Whether She Was Just Embarrassed

It was only after Yuko had perfectly demonstrated all the current Sword Styles of Snow Breathing that Yoriichi truly grasped how difficult Snow Breathing was to master.

With all those jumbled Breathing Techniques fused together, he really had to wonder whether the Demon Slayer Corps would question their entire existence when they read the training manual Yuko had left behind.

Compared with Sun Breathing's demands on one's physique, Snow Breathing had practically incorporated every existing Breathing Technique.

This would inevitably lead to one result: practitioners of the Breathing Technique would be unable to master every Form perfectly.

If one could not adapt to Thunder Breathing, one could not master the Seventh Form; if one could not adapt to Sun Breathing, one could not master the Ninth Form.

Not to mention that Snow Breathing itself had been born from Wind and Water Breathing Techniques. With all these conditions piled together, it was practically impossible for anyone to master it.

In the days that followed, whenever the siblings had free time, they practiced swordsmanship in the mountains outside the city.

Under Yoriichi's guidance, Yuko's progress was astonishingly fast.

Even Yoriichi began to marvel at Yuko's talent.

This talent may have already surpassed my elder brother's.

That applied both to her talent in Breathing Techniques and her talent as a swordswoman.

One had to know that Yuko had never systematically studied swordsmanship before the age of eighteen.

Back when they were in the Demon Slayer Corps, Yoriichi often went out, and he also had other people to teach, so he had not devoted much effort to Yuko.

Now, he had enough time to teach Yuko.

Moreover, becoming a Demon had conveniently solved Yuko's only weakness.

That was, the weakness of being female.

When it came to fighting ability, women were naturally inferior to men.

But Yuko could now even draw a Scarlet Blade with ease by relying on the power of her Demon transformation.

Although when she looked at the Scarlet Blade in her hand, she was actually even more frightened.

There was no denying that she had indeed grown stronger.

The battles between the two in the mountains began to attract the attention of passersby.

During that period, a rumor even spread through the city that the God of Fire and the God of the Moon had started fighting in the mountains outside the city.

Some people had seen the silver full moon fall from the sky, while others had seen blazing flames flash.

Naturally, no one believed it at first. But some people were determined to investigate. When they went to inspect the mountains outside the city, they discovered the dense traces of inhuman battles among the woods, and were so frightened that they fell ill.

The great mountains outside the city gradually came to be regarded by everyone as a forbidden zone, and no one dared enter them casually.

As the story became more and more exaggerated, Yuko and Yoriichi also began to restrain themselves considerably.

Judging from Yuko's observations, this world's power level would at most qualify as a high-martial world by the standards of the novels from her previous life.

As powerful as Yoriichi was, in reality, as long as he did not move, even a child holding a sword could stab him to death.

His physical fitness was even inferior to hers, whose body now rivaled steel.

Whether in physical fitness or the power of sword techniques, she was clearly stronger now.

Yet Yoriichi could always use his speed, which was fast to the extreme, to counter and defeat her.

Yoriichi's speed when completing all twelve Forms of Sun Breathing in a single instant was something even Yuko could not see clearly now. No wonder Muzan had questioned his entire existence.

It was as the saying went: in the world of martial arts, nothing could defeat speed.

After finishing their swordsmanship practice, the siblings lay in the quiet woods. The insects and wild beasts around them had long since vanished without a trace.

Summer arrived, and Yuko said, "Brother, I want to visit Tanjiki's family soon."

"Mm." Yoriichi paused for a moment before answering softly.

"Brother, you should come too."

"..."

Yuko sat up and looked at him with a half-smile. "Brother, could it be that your departure last time was too formal, so you're embarrassed to go again?"

He had given them earrings and demonstrated sword Forms.

Yoriichi: "..."

Seeing that Yoriichi remained silent, Yuko raised her eyes slightly and mused, "If you don't go, then what if I lose control when the time comes..."

"...I'll go."

Yuko smiled faintly. How about that for a masterful scheme?

Although Yoriichi trusted Yuko, Demons were irrational and inhuman creatures.

If Yuko truly lost control of her desires one day, he would not doubt it. It would not be Yuko's fault.

Humans did possess wills that could surpass their limits, but some things could not be solved by willpower alone.

When they saw Mr. Yoriichi and Miss Yuko again, Tanjiki's family was incredibly happy.

Moreover, it seemed as though the knot in Mr. Yoriichi's heart had been undone, and he smiled much more often.

Tanjiki was happy about that for a long time.

The last time she visited Tanjiki's family, Yuko had guessed that the Blue Spider Lily bloomed in summer.

When she came this time, she really found it.

One August night, Yuko stared at Uta's grave for the entire night without seeing a single flower.

During the day, she had Yoriichi keep watch instead.

Although he did not understand what Yuko meant, he obediently stayed until two in the afternoon. At the hottest time of day, he discovered flowers that suddenly bloomed.

"Ah~"

When Yoriichi plucked the Spider Lily and brought it to Yuko, just as he was wondering what she wanted to do, he saw Yuko open her enormous bloody mouth and eat the blue flower raw.

Tanjiki's family: "..."

Yoriichi: "..."

Yuko licked her lips and judged, "It doesn't taste good."

!!!

Of course it didn't! It hadn't even been cooked!

Everyone's pupils shook with shock.

Yoriichi frowned slightly. "Then what exactly is it?"

Yuko answered seriously, "Muzan seems to have been searching for this all along. Perhaps it is something that can allow Demons to overcome sunlight."

Yoriichi's eyes narrowed slightly. "Overcome... sunlight?"

Yuko sat inside the house and, in front of everyone, extended a finger toward the light.

Sizzle...

Yuko withdrew her finger without changing expression, and the flesh rapidly regenerated.

Yuko pondered. "It should be. Perhaps it requires a certain amount to produce a qualitative change."

Tamiko stared in astonishment at Yuko's finger, which had recovered in the blink of an eye. After hesitating for a moment, she said, "I think I've sometimes seen that flower behind the house."

"Yes, it grows behind the house. This flower should only bloom in summer."

"I think so. We even used to eat it as a wild vegetable." Tamiko recalled the past.

Tanjiki's expression changed, and he said seriously, "If it really can allow the Demon King to overcome sunlight, could it be used as bait to lure him out?"

Yuko and Yoriichi shook their heads in unison.

Yuko said helplessly, "That fellow is very cautious. Especially while Yoriichi might still be alive—he absolutely won't show himself personally."

"It might instead alert him."

Tamiko suddenly stood up and hefted the hoe resting to one side.

Everyone looked over in confusion.

"If we destroy those flowers, then we won't have to worry about the Demon finding them, right?"

"That way, he will never be able to overcome sunlight."

You were way too smart.

Yuko complained inwardly for a moment before hurriedly stopping her. "Wait, Tamiko."

If you do that, Muzan might truly become impossible to defeat.

Nezuko is the protagonist's little sister! Other than Tamayo, she's the only Demon who broke free of Muzan's control.

Who knows? Maybe the finale will have her team up with Tanjiro for a sibling tag-team beating against Muzan.