"Hiru—no, Mr. Hiru." Tamayo pressed a hand to her forehead. "Have I done something to offend you?"
"No. Not at all."
"Then what is this about?" Tamayo's delicate brows knit together as she sighed softly.
"If it were an ordinary team member, it might be manageable. But this is a Hashira… And unlike Mr. Hiru and Mr. Yoriichi, he is a genuine human—one who truly hates demons. Asking me to treat his family simply makes no sense, no matter how I look at it."
"Then I'll bring them to you," Hiru said, completely ignoring Yushiro's bared teeth. "Don't worry. If he tries anything, I'll stop him."
Tamayo: …
"Sigh… Let me think about it."
Tamayo still held her forehead as she looked toward Yushiro, who was glaring daggers at Hiru. "Yushiro."
"Yes! Miss Tamayo!"
"Take Mr. Hiru outside. I want to be alone for a while."
"Yes! I'll escort this rude fellow out at once!"
Watching Yushiro stride over aggressively, Hiru stood up and nodded to Tamayo.
"Then I'll take my leave. I'll come again tomorrow."
After seeing Hiru out, Yushiro hurried straight back.
"Miss Tamayo, you don't have to listen to that rude man! I can use Blood Demon Art to block his mark! Let's escape together!"
"Yushiro…"
"Yes! Miss Tamayo!"
"Stop saying things like that." Tamayo looked at him helplessly. "You've never seen Hiru when he's truly unrestrained. Other than Mr. Yoriichi, no one can change his decisions."
"Then what are we supposed to do?" Yushiro, ever docile in front of Tamayo, moved to her side and began massaging her shoulders. "Do we just let him threaten us into doing his work?"
Tamayo stayed silent, her hand still to her forehead. Only after a long while did she speak.
"Tomorrow, I'll leave with Hiru."
"Then I'll start making preparations right away."
"No, Yushiro. You stay. There's no need for you to take that risk with me."
"But Miss Tamayo—"
"No 'buts,' Yushiro." Tamayo looked at him steadily. "If something happens to me, you must make sure Muzan goes to hell."
"Miss Tamayo…" Yushiro looked on the verge of tears. "Are you abandoning me?"
Tamayo's expression softened. She reached out and gently rubbed his hair.
"Yushiro, how long have you been a demon?"
Yushiro crouched down.
"I've been with Miss Tamayo for two hundred and fourteen years, three months, and fifteen days."
[Plus seventeen hours and thirty-seven minutes.]
He silently added the rest in his mind.
"Yes… we've been together for so long." Tamayo stroked his brows and eyes, nostalgia coloring her gaze. "Over such a long time, I've long come to see you as my child. No mother would ever let her child risk danger alongside her. Can you understand that?"
"…I understand."
Yushiro lowered his eyes, knelt down, and pressed his forehead against the side of Tamayo's knee.
[But I don't want you to be my mother…]
Tamayo looked down at him and smiled faintly.
"Don't be afraid. A mother's strength is very powerful… I will come back."
"…Mm. I'll stay here and wait for your return."
Yushiro faced the floor, his voice calm, not letting Tamayo see the twisted expression on his face.
[If anything happens to you, even if my soul is shattered, I'll drag that bastard down to hell with me.]
...
When Hiru arrived the next evening, Tamayo was packing her medicine chest. Yushiro, rarely, treated him with calm indifference.
"I'm ready," Tamayo said. "Shall I go with Mr. Hiru directly?"
Hiru nodded. Faced with her composed demeanor, he instead felt a little uneasy.
"I feel like I've turned into some kind of villain… Don't worry. At least until Muzan is dead, I won't let you die."
"Is that so?" Tamayo closed the box and stood up calmly. "That's not what Mr. Hiru said yesterday."
"Well… I should at least take care of a friend's descendant," Hiru said as he opened the door. "My attitude wasn't that bad, was it?"
Tamayo didn't respond. Carrying the medicine chest, she walked past Hiru and headed outside.
As Hiru stepped out, Yushiro spoke coldly behind him.
"You'd better bring Miss Tamayo back without so much as a scratch."
Hiru stopped and looked back at him.
"Otherwise, you'll see a second demon like Muzan, one who brings calamity upon the world."
"Relax. You won't get that chance," Hiru said with a smile. "Though Tamayo is definitely going to be hungry these next few days. You might want to find some blood for her before she comes back."
Yushiro snorted and shut the door after watching the two leave.
Hiru caught up to Tamayo, leaning forward slightly.
"…Are you angry?"
"No."
"If you weren't, you wouldn't be calling me 'Mr. Hiru,'" Hiru said, resting his hands behind his head. "Ever since I brought it up, you only use honorifics with my brother."
"Sigh…" Tamayo looked at Hiru. "No matter how you put it, asking me to treat a Hashira's family is simply incomprehensible. I can't understand your actions. Muzan hasn't openly appeared yet—cooperation between me and the Demon Slayer Corps is impossible."
"I know that," Hiru said, scratching his head. "…If I had to put it into words, you could say I'm laying groundwork and testing the waters."
"You intend to make the existence of demons public?" Tamayo frowned. "But haven't you always maintained that humans and demons cannot coexist?"
"Yes, but concealment isn't a long-term solution. I don't have my brother's ability to freely suppress my presence. It already showed during our previous fight… Even though we managed to gloss it over with Ubuyashiki's help, and I'm acting under the identity of a demon-eating demon slayer for now, I won't be able to hide it in a high-intensity battle."
When they reached a secluded alley, Hiru took the medicine chest from Tamayo and slung it over his back. He extended his hand toward her.
"Let's speed things up?"
"To think you exposed yourself in front of the Demon Slayer Corps' leader and dragged me into it as well…" Tamayo sighed as she placed her hand in his.
"The next time I see Mr. Yoriichi, I'll have to discuss this with him properly."
"Please, spare me…" Hiru scooped Tamayo up and leapt onto the rooftops with a light step. "I went to find you without telling my brother. I'm definitely going to get scolded."
Tamayo raised a hand to shield herself from the rushing wind.
"You brought this upon yourself."