Chapter 1: Kanae Kocho
Night. A small path.
In the purple eyes of Kanae Kocho, a figure exuding a dangerous aura was reflected. A demon.
She tilted her head slightly, the Butterfly hair ornament at the tip of her hair trembling along with it, while a smile, gentle enough to embrace all things in the world, curled at the corners of her lips.
"Ara. This... sir?"
"On this dark and windy night, are you planning... to eat people?"
As a Hashira, she could tell the state of the demon before her at a glance.
The demonic aura on his body was not thick; instead, it appeared very unstable, clearly having been transformed only recently.
"If only I could have arrived a little earlier... Even just a little bit, perhaps I could have saved this poor boy before he turned into a demon."
Kanae sighed inwardly, her fingers gripping the hilt of her sword tightening slightly.
In this cruel world, every delay meant the passing of a life, or the beginning of another tragedy.
Tatsu looked at the young girl before him, who wore a smile yet radiated a sense of oppression, and memories of his past life flashed through his mind in an instant.
Flower Hashira, Kanae Kocho, a tragic character who ultimately died miserably at the hands of Doma.
Tatsu took a deep breath, his blood-colored eyes staring straight at Kanae, his tone firm:
"I do not eat people."
Since he had encountered Kanae, running away was impossible.
At this distance, facing the Flower Hashira, who was known for her speed and agility, that was simply wishful thinking.
Moreover, in the original story, Kanae Kocho was the only Hashira who truly held the belief of "coexistence between humans and demons."
Kanae blinked, a flash of surprise appearing in her purple eyes.
She did not immediately refute him, only leaning her body slightly forward, seemingly wanting to see Tatsu's expression more clearly.
"Not eating people, huh..."
She repeated it softly, her tone carrying a hint of contemplation,
"But your eyes are very red, and the aura on your body is the same as those bad children who harm humans."
"That is a physiological reaction; I cannot control it."
Tatsu silently complained in his heart, 'This damned Muzan Kibutsuji gene,' while maintaining a helpless expression on his face,
"But I truly have no intention of eating people. Humans... are not on my menu."
"Is that so?"
Kanae pressed her hands together, seemingly believing him a bit, and the smile on her face became even brighter,
"That is wonderful. Since you do not eat people, then why are you walking so hurriedly towards the human town? What are you planning to do?"
Although she was smiling, there was a hint of sadness in that smile.
She could tell that this demon had already reached his limit.
Extreme hunger made the muscles on his body tremble slightly.
For a demon, hunger was a precursor to losing control.
Once that critical point was crossed, instinct would completely overwhelm reason, turning him into a beast that only knew how to tear at flesh and blood.
This was the sorrow of a demon, and also the fate of a demon.
Hearing the words "human town," Tatsu's stomach let out a thunderous "growl" very uncooperatively.
The hunger was like a fire burning in his stomach, burning him until he was dizzy.
The feeling of emptiness did not just come from his stomach; it felt more like every single cell in his body was screaming for "energy."
"Hungry..."
Tatsu instinctively covered his stomach, his eyes somewhat unfocused, and he couldn't help but mutter,
"I want... to find something to eat..."
"Find something to eat?"
Kanae's smile froze in that instant.
One second she was still the gentle girl next door, the next second,
"Clang—" a clear metallic ring echoed through the night sky.
Fast, too fast!
It was so fast that Tatsu's retinas couldn't even capture the action of drawing the blade, and the cold edge was already pressed against his neck, a mere hair's breadth away from his carotid artery.
Kanae still maintained that gentle smile, but at this moment, there was an added sense of compassion and resolve in her eyes.
"Mr. Demon, lying is not the behavior of a good child."
"You just said you didn't eat people, but now you say you are hungry and are going to the human town to find food.
For a demon, what could 'food' in a town be, other than innocent humans?"
"As expected, demon talk cannot be easily trusted."
She sighed slightly, seemingly feeling regret for her own naivety, and also seemingly feeling sorrow for the life she was about to cut down,
"Although it is a pity, for the safety of everyone in the town, I cannot let you pass."
The blade's aura was oppressive.
The cold edge was like a basin of cold water, instantly extinguishing the chaotic hunger in Tatsu's mind.
Tatsu could feel the stinging sensation coming from the tip of the blade; it was the burning sensation unique to the Nichirin Sword, which targeted demons.
