"Ah, ah, I can't take it anymore!!"
She shouldn't have been so confident just now!
Kanroji Mitsuri, with disheveled hair and a dirty face, barely dodged the continuous shockwaves.
This demon, she couldn't kill him, and there was no way she would run.
Ah! That move!
It's another wide-range spell!
Kanroji Mitsuri was on the verge of tears as she continued to brandish her nichirin blade, countless wooden dragons lunging at her.
Love Breathing, Fifth Form: Wavering Love, Wild Claw!
With several difficult body movements, her flexible body twisted, and her dancing nichirin blade cut down a wide area of wooden dragons.
"Ugh!"
She was caught off guard and sent flying by the powerful wind pressure, crashing into a tree. The next second, a wooden dragon, close at hand, was about to unleash its ultrasonic attack.
Kanroji Mitsuri had prepared herself to endure the blow, but when no sound came for a long time, she saw Zohakuten slowly dissipating. She sat on the ground, leaning against the tree, tears of relief welling up in her eyes, her voice filled with gratitude.
"I'm saved... Tanjirou and the others succeeded, that's great!"
...Returning to the shadows, Yoizumi looked at the flintlock in his hand; it was quite effective.
Shinazugawa Genya was astonished; he had located the target so quickly and hit it so accurately, as if it wasn't his first time using a flintlock.
Tanjirou ran back to the others, tears of excitement streaming down his face.
"We won!"
"Yes, Tanjirou and Nezuko, you both held on for so long, that's amazing," Yoizumi said with a smile, patting his younger brother's and sister's heads.
Tanjirou shyly lowered his head slightly, while Nezuko leaned in dependently.
Shinazugawa Genya, standing nearby, looked at the scene with a hint of envy in his eyes. He once had many younger siblings and an older brother who loved him, but he had made a mistake, misjudging his brother.
He sadly averted his gaze, staring at the ground, until a hand gently patted his shoulder. He looked at the owner of the hands; it was Yoizumi.
"Thank you, Genya, for helping Tanjirou and Nezuko."
He nodded frantically, then waved his hand, his voice very low, "N-no problem."
"Then let's go back," Yoizumi said to everyone.
"Ah... I'll go get the wooden box, Yoizumi-nii wait here!" Tanjirou immediately ran deeper into the forest. Staying here any longer, he might be exposed to the sun, so he needed to get Yoizumi-nii and Nezuko away quickly.
"Um, can I call you Yoizumi-nii?" Shinazugawa Genya asked cautiously, rubbing his head.
"Sure, if you want to," Yoizumi nodded. It was just a form of address; he didn't mind. Looking at his eyes, which were almost identical to Sanemi Shinazugawa's, he asked, "Are you a Shinazugawa family member?"
"Ah... yes, he's my older brother." Since Yoizumi-nii was a Pillar, it was normal for him to know his brother. He wondered what their relationship was like. Genya thought about his brother's personality... hmm... it probably... wasn't too good.
But it wouldn't be bad either.
In Genya's heart, his brother was a gentle person; it was only because of what he had gone through that he presented a thorny exterior to others.
And he himself was the culprit who had personally buried that gentle brother.
His brother had fought for his life to protect his younger siblings, only to discover it was their demonized mother.
Then he was called a murderer by his younger brother.
Genya couldn't imagine what his brother must have felt at that moment... He opened his mouth, but in the end, Genya only asked, "How... how has my brother been lately?"
Yoizumi glanced at Genya. Was it a strained sibling relationship?
His blue eyes stared into the distance, pondering for a moment before he answered concisely, "He's quite energetic."
Every time he saw him, he was like a powder keg. If looks could kill, Yoizumi would probably have been injured by his gaze countless times.
"Is that so... that's good," Genya smiled with relief.
The wound on Yoizumi's right hand, burned by the sun, gradually healed. Golden, fragmented sunlight filtered through the gaps in the treetops, scattering on the ground. Nezuko huddled in the shade beneath the tree canopy, holding onto her brother's left hand tightly.
Staring at the sunlight on the ground, Yoizumi raised his right hand to look at the wound. This time, the healing was even faster than before... A faint glimmer flashed in his eyes. Could it be... "Ah! Yoizumi-nii, you..." Under Shinazugawa Genya's shocked gaze, Yoizumi extended his hand out again. The sound of flesh being seared was very clear in the quiet forest.
Nezuko anxiously tugged at her brother's arm, wanting to stop him, but saw her brother smile at her, reassuringly patting her head and saying, "Nezuko, I'm fine."
Yoizumi quietly noticed that the stinging sensation from the sun's burn was gradually disappearing. He gently released his sister's hand, exposing his entire demon body to the sunlight. His exposed skin instantly burned black and red.
Nezuko and Genya gaped, their eyes wide, trembling as they stared at Yoizumi.
Because... "Thud."
"Ah..." The wooden box Tanjirou was carrying fell to the ground, his crimson eyes filled with disbelief. His calloused hands rubbed his eyes, thinking he was dreaming or hallucinating.
Yoizumi-nii... he stood in the sunlight, unharmed by the sun... So warm... Yoizumi closed his eyes, the sunlight shining on his face. This was the warmth of the sun, something Yoizumi truly felt for the first time since he could remember.
The golden sunlight made his dazzling golden hair even more striking. Yoizumi opened his eyes, and his sapphire eyes sparkled with tiny flecks of light.
For a moment, Tanjirou felt as if he had returned to a certain afternoon long ago. He had been chopping wood outside, then sat under a tree for shade and accidentally fallen asleep.
Until someone gently woke him. His brother stood with his back to the sun, shielding him from all the dazzling light. In his eyes, there was only his brother's gentle smile, and he heard his warm voice say,
"Tanjirou, let's go home."
And now... "Tanjirou." It was the same voice as that time.
Tanjirou could no longer suppress the excitement in his heart and threw himself into Yoizumi's embrace, crying like a child who had regained a lost treasure.
"That's great! Yoizumi-nii..."
"Waaah... that's great!"
He endured the dull ache in his chest from his younger brother's impact, hugged Tanjirou back, and patted his back. Then Yoizumi heard Nezuko's discontented hums.
He moved a bit with his younger brother, and the three of them—one human, two demons—embraced in a huddle.
This is wonderful, Tanjirou, Nezuko, Yoizumi-nii.
Genya stood quietly to the side, not disturbing them, genuinely happy for them.
Tanjirou, still crying, felt a drop of water fall on his forehead, followed by more. He looked up, puzzled.
Was it raining?
Ah... Yoizumi-nii was crying... Tanjirou stared blankly at his brother, the immense sorrow emanating from him threatening to engulf him.
Having known him for so long, it was the first time Tanjirou had seen such a vulnerable side of his brother.
He remembered... Yoizumi hugged his younger brother and sister tightly, tears of pain and bitterness continuously rolling down.
His dull aching heart hurt so much he felt like he was suffocating, past memories repeatedly playing in his mind.
His family... The memories stopped abruptly after seeing that hateful face. Yoizumi would never forget.
Kibutsuji Muzan... I won't let you go!
Unnoticed by anyone, a nearly transparent, light blue snowflake ice crystal Mark appeared on the back of Yoizumi's right hand.
His intense hatred for Kibutsuji Muzan made Yoizumi ignore the abnormality in his body.
(I remember Marks are either red or black; this color is just a personal setting.)
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