I don't want to be an elf!

As expected, after learning that Kotori Itsuka was immune to the damage caused by sunlight, Tamayo immediately prepared the equipment for drawing blood.

Inviting Kotori Itsuka into the mansion, without much formality, Tamayo directly drew three full tubes of blood from her.

"Thank you. With the new sample, the progress in creating the antidote that turns ghosts into humans should be even faster."

Holding the blood belonging to Kotori Itsuka, Tamayo bowed deeply and led Yushiro into her laboratory.

Kotori Itsuka rubbed her temples, looking somewhat helpless.

Because she really isn't a ghost.

Using the blood of elves to research a potion that could turn demons into humans was an impossible endeavor.

Kotori Itsuka could only hope that Tamayo would realize something was wrong soon enough and give up on studying her blood.

"Ah...ah..."

Just as the blood draw was finished and Kotori Itsuka was about to talk to Tanjiro Kamado about how Ratatosk should proceed, she heard a painful growl coming from somewhere in the mansion.

"Is there anyone else here?"

“Yes, there is another patient taken in by Ms. Tamayo,” Tanjiro Kamado replied. “He had a small amount of Muzan’s blood implanted in him, but I managed to control him before he went berserk. He was then transferred to Ms. Tamayo’s place and is being treated little by little with medication.”

"Hmph... So, the curse of Muzan's cells still remains in his body?"

"I don't know much about these things, but according to what Ms. Tamayo said, there should be some residue left."

Upon hearing this, Kotori Itsuka nodded slightly.

Then, as if he had thought of a plan, a smile of great interest appeared on his lips.

"Take me to see that patient."

Kotori Itsuka gave the instructions.

"There's an experiment I'd like to try."

Chapter Twelve: The Clash Between Curses and Spiritual Power

It is indeed impolite for a guest to wander around without the host's permission.

However, since Tamayo and Yushiro have already entered the research lab and started experiments on Kotori Itsuka's blood, it's not good to disturb them.

Moreover, there are no secrets in this mansion that are worth hiding.

So Tanjiro Kamado, who was temporarily staying there, did not refuse his superior's request and took Kotori Itsuka to the basement of the mansion.

Although it was a basement, it was not dark or damp.

It was filled with some odds and ends and boxes, but it was unclear what they contained.

On the other side of the clutter was a cell surrounded by iron bars.

Inside the cell, a man with talismans pasted over his eyes and his body bound by layers of chains lay on the operating table, emitting roars.

"The patient that Ms. Tamayo is treating is this gentleman."

Tanjiro Kamado pointed to the man bound in the cell and handed the key hanging on the wall to Kotori Itsuka: "About a week or two ago, I encountered Muzan by chance while on a mission in Asakusa. In order to create chaos and escape, he turned this innocent passerby into a demon. I managed to subdue him before he went berserk and tried to eat people."

The craving for human flesh is the instinct of every ghost.

Especially after receiving Muzan Kibutsuji's blood, humans who become demons are overwhelmed by their bloodlust and lose their self-awareness until they regain their sanity after satisfying their appetite.

The demon in the basement, having been controlled before it could eat people and thus unable to satisfy its appetite, was bound here and forced to undergo Tamayo's treatment.

Tamayo has not yet developed a drug to turn demons into humans, but she has developed a drug to get rid of the curse carried by Muzan's cells and to improve the demons' diet.

However, these medicines do not work immediately, and it took Tamayo a lot of time and effort to transform herself into her current state.

This is actually good news for Kotori Itsuka.

She took the key, opened the cell door, and Kotori Itsuka went inside.

"Flesh and blood! Flesh and blood!"

Sensing someone approaching, the ghost bound on the hospital bed reacted violently.

Although he did not eat human flesh after becoming a demon, he regained some of his consciousness during the treatment period.

However, this awareness could not resist the body's instincts; not only could it not be suppressed, but it also made his behavior increasingly violent.

"You should leave now. Your presence is not conducive to my experiment," Kotori Itsuka instructed. "Also, lend me your Nichirin Blade for a moment."

Although he didn't know what Kotori Itsuka was planning to do, Tanjiro Kamado didn't ask any further questions and handed her the Nichirin Blade at his waist.

