"Take the medicine? All right. I have already prepared myself for this."
Tamayo set down the petri dish in her hand, her expression grave. "So we are following the Master's original plan?"
A few days ago, she, Luke, and Gyomei Himejima had met with the Master. The Master's illness had worsened to a terminal stage some time ago, and having already resolved himself to die, he had devised a plan that the other Hashira would never agree to.
Luke had not agreed to it at the time. Instead, he had produced a strange medicine and given it to the Master, stabilizing his condition somewhat.
Now that Luke had come to see her with such a solemn expression and told her to take medicine, she had assumed he meant for her to follow the Master's plan and use her own death to bring down Muzan.
"No."
Luke shook his head. "Miss Tamayo, you need to take the medicine prepared for Nezuko. You need to become human again."
Tamayo was utterly taken aback. "Mr. Luke, what are you saying? If I become human, I will lose my leverage against Muzan. I will not be able to let him absorb and consume me, either."
Under the Master's original plan, he would use himself as bait to lure Muzan in, then detonate the estate to grievously injure him. After that, Tamayo would rush out and inject Muzan with the drug. Enraged, Muzan would surely devour her, ingesting even more of the medicine in the process.
"Does Yushiro know you intend to do this?"
Luke's tone was calm.
Tamayo's expression stiffened. "That child will understand. This is for the sake of eliminating Muzan. So long as Muzan lives, more people will be harmed. No matter how many people we save through medicine, it will never outweigh the harm Muzan inflicts upon the world."
"Do not be foolish. Muzan is less harmful to humanity than humanity itself."
Luke spoke evenly. "But an exceptional doctor and researcher can save far more people than Muzan could ever kill."
He was telling the truth. The Demon Slayer Corps was not an official organization; it was merely a group of people who had been harmed by Demons and gathered together to kill them.
But in reality, did Demons truly pose such an enormous threat to society?
There were not many Demons, nor were there many Demon Slayer Corps swordsmen. The population of Japan was steadily growing during this era.
Why had Muzan become so much more low-key after entering modern society? Was it really just because he wanted to live peacefully?
No. It was because he knew that if he became too conspicuous, the state authorities alone would be enough to crush him.
Never underestimate the power of a nation. This era already had automobiles and airplanes; it had entered the age of modern weaponry. If the authorities truly dispatched an army to wipe him out, sustained aerial bombardment would be no joke. After all, even Muzan had been severely wounded by the bombs in the estate in the original story. Clearly, he was not completely immune to modern weapons.
If one seriously compared the numbers, the people Muzan and the Demons he created had killed over a thousand years likely did not even equal the casualties of a horrific plague.
In the original story, Muzan once uttered a particularly shameless line. He asked why people could not simply regard him as a natural disaster like an earthquake, volcanic eruption, tsunami, or plague—if they encountered him, they should just consider themselves unlucky. Why hate him?
The statement was shameless, but the truth was that Muzan was still nowhere near the level of a natural disaster. Compared to one, his destructive power did not qualify.
That was why Luke felt it would be such a waste to throw away someone as talented as Tamayo. There were many ways to administer the drug. It did not have to cost a life.
Besides, he no longer needed Tamayo's drugs. He intended to cut Muzan down head-on.
"Mr. Luke, are you going out to find Muzan?"
Having listened to Luke, Tamayo realized something. She rose and grabbed his arm. "Take me with you. I can be useful."
Luke shook off Tamayo's hand. "Stay at headquarters. Take the medicine and sever your connection to Muzan completely. Otherwise, when Muzan dies, you will disappear too."
Muzan Kibutsuji was the progenitor of every Demon. Tamayo and Nezuko had escaped Muzan's control, but that did not mean they no longer had any connection to him. Yushiro was the only Demon who had not been created by Muzan.
Once Muzan died, every Demon created through him would perish as well. Tamayo and Nezuko were no exceptions, so they had to become human first.
"I understand your kindness, Mr. Luke, but Nezuko and I are different."
Tamayo shook her head. "If I return to being human, I will die as well."
Seeing Luke's confusion, she explained further. "I have lived for far too many years—far longer than any human could. The moment I become human again, the aging of my body will kill me."
"Is there no other way?"
Luke asked.
Tamayo considered it for a moment. "I can try to turn myself into a new species—half human, half Demon. I just do not know whether that would allow me to escape the mass extinction. Of course, as long as Muzan can be killed, I do not care what happens to me. I am a sinner myself, after all."
Luke understood Tamayo's state of mind. She was not afraid of death. In fact, she wanted to die. She had been tormented for centuries by the guilt of killing her husband and child. If she could perish alongside Muzan, she would see it as the greatest possible release.
"Try to live. Use your medical skill to benefit humanity and atone for your sins."
Without waiting for Tamayo's response, Luke changed the subject. "There is a second matter I need to explain. You can tell the Master afterward as well. I believe he will agree."
Tamayo knew time was pressing, so she did not continue discussing herself. "Please tell me, Mr. Luke."
"After I leave, if I do not return quickly, immediately gather every Hashira to protect Nezuko. Distribute the poison you and Miss Shinobu developed to every Hashira."
Luke had also informed the Stone Hashira, who would patrol this temporary Demon Slayer Corps headquarters.
The enemy might very well use a diversionary tactic, and they had to be prepared. Though Luke admired the Master's fearlessness, to be blunt, the Master was nowhere near as important as Nezuko right now.
