Chapter 49: Human and Demon

The Demon Slayer and the demon stood on opposite sides. The former existed to hunt the latter, while the latter posed a threat to the former's very existence. Of course, for the Demon Slayers, the concept of "humanity" was too vast. Most became Demon Slayers simply because their loved ones had been killed by demons.

Li Mo was an exception. Among the Demon Slayers, his reasons for fighting demons were unknown to others.

In this regard, Li Mo admired Oyakata-sama. This fourteen-year-old boy possessed a maturity far beyond his years, capable of trusting someone like him—a "foreigner" with an opaque background—and assigning him such an important mission.

Li Mo was the only Demon Slayer who hadn't lost a loved one to demons, walking the path of vengeance without the burden of personal loss. Sending him as an envoy to communicate with demons was the most appropriate choice.

"Oyakata-sama once asked me a question, and now I'll use the answer to that question to respond to you."

"The enemy of my enemy is my friend. As long as the primary conflict with Muzan Kibutsuji remains unresolved, we have a basis for cooperation."

"Once the primary conflict is resolved, if you are still alive, I will personally send you off."

Li Mo spoke sincerely.

Beside him, Yushiro, who had been listening, bristled. "How dare you speak to Lady Tamayo like that! I'll kill you!!"

Yushiro's threats were empty. Li Mo knew that despite his fierce appearance, Yushiro was no real threat.

"Yushiro, don't be rude," Tamayo chided. Then, turning to Li Mo, she said, "If that day truly comes, I believe I will face hell with a smile. But Yushiro is different. He has never eaten a human."

Yushiro was a demon created by Tamayo. Unlike other demons, he only needed to drink human blood to sustain himself. Li Mo was aware of this but remained expressionless. "I will report this to Oyakata-sama."

Tamayo nodded. "Thank you. I will maintain communication with your Oyakata-sama. Additionally, I need your help."

"Please, go on."

When Li Mo had left Oyakata-sama's residence, he had been told that he might need to run errands for Tamayo.

Thinking about it, he realized he was essentially taking on the role that Tanjiro would have played in the future. But no matter what, this was all for the sake of defeating the demons.

The help Tamayo needed was to collect demon blood. From the moment a demon's head was cut off to the moment it turned to ash, there was a brief window of time. Tamayo had specially designed syringes to collect and preserve the blood. She needed these samples for her research.

"Is there any specific requirement for the demon blood?" Li Mo asked.

"Not really. If I had to specify, it would be better to collect blood from stronger demons," Tamayo explained. "For Muzan Kibutsuji, the stronger the demon, the more of his blood they carry. The essence of my research is to study the Muzan blood within them."

Demons were created when Muzan Kibutsuji injected his blood into humans, transforming them. Every demon carried Muzan's blood within them. However, there were exceptions. Tamayo explained Yushiro's situation.

Yushiro was a demon created by Tamayo using her own blood. He was the only demon in the world not created by Muzan. While he possessed demonic traits, he didn't need to eat humans to survive—drinking human blood periodically was enough.

Tamayo herself, after years of research, had managed to survive by drinking human blood after breaking free from Muzan's control.

In short, she had gone from being a ghoul to a vampire.

No one in this world would understand Li Mo's analogy, but he nodded in understanding. "I see. Your research is invaluable. Oyakata-sama's decision to seek cooperation with you is wise."

"Thank you for your trust. It's been a long time since I've met a Demon Slayer like you," Tamayo said, sensing the trust emanating from the swordsman before her. She now understood why Oyakata-sama had sent this Hashira.

The man was rational and willing to listen to her words.

A distant memory surfaced in Tamayo's mind—the figure of a tall swordsman she could never forget. It was because of that swordsman's trust that she had survived to this day.

"You remind me of an old friend from hundreds of years ago."

"An old friend?"

"It was during the Warring States period," Tamayo began. "Back then, I was still by Muzan's side. A swordsman came to challenge Muzan. I will never forget that day. The swordsman used a sword technique so beautiful it was almost divine, severely injuring Muzan."

The nameless swordsman first dealt a heavy blow to Muzan, then, as Muzan exploded into pieces to escape, the swordsman destroyed most of the remnants, leaving only a few fragments to flee.

Because of her hatred for Muzan, Tamayo had earned the swordsman's trust and was allowed to leave. It was even thanks to that swordsman that she later broke free from Muzan's control...

"During that time, Muzan entered a period of weakness. It was during this time that I managed to break free from his control."

"Later, I met that swordsman again. The greatest regret of his life was not giving his all to kill Muzan that night. He spent the rest of his life atoning for that mistake. Unfortunately, by the time the swordsman passed away, Muzan had not reappeared."

"Muzan deliberately avoided him. Compared to demons, human lifespans are too short."

Tamayo recounted the story of the past, her voice tinged with regret. That swordsman was the only one in nearly a thousand years who had the strength to kill Muzan.

Li Mo knew that Tamayo's old friend was Yoriichi Tsugikuni. Thinking about it, he realized he shared an inexplicable connection with the strongest swordsman of centuries past. He had inherited Yoriichi's Sun Breathing, formed a bond with the Kamado family, and now met Tamayo.

A similar fate.

Li Mo said, "A swordsman from hundreds of years ago? Are you talking about Yoriichi Tsugikuni?"

"You know his name? I remember that after Yoriichi-sama's death, Muzan took revenge. Everything related to him—people, things, information—was destroyed. During that time, the Demon Slayer Corps was severely crippled."

Over the centuries, Tamayo hadn't solely focused on her research. While she hadn't been in contact with the Demon Slayer Corps, she had kept an eye on them.

Li Mo said, "The Breathing Technique I use is Sun Breathing. I am Yoriichi Tsugikuni's successor."

He took out an earring from his pocket—the earring given to him by Tanjuro before he left. This item had finally found its use.

Tamayo's gaze fell on the earring. "This... it's the same as his earring. Are you his successor?"

"I forgot to introduce myself. It's not too late now. My name is Li Mo. I'm Chinese, and I am the current 'Sun Hashira' of the Demon Slayer Corps."

Hearing this, Tamayo fell silent. It was as if she could see the figure of that swordsman from centuries ago.

Tamayo said, "That's good. If, by the time Muzan dies, I am still alive, please be gentle."

She should have died centuries ago. The Tamayo who lived now was merely a ghost sustained by her hatred for Muzan.

But today, seeing Sun Breathing reappear in the world, she suddenly felt that the possibility of killing Muzan was no longer so faint.

Centuries later, if she were to be killed by the successor of Sun Breathing, it would be fate.

Tamayo smiled gently, her eyes filled with light.