Demon Slayer: Great Swordmaster System at the Start, My Teacher is Tsugikuni

And, she was a female demon.

This matched his previous guess, and the Scribe's sixth sense told him he was very close to the truth.

After determining that the thief was a female demon, the Scribe carefully examined the extent of the bites on each bone.

Based on the depth, location, and the faint scent remaining, he discovered that the discarded skeletons had a certain pattern.

Every so often, a few more bones would appear.

This interval was approximately seven days.

Calculating the time, five days had passed since the last theft.

This meant that in about two days, the female demon thief would come here again!

Two days, then I'll see if it's you.

A smile touched the Scribe's lips as he returned to the village and settled down for the time being.

At dusk the next day, he quietly came here again.

He jumped onto a tree, chose a suitable position, and hid himself in the darkness.

Only a pair of eyes silently watched every move outside.

The sun slowly set, and the moon began to move in the black sky.

Soon, sounds came from the village.

Listening closely, he heard human shouts, rapid breaths, and the clashing of various metals.

Just then, the strange fragrance in the air suddenly became more intense.

In the sky above the village, some strange patterns also faintly appeared.

Soon, the noisy sounds in the village disappeared.

After a short while, footsteps could be heard from that direction.

One step, two steps, three steps...

Judging by the sound, the person's weight was not very heavy, so much so that they barely made a sound.

But to the Scribe's ears, these sounds were no different from beating gongs and drums.

Soon, the person reached the tree where the Scribe was hiding, seemingly to rest.

Just as the other person thought they were safe, the Scribe performed a backflip and leaped from the tree.

The moment he landed, the other person's appearance was clearly imprinted in his eyes.

At this moment, he knew his guess was correct.

With a slight smile, the Scribe said.

Long time no see, Miss Tamayo.

Chapter 51: Unraveling the Knot, Will You Help Me?

Tamayo looked somewhat disheveled now, her clothes tattered and seemingly unwashed for a long time.

Her hair was greasy, and her face and hands were covered in dust.

A dead hen was dangling from her mouth.

Tamayo's beautiful large eyes were filled with surprise as she looked at the young man who had suddenly appeared.

She had never seen such a handsome man before, yet he knew her name.

After all, she had avoided contact with any living beings for the past sixty to seventy years.

Whether human or demon, most had already forgotten her existence.

And judging by his aura, this person was undoubtedly human.

Although he seemed somewhat familiar, she couldn't recall who he was for a moment.

Over the years, the only humans who knew her identity were the Scribe and Yoriichi from back then.

Now, sixty years later, they should have been gray-haired.

No matter how Tamayo thought, she couldn't figure out the young man's identity.

Seeing Tamayo's furrowed brow, the Scribe knew she didn't recognize him in his current state.

Miss Tamayo, have you forgotten the promise we made back then?

Hearing the words "the promise made back then," Tamayo suddenly understood.

The young man before her was actually the child from back then, the Scribe!

Surprised by his youthful appearance after so many years, Tamayo instinctively opened her mouth, as if to say something.

As she opened her mouth, the hen immediately dropped to the ground.

It would be better to return this to its owner.

Reaching out, the Scribe caught the dead hen in less than a second.

The Scribe set the old hen aside and spoke slowly.

"This doesn't seem like a good place to chat. How about we move somewhere else?"

Nodding, Tamayo, whose mind was still a bit frozen, followed the Scribe away.

After the two had left, the noisy clamor returned to the village.

But when they tracked it here, they were surprised to find the old hen that should have been stolen.

Although there was no evidence, a thought inexplicably welled up in their hearts.

The guy who stole things probably wouldn't come back again.

Meanwhile, the Scribe and Tamayo had arrived at a forest.

It was already close to midnight, and there were no signs of human activity in the forest.

Walking into the forest, the two chose a relatively open area and sat down.

"Are you... really the Scribe?"

Tamayo asked again, her tone full of doubt.

