After that, I began to examine the changes in my body.

  Somehow, I already understood.

  I was no longer human.

  And I naturally realized—

  I had become a monster that devours humans.

  Amid the overwhelming stench of blood, I couldn't help but think—it smells delicious.

  The blood, the organs, the scattered pieces of flesh…

  I glanced down at my hand, stained crimson, and it carried an even richer aroma of blood.

  When I ran my tongue over it, the lingering taste of my feast spread through my mouth once more.

  I picked up one of the severed arms that lay nearby, sank my teeth into its flesh, and as I bit down, the blood that gushed forth was utterly exquisite.

  I knew it was blood.

  I understood that it was human flesh.

  Yet still, I continued to eat.

  It didn’t take long for me to realize that the delicacy I had first consumed had been a person.

  When I lapped up the brain matter of the mother I had trampled underfoot—

  That was when I truly, undeniably recognized that I was no longer human.

  At that time, I was utterly intoxicated by a sensation I had rarely, if ever, experienced before—

  Deliciousness.

  The grotesqueness of consuming humans paled in comparison to the overwhelming pleasure of the taste.

  I truly believed that.

  But at some point…

  Something changed.

  Something made me see it as grotesque.

  When was it?

  What was the trigger?

  <+>

  I left the home where I was born and raised—

  The house that held nothing but memories of suffering.

  Taking only a few valuable trinkets that wouldn't weigh me down, I set out to see the outside world.

  This monstrous body of mine—I had already grasped some of its characteristics.

  First, I had to eat humans.

  It wasn’t that I couldn’t consume normal food, nor that I couldn’t taste it.

  But I instinctively knew—no matter how much I ate, it would not nourish me.

  In return, this body possessed strength far beyond that of any human.

  I had already realized how easily I could tear a person apart.

  Even a light sprint stirred up powerful gusts of wind, and a single leap allowed me to land effortlessly atop rooftops.

  My body was nearly impervious to harm.

  Even if it was injured, the wounds vanished without a trace in mere moments.

  And there was something else—

  A sensation that told me I could do even more.

  But that… would require further testing.

  However, as a price for this power, I could no longer stand in the sunlight.

  The warm rays of the sun that stretched before me—my instincts screamed that if I were to bathe in that light, I would vanish without a trace.

  To test it, I extended my left hand into the light.

  The moment it touched the sun, my hand from the wrist down disintegrated, accompanied by excruciating pain.

  And unlike other wounds, the healing process was agonizingly slow.

  From that moment on, I had no choice but to avoid the sun.

  It was frustrating, but as the price for such an invincible body, I found it an acceptable trade.

  After leaving my home, I kept to the shadows, avoiding human eyes and the sun, beginning my quiet journey.

  I wanted to see things, hear things, and touch things.

  The only real problem was that I needed to eat humans to survive.

  However, I quickly realized that one person every six months was enough to sustain me.

  Besides, for an elegant-looking young man like myself traveling alone, meat often came to me willingly.

  My journey was smooth, effortless.

  I felt a true sense of freedom.

  The itch of being unable to walk under the sun was annoying, but compared to the joy of living in the present, it was a minor inconvenience.

  It felt as though all the suffering I had endured until now was being washed away, and I wholeheartedly enjoyed my travels.

  But soon…

  I would come to recognize the pools of blood I left in my wake.

  The voices of resentment that rose from them.

  The horror of a life drenched in blood.

  This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

  That realization was drawing close.

  <+>

  It happened when I stopped by a certain village.

  A thick layer of clouds covered the sky, allowing me to move freely during the daytime—a rare opportunity.

  It was a small village.

  Even from a distance, it was clear that it was not thriving, but once I got closer, I realized it was far worse than I had imagined.

  The fields bore only withered crops.

  Not a single villager had a spark of life in their eyes.

  They all looked like withered trees, their cheeks sunken from starvation.

  Famine.

  That was what had struck this village.

  I didn’t know the cause.

  I didn’t care to find out.

  "AAAHHHH!"

  "YAAH!"

  A villager suddenly rushed at me from behind, wielding a farming tool.

