Wakuraba suddenly felt his vision fill with strange floral patterns, completely obscuring the path ahead.
A moment later, another wave of ethereal fragrance washed over him.
He seemed to hear that voice whisper again:
Bewitching Blood Art: Scent of Illusory Blood, Visual Dream
Wakuraba felt his focus gradually dissipate, his mind going blank for a moment.
Something's wrong with this scent!
He immediately held his breath, only to realize he had unconsciously stopped moving.
His heart clenched in alarm!
Swish!
Sun Breathing: Second Form—Clear Blue Sky
A blade wreathed in roaring flames suddenly slashed through the air.
In the next instant, Wakuraba's head soared skyward.
Yuki paused, sheathed his sword, and turned his gaze toward a street corner nearby.
There stood a woman in a deep purple kimono, cinched with a beige obi.
Yuki could see clearly: she wore her hair in a large, low bun, and her eyes were gentle, like pools of pale violet mist.
This was his target: Tamayo.
Beside her stood a young man in a white kimono.
The young man kept turning to look at Tamayo. Yuki could almost hear his inner thoughts:
"Miss Tamayo is so beautiful!"
"Miss Tamayo using her Blood Demon Art is even more beautiful!"
Meanwhile, Tamayo watched Yuki slowly approach her, disbelief gradually dawning in her eyes.
He looks so much like him!
No, it's almost as if Tsugikuni Yoriichi himself has returned!
Just looking at him, Tamayo could vividly recall the scene from three centuries ago when Yoriichi had first appeared.
The cruel and powerful Muzan, whom she had once feared, was instantly reduced to a gravely wounded state by this man's hands.
Forced to split into over 1,800 pieces, Muzan had fled in utter disarray.
Yet the man had swiftly shattered over 1,500 of those fragments in mere moments.
It was precisely because of Yoriichi's devastating blow that she had managed to escape Muzan's control.
Tamayo still remembered herself, clutching her hair and screaming in despair before Yoriichi:
"Why can't you just die already, Muzan?!"
After calming down, Tamayo had shared crucial information about Muzan with Yoriichi.
They had also forged an alliance—
Yoriichi would let her leave.
But she wanted to collaborate with Yoriichi on how to defeat Muzan.
As Yuki slowly approached her, Tamayo wore a deeply conflicted smile.
"Greetings. What should I call you now?"
Yuki smiled. "Just call me Yuki, Miss Tamayo."
Tamayo's expression grew even more complex, yet she remained silent.
She gestured for him to follow, whispering, "This isn't a place for conversation. Please come to my humble abode."
Yuki nodded his agreement.
But at that moment, Yushiro's eyes widened in alarm.
"Wait! You're bringing this guy to our house?"
"This... this can't be happening!"
"Especially with those two... behind him..."
Yushiro was referring to Sanemi and Kyojuro, who were following Yuki.
Because Kagaya hadn't fully explained the mission details, and Yuki had remained silent on the way, the two demon slayers only knew that their purpose in Asakusa, Tokyo Prefecture, was to meet a very special person.
They never imagined that the person Yuki was meeting wasn't a "person" at all, but a "Demon"!
Though they didn't immediately attack Tamayo and Yushiro upon seeing them, they kept their swords drawn, their eyes fixed on the pair with unwavering vigilance.
Yuki realized this was precisely the moment Kagaya had spoken of—the "critical moment" when he needed to take command.
He said in a deep voice, "Please remain on standby. I need to speak with this lady."
Sanemi's eyes widened in disbelief. "Hey! That's a demon! You—"
Kyojuro, however, responded with his usual hearty enthusiasm. "Understood!"
"Before we came, the Lord instructed us to follow your orders in critical moments. This must be the time to obey!"
"But Yuki, I must add one more thing!"
"Even for a swordsman as powerful as you, safety is paramount when dealing with such a beautiful woman!"
"We'll also summon the Kakushi immediately to handle the aftermath."
Yuki instinctively rubbed his ears.
Another ear-splitting volume, and that habit of praising two things at once...
As always, truly worthy of being Kyojuro.
Yuki was certain that every sentence Kyojuro uttered ended with an exclamation mark.
Having calmed the two Pillars, Yuki attempted to follow Tamayo to her residence, but another obstacle arose:
"Absolutely not, Miss Tamayo! Absolutely not!"
Yushiro glared fiercely at Yuki, his arms trembling involuntarily.
He had witnessed firsthand how this man had decapitated Lower Moon with a single strike!
Allowing such a dangerous individual to share a room with the beautiful Tamayo?
Absolutely not!
Yuki couldn't help but glance at Yushiro, feeling as though he could once again "hear" the boy's inner thoughts:
"This guy with the Demon Slayer Mark is nothing but an ugly, violent madman!"
"It's far too dangerous for the beautiful Miss Tamayo to be alone with him!"
"I must stop him!"
"Ah, Miss Tamayo is looking at me! She's so beautiful!"
Tamayo smiled gently. "Don't worry, Yushiro."
As she spoke, she retrieved a small wooden box from her robes and opened it in front of Yuki, revealing several syringes inside.
Then, she turned to Yushiro and said softly, "I have a task for you that only you can accomplish."
"Two members of the Twelve Kizuki died tonight. Their blood is extremely precious."
"You must collect their blood before their bodies completely dissipate."
Hearing this, Yushiro immediately perked up:
"No problem! Leave it to me!"
As Yushiro departed, Tamayo led Yuki into an ordinary-looking alley.
Reaching a wall, she suddenly extended her arm, which passed straight through the solid barrier.
Though Yuki had anticipated this, witnessing it firsthand still filled him with a sense of wonder.
Beyond the wall, a magnificent mansion stood before them.
Tamayo suddenly stopped, her voice hesitant:
"Mr. Yuki... are you truly him?"