BOOM!!
The iron-reinforced door was blown open, revealing glowing eyes that shone conspicuously in the dark cell.
"Tamayo-san?"
"Shinichi-san?!"
Moments later, after regaining her freedom from the dungeon, Tamayo took a moment to tidy her weary appearance using a rainwater puddle before solemnly thanking Shinichi.
However, Shinichi's thoughts were largely preoccupied by the news Lee had mentioned.
After quickly recounting recent events, Shinichi straightforwardly extended an invitation to Tamayo.
"Tamayo-san, Muzan could target Nezuko at any moment. If he obtains the secret to surviving in sunlight, it would be an unimaginable disaster. Please, you must help us—join the Demon Slayer Corps to prevent this from happening!"
"This..."
Joining the Demon Slayer Corps?
Though Tamayo equally despised Muzan, she was still a demon herself.
The idea of going to an organization dedicated to slaying demons gave her pause.
Yet, in the end, Tamayo agreed.
Truthfully, she didn't have many options left.
If Maito could capture her, other Upper Moons might come for her too.
Even if she continued hiding with Yushiro's Blood Demon Art, what would be the point?
As Shinichi said, Nezuko had already overcome the sunlight.
If Muzan got his hands on her, he might very well...
Wait, was she forgetting something?
Yushiro?!
....
Meanwhile, in another cell, the green-haired Yushiro paced anxiously.
The earth-shaking commotion from earlier had caught his attention, but now, with the battle over, silence reigned—broken only by the distant sound of a door being smashed.
Under such circumstances, Yushiro couldn't help but feel tense.
No matter how furiously he struggled, he couldn't break through the indestructible steel door.
In the corner of the cell, the kitten Chachamaru was similarly restrained by thick iron chains.
"Damn it, damn it, damn it! That bastard! I knew none of those scum could be trusted! If anything happens to Lady Tamayo, I'll definitely send that trash straight to hell!!"
The "bastard" Yushiro was cursing naturally referred to Maito, who had somehow become an Upper Moon.
It was precisely because Maito knew Tamayo and Yushiro's hideout in Tokyo's Asakusa district that they had been captured.
While hating Maito, Yushiro also directed his resentment toward Shinichi, as that traitor Maito seemed to be on quite good terms with Shinichi!
The walls of the dungeon were already covered with the names of Yushiro's enemies, so much so that when Tamayo hurriedly brought Shinichi to rescue Yushiro, Shinichi was stunned by the sight of the bloodstained names carved into the walls.
"Isn't that... my name?"
...
Outside the dungeon, the rain gradually subsided, leaving the air filled with the fresh scent of damp earth and a faint, almost imperceptible trace of blood.
Shinichi quickly led the rescued Tamayo, Yushiro, and the kitten Chachamaru away from the dungeon, setting off on the path back to the Demon Slayer Corps.
Yushiro remained tense the entire journey, his eyes fixed warily on Shinichi's back with clear hostility.
Even now, he harbored deep suspicion and resentment toward Shinichi as a "Maito accomplice." Despite Tamayo's gentle reassurances and explanations—that Shinichi had single-handedly defeated Upper Rank Five and Upper Rank Four to rescue them—Yushiro's expression barely softened.
His gaze toward Shinichi remained scrutinizing and distant.
After all, in Yushiro's view, none of this would have happened if they had never met that troublesome Shinichi in the first place.
In contrast to Yushiro's simmering anger, the kitten Chachamaru lay quietly on Tamayo's shoulder, purring contentedly.
The journey back to the Demon Slayer Corps was somewhat tense—not because they encountered any demons, but because, for some unknown reason, demon sightings had drastically decreased recently.
It was as if the demons had deliberately gone into hiding, leaving everyone to wonder what kind of scheme that bastard Muzan was brewing.
As Shinichi led the way, Lee's words echoed relentlessly in his mind.
"Shinobu is still alive,"—each syllable piercing his heart like an icicle.
Tamayo keenly sensed the deep turmoil and confusion emanating from Shinichi, but now was not the time to ask.
....
When Shinichi brought Tamayo and the others into the Demon Slayer Corps' temporary command center at the Moriki Estate, the atmosphere instantly grew peculiar.
The Kakushi members and some Demon Slayers stationed at headquarters were immediately drawn to the unfamiliar faces of Tamayo and Yushiro.
After all, the appearance and aura of demons were still easily recognizable to the slayers.
If not for the presence of the Forest Hashira beside them, some of the more radical Demon Slayers might have already drawn their Nichirin Blades.
This only further soured Yushiro's opinion of the Demon Slayer Corps.
How ungrateful can these people be?
Lady Tamayo came here to help them, and this is the attitude they show?
Yushiro's mood worsened, his expression growing even more unpleasant.
As a demon, his already grim face became increasingly ferocious, and his aura turned hostile.
This change heightened the tension among the Demon Slayers, who instinctively tightened their grips on the hilts of their Nichirin Blades.
It seemed on the verge of escalating into a vicious cycle.
Fortunately, someone soon arrived to defuse the situation.
"Oyakata-sama wishes to meet with Lady Tamayo," said a member of the Kakushi respectfully as he approached Shinichi.
...
In a quiet room filled with the faint scent of medicinal herbs, Tamayo met Kagaya Ubuyashiki, who lay on a sickbed.
As she had expected, the leader of the Demon Slayer Corps appeared pale and gaunt from illness, with the purple curse marks on his forehead looking particularly horrifying.
Yet, the gentle and wise aura around him remained undiminished.
"The Demon Slayer Corps welcomes you, Lady Tamayo," Kagaya said in a calm, clear voice, exuding a serenity born of deep understanding.
"Thank you for coming. Your presence is like starlight in the darkness, bringing us new hope."
Tamayo gazed at this young leader, feeling both respect and a sense of shared suffering.
She bowed slightly. "You flatter me, Oyakata-sama. Killing Muzan has been my lifelong wish. It is an honor to contribute in any small way to the Demon Slayer Corps."
The simple room held only Kagaya Ubuyashiki and Tamayo, and within it, they held a brief yet profoundly significant conversation.
Kagaya wasted no time on pleasantries, cutting straight to the heart of the matter: the miracle of Nezuko overcoming sunlight and the potential actions Muzan Kibutsuji might take in response.
The Demon Slayer Corps was now on the brink of an all-out war with the demons.
Tamayo, in turn, succinctly expressed her willingness to assist the Demon Slayer Corps to the fullest.
"I understand that my identity may raise doubts within the Demon Slayer Corps," Tamayo said candidly.
"But rest assured, neither Yushiro nor I will harm any humans. Our goal has always been, and will always be, the destruction of Muzan."
A gentle smile touched Kagaya's lips.
"I believe you, Lady Tamayo. Your willingness to come here is proof enough of your stance. The Demon Slayer Corps welcomes you."
-----------------------------
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