At the Night,
At the Kamado residence.
The deserted mountaintop seemed very quiet, with the cold moonlight covering the forest.
Not long after the Kakushi Team member left.
Clang!
A strange Biwa sound echoed from somewhere.
Creak——!
With the sudden opening of a Japanese-style wooden door in mid-air, a warm yellow light spilled out.
A panicked figure in a black suit fell from it.
Plop, his feet touched the ground.
The figure who landed was bending his upper body, sneakily and carefully observing his surroundings.
The two crimson eyes were nervously looking around, so conspicuous in the dark night.
After a while.
"...he is not here."
Muzan's pale forehead was sweating finely, he seemed to finally let out a sigh of relief, sighing and straightening his upper body.
His hand kept soothing his chest, the seven hearts in his body were beating wildly.
His narrow, crimson eyes narrowed.
Just as he imagined.
That guy was busy dealing with Doma and couldn't pay attention to him.
Doma, well done.
In that case!
"Next step is.....!"
Muzan regained his usual demon king's momentum, his face turned cold, and he suddenly turned his head to look at the location seen by Nakime's Blood Demon Art.
That cluster of blue buds!
He is unable to suppress the excitement in his heart, he faintly shouted:
"Blue Spider Lily——"
But.
"?"
The next moment.
When Muzan's excited gaze swayed left and right twice, he finally confirmed that the scene in front of him was the same as the blue flower cluster he had seen before.
The excited and excited expression gradually became astonished.
His voice also suddenly became low:
"...Flower——?"
He frowned tightly, hesitated to take a step.
He slowly walked to that cluster of charred, withered grass.
He bent down with a deathly pale face, and pinched the withered bud of the Blue Spider Lily with two fingers.
In front of him.
That flower cluster, from which a bud was dug up by the Kakushi Team member, seemed to have withered completely for some reason.
At this moment, it had all withered.
Even the dazzling blue color that was just seen can no longer be seen.
It has completely turned into a damp, dark, disgusting mud.
Plop.
The withered leaves pinched by Muzan swayed twice under his red eyes, and broke with a snap.
Fell to the ground.
His gaze also gradually became dull as the bud fell to the ground.
"Ah..."
Muzan was stunned, his mouth half-opened, making a meaningless whimper.
Suddenly.
"Ah ah..."
His pupils trembled, he suddenly held his head, knelt on the ground as if his body had lost its strength, not caring at all about his suit being stained by the mud.
He shouted in despair and helplessness.
"——Ah ah ah ah ah!!?!"
The bright moon hung overhead, the moonlight slanted on Muzan.
"Why?!"
His pale expression was faintly mad.
Bang!
He pounded the ground in front of him.
"Just after this short time, it withered?!"
"In front of me!"
Muzan's eyes were bloodshot, and he was staring.
He knelt on the ground, his palm clenched the withered bud on the ground, and the black mud was squeezed out from between his fingers:
"Ah ah ah!!"
He trembled and opened his palm, fell down in a mess, his arms circled the mud in front of him, his eyes were full of disbelief.
Even in his mind, there was a vague idea of "will it work if I eat this mud directly?".
He slightly opened his mouth, lifted the mud in his hand, his eyes were dull, and put it towards his mouth:
"But when that human found it, it was so lush..."
Suddenly.
Muzan's eyes were straight, something seemed to flash between his five brains.
The movement in his hand also stopped.
——That human just now.
——He remembered, seemed to have taken a Blue Spider Lily...
——The buds in front of him have all turned into mud, then that one that was taken away...
He couldn't bother to think about why the buds withered, whether the buds that were taken away would wither.
He didn't dare to think carefully.
At this moment, only one sentence echoed in his mind.
There's still one left!
He took a deep breath.
"Nakime——!!"
The roar of the Demon King echoed between the mountains, startling the sleeping birds into flight.
Whoosh!
Muzan's figure lying on the ground disappeared instantly.
...
Soon.
Creak——!
A wooden door was opened again in mid-air, and a hand with black nails reached out from it.
Plop!
He suddenly grabbed a handful of mud on the ground.
Retract.
Bang!
Then he closed the wooden door forcefully.
.....
...
At the foot of the mountain
Muzan's shout also echoed here.
Living alone at the foot of the mountain in Saburo's house.
Creak——
The old window was slowly pushed open.
"...Is it here again?" Saburo poked his head out from it, looking nervously towards the top of the mountain.
That voice.
He frowned slightly, his eyes full of solemnity.
In Saburo's hand.
He was holding a gun that looked crude, but seemed to be well maintained.
As an old man who has lived in the mountains for many years, it is only natural to carry a hunting gun for self-defense.
