The moon's jade rabbit.
A red camellia flowing on snow.
The messenger of the Great God Suwa.
"How is it, strange colors, right?"
Snow-white him with narrowed red eyes smiling was surely an existence that flowed from the moon.
'It's nothing special.'
Seeing the foster father's bare face hidden for three years, that impression comes to mind.
A dim guest room with evening sunlight filtering through paper doors. Even in that hazy world, Tsukuru's white stood out freshly white, red asserting itself redly.
Truly rare colors. It's not unreasonable to want to hide them. But is this something to refuse showing to this extent?
I couldn't feel the ugliness in Tsukuru's appearance that warranted hiding from us for three whole years.
"Ama...zing! My hair is white too, but Tsukuru's hair is whiter! Amazing, amazing! Like freshly piled snow!"
Indeed, my sister didn't despise or fear Tsukuru's bare face. With sparkling light green eyes, she slaps and touches Tsukuru's hair and skin.
Checking one by one with unhesitant hands, admiring "You haven't put anything on, it's real. Amazing!"—Tsukuru looked at Ume with relieved, perhaps dazzling eyes.
Seeing the relief soaking into the red eyes, I faintly guessed why Tsukuru so disliked showing his bare face.
The memory that comes to mind is a snowy winter day half a year after being picked up by Tsukuru, when I went to ask about the origin of his name.
While saying he was born to a prostitute at the Rashomon riverside, Tsukuru casually added that his mother found his appearance creepy.
Though expressed in such simple words then, in reality it was probably filled with more gloomy and terrible violence. To the extent of fearing to show his true self to anyone.
"Eyes are bright red too, somehow resembles that. That thing, you know, came from Nagasaki, that thing you and brother used as medicine ingredients recently, uh, what was it."
"...Hawthorn berries, you mean?"
Helping my sister who couldn't continue her words, she clapped saying "Right, that!" Beside her, Tsukuru turned his head toward me.
The gaze examining me anxiously—unlike Ume who rushed excitedly at Tsukuru's bare face—must be because I hadn't said anything yet.
"...That's too much."
A genuine heartfelt opinion. Then Ume turned to me in surprise, and Tsukuru tightly closed his lips. Strength entered the hand holding the removed hood, but that's not it. What I wanted to say wasn't that.
"Hiding something so pretty until now, Tsukuru is too mean."
Really too mean. When I spoke as if spitting it out, both their eyes rounded dazedly. Even if Ume is like that, Tsukuru's reaction was a bit irritating.
Why did he think I would be displeased when you didn't mind the ugly syphilitic boy? It's unnecessary worry.
Though red eyes and white hair are surprising, they can't be a reason to dislike you.
The red eyes curved like a thin moon. Tsukuru smiled with a face softened by joy. Somehow finding his smile, seen for the first time, wondrous, even I watching felt my mouth corners softening. It was a beautiful smile to the extent of regretting not having seen it until now.
Surely this man, when there was something joyful, would open his mouth and laugh cheerfully; when something comfortable, would narrow his eyes and smile gently.
"Right, just like brother said! Tsukuru is really too mean!"
"Yeah, Ume. Say more. And yet you showed it to other guys so casually!"
Ume's soft fists playfully thumped Tsukuru. Even hit by those tender hands, it wouldn't hurt or itch. Tsukuru laughed again. Differently from before, with eyebrows lowered in an awkward face.
"I didn't want to be hated by you two."
"Even so..."
Then, Ume's swinging hand abruptly stopped. When Tsukuru and I looked asking why, Ume put her open fist to her mouth, um, um, falling into some deep thought.
Showing deeper concentration than when learning arithmetic, Ume's face brightened as if something flashed.
"You know, that means you like us so much you don't want to be hated by us?"
Though my sister still gets simple arithmetic wrong, she's sharp only at times like this. As weak as her head is, her thinking is flexible. So she plops out answers no one else thinks of.
"Yes, because I like you two so much."
To the question 'like' asked without hesitation, Tsukuru also nodded obediently without any hesitation. Then Ume put her hands on her hips and swaggered triumphantly.
"Then it's fine. I'll forgive you for showing your face to other guys!"
"...Can't be helped."
"I and brother like Tsukuru that much too! Right, brother?"
"...Yeah."
"Hey, aren't our kids too angelic??"
While Ume giggled looking happy, Tsukuru covered his mouth shedding tears of emotion. Seems I'm the only one feeling embarrassed by my sister's words.
But expressing that is also awkward, so hiding shame with a blunt tone, Tsukuru's hand roughly stroked my and Ume's heads.
