Chapter 3: The Deal |
"You're mistaken, though you're thinking in the right direction. Regardless, it doesn't matter; I understand why you've reached that conclusion," Yeruashi replied calmly.
If Muzan is viewed as a being that underwent an incomplete evolution, then Yeruashi himself had fully evolved at least five times. With each evolution, his cellular activity had increased by tens or even hundreds of thousands of times.
Therefore, it would be an understatement—a massive understatement—to call Muzan an infant compared to the current Yeruashi.
If a single drop of Muzan's blood could spawn an immortal demon, then a drop of Yeruashi's blood could produce trillions of Muzans.
But he was, of course, far too lazy to explain all this; any being that had evolved more than twice existed far beyond Tamayo's comprehension or imagination.
"..." Tamayo's heart hammered against her ribs as she realized she was standing before a being far more dangerous and perfected than any demon she had ever known. He could likely dispose of even Muzan without breaking a sweat!
But that was precisely why their perspectives on the world were so radically different—to the point where demons didn't concern him at all.
Given all that, how could she possibly convince this stranger to move against Muzan?
A flurry of thoughts raced through her mind, but she soon discarded them without hesitation. She realized she possessed nothing that could possibly interest this mysterious man.
He surely had far more years behind him than she did, or even Muzan.
Wealth?
That was even more meaningless.
Beauty, perhaps?
It was unlikely that such an ancient and wise entity would be swayed by the trivial fancies of mortals.
Tamayo struggled to find a way to pique the interest of the powerful stranger, but she had to try nonetheless. It was a chance to fulfill her greatest ambition, however slim it might be.
"Please... help me kill Muzan... I am prepared to accept any conditions, even to give my life..." Tamayo finally spoke. She couldn't suppress the tremor in her voice, but it couldn't hide the resolve and iron will behind her words.
Yeruashi looked at the woman calmly and asked, "Even if it means surrendering your soul and forfeiting reincarnation?"
"It doesn't matter!" Her gaze became more resolute than ever, and her voice no longer wavered.
Yeruashi gazed into Tamayo's large, clear eyes. He lowered his head slightly in thought before finally giving his answer. "Unfortunately, that is not enough to pay for the death of Muzan."
"..." At his words, the light in Tamayo's eyes faded. She had nothing else to offer if her current life and all future existences were insufficient payment.
But just then, Yeruashi continued, staring intently into her eyes. "...But I can give you the recipe for the Blue Spider Lily in exchange. Do you agree?"
The woman flinched, overwhelmed by a surge of emotions, but she quickly composed herself and nodded firmly. "I agree, but I need a little more time!"
Tamayo was fully confident that she could create a poison lethal even to the Progenitor of Demons, provided she had the original recipe. However, the plan would be futile if she died immediately after receiving it. She needed time!
"Ten years," Yeruashi said nonchalantly.
Tamayo tensed at his words.
At first glance, ten years might seem like a long time, but several centuries hadn't been enough for her to craft a potent poison against Muzan. But with the recipe...
Was she ready to believe in herself? To believe that she could rid the world of Muzan within the allotted decade?
Tamayo stood motionless for over ten minutes, her heart ready to leap out of her chest the entire time.
Once her decision was made, she turned an incomparably resolute and clear gaze toward Yeruashi. "I agree!"
Yes, she had decided to believe in herself.
She believed that once she had the recipe for the medicine, she would succeed in developing a poison within those ten years.
"Then... it's a deal," Yeruashi replied with a slight nod. He reached out his hand, a mesmerizing radiance gathering at his fingertips.
Tamayo couldn't tear her eyes away from the magnificent glow blooming between the stranger's fingers; she simply lacked the words to describe what she was seeing.
The radiance of time.
There was nothing more beautiful than the shimmering flow of time itself.
Reaching across hundreds of years into the past, Yeruashi's fingers gently grasped a weathered sheet of reed paper, pulling it from the past into the present with a graceful motion.
When the enchanting glow of time faded, he flicked his wrist lightly, and the fragile-looking piece of paper drifted smoothly toward Tamayo.
Shaking off her daze, she hastily reached out an elegant hand to catch the floating leaf. A single glance was enough to make her already restless heart beat even faster.
As an expert physician who had studied this very subject for centuries, she instantly recognized the recipe's authenticity. It was as if someone who had been struggling through a thicket for years had suddenly been handed a detailed map of the path.
Tamayo immediately focused all her energy on memorizing the recipe, as the reed paper was so brittle it threatened to crumble at the slightest touch.
When she finally ensured she had memorized every detail and looked up with a deep sigh, the mysterious stranger was long gone.
Only Yushiro remained, still standing motionless like a stone statue, his fist cocked back for a punch that never landed.
Tamayo looked around in shock, searching for Yeruashi, but she could find no trace of him nearby.
"Ten years..." she whispered, lifting her head toward the sky and resolutely pushing her heavy thoughts and emotions aside.
What was the use of brooding over the future? Now, she had to cling fiercely to every minute and second to study the recipe and finally destroy Muzan!
With that thought, she reached out to her motionless companion. "Yushiro..."
Whoosh!
Yushiro returned to normal at the slightest touch. His fist swung through the empty air where Yeruashi had stood moments before.
"Hey, where did that bastard go?!" the boy exclaimed in bewilderment. His mind had frozen the moment he tried to strike the stranger.
Yushiro fell into confusion for a moment, then lunged to protect Tamayo as he realized Yeruashi had vanished from his sight. "Lady Tamayo, careful! Watch out for that man!"
"..." His behavior surprised Tamayo, but she quickly grasped what had happened.
Yushiro hadn't just been bound by some invisible force; he had lost the very ability to perceive the world around him. It was a true... time stop!
But upon reflection, it was perfectly logical. A stranger who had taken the perfected medicine would naturally be far more terrifying than Muzan, who had only received a prototype.
"Forget it. It's time to go," the woman replied calmly. She turned and walked away with purpose.
Tamayo had no intention of explaining the deal. If Yushiro learned the details, he would undoubtedly fly into a rage.
"..." The boy blinked in surprise, immediately noting the shift in his mistress's demeanor.
Had something happened that he wasn't aware of?
But Yushiro had no choice but to sigh and set his suspicions aside. Tamayo was clearly adamant about keeping her secrets.