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A pleased grin made its way to his face as he scanned the words in front of his eyes. The lightweight paper in his hand contained much more information than he thought he would've gained in this long journey of theirs.

"Who would've thought?" Muzan mumbled as he flipped the pages, eyes scanning at an uncanny pace.

A single image imprinted itself on his mind. Just the one.

The Blue Spider Lily. This Tsuneo had it.

Well, what's left of it anyway.

From the manic words inscribed onto the papers, it appeared that Tsuneo had been researching for a cure for all kinds of diseases. A single cure that would able to change the state of a human's body to be its most perfect self.

"My," he smiled. "How interesting."

The flower contained ingredients that would help revert a man's body for the better, or so it was written by the researcher before Tsuneo. Yet despite using it for the better health of his patients, none had survived after drinking the antidote made with the Blue Spider Lily.

The patients' bodies appeared to have been deprived of blood from the inside long after drinking it. Hollowed out cheeks and sunken eyes followed soon after, with severe coughs in blood.

Strange. None of those things happened to him neither did it happen to [Y/n]. It was either Tsuneo had used too much of the flower's potency or too little for it to work correctly.

He would need to research this himself.

When the flower is finally in his grasp, he's sure that with his intellect, he'll be able to find the antidote for him and [Y/n] to finally stand in the sun.

"Muzaaannnnnnn," a familiar voice shouted.

Muzan picked up the papers he deemed important and began to walk out of the room.

It would seem that his darling companion needed him by his side.

"You taste good."

Those were the first words Tsuneo said to him.

Quite the unique choice of words for a first meeting, he had to admit. But well, he's heard weirder.

"Good to know," [Y/n] replied, trying his best to keep the interaction casual. A sound buzzed in his head.

Tsuneo would have bitten the closed wound again if not for [Y/n] forcefully pulling his arm away from those sharp fangs. He didn't know what would happen if Tsuneo consumed too much of his blood, and he wasn't about to risk anything yet.

Still crouched down, head facing directly toward Tsuneo, [Y/n] asked, "So, how do you feel?" There was no trace of alarm in those beautiful eyes.

He clearly remembered the turned thief yesterday who launched himself barbarically, a face full of anger, and panic, but also bloodthirst. All of it, missing from Tsuneo's fair face. Another sound buzzed in his head, like a string of words.

Tsuneo peered at him beneath long white eyelashes, casting a faint shadow under his golden eyes. "I feel... good. Stronger than before." He continued, "It's as if... I've been reborn anew."

Confirming there won't be any bouts of panic from the white-haired man, [Y/n] stood up and stretched his legs from crouching too long. A force of habit mostly, he didn't feel any exhaustion at all.

"An accurate description of your dilemma. You died, after all."

"I what?"

[Y/n] immediately closed his mouth. Oops. Would saying that induce panic? Nah, Tsuneo looked fine so far. Everything would be fine.

So to reiterate, he said again, "You. Died. A few hours ago, I think."

Tsuneo gaped at him, opening his mouth before closing it again. He looked more confused than panicked, eyes looking up at the ceiling as if to ponder his very existence.

"I died?"

"Yes."

"A few hours ago?"

"Yep."

"Now, I'm alive?"

"Probably yeah."

Oh, he looked more confused now. Poor thing.

Tsuneo traced his fingers on his lips, pulling them away to gaze at the blood left behind by [Y/n]. Then, his golden eyes moved to his lower body, covered in so much blood, so much red.

For a moment, his gaze seemed unfocused, somewhere far away, before eventually Tsuneo turned his eyes back at [Y/n]. He looked at him silently before saying, "You're not human. Are you?"

A string of words echoed in his mind. Clearly now, without a buzz to be heard. He was sure now. The string of words were actually Tsuneo's thoughts. He could listen to them, even if the man hadn't even said anything yet.

What has he turned me into?

[Y/n] smiled. "What do you think I am?"

"Since you saved me from death, should I call you an angel?"

"..."

He didn't know what expression he made at that, but Tsuneo seemed to find it funny. His mouth turned into a sly smile. "No?"

"It's up to you. I don't really care."

"Oh."

Tsuneo stood up with shaky legs, but with a few milliseconds, he had quickly adjusted to his body and straightened himself up. He was surprisingly tall. Dusting off his blood-soaked clothes, funnily enough, he asked, "Why did you save me?"

You don't even know me. And I don't know you.

"Because, Tsuneo-san, I've heard from a sweet blue bird that you're related to someone I know."

He knows my name.

"Who?" he asked.

"Your uncle, you see, was the one who cured me and my companion from our not-so-healthy bodies. He gave us medicine after medicine, believed in himself that he could heal us from our dilemma."