Though no longer at an age to rejoice at head pats, wanting to brush it off from embarrassment, but because he's so happy, I ultimately leave it. Wrapped in such continued gentle happiness.
Until the guy in black clothes called Kinoe came to call Tsukuru.
＊
Dr. Shabana used poison to subjugate a demon.
When receiving that report, everyone doubted their ears. That was natural. Even the Kinoe who directly saw that spectacle still couldn't believe it. If not witnessed together with the crow, would have dismissed it as illusion.
Moreover, the opponent being a demon counted among the Twelve Kizuki, suspicion naturally deepens.
A paralyzing poison effective even against such strong demons, made by a mere village doctor—an abnormal situation not strange to conclude as false report.
But neither the great elder nor the Hashira, while suspecting the Kinoe's report, outright dismissed it as false. Because that mere village doctor, Shabana, is the one who returned the great elder from death's threshold.
If a renowned physician who created miraculous medicine that revives the dying about to sleep, it wouldn't be strange to know poison that slows demon movement.
Poison research against demons was also conducted by the Demon Slayer Corps in the past. But creating poison that works on demons was arduous.
Of course, poison made purely from wisteria, which is deadly poison to demons, has some effect. For weak demons, it's possible to cause death. But the fact that the moment other ingredients are mixed, effectiveness drops significantly was revealed during research.
The opinion emerged: then just make poison purely from wisteria, but the amount of flowers used to dispose of one demon was enormous. Continuously making poison would turn Mt. Fujikasane bald.
And above all, strong demons also decompose wisteria poison. Without results matching the effort, research ended in frustration like that.
If Shabana completed poison the Demon Slayer Corps wisdom couldn't create, that's an unprecedented achievement in history. That's because paralyzing poison effective even against a Lower Rank. Expectations grew that perhaps it might work even on Upper Ranks.
With poison, strategic breadth widens, and Kinoe who have no way to kill demons can respond when encountering emergency situations. A part they absolutely want to receive knowledge and learn preparation method. Couldn't he regularly provide poison?
Shabana Tsukuru being summoned to a Hashira meeting held at dusk was from such thoughts.
The great elder at the room's inner side, Hashira lining both walls—truly a magnificent sight. The Kinoe called as important witness/witness, hiding in room corner holding breath, overwhelmed by that atmosphere.
"First, thanks for responding to sudden summons. Thank you, Dr. Shabana."
"No, I decline gratitude. Rather, how is your physical condition now, Ubuyashiki-sama."
The gentle voice of the great elder, Ubuyashiki Kagaya, filled the room with swaying lantern light. The doctor's voice responding was also calm. Though summoned to important meeting, didn't seem more tense than necessary. Had considerable nerve.
"Thanks to medicine, my body is better, no need to worry."
"Since you've just shaken off illness and risen, please take good care of your health."
"Ahh, thank you. But Dr. Shabana, I want to ask about the poison you used on Lower Rank 6."
"...…Lower Rank 6?"
"Huh?"
"...What's Lower Rank 6?"
From there!!
Shouting that inwardly, the Kinoe holding his head behind the room.
Ignorance and courage differ by a thin paper. Was not being afraid facing a Twelve Kizuki because of that? Indeed, it wasn't unreasonable for a mere doctor not to know demon faction composition.
Explanation about Twelve Kizuki was handled by the Flame Hashira. Twelve Kizuki are direct subordinates of demon leader Kibutsuji Muzan. Simply put, demons with particularly thick Kibutsuji Muzan blood.
Hearing that explanation, the doctor for some reason stiffened his body rigidly and cautiously asked.
"…That is, if that Twelve Kizuki had been investigated, could we have known more about demons?"
"That would be so!!"
"Incidentally, today's weather…"
"Was clear and fine!!"
The doctor's heart, the Flame Hashira doesn't know.
When the Flame Hashira answered with a bright smile, the doctor grew more despairing. A face fallen into nihilism.
"Based on the Kinoe's testimony, went to the scene but only kimono remained. The demon burned clean without trace."
Wind Hashira, that's the final blow. Though probably no malice, the calm report added an extra hit.
Dark clouds hung over the doctor's head. Rain of sighs pouring down. But couldn't wait for that heart to recover.
"…Last night, received report that Dr. Shabana on way here paralyzed Lower Rank 6 with poison, blocking movement. Is that true?"
Perhaps considering the great elder just recovered from illness, the Mist Hashira continued the main point. The doctor, questioned, hesitated briefly then nodded clearly.
