The Price for Knowledge

Apart from Kibutsuji Muzan, there is one other person in this world that knows how to transform a human into a demon.

Having devoted most of her life to researching of demons and human transformation into one, she was one of the most knowledgeable individuals in this world. And although her method is neither perfect nor it is fast but that's the only option Arthur has got.

She is a demon but kind-hearted, a doctor but drinks human blood, she was once a servant of Muzan but now wants to kill him the most, she is Tamayo.

At present, she is treating a wound on one of her patient's head. She gently wrapped the bandage around the little girl's head, after applying an ointment. The small girl hissed and sniveled at small intervals, while her mother sat behind her and rubbed her back as Tamayo treated her.

Tamayo smiled, her gentle lavender-colored eyes that didn't possess a pupil looked at the worried expression of the mother of the girl, "The wound wasn't deep so there is nothing to worry about, Miss Akusa. But do bring her tomorrow in the evening, I'll change the dressing and apply some more ointment."

The other woman, bowed after she stood up with her daughter, "Yes, thank you, Doctor."

Tamayo sighed and called out to her assistant, "Yushiro, are there any more patients left?"

"No, Tamayo-Sama, there are none." Yushiro replied with enthusiasm, quite giddy by the fact that no more people will disturb his time with Lady Tamayo.

But as if to throw cold water on his expectations, a knock was heard on the door. It was already quite late at night, another emergency perhaps.

Yushiro opened the wooden sliding door to let the patient in with slight annoyance but his eyes widened as he looked at the appearance of the presumed 'patient'.

It was a demon! His skin was pale gray and pupils were completely red with black sclera.

Yushiro gritted his teeth, his guard rose due to the threat in front of him. Encountering a demon was completely unforeseen as this one didn't let out any demonic scent. It was impossible for Yushiro to anticipate him.

"Do not be alarmed, Yushiro-San." The green-haired demon spoke in a calm and cautious fashion in order to dissipate the tension. "Rest assured I am not here to inflict any sort of harm to you or your Lady. From my appearance you would assume that I am a demon under Kibutsuji Muzan, but no, at least not anymore. I am Ryoma, and—"

However, Yushiro's scowl never lessened and he interrupted Ryoma's long explanation/introduction. "I don't care who and what you are, now leave."

At this moment Tamayo came out. With her enhanced hearing she had already heard the introduction of the green-haired demon(?)

Since Ryoma had uttered that man's name, he surely couldn't be associated with him, or at least as he said, not anymore. It piqued Tamayo's interest — Another demon like her perhaps.

"What is it that you want from us, Ryoma-San?" She spoke, gracefully standing behind Yushiro, her pupil-less eyes looked as empty as ever. But there was a small change in her face, her small smile was no longer there.

Ryoma seeing Tamayo bowed respectfully, while Yushiro donned a tense expression worrying for Tamayo's safety from this unknown demon.

"My Lord wants to have a meeting with you. He has a proposal for you that could aid in you fulfilling your... wish." Ryoma replied.

Fulfilling her wish, huh? What an arrogant way of speech. Perhaps thinking along these lines Yushiro shouted in anger at Ryoma. "Who does your so-called Lord thinks he is? Hah? And you're a bastard too saying pretentious things like that!"

Ryoma glared at Yushiro for overreacting and belittling his master.

"Yushiro!" Tamayo chided her assistant for being so unnecessarily rude and turned her eyes back to this Ryoma.

Her wish, huh...

Then again, killing that man... Kibutsuji Muzan could only be called a wish.

For a thousand years, that man had lived. His intellect and strength are far superior to any human or demon on this earth. He puts survival above everything, even above his immeasurable pride.

A while ago, this demon had said Kibutsuji's name without incurring the wrath of his curse, meaning he isn't cursed anymore just like her, he was clearly not a subordinate of him. So, it wouldn't hurt to at least listen to the proposal of the master of this demon, would it?

Thinking so Tamayo spoke, "Well, where is your Lord?"

Ryoma nodded and looked up.

Tamayo and Yushiro also followed Ryoma's eyes to look up and saw a figure slowly descending from the sky. A demonic scent entered their noses as he arrived.

"Good evening, Tamayo-San, I am Heito," Arthur spoke landing beside Ryoma.

Tamayo nodded while Yushiro just glared.

"I suppose Ryoma here already told you why we approached you", Arthur inhaled, "Well, why don't we talk more about it in your secret base?"

After all of them arrived at Tamayo's 'secret base', Tamayo asked Yushiro to get some tea and snacks for the 'guests'. Yushiro being Yushiro couldn't deny his Lady even though he was quite a bit annoyed by the master-servant duo.

His annoyance had increased several folds when while walking to the base Ryoma warned him against saying disrespectful words to Arthur/ Heito/ His Lord. Literally saying that he wouldn't be as tolerable as earlier if those kinds of words were to be directed at Arthur again and he'd have to see the consequences.

That moment could cause a huge commotion had Arthur and Tamayo hadn't reeled in both of the greenheads.

Anyway, Yushiro brought the tea and snacks and put them in the middle of where Tamayo and Arthur were seated.

Arthur took a sip from the cup as he stared at Tamayo's face, "If you don't mind me prying Tamayo-San but did you lose your pupils when you got free of Muzan's curse?"

Tamayo nodded, her pupilless eyes giving her face a somber look, "Yes, it was about 400 years ago, when..." She paused and gritted her teeth remembering that dark and unbearable period with Muzan but recalling the moment when Muzan was so close to being exterminated from this world brought her some peace.

"It's okay, you don't have to tell me." Arthur said, "Well actually, my question wasn't exactly unrelated to the business I was here for. You see, I've found a way to break Muzan's curse from other demons."

Tamayo's eyes widened in surprise, her heartbeat rose in excitement as she heard a way to weaken Muzan's forces of defense.

This piece of information instantly made her intrigued.

Arthur continued, "You see Ryoma here, he has been successfully freed from Muzan's curse. And I'm sure it will work on all the demons in existence."

Tamayo smiled slightly seeing his absolute confidence. "I can tell from your face that you've tested your claim of your method working in 'All demons in existence.'"

Arthur nodded, "Yeah, it was Upper Moon Three, but I failed since the procedure was kinda halted."

This surprised Tamayo even more. The method was not just limited to weak demons only. Even upper moons were affected.

Whatever procedure he used, it'll greatly help her in her research of human-demon transformation.

But surely he wouldn't provide that method just like that, right?

Tamayo asked, "What do you want in return, Heito-San?"

"The price for knowledge is knowledge, in return for me giving you the way to remove the curse from demons, I want you to give me the method to transform humans into demons."

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