Kocho Kanae saw Kamihara Tetsuya suddenly freeze in place, and immediately realized that the person outside the door meant trouble; her expression turned serious.
Kamihara Tetsuya silently mouthed, "Upper Moon Three!"
Kocho Kanae read Kamihara Tetsuya's lips, and her heart instantly sank. It was truly a case of what she feared most coming true. Her mind raced.
If Upper Moon Three saw Kamihara Tetsuya and her together, it would likely put Kamihara Tetsuya in danger.
If someone had to die, she could do it alone.
With this thought, Kocho Kanae no longer hesitated. She climbed out of bed, instantly burst forward, and rushed towards Kamihara Tetsuya, who had his back to her, tightly wrapping her hands around his neck.
Kamihara Tetsuya was still thinking about how to deal with Akaza, not expecting Kocho Kanae to suddenly attack him. He said in a cold voice, "What do you want?"
"I won't let you die!"
Kocho Kanae revealed a sweet smile on her pretty face.
Kamihara Tetsuya's face froze, and he immediately understood Kocho Kanae's plan. If Akaza saw him colluding with a Demon Slayer, both of them would die!
Kocho Kanae wanted to sacrifice herself so that he could live.
"I will definitely kill you!"
Kocho Kanae deliberately shouted loudly, her voice so loud that it could be heard outside the room; her acting was top-notch.
Kamihara Tetsuya frowned deeply. What should he do? Did he really have to sacrifice Kocho Kanae? But even if they joined forces, they couldn't be Akaza's opponent.
Bang!
After a brief silence outside the room, accompanied by a loud bang, an axe smashed the door lock.
A small, delicate figure broke through the door, saying nervously, "Tetsuya! Are you alright…?"
The newcomer was Akiyama Rinka.
The three of them looked at each other, and an awkward atmosphere filled the air.
Akiyama Rinka's voice grew weaker and weaker. She shyly covered her eyes with her hands, yet couldn't resist peeking through the gaps between her fingers. Those two were really bold.
From her perspective, a beautiful woman was hugging Kamihara Tetsuya from behind; this posture was unusually open.
Kamihara Tetsuya felt the wonderful sensation coming from his back, as if he were in a soft ocean.
"Cough! Cough!"
Kocho Kanae's pretty face flushed slightly, and she feigned an awkward cough twice, slowly releasing Kamihara Tetsuya.
Kamihara Tetsuya secretly sighed in regret, glaring fiercely at Akiyama Rinka, gritting his teeth and saying, "What are you doing? Just knock on the door, why mention the blue spider lily!"
Upon hearing "blue spider lily," under extreme tension, he subconsciously thought it was Akaza.
It would scare him to death!
Akiyama Rinka rubbed her small head and said apologetically, "I heard you muttering that name before, so I thought I'd use it to get your attention."
"Hoo! Hoo!"
Kamihara Tetsuya exhaled a breath of stale air. He turned his head, his gaze searching the surroundings for something handy.
Akiyama Rinka innocently asked, "Tetsuya, what are you looking for? I'll help you find it."
Hearing this, Kamihara Tetsuya steeled himself and reached for the axe Akiyama Rinka used to break open the door.
"Tetsuya, calm down, calm down."
Kocho Kanae quickly stopped Kamihara Tetsuya.
"If I don't hit her a couple of times, I won't be able to vent this anger!" Kamihara Tetsuya was furious.
At this moment, Kamihara Tetsuya felt Kocho Kanae's grip on him getting weaker and weaker. He turned his head and couldn't bother to lecture that little girl, Akiyama Rinka.
Kocho Kanae's face was unnaturally flushed, her eyes drooped, her vitality plummeting, and her hot breath brushed against Kamihara Tetsuya's face.
"I'm sorry, I can't hold on anymore." Kocho Kanae showed a bitter smile on her face and fell backward.
Kamihara Tetsuya reached out to support Kocho Kanae's delicate body, frowning. Her body temperature was so high, like a hot potato, even more serious than he had expected.
Antibiotics didn't exist in this era, and surgery would inevitably cause bacterial infection and inflammation.
Akiyama Rinka asked worriedly, "Who is this big sister?"
Kocho Kanae said in a weak voice, "I am Kocho Kanae, Tetsuya's friend."
Akiyama Rinka's eyes lit up. So strong, she was exactly the ideal woman in her mind.
Kamihara Tetsuya said, "She's injured and needs to cool down. Bring a basin of cold water."
"Yes!"
Akiyama Rinka ran out excitedly.
Kamihara Tetsuya gently placed Kocho Kanae back on the bed. When Akiyama Rinka brought the cold water, he found a wet towel and placed it on her forehead to cool her down.
Kamihara Tetsuya waved his hand at Akiyama Rinka, disdainfully saying, "Alright, you can scram now."
"Tch!"
Akiyama Rinka stuck out her small tongue and whispered, "Just say you want to enjoy your private time."
"Looking for a beating!"
Kamihara Tetsuya glared and raised his fist.
Akiyama Rinka was so scared that she fled in a hurry. When she reached the doorway, she didn't forget to turn back and encourage him, "Go, Tetsuya, a woman like Kanae is hard to find!"
After saying that, she vanished in a flash.
Kocho Kanae smiled, "She's a bit like my younger sister, but Rinka is more lively."
Kamihara Tetsuya said, "She's just too mischievous."
Kocho Kanae chuckled, then her face grew paler. "Cough! Cough!"
"The human body is truly troublesome," Kamihara Tetsuya sighed, feeling even more fortunate that he had obtained the Demon physique. Ordinary human illnesses could no longer bother him.
His few weaknesses were sunlight, the nichirin blade, and wisteria flowers, among others.
And these weaknesses could also be overcome.
Kocho Kanae gently shook her head, "Demons need to eat humans, which means sustaining themselves with the lives of others."
"That's true."
Kamihara Tetsuya nodded. His constitution was special; other Demons needed to constantly eat humans. This was the instinct for Demons to grow stronger, and also their inner greed.
The topic became much heavier, and the atmosphere between them grew somewhat silent.
Kocho Kanae changed the subject, asking curiously, "What is the blue spider lily?"
Akiyama Rinka's words made her notice that Kamihara Tetsuya had clearly become nervous.
Kamihara Tetsuya said, "It's a special flower that Demons are searching for. It's said to help Demons overcome sunlight."
Kocho Kanae's face showed surprise. Being intelligent, she instantly thought of many things.
"I can't tell you more," Kamihara Tetsuya said, pointing to his head. If he said any more, Kibutsuji Muzan would start looking to rip his heart and lungs out.
It was well-known that the same phrase meant two completely different things when applied to different people.
For Kibutsuji Muzan, "rip his heart and lungs out" was a verb.
Kocho Kanae nodded gently. That was enough.
The Demon Slayer Corps had hunted Demons for a thousand years. They had always thought that Demons ate humans and committed evil out of instinct. It turned out that the true purpose of the evil Demons was to find the flower that would allow them to overcome sunlight.
Thump! Thump! Thump!
Suddenly, a series of clearly audible footsteps sounded, like a heavy hammer constantly falling, striking Kamihara Tetsuya and Kocho Kanae's hearts.
Kamihara Tetsuya felt a prickle down his spine. He stiffly turned his head and glanced through the window.
A blood moon appeared in the sky, and a deep, oppressive aura washed over them, like a great mountain pressing down.