──Even half expecting it, still everyone couldn't hide surprise. The great elder only slightly widened eyes, but the Hashira stirred, disrupting the atmosphere.
"Dr. Shabana."
At the great elder's one word, commotion immediately subsided.
The called doctor raised his head. Red eyes met Ubuyashiki's gaze.
"Could you sell that poison to our Demon Slayer Corps?"
"No."
Shabana mercilessly shook his head. Like freshly cut bamboo, a single stroke refusal—which Hashira groaned why?
"Since it's incomplete poison with strong side effects, it needlessly torments demons. It's absolutely not an item that can be traded."
"But you used it on Lower Rank 6, didn't you? What goody-goody act now…"
"Enough."
When the Wind Hashira growled at Shabana, the great elder scolded. At the gentle command, the Wind Hashira quietly closed his mouth, but most Hashira thought similarly.
If they obtain poison that paralyzes demons, how much could Demon Slayer Corps damage be reduced? How much easier would demon subjugation become?
What does it matter if demons suffer? If showing consideration or kindness to demons worse than beasts, and meanwhile people get eaten, what then?
What we face aren't beings reason works on, but incarnations of violence dominated by desire. This world's terrible monsters. Beings that shouldn't live.
Even in such sharp atmosphere, Shabana didn't care, back straight. This man truly was a man like a single stalk of bamboo.
"I hesitate to use indiscriminately, but if used discriminately, seems fine. That demon was disgusting evil itself, so half was personal desire to teach a lesson, half was having no medicine so had no choice."
"Medicine?"
"Medicine to turn demons back into humans. Though saying that, it's far from completion, only successive failures of trial product."
Silence.
Chewed the words.
But couldn't understand the meaning.
What did this doctor just say? Familiar Japanese sounded like distant foreign country speech. Or strange feeling like speaking fantasy even children wouldn't believe as if reality. Everyone flustered couldn't continue words.
"Demons… back into humans medicine?"
Among people dumbfounded, the first to gather himself was the great elder. Slowly repeating Shabana's words with meaning of confirmation, he nodded yes.
"Paralyzing poison is a byproduct that came out as extra. Usually only do medicine research."
"…Turning demons back into humans—is that possible?"
"It's possible. For any illness, there's a treatment method. Only our technology and knowledge haven't caught up, but if continue finding and pursuing, someday medicine will definitely be completed."
Shabana spoke sonorously.
Voice without disturbance, speech without turbidity, speaking in truthful tone without mixing falsehood.
Not a voice dreaming.
Not words wishing it would be so.
Red pupils were convinced of future as if seeing through thousand miles.
"Becoming a demon is illness, you say that."
A perception any Demon Slayer Corps member would want to pour curses saying foolish talk unbearable—yet only the great elder accepted with benevolent smile.
Dr. Shabana is kind, with a gentle face as if to praise even now, so no one could curse the doctor. Even the Wind Hashira could only glare.
"Predecessor doctor's words. Medicine research also originally started by predecessor."
"Ahh, about predecessor heard from maid Yae. A physician among physicians to extent wondering staying as village doctor."
"Originally was under shogunate's care, but predecessor was poor at worldly wisdom… realized had been driven out."
"Huhu, however excellent physician, seems didn't know medicine to satisfy human ambition. Then Dr. Shabana."
"Yes."
"Said medicine treating demons, but specifically what is it?"
"…Humans become demons by accepting demon blood. This is like mixing soil into water making muddy water—if only soil can be removed there, muddy water would return to clear water again. Same principle, if only demon components are eliminated, demons can be turned back to humans. Researching medicine with such action."
"I see. Current research progress until now?"
"To be honest, not very smooth. Demon blood permeates human body better than expected too well, any demon couldn't endure medicine and died."
"I see… That's regrettable… Huh? Huh? What??"
Shock to extent thinking a bomb exploded here now.
The great elder made a voice with discordant note forgetting usual composure. Him forgetting smile at Hashira meeting was truly first time in long while. Simultaneously, Hashira also stirred at unfamiliar current.
──Couldn't endure, and died?
Though repeating lines heard by my ears in my heart, head refused understanding. The doctor, not noticing that, however perceived the silence filling that place—lowered eyelashes and bit lip.
"Truly lamentable my incompetence. Aiming for medicine treating demons, yet what I create is only poison killing demons. The only salvation is that it can kill demons instantly without needlessly tormenting them."
"Instant death."
This guy made something more absurd than paralyzing poison.
Honestly, if this weren't Hashira meeting place, shocking fact to extent wanting to scream.