The old hand holding the gun turned white and trembled, his fingers trembling on the trigger.
Saburo slowly exhaled.
He carried the shotgun and walked out of the house.
After the last time, he met someone who claimed to be from the Demon Slayer Corps.
It seems that because the polite young man with facial paralysis has a high status.
A swordsmith who muttered "I will create a new era for the Demon Slayer Corps" came to the door.
While cursing "those old-fashioned people in the Swordsmith Village really don't know how to adapt."
He gave himself such a gun.
And three bullets with special traits.
...
...
On the other side.
In front of the window sill.
"Caw! I understand! Caw!"
The pitch-black crow was grooming its feathers, and its yellow pupils twitched twice.
"Um! Please!"
The Kakushi member who just shoved the buds smiled, carefully handed the box containing the bud to the crow in front of him:
"Please be sure to hand it to Kocho-sama!"
The pitch-black crow in front nodded its head, and after a loud crow, it flapped its wings and flew into the sky.
After watching the crow fly farther and farther.
The Kakushi team member withdrew his gaze.
He has been walking outside for many years, and whenever he makes a discovery, he will give it to the crow.
He himself is rushing to the next discovery without stopping.
"Let's go." He said to himself like this, tightening the backpack behind him.
...
...
Soon.....
In the sky.
Huff!
The crow was holding a wooden box, flapping its wings, flying in the dark blue sky, its eyes staring at the thin clouds below.
The familiar appearance of the house has been reflected in the eyes.
Butterfly Mansion.
"Wow! Such a serious injury!"
"Here! This swordsman also needs to stop bleeding!"
"Wait!"
"Hey! I'm dying!"
The Kakushi member were running around in a hurry.
The Butterfly Mansion at night was not very quiet.
It seems that because the main forces, Kocho Shinobu and a few others, are not there, it is particularly busy.
"Everyone..."
Tanjiro stood outside the ward somewhat helplessly, holding a tray full of medicine in his hand, staring at the flustered people in front of him.
At this time.
"Caw!! Tanjiro!!"
From the sky behind, came the crow's voice:
"Catch!"
Tanjiro instinctively turned his head.
In his field of vision, what was constantly magnifying was a long box.
His pupils shrank slightly.
He staggered back a step, freeing a hand from under the tray.
He raised his hand abruptly!
Plop!
He firmly caught the falling box.
"Caught it!" Tanjiro maintained his "transformation" pose, steadied his center of gravity, and a drop of cold sweat dripped from his forehead.
"Caw!" The crow landed on Tanjiro's shoulder, raising its head in pride: "As expected of Tanjiro!"
"This is not something to be proud of."
Tanjiro looked at the unharmed box in his hand, breathed a sigh of relief, and shook his head helplessly to remind:
"This is an important thing, right? What should I do if it gets damaged?
"Don't do this next time."
"Caw! Understood, caw!"
The crow seemed not to care, and began to preen its feathers.
At this time.
"What's wrong, Tanjiro?"
Kie wiped the sweat from her forehead with a towel. She was helping a wounded swordsman stop the bleeding and looked back in confusion:
"I heard a loud noise."
"Brother!"
Hanako also hurriedly looked over.
"Ah..." Tanjiro was stunned for a moment, then shook his head with a smile: "Don't worry, it's okay."
Takeo stood aside, looking at Tanjiro's appearance, somewhat lost:
"Brother."
Tanjiro noticed Takeo's gaze and looked sideways in confusion.
"That tone of voice... no." Takeo said blankly.
In his eyes, Tanjiro's figure overlapped with a familiar person.
Appearance, figure, tone, everything——
Takeo was lost in thought, murmuring:
"——Just like father."
"I think so too!" Shigeru joined in the fun on the side.
"Because we are family." Kie smiled and rubbed Shigeru's head.
"Caw!" The crow suddenly called out.
"Ah!" As if awakened by the crow, Tanjiro reacted quickly.
He casually put the wooden box on the tray and looked at the people in front of him:
"I was so busy chatting that I completely forgot to help!"
In the ward.
The blond swordsman who was struck by lightning for the second time while practicing swordsmanship raised his charred arm with difficulty.
And in a place where none of the crows cared.
Deep in the crow's feathers.
Plop.
A small eyeball slowly opened its eyes.
As if it had an endless desire to explore.
The pupil of the eyeball quickly rotated, looking around!
The line of sight took in everything around, and the speed of the gaze moved faster and faster.
Smiling Tanjiro, panicked Kakushi team member, Kie, Takeo, Shigeru, Hanako on the side——
——Everything was reflected in the mirror-like pupil of the eyeball.
(End of this chapter)
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