  I easily swatted him aside, leaving him limp on the ground.

  Taking this as another experience to add to my journey, I decided to explore the village.

  And what I saw—

  It made my face twist in disgust.

  "This is… awful."

  The stench was unbearable.

  Corpses of villagers lay scattered everywhere, rotting as swarms of insects crawled over them.

  Birds pecked at the decaying flesh.

  The few villagers still alive barely clung to existence.

  One of them, close by, looked up at me with vacant eyes, dazed and unseeing.

  As I was taking in the scene, a frail, emaciated child—nothing more than skin and bones—staggered toward me with unsteady steps.

  Their cheeks were sunken, their hair unkempt, and insects buzzed around them.

  "Big brother... do you have... any food...?"

  The voice was thin, hoarse, barely above a whisper, as if death was already upon them.

  A trembling hand reached out toward me.

  I decided to hand over a dried persimmon I had received at a previous stop.

  It wouldn’t provide much nourishment for me anyway, and more than anything, the child’s appearance was simply too pitiful to ignore.

  It was a whim… A single piece of dried fruit wouldn’t help them survive.

  But as the child took it, their eyes widened, and then, they smiled—a genuine, delighted smile.

  "Thank you... big brother...!

  Maybe now... Mama... will wake up..."

  With that, the child turned on their heel and ran into a nearby shack.

  For a brief moment, I caught a glimpse inside—the figure of a woman lying motionless, presumably the child’s mother.

  Her eyes were wide open, her mouth slightly agape, and from within, a rat’s face peeked out.

  I averted my gaze and walked away.

  Famine… I had never witnessed one firsthand before, but it was far worse than I had imagined.

  This village was doomed.

  Corpses littered the ground, already beginning to rot.

  Even if some managed to survive the starvation, disease would be the next to claim them—and they had no strength left to resist it.

  Thud

  As I pondered these things, a sudden noise came from the shack.

  I turned to look and saw a filthy man dashing away, clutching the dried persimmon.

  I didn’t need to see more to understand what had happened.

  Narrowing my eyes, I murmured,

  "…How vile."

  My words dissolved into the empty air.

  Just as I was about to leave, convinced there was nothing more to see in this wretched place, a voice called out to me.

  "Please... traveler..."

  I turned to find a woman kneeling before me, cradling a small child in her arms.

  Unlike the others I had seen in the village, this child had some color in their cheeks.

  Thin, yes, but there was still a softness to their face, a hint of youthful roundness.

  The same could not be said for the mother.

  Her nails were cracked, her skin and hair dry, her feet blackened—likely beginning to rot.

  It wasn’t hard to imagine that she had given everything to keep her child alive.

  She was already on the verge of death.

  Yet, with hollow eyes, she looked up at me and spoke.

  "Please... take this child with you..."

  She held out the small child toward me.

  "...What did you say?"

  "This village... is finished. This child... will surely die as well.

  So, please..."

  "Is there a single benefit in this for me?"

  "You may sell the child to a slaver if you wish… It’s far better than dying here.

  Even if the child ends up hating me for it, I don’t care… I just want her to live…"

  I considered her words for a moment.

  Indeed, there was no gain for me in this proposal.

  But then again… there was no loss either.

  Even if carrying a child around inconvenienced me for a short while, the power hidden within my body made it no trouble at all.

  "…Very well. I’ll take the child as far as the city. What happens after that… is up to her."

  I nodded and reached for the child she held out.

  Relief washed over the woman’s face, and she smiled—a deep, genuine smile—as she placed the child into my arms.

  She spoke to the child in my embrace, her voice full of warmth.

  "It’s okay now. It’s okay, my dear."

  Yet, no tears fell from her dry, hollow eyes.

  Even as her parched lips cracked, no blood welled up.

  She had given everything for this child, putting them above her own survival.

  I thought to myself—

  I could not understand it, but… she was an incredible human being.

  "…Hm?"

  A scream rang out.

  I turned at the faint disturbance in the air—just in time to see a man lunging at me, blade in hand.

  With my left hand, I held the child securely.

