Demon Slayer: Rise of the Third Brother-Chapter 128: Rengoku Shinjuro and Tamayo

Rengoku had considered many possibilities for the physician Hiru had mentioned—an unlicensed folk healer, perhaps a reclusive master with peculiar habits, or someone whose identity was so unsavory that their physician's license had been revoked.
He had even imagined it might be a criminal or a murderer.
But he had never once thought Hiru would bring a female demon to his home.
Rengoku and Tamayo locked eyes for a long moment, each seeing wariness and resignation in the other’s gaze.
[She probably didn’t want to come either.]
[Looks like he doesn’t want to see me.]
Human and demon silently averted their eyes in unspoken agreement.
Rengoku pinched the bridge of his nose.
“Hiru, I think you owe me an explanation…”
“Didn’t you say you’d try anything, Mr. Rengoku?” Hiru spread his hands. “So I brought her here.”
“But that ‘anything’ doesn’t include turning Ruka into a demon!” Rengoku turned his head away and sighed. “Please leave. For your sake, Hiru, I’ll pretend I never saw her today.”
“I did not come here to turn your wife into a demon.” Seeing Hiru constantly signaling to her, Tamayo sighed.
“I was a physician even when I was human. After narrowly escaping Muzan Kibutsuji’s control centuries ago, I’ve lived in hiding and devoted myself to medical research. I’ve come here as a physician. Please, allow me to see the patient.”
“As the former Flame Hashira, I cannot trust a demon,” Rengoku said firmly, looking at Tamayo. “Please leave.”
【What someone who knows nothing about two Demon Kings infiltrating the Demon Slayer Corps thinks they’re saying…】
Tamayo pressed a hand to her forehead and sighed.
【But if this continues, forget treating the patient—I won’t even get through the door.】
As the thought settled, Tamayo looked toward Hiru.
Hiru cleared his throat.
“Mr. Rengoku, Miss Tamayo’s medical skills are exceptional.”
“Enough. I cannot cooperate with a demon—”
“So you’re fine with Ruka dying, then?”
“What kind of nonsense are you saying?!” Rengoku lowered his voice. “You are a Hashira of the Demon Slayer Corps. How can you place trust in a demon? Do you have any idea how dangerous that is?!”
“When you have the strength, bringing danger close is called leveraging power,” Hiru said, looking straight at him. “When you don’t, bringing danger close is just idiocy. With you and me watching her, do you really think she could pull anything?”
“I—”
“Father! Mother just coughed up blood!” Kyojuro cried out, rushing over. “Please, you have to come see her!”
Rengoku looked at his son’s panicked face, teeth clenched tight. After a brief pause, he turned his back to Kyojuro and spoke to Tamayo in a low, fierce voice.
“You’d better not try anything. If you do, I’ll cut your head off cleanly… Come in.”
“To compromise with me, even briefly, for your wife’s sake—it seems you love her very much,” Tamayo replied calmly as she followed, lowering her voice as well. “I swear by the name of a physician that I will do everything in my power to treat your wife’s illness.”
Rengoku glanced back at her once, then continued leading the way.
Kyojuro followed too, tilting his head to look at Tamayo, who was nearly his height.
“Are you the physician friend Brother Hiru invited?”
“If he didn’t bring anyone else before, then that would be me.”
“It must have been a lot of trouble for you to come so late!”
Tamayo smiled faintly.
“It’s a physician’s duty to treat the sick. It’s nothing at all.”
“Mmm! Still, thank you very much!” Kyojuro glanced at Shinjuro’s back, his voice lowering. “Father has been in a poor mood because of Mother’s illness. I apologize on his behalf—please don’t blame him.”
Tamayo’s gaze softened, and she reached out to gently pat Kyojuro’s head.
“When you’re a little older, you may understand why your father acts the way he does.”
Kyojuro wanted to ask more, but Hiru stopped him.
“That’s enough. It’s time for the examination. Kyojuro, go take care of Senjuro.”
Looking from his silent father by the door to Tamayo’s gentle smile, Kyojuro nodded.
“I’ll take good care of my little brother.”
After Kyojuro left, Shinjuro steadied himself and slid open the paper door.
“Ruka. Hiru has brought the doctor.”
Though only a few days had passed, Ruka already looked noticeably weaker. Even so, she maintained her composure, leaning against her cushion and nodding politely.
“Please forgive my discourtesy.”
“Hiru told me a little about your condition, but I didn’t realize it had worsened to this extent.”
Tamayo frowned slightly and walked over, kneeling beside Ruka.
“Let’s put formalities aside for now and get straight to the point.”
“Yes.” Ruka extended her hand. “I’ll be in your care.”
“Not at all.”
Tamayo carefully took her pulse, examined her pupils and tongue, then leaned against her back to listen to the sounds of her lungs as she breathed. Her frown deepened.
“When did the chest tightness first appear?”
“Several years ago, when I was pregnant with Senjuro.”
“And the coughing?”
“It was severe back then, but it improved. It started again about a year ago, and this winter has been the worst.”
“What were you doing at the time? How was your physical condition before that?” Tamayo opened her medicine chest. “I need the most detailed account possible, starting from your pregnancy.”
Ruka nodded lightly.
“Four years ago, when I was pregnant with my second child, I followed our family custom and participated in a seven-day bonfire ritual…”
As Tamayo listened, her expression grew darker by the moment. When Ruka finished, Tamayo pressed her lips together and looked toward Rengoku Shinjuro.
“This is sheer recklessness.”
Rengoku frowned.
“What?”
“A woman’s body is already fragile during pregnancy, with her immunity lowered,” Tamayo said without mincing words. “And yet she was made to go out and observe fires during that time… I have never encountered such an absurd custom.”
“So what does that mean?” Rengoku asked tensely. “Can she be saved?”
“Yes, but it will take time.” Tamayo took a deep breath to steady herself, then looked back at Ruka. “Madam has been overexerting herself for a long time. Her constitution is weak, so aggressive medication isn’t an option. We must nourish her body while treating the illness. Conservatively, it will take two to three years.”
“Really?!” Rengoku grabbed Tamayo’s wrist. “Is that true?!”
“Shinjuro! Let go!”
“Mr. Rengoku, please release me!”
Only then did Rengoku realize his lapse. He withdrew his hand and lowered his head.
“My apologies… What you said just now—was it true?”
Tamayo rubbed her reddened wrist and nodded.
“It is. I once suffered from the same illness. I am confident I can cure her.”
Rengoku clenched his fists tightly and said nothing.
Ruka sighed softly at him, then turned back to Tamayo.
“I’m very sorry for my husband’s discourtesy… How should I cooperate with your treatment?”
“That’s precisely the difficulty.” Tamayo lowered her gaze. “I need to observe your condition closely and adjust the prescription at any time. But my identity makes that somewhat complicated.”
“Your identity?”
“Yes. My identity.”
Ruka’s gaze shifted instinctively toward Hiru.
Hiru glanced back and forth between Rengoku and Tamayo, then spoke up.
“Mr. Rengoku, Miss Tamayo—should we step outside to discuss this?”
“There’s no need.” Rengoku relaxed his fists and looked at Tamayo. “Our family can provide you with a dedicated pharmacy and compensate you for the losses from closing your shop. Would it be convenient for you to move in temporarily?”