Chapter 187: I Want You
Anyone who knows the ending of Demon Slayer remembers Tanjiro turning into a demon and biting Nezuko, who had just received the cure and become a walking vaccine.
That bite forced the new Demon King back to normal.
Combined with the effect of the dose Kanao administered, the fact that the supreme demon bit the vaccine directly became a recurring joke...
But for Marcus, who was living it firsthand, the perspective was different.
Under that logic, the cure generated long-lasting antibodies in the human body. It didn’t just prevent transformation—it turned any demon who drank that blood back into a human.
If Nezuko retained that resistance after being cured, then most likely Tanjiro, upon drinking her blood, would also turn into a new carrier vaccine.
In other words, the effect was transmissible.
And that was where the real dilemma arose.
Was that immunity hereditary? Were the children of a walking vaccine born as living antibodies? If it passed down generation after generation, the outlook was devastating. For humans the medicine was harmless, but for demons and Vampires it amounted to a lethal virus.
If that vaccine circulated in secret for a century and Marcus, by sheer accident or a calculated attack, ended up drinking contaminated blood, the result would be instantaneous: upon regaining his human condition, he’d die of old age on the spot.
Worse still: if the cure were mass-produced and administered to newborns as if it were the smallpox vaccine, a single generation would be enough to wipe out his entire species through starvation.
Instead of betting on whether his body would resist the vaccine the way Muzan’s did, it was more practical to cut the problem off at the root.
"Shinobu..." Marcus’s tone softened a little, but his eyes kept their seriousness. "Tell Kagaya I’m going to kill Muzan. I’ll do whatever it takes to wipe him off the map. But if you insist on keeping a weapon to hold me back... all you’ll accomplish is turning me against you."
"Even if we only intend to use it against Muzan?"
"I’m a cautious guy," Marcus shrugged. "I can step out to the front, take the hits, and draw all of Muzan’s fury. But I won’t tolerate my allies keeping a dagger behind my back, ready to plunge it into me at any moment. Is the point clear to you?"
Shinobu sank into her thoughts...
A few seconds later, she let out a melancholic sigh. "I understand. Even so, I have to relay this to the Master word for word."
"Of course," Marcus spread his hands nonchalantly. "I have nothing to hide."
Shinobu watched him for a moment, and the shadow of a smile returned to her lips:
"You’ve changed, Marcus-kun... You really have changed."
"Did I get more attractive?"
"You got more calculating."
Marcus chuckled, took his cup from the table, and had a calm sip.
"Do you have any other demands?"
Shinobu shook her head. "The Master only mentioned those three points."
"In that case, here come my conditions," Marcus set the cup down and rested his interlaced hands on the desk.
"I’m listening."
"First: sharing information. My foundation for facing Muzan is staying here to defend this place. The people around me can’t go out often either, to avoid ambushes. I need full access to the network of the Corps and the Ubuyashiki family."
"That’s fair."
"Second: I need a budget."
Shinobu mulled it over for a moment. "...I won’t ask for the figure, because I know you. However, since you refuse to hand over the Blue Spider Lily, the final amount will be decided by the Master."
"Deal," Marcus nodded. "Third: I need a person."
"Who?"
"You."
Silence took over the study.
Shinobu’s smile stayed in place, but her eyes narrowed.
"Marcus-kun... isn’t Mitsuri enough for you?"
"Mitsuri is Mitsuri, you are you," Marcus answered seriously. "Even if they agree to send her to stay here, direct contact between the Corps and me requires a liaison I can trust."
Shinobu blinked. "That’s what the Kasugai crows are for."
"They won’t cut it for me."
She let out a light laugh. "You won’t even bother coming up with a better excuse?"
"Not at all. I want you!"
"And what about Kanao?" she asked in a playful tone.
"Kanao too! But she can only come during the day." Marcus softened his tone and added: "You as well. Preferably don’t show up around here at night."
Shinobu’s smile faded a little. "Are you afraid that...?"
"It’s not fear, it’s a certainty," Marcus cut her off firmly. "Muzan is watching the area. Up close it’s hard for them to get near, but from a distance they’re surely keeping spies."
"I’ll be careful..."
"Good. Then the official matters end here," Marcus stood up with a cunning smile. "Now let’s talk about the private stuff."
Seeing him round the desk to plant himself in front of her, Shinobu’s ears took on a light blush.
Ever since that time at the Butterfly Estate when Marcus spanked her all afternoon, she had deliberately kept her distance. Even during her stay in Asakusa she avoided being alone with him, always keeping herself in the company of Tamayo or Kanao.
And now, seeing that mischievous look, Shinobu stood up with a hint of nervousness in her movements.
"I-I have to get back as soon as possible to report to the Master."
But Marcus didn’t give her time—he seized her by the wrist and pointed at the gray sky beyond the window.
"Did you forget what I told you a moment ago?" he murmured, pulling her toward him. "It’s almost nightfall... tonight I’m not going to let you go."
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