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"Rustle..."
A shadowed figure moved through the forest, causing Susamaru to pause her relentless handball attacks.
Under the moonlit sky, two figures appeared — leaping lightly through the trees before landing gracefully on a branch.
A boy in a bamboo hat.
A girl in a fox mask.
Yahaba raised his head, staring curiously at the pair that had suddenly arrived.
One ghost... one human.
What a strange combination.
"These two demons feel... stronger than the last ones," Makomo muttered softly, her gaze fixed on Susamaru and Yahaba.
They were clearly more powerful than the ghosts they had faced earlier. Yet despite their strength, the situation seemed odd — the two demons appeared to be arguing.
Why would demons be fighting each other?
Makomo frowned slightly, puzzled.
While Makomo's attention was locked on Susamaru and Yahaba, Sam Miller's gaze shifted elsewhere — toward the wounded pair near the tree.
The woman wore a dark purple kimono adorned with wavy lavender branches and red flowers. A wide beige belt cinched her waist. Her long black hair was parted down the middle, styled into a large, low bun held in place by a delicate floral hairpin.
Her gentle eyes, soft pink like a morning mist, contrasted starkly with her pale complexion. Her rosy lips stood out as well.
A beautiful woman...
Of course, Sam's interest wasn't due to her beauty — it was because this woman was Tamayo.
If his memory served him right, Tamayo had once been a skilled doctor who had lived under Muzan Kibutsuji's shadow. Her medical expertise was remarkable.
Nearby, Yushiro — battered, missing a leg and an arm — stood guard beside Tamayo, his face tense with determination.
For Yushiro, protecting Lady Tamayo was everything.
Even though Sam and Makomo had just arrived, Yushiro's instincts remained sharp. He couldn't afford to trust strangers — not with Tamayo's life on the line.
"A demon... traveling with a human?" Tamayo murmured, her curious eyes shifting to Sam.
Almost all demons were under Muzan's control...
Even Tamayo herself had once suffered under that control. For years, she had experimented on her own body, finally discovering a way to break free from Muzan's influence through medicine.
But how had this demon escaped?
Tamayo's mind raced.
For years, she believed that only she and Yushiro had truly broken free from Muzan. For the first time in a long while... she felt hope.
If this demon can resist Muzan's control... maybe there's a way to fight him after all.
"Are you the demon my master is looking for?" Yahaba sneered, his gaze fixed on Sam. "A demon working with the Demon Slayer Corps... disgusting."
He licked his palm, a twisted look of greed filling his eyes.
Sam ignored him and turned to Makomo.
"Keep an eye on those two," he said.
Makomo had already placed her hand on her Nichirin Blade, ready to fight alongside Sam. Being told to sit out frustrated her... but she knew better than to argue.
Even reluctantly, she obeyed.
In a flash, she landed beside Yushiro and Tamayo, her gaze shifting between them and the two demons.
Makomo eyed Tamayo carefully.
So this is the woman Sam was staring at...
Makomo couldn't help but admit — Tamayo was beautiful. Elegant and graceful, she looked nothing like the twisted demons Makomo had fought before.
No wonder Sam was staring... she's really pretty.
Of course, most demons looked grotesque after Muzan's transformation. Only a rare few retained their original beauty — Tamayo was one of them.
"Lady Tamayo," Yushiro whispered urgently. "We should take this chance to escape."
With Susamaru and Yahaba distracted by Sam, now seemed like the perfect opportunity.
Even though Makomo stood nearby, Yushiro wasn't too worried — after all, compared to Susamaru and Yahaba, this human girl didn't seem like much of a threat.
"Planning to run?"
Under her fox mask, Makomo smirked.
"Sam told me to keep you two right here," she said confidently. "You're not going anywhere until Sam finishes dealing with those demons."
"That's not for you to decide," Yushiro growled.
His severed arm and leg had already regenerated, though his body still felt weak.
Gripping a talisman in his hand, he pressed it to his forehead.
In an instant, Yushiro's body shimmered and vanished from sight.
"Invisibility?"
Makomo murmured, intrigued.
Still, she wasn't worried.
Moments later, the spot where she had stood moments ago was violently struck — Yushiro's attack had narrowly missed.
Landing on a nearby branch, Makomo's sharp eyes scanned the area.
He's not invisible... just concealed.
Though Yushiro's body was hidden, faint sounds still betrayed his movements — footsteps rustling leaves, tiny gusts of wind following his motion.
Makomo's lips curled into a smile.
"You're not good enough," she called out teasingly. "You're too weak."
"You brat!" Yushiro snapped angrily.
He lashed out again and again — but no matter how hard he tried, Makomo dodged with ease.
He couldn't land a single blow.
Yushiro's frustration grew, his rage boiling over.
While Yushiro struggled against Makomo, Sam calmly stepped toward Susamaru and Yahaba.
"Handball..." Susamaru grinned, her face lighting up like a child discovering a new toy.
"Let's play!"
In her hands, two new handballs appeared, spinning rapidly between her fingers.
Sam didn't respond.
Instead, his golden eyes narrowed as detailed information about the two demons appeared in his mind.
Name: Susamaru
Rank: Demon
Abilities: Enhanced Strength, Handball Destruction
Name: Yahaba
Rank: Demon
Abilities: Tracking Eyes, Enhanced Vision
Sam's expression remained cold.
"This won't take long..."