Asakusa, Tokyo Prefecture.
Compared to the small, remote town they had lived in previously, this district was far more prosperous. Tall buildings towered over the streets, featuring a seamless blend of Western-style architecture and traditional Japanese courtyards. The collision of these two cultures didn't feel jarring in the slightest; instead, it created a completely new, unique aesthetic.
Even at night, the streets were brightly lit by electric streetlamps. The bustling city center was a sea of light.
Pedestrians crowded the sidewalks, coming and going in endless streams.
Rumble!
Tracks lay embedded in the wide roads, and with a rhythmic roar, a trolley car slowly wove its way through the district.
Inside a luxurious hotel room.
Kanae Kocho, who had already slipped into her dormant state, lay resting on a soft, comfortable bed. Her eyes were tightly shut, her breathtaking face peaceful and serene. Her small nose flared gently in rhythm with her steady breathing.
"Looking at her like this, Big Sister Kanae really is beautiful. She looks just like a butterfly," Rinka Akiyama murmured. She rested her chin in her hands, carefully studying the sleeping girl.
"Why the hell did you tag along?" Tetsuya shot Rinka a sideways glance.
"Hey, hey! If you're going to run away from home, you should at least consider your financial situation first. I'm the one taking care of you two!" Rinka planted her hands on her hips, looking utterly justified. After all, she was the one footing the bill for this expensive hotel room.
Tetsuya: "..."
Following his battle with Akaza, Tetsuya's rundown shack back in town had been completely destroyed. He had conveniently used that as an excuse to fool Rinka, claiming they had been attacked by terrorists and needed to leave town to lay low. Rinka still had absolutely no idea that they were demons.
"Don't worry! You just came here to find a doctor to treat Big Sister Kanae's sleeping sickness, right? I'll handle it for you!" Rinka smiled confidently.
"What kind of plan do you have?" Tetsuya asked.
In truth, he didn't know Tamayo's exact address. For Tamayo to have evaded Muzan Kibutsuji's relentless pursuit for hundreds of years, she naturally possessed incredibly advanced hiding techniques. The only intel he had was that she lived in a Western-style manor surrounded by an illusion generated by a Blood Demon Art—which exponentially increased the difficulty of finding her. Furthermore, since they were still quite a ways away from the start of the main anime plot, it was entirely possible Tamayo wasn't even in this region yet.
"Doctors aren't shut-ins like you," Rinka said, her face full of disdain.
Tetsuya's mouth twitched. Because his demonic constitution prevented him from stepping out into the sunlight, he spent his days cooped up indoors. In Rinka's eyes, he had officially been labeled a complete, lazy shut-in.
However, she made a valid point. Tamayo's profession dictated that she couldn't erase her tracks entirely; she was bound to leave a few clues somewhere. Tamayo needed a small amount of human blood to survive. Since she refused to kill, her only option was to purchase it through her medical practice. In the later stages of the timeline, even the Demon Slayer Corps had managed to locate her by tracking real estate records.
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Knock! Knock! Knock!
A soft knocking sound came from the door.
"See? The intel is being delivered right to our door," Rinka laughed, stepping forward to pull it open.
A haggard-looking middle-aged man walked in. Dressed in a crisp black suit, his eyes were dull and his expression stern, giving him the distinct vibe of an old, British-style butler.
"Young Miss, here is the list of all the doctors in the Asakusa district that you requested." The man seemed entirely oblivious to Tetsuya and the sleeping Kanae. With his eyes fixed solely on Rinka, he respectfully handed over a thick file.
"Thank you!" Rinka accepted the file with a bright smile. "Alright, you can head back now."
The old butler shot Tetsuya a deep, penetrating look before turning around and leaving without a word. He came and went like the wind, almost as if he had never been there at all.
Tetsuya narrowed his eyes. 'The Akiyama family's butler... he definitely knows a thing or two.'
"As long as she practices medicine in Asakusa, her name and address are definitely in this file!" Rinka hoisted the documents up triumphantly.
'The absolute power of money at work,' Tetsuya marveled inwardly.
Still, thanks to Rinka, there was no way Tamayo could hide from them now. Taking the file, he rapidly scanned the pages, his eyes darting across the text. Out of hundreds of medical profiles, he finally spotted a useful lead on the third page.
[Moniker: Ghost Doctor. Name: Unknown. Address: Unknown. A young woman appearing to be in her twenties. Her medical skills are highly outstanding in the Asakusa district. She conducts consultations at the Binhai Hospital at irregular intervals every month...]
"Found her," Tetsuya said, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth.
"And it's all thanks to me," Rinka preened, lifting her delicate chin proudly.
Tetsuya threw her a sideways glance and waved her off dismissively. "Alright, you can get lost now."
Rinka's face stiffened. That line sounded awfully familiar!
...
Peering out the window, Tetsuya saw a luxurious carriage parked on the wide street below the hotel. The Akiyama family's butler and several maids were standing in a neat row beside it.
"Talk about throwing me away once I've outlived my usefulness! I'm never helping him again!" Rinka grumbled as she climbed into the carriage. Just before leaving, she made sure to look back and shoot a vicious glare up at Tetsuya, who was leaning casually against the second-floor window.
The carriage rolled away. Before long, it completely vanished into the night.
Having successfully kicked out his little tool, Tetsuya sat on the edge of the bed, racking his brain for a way to convince Tamayo.
Right at that moment, Kanae stirred, slowly waking from her slumber. Her beautiful eyes swept the room. "Where did little Rinka go?"
"She headed back," Tetsuya answered casually.
"Tetsuya..." Catching sight of the files scattered across the bedside table, Kanae instantly put two and two together. She rolled her eyes at him. Calling her over when he needed her and shooing her away when he was done. Who treated their own family like that!
"You really have the energy to worry about that?" Tetsuya said dryly. She only had about thirty minutes of wakefulness left each day. Once she fell into a deep coma, there was no telling what would happen. It was entirely possible she might never wake up again.
Kanae smiled, not minding his bluntness in the slightest. She had already died once, after all. Still, this was for the best. For an ordinary human like Rinka, hanging around them was simply too dangerous.
"Let's go. It's time we meet this Miss Tamayo," Tetsuya announced.
"Mhm!"
...
Leaving the hotel, the two of them resorted to the most straightforward method available: a stakeout. They would camp her out until she showed up.
Demons could only move around at night. Sure, it was possible Tamayo lived inside the hospital itself, but the chances of that were slim.
Aside from ridiculously overpowered demons like Akaza, most of their kind preferred to hole up in familiar, concealed territory. It gave them a much greater sense of security.
Days drifted by. Finally, on their seventh night of waiting, Tetsuya and Kanae struck gold.
In the dead of night, the moon shone brightly against a sparse canopy of stars.
On a quiet path leading toward Binhai Hospital, a stunningly beautiful woman appeared. She wore a deep purple kimono adorned with wavy, pale purple branches and red flowers, fastened by a wide, cream-colored obi around her waist.
Her long black hair was parted down the middle and swept into a large, low bun, held perfectly in place by a floral hairpin. She exuded an air of effortless grace and elegance.
Her eyes were gentle, resembling a soft, pale purple mist. Her lips were a vibrant red, forming a striking contrast against her pale complexion.
"Miss Tamayo. It's a pleasure to finally meet you."
Hearing the sudden greeting, Tamayo froze in her tracks. She shifted her gaze toward a bench sitting quietly by the side of the road.