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"It's alright, Elder Brother."
In the room, Yoriichi, who had also learned this truth after returning to the Demon Slayer Corps, quickly adjusted himself after a brief period of shock and silence.
In his mind, he suddenly recalled what Mitsuba had said to him that night. Smiling, Yoriichi comforted Michikatsu:
"Elder Brother, do you know? Death isn't actually such a terrifying thing. As long as we can accept it calmly, it won't threaten our hearts..."
Calmly?
Hearing this, Michikatsu slowly turned his head, looking at Yoriichi beside him with an almost vacant gaze.
Yoriichi, what are you saying...
Of course you can be calm. After all, you already possess everything others envy. Those things others might never obtain in their entire livesāthe gods bestowed them all upon you at your birth.
You, whose life was already complete from the moment of birth, can naturally face death calmly.
But I...
My goal is still far from achieved. The distance between you and me is still vast. If I just become calm like this, just give up like this...
Wouldn't that mean that my entire life has basically been... completely fruitless?
"Elder Brother, perhaps our generation can only walk this far, but it's alright. I always believe that after us, there will certainly be successors who inherit our unfinished cause and continue moving forward..."
Staring blankly at Yoriichi, who was still talking endlessly to comfort him, his blank mind completely unable to receive these words, Michikatsu's heart was filled with questions emerging one after another.
What exactly had he been striving for all this time?
And for what purpose was he born into this world?
What meaning did the existence of the person called Tsugikuni Michikatsu have?
Michikatsu didn't know.
He couldn't answer a single one of these questions.
No longer paying attention to Yoriichi's words, Michikatsu suddenly stood up and walked out of the room in a daze.
"Elder Brother, where are you going?"
Hearing Yoriichi's question from behind, he paused slightly, then replied without turning back:
"My leave has ended. I should go on a mission."
"I see."
Not detecting the abnormality in Michikatsu's words, Yoriichi didn't pursue further, but suddenly changed the subject.
"Did you see Mitsuba when you went back this time, Elder Brother?"
"Mitsuba?"
Mitsuba's face surfaced in his mind. Still with his back to Yoriichi, Michikatsu slowly shook his head.
"I didn't see her..."
"Huh?"
"But it's alright. I think before long, we'll be able to see her again..."
Yes, before long, the siblings would meet again.
"..."
On the other side, on the streets of a town late at night, Mitsuba and Tamayo were walking leisurely.
"Mitsuba, are you looking for someone?"
Following Mitsuba all the way here, seeing her ask about information regarding a certain physician in every town they visited, Tamayo felt quite curious.
"Hm? Ah, I'm looking for my former physician, and also my only friend."
Withdrawing her attention from the couple arguing in the shop beside them, Mitsuba explained upon hearing this:
"She's a traveling physician whose medical skills are not inferior to yours, Miss Tamayo. In the past few years, she had always been by my side, working hard to cure my illness.
It wasn't until that night when I encountered Lord Muzan again that she left under my coercion..."
A trace of gentleness appeared in her eyes, and the corners of her mouth subconsciously curved into a slight smile as Mitsuba said softly:
"That night, believing I wouldn't live much longer and not wanting her to see my final unsightly appearance, I forced her to leave my side overnight.
Really, if I had known my life wouldn't end there, I shouldn't have driven her away at that time. Otherwise, I wouldn't be searching for her like a headless fly everywhere now..."
After hearing Mitsuba's account, Tamayo shook her head slightly.
"She might not necessarily want to see you as you are now."
Besides a little mockery, her words contained more sympathetic warning.
From the subtle changes in Mitsuba's tone, Tamayo could sense that she truly valued this physician friend she spoke of.
Although the two of them had been verbally sparring these past days, and Tamayo had even once wanted to use Demon Hunters to eliminate Mitsuba who had just awakened, while Mitsuba had always remembered this and repeatedly subjected her to various taunts and mockery...
But out of sympathy for Mitsuba's tragic circumstances during her human days, Tamayo still couldn't help but offer this reminder.
A physician, and a traveling physician with considerable medical ethics who practiced medicine everywhereāsuch a person would almost certainly be unable to accept their close friend becoming a man-eating demon.
This was the sorrow of having transformed into a demon.
"Indeed."
After careful consideration, Mitsuba nodded seriously in agreement.
"What? Did Miss Tamayo think I would angrily refute you? Then I'm afraid I might disappoint you..."
Noticing Tamayo's slightly unusual gaze beside her, Mitsuba this time rarely refrained from speaking sarcastically to her.
She slowly stopped walking, slightly raised her head to gaze at the night sky overhead, and said softly in a gentle tone:
"I don't have that kind of intense desire to keep someone by my side forever.
For me, as long as she can live happily and peacefully in the future, even if she's not by my side, even if I can never see her again, I don't mind."
This was Mitsuba's current attitude toward Butterfly.
Her mind was very clear. She knew she had now become a different creature.
Therefore, she wouldn't stubbornly demand that Butterfly must accept her as she was now. Her search for Butterfly wasn't for this purpose.
She simply, purely wanted to take one more distant look at her only friend, to confirm Butterfly's situation, nothing more.
As for anything else, she would no longer entertain such thoughts.
"I never thought I would hear such words from your mouth."
Standing beside Mitsuba, Tamayo spoke with what seemed like mockery:
"I had always thought you would have the same extremely self-centered personality as that person."
Undoubtedly, the "that person" Tamayo referred to was Muzan.
"Haven't I already said this before, Miss Tamayo? For friends I value, I always give them some exceptions... Oh my."
Her gaze suddenly noticed that familiar figure standing atop the castle keep in the distance. An astonished expression immediately appeared on Mitsuba's face.
She blinked rapidly, subconsciously murmuring:
"This is truly... an unexpected encounter..."
"What's wrong?"
Tamayo beside her followed Mitsuba's gaze. Under the night sky, on the roof of that castle keep stood a male figure holding a blade. From afar, he appeared to be a Demon Hunter?
And opposite the male figure, a clearly grotesque demon had been beheaded, its body gradually disintegrating.
"As I recall, that person did leave a demon in this town before. If I'm not mistaken, it should have been the daimyo who ruled this town..."
After briefly recalling in her mind, Tamayo turned to look at Mitsuba and asked in confusion:
"Do you know that Demon Hunter?"
"More than just know him..."
The astonishment on her face was gradually replaced by excitement. Seeing no one around, Mitsuba immediately grabbed Tamayo's arm and rushed toward the castle keep at a speed impossible for normal humans to achieve.
"He's my elder brother whom I haven't seen for many years!"