If I was being honest, the day I turned into a demon was a hazy blur. It had been quite a few years ever since I encountered the progenitor of all demons and my slow and sure descent towards being a man eating monster became cemented the moment I became overcome by thoughts of feeding on human flesh.

It was a long, arduous battle against the foreign blood inside me and my will to remain human.

I did not know how it was possible to fight the demonization process for that long. It was simply impossible as most humans would have turned into a demon but from what I've found out and with Lady Tamayo's medical opinion, my frequent consumption of wisteria has helped me battle against the darkness slowly consuming me.

Who would have thought that my unnecessary habit of eating poisonous plants would help me through the years?

However, even if did helped me maintain my humanity for a long time, I still ended up becoming a monster that I feared most.

I do not wanttokillpeople--

The allure of flesh and blood was hard to resist once my senses were heightened tenfold. I have been fasting for so long and building up my resistance when I was still human.

I've even quarantined myself alone inside my room while I stared at the raw meat that was on a plate, conveniently infront of me.

But I kept myself and my urges on control and this continued for days, no, weeks, to the point that I was salivating and slowly losing my mind as I fought my desire to eat.

That was when I made a decision to come back to the Demon Slayer Corps, after completing my long vacation due to the injury I suffered from the progenitor himself (which healed overtime and a weeks in cued me to the fact that his blood was now rushing inside my veins), determined, I would complete missions one after another and dedicate my remaining human life towards killing demons before another soul would suffer.

And before the day I lose to the blood inside me or the day I am close to finally succumbing to the demonization process, I would resign from my station, thanked the Oyakata-sama then leave.

I would find a quiet place that was exposed to the sun where I would tie myself up and wait till I burn to ashes.

I have come to terms with my death a long time ago and has prepared myself internally.

I have accepted that I would not die from old age, nor would I end up being killed honorably in battle.

Instead, I would die a sure death as a demon who wants nothing but human flesh, alone and unheard of.

It was a much better alternative than having to force my blood on someone else's hands. No one needed to know. No one is to be made aware that I am to become one of the most hated beings there is.

I would keep this knowledge to myself.

My only wish is to leave the others with the knowledge that I simply disappeared and went somewhere else.

At the very least, their last memory of me would still be as a human.

It was my only selfish wish.

My only wish that I would indulge in.

That was my plan...

But then I met Lady Tamayo.

And everything changed.

♤♡◇♧

"Riri-san, how was your visit?" The soft feminine tone of Lady Tamayo greeted me.

I smiled at her.

"Kamado Tanjiro is as energetic and lively as you described him. "I said placidly, before heading inside without a word.

"You know that you don't have to fake your smile with me." Came her voice just as I was to grab the doorknob. My hands froze and went slack beside me.

"I've met him before once but seeing him again reminded me of my Ruki-nii. He has that cheerful disposition around him. It was a little annoying.."

Her soft laugh made its way to my ears which twitched slightly at the sound.

"You really should be more honest with yourself, Riri-san."

I turned to face her. "You sound like Kagaya-sama. "

A surprised look crossed her face at my comment.

I shrugged. "I went to see him.." I said in a low inaudible tone but our demon hearing was enough to hear even the smallest of sound.

"Kagaya-sama's health is getting worse and worse. I was infront of him and he didn't see me. He was already blind. " I ran a hand through my hair, my long claws scraping my scalp harmlessly.

"But he knew my voice, he still remembered me even if I'm a demon now. And Lady Tamayo, did you know what he told me?" I said in a tone filled with disbelief, mirroring the equally disbelieving look on my face.

"He told me that I was still welcome to go back to the Demon Slayer Corps, that my refusal to harm him or his guards as I snuck inside his home was enough proof that I was still one of his children." Lady Tamayo's hand came to rest on my shoulders when she approached me.

"I don't believe it. How can he say that to me when he was clearly talking to a monster? I couldn't answer him, not when all I was thinking was how pitiful his body has become. I don't deserve his generosity and respect yet he... Kagaya-sama spoke to me as if nothing has changed. "I looked up at Lady Tamayo, tears in my eyes.

"He talked to me as if I am still human."