered entirely as compensation and treatment fees.
It was a large sum that would leave no lack for living in the future, but the senior wasn't happy. He burst into tears, saying he didn't need this crap, just give back Rei senior.
Urokodaki Rei, expelled from the Demon Slayer Corps, then disappeared without a trace. He had been abducted by a demon. He didn't even want to imagine the final fate of the white-haired, red-eyed nutrient for demons.
Bad rumors about Urokodaki Rei stopped abruptly after the man's evil deeds were exposed. Everyone is awkward.
The more those who cursed the loudest became quiet, it was pathetic. If he could ask, 'Hey hey, how do you feel now?' he would want to ask.
Actively make it a topic. Pass down your mistakes to posterity. Don't miss important things because of hatred for demons.
Since everyone tightly shut their mouths when Urokodaki Rei's story came up, the boy member resolved.
Yes, become a cultivator in the future. And teach this incident to my disciples.
Have the disciples of the next generation pass down that incident too.
Hatred makes people strong, but it doesn't make people grow. So, along with the lesson not to hate demons too much, I'll pass down your mistakes to the next generation forever. Tremble and sleep in your graves, you member brats.
With his senior retiring and Urokodaki Rei gone, the boy member's heart became a desolate Tottori sand dunes. In short, pissed off.
However, even aiming to be a cultivator, only retired Pillars or upper-ranked members can become cultivators.
So, the first goal the boy member set was to raise his rank. Even if becoming a Pillar is unreasonable with his skills, if he steadily strives, he might somehow become an upper-ranked member.
Please watch over me from the other world, Urokodaki senior.
I won't let your sacrifice or this incident be forgotten.
That was the boy member who vowed under the moonlight, but──
'Huh, is senior maybe still alive?'
It didn't take long for such a thought to arise.
・
・
・
Rushing to the place after receiving a demon appearance report, there was no demon. Instead, only one man sitting with a blank face.
When asked what happened, the man answered like this. That while being attacked by a demon, he was helped by another demon.
"No. That guy's head was white like an old man's! But the face glimpsed was young. And the eyes! That guy's eyes were both bright red, and the pupils were vertically elongated like a cat's! And, mister, do you know what was in those eyes?"
He was a very talkative man. Having experienced the unbelievable event of being attacked by a demon and then saved by another demon, it wasn't unreasonable to be excited.
"Letters, letters! There were letters inside the pupils! One side said 'Upper Rank', the other said 'Zero'! I definitely saw it. I have really good eyes. The moment I read those letters, the demon that attacked me turned pale blue and ran away! Saying it's a clan hunterー!"
As if to show how madly the demon rampaged then, the man exaggeratedly swung his arm tightly wrapped in freshly treated cloth.
"That guy immediately chased after the one that ran away. Drawing the sword he had at his waist. And that sword was strange too, not the iron color I know. ……It was purple."
The man lowered his voice as if revealing the best secret, but the boy member's impression was honestly just "I seeーーー!!"
From the part about being saved by someone with white hair and red eyes, he suspected, but the purple sword was the deciding blow.
No mistake. That demon is senior.
The boy member begged the man with a deep bow not to carelessly divulge tonight's events, then went home holding his dizzy head.
Just the fact that senior became a demon was enough to make his head explode, but on top of that, Upper Rank 0. So, currently, the Twelve Kizuki is actually Thirteen Kizuki?
If senior with that skill becomes a demon, calling it threatening is insufficient. It's a complete disaster.
No, wait. Calm down.
Senior is called a 'clan hunter' and instills fear. Then he's not on the demons' side. Rather, a demon's enemy who shares the Demon Slayer Corps' will. Even as a demon, his heart might still be that of a demon hunter.
Why the white-haired, red-eyed existence that's a nutrient for demons wasn't eaten but became a demon is unknown, but anyway, it's clear that no shadow has fallen on Urokodaki Rei's goodness.
Probably, he hasn't eaten humans either. No certainty, but judging by senior's nature, he seems like he'd endure no matter how much he suffers.
"………"
I was a fool for doubting senior, such an incarnation of 'kindness', even for a moment!
But if the characters 'Upper Rank' are engraved in his pupils, maybe doubting can't be helped……
Gasp! Could all this be Kibutsuji Muzan's scheme? A trick to make the Demon Slayer Corps misunderstand senior as an enemy by imprinting the characters 'Upper Rank'? That could be it.
Senior (plus the Nichirin Blade), who maintains his identity as a demon hunter even after becoming a demon, must be a huge threat to demons.
Surely, Kibutsuji Muzan injured senior's pupils so that if by chance he isn't accepted by the Demon Slayer Corps.
