Demon Slayer: Upper 0 seems to be a waste

That second, that moment, that instant.

The boy's voice was the only sound in the space; even breathing and heartbeats could not be heard for a moment.

Confusion, surprise, relief, regret, fear, anger.

Too many emotions surged forth in too short a time, mingling together, and Tamayo didn't even have time to discern which one was more dominant.

Was the boy not dead? Was he not dead? Even with so much medication, he didn't die? Did he just collapse but not die? Was it just a temporary dizziness due to the large dose? Just like Miss Butterfly said, Rin always breaks down toxins by sleeping?

Should she be glad about that? The boy didn't die; she didn't actually kill Rinko; she didn't personally kill the boy.

Should she feel remorse? Remorse for doing such a thing? Should she feel regret and remorse for it? Should she apologize?

Should she be surprised or confused?

Why is Rinko's voice appearing? Is he not dead? Was he never dead in the first place? Was he just pretending to faint? Or is he already dead? Is this just her imagination?

But no, it couldn't be an illusion, because she was clearly not the only one who heard the voice. She couldn't turn around to look, but Muzan's gaze had already fallen on her back. It wasn't an illusion, it wasn't a hallucination, it wasn't fake.

For a very brief moment, she thought of these things, but in the instant these emotions and doubts arose, before these feelings truly took hold of her mind, an even stronger emotion took hold of her heart, almost crushing her head.

Why, why, why didn't Rinko die?

How could he not be dead?

Did her plan go wrong somewhere? Was the dosage insufficient? Has Rinko become even stronger? Why, why, where exactly is the problem?

Why, why wouldn't Rinko die as she planned? She had made all the necessary preparations, everything she could think of: sufficient medication, a meticulous plan. She was even prepared to lose everything, to die here with them, to be buried alive with them. She would pay the price for her obsession, her persistence, she would atone for the lives she had taken. Why, why, why? She had been struggling with herself for so long, she had even convinced herself to shed tears for the boy, to be heartbroken by his departure.

This was the best she could think of, but why, why didn't Rinko die as she had planned?

Anger was born in the silent air, gradually evolving from the smallest wisp into a raging fire in Tamayo's heart, igniting everything that belonged to her. This was all she could do; she had done everything in her power to develop those medicines, to bear those struggles, those unbearable feelings, and those pressures. She had even prepared for the price to pay, and she had indeed paid that price.

But why, why does fate always seem to defy her wishes?

Why do the gods in heaven never seem to give her a second glance?

Are you angry, Ms. Tamayo?

The sound still came from behind her, from an angle that Tamayo couldn't see. One of her eyes was blind, and the other eye couldn't see that spot. She was being held in place by Muzan's hand.

When the boy's voice rang out again, she first saw the smile on Muzan's face—that arrogant, smug smile, one she knew all too well. That arrogance made her want to grind her teeth in hatred.

The man turned her head, forcing it to turn away. His cruel hands gripped her tightly, as if he wanted to crush her skull. She turned her head and finally saw it with her own eyes.

The boy who had collapsed suddenly, in that instant, so tenaciously and resiliently, got up. The thorns were absorbed, and he pressed his hands to the ground to support his body. He lifted himself up, first his upper body, then his legs. He stood up, as if the poison had completely disappeared from his body, and walked towards her.

Tamayo watched as Rinko walked towards her, her pupils trembling. She was thinking too much, her anger was too intense.

The emotions had evolved into tangible pressure, weighing on her mind, her heart, and even making it difficult to breathe.

But when Rinko actually stood in front of her and met her gaze, she stopped breathing.

Guilt and helplessness were burned into anger by the raging fire at this moment.

"Why? Is it because I didn't die? Or is it because I didn't give you the gift as promised?"

This moment, this second, is deathly silent, utterly still.

The anger was extinguished.

too suddenly.

Those eyes, Rinko's eyes, held no anger, not even a trace, only calm. Tamayo looked at him, and even in that calm gaze, she could see the lingering anger and rapidly rising astonishment on her face.

For a few seconds, she couldn't even process what Rinko had said. She didn't understand, and after a few seconds, a thud in her heart felt like a silver needle piercing her.

Scenes from so many years ago flashed before my eyes, so fast they seemed like an illusion.

convention.

Gift.

He said.

"It's been a long time, Ms. Tamayo. It feels like a long dream, but thankfully, you still look just as I remember you."

Rinko tilted her head slightly at a familiar angle, a smile playing on her lips—an expression Tamayo knew all too well, yet which had gradually faded from her memory.

That smile.

It's been too long since I've shown it to her, too long since I've seen it with my own eyes.

My remaining vision blurred for a moment, memory and reality overlapped, and time seemed to be paused.

"I'm so sorry, I prepared a gift for you, but I searched for you for a long time and couldn't find it. I lost the gift. It was a hairpin that I carved for a long time. I thought it would be very suitable for you."

what.

If only it were that simple.

If only everything could just be like this, if Rinko had just had a long sleep, if everything could still be changed, if not so many things had happened, if the boy would still prepare gifts for her, greet her when he woke up, say hello every time they met, and tell her that she was good and deserved all that.

But even so, so what?

Even if it's all just an illusion, what can it change?

Tamayo felt her heart was about to break. Even if everything were reversed, even if she could keep Rinko, nothing would change. Rinko was a different kind of demon, a unique child. Muzan would not let him go. Even if he did, Rinko was already a demon, and it would be too late to change anything.

But time did not give her more time to think or more opportunities to reflect.

"How long are you planning to keep this hidden?"

Rin's voice interrupted her thoughts, followed by the boy's hand, which grabbed her hand that hadn't been swallowed. The force was heavy, forcing her tightly clenched hand to loosen. The powder spilled onto the ground, almost all of it remaining, spreading and merging into the air.

"It's so heartbreaking, Ms. Tamayo. You really want to kill me, don't you?"

Rinko did nothing more, nor was there any need for it. He released her hand, and Tamayo's hand fell limply to her side. The truth had been revealed, and Tamayo had exhausted her last means. Apart from being devoured by Muzan, she would have no other fate.

Tamayo said nothing; it was pointless. Everything had come to this point, and nothing she said mattered. Her plan had failed, and she had no other choice but to wait for the planned outcome.

Muzan almost gloated over Rinko's actions. He felt more of a sense of satisfaction than pride, watching Tamayo's plan crumble and witnessing her transformation from smugness, pride, and arrogance to a state of utter despair and silence.

This is a more satisfying form of revenge than simply killing her.

It took away everything she cherished once again, rendering all her sacrifices meaningless.

awesome.

"what do I need to do?"

The boy seemed to no longer see the woman kneeling on the ground; he simply looked at her and asked softly.

Muzan had no idea how Rinko had managed to crawl back from the brink of death. For a few seconds, he had genuinely felt that the boy was on the verge of death, but now it all seemed to be just an illusion.

Rinko was still standing there, recovered and healthy.

Muzan wouldn't feel sorry for Rinko almost dying, just as he wouldn't be happy that the boy survived. It would be taken for granted that the boy's death proved his incompetence, just like all the other useless people who encountered enemies one after another but couldn't handle them well, and some of them had already died.

The fact that the other party survived only proves that they weren't completely useless.

However, these useless people did at least make some last bit of value, temporarily holding off those troublesome and annoying demon hunters for him.

"Go and kill any of the demon hunters that come near."

"As ordered."