"It's no wonder. For a human to remain young after the baptism of time... Tamayo had never even heard of such a thing."

Without speaking, the Scribe simply stood up and walked to a tree.

Tamayo heard a crisp snap, and then was astonished to find that the tall tree had been cut into countless pieces.

Each piece was identical in length, width, and thickness.

Although it was only for an instant, Tamayo clearly felt that surge of energy.

It was the energy of Sun Breathing, an energy like the sun.

At this moment, no matter how many doubts she had, she had to believe that the young man before her was the Scribe himself.

Picking up some wooden blocks and arranging them in a cross shape, the Scribe quickly started a fire.

Although the low temperature didn't affect him and Tamayo much, he was still accustomed to starting a fire for warmth.

After glancing at the Scribe, Tamayo gave up on asking questions.

She was a smart person and knew that the Scribe had his own secrets.

As long as he continued to hunt demons, he would always be her companion.

"Are you hungry?"

Seeing Tamayo's conflicted expression, the Scribe suddenly asked.

Tamayo was about to speak, but her stomach betrayed her with a growl.

Quickly covering her stomach, Tamayo's face flushed slightly, unsure if it was from the firelight or from embarrassment.

Shaking her head slightly, the Scribe stood up and walked into the depths of the forest.

Before long, when he returned, he had several rabbits in his hands.

Skinning, bleeding, cleaning, skewering...

Soon, several rabbits were roasting by the campfire.

While adjusting their position to prevent burning, the Scribe inquired.

"Miss Tamayo, we haven't seen each other for a long time. I wonder what you've been doing all these years."

Glancing at the slightly yellowing roasted rabbits, Tamayo swallowed.

After parting ways in the bamboo forest that night, Tamayo had fled to various remote places, determined not to be found by Muzan.

Although she knew that Muzan could easily find her once he recovered from his injuries.

Fortunately, as the years passed, Muzan had still not fully recovered.

While hiding, she had faced extreme hunger many times.

Whenever she was on the verge of losing her mind from hunger, Tamayo would silently recite the words the Scribe had once said to her.

"I believe you will help us defeat Muzan."

In the end, she overcame the desire to eat humans and never attacked them again.

After saying this, Tamayo's face grew dejected.

She covered her head, her slender body trembling slightly.

She had promised the Scribe and Yoriichi that she would contribute her strength to eliminating Muzan.

But all these years, she had only thought about escaping Muzan's control and hadn't considered anything else.

Although she was unwilling to admit it, Tamayo still carried a shadow in her heart.

The fear of Muzan, the dread of the years he had controlled her.

It was precisely because she was worried about returning to her past that Tamayo had been constantly evading and unwilling to face it.

Seeing Tamayo's dejection and low spirits, the Scribe suddenly spoke.

"Miss Tamayo, are you afraid?"

Clenching her fists, Tamayo seemed to want to explain something.

But the moment she met the Scribe's gaze, her heart began to pound wildly.

Under that gaze, which seemed to see through her very soul, she finally nodded.

"Yes, I'm afraid. Afraid of returning to the tragic life of the past."

As she spoke, tears slowly streamed down Tamayo's face.

"I'm not only afraid of that man, but I'm also afraid of myself, of turning back into what I was under his control!"

The thought of the mistakes she had made in the past made Tamayo even more unwilling to face him.

"If you're afraid, why not find someone you can rely on?"

Tossing a few logs into the bonfire, the Scribe spoke slowly.

"Destroying Muzan isn't something that can be accomplished overnight, nor is it something that you and I can do alone."

"If we stop moving forward because of fear and worry, 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 are panicked that we need someone to rely on!"

The Scribe's voice grew louder and louder, like nails piercing deep into Tamayo's heart.

It was as if a beam of light had shone through, and the wall called fear began to crumble inch by inch.

"If... if I am willing to atone for the past and strive for the future, will you help me?"