The Demon Slayer Corps, which expelled senior for having a connection with a demon, would never accept him with 'Upper Rank' engraved in his pupils. Instead, they'd likely burn with zeal to defeat Urokodaki Rei, saying "Is that your true nature! Good, subjugation!"
Kibutsuji Muzan, a terrifying demon……!
He completely understands the Demon Slayer Corps' psychology……!
──The fact that Urokodaki Rei became a demon was significant information that should be reported to the superiors. However, the boy member did not do so.
A former member becoming a demon is the worst scandal. No matter how good a person Urokodaki Rei is, most would judge him as evil just for being a demon.
The boy member did not want that name to be tarnished any further.
Moreover, if responsibility for his demonification falls on former Water Hashira Urokodaki Sakonji, nothing could be more tragic. That would surely be the situation Urokodaki Rei most wanted to avoid.
Of course, even if the boy member kept his mouth shut, there was a possibility of a report coming through the Kasugai Crow. But the responsible crow was old and hard of hearing. He only prayed in his heart that it wasn't heard.
Bury the fact of Urokodaki Rei's survival deep in his heart, and act so it never becomes known to the Demon Slayer Corps.
"Because I want senior to live peacefully."
He's had a hard time in many ways, so it's too much for him to be killed just for becoming a demon.
＊
Opened my eyes. An unfamiliar ceiling.
Not the familiar hole-ridden shed ceiling.
Why am I here? What was I doing before falling asleep? As I raised my body from the futon, my consciousness was immediately captured by something else.
There's a smell of blood. Sniffing to find the source of the smell, it was from the haori I was covering with.
The crimson-drenched smell strangely wasn't disgusting. Rather, it felt sweet enough to make my mouth water. The same sweetness left in my mouth.
"Did you sleep well, Mukago?"
Thinking about whose blood it might be, I finally realized for the first time. That someone was at the bedside.
A man with white hair and red pupils. The moment I saw his weary smile, the fog in my consciousness cleared at once.
Now I know whose blood dyed this haori red. And the memories connected to that blood, all the events before falling asleep, came back vividly.
How he saved me from death. And what I, who was saved, did to him.
"Rei!!"
Unable to bear it, I hugged him, and Rei did not refuse, embracing me. My appearance running with open arms might have looked no different from the monster that attacked Rei then.
"Did it hurt? It hurt, right?!"
"It's okay. Mukago, are you not hurting anywhere now?"
"Yes, it doesn't hurt……! It doesn't hurt but…… I'm sorry……!"
Remembering Rei's pain as he was torn apart multiple times by me, alive, the tip of my nose stung.
Yes, I, saved by Rei, became a demon. I thought demons were beings without blood or tears, but I can't stop the sadness or tears.
I should stop crying quickly to not worry Rei. Rei, patting my back affectionately as I sob, resembles my mother even in that, making me even sadder. Thinking of my dead mother, the thought that Rei might die too flashed through my mind.
Rei explained various things to me, who had barely regained composure.
That I, who was dying as a human, gained new life as a demon. That demons cannot live without eating humans, but killing humans is a bad thing, so I must never do it. Instead, Rei's family lives by eating the corpses of suicide victims or Rei himself.
And Rei said he would accept me as a member of that family.
Hearing those words, I unconsciously asked.
"Then, I become Rei's little sister?"
"That would be it. If Mukago doesn't dislike it."
"Dislike?! No way, absolutely not!"
There was no discomfort in becoming family with someone I met only a few days ago. That might be because Rei is a familiar and kind person like my mother.
Or maybe because of a strange pride in being a little sister who shared Rei's blood. Is this what they mean by siblings who share blood?
"Hey, hey, Rei… can I call you brother?"
"It doesn't matter."
"Really?! Thank you, Rei… no, brother!"
Rei seemed sorry for turning me into a demon. But I couldn't understand at all why he was sad.
The bruises on my body that hurt here and there disappeared without a trace, and my strangely twisted pinky finger returned to normal perfectly. Moreover, now I can be family with Rei, so what should I suffer about?
To take me home, Rei prepared various things and dressed me in a kimono that Rei's friend had provided.
I was just excited about the pretty clothes, not rags, but when Rei tried to throw away the haori stained with blood, I was startled and grabbed him. Throwing away something dyed so beautifully is nonsense.
Blood hardens black and stiff over time, but that haori remained red and soft, with a moist texture even when dry.
Is all demon blood like this? Or is Rei's blood special?
Rei insisted on throwing it away, but when I desperately clung, he reluctantly handed the haori to me.
