Paranoid waiting
The crimson haori was stained even darker by the blood. With one hand, Giyuu held the unconscious, pale Shiro tightly, and with the other, he supported the severely injured but still conscious Rengoku Kyojuro. With his unwavering willpower, he rushed back to the Butterfly House as quickly as possible.
When Shinobu Kocho saw the miserable condition of these three people, the smile on her face disappeared instantly. She immediately called in the members of Hidden Team and gave them the highest priority to rescue them.
Although Rengoku's injuries were serious, they were all within the normal range. Thanks to Shinobu's superb medical skills and the special medicine made by the Demon Slayer Corps, he quickly stabilized. The real problem was Shiro.
She was placed in an isolated ward, her breathing weak and her vital signs unusually stable, yet she remained in a deep sleep. No matter how they called her or administered medication, she showed no signs of waking. Even more disturbing was the fact that the horrific wound on her left shoulder, originally pierced by Akaza, had, without any treatment, almost healed, leaving only a faint pink mark.
This self-healing ability, which far exceeds that of ordinary people, is absolutely not something humans can possess.
The news could not be blocked, especially after Purgatory woke up and recounted the details of the battle next to the Infinity Train in fragments - after Bai used the sword technique that was not water breathing, and the strange ability to move in space, several pillars gathered in the Butterfly House, and the solemn atmosphere almost solidified the air.
"Tomioka," the Wind Pillar Fushigawa Shimaru was the first to break the silence. His voice was cold and hard, and his eyes were as sharp as a knife as he stabbed at Giyuu who was guarding the white bed. "You need to explain. What on earth is she? That kind of recovery ability, and that so-called 'blood demon technique'!"
Love Pillar Kanroji Mitsuri clasped her hands tightly against her chest, her eyes filled with worry and confusion: "Bai...she saved Mr. Rengoku! How could she..."
The Snake Pillar Iguro Obanai stood silently by, his heterochromatic eyes examining the unconscious Bai, without easily expressing his opinion.
The Rock Pillar, Gyoumei of the Island of Sadness, wept, his hands clasped together: "Amitabha... This abnormality is definitely not human... Tomioka, you have concealed such an important truth..."
Facing the questioning, shocked, and worried gazes of the crowd, Giyuu slowly stood up and stood in front of Bai's bed. His figure remained upright, his deep blue eyes scanning every pillar present. His voice was calm but filled with unquestionable determination:
"She is Shiro Inji, my stepson." He paused, then spoke word by word, "She is also... a ghost."
Despite the speculation, when the word came out of Yiyong's mouth to confirm it himself, there was a gasp in the room.
"Ghost?! Tomioka, are you crazy?" Shima flew into a rage, his Nichirin sword almost unsheathed. "You actually brought a ghost with you and made her a team member?!"
"She's different from other demons." Giyu's voice remained unwavering. "She's not afraid of sunlight, doesn't eat humans, and isn't controlled by Muzan. She's used her own strength to protect her companions time and time again, and this time, she was seriously injured just to save Rengoku."
"Where's the evidence?" Shimi demanded. "Just because she did a few good things? She's not of my kind, so her heart must be different!"
"I believe her." Giyuu's answer was concise and powerful, his eyes meeting Shiya's without flinching. "I guarantee it with my life."
Just as the atmosphere was tense, Shinobu Kocho interrupted with a gentle but undeniably powerful voice: "Everyone, can you listen to me first?"
She walked over to Shiro's bedside, holding the preliminary blood test report, her purple eyes gleaming with the light of a medical researcher. "Shiro's body structure is indeed very unique. She possesses the characteristics of a demon, yet is completely different from any demon we know. Her cells are extremely active, and her healing abilities far surpass those of upper-rank demons, but she doesn't seem to have an instinctive desire for human blood."
She looked at Giyuu and put forward a condition: "Mr. Tomioka, I can do my best to find a way to revive her and remain neutral on this matter for the time being. But in exchange, I need to study her blood more deeply in the hope of finding a breakthrough against Muzan."
Yiyong was silent for a moment, looking at Bai who was breathing weakly on the bed, and finally nodded heavily.
At this moment, a member of the Hidden Corps came to inform that Mrs. Tamayo, who had a secret connection with the Demon Slayer Corps, had arrived. It turned out that after discovering Bai's abnormality, Shinobu Kocho secretly informed this demon who was proficient in medicine.
Mrs. Tamayo carefully examined Bai's condition and checked the blood data provided by Shinobu. Her beautiful brows knitted slightly. "She's not seriously injured, but...her energy is completely depleted."
She looked at everyone and explained, "She repeatedly used spatial blood vampire magic that exceeded her capacity, and also suffered severe injuries and rapid regeneration. All of these required enormous amounts of energy. For ghosts, the most fundamental energy is blood."
"You mean... she needs to eat blood to wake up?" Shiya's eyes became more dangerous.
"Yes." Tamayo nodded. "Moreover, it must be blood that contains powerful vitality. Ordinary human blood will probably have little effect, and may not even be able to meet her body's needs."
The ward fell into a dead silence once again. A demon drinking blood in the Demon Slayer Corps headquarters? This was simply unbelievable!
However, to everyone's surprise, Yiyong didn't hesitate at all. He walked straight to Bai's bedside, picked up a sterilized knife nearby, and cut a gash on his wrist. Blood immediately gushed out.
"Tomioka! You!" Shiya was shocked and angry.
Shinobu Kocho and Tamayo also looked surprised.
Yiyong seemed to have not heard anything. He carefully lifted Bai's head, which had fallen back weakly, and gently brought his bleeding wrist to her pale, dry lips. The smell of blood seemed to have touched Bai's deepest instincts. Her throat moved slightly, and she began to swallow unconsciously.
Watching his blood flow into Bai's mouth, Giyuu raised his head, his gaze sweeping across the various expressions on the faces of the pillars present. He declared in a cold and clear voice, with an almost paranoid sense of possession and protection:
"She won't drink any blood except mine."
"Not before, not now, and never in the future."
These words resonated like thunder in everyone's heart. It wasn't just a statement of fact; it was a stark promise and a boundary. He had bound his fate to hers in the most direct and brutal way possible.
The ward was completely silent, with only the sound of Bai swallowing weakly and the soft sound of blood dripping from Yiyong's wrist.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
