The morning light of Asakusa carried the scent of smoke and life, dispelling the fatigue of Ryosuke's all-night sprint.
"Boss, a bowl of noodles!"
Ryosuke sat down at the stall, still feeling lingering fear.
Who knew the terror of a straight-as-steel man who lived in Sichuan in his previous life!
Damn it!
Buttholes should only be used properly for shitting, you bastards!
After finishing a simple meal, Ryosuke began to stroll on the streets.
It had to be said, compared to those remote towns, Asakusa was indeed much more prosperous.
Vendors lined the roadside, their shouts and the bells of rickshaw pullers mixing with the aroma of rice cakes and fried tempura, stuffing his ears and nose all at once.
Ryosuke asked at several pharmacies and medical clinics in a row. The responses he got were either blank head shakes or wary looks, with absolutely no news of Tamayo.
"Tsk, finding a needle in a haystack."
Ryosuke smacked his lips.
For Tamayo to hide under the noses of Muzan and so many demons for hundreds of years, besides relying on Yushiro's Blood Demon Art, she herself was extremely good at "turtling" (hiding).
It wasn't easy to find her.
Ryosuke sighed. Suddenly, a simple and crude idea floated up!
Since he couldn't find her, he'd let her find him.
For the next half day, a strange medical rumor drifted through several lively streets and alleys of Asakusa.
It was about a young boy from out of town seeking a doctor. He sighed to everyone he met, occasionally whispering his woes to vendors he got friendly with.
"Sigh, I don't know what evil spirit my elder brother provoked at home. Whenever he gets injured, the wounds heal automatically. He can walk around during the day and looks no different from a normal person, only..."
He stopped halfway, his face full of pain.
"Only what?"
The young man lowered his voice even further: "Only that he cannot go without human blood! If he doesn't drink it for a few days, he goes mad and suffers unbearably."
"I took him to visit many famous doctors, but they were all helpless, only saying it's a strange 'soul-leaving' illness from ancient books... If there's an expert who can cure it, we're willing to give our entire fortune in thanks!"
At first, this news only spread in a small circle, but soon, with the embellishment of busybodies, it spread with a hint of curiosity.
Some scoffed, dismissing it as nonsense.
Others acted mysterious, saying he had bumped into a blood demon.
Some even secretly directed the outsider to try his luck at a remote shrine.
Ryosuke, relying on his exquisite acting skills, wandered repeatedly between several blocks, spreading the bait evenly enough.
He calculated silently in his heart.
Given Tamayo's hatred for Muzan and her obsession as a doctor.
This rumor of a demon-like illness that could overcome sunlight and only required drinking blood would definitely make her bite the hook!
At the same time, Ryosuke also realized a problem.
Yushiro was a demon created by Tamayo, and he wasn't controlled by Scum Boss Muzan.
If I start looking for Tanzi... Tanjiro's family now to get the Blue Spider Lily, and then ask Tamayo to turn me into a demon...
Wouldn't I be one step ahead of the Scum Boss and become a Jo-level creature like Kars?!
Infinite lifespan, relying on the System to add points infinitely, no longer needing to live a pinched and stingy life!
Wouldn't I be fxxking invincible then?!
Ryosuke was just feeling smug when the System poured a bucket of cold water on him.
[Dog Host, wake up, stop dreaming~]
"Hmm? What? You have a setting that prevents me from becoming a demon?" Ryosuke raised an eyebrow.
[That's not it, but well, I hope you use your dog brain to think properly~]
"Dog System! You motherf..."
Ryosuke stopped mid-curse, suddenly realizing something.
It was true that Yushiro was turned into a demon by Tamayo, possessed a Blood Demon Art, and wasn't controlled by Muzan.
But there was a fatal flaw in this!
That was time and probability!
Tamayo met Yushiro probably more than two hundred years ago.
And in these two hundred-plus years, Tamayo had treated countless patients.
Those with terminal illnesses who didn't want to die were definitely not just Yushiro.
But the only ones who successfully became demons were Yushiro and Chachamaru (the cat).
Scum Boss Muzan turning people into demons was just a matter of lifting a hand and sprinkling some water (blood).
But Tamayo, in order to break free from Muzan's control, had modified her own body.
The concentration of Muzan's blood in her body must be thin.
The time needed to transform a human into a demon was also exceptionally long.
Moreover, the stronger the person, the longer it took to transform into a demon, even using Muzan's blood.
Let alone Tamayo's.
If it was that difficult for Yushiro, an ordinary person, not to mention Ryosuke who knew Breathing Styles.
Leaving aside the low success rate, the time spent would be exceptionally long.
[Mhm~ Not too stupid after all~]
The System yawned.
[If Crocodile-sensei (the author) hadn't applied this patch, then after Tamayo and Kagaya cooperated before the final battle, setting aside morals and beliefs, there would be a huge plot hole where Tamayo could just turn all the Hashira into demons to fight Muzan.]
[That way no one would die, and after the battle, Yushiro could use the antidote to turn them back into humans.]
Ryosuke sneered: "You Dog System actually read the original work?"
[Dog Host, where do you think the four words 'Demon Slayer' (Aku Ki Mes Satsu) in my name came from! I'm a die-hard fan!]