Once Muzan absorbed Nezuko, he would truly become the ultimate life-form. That would be troublesome. He would be able to run around freely even in daylight, and they would never be able to catch him.
Luke had originally intended to use Nezuko as bait to fish out Muzan. He had discussed the matter with Tanjiro, and Tanjiro had said that so long as it could eliminate Muzan, he and his sister were willing to take the risk.
But now, it appeared they would not need to release the news themselves. The enemy might have already come knocking.
After giving Tamayo his instructions, Luke glanced at the deepening night beyond the doorway and headed out. Yet a petite woman stepped in front of him and blocked his path.
"Luke, are you going alone to fight an Upper Rank?"
Shinobu Kocho looked up at Luke, hatred glinting in her dark violet eyes. "Take me with you. It is the perfect chance to test the new poison."
With a quick shift of his feet, Luke slipped past Shinobu. "Do not let your emotions control you. Do your job. I promise you—I will kill every Demon I encounter on this trip."
Setting aside the fondness he had already held for the nine Hashira while reading the original story, after two months of training and daily life together, Luke had come to regard them as friends. He could not possibly stand by and watch Shinobu go seek death against Doma.
With Shinobu's strength, even having learned [Demon God] could not give her the power to cut off a Demon's head. She could still only rely on poison. Even if she could defeat Doma, it would be a one-for-one trade. Luke could not accept such losses.
"Luke..."
Shinobu turned around, still wanting to argue, but Tamayo caught her hand from behind.
"Miss Shinobu, let us sort out the medicine. The battle may begin on our side first."
Tamayo said, "This may be a very long night."
After Luke left, Amane Ubuyashiki entered a room within the estate, carrying a wooden basin as she wiped the Master's sweat away.
"Amane, has the Chime Hashira already departed?"
The Master asked weakly.
"He has just left the estate and is heading for the location reported by the Kasugai Crow."
Amane answered dutifully.
"Is that so..."
The Master laboriously turned his head, using his blind eyes to sense the moonlight beyond the door. "Amane, is the moon full tonight?"
A tear rolled down Amane's cheek. "It is very full."
"Activate the contingency plan. I can roughly understand what that child, the Chime Hashira, is thinking, but we cannot let him bear everything alone. If a great battle truly erupts, I am willing to offer my life."
The Master spoke in a gentle voice. "I only hope the Chime Hashira returns safely from this journey."
…………
It was May. The warmth of early summer had driven away the chill of late spring, becoming a mild, gentle wind.
A bright full moon hung over the ancient road, illuminating a temple that had stood for a thousand years.
Gnawed corpses lay scattered along the roadside, and the air was thick with the stench of blood.
Amid the cries of night crows, a man in black raced in. He vaulted upward and landed in a tree like a nocturnal owl.
His gaze swept over the scene as he sensed the surrounding auras, before turning toward the imposing ancient temple. "So it is just you?"
A figure emerged from within the temple. Under the moonlight, Luke saw the man's face clearly.
He was a rather handsome man with shoulder-length black hair tied into a ponytail at the back of his head. He wore black clothes like formal evening attire and plain white gloves, giving him the air of a refined gentleman.
When he saw Luke, he bowed. "My name is Silas. It is an honor to meet a powerful man like you."
Luke walked toward him at an unhurried pace. He could not detect any other Demons with his senses, which left him deeply puzzled. Was the other side really looking down on him this much?
"I thought I would get to see all the Twelve Kizuki."
As Luke drew closer, he saw the man's eyes clearly. They were pitch-black, with white characters engraved within them: Upper Rank Four.
Seeing that number, Luke's expression darkened. "What did you do to the previous Upper Rank Four?"
Silas smiled. "Since I have taken that number, the former Four was naturally eliminated. Lord Muzan does not like useless trash that loses in a blood battle for rank."
He showed no tension at Luke's approach. Instead, he took out a human finger from his storage space and gnawed on it as casually as if it were a snack. "On the contrary, why are you angry that our side has lost a member?"
"That was one of my prey."
Luke answered irritably. Upper Rank Four being dead meant one fewer treasure chest for him.
"You are a strange man. The death of the former Upper Rank Four should be good news for your side, should it not? I did not particularly want to kill him either. He was still a source of combat power. But I needed some status, after all. Those without status have no voice."
Silas remained composed as he chatted with Luke.
"Looks like you really did earn yourself a voice. It cannot be easy working under an idiot like Muzan, can it?"
Luke teased him. He was in no hurry to strike. He wanted to determine the enemy's intentions, or see whether any other Upper Ranks would show themselves.
Moving rashly might cause him to lose out on a great deal.
"Tsk, do not try to bait me. I deeply admire that lord."
Silas smiled with narrowed eyes, crunching loudly on his little snack. "I am simply curious. What exactly are you fighting for?"
"What am I fighting for? What a boring question."
Luke rested his hand on Prison Demon at his waist. If no one else was coming, he had no intention of listening to this man keep rambling.
"How can that be a boring question? You are a warrior, are you not? Then you must have convictions. My purpose in entering this world was very clear. I chose my current side because I want to destroy this country."
Silas stared into Luke's eyes. "And you? Why are you helping the Demon Slayer Corps? From our perspective, should that lord not be a hero?"
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