Benevolence of a Healer

Tsugikuni Kuuga gave the owner a friendly smile, then took the dorayaki and said, "Let's continue. How much was this again?"

"Thank you, young hero, for saving me! These are free for you!" the owner said with a smile.

The owner then began packing up his stall. Given what had happened today, it was no longer suitable to keep selling dorayaki. Tsugikuni Kuuga was not one to stand on ceremony, so he accepted them outright.

Shinobu Kocho walked over, grabbed Tsugikuni Kuuga by the ear, and dragged him aside.

"Ow! Take it easy. Wasn't I just helping someone in need? I did a good deed!"

"If you'd hit him any harder, he would have gone to paradise early. Killing people is a crime!" Shinobu Kocho scolded.

"Who told him to look at someone he shouldn't have and then speak so rudely? It was already merciful of me not to draw my sword and cut him down!" Tsugikuni Kuuga said indignantly.

He also knew that the Demon Slayer Corps was an unofficial civilian organization unrecognized by the government, so they usually kept a low profile. But that punk had touched Tsugikuni Kuuga's reverse scale. How could he possibly stay low-key?

"Be more careful next time. I'll let it slide this time!" Shinobu Kocho said.

"Alright, it's over now. Try one. The owner's dorayaki are delicious!"

Tsugikuni Kuuga smiled and stuffed a dorayaki into Shinobu Kocho's mouth. Her eyes immediately lit up. It really was delicious.

"By the way, did you find out anything?" Shinobu Kocho asked.

"Uh... well, I was busy punishing evil and upholding justice, so I think I forgot!" Tsugikuni Kuuga said, poking his fingers together innocently.

"I knew it. Actually, even if you had asked, you probably wouldn't have learned anything. The people in this town seem to be deliberately avoiding something!" Shinobu Kocho said seriously.

"Is that so?" Tsugikuni Kuuga stroked his chin in thought.

In the end, Tsugikuni Kuuga decided to try asking that owner from earlier. The owner looked like a kind man.

Tsugikuni Kuuga immediately took Shinobu Kocho's hand and hurried after him. They soon spotted the owner, and Tsugikuni Kuuga waved as he called out, "Boss, I have something I'd like to ask you about."

When Murata Hiroshi saw Tsugikuni Kuuga approaching, he immediately set down his cart and stopped. His family had always placed great importance on repaying kindness.

"What can I do for you, benefactor?"

"I wanted to ask whether anything strange has happened in your town. For example, disappearances or dismemberment cases!" Tsugikuni Kuuga asked.

Hearing Tsugikuni Kuuga's question, Murata Hiroshi grabbed him and made a shushing gesture.

"Benefactor, keep your voice down. If people hear you, you'll be taken away!" the owner said with a grave expression.

Tsugikuni Kuuga understood. There was definitely something fishy going on here. It seemed he had found the right person to ask.

"Boss, I'm someone who handles this sort of thing. Please, tell me about it!" Tsugikuni Kuuga pleaded.

"Ah... come home with me. We Muratas have always had to grant our benefactors one request!" Murata Hiroshi sighed.

Before long, the two of them followed the owner to his home. Along the way, the owner first went to an apothecary to buy medicine, but Tsugikuni Kuuga noticed that he was perfectly healthy.

This was an ability Tsugikuni Kuuga had gained after Tai Chi Sense appeared. When he activated it, he could see every person surrounded by black and white aura. When the two were balanced, it meant the person was healthy, but if there was too much black aura, it meant illness resided in their body.

"Boss, is someone in your family sick? I might be able to treat them!" Tsugikuni Kuuga mentioned.

"What? You said you can treat them?"

The owner turned around and tightly gripped Tsugikuni Kuuga's arms, his eyes filled with excitement.

"I said I might be able to. We'll know once I take a look!" Tsugikuni Kuuga explained.

Tsugikuni Kuuga had not expected that his casual remark would excite the man so much. It seemed someone important to him was sick.

The three arrived before a residence very close to the town entrance. This must have been the Murata family home. It looked quite wealthy!

"You two, please have a seat in the main hall first. I'll be there after putting away the cart. Forgive me for the poor hospitality!" the owner said politely.

"It's alright, please go ahead. We're the ones disturbing you!"

The owner then went off to put away the cart with a cheerful smile. Upon reaching the main hall, Shinobu Kocho asked skeptically, "You aren't deceiving the owner, are you?"

"I already said I might be able to!"

As he spoke, Tsugikuni Kuuga raised his right hand. A sphere of light, half black and half white, gradually condensed above it. Two koi, one black and one white, swam within it.

"Whoa, what is that?" Shinobu Kocho asked in shock.

"I don't know. My healing ability probably evolved!"

Tsugikuni Kuuga truly did not know. He did not even know where his healing ability had come from. He had simply been born with it. This one just seemed to consume more Mental Power.

Tsugikuni Kuuga immediately withdrew it, and at the same time, the owner came in and hurriedly poured tea for them.

"Boss, take me to see the sick person in your family first. I'll do my best!" Tsugikuni Kuuga said.

The owner said nothing and instead led the two of them to a room. The moment they entered, they were engulfed by the heavy scent of medicinal herbs.

A little girl with a deathly pale complexion lay on the bed. Hearing the sound, she turned her head. To others, she was merely a frail little girl, but in Tsugikuni Kuuga's eyes, she was overflowing with black aura.

"This is my daughter. The doctors have never been able to determine what illness she has. Her mother already died from this disease!" Murata Hiroshi said, his gaze dimming.

"I'm sorry! I made you remember something painful!" Shinobu Kocho said.

Tsugikuni Kuuga said nothing. He walked over and sat beside the little girl's bed, then raised his right hand. A Tai Chi-like sphere of light appeared.

"Big Brother, are you here to save me? Suzuko doesn't want to die!"

The little girl blinked. Every word she spoke was soft, yet carried exceptional strength.

Tsugikuni Kuuga gave her a gentle smile. "Don't be afraid, little sister. I'm here to save you!"

Warm light continuously spread from Suzuko's chest throughout her body, but beads of sweat the size of beans also appeared on Tsugikuni Kuuga's forehead. His face turned pale. Clearly, the girl's condition was far more severe than he had imagined.

Treating her therefore consumed an enormous amount of Mental Power. Yet Tsugikuni Kuuga could see the black and white auras gradually becoming balanced, while color also returned to Suzuko's pale face.

Tsugikuni Kuuga now felt as though something were continuously drawing things out of his brain. At the same time, the black and white auras surrounding the little girl's body were about to reach balance.

Tsugikuni Kuuga's head began to ache, and a wave of fatigue washed over him. The moment Suzuko's aura reached balance, Tsugikuni Kuuga collapsed.

Fortunately, Shinobu Kocho had stayed by his side, wiping away his sweat, so she caught him.

Suzuko then actually sat up from the bed. Seeing this, Murata Hiroshi immediately dropped to his knees, because his daughter had not gotten up in five years.

"Benefactor! Please accept my bow!" Murata Hiroshi said, directly kowtowing to Tsugikuni Kuuga.

Tsugikuni Kuuga wanted to stop him, but he no longer had the strength.

Shinobu Kocho looked deeply worried, tears nearly spilling from her eyes. In a soft voice tinged with tears, she said, "You need to take care of your body!"

Tsugikuni Kuuga smiled. This was the first time he had saved someone. It was a living, breathing life. He now somewhat understood a phrase he had never truly understood before: Benevolence of a Healer.