"So it really happened again…" Muzan watched as the sweet-smelling blood seeped into his skin. With a flick of his wrist, he tossed away the glass shards clinging to his palm. "Why must they all be so irritating… Nakime."
"Yes, my lord."
"Go inform Akaza. Have him track down that demon who slipped free of my control. And tell that useless Hantengu to go with him."
Having long grown accustomed to Muzan's mercurial temperament, Nakime showed no reaction. She lightly plucked her biwa, and the floor littered with glass fragments and blood was replaced.
Her voice remained calm and measured, neither loud nor unclear. "Yes. I will pass the order on to Lord Akaza."
"And what about the surveillance?" Muzan asked.
Nakime kept her head lowered respectfully.
"Most regions are operating normally. We have already obtained considerable intelligence on the Wisteria Houses. However, the territories overseen by the Hashira have consistently resisted full surveillance. In addition, the eyes deployed along the route from Tokyo to Mount Kumotori all lost contact within a short period of time, for reasons currently unknown."
"Hm? A Hashira must have passed through," Muzan said, frowning as he looked at her.
After a moment of silence, he turned his gaze away.
"Forget it. Focus all your efforts on assisting Akaza and Hantengu in finding Kokushibo. I don't intend to let that damned puppet escape again next time. Remember—now that you are Upper Rank, do not disappoint me."
Only then did Nakime raise her head. Her long black hair fell to either side, revealing the pink, single eye on her face, its pupil engraved with the black character for "Six."
"Yes. I will devote myself fully to the task."
...
When Tanjiro opened his eyes again, he was startled by the two people staring closely at him. He quickly steadied himself. "Hiru… and Yoriichi?"
"Unbelievable. Truly unbelievable." Hiru squatted down and carefully examined Tanjiro's pupils, which had returned to a normal round shape, as well as the mark at his temple that had receded. "To succeed in one go… Is this the bonus from Sun Breathing? Or do you have some kind of special Blood Demon Art?"
"Eh? Eh?!" Tanjiro leaned back slightly. "S-sorry, I'm not really sure myself…"
"Then do you remember anything from when you were human?" Yoriichi asked, squatting down as well.
Tanjiro looked at him, nodded faintly, then shook his head. "I remember that I was protecting my family… and someone else. Or maybe it was a demon? Um… anyway, I was fighting him, and then it feels like I died?"
Hiru propped his chin on his hand. "Your memories are still pretty chaotic. How much do you remember about your family?"
The moment Hiru finished speaking, Tanjiro immediately covered his face with both hands and wilted.
"I'm unforgivable. I'm the eldest son—I was supposed to protect everyone… But now I can't even remember their names. And the first thing I did after becoming a demon was attack my family and treat them as food… This is awful. I'm nothing but scum…"
"Hey, hey—don't beat yourself up," Hiru said sympathetically, patting Tanjiro on the shoulder. He then pointed toward Yoriichi squatting nearby. "When I first became a demon, I also mistook my brother for food. Honestly, that feeling—it's like being starving for three days and nights, then suddenly having your favorite food appear right in front of you. You can't resist it at all."
Tanjiro looked up. "Then how did you resolve it? Did Yoriichi stop you?"
"No. I remembered that my brother could defeat a strong swordsman in four moves when he was seven years old, and that forced me to stop attacking." Hiru shrugged. "When demons retain their sanity, they're very good at avoiding danger."
Yoriichi turned to Hiru with a slightly blank expression. "Then what about that test with Yato and the others afterward…"
Hiru looked back at him and sighed. "Obviously because your Bright Red Blade's pressure was way too intense. I was basically shocked back into my senses by the feeling of impending death."
Ah… Mr. Yoriichi smells shocked. Tanjiro's gaze shifted back and forth between the two before he lowered his head again. But Mr. Hiru is amazing too, being able to force himself back to his senses… Unlike me—my performance was really terrible…
"Let's return to the Wisteria House for now," Hiru said. "Your family must be worried."
Tanjiro snapped out of his thoughts and looked up at Hiru, only to lower his head again almost immediately. "I… I think I shouldn't go back yet."
"Hm? Afraid of the sunlight?" Hiru glanced at the sun, already slanting westward. "If that's the case, don't worry. I was planning to leave after nightfall anyway."
"No, it's not that…"
Tanjiro fidgeted with his hands, his voice stumbling.
"After I became a demon, I attacked my family, didn't I? I'm still really hungry right now. If I go back, I might attack them again at any moment… Instead of risking hurting them, I'd rather not return. If possible, I'd like Mr. Hiru and Mr. Yoriichi to lock me up. That way, when I lose my mind and come to again, I won't find that I've done something I'll regret…"
"That's easy enough. Let me see if I've got anything left…" Yoriichi watched as Hiru pulled out a large assortment of miscellaneous medicine packets, realization dawning on his face.
"Is that the demon-attracting drug made using Sanemi's blood?"
Hiru nodded slightly, picked up a small bottle, and let a distinctly mischievous smile spread across his face. "Let's try this one. With your sense of smell, once you get used to the best stuff, the inferior kind should completely lose its appeal, right?"
"Don't take it too far. Tanjiro is still just a child," Yoriichi said gently, shaking his head. "Since there's nothing else to deal with here, I'll be leaving first. There's no need to rush—I'll go to the Wisteria House and explain the situation to them."
"Ah, then please also write to Ubuyashiki and Miss Tamayo to inform them," Hiru added.
"Alright." Yoriichi stood up and rubbed Tanjiro's head. "Do your best, Tanjiro."
"Y-yes!" Tanjiro watched Yoriichi leave, then lowered his gaze to the bottle in Hiru's hand. "Once I get used to this… will I stop wanting to eat people?"
"You'll still want to, but you probably won't be able to swallow it anymore. Shall I open it?"
Though confused, Tanjiro focused his mind and prepared himself to restrain his urges. His memory, however, ended the moment Hiru opened the bottle. When he woke again, the moon was already high in the sky, and Hiru sat at the entrance of the cave, holding a picture book and sketching.
Huh? What happened? What did I do? Why did it suddenly turn dark?
"Hm? You're awake?" Hiru tilted his head slightly, then quickly returned his attention to the book. "You lost all rationality the instant you smelled the drug. You did break the bond, but when it comes to appetite, you seem to have zero resistance."
"I… I'm sorry…"
"There's nothing to apologize for. I was pretty much the same back then. Let's take it slow."
Tanjiro sat up, rubbing the sore back of his neck. "Um… is there a more gradual way to do this?"
"With time this tight, where am I supposed to find you other Rare Blood?" Hiru glanced back at him. "And this is the real high-grade stuff. Not to mention, you'll probably encounter real people again before long. If you lose control then… do you really want your younger siblings to see you like that?"
Tanjiro lowered his head, his fists slowly clenching.
"Mr. Hiru, please—let's try again. I'll definitely do better than last time."