After giving a slightly worried instruction not to cause any deaths, he obediently left the basement.

As the basement door closed and the human presence disappeared, the ghost's struggles on the bed lessened somewhat.

"Want to eat people? Say five words to me, and I'll let you eat human flesh."

Kotori Itsuka walked to the operating table and tried to communicate.

She didn't care whether the demon agreed or not, and continued, "Repeat after me, Kibutsuji Muzan."

Upon hearing this name, the demon, yearning for the nourishment of flesh and blood, instinctively felt another emotion.

fear.

He wants to eat people because he has Muzan cells in his body.

The reason for this fear is the curse attached to Muzan's cells.

Kibutsuji Muzan is the ancestor of all demons. He has the power of life and death over any demon, whether it is an ordinary demon or one of the Twelve Demon Moons.

The reason is the curse carried by the Muzan cells within the demon's body.

Any ghost that dares to utter his name or even entertains the slightest thought of revealing his information will have the curse within him automatically triggered.

At that time, the Muzan cells within the demons will no longer grant them power, but will instead become death gods that devour their lives.

Even with little consciousness, the ghost on the bed could still sense the warning from the curse.

Don't say that name.

However, it was precisely because it lacked much consciousness that the ghost's desire for food outweighed its fear.

"Ghost Dance..."

His voice was hoarse as he was about to utter the name.

However, the curse on Muzan's cells was activated first.

"what----!"

The ghost's face and the veins on its neck bulged, making it look extremely ferocious.

As the curse was activated, an arm made of flesh and blood emerged from his body, attempting to crush his head.

However, Kotori Itsuka was prepared.

The Nichirin Blade was drawn, severing the giant hand made of flesh and blood.

However, due to the continuous proliferation of Muzan's cells, the severed giant hand quickly repaired itself.

However, time has been bought.

"I hope you can handle it."

With a thought, Kotori Itsuka unleashed a purple self-healing flame upon her hands.

The manic power exuded a chilling aura.

Kotori Itsuka, however, did not hesitate and placed her hands on the demon's body.

The next moment, the ghost's entire body burst into purple flames.

"Aaaaaaaahh ...

Like being burned by hellfire, the pain that went deep into the bone marrow caused the ghost on the bed to let out a bloodcurdling scream.

Back then, even a tiny spark entering Tanjiro Kamado's body caused him unbearable pain.

Now, the frenzied spiritual power belonging to Kotori Itsuka is continuously flowing into the demon's body. If the demon's resistance to pain were not far beyond that of ordinary people, he would probably have already fainted.

The ghost's body has become a battlefield.

Two forces are fiercely clashing within his body.

The curse belonging to Muzan Kibutsuji and the self-healing flame belonging to Kotori Itsuka, one wants to destroy this body, and the other wants to heal this body.

The ghost's skin kept cracking open, then being restored by the purple flames; cracking, restored, cracking again, restored again...

But the outcome was quickly decided.

The curse carried by Muzan's cells is ultimately a rootless plant, a power that can only be triggered once.

Kotori Itsuka's self-healing flame is inexhaustible and can be maintained as long as her spiritual power is not exhausted.

The flames eventually wore down the power of the curse, bit by bit.

The giant hand that emerged from the ghost's body eventually turned into a pool of blood as the power of the curse gradually weakened.

The curse carried by Muzan's cells disappeared.

However, the Muzan cells still exist in the demon's body.

With the combined repair of Muzan's cells and the self-healing flame, the demon's tattered body on the bed quickly returned to normal.

Although the ghost could no longer bear the pain, it lost consciousness during the struggle between the two forces.

"very good."

Kotori Itsuka said with satisfaction as she looked at the demon who had retained Muzan's cells but was no longer subject to Muzan Kibutsuji.

"The experiment was a success."

Today's Kotori.jpg

Chapter Thirteen: Muzan's Vigilance

In Kotori Itsuka's vision, Ratatosk is an organization that can accommodate both humans and demons.

Although the three demons who joined the organization so far have not been controlled by Muzan Kibutsuji for various reasons, these three are probably the only demons in this world who are not controlled by Muzan Kibutsuji.