Tokyo Prefecture, Asakusa district.
Compared to the small town he lived in before, this place was much more prosperous, with towering buildings, including both Western-style houses and Japanese gardens. The collision of the two cultures unexpectedly did not feel out of place; instead, it created a new kind of beauty.
Even at night, the streets were lit by electric lights, and the bustling city was brightly illuminated.
Pedestrians were dense on the roads, coming and going.
Rumble!
Train tracks were laid on the wide road, and with a series of roars, the electric train slowly passed through.
Inside a luxurious hotel.
Kocho Kanae, who had fallen into a deep sleep, lay on the soft, comfortable bed, her eyes closed, her beautiful face serene and peaceful, her delicate nose moving with her breathing.
"Looking at her like this, Sister Kanae is truly beautiful, just like a butterfly," Akiyama Rinka said, resting her chin on her hands as she observed Kocho Kanae in her sleep.
"Why did you follow along?"
Kamihara Tetsuya glanced at Akiyama Rinka.
"Hey, hey, if you want to run away from home, you have to consider your financial situation. I'm the one supporting you two," Akiyama Rinka said, hands on her hips, feeling completely justified.
She had paid for all the hotel expenses, too.
Kamihara Tetsuya: "..."
After the battle with Akaza, Kamihara Tetsuya's simple house in the small town had been destroyed.
Kamihara Tetsuya conveniently used this excuse to mislead Akiyama Rinka, claiming they were attacked by terrorists and temporarily leaving the town for refuge. Akiyama Rinka did not know they were demons.
"Don't worry, isn't it just about finding a doctor to treat Sister Kanae's narcolepsy? I'll take care of it for you!" Akiyama Rinka smiled confidently.
Kamihara Tetsuya asked, "What methods do you have?"
Actually, he didn't know Tamayo's exact whereabouts.
Tamayo had managed to evade Kibutsuji Muzan's pursuit for hundreds of years, so she naturally possessed extremely advanced concealment techniques.
The known information was a Western-style house surrounded by illusions formed by Blood Demon Art, which greatly increased the difficulty of finding her.
Furthermore, there was still some time before the start of the main plot, so it was unknown whether Tamayo was even in this area.
"Doctors aren't shut-ins like you," Akiyama Rinka said with a look of disdain.
Kamihara Tetsuya's mouth twitched. Because his demon constitution prevented him from appearing in sunlight, he stayed in the house all day, leading Akiyama Rinka to label him a shut-in.
However, as Akiyama Rinka said.
Tamayo's profession meant she couldn't completely hide her tracks; she was bound to leave some clues in certain places.
Tamayo needed small amounts of human blood to survive. Since she wouldn't kill humans, she could only obtain it through purchase.
Later, the Demon Slayer Corps was able to find Tamayo through property tracking.
Knock! Knock! Knock!
A soft knocking sound rang out.
"Look, information delivered right to our door," Akiyama Rinka said with a smile, walking forward to open the door.
A haggard Middle-aged Man walked in, dressed in a neat black suit, his eyes lifeless, his expression serious, like an old English-style butler.
"Miss, here is the list of all doctors in the Asakusa district that you requested."
The Middle-aged Man seemed not to see Kamihara Tetsuya or Kocho Kanae sleeping on the bed; his eyes were only on Akiyama Rinka as he respectfully handed over a document.
"Thank you!"
Akiyama Rinka took the document and thanked him with a smile. "Alright, you can go back now."
Then, the old butler gave Kamihara Tetsuya a deep look, turned silently, and left.
He came and went like the wind, as if he had never been there.
Kamihara Tetsuya narrowed his eyes. The Akiyama family's butler certainly had some tricks up his sleeve.
"As long as she practices medicine in the Asakusa district, her name and address will definitely be on this document!" Akiyama Rinka held up the document in her hand.
Truly, the omnipotent power of money.
Kamihara Tetsuya sighed inwardly. But thanks to Akiyama Rinka, Tamayo couldn't escape now.
Kamihara Tetsuya took the document and opened it, scanning it quickly. Among hundreds of doctor profiles, he finally found useful information on the third page.
"Nickname: Ghost Doctor, Name: Unknown, Address: Unknown. She is a young woman, approximately twenty years old. Her medical skills are outstanding in the Asakusa district, and she consults at Seaside Hospital irregularly every month..."
"Found her."
Kamihara Tetsuya's lips curved into a smile.
"And it's all thanks to me," Akiyama Rinka said, lifting her delicate chin high.
Kamihara Tetsuya glanced at her and said dismissively, "Alright, you can go back now."
Akiyama Rinka's expression stiffened. That sounded so familiar!
...
Through the window, Kamihara Tetsuya saw a luxurious carriage parked on the wide road below the hotel, with the Akiyama family's butler and maids lined up.
"He's really ungrateful. I'll never help him again," Akiyama Rinka grumbled as she boarded the carriage. Before leaving, she didn't forget to turn back and glare fiercely at Kamihara Tetsuya by the second-floor hotel window.
The carriage sped away.
Soon, it disappeared into the night.
After sending the 'tool person' Akiyama Rinka away, Kamihara Tetsuya sat by the bed, thinking about how to persuade Tamayo.
Just then, Kocho Kanae slowly woke up, her beautiful eyes scanning her surroundings. "Where's Sister Rinka?"
Kamihara Tetsuya casually replied, "She went back."
"Tetsuya..."
Kocho Kanae saw the documents on the bedside table and immediately understood everything, giving Kamihara Tetsuya a sidelong glance.
Called when needed, dismissed when done.
How could he treat his own family like that!
"You still have the mind to care about that?" Kamihara Tetsuya said faintly. She only had half an hour of waking time each day. After falling into a deep sleep, no one knew what might happen, or perhaps she would never wake up again.
Kocho Kanae smiled, not caring at all, after all, she had died once.
But this was also good; it was more dangerous for Akiyama Rinka, a normal human, to stay with them.
"Let's go, let's go meet Miss Tamayo," Kamihara Tetsuya said.
"Mm!"
...
The two left the hotel and adopted the most direct method: staking out, waiting until Tamayo appeared.
Demons could only be active at night. Of course, Tamayo might also live in the hospital, but the probability was low.
Except for demons with ridiculously strong powers like Akaza, other demons preferred to stay in familiar places, believing them to be safer.
Time passed, and finally, on the seventh day, Kamihara Tetsuya and Kocho Kanae spotted their target.
Late at night, with a bright moon and sparse stars.
On the path leading to Seaside Hospital, a beautiful woman appeared. She wore a deep purple kimono adorned with wavy light purple branches and red flowers, and a wide beige obi tied around her waist.
She had long black hair, parted in the middle and styled into a large, low bun, secured by a floral hair clip, elegant and graceful.
Her eyes were gentle, like a light purple mist. Her lips were rosy, contrasting sharply with her pale complexion.
"Miss Tamayo, nice to meet you!"
Tamayo heard a greeting, stopped, and her gaze shifted to the bench by the roadside.