Muzan: My daughter can't be that weak!

Nakime held the sleeping Yukina in her arms, the strings of her biwa trembling slightly.

The next moment, they found themselves in another newly arranged independent space in the Infinite City.

This place is completely different from the usual dark and oppressive atmosphere of other areas in Infinite City.

The space is extremely open, forming a separate floor, and even simulates a courtyard landscape.

A lush cherry blossom tree stands in the center of the courtyard, with a rattan swing hanging beneath it. Next to it is a pond where several koi carp leisurely sway their tails, and scattered pink and white petals float on the surface.

On one side against the wall, the paper door is open, revealing a small room filled with various handballs, dolls, colorful picture books, and so on.

The adjacent room is much more spacious and has soft tatami mats.

Nakime entered the large room and gently placed Yukina, whom she was holding, on the prepared bedding.

The child was completely unaware of the transfer; he simply curled up unconsciously and continued to sleep soundly.

Nakime knelt down quietly to the side, placing the biwa horizontally on her lap. Her gaze, hidden by her black hair, fell calmly on Yukina's sleeping face.

This time... I'll probably sleep for a long time again.

Decades? Or even longer?

For Nakime, such a time span has no particular significance.

Taking care of a child who spends most of his time sleeping is not a burden for her.

In the courtyard, cherry blossom petals fall silently, only to be reborn again, only to fall again.

Aside from being occasionally summoned by Muzan to carry out missions, Nakime mostly stayed here.

……

The concept of time is blurred here.

At one moment, the eyelashes of the person on the tatami suddenly trembled.

Yukina slowly woke up to a slight itch coming from her front teeth and gums.

Before she was fully conscious, she instinctively reached out her little hand and touched the itchy spot with her fingertips.

"hiss--"

A slight sting made her immediately pull her hand back.

She blinked blankly, looking at her fingertips.

A scratch that was almost immediately healing was oozing a tiny drop of blood.

What's wrong with my teeth?

Xue Nai sat up and found that the surrounding environment was very unfamiliar; it was not the room she had been in with her father before.

But at that moment, curiosity about the teeth outweighed the unease about the unfamiliar environment.

Her gaze wandered and landed on a small dressing mirror not far from the tatami mat.

She crawled over on her hands and feet and knelt in front of the mirror.

Carefully parted her lips.

Where my missing front tooth was, a tiny, white new tooth has sprouted from its pointed tip, and it's this tooth that's causing the itch.

However, right next to this new front tooth, where the lateral incisors should have been growing gently, two prominent canines have instead emerged.

"Huh?!"

Startled, Yukina shrank back, looked at herself in the mirror from left to right, and even stuck out her tongue to gently lick the two small, pointed bumps.

The cold, hard touch, and the fact that her fingertips had just been cut, convinced her that this was not an illusion.

Why did my teeth... turn into bad teeth?

Her little face fell, and she looked very frustrated.

And it even scratched my hand.

Shouldn't teeth be neat and straight?

Just like before.

That's pointy, not friendly at all!

She pouted, somewhat annoyed, and wanted to ask someone for advice.

Only then did she belatedly look around.

It was a very spacious and beautiful room, but not her father's. A slight sense of panic had just risen within her when she suppressed it herself.

I'm not the crybaby I used to be!

She encouraged herself in her heart.

Besides, her father promised last time that he wouldn't say he didn't want her again.

Although Dad can be stern at times, he usually keeps his promises.

So this must be a new place that Dad asked Nakime to bring her here, not a place that was abandoned.

Thinking this way, the unease in my heart dissipated.

She noticed a pair of small, brand-new wooden clogs next to her, so she put them on and ran out of the room.

Then, she was completely captivated by the sight before her.

"Wow--!!"

She let out a small, surprised gasp.

A spacious courtyard, cherry blossoms fluttering like snowflakes, swings gently swaying under the trees, and a small, shimmering pond!

"The cherry blossoms are so beautiful! And there are swings too!"

She excitedly ran to the center of the courtyard, reached out her little hand to catch a few falling petals, and then ran to the swing, carefully touching the smooth rattan seat.

She looked up at the high swing ropes, then looked around.

There's nobody around.

I really want to play...

But what if you fall?

but……

If we're careful, it should be fine, right?

Ultimately, desire triumphed over caution.

She took a deep breath, grabbed the swing ropes with both hands, and tentatively moved her body onto the swing, settling in securely.

At first, she only lightly touched the ground with her toes, making the swing sway back and forth with very small amplitude.

A gentle breeze caressed my cheeks, carrying the delicate fragrance of cherry blossoms—it felt so novel.

He gradually grew bolder.

She began to try to push off the ground with force, and the swing's swing amplitude increased accordingly.

The wind became more noticeable in my ears, and my vision shifted with the undulations, sometimes revealing a shower of falling cherry blossoms, sometimes a tranquil pond.

"Giggle giggle..."

A crisp laugh involuntarily escaped Yukina's lips. At first, it was somewhat restrained, but it quickly turned into a cheerful and loud laugh, which filled the entire courtyard like silver bells.

"Wow! This is so much fun!"

……

As soon as Kokushibo returned to Infinite City, his six golden eyes narrowed slightly at the same time.

It wasn't that the space itself had undergone any unusual changes, but rather that there was an unfamiliar aura emanating from it.

What is it?

Without hesitation, his tall and slender figure moved swiftly through the intricate corridors, following the wisp of scent.

In the years since the Infinity Castle was established, he has rarely set foot here except for necessary gatherings, even though Nakime prepared a separate room for him.

The spatial boundaries constructed by the string sounds naturally separated before him, like a water curtain.

The next moment, the sight of those six golden eyes caused him to pause for a rare instant.

That was a child.

It looked no more than six or seven years old, and it swung high under the cherry blossom tree, its laughter mingling with the falling petals.

She swung higher and higher, her body moving naturally with the rhythm of the swing.

The cherry blossoms overhead, stirred by the wind she created, fell even more profusely, like a rain of flowers falling just for her.

His excellent eyesight allowed him to see specks of pink and white adorning her black hair and shoulders.

Then, his perception penetrated the surface and captured something more essential.

The blood flowing in that child's body.

That aura...

It shares almost the same origin as Muzan.

Kokushibo was somewhat stunned.

In an instant, he understood the identity of the child before him.

She is of Muzan's bloodline.

When they encountered Doma outside, Doma mentioned it, but all the demons scoffed at it, thinking he was just talking nonsense again.

Can ghosts also possess bloodlines?