Demon Slayer: Upper 0 seems to be a waste

This is not the end, this is not the conclusion; on the contrary, this is the beginning, the start of everything.

This night may be very long.

Lin Guang thought.

He didn't know what role he would play that night, nor what would happen. He didn't understand the scheme or the plan. Muzan hadn't told him about the plan. Before the sound of the biwa began, he hadn't thought that Nakime would appear here, nor that the members of the Demon Slayer Corps would be pulled into the Infinity Castle.

"I'm sorry. I couldn't be of any help."

Everything around was too quiet.

Rinko doesn't like quiet, she doesn't like it now, and she doesn't like it most of the time.

Even though he had just experienced a tremendous explosion and been greeted by a deafening roar that shattered his eardrums, at this very moment, as those noisy humans continued to fall, as the wings of the ravens disappeared from sight, as the wildly growing flesh and blood formed a solid barrier, isolating everything from the outside world.

Within this limited space, the clearest sound was only the sound of breathing—Muzan's, Tamayo's, his, and his even stronger. It was in this contrast that he realized, because of pain, because of emotion, which was more dominant? That was something he didn't know.

Rinko didn't really care, but the silence was just too unbearable for him. His thoughts stretched out endlessly. Muzan was devouring the dense thorns growing in every inch of flesh, and Tamayo, who had come to his doorstep, might be the next one.

What about him?

He couldn't help but think.

Will Muzan devour him too? Is this what he's been waiting for? Is this his final fate? Not to fight someone destined for him, not to die in a battle, but simply to be devoured in this quiet moment. Is this the end? Is this the conclusion?

he does not know.

So Rinko chose to break the silence.

Apologize.

This was the only thing he could think of after setting everything else aside. Beneath that anger was actually a kind of fear—a fear of the danger Muzan might encounter. That unfamiliar fear gave rise to an anger that shocked and bewildered even himself.

"No, I don't intend to eat Rinko along with it."

This was Muzan's answer, unrelated to what he had said, yet it became an answer nonetheless—not just an answer to his apology, but also an answer to Rinko's endless speculations.

For the first time, those questions that had always remained unresolved have received a concrete answer; they have been seen, heard, cared about, thought about, and finally resolved.

Yes.

He was always a blank slate in front of Muzan.

Lin Guang thought.

Every thought that comes to mind, every word that is spoken, every speculation in one's heart, will eventually be written on that blank sheet of paper, with the lightest ink, the faintest traces, and the messiest handwriting.

But Muzan can see it and recognize it.

In Muzan's eyes, everything is the clearest text, without codes, without deception, and without concealment; it is simply black and white on white paper.

"I didn't expect you to send Nakime. I'm so sorry I couldn't help at all."

Another apology, a different reason, but the same feeling.

Rinko belatedly spoke up, offering no thanks or explanation, only an apology. He found it hard to say how he should react when Muzan said he had no intention of eating him. Should he be happy or disappointed? But he didn't actually feel anything. It seemed as if everything was just how it was supposed to be. Whether he was eaten or not, it was all a predetermined ending. The only difference was the words the man spoke.

As for the rest, as for Rinko, none of that matters.

"There's nothing to apologize for, and I won't accept an apology. What you need to do is make amends, not apologize, and do better, instead of regretting pointless things."

Muzan's voice was steady and flat, quite different from when he spoke to Tamayo. Rinko blinked slowly, then spoke, uttering the words after taking a breath.

"Okay, I will do my best."

The boy's voice was hoarse for the first time because he had started struggling again, tearing his vocal cords. The damage was almost as fast as his recovery, or perhaps it was just that he was struggling too hard, making his voice hoarse, indistinct, mixed with the sound of wind, air leaking from the gaps, and blood dripping from between his lips and teeth.

Tamayo kept her head down, in a subtle silence. Rinko didn't know why, but he just squeezed the other's already broken shoulder tightly and pulled it again, causing his body to move slightly. The movement was small, but it was still a step forward.

Unfortunately, there is a limit to how strong bones can be. When the bone breaks and pierces the flesh between the fingers once again, it can no longer provide any effect other than stinging. Only then does Rinko finally let go.

