Upon hearing that some swordsmen might move against Soma, Makomo stood up in fury.
"Why… why would they do this?"
"Just because he is a demon, he deserves to be killed? Just because he is a demon, everything he has done should be ignored as if it never happened?"
"It is true that Soma is a demon, but ever since he became one, he has never devoured a single human nor committed any evil deed. Why must all the sins of demons and all the hatred toward demons be piled onto him?"
"Becoming a demon was never something Soma chose."
At this moment, Makomo was truly, unusually angry.
Perhaps she herself had once held similar thoughts and had distanced herself from Soma because of his identity as a demon. Now she felt especially furious at behavior that mirrored her own past actions.
"I cannot accept it either, but these people… neither I nor Oyakata-sama can persuade them."
Kanae Kocho's voice carried a trace of shame.
When she had first learned that Soma was a demon, she too had been shocked—unable to believe it at first. After confirming it, she had to admit she felt somewhat uncomfortable. Yet Kanae had quickly come to accept it.
After all, she had always held the gentle belief that demons could be saved. Deep in her heart, she had never truly seen them as mere monsters, but as people who had lost themselves and fallen into hell.
That was why, upon learning Soma's true nature, she had accepted it without much difficulty.
"I also find it hard to accept," came an angry voice from beside Kanae and Shinobu. "These people are truly despicable. Have they not seen everything Soma has done? Have they not seen the efforts he made to slay Muzan Kibutsuji?"
The furious words drew everyone's attention.
The speaker seemed even angrier than Makomo. She appeared more indignant on Soma's behalf than anyone else, more outraged than anyone at how these swordsmen viewed him.
The voice belonged to a girl of about fourteen or fifteen. Her skin was fair, and she wore the standard Demon Slayer Corps uniform.
"This is…?"
Soma asked curiously.
To be honest, most people who came to see him these days were his own people—those who had already accepted his identity as a demon in their hearts. But this girl was completely unfamiliar to him. He was certain he had never met her before.
"This is Yuko Nishimura," Kanae Kocho introduced. "After hearing about Soma, she was filled with indignation. When she learned that my sister and I were coming here, she insisted on coming along."
"I have always respected Soma greatly. I have always regarded him as the person I admire most. I have heard many stories about the things he did in the Demon Slayer Corps and have long hoped for the chance to meet him one day."
Yuko Nishimura stepped forward, placed her small hands on her abdomen, and bowed slightly.
Soma was momentarily at a loss. He shook his head and said,
"No matter what, I am still a demon."
"That is not true, Soma."
Yuko immediately refuted him. "I used to follow Shinobu-neesan closely and heard her speak of you many times. I know what kind of person you are. I do not believe that just because you are a demon, everything else should be denied."
As she spoke, Yuko lifted her head and looked at Soma. Her eyes were filled with pure admiration.
The girl's worshipful, burning gaze left Soma momentarily dazed.
Yet he also felt puzzled.
As a Demon Slayer who hunted demons, as someone who should harbor deep hatred toward them, as someone whose happiness had most likely been destroyed by demons—could she truly not care about his identity as a demon at all?
Unconsciously, his gaze shifted toward Shinobu.
"Yuko Nishimura has indeed mentioned many things about Soma before," Shinobu said softly. There was a hint of confusion in her eyes. She had never noticed before that Yuko admired Soma to this degree.
She glanced at the girl a few more times.
"I have always looked forward to meeting you, Soma. I am truly happy to see you today." Yuko continued speaking. At the same time, she took out a carefully sewn haori from the cloth bundle she carried with her.
"This is something I have been sewing for many days. I have always hoped to give it to you one day."
The girl unfolded the haori and looked at Soma, her eyes full of admiration.
The haori was beautifully crafted, the stitching meticulous. It was clear she had poured her heart into it.
"Thank you."
Although Soma still felt some doubt in his heart, he could sense the girl's genuine admiration and affection toward him, and it made him quite happy.
"May I… put this haori on you myself?"
Just as Soma was about to accept the gift, Yuko spoke again. Her eyes were filled with anticipation as she asked. Those large eyes were so pleading that it was almost impossible to refuse.
"…All right, then."
Soma found the request strange, but after thinking it over, he decided it was only a haori. There was no harm in letting her put it on him.
"Th-this is wonderful!"
Yuko looked extremely happy—almost excited. "I knew Soma is a good person. I knew you would agree to my request."
Hearing the girl's praise, Soma was momentarily speechless. Was his standing in her eyes really that high?
"I will put it on for you, Soma."
Yuko had already stepped forward with the haori in her hands, her eyes brimming with admiration.
Soma did not refuse.
The girl gently draped the haori over his shoulders.
"Soma, do you know about my past?"
As she adjusted the haori on him, Yuko suddenly asked.
Soma shook his head.
At that moment, Yuko's delicate face showed a trace of sorrow, and her voice grew heavy. "I once had a very happy family. We all lived together in happiness. But then a demon appeared… and my entire family was eaten. Only I survived."
Soma felt pity for the girl before him. At the same time, he was confused. She had been hurt so deeply by demons, yet she admired him—a demon—so much. It did not make sense.
Then Yuko's gentle face twisted into something ferocious.
"That day, I was the only one who survived from inside a demon's mouth. That very day, I swore an oath: as long as I could wipe out every last demon in this world, I would do anything."
"And you… are now the last… one demon."
The admiration in Yuko's eyes vanished completely in that instant, replaced by pure, overwhelming hatred toward demons.
At some point, a small vial had appeared in her hand.
Under the warm sunlight, the liquid inside glowed with a soft blue light, beautiful like blooming wisteria flowers.
The moment Shinobu saw the vial, her expression changed drastically.
It was the medicine that could turn a demon into a human.
Back then, she and Tamayo had created two vials of this drug in order to deal with Muzan Kibutsuji. One vial had been taken by Tamayo and injected into Muzan himself—it became the key to killing him.
The other vial had remained in Shinobu's possession. After Muzan's death, she had sealed it away for safekeeping.
Now that this vial had appeared here, it was obvious that Yuko Nishimura had stolen the one Shinobu had hidden.