Yoriichi took the Nichirin Blade from Yuko in surprise. He gently ran his hand over it, but the blood seemed to cling to the blade like a layer of paint, impossible to wipe away.
It was similar in color to the Scarlet Blade, but its temperature was completely different.
It was cold.
He had noticed it when Yuko smeared the blood over his wounds earlier. It was as cold as icy water.
Yuko explained, "As long as it isn't exposed to sunlight, it can remain attached for three whole days."
The Blood Demon Art was similar to superpowers and magic. It was often the fundamental reason demons were stronger than humans. Faced with all kinds of bizarre Blood Demon Arts, even the regenerative abilities that distinguished demons from humans had to take a back seat. The only thing they truly feared was the sun.
Under sunlight, the Blood Demon Art would lose its effect.
Yuko had never tested it, but the Blood Demon Art was an instinct engraved deep in a demon's brain. She could understand it without testing it.
After explaining, she raised her eyebrows and bragged, "Impressive, right?"
"...Impressive." Seeing that Yuko was just like before, the corners of Yoriichi's mouth curved up unconsciously.
Yuko suddenly asked, "By the way, Brother, have you been in contact with Miss Tamayo?"
Yoriichi shook his head.
His interactions with Tamayo had been limited to the day he drove Muzan away. They had never met again afterward, much less kept in contact.
"I see..." Yuko sighed with some regret.
In the later era, Tanjiro seemed to have encountered Tamayo in Asakusa. But this was still the Sengoku Era, hundreds of years before the Taisho era. Who knew where Tamayo was at this point in time?
It seemed joining the organization wasn't going to be so easy.
She might as well honestly stay home and live off the family. At least she wouldn't starve to death.
Besides, with her Blood Demon Art, Yoriichi's wounds could heal quickly.
Wait a second. It seemed she had accidentally invented a perpetual-motion machine.
As Yuko stared at him with a divine expression, Yoriichi inexplicably felt a chill run down his spine. He had not experienced that feeling since facing the Demon King.
Just as he opened his mouth to say something, Yuko spoke again. "Brother, do you still remember Tanjiki?"
Yoriichi paused for a moment. Though he did not know why Yuko had brought up Tanjiki at this time, he still nodded.
"Of course."
The place where Tanjiki's family lived was where he and Uta had once lived.
Yuko smiled. "Let's go there when we have time and see how they're doing."
And look for the Blue Spider Lily while they were at it.
The greatest possibility for her escape from Muzan's control was that she had accidentally eaten a Blue Spider Lily while temporarily staying at Tanjiki's house.
Nezuko seemed to have overcome her weakness to sunlight toward the end of the story, but Yuko still did not know whether she herself could overcome it.
After all, Nezuko did not seem to have overcome sunlight right from the beginning. Besides, that family had lived there for hundreds of years. Perhaps they had eaten the flower generation after generation, and a genetic mutation had finally produced an exception like Nezuko.
How many meals had Yuko eaten?
Yuko felt that undergoing a full course of treatment was absolutely necessary.
Hearing Yuko's words, Yoriichi sank into his memories.
The scene of Tanjiki's family warmly entertaining them several years ago seemed vivid before his eyes.
After a while, he nodded.
"All right."
It was a season of warm spring days and blooming flowers. The two of them visited Tanjiki's family in the evening.
"Mr. Yoriichi, Miss Yuko, it's been two years since we last saw you, hasn't it?" Tanjiki brought over tea while Tamiko soothed the child to sleep in the inner room.
Seeing the benefactors who had saved him again, Tanjiki's face was filled with joy.
After entering the house, Yuko removed her Conical hat and knelt beside Yoriichi in front of Tanjiki, bowing slightly.
"I'm very sorry for visiting so late."
Since Yuko was still unsure whether she had overcome her weakness to sunlight, she had no choice but to visit at night.
She could have shrunk herself like Nezuko and acted out a Sengoku Era version of a Demon Slayer brother-and-sister story with Yoriichi.
But she really had no face to let Yoriichi carry her around like a child.
Tanjiki hurriedly waved his hands. "No, no, Miss Yuko, you're too kind..."
Tanjiki suddenly stopped speaking. His eyes were drawn to Yuko's peculiar eyes, illuminated by the oil lamp.
The atmosphere froze for a moment. Just then, Tanjiki's wife, Tamiko, emerged from the inner room.
She wiped the cold sweat from her forehead. "She finally fell asleep."
Yuko looked at her with a smile. "It isn't easy to get a child to sleep, is it?"
Tamiko smiled. "Yes. That child is too lively."
"She's energetic even at night."
Since then, Tamiko had given birth to another son, who was still a newborn in swaddling clothes.
"Mr. Yoriichi, Miss Yuko, it's so late. Why don't you stay at our home for now?" Tanjiki was somewhat puzzled, but he did not dwell on it.
"Then we'll trouble you."
Tanjiki prepared rooms for the two of them to sleep in.
Early the next morning, before the sky had even brightened, the siblings got up and went to Uta's grave to pay their respects.
While Yoriichi swept the grave, Yuko walked around Uta's tomb, looking in all directions.
Where was the flower?
Where was it?
Yoriichi watched Yuko circle around again and again, his face filled with confusion.
Yuko's brows knitted together. Could it be that flowers did not bloom in spring?
She thought about when they had come two years ago. It seemed to have been... summer.
Besides, the flower seemed to have bloomed all of a sudden back then. If it had already been there before they arrived, Yuko could not possibly have failed to notice such a special flower.
It bloomed suddenly and withered suddenly.
No wonder Muzan had searched for so many years without finding it.
In that case, she could only come in summer and try her luck.
Thinking of this possibility, Yuko sighed.
The sky gradually brightened, and a sliver of dawn appeared in the distant sky.
The siblings returned to Tanjiki's house.
Tanjiki sat at the door and waved at them happily. "Mr. Yoriichi, Miss Yuko, breakfast is ready."
"Sorry for the trouble." Yuko entered the room in a few quick steps, avoiding the sunlight stretching inside.
Tamiko served the dishes, and sunlight happened to fall across the dining table.
Yoriichi considerately put some food into a bowl and carried it over to Yuko, who was sitting in the corner of the room playing with Tanjiki's daughter, Miyare.
Tanjiki and Tamiko exchanged a glance, somewhat puzzled.
Yuko gently shook her head.
Food was the most precious thing ordinary people had in this era. Tanjiki's family made a living chopping wood and burning charcoal, so life was already difficult for them.
She no longer needed food, so there was no point wasting it. It was better to let the others eat their fill.
It was worth mentioning that Tanjiki's house looked quite decent because they had once rescued a daimyo's wife and daughter in the mountains and received a reward in return.
Seeing Yoriichi return, Tanjiki could not help asking, "Mr. Yoriichi, Miss Yuko, is this...?"
Tanjiki possessed the same gentleness and attentiveness as Tanjiro, and had consequently noticed that something was unusual about Yuko.
There had not been much change in Yuko's appearance as a demon, but her peculiar eyes and the color of her fingernails still seemed somewhat strange.
At Tanjiki's question, Yoriichi instinctively looked at Yuko.
Tanjiki and Tamiko also turned their gazes toward her.
Yuko held Miyare in both arms and teased her, maintaining her smile. "Let's eat first. I'll explain everything to everyone after the meal."
People in this era were not as open-minded as those in later generations.
Take Namiko, for example. After learning that Yuko had become a demon, she had been so frightened that she beat Yuko with her fists and feet, even though Yuko had not done anything to hurt her.
But Tanjiki's family... Perhaps they were different.
Before you continue