It wasn't Tamayo or anything else that rescued Rinko from mid-air; it was the swinging thorn that shattered the support that held him in place.

He fell to the floor, the thorns piercing his body as they hit the floor, tearing through his flesh. Rinko used his free hand to break off those unsightly thorns.

He couldn't move much yet, but each small movement allowed him to break free from the restraints a little.

For him, this can be considered a kind of progress.

Blood dripped, drop after drop, and her breathing was heavy—the clearest sound. What was happening in the outside world, what was happening inside the Infinite City, Rinko didn't know.

Everything can only be witnessed by one's own eyes, and only heard by one's own ears.

"Rinko...why is it just...I don't understand..."

It was Tamayo's voice. She had been silent for so long that Rinko had thought she was too devastated by the failure of her plan to recover, or that she was actually dying. Otherwise, how could she not even lift her head when he crushed her shoulders?

"I want to know why Tamayo did this, why she left, why she did all this, why she cooperated with the Demon Slayer Corps, why she would do such a thing, and why she said she would die with us."

Rinko's eyes had fully recovered, and he could clearly see that every time he opened his mouth, a complete sentence left his lips, hoarse and indistinct, yet loud enough to be heard, Tamayo's body would tremble.

"Why do such a thing? You're clearly a ghost, aren't you? Why stand on the side of humans? Why leave?"

Rinko saw Tamayo trembling, and he saw tears falling. Tears represent sadness and regret; they are the accumulation of negative emotions that cannot be expressed in words, because the blood has not yet had a chance to flow out, so the tears fall first.

"I just wanted to witness my child grow up, I just hoped that Rinko could grow up slowly, but why, why did none of these things come true?"

Tamayo didn't answer his question. Rinko looked at the tears and the dripping blood, and he fell silent. He rarely let a conversation end, and he rarely let the silence last, but he really didn't want to speak.

For the first time, he felt a sense of disgust towards Tamayo. It was a feeling that was hard to describe precisely. He didn't hate Tamayo, but he couldn't understand her anymore. She was a demon, but he couldn't understand her at all now.

From words to actions, from logic to thought, he couldn't understand her at all. Or perhaps the Tamayo he knew had died many years ago. Just as humans change, the Tamayo who Rinko couldn't understand at all now was like a human being who had changed too much.

Rinko no longer recognizes him.

"I don't know. But I do know that your wishes will not be fulfilled, not a single one."

Rinko broke off the thorns that were piercing his flesh; his body was almost entirely covered in blood, his own blood.

But almost strangely, he didn't smell the stench of blood, nor did he smell its sweetness. On the contrary, he belatedly realized that from the moment he woke up, he seemed to have been enveloped by a strange floral fragrance. The last whiff of that scent before he lost consciousness was as if it were branded into his mind, and his nose could only detect that scent.

What a nice smell.

It smelled different from the food; it wasn't human food, nor was it demon food. It was a very familiar smell. Rinko thought for a few seconds before she caught a glimpse of it amidst the stinging pain.

The girl's back view was young, petite, and slender. He remembered—it was Shinobu Kocho's scent. That's right, Shinobu Kocho.

Shinobu Kocho gave her a bottle of medicine, but he didn't drink it. He kept it, hoping to preserve it, but the explosion destroyed everything. The butterfly-shaped decoration, the bottle of medicine, the bag, the wooden box that had carried him countless times—nothing was left behind.

But why would he smell Shinobu Kocho's scent?

Rinko tried to stand up from the ground. It was not an easy thing. It was difficult, extremely difficult. Some of the tiny, dense thorns had been melted or broken, but there were still too many. Every time he moved violently, every movement of his joints caused those thorns to break inside his body. It hurt, it hurt very clearly, again and again.

"No. At least one wish can be fulfilled."

Tamayo said this as Rinko took her first step, only to fall straight to the ground.

The sound was so soft, yet so heavy; the sound of tears falling to the ground was silent, yet seemed heavier than the boy's body falling to the floor.

"What have you done, Tamayo?!"

