Upon arriving at the foot of Mount Sagiri, a small wooden cabin caught Yuko's attention.
She sensed faint breathing from inside—slow, steady, and gentle, as if someone were sleeping.
Reaching the door, she found it locked. She could force it open, but that would be impolite.
So she walked around to the back of the cabin and peered through a narrow window. In the spot untouched by sunlight, Nezuko lay fast asleep on the bed.
In that instant, Yuko understood.
When a human turns into a demon, their body consumes an enormous amount of stamina and must replenish it through feeding.
Nezuko was different from Yuko and Tamayo. She had never consumed human blood and could only rely on deep sleep to restore her strength.
Yuko herself could recover through rest as well, but she would never fall into such prolonged slumber.
Was this a form of evolution?
Yuko pondered for a moment.
She withdrew her gaze and returned to the front of the cabin.
There was no doubt—this was the residence of the Water Hashira master—Urokodaki Sakonji. The lingering presence of two people still hung around the house.
At this time of day, those two were likely still training on the mountain.
Yuko looked up at the towering mountain behind the cabin, lost in thought.
It seemed she had no choice but to wait here.
She sat down on a chopping stump, drew the Nichirin Sword from her waist, and gently began wiping it clean.
Maintaining a blade was a habit—just like brushing one's teeth or eating.
"Grrr~"
Even though she hadn't eaten in many years.
Sometimes, hunger still surfaced suddenly like this. But as long as she endured for a little while, the sensation would slowly fade away.
The sun passed over the mountain peak. It was now afternoon.
From the forest behind her came faint footsteps—so faint they were barely audible.
Yuko turned her head. From within the dense trees, an old man wearing a tengu mask stepped out.
He stopped a short distance away from her.
He was strong.
Even by instinct alone, she could tell—
This man was extraordinary.
A newly appointed Hashira?
No…
There was a strange aura mixed within the scent of wisteria…
Breaking the silence, Yuko removed her straw hat and pulled down the white cloth covering her face.
"Master Urokodaki, hello. I am Tanjiro's friend. I came to see him."
As she spoke, Yuko took a letter from her robe.
"This is a letter of introduction from Master Ubuyashiki."
A letter of introduction?
Urokodaki Sakonji fell silent for a moment. He didn't believe he had anything left to teach the person before him.
Still, out of courtesy, he accepted the letter.
Strictly speaking, it wasn't asking him to teach anything—it simply informed him that the person before him could be trusted and was not of unknown origin.
With Ubuyashiki's assurance, much of Urokodaki's suspicion faded.
"Tanjiro is still on his way down the mountain. If you wish to see him, you'll have to wait a bit."
Yuko gave a small nod. "That's fine."
She had plenty of time.
Nothing major should happen during these two years of Tanjiro's training.
The protagonist hadn't even fully stepped onto the stage yet—what kind of big upheaval could there be?
"If you don't mind, you may rest inside for now."
"Then I'll take you up on your hospitality."
Under Urokodaki's hospitality, Yuko remained inside the cabin all afternoon, until dusk finally fell…
Heavy panting sounded outside. Covered in dust and looking utterly bedraggled, Tanjiro pushed the door open and gasped:
"Master Urokodaki, I—"
Before he could finish, his eyes fell on the seated figure beside him. His stunned expression instantly turned to joy.
"Miss Yuko! Long time no see!"
"I never expected to meet you here!"
Yuko smiled faintly. "Long time no see."
Tanjiro looked genuinely happy. Naturally so—Yuko had saved the lives of his entire family.
But… if he ever learned that Nezuko had ended up like this because of her, what would he think?
Although Yuko believed Tanjiro's kindness would prevent him from blaming her, she still felt a deep sense of disgust toward herself.
After exchanging only a few words with Yuko, Tanjiro suddenly seemed to remember something. His cheerful expression turned anxious.
"By the way, Miss Yuko, Nezuko has been unconscious for a long time now. Could you please take a look at her?"
Yuko shook her head. "There's no need to worry. Nezuko is simply replenishing her strength."
"Replenishing her strength?"
After Yuko explained the reason, the worry that had been hanging over Tanjiro's heart finally eased.
He patted his chest in relief. "That scared me half to death. So that's what it is."
He really had been terrified—terrified that something might happen to Nezuko.
"Dinner is ready. Young lady, you should eat a little too," Urokodaki Sakonji said as he brought out a lavish meal.
Only then did Yuko realize, belatedly, "Ah, I forgot to properly introduce myself. Master Urokodaki, just call me Yuko."
Looking at the table full of food, Tanjiro was so moved that tears welled in his eyes.
"It's so generous…"
"…Ha." Yuko's lips twitched slightly. She could tell—it must have been a hard life.
To let Tanjiro eat more, Yuko only picked up food symbolically with her chopsticks a few times.
…
Alright, the real reason was that the food tasted terrible, and pretending otherwise was painful.
Urokodaki, due to his age, didn't eat much either. Most of the food ended up in Tanjiro's stomach.
Only after belatedly coming to his senses did Tanjiro rub his bloated belly and scratch his head in embarrassment.
"Sorry, I ate too much."
Yuko smiled. "It's fine. You're still growing—eating more is good for you."
Urokodaki sipped his after-meal tea and said calmly, "Tomorrow's training will be doubled."
The Tanjiro who hadn't even had time to feel touched immediately turned to stone.
Because there weren't enough rooms in the cabin, Yuko was temporarily assigned to stay in Nezuko's room.
She carefully examined Nezuko's physical condition. Nearly all of her bodily functions were in a state of dormancy.
If she truly relied solely on sleep to recover stamina, that was far too extreme.
This was… a change on a much more microscopic level. Cells, perhaps?
Nezuko was evolving.
Yuko did not interfere with Nezuko's sleep. Restoring stamina wasn't actually difficult—supplementing it with human blood would restore her quickly.
But Nezuko had never consumed human blood. She was different from them—a truly good demon in every sense.
There was no need to make her drink human blood.
Human blood was not without its dangers. Any form of raw consumption—especially involving human body parts—easily triggered a demon's instincts.
That is to say, the instinct to eat humans.
Like addiction, the temptation only grows stronger over time.
…
The night passed without incident.
Early the next morning, Tanjiro followed Urokodaki up the mountain.
Yuko had no intention of accompanying them. Taking advantage of Urokodaki's absence, she drew the demon blade forged from her own flesh and blood—Asura—and felled a portion of trees.
She couldn't bear to use her Nichirin Sword for that.
Beside the cabin, Yuko erected a rough shelter and planned to stay there for a while.
Squeezing in with several grown men felt inappropriate.
Back when she wandered with Tamayo, she often built shelters by hand herself, so she was fairly experienced.
---
Currently at chapter 348 for advance chapters
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