While Kujo Tachibana and Yushiro stared each other down, Tamayo also came out of the laboratory.
Tamayo looked at Kujo Tachibana, studying him carefully for a few moments before glancing at the two long swords at his waist. She already had a few suspicions.
"A young man with black hair... carrying two swords... Could it be him?"
"And those eyes... I feel like I've seen them somewhere before..."
Those eyes... When had she seen them?
Tamayo had memories spanning several centuries, but for a moment, she couldn't recall.
Seeing Tamayo arrive, Kujo Tachibana spoke first:
"Hello, beautiful lady. I'm Kujo Tachibana, a swordsman of the Demon Slayer Corps."
Tamayo looked at Kujo Tachibana, her curiosity plain.
"Hello, Swordsman. You may call me Tamayo. His name is Yushiro."
"May I ask what brings you here?"
"You do know, don't you? We're both demons!"
Kujo Tachibana nodded, his expression earnest.
"Yes, I know you're both demons."
"Your bodies hold no secrets from me..."
Before Kujo Tachibana could continue, Yushiro, his face twisted with fury, raised his claws and lunged at him!
"Damn human! I'll kill you!"
Yushiro wasn't joking!
This was the first time anyone had dared to be so disrespectful to Lady Tamayo!
He was going to kill this despicable human! He had to!
"Don't!"
Tamayo stared at the scene in horror, but there was no time for her to stop him.
After all, she had never been a demon who was good at fighting.
Tamayo looked at Kujo Tachibana pleadingly, as if to say: Please spare this child...
Yes, Tamayo, who lived in hiding and treated human illnesses, had probably recognized Kujo Tachibana, the swordsman who despised evil and had slain countless demons!
Though he hadn't been carrying the blame today...
"Blame-taking swordsman" Kujo Tachibana smiled at Tamayo and gave her an almost imperceptible nod.
Then, without drawing his sword, Kujo Tachibana simply extended his right hand and struck Yushiro on the forehead with a lightning-fast chop.
"Thud..."
Yushiro hit the ground in a cloud of dust and passed out.
Tamayo stared at Kujo Tachibana in shock and asked:
"Is he all right?"
Kujo Tachibana shook his head.
"If he were human, he'd probably be in trouble."
Only then did Tamayo let out a breath of relief. She looked at Kujo Tachibana in confusion and asked:
"When will Yushiro wake up?"
Kujo Tachibana folded his arms and said coolly:
"From what I can tell, this kid's not very bright. I'll get him a new brain."
"Once it grows back, he'll wake up."
Tamayo: ...
Tamayo recalled what Kujo Tachibana had just said.
She believed that someone with such clear eyes couldn't be shallow.
Kujo Tachibana surely hadn't said those words without reason!
"Your bodies hold no secrets from me..."
Tamayo repeated the words silently to herself.
"Ah!"
Tamayo finally remembered!
More than three hundred years ago, there had been someone like him!
His eyes had been just as bright, and his gaze could truly see through the bodies of humans and demons!
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He was also the first human to make Kibutsuji Muzan feel fear!
His name was Yoriichi Tsugikuni!
Tamayo gazed at Kujo Tachibana in a daze.
Could another human like him have been born?
After quite some time, the light finally returned to Yushiro's eyes as he lay on his back.
Since Yushiro and Tamayo didn't eat humans, they recovered much more slowly than ordinary demons.
Yushiro came to his senses and blinked. Then he got up and obediently stood to one side.
He didn't interrupt the two of them again.
Tamayo gave Yushiro a strange look, then turned to Kujo Tachibana.
"Mr. Tachibana, I'm sorry. Yushiro can be impulsive."
"Please accept my apology for his recklessness."
Kujo Tachibana smiled.
"It's all right. I did interrupt you first."
"But he really is impulsive. If I'd been an ordinary person, he might have killed me just now."
"If I hadn't known that you'd broken free of Muzan's control, didn't eat humans, and had been treating ordinary people's illnesses, I wouldn't have held back."
Tamayo nodded and asked once more:
"May I ask what brings you here?"
Kujo Tachibana explained:
"I have a friend with a heart problem. I was hoping you could take a look at her!"
"Could you tell me more about her symptoms?" Tamayo asked, her expression serious now that they were discussing her area of expertise.
Kujo Tachibana told Tamayo everything he knew, including the unusual condition of Rengoku Ruka's heart.
Tamayo furrowed her brow and thought for a moment before replying:
"Without seeing the patient, I can't say for sure whether I can cure her."
"If possible, please bring her here. I can use the equipment here to examine her carefully."
Kujo Tachibana nodded.
"If there's anyone in this world who can cure her..."
"Then I believe you're the only one."
Tamayo covered her mouth and chuckled softly.
"You flatter me."
Once they'd finished discussing business, Kujo Tachibana stood up to leave.
But just before he went, Kujo Tachibana still had one piece of news to share with Tamayo.
"Kibutsuji Muzan is in Asakusa right now!"
"What?!"
Tamayo transformed into a demon in an instant, her face twisting into a savage expression even more terrifying than Yushiro's had been.
"Where is he? Tell me, where is Kibutsuji Muzan?"
Tamayo clutched Kujo Tachibana's arm tightly.
Kujo Tachibana didn't try to pull free. He simply reached out with his other hand, gently patted Tamayo on the head, and spoke softly:
"I'm not telling you this so you can go get yourself killed."
"You're no match for him. Hold on a little longer!"
"I'll kill him myself!"
Tamayo stared at Kujo Tachibana with bloodshot eyes...
Only after quite some time did she let go. She slowly slid to the ground and burst into tears...
How could she not know that even if she faced Muzan, there was nothing she could do?
But the hatred she'd buried in her heart for hundreds of years had been stirred up by his name, and for a moment, she'd lost her reason.
Looking at this poor woman, who had long since lost her will to live and whose only purpose for the rest of her life was to avenge herself on Muzan, Kujo Tachibana sighed and said:
"Miss Tamayo, would you be willing to come with me to the Demon Slayer Corps headquarters?"
"I'll protect you, and I'll provide you with Twelve Kizuki blood on a regular basis."
"All you need to do is focus on researching a drug that can turn demons back into humans."
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