Yushiro retreated to Tamayo's side, glaring at Hatsune with hatred.
Hatsune remained wary of the two demons in front of him. Although Tamayo claimed they wouldn't harm him and Nae, a demon was still a demon.
Tamayo handed the collected blood sample to Yushiro, who carefully stored it away.
"Are you from the Demon Slayer Corps?" Tamayo asked casually, not because she didn't know their identity, but to ease the awkward atmosphere.
Nae glanced at Hatsune beside her. When Hatsune didn't respond, she didn't dare to speak either.
Tamayo wasn't upset by their silence. She smiled gently, "In that case, we won't disturb you any longer." With a slight nod and a simple gesture of farewell, she turned to leave.
"Wait a minute," Hatsune quickly called out as they were about to go.
"Is there something you need, sir? Or do you intend to fulfill your duty as a Demon Slayer and kill us?" Tamayo asked with a light tone despite the seriousness of the question.
Hatsune hesitated for a moment but soon regained his composure. "I have a few questions I want to ask you."
"Is that how you ask someone questions? Rude! I have nothing to tell you," Yushiro snapped, still angry from earlier, and turned to Tamayo. "Tamayo-sama, let's not deal with this madman and stay far away from him."
"Yushiro, do not insult this gentleman. He acted out of necessity. You were drawing blood, but he might have thought you were trying to harm the young lady," Tamayo reprimanded gently.
Hearing this, Nae felt a surge of relief and gratitude. She sneaked a glance at Hatsune and quickly looked down, thinking, "You wouldn't abandon me after all. All that talk about not caring anymore was just to scare me."
Hatsune, hearing Tamayo's words, felt speechless. He wanted to explain that he hadn't thought that at all, that he was only trying to reduce their power or gain leverage.
In the end, he decided not to argue, wanting only to ask his questions.
Seeing Tamayo's stern expression, Yushiro grudgingly fell silent after a final glare at Hatsune.
"If you truly have questions, let's not discuss them here while undressed. There's still time tonight; let's talk in the hall," Tamayo suggested.
Nae suddenly realized she was only wearing swim shorts and a bellyband. She quickly covered her chest with her hands and crouched down in embarrassment.
Though Hatsune was also shirtless, he seemed unaffected by the women's words. The group walked out, with Nae at the back.
After changing into their clothes, they gathered in the hot spring hall's lounge area.
"My name is Tamayo, and this is Yushiro. What are your names?"
"I'm Nae Kanroji, and he's Hatsune Kanroji. Tamayo-san, Yushiro-san, I apologize for earlier," Nae said politely.
"No need for you to apologize; he should be the one apologizing," Yushiro said, glaring at Hatsune.
Hatsune returned the glare, neither backing down.
"Alright, Yushiro, don't dwell on the past. Anyone would have been cautious seeing us in that situation. You should be thankful Hatsune didn't decapitate you," Tamayo scolded gently.
Feeling even more wronged, Yushiro wanted to argue but fell silent upon seeing Tamayo's stern expression.
"What do you want to ask, Hatsune?" Tamayo inquired.
Hatsune paused for a moment before speaking, "I want to inquire about two people, or rather... two..."
He couldn't bring himself to say "demons." He couldn't believe his sister had turned into a demon, nor that the man would have let her go.
Clenching his fists, Hatsune finally mustered the strength to utter the two names. "One is called Yuki and the other... is called Akiyama."
Nae thoughts hearing the name for the first time and realizing it must be significant to Hatsune.
Perhaps Hatsune joined the Demon Slayer Corps because of her, she speculated. But why was he asking Tamayo about her? Could it be...?
Nae's own thoughts startled her, and she quickly shook her head to dispel the fear. Yet, seeing Hatsune's pale, terrified, and pained expression seemed to confirm her suspicions.
"Why are you asking me about these two people? What's your relationship with them?" Tamayo questioned.
"A few months ago, I was still living in the snowy mountains. One day, the man named Yuki returned. He killed everyone in the village. My sister offered herself in exchange for my life. Back then, I didn't know what 'demons' were. After joining the Demon Slayer Corps, I realized that Yuki was a demon, just like you."
Nae finally understood why Hatsune joined the Demon Slayer Corps, the scars all over his body, his cold and lonely demeanor—everything was a result of that tragedy.
He wasn't naturally stoic; the pain had made him this way. The constant suffering had drained all his energy, leaving only a stoic facade.
Tamayo's expression turned sympathetic, another human tragedy caused by Muzan Kibutsuji. He treated human lives like grass, indifferent to their suffering. One day, he would pay for his sins.
"I haven't heard of those names. We are different from other demons," Tamayo said, shaking her head regretfully.
Indeed, they were different.
"As a member of the Demon Slayer Corps, you must have heard of Muzan Kibutsuji," she continued.
"The Demon King, the source of all evil, the progenitor of all demons," Hatsune replied.
Tamayo nodded in agreement. "I was once his servant, one of the first to follow him."
Hatsune and Nae were both shocked by this revelation.
"Don't be surprised. Four hundred years ago, a powerful swordsman severely wounded Kibutsuji. Taking advantage of his weakened state, I broke free from his control and escaped. Since then, I have been hiding, searching for a way to kill him. Collecting demon blood samples is part of my research to develop a drug that can suppress demon regeneration."
Four hundred years? Nae and Hatsune were astounded.
"Kibutsuji created twelve powerful demons with unique abilities to fight the Demon Slayer Corps and to search for the Blue Spider Lily. These demons are known as the Twelve Kizuki. If the man you mentioned, Yuki, is like us, he is likely one of them. In their view, becoming a Twelve Kizuki signifies rebirth, and they wouldn't use their human names anymore."