Yuko Nishimura was dead.
A swordsman whose happiness had once been destroyed by a demon, whose heart was filled with hatred toward demons, had stolen Shinobu's medicine and tried to use the very drug that had once been used against Muzan Kibutsuji on Soma. She had been killed by Kanao.
Kanao had slit Yuko's throat with a single stroke and calmly stepped back.
To Kanao, killing a fellow swordsman seemed like a very ordinary thing — or rather, a very correct thing.
Anyone who tried to harm her uncle deserved to die.
In fact, at this moment, Kanao even regretted acting too late. She was annoyed with herself for not noticing Yuko's hatred toward her uncle sooner, which had allowed him to be hurt.
Still, ending someone's life so easily was wrong.
Perhaps that was how others saw it.
But from Soma's perspective, Kanao had done nothing wrong.
Even if she had truly done something wrong, in Soma's eyes, it would still be right.
Just as Yuko had believed that because Soma was a demon, he would eventually become like all the others, Soma felt the exact same way about Kanao in this matter.
No matter what Kanao did, he would stand firmly by her side.
But there were still others watching.
"Don't let it happen again."
Soma glanced at Kanao beside him, his voice carrying a trace of sadness. "Even if someone is trying to harm me, we cannot simply end their life so easily."
When he spoke, his tone was heavy.
Only then did everyone snap out of the sudden turn of events. Even Kanae Kocho and Shinobu, upon hearing his sorrowful words, felt more sympathy — and anger — toward what Soma had just endured.
This had gone too far.
Yuko Nishimura's actions had been completely excessive.
As for losing her life because of it… while it was severe, what she had done made people far angrier.
How could she have done something like that?
They were indignant on Soma's behalf.
Of course, everyone also felt a certain amount of worry — worry that Soma might truly be provoked by Yuko into abandoning the line he had always held and becoming a demon like Muzan Kibutsuji.
"Don't worry. Everything I said to Yuko just now was a joke. How could I ever become that kind of demon?"
He spoke softly.
"I was simply angry earlier."
Or rather, it had been his way of retaliating — making sure that even in death, Yuko would die filled with pain and regret.
It might have been a little cruel.
But so what?
If she had chosen to act against him, she should have considered this possible outcome.
...
Kanae Kocho looked at Yuko's lifeless body on the ground. In her mind, she replayed everything that had just happened.
Deep down, she did not agree with Yuko's actions or her view of demons. However, she could not deny that Yuko's way of thinking was not unique within the Demon Slayer Corps.
In fact, a large number of swordsmen shared similar views toward demons.
For example, Sanemi Shinazugawa held an extremely strong hatred toward demons. These past few days, he had been suffering greatly from regret. Because Soma, as a demon, had managed to overcome a demon's urges and hold onto his humanity, Sanemi wondered if other demons might be capable of the same. If that were possible, then perhaps his mother, who had turned into a demon back then, could have been saved as well. If there had been even a chance, then killing her with his own hands… had that been a mistake? Why had he never considered trying to save her instead?
This was how some people viewed demons.
But even more people harbored a greater fear toward Soma — the fear that one day, this demon might abandon the line of humanity he had always upheld. After all, he was an even more perfect demon than Muzan Kibutsuji.
This kind of worry was actually the mainstream view within the Demon Slayer Corps.
Whether it was Kiriya Ubuyashiki, Gyomei Himejima, or Kyojuro Rengoku — all of them carried this concern. They simply weren't as extreme as Yuko Nishimura had been.
But the worry still existed.
Because a perfect demon who surpassed Muzan Kibutsuji was simply too terrifying.
"I will never let something like this happen again."
Kanae Kocho spoke up at this moment, making a firm promise.
Neither Kiriya Ubuyashiki, Gyomei Himejima, nor Kyojuro Rengoku had considered that actions like Yuko's were actually pushing Soma closer and closer to walking the same path as Muzan Kibutsuji.
Just like the angry words Soma had been forced to say earlier — they might not have been entirely lies.
Kanae felt that this kind of behavior absolutely could not be allowed to happen again. Once she returned, she would have to explain everything clearly to Kiriya Ubuyashiki.
Soma raised his head and glanced at Kanae before lowering it again, lost in thought.
"I'm truly sorry that something like this occurred."
Kanae's voice was filled with guilt. She had never expected Yuko Nishimura to appear.
"It's all my fault. I never thought Yuko would steal the medicine I had already sealed away."
Shinobu stood nearby, her small hands clenched tightly as she gritted her teeth.
From beginning to end, Soma had not spoken a single word. He simply sat there with his head slightly lowered. Everyone was starting to worry.
"Please don't mind it, Soma. People as fanatical as Yuko Nishimura are ultimately only a minority. Most people…"
Kanae stepped forward, deeply concerned that this incident might leave a scar in Soma's heart.
Even she knew that saying these things right now probably wouldn't help much. If she were in his position, it would be difficult not to feel hurt and disappointed.
"There's no need to apologize."
Soma finally lifted his head.
"What did Yuko do wrong? What's wrong with her worrying that I might eventually become a demon like Muzan Kibutsuji? After all, that's how almost every demon is. It's only natural to have such concerns."
"Even…"
He looked directly at Kanae.
"Don't you have the same worries?"
Kanae fell silent at once.
Although she truly believed in her heart that Soma would never become like Muzan Kibutsuji, if she were honest with herself… she had indeed had such thoughts before.
"See? Even you think that way. There are probably many others in the Demon Slayer Corps who feel the same. If more people learn about my identity as a demon, what kind of worries will they have then?"
"No, that won't happen. It won't."
Kanae quickly shook her head.
"So many people already know I'm a demon. How can we guarantee that my identity won't be exposed? Should we just kill all of them?"
Kanae fell silent once more.
Killing that many swordsmen… how could they possibly do something like that?
"So, the only way to completely resolve this matter right now…"
He looked at Kanae, his voice calm.
"…is for this demon to die completely. Only then will there no longer be such worries."
As he spoke, he raised his head and looked toward the sky.
"Otherwise, things like what happened today will not be the first time… and they certainly won't be the last."