New partner

[Seiji's POV]

"Finally you're here," I said while my purple eyes locked on the invisible figure of Lady Tamayo and Yushiro (the servant demon boy).

They had a talisman on their chest and they were supposed to be perfectly concealed from the world, so well hidden in fact that even the Demon King himself would not be able to see them.

Yet the world bore her naked truth for my eyes, I saw them clear as day.

For the price of sacrificing the melody of the world, I was granted the right to see everything.

"I thought Christmas would've come quicker," I joked, it was a summer night. "The demons also attempt an escape numerous times, it was rather tiring forcing them down without killing them,"

They were caught completely surprised, not only because I was able to see them with ease but also because the demons beneath my feet were Upper Moon, yet I was treating them like low-level demons.

Lady Tamayo herself did not know how to react, only sweating at the sight.

Speaking of which, there was a stubborn and primal instinct roaring at me to stop whatever I was planning and kill everyone in the vicinity. They were all demons, a stain on this world.

Yet the conscience that made me humane stopped me from doing so. I was a hater, not a dumb fuck.

While I was in the middle of talking, Gyutaro whom I pinned on the ground with my sword, tried his luck once more. He manipulated the flesh on his neck, elongating them like a snake and he opened his mouth in an attempt to tear my foot.

But all he got was the wooden base of my sandal as I shoved my foot on his open mouth, breaking his jaw, crushing his teeth and planting his head on the ground, making a crater.

He had tried to escape multiple times but each plan he formed, I was able to read them before they even came into action and immediately put a stop.

"You may be at ease, although you are a demon, I wouldn't kill you," I said but that did not convince her. I saw from the way her body tensed and muscles pulled, that she was ready to leave at any time.

"I have use for your skills," I said bluntly. It was better to give logical reasons to these smart types, she wouldn't trust my words but she trusted my need.

"Isn't this rather odd, I didn't come here expecting this," Lady Tamayo spoke, effectively revealing her presence - at least that's what she thought. It didn't make a difference in my deaf ears.

She then proceeded to take off her talisman, making her visible to the outside world. The boy beside her followed right after, he looked shocked and concerned.

"Lady Tamyao, we shouldn't!! What if he means harm?" the boy advised the woman who probably could be his great-great grandmother.

"It's okay Yushiro, if he wanted to he would've killed us a long time ago," she said, "He is a Demon Slayer, and from the writings on his sword, he is not just a normal slayer,"

"You are a Hashira, aren't you?" she asked rhetorically.

"Strongest," I added, tooting my own horn to try and get my mind off the thoughts of killing her.

"Seiji Shigan, the strongest Hashira at your service," I introduced myself.

"My name is Tamayo, and this here is my apprentice Yushiro," she introduced herself with a noble bow that you would expect from a noble Japanese lady.

"Well, if you don't mind Lady Tamayo," I said and reached out my hand.

She paused and stared at me for some time. She wondered what I was asking for and when she speculated the answer, she questioned once more how I knew it or what my objective was.

She cautiously reached under her Yukata and took out a vial. It was a cylindrical shape made of glass and had a needle at the end which could be used to take a demon's blood and preserve it even after the rest of their body turned to ash.

I smiled, a little impressed that she knew what I was talking about.

It seemed that she came here not only to see to the situation but was also ready to reap every research material she could get form the powerful demon.

"Thank you," I said before bending down and smashing the vial on Gytaro's chest. I did not have to do anything else as the vial extracted the blood automatically.

Neat.

I pulled out my sword and finally moved away from Gytaro. The demon immediately took the opportunity to roll and escape as his body immediately started healing.

I threw the vial at Lady Tamayo, causing her to look at it for a while before she met my eyes again. Her eyes were curious and wary.

"Its the blood of an Upper Moon," I said and at that point, Gyutaro was already done healing and instead of attacking me, he cradled his sister in his arms.

He did not run away though as he just earned that that was not effective against the fastest Hashira.

I turned around to look.

