One critically ill patient had not yet fully recovered, and another one arrived at Butterfly Mansion.
Kuwano Masachika's life was saved, but his internal organs were severely injured. It was already fortunate that his organ functions could be preserved; whether he could recover to his pre-injury combat level would depend on fate.
Sanemi didn't bother with the Kasugai Crow that had been circling outside for a long time, instead, as a fellow disciple, he stayed by Masachika's side, taking care of him—if standing grim-faced while watching the Butterfly Mansion's successors change bandages counted as care.
Tomioka Giyu, the family member of the patient in the next bed, had also been ignoring headquarters for a long time.
A week later, Sabito woke up.
As his injuries healed, Giyuu no longer feared Makomo like a tiger.
Under the persuasion of Sabito and Makomo, he finally accepted Kagaya Ubuyashiki's invitation and went to headquarters to discuss matters concerning the "Pillar" position.
"What's the final solution?" Haruto peeled an apple with a small knife, put the fruit in a bowl, and pushed it to Sabito, then took another apple that Makomo had washed and munched on it with a crunch.
"You don't know? Aren't you a Pillar?" Sabito poked at the apple bits with the tip of his knife, watching Haruto eat with relish, then sat up and put some into his mouth.
"Giyuu becoming a Pillar is a sure thing, but you're not far behind. There's only one Water Pillar, so they can't just change the title, right?"
Sabito gave him a thumbs up: "Exactly. The headquarters finally decided that Giyuu would be a Pillar, and I would be a Half-Pillar. Other than the title, there's no difference—we enjoy equal treatment and can both attend the Pillar Meeting."
Hmph, as expected, Kagaya wouldn't let a swordsman with Pillar-level strength remain in a regular 隊員's position.
But... Half-Pillar?
That sounds terrible.
"What was Giyuu's reaction?"
"He said a bunch of things normal people wouldn't understand. In short, he thought the titles of Pillar and Half-Pillar should be swapped. He stayed by my bedside for a long time before Makomo chased him away," Sabito pouted. "He was just called away by his forgetful Kasugai Crow."
Haruto looked out the window and saw Sora peeking in.
"You go on with your work, don't worry, I'm much better," Sabito smiled gently. His gentleness had never changed, and it made people believe that it never would.
Haruto walked out of the room, and Sora landed on his bent finger.
"A message from Tamayo in Tokyo Prefecture, Asakusa. Her drug research has already achieved initial results, and she has sent an invitation for drug trials."
...Arriving in Asakusa again with Genya, the bustling city was not as noisy as it was the last time they visited.
Perhaps due to the special historical period, Asakusa looked a bit somber today.
They saw Yushiro again, looking grim. Haruto had visited Tamayo several times over the years, and each time brought a new feeling.
The only constant was Yushiro's expression... no, wait, his expression grew increasingly sour as Haruto grew taller.
What infuriated him most was, why had this demon-eating brat also grown so much in the past two years?
Wasn't he only 10 years old? Why was he almost as tall as him, even with that tuft of hair on his head?
Damn it, 157 centimeters isn't short at all!
The scent in Lady Tamayo's mansion was very different today. A faint aroma of ambergris mixed with the elegant fragrance of white camellias flowed down from the high table.
"Oh, this..."
Haruto looked at the somewhat familiar white stone statue incense burner: "Is it that one?"
"It's not the one you brought the first time you came," Tamayo walked out from inside, a hint of fatigue between her brows. "This incense burner gave me a lot of inspiration, so I specifically found the same one in the market."
"Inspiration?"
"The incense burner is called Dream Stealer, and the new drug is also called Dream Stealer," Tamayo wiped her hands with a clean towel. "Sit. Genya, would you like some pear? A patient's family just sent these sweet pears, and I couldn't refuse."
Genya immediately noticed the gaze directed at him from beside him, then nodded: "Yes, please, thank you, Lady Tamayo."
"Yushiro?"
"Understood, Lady Tamayo."
Yushiro withdrew to wash the pears, and Tamayo took a row of glass pharmaceutical bottles from a high cabinet on the wall, placing them in front of Haruto.
Inside these bottles flowed a viscous golden liquid, like gold dust. It didn't look pretty; it made one think of thick blood plasma.
Especially since this blood plasma came from Haruto himself.
"Dream Stealer, or Memory Flashback Drug. Its main ingredients are your blood, and a little... something else, a deep-acting hallucinogenic drug."
Tamayo drew out a glass bottle, holding it between her slender, delicate white fingertips. Her beautiful purple eyes reflected the flowing golden liquid, revealing a dreamlike, captivating allure.
"Perhaps 'Serpent of Eden' would be more fitting... After the drug was completed, I used it once—and only dared to use it once.
Whether from the drug itself or the mental pleasure it brings, this is an addictive drug, and it works on both humans and demons."
Haruto's hand, reaching for the drug, paused. His good education told him not to touch this stuff.
"But it doesn't matter for you, after all, this drug originates from you... No venomous snake will be poisoned by its own venom," Tamayo chuckled, as if mocking his timidity.
"That's because no venomous snake has ever thought of injecting venom into its own body," Haruto retorted, then took the drug bottle. "What's it for?"
"To unearth memories hidden deep within the mind. Perhaps beautiful, perhaps painful, depending on the user."
It sounded... even stranger.
"I tested it on myself." Tamayo lowered her head slightly, her expression unreadable. "In that instant, I felt as if I had returned to when I was still human, plagued by illness and death, but at that time my husband and child were still alive... That is something I will never forget in this long life... That damned Kibutsuji Muzan, he tricked me when I was dying of an incurable disease, turning me into a demon. By the time I regained consciousness..."
She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, as if that memory was a poisonous snake, or perhaps an apple, that led her out of her Eden to endure God's scourging.
Yushiro quietly returned, carrying a plate of pears. His gaze towards Tamayo was filled with suppressed love and unwavering devotion.
A moment later, Tamayo opened her eyes and sighed softly: "In short, unless they find a way to break free themselves, users cannot escape the shackles of memory."
"What are the drawbacks?" Haruto held the vial horizontally, tilting it repeatedly, watching the viscous drug surge back and forth inside the bottle.
"The stronger a demon's power, the faster they can browse through memory fragments. What takes humans a day or even longer to digest, they might only need an instant. If you want to use this drug in combat, its effect is negligible.
However, if one consciously realizes they have taken the Dream Stealer Drug and cooperates by opening their spiritual world..."
Tamayo's meaning was self-evident.
Which person who became a demon doesn't have a painful memory deep within their mind?
If this drug could be used to open their spiritual world, allowing them to immerse themselves in the past... then for a swordsman, cutting off that demon's head would be as easy as taking something out of one's pocket.