"What did you say? Lady Tamayo... is missing?"
In an instant, Yushiro—no, the entire demon—stood frozen as if struck by lightning, his pupils contracting and dilating uncontrollably.
"What kind of joke is this?! What have you all been doing? Is the Demon Slayer Corps nothing but a laughingstock? Damn it! Give Lady Tamayo back!"
Leaving aside Yushiro, who was grabbing Himejima's collar and roaring hysterically, the perspective shifts back to the Moriki Estate.
After being rescued from the demons by Shinichi and the others, Ryukawa Chinatsu immediately gathered all available subordinates from the Moriki Group in Tokyo and every medical professional she could find, rushing to the scene.
However, when she arrived with her team, all she saw was devastation—the luxurious estate had been completely reduced to ruins, scattered with the bodies and wounded of Demon Slayer Corps members.
Without time to investigate what had happened, Ryukawa Chinatsu directed her subordinates and medical staff to join the search and rescue efforts.
Soon after, she found Shinichi lying on a stretcher inside the temporary Butterfly Mansion set up by the Demon Slayer Corps, his breathing faint and his face devoid of color.
"What happened? Why is Shinichi in this state?" Chinatsu asked anxiously, as the doctors she brought immediately began examining Shinichi.
"How is this possible? Although there's weak breathing, there's no sign of blood flowing in his body. In fact, it's as if there's no blood at all. Under these circumstances, he should have been dead long ago!" one doctor exclaimed in shock, clearly having never encountered a demon before.
"Truly unbelievable, President Ryukawa. Forgive our bluntness, but this young man is beyond saving—at least, we are powerless to help. But what exactly happened here? Was there some kind of battle?" another doctor chimed in.
These doctors had been hired by Ryukawa Chinatsu with substantial promises of payment to come from Tokyo in the middle of the night.
Even if only for the money, they would have given their all, so their words were not in jest—they genuinely had no means to save Shinichi, whose vitality was rapidly fading.
For a moment, Ryukawa Chinatsu's face also turned pale.
She didn't know how to explain the existence of demons to these doctors, but fortunately...
"Step aside! What nonsense are you spouting? Don't get in the way!"
At that moment, a purple figure flashed to Shinichi's side.
Upon hearing the doctors' words, even the usually gentle Shinobu couldn't hold back her anger, sharply rebuking the physicians.
Shinobu's demonized appearance, with its slightly ferocious features, sharp fangs, and purple-tinged claws, startled the doctors greatly—she truly resembled a monster from legends.
"Shinobu? You're here? What exactly happened? Why is Shinichi like this?"
Seeing Shinobu, Chinatsu finally grasped at a thread of hope, quickly grabbing Shinobu's wrist to inquire about the situation.
However, Shinobu, consumed by urgency, had no mind for explanations.
Setting down the case she carried, she deftly retrieved a complete set of equipment—a slender soft tube and needle—and without hesitation, inserted one end into her own arm and the other into Shinichi's.
Under the pressure difference, Shinobu's blood quickly flowed into Shinichi's body.
"The last words of Lee must have been a reminder to me! Blood can save Shinichi!"
"What is this? A blood transfusion? But this is so unprofessional. How can we do this in such an environment..."
The doctor's muttering was cut short as Shinobu shot him a fierce glare, scaring him into immediately shutting his mouth.
.....
Meanwhile, not far away.
"Thankfully, the master is fine. He's only unconscious due to lack of oxygen and shock. How is Shinichi doing with Shinobu?" Kanae Kocho gently placed a damp towel on Kiriya Ubuyashiki's forehead before looking up and asking Kanao with concern.
Kanao shook her head softly and replied, "I don't know. Master has been giving Shinichi-sama a blood transfusion, but there's still no sign of him waking up."
Kanzaki Aoi hurried past, carrying a large basin of blood-stained gauze, and called out urgently.
"Kumeno-san, do we have more gauze? There are too many injured members who need bandaging."
"Coming right away!" Hearing this, Kumeno hoisted two large wooden boxes with one arm and rushed after Aoi, his expression grim.
"The casualties this time are too heavy. I wonder how Sanemi is doing—that guy always pushes himself too hard."
....
At that moment, the Sanemi, Kumeno spoke of stood with bloodshot eyes amidst another pile of ruins.
This was the Demon Slayer Corps' temporary command post, where Yushiro had only found the surviving master, Kiriya Ubuyashiki.
The other Demon Slayer Corps members and the Kakushi unit were...
BAM!!
Without a word, Sanemi, his eyes red, punched a withered tree beside him.
CRACK!
The shattered tree bore witness to his turbulent emotions.
Standing beside Sanemi Giyu and Sabito wore expressions of deep sorrow and grief.
Amid the ruins, Sabito picked up a broken Nichirin Blade.
As he gazed at the familiar pattern on the blade, his eyes welled up with tears.
"Master..."
"I won't let that bastard get away with this!" Giyu, rarely showing emotion, now wore a face contorted with anger and sorrow as he stared at the broken blade in Sabito's hand.
The fury burning in his eyes completely overturned his usual composure.
Though they hadn't found their master, Sakonji Urokodaki, the broken blade and the surrounding scene of carnage spoke volumes about what had happened.
....
"Shinobu-san, how is Master?" Yuichiro knelt anxiously beside Shinichi.
As Shinichi's disciple, who practiced Maple Breathing derived from Forest Breathing, he could keenly sense the faint, almost undetectable life force within his master—and even that feeble trace was steadily dissipating.
"Is Shinobu's blood alone not enough? Let me try adding mine!" Tengen Uzui, a bandage wrapped around his forehead, stepped forward and offered his arm.
"Need blood? I can help too!" Kyojuro Rengoku stood up as well.
"Me.... me too! I'm willing!" Mitsuri Kanroji raised her hand nervously.
Iguro Obanai shifted slightly but remained silent.
It seemed he was thinking about his own background, recalling that his blood had always felt cold.
Would blood like his even be of any help to Shinichi?
Though deeply moved by everyone's dedication, Shinobu had all her attention focused on Shinichi at this moment.
The planned treatment of transfusing blood into Shinichi showed almost no effect.
Although her blood managed to flow briefly through Shinichi's veins after entering his body, it quickly lost vitality—or rather, Shinichi's body was completely unable to utilize the blood.
His body was dying.
"This shouldn't be! How could this happen? Isn't this what Lee meant?" Shinobu's eyes widened in disbelief as she held Shinichi tightly.
"Please, no... Shinichi, I'm begging you, open your eyes. Don't leave me!"
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