"The stomach, spleen, and kidneys are all damaged to varying degrees."
Kochou Kanae came to Li Mo's side to examine him. The first thing she checked was the hole in his abdomen. Akaza's final punch had been delivered with the intent to kill Li Mo.
"Fortunately, it hit the abdomen, not the chest. Li-san, you might not be able to wield a sword anymore."
Kochou Kanae spoke gently as she took out supplies from her medical kit and began to stop Li Mo's bleeding.
Later, she conducted a full physical examination. The more she examined him, the worse her expression became. The injury to his abdomen was the most obvious, and the damage to several organs was still within an acceptable range.
However... judging from his pulse, Li Mo's body was extremely weak, like a candle in the wind. His entire body was beginning to bleed from ruptured capillaries. His internal organs were also very weak, especially his lungs. Just listening to his breathing made it clear something was wrong.
If it weren't for his Breathing Technique allowing him to locally control the bleeding in his blood vessels...
Kochou Kanae didn't want to think about the consequences. But after a brief conversation, she learned from Rengoku Shinjuro what had happened.
Yes... fighting a demon hand-to-hand, even with advanced techniques, what good would it do? The sheer force of those blows, even the residual shockwaves, was enough to destroy a human body.
The human body, no matter how much it's tempered, is still so fragile.
"Kanae-san, the smile on your face is gone. It seems my condition is quite serious."
Li Mo looked at his health bar. With Kanae's help, the rate at which it was decreasing had slowed down significantly, but it was still dropping.
Kochou Kanae said, "Yes... we need to head to Tokyo immediately to find Lady Tamayo."
Tamayo had professional medical equipment, and with centuries of medical expertise, she was a far more skilled doctor than Kochou Kanae.
"I don't think we have enough time. Kanae-san, can you listen to me for a moment? Do you remember what I asked you to keep secret on the first night we met?"
The location of the battle was far from Tokyo. It had taken Li Mo nearly an hour to get here from Tokyo at his fastest speed. Judging by the rate his health bar was dropping, he would likely be in the same place as Akaza by then—hell.
Li Mo's question undoubtedly prompted a response from Kochou Kanae. Her memory was excellent, and the events of that night came flooding back.
That night, the man who had pursued the Demon Slayer Corps had fought a demon without a Nichirin Blade, and his condition was only slightly better than it was now. If it was about the promise, what Kochou Kanae remembered was that after the battle, when she had bandaged Li Mo's wounds, his injuries had healed completely.
She would never forget what had happened that day. For a girl raised in a family of doctors, Li Mo's miraculous recovery speed was something that shouldn't exist.
—No, in reality, there was indeed a creature with such terrifying regenerative abilities.
A demon.
"Can you still do that, Li-san?"
"Yes, I can."
"What's the price?"
"The price..." Li Mo hesitated for a moment, then said, "It's probably that I have to go home."
Li Mo wasn't Japanese; he was a stranger from a foreign land. What was he fighting for in this world against man-eating demons?
Kochou Kanae had once asked this question in a letter, but he had evaded it and never answered.
"How will Li-san go home?"
"That's a good question. Probably just... whoosh, and I'll be back. For me, it's not space that's the obstacle, but time." Li Mo said softly, "Kanae-san, do you believe me? I'm from a world a hundred years in the future."
Perhaps it was because his health bar had dropped significantly, but Li Mo felt his thought process was slightly different from usual.
"A hundred years in the future?" Kochou Kanae was skeptical.
"Yes, a hundred years later. A world without demons... Time is running out. Kanae-san, I'll tell you more about it next time."
Li Mo glanced at his health bar and decided not to delay any further. "First, this is Upper Moon Three's blood. Please deliver it to Lady Tamayo."
He held a device similar to a syringe that automatically collected blood. The first thing he had done after cutting off Akaza's head was to collect his blood.
Kochou Kanae: "Understood."
"The second thing, please tell Makomo and Kanae that I've gone home for a while, but I'll be back... I hope you can convince them quickly."
"Of course, but Li-san, you must come back as soon as possible." Kochou Kanae gradually smiled.
She could tell that he was speaking normally, not as if he were discussing his final arrangements.
"I'll do my best. When I return next time... I'll be able to fulfill my promise to you.
Suddenly, I remember that I once said I would kill all the demons before Kanae became an official member. It seems I've broken that promise."
Li Mo muttered to himself, memories of the past flooding his mind.
Then, he thought of Kyojuro and the Master. He turned to Rengoku Shinjuro and said, "Shinjurou-san, Kyojuro is an excellent child. I believe he can become the next Flame Hashira. Also, please take Ruka to visit Lady Tamayo. She's an excellent doctor.
Lastly, please tell the Master to take care of his health. When I return, I'll kill Muzan and end the curse of the Ubuyashiki family."
Rengoku Shinjuro looked at the man before him, his eyes shining with unwavering determination.
The man wasn't lying.
"Then, it's time for me to leave. I still have some time before I collapse. Kanae-san, is there anything else you want to say?" Li Mo asked gently.
Kochou Kanae opened her mouth, but seeing the exhaustion in Li Mo's eyes, she hesitated.
Finally, she simply smiled, gently holding Li Mo's hand, and said, "Li-san, come back soon."
"Alright."
A system screen appeared before Li Mo's eyes, with the "Return" button displayed clearly.
After the mission at Mount Fujikasane, the screen had been there. It didn't urge or remind Li Mo; it was just a tool, waiting to be used when needed.
Li Mo pressed "Yes."
In an instant, the world went dark, as if he had blinked.
But when the world reappeared, the wilderness bathed in the light of the rising sun had turned into a small, well-kept house. The ragged grass he had been sitting on was replaced by wooden flooring, the open surroundings by concrete walls, and the mixed light of the moon, stars, and sun by the artificial glow of a fluorescent lamp.
"Scenario: Demon Slayer... buzzing... calculating."
"Main Mission: Join the Demon Slayer Corps... buzzing, obtain... Nichirin Blade completed."
"Side Mission: Kill ordinary demons... buzzing... Upper Moons: three."
"Mission Rating: A"
"Calculating rewards..."
"Rewards obtained: Large amount of experience, one Golden Treasure Chest Key."
A familiar warm sensation washed over Li Mo's body, as if he were soaking in a hot bath. All his injuries healed instantly, the pain vanishing in a moment. His strength returned, and he no longer felt weak.
But his expression was blank.
"Huh?!"
This broken system actually had three lines of text that were complete and not garbled?
What the heck?