Dawn was breaking. Yosuke steadied his emotions, then used his blood to form a pair of crimson wings on his back, granting himself the power of flight. Cradling Mikako's body, he soared into the sky and flew into the distance.
By the time the sun rose, the assembled forces of the Ubuyashiki family stormed the estate, a massive punitive expedition aimed at Yosuke. But when they searched his room, he was gone—vanished without a trace. No one knew where he had gone.
Far away, in a desolate mountain, Yosuke knelt before a grave. Two names were etched onto the twin tombstones:
Ubuyashiki Takuto
Ubuyashiki Mikako
As a demon, Yosuke had lost all sense of time. Rumors spread in nearby towns of man-eating demons appearing again and again.
Yosuke understood. In his pursuit of a way to walk beneath the sun, to cast off the fear of sunlight and truly become the immortal Demon King, Kibutsuji Muzan had created countless demons in order to find that elusive Blue Spider Lily that could cure his flaws.
Here in the barren mountains, Yosuke made his temporary home. Muzan had spawned countless demons, yet himself hid cunningly among humans. If Yosuke was to have any hope of defeating him, he had to grow stronger by his own hand. He would stay here, train, and wait—for the chosen child destined to sever the Ubuyashiki family's sins.
His first creation was a crow, born of his blood. Through its eyes, he observed the outside world, while he remained on the mountain to train, descending only at times to hunt and destroy demons nearby.
At the foot of the mountain was a small village. Before long, the villagers began whispering about the strange man who lived above them—a man who spent his nights endlessly training.
At first, it was nothing more than harmless curiosity. But over time, Yosuke grew lonely.
One day, a group of curious boys sneaked up the mountain to see the mysterious woodcutter. To their surprise, they found not a monster, but a handsome young man, approachable and kind.
Yosuke befriended the boys. But as time passed, the boys grew into men while Yosuke remained unchanged. Soon, fear replaced their friendship. The villagers began whispering that he was a demon or a ghost, and no one came up the mountain anymore.
For a while, Yosuke doubted himself. But eventually he concluded: They must just be jealous of my eternal, flawless beauty.
So he ignored them, immersing himself once more in training and demon-hunting.
Then one day, the voice of the system rang out:
Ding. Host's physique meets the requirements. One lottery reward available. Open now?
Yosuke rubbed his hands together, excitement shining in his eyes. "Open it! Hurry!"
Ding. Congratulations to the host for obtaining: Blood Demon Art – Hidden Eye.
He activated the art immediately, but noticed no change in himself. Disappointed, he thought the reward had been useless.
But one day, a little girl appeared.
Her name was Kaori. She had come to the mountain to pick the wildflowers blooming everywhere, but had lost her way and stumbled upon Yosuke's hut. When Yosuke found her, she was crying, unable to find the path home.
Determined to test his new ability again, Yosuke activated his Blood Demon Art: Hidden Eye. To his shock, Kaori could not see him at all.
"Hey, brat," he called out suddenly.
Kaori jumped in fright. "Wh-who's talking?!"
To confirm, Yosuke hopped and waved right in front of her. But she remained oblivious.
His heart leapt—so that was it! The art was invisibility! Overjoyed, he let out a laugh both triumphant and sinister.
The strange laughter terrified Kaori. Yosuke canceled the art, revealing himself before her.
But when she saw his face, Kaori didn't shrink back in fear. Instead, she asked innocently, "Big brother, are you a god?"
Yosuke smirked, mischief getting the better of him. "Wrong. I'm a demon who eats little children."
But instead of screaming, Kaori giggled.
"Big brother, you're so funny~"
Helpless against her cheer, Yosuke escorted Kaori back down the mountain. Yet, to his surprise, she returned the very next day.
"Brat, why are you here again?"
Kaori held out a flower crown she had woven. "To thank you for bringing me home. And big brother, you must be lonely up here all by yourself. I came to play with you!"
From then on, Kaori visited Yosuke almost every day—at least five times a week.
Time passed. Kaori grew into a graceful young maiden.
One night, as they sat by a campfire, Kaori finally asked the question that had long been on her mind.
"Yosuke-oniisan… why don't you ever grow older?"
Yosuke stirred the flames, the firelight flickering across his face. "Because I am cursed. My body bears countless sins. I am, through and through, a demon."
But Kaori shook her head, smiling with the brightness of the heavens themselves. "No. You're too gentle to be a demon. You must be a god who came down from the heavens to experience the world."
Her smile healed something inside him. For the first time in years, Yosuke felt a spark of hope—for tomorrow, for Kaori's next visit.
The days slipped by. Kaori found love, married, and had children.
When her first child was born, Yosuke was there. He carefully held the newborn in his arms, cradling the fragile, crying infant with an emotion he couldn't explain.
So this… this is the fire passed down through generations of humanity.
In gratitude for Kaori's companionship, Yosuke silently watched over her family, shielding them from harm so they could live peacefully.
But time is merciless. Kaori's visits grew less frequent—from five times a week, to once a week, and finally once a month.
At last, aged and frail, Kaori climbed the mountain one final time.
"Kaori… don't come up the mountain anymore. I'll go to you instead." Yosuke could sense it clearly—her organs had withered, her body failing with age.
But Kaori only shook her head. "I know you don't like crowds, Yosuke-oniisan. This is fine. I won't be going back down. My husband is gone, and my children have families of their own in the big cities. I'm old now. I don't want to follow them on their journeys. In my final days, I want only to spend more time with you."
Yosuke let out a long sigh. "So you've grown old after all, Kaori."
The little girl who once laughed beside him had not escaped the ravages of time. She had become a withered old woman, at the very end of her life.