"Oh, my dead uncle." There was no hint of warmth in the way Tsuneo said that. "So, you're here to return the favor then? What friend anyway? I don't see anyone here besides you."

[Y/n] laughed. "Nothing like that. We're here to get some answers to an additional problem plaguing us. Specifically, not from a corpse. It's why I saved you. My companion's in your workroom, by the way."

Tsuneo crossed his arms, a multitude of theories in his mind, too much for [Y/n] to pick and take. The sounds soon quieted down, and when he was done thinking, Tsuneo replied, "Get your friend over here then. If you both have questions, you should ask them together so I don't repeat myself."

"Muzaaannnnnnn," [Y/n] shouted.

Tsuneo looked at him in puzzlement. "Get over hereeee!" he continued.

"Why are you shouting?"

"So he can hear me."

Soon after, soft footsteps walked towards them, and then came Muzan with an exasperated frown on his face.

"Did you have to be so loud? I can hear you just fine even when you whisper."

Seems like these two would get along just fine. [Y/n] shrugged, and then pointed at Tsuneo. "Look at him! He's not a corpse anymore. Everything worked out!"

Muzan nodded, a small smile. "That's wonderful to hear, dear. This one has quite the brilliant mind," he gestured to the papers in his hand. "And judging from these, he can answer some of our questions."

"You both know my name, and yet I don't know yours," Tsuneo voiced out, golden eyes fully directed at [Y/n].

He's handsome.

[Y/n] inwardly nodded. Muzan was indeed a very handsome man.

"This is Muzan, my companion." Then he pointed at himself, "I'm [L/n] [Y/n]. It's nice to meet you. We do hope you can help us, Tsuneo-san."

"He can. Especially since he's seen the flower himself. Tell us, what do you know of the Blue Spider Lily?" Muzan asked, voice tinged with barely concealed enthusiasm.

"He's seen the flower too? This should be good."

Tsuneo sighed, and looked at Muzan. "So you've seen my research on it, without my permission. If you came here to see the flower, you guys are much too late."

"You don't have it?" [Y/n] asked.

Tsuneo gave him a pointed look. "No. The last time I saw a bloomed one was years ago in the hands of my uncle. It's an extremely rare flower, so I tried cultivating it myself to no avail."

Muzan stayed silent, so [Y/n] continued asking, "Maybe you should let us try and cultivate the Blue Spider Lily."

An impossible task.

"Do you even know how?" Muzan asked him, an exasperated smile decorated his features once again. "There's a first time for everything."

Tsuneo's voice cut in between them, "Sorry to say, but I can't help you with that. All I had left was the wilted ones from my uncle back then, and I've used them all up in my experiments."

Muzan scoffed at that, "Isn't your job to help sick people? And yet you call what you did as an experiment?" A malicious smile formed on Muzan's face.

Tsuneo frowned, and his eye twitched. "I always tell my patients the incomplete condition of my medicines, as well as the consequences of it. It's not my fault that I'm the only physician left in this forsaken village."

Judging that he could hear Tsuneo's very thoughts, it seemed that he was completely genuine in this belief.

[Y/n] still couldn't comprehend why some people even want to try out incomplete medicines though, especially one with a grim reputation like Tsuneo. Maybe some of them went to him just because of his good looks?

Anyways, "So you don't have the Blue Spider Lily anymore. Not even a piece of the wilted ones?"

"No. I used up the last one for the pregnant woman a few days ago..." Tsuneo trailed off immediately, and then his mouth closed shut. Muzan raised an eyebrow.

So that's why I got killed. I remember now.

"She didn't survive your medicine too, I take it?"

Tsuneo shook his head. "The memories before my death are quite a blur, but I'm sure I was killed because of her death."

Muzan nodded beside him. "It's what the folks here have been saying. They also said that the perpetrator would probably just get a slap on the wrist for killing you. Your life doesn't matter to them."

"Muzan..." [Y/n] gave him a pointed look, but Muzan shrugged it off immediately.

"Do you even remember who killed you?" [Y/n] asked. To be honest, it seemed that a lot of people would have a vendetta against a physician like Tsuneo. Instead of healing people, his medicine helped the patients reach death faster.

Tsuneo absentmindedly tapped his chin, pondering the killer's image in his mind. "Well, I remember being ambushed in my own house. After stabbing me repeatedly, another person came in and stabbed me as well."

"Oh my."

"After that... I don't know. I think I saw another figure but it was too dark for me to remember."

[Y/n] stepped closer, curiosity clouding his features. "Do you want revenge?" Golden eyes crinkled, and a malicious look decorated Tsuneo's face. "Obviously I do."

