At Tamayo's home, Horitake and Shinobu not only met Yushiro and Tamayo but also encountered unexpected guests—the husband and wife pair, Ubuyashiki Kagaya and Ubuyashiki Amane!
Miss Tamayo bowed gently to Horitake.
"Mr. Horitake, it has been a long time."
Kagaya also greeted Horitake with a cheerful smile.
"Horitake, and Shinobu, you certainly arrived quickly."
Looking at the people before him, Horitake smiled, roughly understanding what was going on.
"No wonder Oyakata-sama wanted me to come here. Did you decide to come personally immediately after receiving my Kasugai Crow's message? Just to wait for me here?"
Kagaya nodded.
"On one hand, this place is indeed suitable for housing Hantengu.
On the other hand, there has never been a precedent in the history of the Demon Slayer Corps of capturing an Upper Rank alive. This is a momentous event, so I decided to come personally to meet with you."
"I'm afraid there's more to it than just those two reasons. By coming here personally, Oyakata-sama can also check on Miss Tamayo's situation, catch up on old times, and discuss future cooperation between both parties."
Seeing the confident, smiling expression on Horitake's face, Kagaya sighed with genuine admiration.
"The one who understands me best is Horitake."
Everyone present was an acquaintance or a friend, so Horitake didn't stand on ceremony. He sat down casually across from them, pulling Shinobu down to sit beside him.
"Oyakata-sama, you really surprised me this time. I never expected you to come in person, let alone arrive early to wait for me.
By the way, how is your health recovering? It's quite a long journey from the Corps Headquarters to here. Was the travel fatigue manageable?"
Regarding this point, Lady Amane had the most authority to speak.
"Rest assured, Horitake. My husband's health has recovered remarkably well.
My husband and I came here by car. Although the ride was long and somewhat tiring, there were no issues with his health."
"That is wonderful to hear. I can see that the scars on Oyakata-sama's face have faded significantly."
At this moment, Tamayo spoke up with heartfelt joy:
"It is truly wonderful that Mr. Kagaya has been able to recover his health and clear away the curse.
This is all thanks to your help, Horitake.
You don't know, Horitake, but when Mr. Kagaya suddenly visited, I was quite shocked to see his restored healthy state."
Laughter rippled through the group; everyone was in high spirits.
After a round of pleasantries, Kagaya naturally did not forget Shinobu. He formally introduced her to Tamayo.
"This is our Demon Slayer Corps' Insect Hashira, Kocho Shinobu. She is also a medical expert with deep research into various potions and poisons. Perhaps Miss Tamayo and Shinobu will find much in common to discuss."
Kagaya then introduced Tamayo to Shinobu.
"Shinobu, this is Miss Tamayo. Although she is a demon, she is a kind demon who has maintained contact and cooperation with the leaders of the Demon Slayer Corps for generations."
Next, Kagaya gave Shinobu a brief overview of Tamayo's situation.
Shinobu learned of Tamayo's background and history. Knowing that this Miss Tamayo had also endured a tragic past, Shinobu felt less resistance toward her in her heart.
However, Shinobu was currently more focused on Tamayo's beauty.
Tamayo sensed Shinobu's somewhat strange gaze and couldn't help but ask:
"Miss Kocho, you have been observing me since you arrived. Is there something wrong with me?"
Shinobu shook her head gently, wearing a smile, but proceeded to make a petty, passive-aggressive report:
"There is nothing wrong. I was simply observing Miss Tamayo's beauty.
You might not know, Miss Tamayo, but just a moment ago at the basement entrance, this Mr. Yushiro referred to you as the most beautiful woman in the world, while referring to me as an ugly woman.
Therefore, I was a bit curious about your beauty."
Beside her, Horitake nodded, confirming that Shinobu was correct and that such a thing had indeed happened.
Everyone's gaze immediately converged on Yushiro.
How well did Tamayo know Yushiro? With just a moment's thought, she understood the cause and effect. She felt a bit distressed internally, but her tone became stern:
"Yushiro, apologize to Miss Kocho immediately!"
toward Tamayo's words, Yushiro was absolutely obedient. The guy immediately sat up straight and performed a deep, formal bow to Shinobu:
"I apologize! However, I still stand by my point! Lady Tamayo is the most beautiful person in the world!"
Tamayo sighed. She was helpless against this and could only apologize to Shinobu on Yushiro's behalf.
"I am sorry, Miss Kocho. Yushiro's personality has been influenced by me and has become somewhat strange. I truly apologize."
"Not at all, it's fine."
Seeing the situation drifting in a weird direction, Kagaya couldn't help but interrupt the strange atmosphere and began to discuss business. He turned to Horitake:
"By the way, Horitake, where is Hantengu?"
At the mention of official business, everyone became serious.
Horitake set down his backpack, pulled out the box, and solemnly placed it in the center of the table before him. Then, he lifted the lid.
Everyone leaned forward to look inside the box.
They saw Hantengu's main body, no larger than a mouse, nailed inside the box. The creature had its eyes closed, looking miserable and half-dead.
Because Hantengu's state was so wretched, Lady Amane felt a bit uneasy. She covered her mouth and frowned:
"This is... Upper Rank Four, Hantengu? Why is he in such a state?"
Horitake calmly began a detailed narration:
"Don't let his mouse-like size fool you; this is indeed Hantengu's main body. The guy's strength is decent, and his Blood Demon Art creates various clones. We fought at Momoyama..."
"...And that's how it happened. I captured him alive. His internal organs are damaged beyond repair, and coupled with the suppressing nature of my lightning against demons, these injuries prevent him from healing easily.
Currently, Hantengu is hanging on by a thread.
However, that single thread is being sustained by his tenacious vitality as a demon, so he won't die easily.
But since such severe injuries cannot heal, he remains in this half-dead state."
Kagaya looked at Hantengu in the box with furrowed brows and asked:
"Has this fellow... been unconscious in your box the whole time?"
"No. Usually, he is awake for about half the day. It just so happens that he is currently in his unconscious period.
According to my observations, his coma is a form of self-protection for his body. His unconsciousness actually indicates that his body is slowly healing."
"Injured to this extent, and he can still self-heal?"
"He is an Upper Rank demon after all; he differs from other demons. He possesses a significant amount of Muzan's cells within him.
An ordinary demon, struck by my lightning, would never be able to recover no matter what.
But an Upper Rank, or a particularly strong demon, still retains the ability to self-heal. However, the speed of recovery is extremely slow—roughly the same speed at which we humans recover from injuries."
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