For Toji, he ultimately could not abandon the moral boundary of once being human. Because of this, he had to endure relentless hunger every single day, constantly suppressing the urge to devour flesh and blood.
Although he had become a demon, it did not mean he would abandon his humanity.
It was even more impossible for him to eat people or become a monster that had completely lost itself to an uncontrollable craving for flesh.
...
Sitting alone beneath the eaves, Toji stared up at the full moon in the sky until it slowly began to sink below the horizon.
Only then did he stand up.
He could not remain here any longer.
The sun was about to rise.
Once the sun rises and sunlight spreads across the land, no matter how powerful a demon may be, they must hide in the darkness like rats in a sewer. Even the Demon Progenitor, Kibutsuji Muzan, cannot escape this weakness, let alone an ordinary demon like him.
Without hesitation, Toji leapt down from the eaves and swiftly left the town.
Not far from the town lay a forest. Under the dim light of the fading night, Toji moved quickly through the trees.
After traveling for several more minutes, a dark cave appeared ahead. At that moment, the sun had already risen, and the first rays of sunlight were beginning to spread across the horizon.
Toji glanced at the light that was driving away the darkness, then stepped into the cave without hesitation.
Sunlight filtered through the forest canopy, and under its radiance the darkness outside was gradually dispelled. But the light could not reach deep into the cave.
The interior was damp and dark.
Toji walked silently into the shadows, but halfway inside he suddenly stopped and looked down at the ground beneath his feet.
A thick layer of white bones covered the ground like a carpet.
The elderly, children, men, women…
Skulls and bones were piled along both sides of the cave passage, discarded carelessly like thrown-away food wrappers.
Although he had seen this scene many times, Toji still could not get used to it.
After all, even though he had become a demon, deep down he still believed he was human. Seeing his own kind slaughtered and used as food stirred an indescribable anger within him.
"Haah…"
Taking a deep breath, he suppressed the impulse rising in his heart and continued walking forward in silence.
At that moment, the clear sound of chewing reached his ears.
Toji looked up.
Not far ahead, a figure with its back turned toward him was crouched on the ground, eating something.
Sensing movement, the crouching figure slowly turned around.
What appeared before him was a hideous face, with bright red blood staining the corners of its mouth.
In its hand was a human femur, fresh blood still dripping from it onto the ground, staining the damp cave floor a dark crimson.
It was a demon.
"Want some?"
The demon lifted the bone slightly, its scarlet eyes fixed on Toji.
Toji's expression immediately turned grim.
Even though he had become a demon, he would never allow himself to become a monster that had completely lost its humanity.
"Still holding back?"
The demon stood up and slowly walked toward him, the femur still in its hand.
"We're not human anymore. We're completely different from those weak creatures. Do you still plan to treat those fragile things as your own kind?"
Toji merely stared at him coldly without saying a word... but.. gulp..
"You remind me of myself when I first became a demon."
The demon grinned.
"I was also very resistant to this kind of food at first. It wasn't until I couldn't help but take a bite for the first time that I understood how delicious it is."
"Can you imagine the feeling of tender, juicy flesh bursting in your mouth, and that sweet blood flowing down your throat? It's a pleasure more wonderful than going to heaven."
"You haven't tried it yet. Once you do, you'll understand how delicious it really is. I guarantee that if you taste it just once, you'll definitely become addicted."
The purple-skinned demon stuck out its tongue and licked the blood from the corner of its mouth, its face filled with intoxicated pleasure.
Toji walked to the side, sat down cross-legged, and closed his eyes without saying a word.
However, the bloody scent coming from the femur in the demon's hand caused every cell in his body to tremble, urging him to devour it immediately.
Huff.. huff.. I..
If he ate it, not only would he experience an unparalleled delicacy, but his body would also grow stronger.
"This is just ordinary human flesh. If it were Marechi, it would be even more delicious."
The demon lowered its voice, its eyes filled with longing.
"I've never encountered a Marechi before. But I've heard that eating one is equivalent to devouring dozens of ordinary humans."
Seeing that Toji remained unmoved no matter what he said, the demon became somewhat irritated.
"What are you still holding on to? Do you still think you're one of those weak humans?"
"Listen to your own desires. The more you resist, the stronger the craving for human flesh becomes with each passing day. No matter how strong a person's will is, once they become a demon, they can't suppress this hunger forever."
"Do you know the Twelve Kizuki? Do you know Lord Kokushibo? Do you know Lord Akaza?"
"Do you know how strong their wills were when they were still human? But what happened in the end?"
Toji, who had been sitting silently with his eyes closed, slowly opened them.
He looked at the hideous demon in front of him, staring at that sinister face in the darkness.
After a long moment, he spoke calmly.
"So… were your father, your mother, and your daughter also 'delicacies' to you?"
Over the past few days, Toji had learned a little about the demon's past.
Like all demons, this one had once been human.
He had once lived a happy life, with a loving wife, a lovely child, and kind parents.
But everything had been destroyed the moment he tasted human blood after becoming a demon.
And the one who destroyed it all… was himself.
"Shut up!"
The demon roared, angrily throwing the femur in its hand onto the ground. It glared fiercely at Toji.
As Toji spoke, the human memories the demon had gradually forgotten after becoming a demon surged back into its mind. An indescribable pain instantly flooded its entire body, as if countless needles were stabbing into its heart.
The things it thought it had long forgotten were still hidden deep in the darkest corners of its heart. Once brought up, they were like wounds that had been torn open again, causing unbearable agony.
After a while, the demon gradually calmed down from its rage. Its scarlet eyes stared fixedly at Toji.
"We're already demons now. Even if we were once human, that was in the past... We are demons now. We are no longer those weak creatures we used to be."
"As demons, we won't die, we won't grow old, and we won't get sick."
"From now on, we won't lose anything ever again."
"We are powerful. Powerful enough to do whatever we want."
"So why do you still cling so tightly to your past identity?"