That finger pierced her eye, went so deep, deliberately, to force Tamayo to raise her head. Tears were still streaming from Tamayo's eyes, but when she raised her head, at that moment, she smiled.

"Just like I said, Muzan, tonight we will all die here. You, me, and Rinko, none of us will survive!"

Rinko lay quietly on the ground, so quiet, her breathing slow and steady, as if she had fallen into some kind of deep sleep.

"Did you think I only prepared medicine for you? Did you think that by sending Rinko here, we would just watch him gather clues and try to find out where Ubuyashiki is? I should thank you, Muzan! If you hadn't been so arrogant and conceited, personally bringing Rinko here, he wouldn't have taken so much medicine, and he wouldn't have been completely poisoned by just this one ingredient that you couldn't even detect!"

Tamayo's face was smiling, a cruel, insane smile, almost out loud, yet her tears could not be stopped no matter what.

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"I wonder how much damage these drugs will actually do to Upper Moon."

Shinobu placed the empty cup on the table; it contained her medicine. On the table, more medicine was being prepared—medicine for Rinko. The boy looked so fragile, but no matter how much Shinobu increased the dosage, he seemed to adapt to the effects of the medicine with ease. Apart from occasional drowsiness, he showed almost no other abnormalities. But whether those drowsiness was due to the need to neutralize the poison or because he hadn't eaten anyone, no one knew.

Even Tamayo would find it difficult to analyze.

After all, Rinko is such a strange oni, such a rare type.

"We don't know, we can only hope that it can play the greatest role we can hope for."

-

"I heard that Rinko was summoned by the lord, so the dosage of the medicine needs to be stronger this time."

"Let's make it into an inhalable form. If you drink it, you'll be careful about the dosage, but Rinko won't notice the taste. Even if she inhales more, she won't realize it. Plus, adding another herb will make it even more effective."

"Oh, I don't think I've heard Ms. Tamayo mention this before."

"Because I never thought that Mr. Ubuyashiki would be willing to meet Rinko."

This is an obvious excuse.

Tamayo wouldn't say that the real reason was that the night she was summoned would be her last night.

This will be Rinko's last time taking the medicine. She needs a stronger drug, enough to cause all the toxins accumulated in the boy's body to erupt at once, so that the boy can die as quickly as possible and without much more pain. Destroying the demon's self-healing cells in one go is the best way Tamayo can think of.

-

The prepared medicine stood quietly on the table. Shinobu had her own task and left early. Tamayo was in charge of the final touches. She didn't just make one dose as agreed; instead, she made many.

The prepared medicine was ground into powder, carefully stored, some was dispersed, and bottled, just like any other ordinary medicine being delivered. But whether Rinko drank it or not was no longer important.

She would carry the real medicine with her.

Those powders will be dissolved by her blood, and the taste will be hidden beneath that blood. It's too light, the dosage is too small, and Muzan won't notice.

But it was enough to trigger the poison of Rinko.

She would bring the medicine and, as planned, let Muzan absorb it. But at the same time, she would also let Rinko absorb the medicine without her noticing.

The boy wouldn't notice until the poison took effect.

Muzan wouldn't let Rinko leave his side; that man was too afraid of death. But what he didn't realize was that it was his arrogance that led him to hand Rinko over to them, giving them an opportunity and a way out. He didn't realize that it was his cowardice that prevented him from letting Rinko leave his side, which would ultimately lead to Rinko's death.

This is not fair to Rinko.

Holding the medicine, Tamayo suddenly thought of this.

Perhaps so. The boy wouldn't understand her good intentions. Muzan had completely erased the boy she knew, utterly and completely. Now, the one watching her was just a demon wearing a shell of Rinko.

There will never again be a boy who smiles at her at night with a bouquet of flowers, saying she is wonderful, that he gave her flowers because he likes her, and that she is as beautiful as the flowers.

She concocted the poison herself, but perhaps even longer ago, when Muzan looked at that boy with that different gaze, the poison was already hanging above the boy's head.

That night, the night she wasn't there, when Muzan Kibutsuji's blood flowed into the boy's body, he was already poisoned.

There is no cure.

All she could do was walk toward death with the demon also named Rinko, hoping to see the child she knew in another world.