Yuko knelt down where she stood, sitting on her heels. She pressed her palms together, lowered her head slightly, and closed her eyes.
Though it was called paying respects, she didn't really have anything to say.
Muzan was still roaming freely in this world. She would only return to properly restore this place after defeating him.
Nezuko thoughtfully followed Yuko and knelt down as well, palms together, praying with sincere devotion.
After the rites were finished, Yuko began searching for a place near Tanjiro's home to hide for the night.
Compared to several hundred years ago, the area had changed quite a bit—but the most suitable hiding place was still the forest in front of the house.
It was now winter, and the snow provided perfect cover. Lying hidden beneath it, one would be almost impossible to detect.
If her opponent were a swordsman as perceptive as Yoriichi, perhaps her presence could be sensed.
But Muzan possessed only overwhelming raw power. Unlike a true swordsman—or warrior—he lacked a sharp instinct for danger.
As long as she concealed her presence well, he wouldn't discover anything.
And although Yuko wasn't confident she could defeat Muzan, she was fairly certain she could escape from him if necessary.
Seeing her bury herself entirely in the snow, Nezuko worriedly asked, "Won't you catch a cold?"
Yuko stood up from the snow and smiled. "I won't. I've practiced martial arts for years—this kind of cold is nothing."
In fact, it was the opposite. Having adapted to a demon's body, she now preferred cold environments over scorching summer heat.
In such freezing conditions, the power of her sword techniques actually increased noticeably.
That was also one of the reasons she had confidence in moving freely under Muzan's nose.
Like a fish in water—that was exactly how it felt.
Although Nezuko was still worried, after seeing Yuko lie in the snow for so long without even shivering, she finally believed her.
Time quietly slipped into evening. Nezuko brought out two bowls of food.
"Sister Yuko, it's time to eat."
"Ah, I know."
Yuko was checking the surroundings outside when she heard Nezuko's voice and couldn't help feeling a little helpless.
She had already told her not to cook for her, but Nezuko insisted that one needed a full stomach to have strength to fight—leaving Yuko no chance to refuse or explain.
Nezuko's cooking was quite good. The food looked very appetizing.
Children from poor families in this era had to grow up early. When Yuko was Nezuko's age, she hadn't even learned how to cook yet.
Yuko ate just a little. It was only after meeting Tamayo that she learned something important:
Demons cannot consume human food—it becomes nearly impossible to swallow.
Yet after becoming a demon, Yuko could barely manage to eat cooked human food. Perhaps it had something to do with her constitution.
A body capable of freely switching between the five main Breathing Styles was anything but ordinary.
Within the Demon Slayer Corps, there were many swordsmen who practiced multiple Breathing Styles—especially derivative ones, since most had at least mastered the basics. Even so, none of them could switch Breathing Styles at will during battle.
But Yuko could.
After dinner, Yuko noticed the worry on Nezuko's face and felt a pang of emotion.
Of course she was afraid. Anyone would be.
Yet Yuko couldn't offer a single word of comfort.
Because deep down, she actually supported Nezuko becoming a demon even more.
It wasn't just about gaining another ally in battle. Nezuko was half a protagonist—she might very well play a decisive role in the final battle.
Yuko silently apologized in her heart. After saying goodbye to Nezuko, she left the house.
She felt like a despicable person.
It had been the same in the past—she had deceived Michikatsu, knowing full well what his fate would be, yet still choosing to hide the truth.
And now it was no different—her words sounded noble, but her actions told another story.
She wasn't a radiant sun like Yoriichi.
Not even the moon.
Not even a star…
Perhaps a more fitting description would be something like the sludge at the bottom of a swamp.
Yuko found a concealed spot in the snowy forest and lay low, covering herself completely. The icy snow slightly soothed the turmoil in her heart.
She calmed herself.
…
Late at night, a man wearing a black coat appeared at the entrance of Tanjiro's home.
From within the snowy forest, a gaze locked tightly onto that figure.
The man was not large in build—he even appeared somewhat slender.
But…
What terrifying vitality…
This was Yuko's first time seeing Muzan with her own eyes.
Under the Transparent World, Muzan's bodily structure was laid bare.
A terrifying body composed of five brains and seven hearts—its vitality surged like a violently erupting volcano, ready to explode at any moment.
Though Yuko had already overcome her weakness to sunlight, in terms of physical power, even at her peak as a demon, she was nowhere near this level.
That was only natural.
She had merely conquered sunlight.
But Muzan…
He was the Demon King.
The source of all demons in the world.
This was not a monster that a single person could defeat.
Yuko knew that all too well.
In terms of sheer level of existence, Muzan had completely surpassed humanity.
If Yoriichi were considered a master gamer with unmatched skill, then Muzan was a whale loaded with god-tier equipment, his stats overflowing to absurd levels.
They weren't even on the same foundational tier.
To be honest, it was precisely because his individual strength was so outrageously high that even an idiot like Muzan could still plunge the world into total chaos.
In any other hot-blooded manga, he would be an unqualified villain.
Lacking both the vision and intelligence that a true antagonist should have.
He was nothing more than a pure stat monster.
Muzan walked toward the door. Yuko held her breath, her fingers beneath the snow slowly moving to the hilt of her blade.
At this distance, if Muzan made any move against Nezuko outside of Yuko's expectations, she was confident she could arrive in an instant.
Muzan politely knocked on the door.
"Um… may I ask who is inside?" Nezuko's slightly nervous voice came from within.
The door opened.
Muzan didn't seem interested in conversation. He glanced around and gave a soft sound of surprise. "Only one person?"
"Um…"
Muzan withdrew his gaze. His red eyes, devoid of any emotion, settled on Nezuko.
"When there's only one, you must be very careful when nurturing them."
Yuko let out a breath, her fingers loosening from the hilt.
It wasn't some complicated conspiracy.
"…What?" Nezuko was so nervous she barely dared to breathe.
Muzan said nothing more. His arm transformed into a long whip and injected his blood into Nezuko's body.
Moments later, Muzan coldly looked at Nezuko collapsed on the ground.
"She already can't endure such a small amount of blood. It seems that creating a demon capable of conquering the sun isn't so easy after all."
Muzan never noticed the presence watching him from the darkness. Just as Yuko had predicted, he lacked the keen senses of a true warrior—he was merely an ordinary man with absurdly inflated stats.
Once she confirmed that Muzan had left, Yuko immediately rose from the snow and rushed into the house.
Nezuko lay in a pool of blood by the doorway.
Yuko checked her condition. Nezuko was unconscious, but her wounds were slowly healing.
It worked…
Muzan turned humans into demons for one purpose: to create a demon that could conquer the sun. Most of the humans who died at his hands did not perish from direct attacks—they simply could not endure his blood.
That was precisely why Yuko had dared to let Nezuko face Muzan alone.
Even so… it was hardly something worth praising.
If only she were stronger…
Nezuko was in the process of transforming into a demon.
The length of the transformation depended on one's innate strength. Yuko herself had taken a full three days to complete the change.
As for Nezuko, Tanjiro would return the next morning.
Just one night.
---
Currently at chapter 327 for advance chapters
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