Although he had become a demon, the memories of his human life had not disappeared. If time passed without any other changes, Soma would eventually, like other demons, gradually forget his human memories—until he existed entirely as a demon.
This was the fate of nearly all those turned into demons by Muzan Kibutsuji. No matter how attached they were to their human past, eventually it would fade.
But at least for the current Soma, he still retained his self-awareness and continued to regard himself as human internally. The education he had received also carried distinctions between men and women, leaving him somewhat considerate.
Now, however, the situation was different. Kanao Tsuyuri could not bathe alone, and he could not summon a woman to help.
Moreover, Kanao was still just a child, so there was no need to overthink it.
"I'll help you."
Looking at Kanao still standing there blankly, Soma spoke helplessly.
Kanao just tilted her head and looked up at him.
...
Kanao's clothes were already tattered and filthy, with stains that had almost hardened into mud. Yet even as Soma removed them to throw them away, she clung to them with reluctance.
Soma could understand this. After all, it was Kanao's only piece of clothing. Though thin, worn, and stained, it at least offered some warmth on cold nights—even if it was minimal.
Once the filthy clothes were removed, her tiny, frail body was revealed. Her skin was wrapped in grime, and her body was covered in scars—some fresh and still bleeding, some old.
Her body was nearly a tapestry of wounds.
It was almost unimaginable.
At this moment, Soma even felt some regret for having killed her father so easily—he thought perhaps the man should have endured more suffering before meeting his end.
"You've truly... suffered so much," he sighed softly, looking at her.
Kanao raised her head, her beautiful pink-purple eyes showing some confusion. She did not fully understand what "suffered" meant; her life had always been like this, and she assumed the world was naturally so.
Soma said nothing further. He picked up a towel and began washing Kanao's body, applying gentle pressure over her scars.
The old, healed scars didn't hurt when touched, but the fresh, bloody ones still sent tiny stabs of pain even under the lightest touch. Kanao instinctively shrank slightly at these spots.
"Does it hurt?"
Soma asked with concern.
She immediately shook her head—there was no real pain. Although touching the fresh wounds caused a pinprick sensation, she had long been accustomed to it. Instead, the towel's gentle touch, the softness…
She realized that she had never been treated so tenderly.
It was like being used to shivering in harsh winter snow, and suddenly feeling the warmth of the sun for the first time. At first, she didn't immediately recognize the warmth—she felt slightly unaccustomed—but instinctively she craved it.
The towel, damp with hot water, gradually washed away the dirt from Kanao's body.
"Close your eyes."
Warm water poured over her head, soaking her tangled, slightly matted hair.
Kanao obediently closed her eyes, letting the water run from the crown of her head, down her forehead, and onto her long lashes.
Soma had never helped anyone bathe before and was rather clumsy, but even so, for Kanao Tsuyuri, this was a level of gentleness she had never experienced.
...
After the bath, the basin of water had turned pitch black, showing just how much dirt had been on her body.
Once cleaned and dressed in fresh clothes, her dusty little face was revealed, almost like two completely different people—the girl now resembled a precious gem freed from layers of grime, radiating the natural glow of her own beauty.
Kanao stood somewhat awkwardly, suddenly stripped clean, no longer covered in filth, wearing clothes she had never before had the chance to wear, warm and clean. Her tangled hair no longer fell over her eyes.
All of this felt unfamiliar to her.
Yet,
She inexplicably felt a sense of liking, a spark of joy.
"Liking," "joy"—these unfamiliar emotions, suddenly surging in her heart, left Kanao standing there somewhat bewildered, like a stunned, gawking goose.
Soma watched the girl, now seemingly transformed.
Her delicate body was still petite, and the scars and frail frame that had previously been visible were now hidden beneath the clean clothing.
Her slender figure, soft waist, and straight legs—now washed clean—hinted simply at the potential of a beautiful young woman.
For a brief moment, Soma felt as if Kanao Tsuyuri had stepped out from the anime screen into the real world. But quickly, he reminded himself: this was the current Kanao, not the fully grown, graceful, and quietly confident girl she would become in the future. Right now, she still radiated youthfulness and a naive, stunned innocence.
"You really are quite pretty," Soma couldn't help but praise.
Hearing this, Kanao tilted her head, her eyes filled with curiosity.
Seeing her so blankly attentive, Soma laughed softly. He reached out his hand, and the little girl ran to his arms as naturally as a fledgling returning to its nest.
Gently stroking Kanao's head, he said warmly, "Let's leave this place."
Kanao seemed to have no particular thoughts of her own, simply tilting her head to look at him. He smiled and playfully brushed her nose.
Her beautiful pink-purple eyes blinked.
Soma took her hand and walked out of the room, the gentle moonlight falling over them.
Passing the woodshed, he paused briefly. Kanao tilted her head to look at him, curious why he had stopped.
Soma glanced toward the woodshed, where her father's corpse had been discarded—the life he had personally ended, the only remaining blood relative of Kanao.
For any child, losing a father in such a way would be cruel. Kanao did not yet understand the significance, though perhaps she would in the future.
Still, Soma could not help but smile. Such a father, he thought, held no reason for any child to linger on, and certainly nothing for Kanao to care about.
"Kanao, once we leave, we will never come back."
Soma looked down at the girl, who tilted her head toward him.
Kanao obediently nodded.
Soma took her hand and led her away. All the while, Kanao never once glanced at the woodshed holding the corpse of her dead father.