Can demons be awakened by familial bonds… or rather, by emotion?
This topic has always had room for debate.
Yet such cases are almost unheard of, making them of little reference value.
In the story, the only demon ever awakened by family affection was Nezuko.
And even that was based on the strong assumption that she had mistakenly ingested the Blue Spider Lily.
Even Yuko, who possessed modern ways of thinking, had to acknowledge one truth:
Demons, as a rule, should simply be beheaded without discrimination.
But… is treating everything the same truly always correct?
The demon before them reeked of rot. He had already devoured humans. Yet in the presence of his own kin, he still retained a fragment of consciousness.
The only difference between him and Nezuko was that he had already eaten people.
Whether he should seek redemption or pay with his life—at the very least, he deserved the chance to choose.
That was how Yuko saw it.
"I know a doctor… She might be able to control this situation."
With the introduction of advanced scientific knowledge, medicine had advanced rapidly. The invention of tools such as microscopes had opened an entirely new world of the human body.
For example—cells.
Shinobu's eyelid twitched slightly. She did not believe there existed any doctor more proficient than herself in the study of demons.
She would stake her reputation on it.
Tears shimmered in Yaehachi's eyes as she asked tremblingly, "Then… my father… my father can still be saved?"
Before anyone could answer, she dropped to her knees before Yuko, her forehead smashing heavily into the snow.
"Please… save my father…"
Shinobu and Giyu exchanged a glance.
Without a word, both charged straight at Yuko.
Yuko leaned back slightly, evading their attacks, and as she rose, she planted one foot on the demon's back.
Shinobu and Giyu redirected their blades, attempting to force Yuko away.
Yuko did not retreat.
With her right hand gripping her sword and her left drawing the scabbard, she cleanly blocked both of their blades at once.
Shinobu's Nichirin sword was not shaped like a normal katana—the blade was hollowed, and the body was extremely thin.
Otherwise, relying on just a wooden scabbard to block a razor-sharp Nichirin blade would have been nearly impossible.
This was not some fantasy world where plucked leaves could clash with divine weapons.
The strength of weapons could not be underestimated.
Even so, the impact made Yuko wince in pain.
This heirloom had been preserved for hundreds of years—if it so much as chipped, she would feel heartbroken.
Fortunately, the scabbard was wrapped in white cloth, making it harder to damage in the short term.
With a burst of force, Yuko knocked both of them back.
Shinobu landed and instantly transformed into a streak of flying butterflies, charging again at full speed.
On the other side, Giyu advanced with his blade.
The joint assault of two Hashira was fierce and tightly coordinated—but in Yuko's eyes, it was still somewhat immature.
She did not defeat them outright.
Instead, she deliberately exposed an opening.
Giyu's blade severed the demon's arm, releasing him from Yuko's restraint. The demon immediately lunged toward Yaehachi.
Yuko shouted, "Call out to him with your emotions! Whether he regains consciousness depends on you!"
She knew all too well—when faced with an uncontrollable demon, even someone as kind as Giyu would show no mercy.
Trying to force them to stop would only make things worse. These people would not be subdued through brute force.
The only hope was for the demon to regain self-awareness—and to regain an awareness capable of restraining its own desires.
If he could not awaken, then saving him would be meaningless.
Hearing Yuko's words and watching her father rush toward her, Yaehachi clenched her teeth. Summoning every ounce of strength, she grabbed hold of her father's only remaining arm. The two locked in a stalemate.
Tears streamed down her face.
"Dad! Please wake up!"
Meanwhile, the two Hashira moved without any exchange of words.
Shinobu withdrew, her blade gleaming with a chilling light as she thrust toward the demon before Yaehachi.
"Insect Breathing: Dance of the Bee Sting—True Flutter!"
Her small frame lacked the strength to decapitate a demon outright. Instead, she infused her Nichirin blade with specially prepared poison—one strike was enough to kill.
There was no need to aim for the neck.
When the blade tip came within less than ten centimeters of the demon's back, a black sword suddenly flashed into view and blocked it.
Clang!
A crisp metallic sound rang out as blade met tip.
So fast!
She had not even seen the motion clearly.
Shinobu's expression shifted slightly. She halted mid-step and turned with a faint smile that carried death in it.
"Mr. Tomioka, you—"
Her voice caught in her throat.
Giyu was climbing back up from the snow, brushing the frost from his clothes with a blank expression.
"What about me?"
Shinobu turned her gaze slowly toward Yuko. The shock in her eyes was unmistakable.
No matter how one looked at it, this was utterly outrageous.
Facing two Hashira at once—yet she remained completely at ease.
Although they had only intended to push her back and had not used their most lethal sword forms, that did not mean they had not fought seriously.
Shinobu took a shallow breath and forced a smile.
"Miss Yuko, would it really be fine if that girl were eaten?"
Yuko replied calmly, "Her voice still sounds plenty strong to me."
Even though her back was to Yaehachi, if she could not even sense something like that, she had no right to call herself a swordsman.
A vein twitched at Shinobu's temple.
"Why does Miss Yuko believe that a demon can turn back into a human?"
"I never said he would become human again. I said he has a chance to regain the way he used to think as a human."
Demons were not without self-awareness.
Those who had eaten people would gradually regain consciousness—but at the same time, their emotions would be steadily stripped away. Even if they recovered their awareness, they would feel no compassion toward their former loved ones.
They would pounce like wild beasts.
It was absurd.
Shinobu felt that deep in her heart.
Yet despite that… she could not help wanting to believe Yuko.
Suddenly, Yuko sidestepped. The scabbard sliced horizontally between the two Hashira and locked around the demon's throat, yanking him back just as he was about to bite into Yaehachi's shoulder.
At the same time, she swiftly severed the arm that had just regenerated, ensuring Yaehachi could still protect herself.
Shinobu's eyelid twitched again.
That reaction speed… was unreal.
She let out a quiet sigh and sheathed her sword.
"So, Miss Yuko intends to simply wait like this?"
Yuko said nothing.
She merely watched as Yaehachi, sobbing uncontrollably, called out to her father again and again.
After a moment of silence, Giyu also sheathed his blade.
Perhaps Yaehachi's cries had reached him.
Or perhaps her father's constitution was unusual…
"Ya… Yaeha…"
That weak voice sounded once more.
And this time, more than just Yuko heard it.
Giyu's calm expression finally wavered.
Shinobu was dumbfounded.
He had actually recovered.
"Dad… Dad, are you awake?" Yaehachi froze for a moment, then erupted with joy.
"Ugh…" The demon loosened his grip on her and dropped painfully to his knees.
He was struggling.
Everyone present understood that without question.