Tamayo couldn't believe they'd let her go. Even though Hiru had branded her to monitor whether she ate people, she was a demon! How could they trust her like that?
And wasn't that man called Tsugikuni Yoriichi a Demon Slayer?
"I do slay demons, but I've never joined the Demon Slayer Corps."
Only then did Tamayo realize she'd spoken aloud. "Bu—but—"
"You should be able to do it, Miss Tamayo," Hiru said, returning to Yoriichi's side with a bag full of stones. "After all, you looked so anguished when we mentioned eating humans."
Tamayo fell silent.
How could she not feel hatred, revulsion, pain?
She had eaten her own husband and children.
She'd become a demon because Muzan said it would cure her illness. She did it to stay with her family—because she couldn't bear to leave them.
But—! But!! She'd killed everyone she loved and then eaten them all!
If Muzan had been honest from the start, she never would have become a demon!
"I understand." Tamayo's eyes hardened. "I will—absolutely—overcome this craving to eat humans."
"Then do your best, Miss Tamayo."
After gathering the stones, Hiru returned to Yoriichi's side. As Yoriichi put them away, Hiru obediently let him pick him up and settled back on his shoulder. "I'll watch you too. If you eat a person, I'll sense it immediately and bring my brother to find you. Then we'll slay you."
"I will." Tamayo nodded. "Um—there's something I want to ask."
"Ah, please—ask."
Tamayo stood and looked up at Hiru perched on Yoriichi's shoulder. "Have you ever eaten a person?"
"No. Though I really wanted to, I never opened my mouth."
Tamayo's voice took on a little urgency. "Then how did you overcome the desire?"
"Strictly speaking, I haven't overcome it." Hiru shook his head. "I just temporarily substitute human blood with large amounts of beast blood. Also, my Blood Demon Art is rather special—it can seal my desire. And my brother keeps me in check… so it will be hard for you, Miss Tamayo."
Tamayo lowered her head; one fist pressed to her chest while her other hand gripped the sleeve below it. After a long silence she looked up, her eyes full of resolve. "I will. For my dead child and husband, and to see Muzan die with my own eyes—I will absolutely overcome it."
"Then I wish you success in advance."
Hiru smiled faintly, but it faded quickly. "Before we part, one more question: have you seen a swordsman who looks exactly like my brother, wearing purple swordsman garb? He was probably turned into a demon by Muzan; he should be called Kokushibo now."
"Sorry. I only heard that Muzan seduced a Breathing-style swordsman, and that swordsman gave Muzan the head of the Demon Slayer Corps' leader."
"I see…" Hiru's mood sank again. "Seems neither of those people will be easy to find."
"We'll find him."
Yoriichii reached out to lightly tap Hiru's head in reassurance, then looked at Tamayo. "Leave quickly. There should be swordsmen on their way."
Tamayo bowed slowly and solemnly. "Farewell, Mr. Yoriichi. Mr. Hiru."
...
Watching Tamayo's figure recede, Hiru turned to Yoriichi. "Aren't we leaving?"
"At least we have to explain the situation to the swordsmen who are coming."
"Won't they just find another excuse to blame you?"
"...Let them. After causing such wide destruction and leaving no trace, the people will panic."
"Brother, can't you be selfish just once…" Hiru muttered.
"They're only talking about what actually happened." Yoriichii peered toward the distance where a golden head was rapidly approaching. "Besides, there are always those who understand us, aren't there?"
"Mr. Yoriichi!"
"Long time no see," Yoriichi said as Rengoku Tetsushiro came running up, slightly winded. "Mr. Rengoku."
"Do you know what happened here, Mr. Yoriichi?" Rengoku scanned the area, his gaze lingering briefly on Hiru perched on Yoriichi's shoulder before returning to Yoriichi's face. "A huge slash mark stretches all the way to the forest's edge—it almost cut through! The people are alarmed. Did a powerful demon appear? Was it slain? If not, where did it flee? Can we pursue it?"
"I encountered Muzan Kibutsuji."
Rengoku froze, then grabbed Yoriichi's arm in excitement. "Really? The Muzan Kibutsuji I'm thinking of?"
The swordsmen behind Rengoku had been about to speak, but they fell silent; all eyes fixed on Yoriichi, expressions charged.
"Yes." Yoriichi's face remained calm. "But he's overcome the weakness in his neck. When I severed his head I didn't kill him; I gave him a chance to split and escape. Even though I swung with all my strength, a chunk the size of a heart got away. I'm sorry, but I doubt he'll leave me a second chance before I die."
"What?!"
"How could you let him escape?!"
"What a wasted opportunity! If you'd delayed arriving a little longer, we could've gotten there first and killed him!"
"To let such a perfect chance slip—infuriating!"
Hiru grabbed Yoriichi's collar. "Isn't it that you all came too late? If it were you facing that level of attack, you wouldn't have lasted a second—not even to delay! What right do you, useless fools, have to blame my brother?"
"Who's speaking?!"
"Sneaking around—show yourself!"
"Hey, look over there! That swordsman!"
After a moment of confusion, the swordsmen focused on Hiru.
"He's got a demon with him!"
"Wasn't it this man's brother who betrayed the Master? That demon calls him 'brother'?"
"Could he be a traitor allied with demons?"
"Maybe! Otherwise he wouldn't have let Muzan go!"
"Unforgivable!"
"You should commit seppuku!"
As their words intensified, Rengoku Tetsushiro exploded, "Enough!"
But the brief silence made the swordsmen's anger flare even more.
"Are you protecting this traitor, Mr. Rengoku?"
"Even if you were a Hashira, I wouldn't change my mind!"
"To walk with demons! Unforgivable!"
Seeing what unfolded, Hiru felt his human feelings ebb further.
Look at them—so weak, so ignorant—and yet they dare to slap their own label of "truth" on this, on someone far more powerful than they are.
An explanation? They wouldn't listen. They only want to believe what suits them.
The truth? That doesn't matter. They want to pull someone down and climb up—then point at the fallen.
[How vile.]
[Why must humans exist in this world?]
[In the end, wouldn't this world be better without humans?]
[Without humans, demons would lack food and turn on one another; they'd perish naturally.]
[And if both humans and demons vanished, wouldn't a world without humans be even more beautiful?]
[So kill them.]
Hiru's gaze chilled; he raised his hand.
[That's right—kill them all.]
[Without humans, other creatures would coexist naturally and build a beautiful, harmonious world.]