Yushiro

As the vagrant fled in panic, Yuko's eyes saw the swordsman's heart and pulse pounding with fear.

The frequency was almost enough to meet the conditions for awakening the Mark.

His breathing rate and lung movement aside, he hadn't even mastered Total Concentration Breathing. He was simply an apprentice who hadn't yet grasped the Breathing Technique.

He was even worse than Namiko.

At most, the Demons he could handle had eaten one or two people, or perhaps none at all.

The biggest problem was his mindset.

She had merely walked over normally, without the slightest intention of hiding herself.

Yet he had become this terrified.

That showed that, as a Demon hunter, the swordsman before her was unqualified.

With Muzan and Kokushibo targeting them, the Demon Slayer Corps had truly been having a hard time these past few years.

Even someone at this level could come out and hunt Demons alone.

This wasn't meant as an insult. She was merely stating a fact.

Even if he was lucky enough to investigate the Eternal Paradise Cult, in the end, he would only be eaten.

It could be said that Yuko had saved his life by doing this.

Yuko stripped off his outer garment. After thinking for a moment, she used her knife to write a few words on the ground.

That Demon is beyond your ability to handle. Go back.

After finishing, Yuko covered the swordsman with some wild grass from nearby, lest he catch cold in the chill of the night.

She really was far too kind.

After taking the swordsman's uniform, Yuko returned to the clinic, only to run into Tamayo, who was preparing to leave with her medical kit on her back.

Yuko asked, "Is there a patient?"

"Mm..." Tamayo answered first, then looked at the clothes in her hands and asked in return, "That's... the Demon Slayer Corps uniform, isn't it?"

"Have you made contact with the Demon Slayer Corps?"

Yuko shook her head. "No. I happened to run into a Demon Slayer swordsman while investigating a Demon."

Tamayo's face paled. "You didn't...?"

Yuko's expression turned speechless.

Tamayo's expression recovered, and the corners of her lips lifted. "I was joking."

"But Yuko, you stole his clothes. Are you planning to act under the identity of a Demon Slayer?"

Yuko asked in confusion, "Why can't it be that someone happily lent them to me, or gave them to me?"

Tamayo was silent for a moment. "Do you believe that yourself?"

"..."

Yuko changed the subject and asked again, "Are you going out?"

Tamayo nodded slightly. "Mm. I have a critically ill patient."

As a Demon Doctor, Tamayo only went out to treat patients at night.

Yuko suggested, "Then I'll come with you."

Tamayo glanced at the clothes in her hands. "Won't that interfere with what you were doing?"

Yuko shook her head. "No. Something came up. I'll go over tomorrow."

That family of three was reuniting over there. She wasn't so tactless as to intrude.

"That's good." Tamayo nodded with a smile.

"Give it to me." Yuko extended her hand.

"Then I'll trouble you, Yuko." Tamayo handed her the medical kit with practiced ease.

"It's nothing."

Yuko casually hung the medical kit over her shoulder and tossed the clothes in her hand onto the counter.

"Let's go."

This wasn't the first time Yuko had accompanied Tamayo outside.

It wasn't only to protect her safety. More importantly, Yuko felt embarrassed about eating and drinking for free.

When she was at home, she could still mooch off her elders.

But once she was outside, she should at least help out a little.

Even if she wasn't acting as a bodyguard, helping carry the medical kit was still something useful.

The moonlight was bright, and the weather had grown cooler by the day. Even Yuko couldn't help shivering.

Yuko followed Tamayo to a courtyard. It was clear that the family was fairly wealthy.

When the two reached the front of the house, weak, labored breathing reached Yuko's ears.

It seemed the patient really was critically ill.

Tamayo slid open the door. A boy lay on the tatami inside, appearing to be in his early teens. He was very young.

But after being tormented by illness, the boy's appearance was far from healthy. He was even somewhat gaunt.

Though the gauntness of his face made him look somewhat different from the person in her memories, Yuko still recognized him.

Yushiro.

To be honest, with her current memories, she would have had trouble recalling his appearance from his name alone if she hadn't seen him with her own eyes.

It was like trying to remember what a middle-school classmate looked like twenty years later. It was difficult to recall.

Yuko hadn't expected Yushiro to have already met Tamayo during this period.

The two entered the room, and Tamayo sat down beside him.

Yuko, meanwhile, removed her conical hat, loosened the white cloth, and revealed her delicate nose.

It had nearly suffocated her.

Tamayo touched Yushiro's forehead, and Yushiro woke groggily.

The moment his eyes opened, his entire body seemed to have been struck by lightning.

He automatically ignored Yuko behind Tamayo. In his eyes, only the gentle woman before him remained.

His heartbeat quickened.

Yuko noticed it sharply.

This guy... fell in love with Tamayo at first sight?

"The medical kit." Tamayo's ethereal voice rang out.

Yuko hurriedly placed the medical kit beside her.

"Water."

Yuko quickly brought over a basin of hot water.

Tamayo folded a hand towel and placed it on Yushiro's forehead to ease his symptoms, then began examining his body.

Yuko couldn't understand any of it. She simply stood to one side, waiting to help.

After quite some time, Tamayo slowly put everything away.

She hesitated, then said to Yushiro, "Please wait a moment."

Tamayo rose and gave Yuko a slight nod.

Yuko understood and followed her out of the room.

Tamayo slowly said, "His illness... I'm afraid it can't be cured."

Tamayo shouldn't have been saying this to her. Yuko wasn't a family member, nor was she the patient himself.

Yuko saw what Tamayo was thinking and calmly said, "Why not turn him into a Demon?"

Tamayo abruptly turned to look at her, her brows tightly furrowed. "But... can something like that really be permitted?"

She was actually hesitating, which was why she had said this to Yuko.

She had seen Yushiro's desire to live, and wanted to help him.

Yuko smiled. "Why not ask him himself?"

Tamayo lowered her eyes slightly. Before she could respond, Yuko continued.

"Besides, I'd feel more at ease if he stayed by your side."

Tamayo raised her head in surprise. "Yuko, you..."

Yuko pressed her lips together in a smile and explained, "There's something I want to do..."

She explained to Tamayo that she wanted to search for information about the Upper Ranks.

And to investigate those Demons, she would have to leave.

She had originally been somewhat worried about leaving Tamayo behind, but since Yushiro had appeared, entrusting her to him was the best option.

After all, Yushiro was the one in the story who stayed by Tamayo's side all along.

As Tamayo listened to Yuko's explanation, her expression became conflicted. Somewhat worried, she said, "The Upper Ranks are the Demons closest to Muzan. They received a great deal of Muzan's blood..."

Yuko interrupted her. "Don't worry. Even if it's Kokushibo, I won't lose."

She hadn't spent all these years being casually cut down by Yoriichi for nothing.

She had the confidence that she absolutely wouldn't lose to Kokushibo again.

If she really encountered him, there was a high chance she wouldn't be able to continue concealing her identity. But she had no intention of causing trouble for Kokushibo in the first place.

The time wasn't right yet.

Tamayo saw the resolve in her heart and slowly closed her eyes. "I understand."

Yuko smiled. "Mm. Go in and ask him. I think he'll agree."

His heart had already started racing, after all.