The haori originally Rei's was too big for me, long in length and with sleeves way too long. Wearing it, I looked somewhat floating and shabby.
I wonder if this can be remade into a kimono.
＊
"You're really an idiot!!!"
What greeted me returning home with Mukago was, as expected, Mayu's scolding.
"I told you to stop picking them up already?!"
"Sorry."
"There's not a bit of sincerity in it!!"
"I'm truly sorry!"
"You're all talk all the time!! I won't forgive you today, I'll tell Dad!!"
"Huh, wait, wait! Dad, don't tell me now in the bushes transforming with eye carnival state──"
"Dad~~~~!!"
"Don't do it don't do it don't do it!!"
"Come here transformed~~!!"
"Stop merciless acts towards only me?! Since when did you become such a kid! Oni, Mayu is an oni!"
"Sorry, but I've been a demon from the start!"
Normally, Yukari would have stepped in to mediate, but today that couldn't be expected either.
That's because── right next to us, an even noisier fight had already broken out.
"Brother is my brother!"
"Brother is my brother!"
"Now now, Rei is everyone's Rei."
Even with Yukari mediating, Rui and Mukago's fight showed no sign of stopping.
If asked why this happened, it's because Mukago, who just arrived here, called me 'brother'. With just that one word, Rui got extremely angry, and it escalated into such a big fight.
In this family, I'm somewhere between Dad and brother, but only Rui calls me 'brother'. The reason is simple. Because Rui hates it.
Namely, "Brother is my brother, so."
If anyone called me 'brother', 'big brother', or 'bro', Rui would immediately activate little brother mode and throw a tantrum, so it was an unspoken rule for everyone to call me by name.
And here comes Mukago, fully displaying her newly sprouted little sister ego.
Finally, the completion of a death match where little brother ego and little sister ego punch each other.
"Look! This is my name, Rui. And this is brother's name, Rei! Similar, right? Much closer than you!"
"My name is written like this! It has the same character '零' as brother, you see. So I'm closer than you!"
Let's not point out that Mukago's written character is '零示了'. I'll teach her characters later.
As the cause of the two's dispute, in this situation, I should probably jump in like a pure-hearted manga heroine saying "Stop! Don't fight for me!" but it's rare to see the usually quiet Rui shouting so energetically.
So I just watched Rui, who said "I love brother this~~~ much!" spreading his arms wide, and Mukago, who said "I love you this~~~ much!" hopping up and down.
"Brother!!"
"Brother!!"
As I was watching my family so cutely, feeling pleased, the two called me with literally demon faces, then pointed at each other and shouted.
"I hate this kid!"
"I hate this kid!"
"You get along really well."
""No!!""
Seeing that even their shouting voices matched perfectly, their breathing seems to surprisingly sync well.
I was harboring such impressions while desperately ignoring Dad approaching from behind.
＊
Everyone seemed to notice that Rei's complexion wasn't good, even though he acted normally. So, to Rei, who rolled up his sleeves and said "Shall we eat?",
"I'm not really hungry, so it's okay. There was a family suicide corpse yesterday."
Even if I lied like that, not a single person complained.
His complexion was really bad. I don't know what happened, but he was clearly exhausted, not recovered at all.
We weren't selfish enough to eat Rei in that state.
Easily fooled Rei seemed to believe this lie readily, answered "Is that so?" with a relieved expression, and then fell asleep just like that. He must have been quite tired, as it was a deep sleep that wouldn't wake easily.
"We can't burden Rei now. Let's find food ourselves."
At Yukari's suggestion, we all nodded in unison. Mukago, who hadn't been family for long, seemed not to fully grasp the situation, but she vaguely understood that this suggestion was for Rei and nodded her head vigorously.
"Right. There must be places other than here where people might have died."
Attacking and eating humans is the fastest, but that can't be done. Rei would be sad.
Appropriately attacking humans and passing it off as suicide victims' corpses…… I thought about it, but I have no intention of doing it.
I mocked myself for being so weak. But now, this weak thought didn't feel as disgusting as before.
"Let's split up and search in all directions."
"Now, those who don't work shall not eat! Let's go find it with effort!"
Killing people is a sin. But is eating humans who took their own lives a sin? I think coveting humans who abandoned themselves by their own will is not a sin.
What's wrong with picking up and using discarded things? It should be fine to make it our sustenance. After eating, we properly give thanks and offer memorial services, so we're quite polite for demons.
Our actions are something forgivable. Something to overlook. That's how I was boasting in a corner of my heart.
But demons are hated just for being demons.
I had completely forgotten that fact, too immersed in comfort.
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