The crimson sunlight struck Mizuki's profile, and her wine-red long hair seemed to be coated in a thin layer of radiance.
Tanjirou's eyes narrowed slightly.
It was as if... he had seen this scene somewhere before... The sight before him seemed to shift momentarily; Mizuki's delicate earlobes looked like they had something hanging from them, and even the house behind her seemed to change slightly in Tanjirou's vision.
No, even Miss Mizuki's height seemed to have inexplicably increased by a head.
But when Tanjirou shook his head and looked again, there was no abnormality whatsoever.
Was it because he had been too tired lately?
His eyes were playing tricks on him.
Seeing everyone finally return, Mizuki sighed in relief. At least they hadn't forgotten her.
Mizuki said helplessly, "You guys are working too hard."
Tanjirou scratched his head sheepishly, "Sorry, I was thinking of helping chop more firewood."
After all, they were leaving tomorrow.
But with so much firewood, it seemed impossible to carry it all back today.
Tanjirou and the others moved the unmovable piles of firewood inside the house to prevent them from getting wet in the rain.
Looking at the clean house, Tanjirou smiled slightly, "Miss Mizuki, thank you."
"Hmm?"
Mizuki turned around, but Tanjirou had already left the room.
Thank her for what?
Shouldering the remaining firewood, the group marched grandly down the mountain.
The firewood left inside the house would have to be slowly carried down the mountain later by Takeo and his brother.
Although Zenitsu was covered in dirt today, he rarely complained. Instead, he helped his brother carry a large bundle of firewood.
Inosuke, on the other hand, always seemed energetic no matter what he was doing; even after a full day of strenuous work, he was still lively and jumping around.
They returned to the house down the mountain.
"Oh~ So this is the blue spider lily?" Inosuke, looking strangely sagely, leaned his face close to the flower, close enough that the breath exhaled from his nostrils touched the petals.
Mizuki's eyelid twitched. Before anyone could get a good look, she put the flower away, safeguarding it carefully.
Everyone looked at Mizuki in unison.
Mizuki remained silent, acting as if nothing had happened.
Sorry, it wasn't that she didn't trust them, but that they were utterly untrustworthy.
She could confidently entrust her back to them during battle, but during peacetime, these two were the most dangerous ones.
Especially Inosuke. Tanjirou was actually fine; he hadn't been led astray by the two of them.
She didn't want them messing around and destroying her flower later.
Considering how quickly the spider lily would wither, everyone left early the next morning.
Before leaving, while Kie Kamado was making breakfast, Tanjirou secretly hid money under his mother's quilt.
The three people and one Demon rushed along the road without the slightest delay. Even Zenitsu, who had previously complained about the heat, silently kept up with the group.
Upon returning to the Demon Slayer Corps headquarters, Mizuki immediately took Nezuko straight to Tamayo's location.
In the laboratory, Tamayo was observing something under a microscope when a cheerful, noisy voice suddenly pierced her ears.
"Tamayo, Tamayo, look what I brought you."
"idiot! Don't yell like that!"
Yushiro's dissatisfied complaints followed close behind.
"My bad, my bad."
Mizuki's voice sounded from the doorway, though it didn't convey any sense of remorse.
With a creak, the door was pushed open.
Tamayo's gaze, which held three parts helplessness and seven parts indulgence, froze slightly when she saw what Mizuki was holding.
Her eyes widened, and she asked in astonishment, "Is this..."
Mizuki smiled slightly, "The blue spider lily."
"I traveled a long way just to bring it to you."
Mizuki entered the room, placed Nezuko on the sofa, and approached Tamayo, handing over the spider lily.
Due to the hot weather, the flower was already looking a bit wilted.
Yushiro looked completely shocked. Was that the blue spider lily?
Tamayo's look of surprise hadn't faded yet. She gently took the flower in her hand, "This is the blue spider lily?"
"The thing Muzan has always dreamed of."
Mizuki smiled, "Yes. See if you can use this spider lily to overcome the weakness to sunlight."
Tamayo paused in surprise, "Overcome sunlight?"
Mizuki was also stunned, "Is there a problem?"
Tamayo didn't speak, but stared at Mizuki distractedly, wondering what she was thinking.
Mizuki felt a little creeped out by her stare.
After a long time, Tamayo gently shook her head, "There is no need..."
"Eh?"
Tamayo looked at her with soft eyes, "Yushiro and I didn't choose to stand with everyone else just to overcome sunlight."
"But this..." Mizuki looked back at Yushiro, noticing that he had no objection to Tamayo's words.
"Furthermore, Yushiro and I are different from Mizuki; we don't have the ability to protect ourselves against Muzan."
Mizuki heard this, and the words caught in her throat.
That seemed to make some sense.
Without thinking further, she nodded, "Then let's talk about it after defeating Muzan."
Tamayo's expression was somewhat complicated, but before Mizuki looked up, she smoothed her brow and smiled gently.
"Although we won't use it, I can study it a bit to see if there are any new discoveries that could help in defeating Muzan."
"I appreciate it." Mizuki nodded slightly, "Also, could you check Nezuko's physical condition?"
"Are there any new changes in her cells?" She opened Nezuko's box and carried her out.
Nezuko thought her older sister wanted to play with her, but before she could reach out, she was pressed down onto a chair.
And then came the blood draw.
Tamayo placed Nezuko's sample under the microscope to observe, "Hmm, it's hard to say, but there are indeed subtle changes compared to before."
"It might require a certain catalyst."
Mizuki asked, "Can the spider lily be used?"
Tamayo gave her a puzzled look. Although she felt Nezuko's body was changing, and considering she might have mistakenly consumed the blue spider lily before, overcoming sunlight might be possible.
But she vaguely felt that what Mizuki wanted to express was slightly different from what she understood.
She didn't know how to describe it, but she felt Mizuki was a little too concerned about the matter of overcoming sunlight.
She asked, "Mizuki, why are you so concerned about Nezuko overcoming sunlight?"
Why was she concerned?
Mizuki was momentarily stunned. Of course, it was because Nezuko overcame sunlight later in the plot.
The plot point of overcoming sunlight must be a crucial element.
"Because I think Nezuko can help everyone defeat Muzan?"
Mizuki gave an answer that utterly bewildered Tamayo.
Tamayo couldn't help but tilt her head, a hint of confusion in her eyes, "Help?"
"Yes."
"What kind of help?"
"What kind of help? Of course, it's..." Mizuki suddenly trailed off.
Wait, why was it again?
The bond bonus that shonen protagonists must have?
The plot where the human elder brother and the Demon younger sister join forces to defeat the Demon King.
Wasn't that right?
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