Demon Slayer: I am a Demon

Chapter 92 The Real Demon (4/4)

It started raining sometime during the day.

A light spring drizzle falls gently on the mountains, bringing new life to the vegetation, with tender buds sprouting.

Kanao has resumed her flower-picking journey. Although the time for the blue spider lilies to bloom has not yet arrived, she never slacks off in picking flowers every day.

Su Mu would usually sit at the cave entrance, gather the flower petals that Kanao had picked, add some thin rope, weave them into a wreath, and then put it on Kanao's head.

The girl who used to be withdrawn and like a puppet on a string has become more and more lively, her eyes have become more and more expressive, and she has also grown more and more beautiful.

A breeze blew, causing the girl's skirt to flutter. Kanao, carrying a flower basket, sat down next to her uncle who was sitting at the cave entrance, and then rested her head against him.

Su Mu reached out and gently stroked Kanao's head, the smooth strands of hair almost slipping lightly through his fingertips.

"From now on, if I'm alone, I must be happy every day."

Sitting in the darkness of the cave, Su Mu looked at the bright spring sunshine outside and murmured softly.

"I don't want to be alone."

Kanao muttered softly, "In a little while, it will be summer, and then the flowers will bloom. It won't be long."

"Yes! It'll be soon."

A longing flashed in Su Mu's bloodshot eyes. He was about to say something while stroking Kanao's head, but he suddenly stopped, his body trembling, and the veins on his forehead almost bursting at that moment.

Kanao pursed her lips, looking at her uncle who was covering his head with his hands.

"Kanao, go practice your swordsmanship. Go practice in a place that's a little further away."

"uncle----"

Kanao wanted to say something.

"obedient."

A slightly deep voice came from the uncle's mouth.

Kanao bit her lip, looked at her uncle, silently put on the flower wreath on her head, picked up her wooden sword and walked outside, into the infinitely bright place outside.

The warm sunlight bathed her entire body, so comforting, yet she longed to return to that dark place.

In the darkness, a pair of scarlet eyes had opened, staring at her with insatiable greed. They tried to rush out several times, but because they were afraid of the sunlight, they ultimately stopped in their tracks.

The uncle stood silently in place, clutching his head tightly with both hands.

Kanao gripped the sword hilt tightly with her small hands, slowly exhaled, and began to practice her swordsmanship desperately, from the breaking of dawn to the gradual darkening of the sky, and then to the arrival of darkness.

The girl practiced again and again.

The sword grew sharper and sharper, yet became increasingly difficult to see.

The misty spring rain mixed with sweat, soaking the girl's clothes. The flower wreath on her head had already broken, and petals were scattered all over the ground.

"call----"

He almost collapsed to the ground, panting heavily.

After a while, she regained some strength and wearily raised her head to look at the sky. Night had fallen again, and in the star-studded night sky, the bright moon emitted a soft moonlight that bathed the entire mountain forest and fell on the girl's delicate face.

It got dark again.

She could finally return to the cave.

Although I was exhausted and my steps were difficult, my heart was filled with joy. As I stepped into the cave entrance, I saw my uncle standing deep inside.

For once, the cave was pitch black, and the campfire that was always lit and never went out was now extinguished.

Uncle did not relight it.

"Uncle~"

The girl gripped the wooden sword, looked at her uncle whose back was turned to her, and called out softly.

Utter silence.

Only faint breathing sounds could be heard, as if someone was trying to restrain themselves from something.

Kanao took steps closer and closer, finally arriving at her uncle's side.

The uncle gripped the blade of the Nichirin Blade tightly, the blade almost embedded in his flesh, and drops of bright red blood flowed out.

"uncle----"

Kanao reached out and grabbed the bleeding hand. A warm sensation spread through her palm as blood soaked into her skin, turning her small hand crimson.

She looked up at her uncle, who was panting heavily.

"I might not be able to hold on any longer."

Su Mu whispered, sounding very pained.

The girl's breath seemed to stop at that moment, but her small hand tightly gripped her uncle's bloodstained hand, and she said softly, "Uncle, you don't have to insist."

"no."

Su Mu turned around and looked at Kanao: "Some things are more important than life and death. If you do them, you might as well die."

Kanao's eyes drooped, her once bright, star-like eyes now filled with sadness.

"I thought I could hold on. I thought my willpower would be enough to last until then, but—I overestimated myself. My uncle has already—already reached his limit to hold on until now."

"Uncle—there's no way—there's nothing more he can do."

There are so many ghosts, without a single exception, so how could Uncle be the exception?

No matter how persistent a person's will is, there are limits.

Kanao lowered her head, biting her lip, and held her uncle's hand tightly, her fingertips almost digging into his skin.

Su Mu gently pried open the girl's fingers, and then handed the Nichirin Blade to Kanahei.

"Take it."

He answered softly.

Kanao bit her lip and gripped the hilt of her Nichirin Blade.

"Go and lock me up with the chains you were wearing before."

He gritted his teeth and looked at Kanao.

Kanao gritted her teeth and stood there, but no matter what, she couldn't bring herself to chain up her uncle.

"Please, Kanao."

Su Mu's voice was somewhat low.

Kanao hung her head, turned around and walked to a corner of the cave, where she took out a very heavy iron chain.

At this moment, Su Mu walked to a natural stone wall in the cave, placed his hands on the wall, and said to Kanao, "Start binding, make sure it's tight."

No matter how unwilling she was, Kanao couldn't go against her uncle's wishes when she saw his pleading eyes.

Splash—

As soon as he was tied up, Su Mu began to struggle violently, making the iron chains rattle constantly, but no matter what he did, he could not break free.

Seeing this, Su Mu showed a satisfied expression, and then looked at Kanao: "If in the end, we still can't find that flower."

No, it won't.

She shook her head almost frantically: "Kanao, I will definitely help Uncle, I will help Uncle find—"

"listen to me."

Su Mu interrupted Kanao, his voice low and deep: "If in the end we really can't find that flower, then use the Nichirin Blade in your hand to cut off your uncle's head."

The girl shook her head desperately.

"That's for my own good, Kanao."

Su Mu stared with bloodshot eyes: "I don't want to become that kind of ghost. You know, you can feel it, it's something worse than death."

"I don't want to, and I'm unwilling to, become that kind of ghost."

"I----"

Kanao gripped the hilt of her Nichirin Blade tightly.

"If you really can't find it, cutting off my head will be a relief for me. And Kanao, I can't control myself anymore. Until we find that flower, no matter what, don't believe anything. And—and—"

"roar----"

Before he could finish speaking, the last taut string in his mind snapped completely.

The crimson eyes of the ghost opened, staring at the tempting flesh and blood before it. There was no restraint left, only an intense, overwhelming greed and an infinite desire for the flesh and blood.

"Come here, come here, Kanao, let me go, unlock my chains."

Kanao gripped her Nichirin Blade and shook her head desperately.

"Kanao, you're the one who listens to me the most, aren't you?"

"Untie me, untie me! I'm in so much pain, I'm so uncomfortable being tied up—do you see how uncomfortable your uncle is? I'm so hungry, please give me something to eat, I'm so—hungry!"

"Give me a bite, just let me take a small bite of you, I'm really—really so hungry."

The girl shook her head frantically: "You're not my uncle, you're not my uncle anymore."

Kanao slumped down, repeating over and over, "You're not my uncle anymore."

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