Chapter 37: A Person with Special Power, Yet Still Yearning for the Light
Nezuko tilted her head, her soft pink finger lightly resting against her chin.
She was thinking seriously.
Finally, as if Nezuko remembered something, her eyes brightened slightly.
"Big brother, I think... I really have eaten that kind of flower before."
"It was a... very special blue."
As she recalled, she gestured with her hands, her tone carrying a hint of wonder.
"It wasn't the blue of those ordinary wild flowers, but more like..."
"Like the color of the clearest sky reflected in lake water, and it even glowed."
"It looked very beautiful, with curled petals like a spider lily, but it was blue."
She paused, seemingly remembering something.
A bit embarrassed, she stuck out her tongue, a shy blush appearing on her face.
"I did accidentally eat a little bit."
"I was a bit hungry then, and seeing how beautiful it looked,"
"I thought it would be very sweet, but the taste was a bit strange."
Tatsu's heart skipped a beat.
The blue spider lily!
It really exists!
And it's on this very mountain!
An indescribable ecstasy welled up in his heart.
As long as he obtained it, as long as he got that flower, sunlight would no longer be a taboo, and daylight would no longer be a purgatory.
He would become the perfect being, completely breaking free from the only shackle of this body.
Tatsu took a deep breath, suppressing the crimson desire in the depths of his eyes,
And replaced it with an expression of surprise and excitement.
He turned his head to look at Nezuko, his voice remaining as steady as possible, though a slight tremor still touched the end of his words:
"Nezuko, are you sure it's on this mountain?"
"Mm!"
Nezuko nodded vigorously, the pink ribbon on her head swaying with her movement, looking exceptionally cute.
"It's on that sun-facing slope on the back mountain."
"But..."
She furrowed her pretty brows and said with some distress:
"That flower doesn't appear often."
"I've lived on this mountain for so long, and I've only seen it once or twice."
"Also, big brother, I think I've only seen it during the day."
It only blooms during the day.
This further confirmed that it was the true blue spider lily.
Only a flower that had absorbed extremely pure solar energy would possess such characteristics.
It was precisely because of this that those demons who feared the sun could never find it.
It was a case of 'the darkest place is under the lantern'.
Tatsu leaned forward slightly, gazing at Nezuko with a sincere look.
"Nezuko, can you help me find that flower?"
"You know, I have a strange illness and can't be in the sun."
"The doctor said that blue flower is the only medicinal catalyst."
"If I can find it, I'll be able to walk in the daylight like a normal person,"
"And like you, I can go see the midday sun and touch the warm stones."
Sitting to the side, Kanae Kocho was quietly holding a cup of hot tea.
Her pale purple eyes peered through the curling mist of the steam,
Calmly observing Tatsu.
She heard the name "blue spider lily."
As a Hashira proficient in pharmacology, she had never seen any record of this flower in any medical book.
But she keenly captured the emotional fluctuation in Tatsu at that moment.
It was excitement, longing, and even a nearly devout hope.
But he didn't avoid her.
This point surprised Kanae and also gave her a sense of relief.
If Tatsu truly harbored ill intentions,
He could have easily found an excuse to send her away or asked in a more subtle manner.
But he didn't; he simply asked openly in front of her,
Laying out his desire before her.
"Big brother..."
Looking at Tatsu's expectant eyes, a strong sense of responsibility welled up in Nezuko's heart.
In the eyes of this kind girl, the Tatsu before her was a poor soul tormented by illness, unable to even see the sun.
She couldn't imagine how bleak and cold life would be if one couldn't even touch the warm sunlight.
"I can!"
Nezuko didn't hesitate for a moment, clenching her fists,
Making a cheering gesture for herself, a brilliant smile blooming on her face.
"Leave it to me! Big brother!"
She said solemnly, her eyes firm.
"Since that flower can cure big brother's illness, I will definitely find it."
"At noon... no, I'll go as soon as I finish breakfast."
"Even if I have to turn the back mountain upside down, I'll help you find it."