"Even if you kill me, please spare my sister, she is innocent," Gyutaro said.

'And I love demons,' I said in my mind. These two sentences had around the same amount of truth.

"No," was my reply.

"Then GO TO HELL!!" Gytaro said, hiding Daki in his shadow like he used to hide in her's before he lunged at me with two sickles in hand.

His speed was blurring, cleanly slicing through the atmosphere at godspeed. It seemed like he was aiming for me but I saw otherwise.

The direction of his momentum, the gaze in his eyes and even the posture of his body told me that he was not aiming for me but the two demons behind me. He just wanted me to think that he was aiming for me.

The fact that he screamed 'GO TO HELL' at me was also an obvious giveaway that he waned me to think he was aiming for me.

Kill the two people behind me and try to escape in my confusion.

Nice plan, keep it to yourself.

I inhaled sharply and blurred even faster than him. The world skipped a moment in time as I delivered multiple slashes during a moment that could only be described as instant.

The next thing you knew, the world rumbled like thunder and the shape of wind blades scarred the ground. There was not even a corpse of the demon as I minced him into tiny pieces.

"Strom Breathing," I said right after I executed the move but the world had not caught up.

"Tempest Fury,"

*BOOOOOOOOM!!!*

I regret that I could not inflict more pain before their death. But I guess that would have to do.

I just slayed an Upper Moon once more.

"With that done," I said and turned around to look at Lady Tamayo and Yushiro who looked at me with astonishment at the display of power.

"Shall we talk somewhere private?"

....

....

"Wait before that.." I said and quickly went to the deep depression I craved out in the centre of the district to retrieve my sheathe.

After I was done, I sheathed my sword and held it in one hand. Then I returned to the two demons who were patiently waiting for me while talking to themselves.

I didn't hear what they were saying of course

"Okay, I'm ready," I said.

..

///////////////////////

"On an entirely different note, how is my speech, Lady Tamayo?" I asked while she and Yushiro led me towards their hidden hideout.

I also had the talisman on my body to hide from the police and other people who started coming to the district to check what was going on.

"You sound weird," Yushiro was the one who answered me instead, "You are trying to put emotion in your voice only to fail miserably and make people uncomfortable,"

"That's unfortunate," I said and grabbed my chin. Of course, if you could not hear your own voice, or others for a long time, you would be unable to produce the correct tone for corresponding emotion.

I have been talking a lot more to improve my voice and speech. It was a bummer to learn that I still had a long way to go.

We continued walking along the streets of Tokyo, hidden from the eyes of the people. We eventually came upon an empty alley where we walked some more before we stopped in front of a wall.

The wall was an illusion and in reality, there was a large compound and a small manor behind.

We broke through the illusion and walked into the manor. My eyes immediately map the layout of the entire structure, peering into secrets and hidden pathways as Lady Tamayo led me to the living room.

God I love my eyes, it was so damn OP.

"Yushiro, would you mind making tea for our guest?" Lady Tamayo said while we both sat down on the floor with a table between us.

Yushiro paused for a second, before he nodded, "Of course,"

It's not that Lady Tamayo was eager to serve me tea but it was an indirect order for him to stay away while we talked in private.

"So, Mister Shigan, what is it that you wish to talk to me about?" Lady Tamayo started immediately after we settled into our seats.

I did not give her an answer immediately, instead, I looked around at the interior of the house. There were no other residents besides her and Yushiro but everything in the house looked clean and well kept.

The design of the room was as you would expect a normal Japanese house, except everything was a bit luxurious and there was a chandelier at the ceiling, lighting the room with a yellowish glow.

There was no furniture like a chair, sofa etc other than the table we were sitting on. The corner of the room was filled with shelves that contained books and floating shelves with few decorations like a beautiful vase decorated the walls.

"I want us to be partners," I said, returning my eyes to hers.

"Partners? I thought I'd made it clear to Ubuyashiki that I have no interest in working with the Demon Slayer Corps," was her reply.

