Chapter 80: He is a Through-and-Through Demon Who Toys with the Hearts of Men
Countless thoughts in Kocho Shinobu's mind collided and shattered like a train derailed.
The toxicological knowledge she took pride in,
the determination she had to cruelly transform herself for revenge, injecting wisteria poison day after day,
the Insect Breathing she took pride in, and even her dignity as a swordsman of the Demon Slayer Corps,
at this moment, in front of this man, were all crushed to pieces.
"He not only knows about wisteria poison, he can even 'see' through my body..."
She couldn't defeat him.
This was a cruel, objective fact.
Even if she weren't tied up now, even if she held a nichirin sword in her hand,
in front of this demon, any of her attacks would be as laughable as a child waving a tree branch.
And what made her feel most desperate was her sister Kanae's attitude.
Her sister would protect this demon.
"The Demon Slayer Corps already considers you traitors,"
"You can't go back,"
"Your sister is very obedient to me now"...
Kocho Shinobu looked at Tatsu's face.
It was a handsome, calm face, even possessing a bit of a refined human aura.
However, in Kocho Shinobu's eyes, this face was ten million times more terrifying than any hideous,
drooling demon she had ever seen.
Those low-level demons only greedily devoured human flesh and blood,
but the man before her,
this demon named Tatsu, devoured people's hope, people's sanity, and the fates of others.
He was a through-and-through demon who toyed with the hearts of men.
She couldn't provoke him, absolutely not.
Because her sister was still in his hands.
Because they already had no way out.
She couldn't be impulsive; she had to endure.
For her sister's sake, she could endure anything.
Kocho Shinobu bit her lower lip tightly until a faint metallic taste of blood spread through her mouth.
Her body, which had been tense with anger,
seemed to have all its strength drained at this moment, slowly and dejectedly relaxing.
She closed her eyes and forced herself to swallow the hatred and humiliation in her chest that almost burned her to ash.
When she opened her eyes again,
the obvious fury had already faded from those purple eyes,
replaced by a calm like stagnant water.
She looked at Tatsu and spat out a single word from those bloodless cherry lips:
"Fine..."
She admitted defeat; in the face of absolute power and her sister's safety, she bowed her proud head.
Tatsu walked straight to the table where Kocho Shinobu's weapon lay.
He reached out, gripped the hilt of that nichirin sword, and picked it up.
The nichirin sword, a weapon forged from Scarlet Crimson Iron Sand and Scarlet Crimson Ore,
naturally contained the power of the sun and was the only effective tool for slaying demons.
However, when this sword was held in Tatsu's hand, no reaction of rejection occurred.
He swung the nichirin sword in his hand casually.
Then, Tatsu turned around and looked down at Kocho Shinobu lying on the tatami.
His gaze fell on Kocho Shinobu's pale yet still beautiful face,
the corners of his mouth curling into a faint, mocking smile.
"Right..."
Tatsu spoke slowly,
"In a moment, you can try to tell your sister about everything that happened tonight,
and our conversation, word for word."
Tatsu held the nichirin sword,
the tip of the blade stopping just a few inches from Kocho Shinobu's cheek.
Tatsu leaned down slightly, his blood-red eyes staring straight at Kocho Shinobu,
his tone filled with undisguised threat and playfulness:
"Only, before you speak, you'd better think through the consequences of failure yourself.
You can try and see if Kanae will believe you, her hate-filled and emotionally unstable sister,
or if she will believe me.
You can try and see what kind of situation your sister will face if your big mouth breaks the current balance.
Since I was able to survive the pursuit of the Demon Slayer Corps,
I naturally have the ability to make you both fall into an even deeper abyss.
Understand?"
Kocho Shinobu didn't know what methods Tatsu had used to bewitch her sister,
but she knew clearly that going to complain to her sister now would not only yield no chance of winning,
but might instead provoke this fickle demon and bring total disaster upon her sister.
Kocho Shinobu looked at the blade tip close at hand and then at Tatsu's cold face, her voice exceptionally calm:
"Fine... I understand."
Since brute force wouldn't work, since poison was ineffective, and since there was no way to report him,
then she could only change her strategy.
She would lie low, she would observe,
and she would search for even a single flaw in this demon.
But before that, she had to wear a mask and play the role of an obedient prey.
"Then..."
Kocho Shinobu slightly lifted her chin, and on that previously expressionless face,
a gentle smile as warm as a spring breeze suddenly bloomed.
Her voice changed along with it; it was no longer cold like before,
but had regained that characteristic, soft tone with a slight nasal quality,
"Mr. Demon, since I've already agreed to your terms,
can you untie me now?"
Looking at her deceptive smile, Tatsu couldn't help but marvel inwardly; she truly was Kocho Shinobu.
Even in such a desperate situation, she could still quickly adjust her mindset and put on that iconic mask.
But on the surface, Tatsu remained impassive,
he withdrew the nichirin sword and calmly uttered two words:
"Of course."
Before his voice had even faded, Tatsu's wrist gave a slight flick.
"Swish—"
An extremely faint yet incredibly fast flash of cold light zipped through the air.
Kocho Shinobu didn't even see clearly how Tatsu had swung the sword,
she only felt a chill at her wrists and ankles,
and immediately after, the ropes that had kept her immobile snapped inch by inch, scattering onto the tatami.
What a fast blade! What terrifying precision!
The ropes had been tight against her skin; even the swordsman most skilled in precision strikes in the Demon Slayer Corps
would find it absolutely impossible
to use this nichirin sword, which was only suited for thrusting, to instantly cut all the ropes without harming a single hair on her skin.
But Tatsu had done it, nonchalantly, as easily as reaching into a pocket.
The strength of this demon was unfathomable.
Tatsu casually tossed the nichirin sword in his hand; after it flipped a few times in the air,
the hilt landed accurately toward Kocho Shinobu.
"Returning it to you."
With quick eyes and hands, Kocho Shinobu caught the nichirin sword mid-air.
The familiar weight and feel returned, making her heart settle slightly.
She didn't make any move to attack, because she knew it would be meaningless.
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