Demon Slayer: The Journey That Began When I Became Yoriichi's Sister

About ten minutes later, Tamayo opened the drawer, took something out, and handed it to Ikuko.

"Here, try this."

Tamayo opened the package, revealing the round candies inside.

"Sugar?" Yu Zi was taken aback, then realized what she had just injected. "What did you just inject?"

Tamayo smiled mysteriously: "You'll know once you try."

Yuko's eyes lit up; she had already guessed it. She picked up a candy and put it in her mouth, the sweet taste exploding instantly in her mouth.

It feels more real than the feeling in a dream.

"How did you do that?" In her excitement, Yuko swallowed the candy right in front of Tamayo.

Just as Tamayoshi picked up a candy, he was so shocked by Ikuko's actions that his mouth twitched.

"Regarding this, we have to thank Yae. Just as you guessed, her father's blood has a certain resistance to Muzan's cells."

"We did some research using her father's blood; it was an unexpected result."

"Although we can't absorb the nutrients like normal people, we can still satisfy our cravings."

Yuko didn't have many requirements: "Well, as long as it tastes good, that's fine."

God knows what kind of hardship she's endured all these years.

Fearing she might become addicted to drinking blood, she starved herself for two hundred years. Forget about eating and drinking properly, she simply didn't eat or drink anything at all.

Although it didn't offer any real help, the effect was simply amazing.

Yuko was almost moved to tears.

She took a few more candies, as if trying to dispel the pain of the past few years with the sweet taste.

Tamayo smiled and said, "I knew you'd like it."

With a candy stuffed in her mouth, Yuko asked, her words muffled, "By the way, how's the Upper Moon blood research I gave you going?"

Besides Akaza, who was reduced to dust, Tanjiro had also carefully collected the blood from the Upper Moon Sixth Realm that they had previously destroyed.

"Still under investigation."

"Was it helpful?"

"You've been a great help," Tamayo said with a smile. "These Upper Moon demons are the closest to Muzan, and their blood contains even more of Muzan's cells."

"There is a chance to find a way to restrain Muzan."

Yu Zi's eyes lit up: "It's good that it works."

Tamayo smiled and took out a syringe from the drawer: "By the way, take this back for Nezuko to use."

"If you don't know how to inject, ask Miss Shinobu for help."

Yuko carefully put away the syringe: "I understand."

Tamayo: "I won't see you off. Take care on the road."

Yuko rolled her eyes: "What danger could I possibly be in?"

Tamayo simply smiled and didn't say anything more.

……

After leaving Tamayo's laboratory, Ikuko said goodbye to Yushiro and Yae and left.

When she returned to the Butterfly Mansion, Yuko assumed everyone was already asleep.

Walking slowly past the corner, I arrived at the corridor in front of the courtyard. Right at the corner, silver moonlight poured down, and Butterfly Shinobu sat under the corridor, her fingers slightly bent and raised high, a silver butterfly perched on the back of her finger and fluttered its wings.

It must be said that this scene looked quite harmonious.

Yuko was somewhat reluctant to disturb him.

Shinobu Kocho noticed Ikuko's figure, turned around, and said softly, "Welcome back."

The moment she turned her head, the silvery butterfly fluttered its wings and flew high, disappearing into the horizon in the moonlight.

"Yes, I'm back." Yuko's gaze followed Kocho away, and she sat down next to Kocho Shinobu.

"why are not you sleeping?"

Shinobu Kocho looked up at the moon: "Don't you find it nice to enjoy this kind of quiet night once in a while?"

“…Right?” Yuko followed her gaze to the moonlight.

The moon was very bright, its silvery light reflecting off the surrounding clouds so clearly that they were almost invisible.

"How does it feel to see your family again after hundreds of years, Yuko?" Shinobu Kocho suddenly asked without warning.

"How does it feel?" Yu Zi really didn't expect her to ask that question suddenly.

Shinobu Kocho is a very thoughtful person. Whether in daily life or in emotional communication, she is someone who cares about others.

This was a rather heavy topic for Yuko, something she would never normally ask.

Even though she had previously said she wanted to hear her story, she mostly acted as a listener. If Yuko didn't say something, no matter how much she cared, she wouldn't ask.

Even if she asks something she finds taboo, she'll add something like, "If you don't want to, then forget it."

But not this time; she waited quietly for Yuko's answer.

Yuko gazed at the pond in the courtyard, its surface reflecting a thin, silvery light. After a moment of silence, her feelings were complex: "You're happy, aren't you..."

"I originally thought that he was the one I hated the most..."

"Because he turned me into a demon, and he also killed Yoriichi with his own hands."

Yuko's fingers clenched slightly.

Moreover, during the excursion, Kokushibo almost killed Tanjiro.

But after she rescued the others, she confronted Kokushibo.

The undeniable truth is that she couldn't bring herself to hate him at all.

On the contrary, seeing her relatives again after hundreds of years, she even felt a moment of joy.

But she should hold a grudge, whether it's for Kokushibo killing Yoriichi or for all the people he's hurt over the years...

It was this intertwined emotion that led Yuko to the thought of 'just take a sword and cut it down'.

Once you pick up a sword, you won't think so much.

Even though she later solidified her stance because of Tanjiro's conversation with Gyutaro.

However, it cannot be denied that she still harbored feelings for her disloyal, unjust, and unfilial brother.

“Isn’t this great?” Shinobu Kocho turned around and smiled. “This proves that Ikuko is a true human being.”

"If you completely sever your emotional ties with a loved one because they made a terrible mistake, that would be truly monstrous, wouldn't it?"

"It is precisely because of these complex emotions that people are human."

Just like a mother of a murderer, she wouldn't completely sever ties with her son just because he's a murderer.

It's not because the son did nothing wrong, but because feelings are something that are hard to sever just because one party has made a big mistake or their paths have diverged.

……

Was he here to comfort her?

Yuko was somewhat lost in thought; she clearly hadn't felt anything unusual about herself lately.

It's true what they say: the onlooker sees more of the game than the player.

Yuko couldn't help but smile slightly: "...Thank you."

Shinobu Kocho smiled slightly: "I heard Tanjiro and the others say that your brother probably thinks the same way."

"I did not completely regard you as an enemy just because of our different positions."

Shinobu Kocho only learned about Yuuko's contact with Kokushibo from her lord; Yuuko never revealed the specifics.

She learned about it from Tanjiro and others.

Especially Uzui Tengen's side.

He kept saying that it was fortunate the monster asked him several times, "Where is Yu Zi?" Otherwise, even if Yu Zi had the ability to heal flesh and bone, he would have been dead long ago.