The door to the underground laboratory was pushed open, and Mr. Cheng Mo walked in, supporting an extremely weak figure.
The girl leaned almost her entire weight on Mr. Cheng Mo.
Her steps were faltering, her breath weak, yet she exuded an unusual purity and coldness.
The arrival of Mr. Cheng Mo and Kamiya Kawayuki immediately drew everyone's attention.
"Mr. Cheng Mo, this is...?"
Himura Ruri was the first to greet them, wanting to help support Kamiya Kawayuki, and she cautiously glanced at the girl.
So beautiful... The girl wore a somewhat tattered Miko outfit, looking seventeen or eighteen years old, but she had a pallor that suggested her vibrant vitality had been drained away.
Her eyes were a clear, icy blue, like a frozen lake, yet steeped in coldness and detachment.
Her thick, long hair cascaded down like a waterfall, making her face appear almost transparently white.
At the ends of her hair, the inky black strangely faded, gradually transforming into a hazy blue-white, as if it had accidentally caught the light of dawn at the edge of night.
Kamiya Kawayuki herself was like a porcelain doll forgotten in the cracks of time, possessing a fragile beauty.
Clatter!
A test tube fell onto the soft-padded lab bench with a muffled thud, rolling a few times before stopping, spilling a small amount of its liquid contents.
Tamayo, however, seemed oblivious; her usual gentle smile had completely vanished, replaced by utter shock and disbelief.
Her lips trembled slightly, her voice carrying a barely perceptible tremor, almost a gasp: "...Yuki-onna? It's... it's you...?"
Kamiya Kawayuki, supported by Mr. Cheng Mo, struggled to raise her pale face, her icy blue eyes like melting glaciers.
She looked at Tamayo, countless complex and unspeakable emotions flashing within her.
Guilt, sudden realization, and a hint of fated melancholy.
She nodded slightly, her voice weak: "Lady Tamayo... it's been a long time... I never thought... after a hundred years, we would meet again... under such circumstances..."
This brief exchange was like a flash of lightning, cleaving through sealed memories.
Tamayo slowly straightened up, the shock in her purple eyes gradually fading, transforming into a profound sense of melancholy:
"Yes... I never thought that when you hunted me down back then, you were so... fierce and powerful, almost pushing me to the brink."
There was no resentment in her tone, rather it was more like she was recounting a distant past.
Kamiya Kawayuki closed her eyes wearily, her long eyelashes casting shadows.
Her voice was filled with deep exhaustion and pain: "...I apologize... back then... my soul was lost, my hands stained with blood... I couldn't control myself..."
She paused, then added with difficulty: "...Your methods of escape back then... were very clever..."
"Lady Tamayo, what are you saying?"
Yushiro had entered a state of highest alert the moment he heard the name "Yuki-onna."
He lunged forward, blocking Tamayo, glaring at Kamiya Kawayuki, radiating intense hostility.
"She hunted you down, what happened?"
"Yushiro, stand down."
Tamayo's voice regained its composure, and she gently patted Yushiro's tense arm.
"Since Mr. Cheng Mo brought her here, he must have his reasons."
Mr. Cheng Mo then spoke, his tone as calm as ever: "She sealed herself to prevent further evil deeds, and I found her by chance. Now, the Muzan's curse within her has been completely stripped away by me."
"She is no longer an Upper Moon; she is merely a survivor with a damaged soul and only one-tenth of her former power."
Upper Moon?
Himura Ruri and Yushiro, who understood the meaning, simultaneously widened their eyes.
Tamayo gasped sharply; although she had already suspected it, hearing Mr. Cheng Mo personally confirm this miraculous operation still left her shocked.
She quickly suppressed her churning emotions, her professional research instincts immediately taking over.
"I understand."
She quickly walked forward, gesturing for Mr. Cheng Mo to help Kamiya Kawayuki to an empty laboratory chair.
"Yushiro, prepare the basic vital sign monitoring equipment, and also stabilizing agents, gentle formulas."
Although Yushiro still looked unwilling, glaring fiercely at Kamiya Kawayuki, he nevertheless followed Tamayo's orders without hesitation.
After a quick and thorough examination, the results were roughly in.
Tamayo looked at the test data, her tone calm: "The situation is as you said, Mr. Cheng Mo; her demon blood is severely depleted. A hundred years of freezing and the curse's removal consumed the vast majority..."
"Currently, the power she can wield is only barely at the Lower Moon level, and recovery will be extremely slow, but..."
She changed her tone, a hint of surprise in her eyes.
"Her energy is incredibly pure, with no trace of bloodlust or risk of losing control. This is simply... a miracle."
Mr. Cheng Mo continued: "Her Blood Demon Art is ice-related abilities. Because the energy source has greatly weakened, its power will inevitably be significantly reduced, but the foundation of her abilities seems to remain, not having disappeared with the curse. This holds great research value."
"It is the most suitable choice for her to stay here and recuperate." His gaze swept over Tamayo and Kamiya Kawayuki, "You two... are old acquaintances, after all."
Tamayo pondered for a moment, then looked at Kamiya Kawayuki again.
The Yuki-onna now was weak, pale, her eyes tired yet exceptionally clear.
She was completely different from the cold, cruel, relentless Upper Moon Two in her memory.
She sighed softly, then nodded: "Alright, I will do my best to help her recuperate. This... is also an extremely valuable research case, crucial for understanding the state after a curse has been removed."
Kamiya Kawayuki leaned back in the chair, listening to their conversation, her icy blue eyes looking at Mr. Cheng Mo, then at Tamayo, struggling to try and rise to bow again.
"No need," Mr. Cheng Mo stopped her.
Kamiya Kawayuki could only nod slightly, her voice weak but full of sincerity: "Thank you again, Mr. Cheng Mo, for granting me and Hotaru a new life, and thank you, Lady Tamayo, for being willing to take in... a person as sinful as me."
Her gaze finally fell on Yushiro, who was still full of vigilance, and she said softly, "...And... I apologize, young man, for bringing you trouble."
Yushiro seemed surprised that she would apologize to him, and he froze for a moment.
He snorted coldly and turned to leave.
Tamayo, however, sighed softly, her tone much gentler: "Don't worry too much, just rest well. Let bygones be bygones."
A moment later, Yushiro, who had left and returned, reluctantly handed over a cup of warm water, his eyes still full of vigilance, but his hostility had slightly lessened.
Kamiya Kawayuki thanked him softly, her hand trembling slightly as she took the cup, her icy blue eyes cast downwards.
She was either examining her newly regained hands or recalling those unbearable, long years.