At this point, she seemed to remember that Tatsu would get sunburned if he went out during the day, so she quickly added:
"Big brother, you just rest well in the room, don't go out."
"That flower only blooms during the day, so I'll pick it and bring it back for you."
"I run very fast, and I'm most familiar with the mountain paths."
"Thank you, Nezuko,"
Tatsu said softly,
"Thank you very much."
"Oh, big brother is being too polite!"
Nezuko waved her hands a bit shyly,
Stood up, and smoothed out the slight wrinkles in the hem of her kimono.
"Everyone says helping each other is only right."
"Besides, big brother and Sister Kanae are both good people."
She glanced out the window; the sky was already quite bright.
"Ah, it's getting late. Mother must have already gotten up to prepare the meal."
Nezuko clapped her hands, looking full of energy.
"I'll go get breakfast for you both now."
"Today's miso soup has mountain vegetables in it; it's very fresh."
After saying that, she bowed to the two of them and turned toward the door.
Creak—
The wooden door was gently pushed open.
Nezuko stepped out of the room and carefully turned back,
Closing the door quietly, for fear that the sunlight might hit this "frail and sickly" big brother.
With the soft sound of the wooden door closing, the room fell silent once more.
But this silence was different from before; a subtle atmosphere flowed through the air.
Kanae Kocho set down her teacup. The bottom of the cup met the tabletop with a crisp clack.
She turned her head, those beautiful wisteria-like eyes quietly gazing at Tatsu.
"Tatsu."
"The blue spider lily... I've never heard of that name in any pharmacopeia."
She tilted her head slightly, her long hair sliding over her shoulder,
Her gaze filled with inquiry, but also a hint of expectation.
"Can that really let you overcome the sun?"
Tatsu met her gaze without flinching.
The time spent together recently was like a slowly unfolding scroll.
From the initial mutual testing to the later tacit cooperation.
He remembered that night when they stayed at the inn.
He had proactively given the only tatami mat to Kanae, while he sat in a chair to doze.
At that time, he had seen the surprise in Kanae's eyes clearly.
He remembered when facing that Demon Slayer Corps member named Masashi,
As a demon, his instinct was to kill him to eliminate future trouble,
But under Kanae's persuasion, he had held back.
He chose to let him go.
And there was his occasionally revealed determination to slay Muzan Kibutsuji.
All of this bit by bit constructed Kanae's perception of him.
"Kanae."
Tatsu smiled.
He reached out and pointed toward the world outside the window where the morning sun had just risen.
"You know what the sun means for beings like us."
"Just as fish long for the sea and birds long for the sky."
"I also want to stand in the sun, instead of being like a rat in a gutter,"
"Only able to linger on in the dark of night."
He paused, his gaze becoming profound.
"That legend... has a basis."
"Although I can't be one hundred percent sure,"
"As long as there is a one-in-ten-thousand chance, I want to try."
"If it really succeeds..."
He looked at Kanae, a strange light flashing in his eyes.
"If I don't fear the sun, I'll have more time to do the things I want to do."
"For example... go to a Wisteria House with you to drink tea,"
"Instead of having to hide in the shadows every time."
Kanae was stunned.
She hadn't expected Tatsu's reason to be so... simple,
And yet so touching.
She looked at the handsome young man before her.
Clearly a demon, yet he had eyes clearer than many humans.
He would crack jokes, show a satisfied expression when eating delicious oden,
And gentlemanly give up his spot when sleeping.
He had even let Masashi go because of her persuasion, defying a demon's bloodthirsty instincts.
"If it's true..."
Kanae murmured softly, the corners of her mouth unconsciously turning up slightly,
Tracing an extremely gentle curve.
If it were true, what would that mean?
It meant Tatsu would no longer be bound by a tragic fate.
She had never worried that Tatsu would lose control after becoming stronger.
This was a wonderful intuition, and also a conclusion based on her observations during this time.
Compared to that Muzan Kibutsuji who hid everywhere and only knew how to create slaughter and fear,
The Tatsu before her was more like a "human."
A person with special power, yet still yearning for the light.
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