Chapter 81: I Understand, Tatsu, I Will Be Very, Very Obedient
Kocho Shinobu slowly sat up from the tatami.
She moved her somewhat stiff neck and shoulders.
Then, Kocho Shinobu stood up and tidied the Haori she was wearing.
She sheathed her nichirin sword, then turned around to face Tatsu.
At this moment, Kocho Shinobu had completely entered her state.
The smile on her face became even more radiant, her purple eyes curving into crescents.
Her entire being radiated an aura that made one feel as if they were bathed in a spring breeze.
She folded her hands in front of her, tilting her head slightly.
In an extremely gentle, even somewhat cloyingly sweet voice, she said to Tatsu:
"Oh my, thank you very much, Mr. Demon.
Having been tied up for so long, my body has become a bit stiff.
So..."
She paused deliberately,
"Mr. Demon, is there anything you need me to do now?"
Tatsu looked at the girl before him, who was radiating false tenderness.
He knew that the more gently she smiled, the more intense the killing intent in her heart was.
"Just call me Tatsu."
Tatsu sat back in his chair, looking directly at Kocho Shinobu.
"Right now, there actually is something I need you to do."
Hearing Tatsu's words, the smile on Kocho Shinobu's face stiffened for a tenth of a second, but quickly returned to normal.
She bowed slightly, assuming an attentive posture, her voice still sweet:
"Oh, what instructions does Tatsu have?
As long as it's within my power, I will certainly do my best."
What is it?
She was calculating rapidly in her mind.
Did he want her to kill someone? Or did he want her to hand over the secrets of the Demon Slayer Corps?
Or... did he want to do something even more excessive to her?
Regardless of what it was, she was already mentally prepared.
As long as she could save her older sister, she could endure anything.
Tatsu looked at Kocho Shinobu, and a look of undisguised disgust suddenly appeared on his originally calm face.
His brows were tightly knit, and his eyes were filled with loathing.
As if he were looking at the most nauseating thing in the world.
He extended a finger, pointing at Kocho Shinobu, and said in a cold, mocking tone:
"Now, immediately, right this instant, stop injecting that damn wisteria poison into your body!"
"Did you think that stupid suicide attack of yours would be of any use?
Making a mess of your own body, causing cell necrosis, your blood giving off that nauseating stench.
Do you really think such low-handed methods could kill me?
Disgusting.
Simply disgusting to the extreme."
That determination to turn herself into a poison container for the sake of revenge...
Although it earned his respect,
Now that he had taken over everything, he would absolutely not allow Kocho Shinobu to continue this self-destructive behavior.
Moreover, he had promised Kanae.
Kocho Shinobu was stunned.
That flawless, gentle smile on her face...
The moment she heard the word "disgusting," a crack appeared.
Anger.
Uncontrollable anger surged in her chest.
That was the pain she had endured day after day, a pain unimaginable to ordinary people,
As she accumulated the toxins in her body bit by bit.
That was her resolve, having given up her future as a normal woman,
Giving up a healthy body, and even giving up her life.
And now, that resolve, that pain, in the mouth of this demon,
Had turned into "stupid," "low-handed," and a "nauseating stench."
Kocho Shinobu's body trembled slightly.
Through the Transparent World,
Tatsu clearly saw the blood flow speed in her body instantly soar to an extremely dangerous critical point,
Her lungs were expanding violently,
As if in the next second, she would recklessly draw her nichirin sword and rush forward to take him down with her.
But Kocho Shinobu didn't.
That terrifying self-control, which turned sorrow and anger into a smile, worked once again.
Yes, she had already been seen through by this demon anyway.
He knew everything about the toxins in her body.
Since her trump card had been exposed,
And since the poison was ineffective against him, there was indeed no need for her to continue those painful injections.
Continuing the injections would serve no purpose other than damaging her own body for nothing,
And angering this demon who held her sister's life and death in his hands.
The crack on Kocho Shinobu's face was instantly repaired, and she once again showed a sweet smile,
Only this time, there was a hint of gritted teeth in her smile.