First of all, of course, that sick guy already contacted her. He seemed to know everything and more. Secondly, I could understand why she did not want to work with the Demon Slayer Corps.

Even putting aside the fact that she was literally a demon, thier motivation and priority were fundamentally different. She sought revenge while the slayers sought peace, she prioritised killing Muzan over anything while protecting others was of equal importance for the slayers.

Also, she was hiding from Muzan, the less contact she had the better for her.

"That's not what I am asking," I said, "I want us to be partners, as in only you and me, nothing else,"

Her face turned thoughtful as I continued, "The truth is, I am going to kill Muzan Kibutsuji and I want your assistance,"

"Kill Muzan?" she said, she hid it well but I knew my words pissed her off. She had been trying to do the same thing for a thousand year, and here comes a youngster boldly claiming that he was going top do what she could not achieve in centuries.

"Do tell me how you plan to kill the literally Demon Lord, I'm curious," she said with a closed-eyed smile, her head tilted to accentuate her question.

"I was thinking of cutting off his head," was my simple reply, as if it couldn't get easier.

"...."

"...."

Her smile widened but my eyes saw through the mask.

"On second thought, maybe we can cut off his limbs and strap him on the top of a mountain and leave him to burn dry in the sun," I said.

"....."

"I think this partnership will end before it even begins if you keep joking, mister Shigan,"

I chuckled, "You really think I'm joking?" because I was not.

"You just saw what happened right? The ease at which I was able to slay an Upper Moon," I said.

"Upper Moon 6, the weakest amongst them. Although impressive, the difference between that and Muzan is bigger than the soles of my feet and heaven," she replied.

"Do you get news in here, Lady Tamayo? Or are you unaware of what happened a month ago?" I asked in return.

She stayed silent for a while, deciphering what I meant by my words until she came to a realisation. She opened her eyes, her smile dropped and she gripped a handful of fabrics on her thighs.

"Doma, Upper Moon 2," she said, " You are the one who killed him?"

"Yes,"

She took a minute to study my body and expression. What truly stood out to her was the fact that I was in good health, even capable of fighting another Upper Moon after clashing with Doma only a month prior.

One could imagine how difficult that fight was for me.

Although most would be wrong as it was at death's door that I defeated Doma, but I was not going to correct anyone who thought otherwise.

"I see, if you have such power at that age then," she did not complete her words, merely sucking in a breath as her eyes gained a new light.

Hope.

"So what do you need my help for?" she asked but I put a finger up to correct her.

"Want, I want your help, I do not need it,"

"Muzan Kibutsuji will die by my blade with or without you." I declared with more intensity than I would've liked.

My eyes pierced through her and her nails grew on instinct, ready to fight. The killing intent I was releasing was directed at her a little as she too was a demon, causing her to shrink under me.

I instantly reeled back such killing intent and gave a smile.

"Your help will just be.." I trailed off, searching for the right word, "A convenience,"

"But on the other hand, I know you cannot just sit still and watch Muzan get defeated by me. After all, you wouldn't get your revenge otherwise," I said.

"...."

"How do you know all these things?"

I didn't answer her question and even she didn't expect me to answer. There were ways in which everyone got their information and we kept that to ourselves.

She shook her head helplessly.

"You are right, if you are truly going to kill Muzan, I need to be a part of it," she admitted in the end.

Just then, the door opened up and Yushiro came in with a tray. He served us tea and a few snacks to enjoy.

Tamayo gave a gentle smile at Yushiro and helped him set the table. She took a sip of the hot tea.

Normally, demons were not able to consume human foods anymore after becoming demons but with her medical knowledge, Lady Tamayo had modified her body to be more humane than demon.

That was why I could tolerate her rather easily. She didn't look as ugly as others.

"So, what do you want from me?" she finally asked, tapping the bottom of the cup on the table.

..

..

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Author : I know I said extra chatpter at 700 but I didn't think you guys would really reach the goal. 💀

Sorry, but this is extra long chapter.

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