The great elder stiffened dazedly with dignified face, the Flame Hashira opened eyes wide as if large pupils would spill, the Wind Hashira reached point suspecting if dreaming—dangerous thought sharply turning "If dream, could be forgiven even if beat down that doctor?"
Sensing ominous signs, the Mist and Water Hashira, as the Wind Hashira about to stand with full throttle, grabbed his clothes from both sides—brake & side brake. Calm down. Don't want to believe but this is reality.
The Kinoe erasing presence behind fluttered eyeballs. Recalling taste of medicine stuffed into mouth when first met.
Right, medicine killing demons, no wonder tastes like crossing to afterlife!
"──..."
Want that medicine.
Everyone had same thought.
High concentration wisteria poison can kill demons but lacks immediacy. If time to death is long, risk of detoxification also increases.
The reason past Demon Slayer Corps wisteria poison wasn't deployed in actual combat had cost problems, but also such defects existed. If there's powerful medicine eliminating those defects, no reason not to want.
Please sell us the medicine.
At the great elder's pleading voice, the doctor fell silent as if pondering something. Is this precursor to refusal, or like with paralyzing poison, not immediately answering suggests hope still exists?
"Understood. But there are conditions."
Words leading to consent flowed strange tension. The doctor didn't immediately continue next words, quietly gathered fingertips on tatami, deeply bowed head.
"Please accept this incompetent body unable to even swing sword into the Demon Slayer Corps."
That is.
"When Kibutsuji Muzan's whereabouts are revealed, I plead to allow me to accompany to the site."
It was an unparalleled proposal.
"If you accept this rude proposal, money is unnecessary. I'll show all knowledge and skills Shabana possesses unreservedly."
──Except for one person.
Before Shabana Tsukuru's burning gaze, Ubuyashiki Kagaya hid agitation.
Made a smile too perfect without slightest gap.
──If accepting him, Shabana Tsukuru, as Demon Slayer Corps member, can no longer be friends.
The Ubuyashiki family head, leader of Demon Slayer Corps, acting as father to all members is his duty. The benevolence poured on children must not have discrimination.
A benevolent father's heart and friend's friendship cannot mix, cannot embrace together. To not blur conduct as leader, budding friendship must be severed.
Ubayshiki Kagaya closed eyes at sadness of losing a friend for first time in life.
And with blink of eyes, released that sadness.
Discard useless personal emotions. First is hatred toward Kibutsuji Muzan. Take best measures to cut down that person.
The reason he lives isn't pursuing personal happiness, but achieving the Ubuyashiki clan's secret wish inherited through generations. Not passing same sadness to descendants.
The taste of bitterness just swallowed need only he knows.
"Of course."
Cut-off sadness buried inside stomach.
"Thank you, Tsukuru. You're a kind 'child.'"
Covering everything with smile of father loving child, Ubuyashiki Kagaya erected tombstone in his heart.
It was a smile no different from usual to anyone. No one doubted the warmth of sunlight no different from daily life, the great elder's smile.
──Except for one person.
Shabana again put forehead to tatami. Was that sign of gratitude?
No.
"Apologies but what I just said I take back!!!"
"""What??"""
Unison of all present. What did he just say? Attention concentrated on prostrate Shabana.
Not caring about sharp gazes sticking from all directions, he, in deeply apologizing posture, without blockage like flowing water, spat out excuses.
"Subject not even achieving intent saying wants to enter Demon Slayer Corps, truly shameless beyond compare. To extent wanting to dig ground myself and request burial, only shameful. Showing off incomplete research, this sullies Shabana name. Predecessor who told not to stain signboard will appear in my dreams too."
Stream stream stream. Truly smooth smooth. As if oil applied to tongue, not exaggeration to call rapid-fire speech skill, even Hashira and great elder overwhelmed could only respond "Uh, uhh…" or "W-well..", "I-I see."
Everyone swept by Shabana's pace, meeting ended vaguely. No, actually there was no vagueness.
Coming to senses, initiative had already passed to Shabana, saying "Then rest, you young people handle yourselves!" like grandmother at matchmaking meeting, disappeared alone with wind.
Those left couldn't know what to say, where to start conversation. Couldn't possibly ask each other's hobbies. Feeling swept up in ultra-speed rice cake pounding. Pestle pounding speed too fast, receiver absolutely cannot follow. Calm down.
All Hashira & Kinoe thought same with Tibetan fox-like faces.
That doctor, absurd.
＊
They looking at sliding door where Shabana disappeared didn't know.
The warm single teardrop flowing down the great elder's cheek.
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