"Misunderstanding! A huge misunderstanding!"
Tatsu abruptly raised his hands,.
"Listen to my explanation! When I said I was looking for food, I didn't mean looking for people to eat! I am going to look for food that humans eat!"
"Eh?"
Kanae, who was just about to swing her sword to decapitate the demon, paused.
"Food that humans eat?"
"Yes! Like rice! Noodles! Steamed buns! Mantou! Or tempura fried shrimp!"
Tatsu spoke extremely fast, fearing that if he was a second too slow, he would be "sent off" by this Flower Hashira,
"Although I have turned into a demon, I discovered that my digestive system seems to have a bug... No, it has undergone a mutation.
I can eat human food! And eating those things allows me to replenish my energy!"
This was indeed the biggest surprise since Tatsu transmigrated.
A few days ago, when he woke up in ruins strewn with corpses and discovered he had turned into a demon that feared the sun, his heart was devastated.
But when he was extremely hungry, his mind instinctively rejected human flesh, and he instead grabbed half a bowl of cold rice that had been overturned on the side of the road and stuffed it into his mouth, and when he felt the long-lost sense of fullness and the return of energy, he almost cried with emotion.
In this world where people eat people, to be able to be an upright "foodie" was such happiness.
"Rice... tempura?"
Kanae was stunned.
Her hand holding the sword trembled slightly, and the killing intent that had originally gathered appeared to have a crack in it because of this absurd answer.
She had seen countless demons.
Some demons were cunning, some were cruel, and some demons would show remorse before they died.
But she had never seen, nor heard of, any demon that survived by eating tempura.
"Are... are you joking?"
Kanae was somewhat hesitant, but the vigilance in her eyes had not completely dissipated,
"The physical structure of a demon cannot accept human food. Eating it would only cause you to vomit as if you had swallowed mud and sand. This is common knowledge."
"That is why I said I am special!"
Tatsu pointed to his own blood-red eyes, his tone so sincere it was moving,
"Look at my sincere eyes! If I wanted to eat people, I would have acted just now while you were distracted.
The reason I was running towards the town is because I was really about to faint from hunger. I want to eat a bowl of steaming hot ramen, preferably with a soft-boiled egg!"
The wind blew, whipping up a few fallen leaves, drifting between the two of them.
Kanae stared at Tatsu for a long time.
She possessed a sharp intuition; that was the instinct of a swordsman, and also her delicacy as a woman.
In her perception, although the demon before her wore the skin of a wicked demon, his soul... did not seem to have that nauseating smell of blood.
On the contrary, when he mentioned "ramen" and "soft-boiled egg," that longing and the light in his eyes were actually exactly the same as a human's.
That was a love for life, and a yearning for delicious food.
Slowly, Kanae lowered the Nichirin Sword in her hand, but did not sheath it.
Her originally tense shoulders relaxed slightly, and the smile on her face finally became a bit more real; it was an expectation from the bottom of her heart for a certain possibility.
"This is truly... incredible."
Kanae murmured softly, a light called "hope" shining in her eyes.
She had always dreamed of a world where humans and demons could coexist peacefully.
This dream was mocked by countless people, and even her dearest younger sister Shinobu could not understand it.
After all, demons feed on humans; this was an irreconcilable contradiction.
But now, this demon before her, if what he said was true...
"If you can really survive through human food, then you do not have to harm humans..."
Kanae's voice trembled slightly, and her gaze towards Tatsu became gentle,
"This perhaps, is the beginning of humans and demons living together in peace."
Tatsu looked at Kanae's clearly wavering and hopeful eyes, and sighed inwardly: This girl is truly so kind that it makes one's heart ache.
In the cruel world of the original story, such kindness often meant a short life, but it was also this very kindness that redeemed Kanao and warmed the hearts of countless readers.
"I truly do not eat people."
Tatsu emphasized again, his tone calming down,
"For me, human flesh is not only unappetizing, but also... I was once human, and eating people is a psychological hurdle I cannot overcome. I just want to live quietly and eat something delicious."
"Hmm, I believe you."
Kanae tilted her head,
"After all, your eyes are very clear. And, up until now, you have indeed not emitted any malice towards me."
With a soft "click," Kanae slowly sheathed the Nichirin Sword.