Since that night, neither Yoriichi nor Michikatsu ever returned to the Tsugikuni family.
They seemed to have truly vanished from the world, leaving no trace from then on.
After becoming family head, Mitsuba had also tried to send people to gather intelligence about the Demon Slayer Corps, but unfortunately all ended in vain.
Just as Yoriichi said, this organization was truly mysterious. Ordinary people like her who had never encountered demons had no way of knowing of its existence.
Of course, even if she could find it, it would actually be meaningless.
After all, her two older brothers could no longer return to the Tsugikuni family now...
Needless to say about Brother Yoriichi—thanks to their father, he had never received good treatment in the Tsugikuni family in his childhood, and afterward wandered alone outside for twelve years.
Among the three siblings, his sense of belonging to the Tsugikuni family was the lowest.
And Brother Michikatsu...
Mitsuba had actually always known in her heart that Michikatsu's heart contained only Yoriichi.
Ever since twelve years ago, when Yoriichi used that "god-given power" to defeat the sword instructor, everything in Michikatsu's past heart was completely destroyed.
From that moment on, only Yoriichi remained in his heart.
Becoming Yoriichi, surpassing Yoriichi...
Over these twelve years, the curse called Yoriichi had constantly eroded his inner heart.
Therefore, he had abandoned the Tsugikuni family so without hesitation, following Yoriichi to the Demon Slayer Corps.
Because that was where Yoriichi was.
All his obsessions were there.
"That's how things are, Mother."
On the mountain outside the city, in the Tsugikuni family cemetery, Mitsuba crouched before the tombstone engraved with "Tsugikuni Juna," burning paper money into the fire basin while speaking softly:
"I regret that I couldn't follow Mother's final entrustment and keep both older brothers in the Tsugikuni family.
Twelve years have passed, and now even Brother Michikatsu has left this place behind. The vast Tsugikuni family now only has me alone.
And I have also been promoted by those retainers to temporarily take the position of family head of the Tsugikuni family. The arrangements of fate are truly incredible...
If Father knows in the afterlife, I wonder what kind of expression he would show?
Of course, you don't need to worry too much about the two older brothers' affairs.
I think, if the two older brothers can work hard together for the same goal in that Demon Slayer Corps.
Perhaps this wouldn't be letting down your final entrustment to me back then, would it?"
A gentle breeze passed, with no one responding to Mitsuba's soliloquy.
And she also seemed to have completed some kind of routine report, no longer speaking, only quietly finishing burning all the paper money in her hands. Then she stood up and walked together with the guards who had long been waiting not far away toward the Tsugikuni town below the mountain.
After returning to the town, Mitsuba didn't immediately go back to the castle tower, but first dismissed the guards around her, wanting to walk alone on the town's streets.
This action held no deeper meaning—she simply... didn't really want to go back.
Didn't really want to return to that place called the Tsugikuni family home.
She didn't know from when, but this place, the Tsugikuni family, could no longer bring her any warmth or happiness.
Whenever she thought of it in her mind, all she received was depression and coldness.
Before, at least there was Brother Michikatsu who was "in the same boat" as her.
But now, even Brother Michikatsu had run away and left this place behind.
Clearly being an older brother, yet throwing all troublesome matters to his younger sister—how willful...
"One, two, three, four... Haha! I won! This time I'm the Shogun again!"
"Damn it! It's you again!"
"Stop dawdling! Hurry up and hand over all your rice ears!"
Children's cheerful noises suddenly reached her ears. Hearing this sound, Mitsuba who had been walking aimlessly on the street subconsciously stopped her steps and turned to look.
She saw several children from nearby families squatting together in an alley not far from the street, seemingly playing something and laughing endlessly.
Curious in her heart, Mitsuba subconsciously walked over to take a look.
It was Sugoroku...
This was a simple game where players each took a piece and moved on a wooden board engraved with densely packed court official names, using a small compass with a rotating pointer to determine whether to advance, stay in place, or move backward.
The rule was that whoever first reached the Shogun square would obtain final victory.
She remembered that when she was young, this was also one of the games Mitsuba often played with her two older brothers.
Only back then, the one who won in the end would always be Brother Yoriichi. He could always stop the compass pointer in the area representing advancement, leaving her and Brother Michikatsu's pieces far behind.
The young Mitsuba always attributed this to luck. It was only later that she understood this was because Brother Yoriichi was born with god-given power.
Brother Yoriichi, who could observe the subtle changes in his arm muscles, could naturally easily increase or decrease the force in his hand to make the compass pointer stop precisely where he wanted it to stop.
No luck, all cheating...
"Hey! Who are you? What are you standing here for?"
Before her, a little boy's somewhat cautious voice called back Mitsuba's consciousness.
It seemed her sudden approach and then standing still in a daze was truly strange. These children had already stopped their game and stood up one after another, looking at her cautiously.
"Sorry..."
Coming back to her senses, realizing she had disturbed others, Mitsuba immediately apologized and turned to leave.
But at this moment, a little boy before her suddenly called out to her.
"Hey! Do you want to play with us too?"
Her footsteps stopped at the sound. Mitsuba turned back to look at the group of children blinking at her, then looked at the board on the ground.
She opened her mouth slightly. After brief hesitation, she still chose to shake her head.
"With such a gloomy face, if you want to play just say so..."
Completely ignoring Mitsuba's refusal, or perhaps seeing through her true inner thoughts, one of the boys in this group immediately stepped forward, forcibly stuffing a piece into her hand, grinning as he said:
"Looking at how well you're dressed, you must be a rich person. If you lose, you have to treat us to a meal!"
"That's right, that's right! I want to eat the rice cakes made by Old Man Koizumi. I've long heard his rice cakes are the best in the city!"
"No ambition! We should go to that Sato restaurant in the west of the city! I heard the dishes he makes are even liked by the city officials... Hehe, I also want to taste what the officials taste like!"
"As long as there's meat to eat..."
Holding the rough piece in her hand, Mitsuba stared blankly at this group of children before her who hid nothing and had already begun their heated discussion on their own. Her eyes suddenly became somewhat blurred.
She suddenly remembered that when she was young, she seemed to have often discussed their future endlessly with her two older brothers in that small room.
How strange—clearly just childhood experiences, yet it felt as if so much time had passed...
"Alright."
Some emotion rising in her heart, the recovered Mitsuba looked at this group of children before her, gripped the piece in her hand tightly, smiled and nodded.
"As long as you win, I'll treat you to food. You can eat whatever you want."
"Then bring it on! Rich big sister!"