"We're already demons. Why are you still so obsessed with your past identity?"
The words burst from the demon's mouth in an almost furious roar.
Soma did not respond. He remained seated cross-legged, eyes slightly closed. It wasn't that he was clinging stubbornly to his former identity, nor was it that he truly couldn't accept becoming a demon. After all, as a demon, one possessed an almost endless lifespan—something countless people could only dream of.
Moreover, after becoming a demon, one's strength surpassed the limits of the human body. Even the weakest demon was, to humans, someone who had broken through physical limits. Even the flaw of being unable to walk in sunlight didn't seem like such a great price to pay.
What Soma truly could not accept was the uncontrollable instinct to devour flesh. He could feel that the more he resisted, the stronger the craving became. Over time, that desire would intensify further and further. Though he could still endure it with sheer willpower for now, one day his will would inevitably be crushed beneath that ever-growing hunger.
Once his will collapsed, he would become a monster who could no longer suppress the urge to consume flesh—a creature stripped of all humanity. That was the real reason he clung to his former identity.
Seeing Soma's silence, the demon seemed to see his own past self—struggling desperately to hold on after first becoming a demon. But in the end, as the instinctive craving for flesh deepened, that resistance had been like a small dam trying to block a raging flood. Under repeated impacts, it had eventually collapsed completely.
In this world, no demon could escape that instinct. Not even the first demon—the progenitor, Muzan Kibutsuji—could free himself from it.
There was no demon in this world who did not devour humans.
"One day, you'll become just like me."
Thinking this, and looking at Soma stubbornly enduring before him, the demon let out a mocking laugh. He picked up the thigh bone from the ground and resumed gnawing at it. Tender, juicy flesh burst in his mouth. Once you tasted it even once, you would understand how delicious it was—you would inevitably become addicted.
If Lord Muzan hadn't imposed restrictions on each demon, he would hunt countless prey every single day.
Aside from Lord Muzan's limitations, there were also those detestable demon slayers. They constantly pursued them. Once targeted, a demon could hardly know peace.
Those hunters, though merely weak humans, could temporarily attain physical abilities comparable to demons through breathing techniques. They also wielded Nichirin Blades capable of truly killing demons.
Of course, what made them especially troublesome was their ruthless methods. They preferred to locate demons during the daytime and then find ways to expose them to sunlight.
At the thought of sunlight, the demon instinctively felt a trace of disgust—and fear.
As he devoured flesh, his gaze occasionally drifted toward Soma. He could sense the unparalleled craving in Soma's body for the flesh he was eating. Though Soma was forcibly suppressing his demonic instinct, that instinct would only grow stronger day by day.
"You won't last much longer."
The demon swallowed a large chunk of flesh and looked at Soma. "Let's see—can you hold out one more day? Two days? Or… three?"
"Ha…"
Soma suddenly opened his eyes. Bloodshot and cold, they locked onto the demon opposite him.
Yet soon enough, his gaze instinctively shifted—to the thigh bone in the demon's hand.
"Gulp!"
"Gulp!"
His throat moved involuntarily. The scent of food made every cell in his body quiver, urging him to devour the alluring flesh just like the demon before him.
Under the pressure of that instinct, his willpower seemed to be gradually yielding, whispering to him: Just one bite. Just one bite is enough.
Feeling the body's primal craving, feeling his will falter under its assault, Soma's face turned extremely grim. He clenched his fists tightly. If this continued, he would eventually become like the demon before him—a monster who could no longer suppress the urge to consume flesh, stripped of all humanity.
Such an outcome was absolutely unacceptable to him. But what could he change? No matter how firm his resolve, how could human will truly resist the instinct of a demon? For thousands of years, not a single demon had been able to overcome this impulse.
If there was one exception, it was Nezuko, who had also become a demon.
Even Nezuko's ability to overcome that instinct came not only from her own determination, but also from the help of the "Water Hashira," Sakonji Urokodaki.
And it wasn't just Urokodaki's help. The anime had subtly hinted at another detail—that Nezuko had once consumed the Blue Spider Lily, a flower capable of remedying a demon's fatal flaw. It was the very thing Muzan Kibutsuji had pursued for a thousand years without success—something that could make him, who was infinitely close to perfection, truly flawless.
It was likely because Nezuko had ingested the Blue Spider Lily that she was different. In a thousand years, she was the first exception—the first demon who did not devour humans.
Soma, however, had never consumed the Blue Spider Lily. No matter how hard he tried to endure, the demonic instinct and craving for flesh pressed harder upon him with each passing day. He could faintly sense that he might not be able to hold out much longer.
Watching Soma swallow repeatedly, the demon curled his lips in mockery.
"See? I told you—you won't last."
Soma abruptly stood up. A smile spread across the demon's face. "See? In the end, we're the same. Stop treating those weak creatures as our own kind."
As he spoke, the demon lifted the thigh bone in his hand.
But Soma did not look at it. Nor did he take a single step toward the demon.
Instead, he turned and walked toward the cave's exit.
The demon froze, puzzled—and curious. Curious about what Soma intended to do. He followed behind him.
Soon, the two of them drew closer and closer to the cave entrance. The nearer they got, the more a sense of dread rose within the demon. An indescribable palpitating fear filled his entire being. Almost instinctively, he stopped in his tracks, staring ahead with both disgust and apprehension.
At the mouth of the cave, sunlight poured down.
Darkness dissolved beneath it, and faint warmth could be felt within those rays.
It was the warmth of sunlight they could once bask in as humans.
But now—
To a demon, that warm sunlight was the most terrifying thing in the world.