Early one morning, work at the research institute finally came to a halt.
Even Tamayo, with her ability to regenerate at high speed,
felt a mental exhaustion that not even regeneration could erase after several days of sleepless research.
At that moment, the moonlight had yet to fade.
The sky had only just begun to brighten.
Before the sun rose,
Demon Madam went out into the institute's courtyard to enjoy the night breeze and get some air.
As for Yushiro, who had been assisting her,
Tamayo had ordered him to rest the day before.
Though the rustling of laboratory mice was absent here, a soft patter of footsteps reached her ears.
"Oh, Kanae."
Demon Madam smiled and nodded to the Flower Hashira as she emerged from the doorway.
Humans and demons could hardly keep perfectly synchronized schedules, and even Demon Slayer Corps members who frequently slew demons at night were no exception.
After working several night shifts, they usually needed some time to rest as well.
As a result, the institute's working arrangements often had Kanae and Shinobu Kocho coming to take over when Tamayo began her rest.
At that moment, the Flower Hashira was carrying a tray of black tea.
Over the time they had spent together,
Kanae had long since discovered this lady's preferences.
Not only had she modified her own body, but she had also put considerable thought into modifying her demonic taste buds.
All so she could still enjoy her beloved black tea after becoming a demon.
"Thank you for all your hard work, Miss Tamayo."
The two were already quite familiar with each other, so they dispensed with most formalities and sat down somewhere in the courtyard that would remain out of the sunlight.
They chatted as they enjoyed this brief respite.
Still, as always,