Inside a remote, dilapidated Medical Clinic in a certain city.
"Physician Tamayo, Miss Mizuki, thank you both so much." An elderly Woman sincerely held Tamayo's hand. "If it weren't for your help, little Akane wouldn't have survived."
Having said that, she gently stroked the girl beside her.
Tamayo smiled faintly: "It was just a fever. Once the blood is let, the body temperature will slowly return to normal. We didn't do much."
Mizuki put away the bowl containing a small amount of blood.
The principle of bloodletting for fever, just as Tamayo described, is a method of lowering temperature by releasing internal heat and toxins.
However... normal treatment certainly wouldn't require this much blood; usually, it's just a quick prick using acupuncture.
Tamayo instructed: "Just make sure to supplement her nutrition during this time."
After all, she lost so much blood.
"I know you two don't charge, but please, you must accept this." The elderly Woman tremblingly opened the basket she was carrying.
Inside were several fish that were barely breathing but still relatively fresh.
The fishy smell was strong, noticeable even to ordinary people.
Their Medical Clinic was particularly famous nearby because they didn't charge money, so many people came to see them, and sometimes they encountered people who repaid them with items, like today.
Tamayo didn't refuse this time, but turned her head to look at Mizuki, signaling her to accept it.
"Please wait a moment." Mizuki took the basket, turned and entered the inner room, placed the fish in the water tank, and then came out to return the basket and see the two off.
She escorted the elderly Woman to the door.
"Please take care."
The elderly Woman turned back, hesitated, and said, "Recently, there have been terrifying incidents of girls disappearing in the city. The rumor is that a Man-eating Demon has entered the city."
"Please make sure to lock your doors and windows at night and stay safe."
Mizuki paused briefly, then asked, "Where did this happen?"
"In the area from the West Side of the City towards the South Side of the City."
The elderly Woman gave two more reminders before finally leaving with her granddaughter.
Tamayo sat in the shadows inside the room, looking at Mizuki, who stood in the sunlight after seeing the two off, and couldn't help but lose herself in thought.
Sure enough, no matter how many times she saw it, it still felt unbelievable.
What Muzan had always dreamed of was realized so easily.
Mizuki watched the elder leave and returned inside.
A man who had been waiting on one side of the room for who knows how long spoke up: "Um, Doctor Tamayo, could you please prescribe me some medicine for external wounds?"
Tamayo stepped forward to examine him and found a severe abrasion on the man's elbow.
The man explained, "I accidentally fell while gathering herbs on the mountain."
Tamayo smiled and took out a plaster from the medicine cabinet: "Apply this to the wound, and it should be mostly healed after three to five days when you take it off."
The man gratefully accepted the medicine, handed the fruit he had placed beside him to the two women, and left.
Although there was no explicit requirement, giving gifts in return after seeing the doctor seemed to have become an unwritten rule.
Many subsequent patients adhered to this rule, and even if they didn't know about it initially, they would make it up later.
It's just... no one could actually eat this fruit.
Mizuki put away the fruit with some regret.
Tamayo tidied the medicine cabinet and chuckled: "Thanks to Mizuki's help, quite a few people now regard us as Famous Doctors for treating external injuries."
Mizuki smiled helplessly.
The plaster Tamayo had just used actually contained Mizuki's blood.
Although diluted, it could still heal external injuries in an extremely short time.
"It's getting dark soon, I'll go make dinner," Mizuki said, looking outside. "We're in luck today."
Tamayo smiled faintly: "Then I'll leave it to Mizuki."
The 'cooking' Mizuki referred to certainly wasn't actual meal preparation.
Demons cannot eat human food, but they can eat animals, or rather... Blood Food.
Mizuki went behind the house, scooped the fish out of the water tank, used skilled Knife Work to remove the scales and bones, washed off the fresh blood, and plated it.
In other words, Sashimi.
Placing the Sashimi on the table, Tamayo divided the little girl's blood into two portions and handed one to Mizuki like a drink.
This was a method of consumption Mizuki had researched, and she found it remarkably effective.
Although it certainly couldn't compare to eating humans for stamina recovery, it was better than just drinking blood.
Most importantly, it wasn't so perverse.
Sashimi, well, that's acceptable.
The two politely ate their dinner; if one ignored the strange fresh blood in the cups, it looked like ordinary people having a meal.
Many years had passed since the two met; it was now the Edo Period.
Over the years, Tamayo had been working hard to overcome her desire to feed. Compared to when they first met, Tamayo hadn't consumed a human corpse in a long time.
Overcoming the desire to feed is difficult, much like quitting an addiction, but with Mizuki setting a clear example, Tamayo could persevere.
During the meal, Tamayo asked, "Regarding the missing girls, is Mizuki going to investigate?"
Mizuki nodded slightly: "Yes, since we encountered the news, I should go take a look."
She didn't actively search for the tracks of evil Demons, but if she stumbled upon one nearby, Mizuki would still find a way to deal with it.
As for the Demon Slayer Corps, they currently seem to be recovering their strength, but the abilities of most members are lacking, and they might not be able to cover everything.
Mizuki suddenly asked, "By the way, when are we leaving this place?"
Tamayo pondered for a moment: "In a little while longer."
"Mhm." Mizuki nodded slightly.
To prevent ordinary people from learning about their immortality, they moved every few years.
This was one of countless times they had moved.
After dinner, the sky outside had gradually darkened.
Mizuki put on a Bamboo Hat, wrapped the lower half of her face with white cloth, and wore Dual Swords at her waist.
"I'm heading out then."
Tamayo instructed: "If you run into anyone from the Demon Slayer Corps, please be careful."
"I know."
Even in the future, there will be sayings like, 'Those not of our kind are sure to have different intentions.'
Let alone this era.
Especially members of the Demon Slayer Corps, who harbor extreme hatred towards evil Demons. Given their current identities, peaceful communication is utterly impossible.
Mizuki concealed her presence and headed toward the West Side of the City.
If she remembered correctly, that area should be a Slum.
The more dilapidated the place, the worse the security measures.
The probability of a Demon appearing there was indeed high.
Mizuki used the moonlight to arrive at the Slum. Beggar-dressed vagrants were visible everywhere on the streets, and there were suspicious excretions on the ground.
A vagrant-dressed drunkard was standing with his hips thrust forward, facing a wall, unbuckling his belt.
That certainly wasn't suspicious.
This place was essentially Lawless Territory.
As long as no riots occurred, no one would govern it.
Trying to sense the presence of an evil Demon in such an environment was truly difficult for a Demon.
Mizuki couldn't help but frown.
Suddenly, footsteps approached from behind her, then stopped.
Mizuki turned her head to look.
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