And she was a Female Demon.
It matched Scribe's earlier suspicions. His sixth sense told him that he was already very close to the truth.
After determining that the thief was a Female Demon, Scribe carefully examined the bite marks on each bone.
Based on their depth, placement, and the faint lingering scent, he discovered that there was a pattern to when these remains were discarded.
Every so often, a few more bones would appear.
That interval was roughly seven days.
Calculating the time, five days had passed since the last theft.
In other words, in about two days, that thieving Female Demon would come here again!
Two days, huh? Then I'll see if it's you.
A smile appeared on Scribe's lips as he returned to the village and settled down there for the time being.
At dusk the next day, he quietly returned to the place.
He leaped onto a tree, chose a suitable spot, and concealed himself in the darkness.
Only his eyes silently watched every movement outside.
The sun slowly sank, and the moon began to move through the black sky.
Soon, sounds came from the village.
Listening closely, he heard human shouts, hurried panting, and the clashing of metal.
Just then, the strange fragrance in the air suddenly grew stronger.
Some strange patterns also vaguely appeared in the sky above the village.
Before long, the commotion in the village vanished.
Not long after, footsteps came from that direction.
One step, two steps, three steps.
Judging from the sound, the newcomer was not very heavy, making almost no noise.
But to Scribe's ears, those sounds were no different from beating gongs and drums.
Soon, the newcomer arrived beneath the tree where Scribe was hiding, seemingly taking a rest.
Just as she thought she was safe, Scribe performed a backflip and jumped down from the tree.
The moment he landed, her appearance was clearly reflected in his eyes.
At that moment, he knew his suspicions were correct.
Smiling faintly, Scribe spoke.
Long time no see, Miss Tamayo.
Resolving Her Inner Conflict, Will You Help Me?
Tamayo now looked somewhat bedraggled. Her clothes were tattered and filthy, as though they had not been washed in a long time.
Her hair was greasy, and her face and hands were covered in dust.
A dead hen was clenched between her teeth.
Seeing the young man who had suddenly appeared before her, Tamayo's beautiful eyes filled with surprise.
She had never seen such a handsome man before, yet he knew her name.
After all, for the past sixty or seventy years, she had avoided contact with other living beings.
Whether human or demon, almost everyone had forgotten her existence.
And judging from his scent, he was undoubtedly human.
Though he felt somewhat familiar, she could not recall who he was.
Over the years, the only humans who knew her identity had been Scribe and Yoriichi.
More than sixty years had passed by now. They should have been white-haired and elderly.
No matter how Tamayo thought about it, she could not figure out the young man's identity.
Seeing Tamayo's furrowed brows, Scribe knew that she had not recognized him as he was now.
Miss Tamayo, have you forgotten our promise from back then?
The moment she heard the words "our promise from back then," Tamayo immediately understood.
The young man before her was that child from back then—Scribe!
Astonished that he still looked so young after all these years, Tamayo instinctively opened her mouth, as though she wanted to say something.
The instant she opened her mouth, the dead hen fell toward the ground.
This should be returned to its owner.
Reaching out, Scribe caught the dead hen in less than a second.
He placed the hen aside and slowly said,
This doesn't seem like a suitable place to talk. How about we go somewhere else?
Tamayo nodded, her mind still somewhat frozen, and followed Scribe away.
After the two left, the village became noisy again.
But when the villagers chased over here, they were shocked to find the hen that should have been stolen.
Though they had no proof, a thought inexplicably arose in all their minds.
That thief would probably never come again.
Meanwhile, Scribe and Tamayo had already arrived in a forest.
It was close to midnight, and there was no trace of human activity in the forest.
After entering the woods, they chose a relatively open area and sat down.
Are you really Scribe?
Tamayo asked again, her tone full of doubt.
It was only natural. Tamayo had never even heard of a human remaining young after being weathered by the years.
Without speaking, Scribe merely stood and walked over to a tree.
Tamayo heard a crisp sound, then watched in astonishment as the tall tree was sliced into countless pieces.
Every piece was exactly the same in length, width, and thickness.
Though it had lasted only an instant, Tamayo clearly sensed that energy.
The energy of Sun Breathing, like the sun itself.
At that moment, no matter how many doubts remained in her heart, she had no choice but to believe that the young man before her was truly Scribe.
Gathering pieces of wood and arranging them in a crisscross pattern, Scribe quickly lit a fire.
Though the cold did not affect him or Tamayo much, he was still accustomed to lighting a fire for warmth.
After glancing at Scribe, Tamayo gave up on asking further questions.
She was a smart woman and knew that Scribe had secrets of his own.
As long as he was still hunting demons, he would always be her companion.
Are you hungry?
Seeing the conflicted look on Tamayo's face, Scribe suddenly asked.
Tamayo was about to speak, but her stomach growled uncooperatively.
She hurriedly covered her stomach. Her face flushed slightly, though it was unclear whether it was from the firelight or embarrassment.
Scribe shook his head slightly, stood up, and walked deeper into the forest.
Not long after, when he returned, he had several rabbits in his hands.
Skinning, bleeding, washing, skewering.
Soon, several rabbits were roasting beside the campfire.
As he adjusted their positions to keep them from burning, Scribe asked,
Miss Tamayo, we haven't seen each other in a long time. What have you been doing all these years?
Tamayo glanced at the rabbits, their skin already turning golden, and swallowed.
Since parting ways in the bamboo forest that night, Tamayo had fled into all kinds of remote, uninhabited places, doing everything she could to avoid being found by Muzan.
Though she knew very well that once Muzan recovered from his injuries, he could easily find her.
Fortunately, after all these years, Muzan had still not fully recovered.
During her time in hiding, she had faced extreme hunger many times.
Whenever hunger nearly made her lose her mind, Tamayo would silently repeat the words Scribe had once said to her.
I believe you will help us defeat Muzan.
In the end, she overcame her desire to eat humans and never attacked another human again.
After saying all that, Tamayo's expression became somewhat despondent.
She held her head as her frail body trembled slightly.
She had clearly promised Scribe and Yoriichi that she would contribute her own strength toward destroying Muzan.
Yet all these years, she had only thought about escaping Muzan's control and had never considered anything else.
Though she did not want to admit it, a shadow still remained in Tamayo's heart.
Fear of Muzan, fear of the years when she had been under his control.
It was precisely because she feared returning to those days that Tamayo had kept running away, unwilling to face them.
Seeing the gloom and dejection on Tamayo's face, Scribe suddenly spoke.
Miss Tamayo, are you afraid?
Tamayo clenched her fists, seeming as though she wanted to explain something.
But when she saw Scribe looking directly into her eyes, her heart began pounding wildly.
Under that gaze, which seemed capable of seeing through her heart, she finally nodded.
Yes, I'm afraid. Afraid that I'll return to that miserable life from before.
As she spoke, tears slowly streamed down Tamayo's face.
I'm not only afraid of that man. I'm even more afraid that under his control, I'll become what I was before!
The thought of the mistakes she had made in the past made Tamayo even more unwilling to face it.
If you're afraid, then find someone you can rely on.
Scribe tossed several pieces of wood into the campfire and slowly spoke.
Destroying Muzan cannot be accomplished overnight, nor can it be done by you and me alone.
If we stop moving forward because of fear and worry, then we will never be able to eradicate all suffering.
It is precisely because we are afraid that we need companions. It is precisely because we panic that we need someone to rely on!
Scribe's voice grew louder and louder, driving deep into Tamayo's heart like nails.
It was as though a beam of light had shone into it, and the wall called fear began crumbling inch by inch.
If... if I am willing to atone for the past and strive for the future, would you be willing to help me?
Before you continue