"I... want to become stronger."
On the train station bench, Kaigaku sat down in the empty seat beside Mitsuba and spoke in a low voice.
Upon hearing this, Mitsuba asked in confusion:
"Isn't that perfectly normal? How many people in this world don't want to become stronger?"
"No, what I mean is, to become stronger, I would even resort to unscrupulous means..."
The confusion on Mitsuba's face deepened.
"Isn't that equally normal? You've already chosen to make yourself stronger. If you don't resort to unscrupulous means, are you going to follow the rules step by step according to someone else's regulations?
Do you think this is some children's game where you follow the instructions?"
Mitsuba's words were quite sharp, leaving Kaigaku momentarily speechless.
"But, but doing this..."
"Oh~ I understand now~ Little one, you feel somewhat guilty about this notion in your heart that you would resort to unscrupulous means to become stronger, right?"
Mitsuba suddenly realized, and her expression finally became a bit more serious.
"To be honest, if you ask me, your way of thinking is the typical 'rabbit mentality'..."
"Rabbit mentality?"
"You could also understand it as 'prey mentality.' Simply put, those who still harbor thoughts like yours will eventually become prey to be hunted by other truly powerful beings."
"What do you mean?"
"Don't worry, little one. You'll understand after I ask you a few questions."
Leaning back on the bench and moving slightly closer, under Kaigaku's puzzled gaze, Mitsuba slowly smiled:
"First question: When a lion hunts a rabbit, does it go ahead and greet the rabbit beforehand, saying 'Hey~ little rabbit~ I'm going to eat you today'?"
"Th-that definitely wouldn't happen!"
"Very good. Then second question: On the battlefield, when two enemy armies are fighting and one side is preparing to launch an attack on the other—
Would they send a telegram in advance saying, 'We're about to attack you soon, so you better prepare yourselves, understood?'"
"That wouldn't happen either..."
"Excellent, excellent~ Now for the third question: In the political arena, between two mortal enemies, when one is preparing to launch a purge against the other—
Before making his move, would he go ahead and inform the other party, 'I'm about to purge you soon, just you wait~'?"
"That, that definitely wouldn't happen either..."
"Not bad. Your mind is quite clear, little one~"
Smiling, she raised her hand and patted Kaigaku's shoulder.
"So you see, those who are truly clear-headed in this world, those who truly know what they want, those who have truly seen through the rules of this world—when they decide to make their move, they never speak of any morality.
Which of them doesn't strike quickly, accurately, and ruthlessly, afraid of giving their opponents even the slightest chance to catch their breath, right?
Little one, carefully recall those historical facts you learned from textbooks as a child. How many people actually truly abide by that bit of morality and conscience in your heart?
Even humans who appear to be the most moral will always have moments when they abandon it in the face of interest, right?
In the vast majority of cases, such human constructs are nothing more than a banner, a performance for show, right?
Oh... I almost forgot. You Demon Slayers don't seem to have received much education, so you probably don't know these things. My apologies~"
After saying these meaningful words, Mitsuba looked at Kaigaku, who had fallen into deep thought, and finally spoke in a low voice:
"So, little one from the Demon Slayer Corps, resorting to unscrupulous means to become stronger is actually a very normal thing.
Because not just humans—all creatures in this world have always been this unscrupulous when it comes to their own interests.
The world inherently has no rules. Or rather, this is the only rule.
As for that bit of conflict in your heart, it's merely a 'rabbit' domesticated by this society.
If you only wish to live an ordinary life, that would be fine. But once ambition grows in your heart and you want to climb higher—
That rabbit could very well cost you your life at any moment when you encounter those true predators from above... of course."
Her tone suddenly shifted, and Mitsuba continued in a relaxed voice:
"Willing to accept defeat is equally the underlying logic of this world. Since you've chosen to be unscrupulous, when the moment comes that you've lost all your chips, you can no longer act like a sore loser, crying and complaining about the heavens, right?
Our world is just like this. You can unscrupulously prey upon others, but when a stronger predator preys upon you, you cannot complain about any unfairness..."
"Well, that's all. Any other questions?"
Kaigaku fell into deep contemplation.
Mitsuba's words were like a sudden awakening for him.
At this moment, he deeply realized that the female demon beside him was fundamentally a different kind of being from him.
This difference was not about the physical distinction between demons and humans, but about their way of thinking.
This female demon was born into a family of rulers. What she was revealing to him now were the rules universally acknowledged by those of her class.
Even just a little bit was enough to bring him deep shock.
Facing the desperate situation of the Demon Slayer Corps, Kaigaku wanted to flee. He didn't want to stay here and wait for death with everyone else.
If his companions in the Demon Slayer Corps or other ordinary people knew of this thought, they would undoubtedly denounce him without hesitation as shameless, as utterly lacking in morality and conscience...
But Mitsuba told him from another perspective that this kind of thinking was normal.
The world was a place where the strong preyed upon the weak. No one stipulated that you couldn't submit to the strong, and no one stipulated that you couldn't abandon the weak.
It was just that whatever choice he made, the final consequences must be borne by himself. That was all.
"Just like what happened to you at the temple when you were young..."
While Kaigaku was deep in thought, Mitsuba spoke again.
[When I was young? The temple? Could she be referring to?!]
Hearing her casual tone, Kaigaku's pupils contracted sharply. He turned his head abruptly and looked at her in disbelief.
[How is this possible?! How could she know...]
"Don't be so surprised. Almost nothing in this world can be hidden from my Blood Demon Art. The secrets on humans—I can see through them at a single glance."
Raising her finger to point at her pupils, which had transformed into the shape of mandala flowers, Mitsuba continued:
"Little one, you're an orphan. When you were young, you were taken in by a mountain temple along with other children.
Then one day, you stole money from the temple and were discovered by the other children.
So, they hid it from the monks in the temple and collectively drove you out together.
Dusk was falling. You couldn't return to the temple, and no one from the temple came looking for you.
And this mountain was one with rumors of demons, where the residents had to light wisteria incense every night to ward them off.
Even more unfortunately, that night as you wandered aimlessly in the mountains with nowhere to go, you happened to run into that rumored demon.
So, in order to survive and also to vent your hatred toward those people in the temple, you made a deal with that demon.
You promised to get rid of the wisteria incense burner in front of the temple so it could enter and feast to its heart's content. In exchange, this demon was willing to let you leave...
Alright, the story ends here. As for the final fate of that demon and the people in the temple—
You don't know, nor do you want to know. In any case, you survived in the end."