Ryosuke rolled his eyes.
It seemed the shortcut wouldn't work.
He could only honestly train, chop demons, and farm up.
A day later, at dusk, twilight gathered.
Ryosuke had just sat down at a noodle stall when a young boy with green hair and a sour face appeared at the table.
"I heard you're looking for a doctor who can cure strange illnesses?" Yushiro's voice was flat, betraying no emotion.
No!
I have to hold it in!
I can't laugh yet!
Ryosuke controlled his emotions and spoke with some excitement.
"You have a way?"
"Follow me."
Yushiro walked away as soon as he finished speaking.
Ryosuke also stood up and followed behind him.
The two wound through alleyways, turning seven times and twisting eight times. The surrounding light and scenery underwent subtle distortions.
Obviously, this was the cover created by Yushiro's Blood Demon Art.
The stone wall ahead scattered like ripples of water, cutting off the last trace of the outside world's aura.
Before his eyes was a hidden mansion, surrounded by towering trees that blocked out the sunlight even during the day.
At this moment, the door opened.
A woman wearing a simple and elegant kimono, her black hair done up in a bun, her face gentle, her temperament like ancient jade in a deep pool.
Married woman!
Top-tier married woman!
Before Yushiro could speak, Ryosuke laughed coldly.
"Lady Tamayo, I've heard so much about you—"
These few words were undoubtedly like throwing a giant boulder into a calm pool!
"You?!"
Tamayo's pupils shrank suddenly, and her body instinctively leaned back.
A Demon Hunter? Or a demon sent by Muzan?!
The one who reacted more violently was Yushiro.
"Bastard!!!"
A roar full of shock and rage exploded.
Ryosuke didn't waste words either. He instantly trapped Yushiro's hands, subduing him on the ground, and stomped down hard with his right foot!
Bang!
"Ugh!"
Yushiro grunted in pain, his spine feeling like it was about to be stomped in half!
He instinctively tried to struggle, but the right foot stepping on his back was as heavy as a mountain. No matter how hard Yushiro tried, he couldn't break free.
Ryosuke didn't even glance at him; his gaze remained on Tamayo from start to finish.
The arc of his lips deepened a bit.
"Lady Tamayo, I know about you, and I suggest you'd better not move."
Ryosuke pulled out his Nichirin Sword and stabbed it into the ground, the jade-white blade chilling to the bone.
"If you dare to activate your Blood Demon Art, I'll slaughter him."
"Stop! Let go of Yushiro!"
Tamayo cried out in alarm.
Her hand, hidden in her sleeve, gradually lowered.
"Don't worry about me! Lady Tamayo! Run! Go quickly!!!"
Yushiro's eyes were splitting with rage, veins popping on his forehead.
This bro would rather die himself than let Tamayo suffer a single scratch.
Truly a top-tier "turtle" (simp); even Boiling Sheep (a simp character from Pleasant Goat) would have to hand him a cigarette in respect.
Tamayo sighed.
Run? Where could she run to?
This Demon Hunter could find this place and call out her name; he obviously came prepared.
And his strength was definitely not something she and Yushiro could contend with.
A few long seconds passed.
Tamayo took a deep breath, as if accepting her fate, and withdrew her hands from her sleeves.
"You win."
Her voice was dry and weary.
Ever since escaping Muzan's control, she had been living a meager existence in the cracks between humans and demons.
Muzan wanted to kill her, the traitor; the Demon Slayer Corps wanted to kill demons.
She couldn't fit in on either side, lonely and sorrowful.
"Who is your distinguished self, and what do you want?"
Seeing Tamayo forced to submit, a strange feeling flashed through Ryosuke's heart.
Yushiro, this incompetent simp...
So this is what it feels like to be the blonde NTR guy (Bull) cucking someone else. It's quite subtle.
Ryosuke raised an eyebrow and smiled, his tone soothing.
"It's very simple, Lady Tamayo. I didn't come here today to hunt you down."
"..."
Tamayo looked at him suspiciously.
Ryosuke continued: "I want to discuss a partnership with you."
"Partnership?"
Tamayo obviously didn't believe him.
Damn it!
You, a Demon Hunter, come to a demon's hiding place, then pull out a Nichirin Sword, step on my companion, and say you want to cooperate?
Absurd!
Utterly absurd!
"Yes, partnership."
Ryosuke nodded, his smile unchanged. "I want to fxxk up (kill) Kibutsuji Muzan."
This name was like a taboo curse, causing the air to freeze instantly.
Tamayo's body stiffened, complex emotions shifting on her face.
Any Demon Hunter wanting to kill Muzan was nothing special.
But Tamayo was different. Turned into a demon by Muzan, she had eaten her own husband and children in extreme hunger.
She lived on until now just to send Scum Boss Muzan to hell.
But to kill Muzan...
Although this Demon Hunter was not weak, there was still a considerable gap between him and an Upper Moon demon.
Relying on his strength to kill Muzan?
A fantasy.
Ryosuke naturally understood her doubts and explained.
"If we want to achieve this goal, relying on brute force alone offers slim hope."
"I need your expertise. I need you to develop a drug that can turn demons back into humans!"
"That is the weapon that can truly sever the source of Muzan's power and deal him a fatal blow!"