  With my right, I struck the man, sending him flying—

  But in that brief moment, the tip of his blade grazed my cheek.

  It didn't hurt, and the wound would heal in an instant.

  That wasn’t the problem.

  "Ah… gh…?"

  The real problem lay within my arms.

  Some of my blood had dripped into the child's mouth.

  And at that moment, I understood.

  Anyone who ingested my blood would become something like me.

  I could control this transformation, at least to some extent.

  And above all—

  My blood was terribly toxic to humans.

  If I didn’t turn this child into a monster like myself, she would die.

  Instinctively, I knew.

  I had no choice.

  I had to reshape this suffering child into something no longer human.

  "Oh— oh! You’re standing— on your own feet!

  You’re healthy again—!

  Oh, I’m so glad, so glad!

  My dear, my precious little baby, I’m so reliev—"

  "Graaaaahhh!!!"

  Chomp!

  But… when the child, baring her teeth in a feral snarl, sank those teeth into her own mother—

  I felt a deep, overwhelming regret.

  With wet, grotesque sounds, the child devoured the woman.

  I could do nothing to stop it.

  I could only stand there, staring blankly at the horror unfolding before me.

  "H-hiiiiiiii!!! A demon! A demon has appeared!!!"

  The man who had attacked me earlier threw aside his blade and fled, screaming.

  And strangely, I found myself understanding his fear.

  A monster that devours humans, one that kills even its own kin—

  Is that not the very definition of an oni?

  "Hahaha… how utterly horrifying…"

  The sight of the child, completely absorbed in feasting upon her own mother, was unspeakably dreadful.

  A deep revulsion surged through me.

  Not at the act itself—no, but at myself.

  At the fact that I had done something similar, and felt nothing.

  How despicable…

  Though the circumstances were different, the act itself was the same.

  Watching it unfold before me, I finally understood.

  How utterly monstrous it was—

  To devour another human being.

  "Ah… ah…"

  At last, when there was nothing left of the woman, the child picked up her severed head.

  From the single large eye that had formed in the child’s forehead—

  Tears spilled, rolling down her cheeks.

  Regret.

  All I felt was regret.

  Now I understood.

  I could have stopped this.

  I could have restrained this newborn demon before she consumed her mother.

  I simply had not known.

  And ignorance… was no excuse.

  I placed my hand upon the child's head.

  Now that she had become the same as me, she could never live as a human again.

  She would have to continue feeding on humans.

  From this young age, she had already been condemned to such a fate.

  At the very least…

  I must take responsibility.

  "…I am Kibutsuji Muzan."

  "…Muzan-sama…"

  "You are Nakime."

  "Nakime…"

  The tears continued to fall from the large eye as I gently stroked Nakime's head.

  "From now on, you shall remain by my side.

  Forget that you were ever human.

  Live as you please.

  I will accept you in your entirety."

  Hearing those words, Nakime looked up at me—

  <+>

  Be-ben! Bin!

  "…Hm?"

  A sudden break in the music.

  The sound of something snapping.

  I opened my eyes.

  I had been enjoying a performance within my castle, but it seemed an issue had arisen.

  Turning to Nakime, I saw that the string of her biwa had snapped.

  "Nakime-san, are you alright?"

  Nearby, Hantengu’s former subordinate, Kyogai, clutched his tsuzumi drum, his voice laced with concern.

  Nakime nodded in response as she swiftly took the broken string and began restringing the instrument.

  "Yes… Muzan-sama, I apologize. I will have it fixed shortly."

  She bowed her head politely.

  I raised a hand, dismissing her concern.

  "Think nothing of it. That instrument is old. I will buy you a new one. Later, tell me what kind you would prefer."

  At my words, Nakime's lips curved subtly, conveying her quiet joy.

  "Thank you, Muzan-sama.

  But… I prefer this one."

  Bepen, behen, beben! Be-ben! Be-ben!

  The biwa let out a few discordant notes before settling back into its familiar melody.

  "I see… very well. If you need anything, let me know."

  With that, I closed my eyes again, allowing myself to immerse in the music once more.

  Later, at the very least, I would ensure she had the proper tools to care for her instrument…