She looked at Tatsu, her voice so soft it seemed it could drip water:
"Alright~ Since Tatsu finds it disgusting, then I won't inject it.
So..."
Kocho Shinobu tilted her head slightly, a dangerous light flickering in her eyes,
"Are there any other instructions?"
Seeing Kocho Shinobu suppressing her anger, Tatsu secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
As long as she agreed to stop injecting the wisteria poison, his first goal was achieved.
He pointed to a small square table nearby, his tone returning to that of nonchalant indifference:
"There's medicine on the table. Tend to the wounds on your wrists and ankles."
Kocho Shinobu looked in the direction Tatsu was pointing and indeed saw a bottle of white ointment on the table.
It was something Tatsu had casually placed there earlier while waiting for her to wake up.
"Apply it."
Tatsu looked at Kocho Shinobu,
"If you end up disfigured and leave some ugly scars, I'll find it an eyesore.
I don't want to face an ugly creature covered in wounds every day."
Kocho Shinobu stood there without speaking.
The dim lamplight shone on her face, half in light and half in shadow, making it impossible to see her current expression.
A few seconds later, Kocho Shinobu moved.
Like a soulless puppet, she walked step by step to the small square table.
She picked up the medicine bottle on the table and uncorked it; a cool herbal scent instantly filled the air.
Kocho Shinobu lowered her eyes, her long eyelashes casting a shadow over her eye sockets.
She extended a slender finger, dipped it into a bit of the white ointment,
And then gently applied it to the reddish-purple marks on her wrists left by the ropes.
The moment the ointment touched her skin, there was a sting,
Followed by a sense of cooling.
But Kocho Shinobu didn't even knit her brows.
Compared to the pain she endured from injecting wisteria poison every day, this external injury was nothing.
What truly stung her was her pride.
She, a swordsman of the Demon Slayer Corps, was following the orders of a demon and applying ointment given to her by that demon.
What a humiliation this was.
But she still applied it very seriously and carefully.
Because she knew that the control over her body, in a sense, was no longer in her own hands.
She was living for her sister; she had to ensure she had an intact body,
To protect her sister in any possible future changes.
Tatsu sat in his chair,
Propping his chin with one hand, watching Kocho Shinobu as she stood by the table with her back to him, applying the medicine.
"Mm, not bad."
He spoke slowly.
Looking at Kocho Shinobu's slender back, his tone carried an arrogance that suggested he controlled everything,
"Very obedient.
I like obedient prey."
Kocho Shinobu's finger applying the medicine paused slightly,
But she quickly resumed her movements without looking back.
Tatsu stood up from his chair and slowly walked behind Kocho Shinobu.
His tall frame cast a huge shadow on the wall,
Completely enveloping Kocho Shinobu's petite body.
He lowered his head slightly, leaned close to Kocho Shinobu's ear, and said word by word:
"Remember how you are now, Shinobu.
As long as you stay this obedient and do as I say,
I promise that both you and your sister will be fine.
You can live longer than anyone else."
Tatsu paused, his tone suddenly becoming incredibly cold,
"But if you dare play any tricks on me, if you dare do anything behind my back,
Or... if you dare continue to inject poison into this beautiful body of yours..."
"Then, I will make you watch with your own eyes as your beloved sister,
How she pays the price for your stupidity."
Only by using Kanae's safety could he completely lock down this Poisonous Butterfly who was ready to risk her life at any moment.
He had to become the most terrifying, most invincible nightmare in her heart,
To forcibly hold up a protective umbrella for the sisters in this cruel world.
Kocho Shinobu finished applying the last bit of ointment, recorked the bottle, and placed it back on the table.
She turned around, looked up, and met Tatsu's cold, blood-red eyes.
Kocho Shinobu looked at the man before her, who was more terrifying than a demon.
She knew that from this night on, her fate and her sister's fate
Had been completely grasped in the hands of this demon named Tatsu.
She once again showed that flawless, gentle smile, her voice soft and sweet:
"I understand, Tatsu.
I will... be very, very obedient."
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