"Yes, yes, we can deal with that later," Muzan scolded. "Right now, you should explain to us how we're going to get a new batch of Blue Spider Lilies. It is of the utmost importance for us to have it."

"Oh yeah, [Y/n] did say you guys had an additional problem my uncle didn't fix. What is it?"

Muzan frowned. "Why is he already calling you by your first name?"

"Well, you see—"

Their conversation immediately paused as the sound of footsteps neared the house. What bad timing.

Which unlucky soul decided to visit at this hour? The crowd outside had dispersed long ago, and the guards had already given them permission to be there.

"You should hide," he quietly ordered to Tsuneo. The white-haired man nodded and softly made his way to a darker corner of the room, hidden in the shadows.

Muzan stayed right where he was, glancing silently at the door. No sign of vigilance in those red eyes of his.

[Y/n] sighed and turned his head at the door as it slid open. He had an inkling of who it might be, and he stood corrected. A familiar dark-haired man stood at the entrance to the room.

"We meet again, Akio." Tsuneo's best friend arrived.

Akio?

"...It's you. Why are you here? Who's that with you?" Those blue eyes looked at them with suspicion before roaming around the room, lingering heavily on the area where Tsuneo died.

Akio. He was there.

"Where did you hide Tsuneo's body?" [Y/n] held back the urge to sigh at the glare he received. He didn't know how Akio would react to seeing the now very-much-alive but slightly different-looking Tsuneo.

Hopefully, he won't scream or do anything that would draw the attention of the other villagers. Taking a deep breath, he said, "You should close the door first. This might take a while."

Akio gave him another suspicious glance before doing as he said, closing the door shut. Beside him, Muzan regarded the blue-eyed man with a thoughtful glance.

"So this is the so-called best friend?"

"I was his best friend."

[Y/n] whistled. "Well... about that. Uhh, what do you think about resurrection?" Muzan rolled his eyes and whispered, "If he draws any unwanted attention, I'm killing him. I don't want to deal with an angry crowd near sunrise."

Akio glared harder at them, if that was even possible. Any trace of his tears was long gone, replaced with a hatred directed at people who dared to dishonor Tsuneo even in death.

Before [Y/n] could even start to explain, Tsuneo stepped out of the shadows. His newly changed white hair shimmered in the moonlit glow of an opened window.

"Eh?!"

Ah, shit. That wasn't your cue to come out, Tsuneo, he reprimanded in his mind.

"B-but how?! Is that really you, Tsuneo?" Even changed, Akio would, of course, recognize his friend in a heartbeat.

Tsuneo stepped forward, but his gaze seemed unfocused, clouded with hunger. Oh yeah, this guy...

Hungry.

As Tsuneo could launch himself at Akio, [Y/n] grabbed his scabbard and used it as a makeshift gag from behind the newly turned demon.

Sharp teeth bit into hardened leather instead of Akio's flesh. Really, Akio should thank him. He had to use the scabbard given to him by his brother for this! Now it's all drooled over.

Tsuneo roared in anger as the flesh he sought after could not be reached.

How dare you!

Akio's face was a mix of terror and confusion. But instead of going away, he stepped closer. "W-what happened to you?! Hey, let him go!"

Muzan scoffed, "Are you trying to die?" The demon made no move to help [Y/n], but he did change his position to somewhere near the door, blocking the only exit.

"Then explain what's happening!" he screamed at them. "How is he alive?!"

[Y/n] laughed full of mirth. "Yeah, I was going to explain! But it's kind of hard trying to explain with your friend like this." Drooling like a rabid dog, he meant.

"Tsuneo, stop this!" Akio voiced out loudly.

As Akio neared, Tsuneo roared louder. His thoughts were filled with desperation to eat, to consume human flesh, to devour everything there was to offer. His sharp nails clawed at [Y/n]'s hand, slashing blood in its wake.

Having had enough, [Y/n] let go of the scabbard, sending Tsuneo careening towards the floor, before the man quickly balanced himself back to a standing position.

As he balanced himself, [Y/n] used a controlled amount of strength and delivered a hard punch to Tsuneo's head.

Stay down!

Tsuneo's body crumpled to the side harshly, with blood leaking from around his head.

From his shared connection with Tsuneo, it seemed that he was fine, even after such a heavy blow. His heart was still beating, and the wound was already trying to close.

Good, he didn't kill him then.

Akio seemed to think otherwise though. He pointed and screamed at him, eyes wide open. "Why did you kill him again? He just got resurrected, isn't that what you said?! Why did—"

Akio fell to the ground, and Muzan glanced at the knocked-out body full of annoyance. [Y/n] arched an eyebrow at him.

Muzan shook his head in disbelief. "He was getting too loud."