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(GMT+7) : 12.05 = 1 Chapter(If there is a Side Story)
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"I'm curious..."
"You seem to have been curious about me these past few days, Miss Tamayo."
Choked by Mitsuba's sudden retort, Tamayo first paused, then pretended not to hear and continued speaking:
"Why did you persuade your elder brother to transform into a demon... It seems you hate him?"
The two of them, under the late night sky, were currently sitting side by side on the edge of the high castle keep roof. Upon hearing this, Mitsuba only spread her hands.
"Hate is too strong a word, but to say there's no blame at all would also be false.
But no matter what, he is still my elder brother. And from the looks of it, after the 'news of my death' spread from the Tsugikuni household, Elder Brother did indeed rush back to check on my situation.
For me, this is already enough... Since Elder Brother can still remember me as his younger sister to some degree, rather than completely ignoring me.
Then as his younger sister, giving him a slight helping hand when he's in despair—this shouldn't be something very surprising, right?
Although I actually can't be certain whether my choice counts as saving him or not..."
"Why do you say that?"
"Because Elder Brother's obsession is too deep."
Spreading her arms and leaning back against the roof tiles behind her, Mitsuba's eyes dimmed and her tone became somewhat low.
"For an illusory goal that can never be achieved, throwing everything of himself into it again and again.
This is like a gambler who has already lost his eyes red at the gambling table. In that infinite time ahead, whether Elder Brother will sink deeper and deeper into this, or wake up in time and find new meaning to live on—this can only depend on himself...
Alright, enough of this."
Instantly switching back to her original light tone, Mitsuba turned to look at Tamayo sitting beside her and said with a smile:
"The stronger the human, the longer it takes to transform into a demon. With Elder Brother's strength, I think it will probably take several days to complete.
To prevent any accidents, I definitely have to stay here for the next few days and can't leave.
So why are you still sitting here motionless, Miss Tamayo? Didn't Lord Muzan just ask you to hurry over to his side?
What, could it be that you can't bear to leave my side?"
Before deciding to transform Michikatsu, Mitsuba had contacted Muzan through consciousness communication.
And while expressing his agreement, Muzan also conveyed to Mitsuba his wish for Tamayo to hurry over to his side.
It was said that he was about to visit a renowned physician of vast knowledge. According to legend, this physician could cultivate blue spider lilies through some special medicinal combinations. Muzan needed Tamayo to accompany him to verify the authenticity.
Similar situations had occurred countless times over the past several hundred years. Although without exception they had all proven to be false hopes in the end, Muzan was still willing to try to believe each time.
After all, better safe than sorry... What if this time it was real?
Of course, Mitsuba didn't think so at all.
After all, how could the gods truly allow the humans held in their grasp to deliver the blue spider lily to Lord Muzan's hands?
As long as Lord Muzan continued thinking of relying on humans, he would never truly find the blue spider lily he wanted...
"Unfortunately, I have no such thoughts whatsoever."
Facing Mitsuba's teasing, Tamayo only stood up with a cold face, seemingly preparing to leave.
Although her heart was filled with hatred for Muzan, as a demon under Muzan's control, Tamayo couldn't disobey Muzan's commands at all.
To survive, to live until the day she could find an opportunity to kill Muzan, she could only forcedly obey Muzan's orders now.
Wherever he wanted her to go, she had to go.
"That's truly a pity. I had hoped Miss Tamayo could stay by my side a while longer...
After all, whether as a guide or a maidservant, you've done quite well these past few days. Truly worthy of someone who frequently serves by Lord Muzan's side~
Surely Miss Tamayo thinks the same in your heart, right?"
"I said, I have no such thoughts whatsoever."
Facing Mitsuba's customary mockery, Tamayo only repeated her words with a cold face.
Joking around, the one serving as your maidservant is me, the one serving you is me, the one being mocked and toyed with for your amusement every day is also me!
These past few days you've been happy, but I've been miserable!
Compared to serving Tsugikuni Mitsuba, she'd rather go back to serving Muzan.
Tamayo even suspected that if she stayed by Tsugikuni Mitsuba's side any longer, she might very well become the first demon in this world to be angered to death by another demon.
If demons could be angered to death, that is.
"Alright, I'm leaving."
"Take care~ Ah, right, Miss Tamayo..."
Waving goodbye, Mitsuba suddenly called out to Tamayo again.
Under Tamayo's puzzled gaze, she narrowed her eyes and said with a smile:
"Although you may not view me as a friend, in my heart I've always believed you're quite a good person.
So, consider this a meddlesome remark from me—it would be better for you to put down those past events sooner and move toward your new life, okay?
Don't end up becoming like my Elder Brother here..."
Regarding Tamayo's deliberate indulgence that night, even guiding the Demon Hunters to kill her, Mitsuba initially thought this was Tamayo acting out of resentment toward Muzan, taking it out on her.
But through these days of interacting with Tamayo, Mitsuba gradually tasted some other meanings from it.
Tamayo's motivation that night wasn't completely born from her hatred for Muzan. More of it was her self-perceived "release" for Mitsuba.
Yes, release.
Tamayo seemed to genuinely believe from the bottom of her heart that becoming a demon was an extremely tragic thing.
She sympathized with Mitsuba's tragic experiences as a human, yet also didn't approve of her choice to become a demon.
It seemed in her view, Mitsuba's future was destined only to move from one tragedy to another.
Therefore, rather than waiting for such a tragedy to befall this poor little girl again, it would be better to let her life completely fade away while everything had yet to happen.
This way, she would be spared from future suffering...
This was Tamayo's true thought that night.
What a twisted person...
It was also precisely out of reciprocation for this not-quite-kind kindness from Tamayo that Mitsuba made that final advice to her.
After all, whether demon or human, once trapped in the whirlpool of the past unable to extricate oneself, what ultimately awaited them would only be complete, true tragedy.
For living beings, rather than drowning in those past events that can no longer be changed, moving toward a new beginning as soon as possible was the wiser and more suitable choice.
Of course, this was the reasoning, but not everyone could listen to it.
Under the night sky, sitting on the edge of the high castle keep roof, Mitsuba crossed her legs, propped her chin, and gazed from afar at Tamayo's gradually receding figure on the street below, shaking her head with a light sigh.
"Well~ forget it~ Everyone has their own choices. Rather than thinking about these troublesome matters, I should rest well here for a few days and peacefully wait for Elder Brother to wake up..."
"..."
Time passed slowly until, three days later, Michikatsu finally awoke.
Like Mitsuba, after transforming into a demon, Michikatsu's appearance also underwent no changes.
Normal features, normal physique—neither becoming grotesquely shaped nor suddenly growing any strange limbs. Everything was exactly the same as when he was human.
And Michikatsu, unsurprisingly, obtained his Blood Demon Art—
He could shape his own flesh and blood into blades.
Yes, that was it.
Although compared to Mitsuba's heaven-defying Blood Demon Art, this Blood Demon Art could be called unremarkable, Michikatsu himself seemed quite satisfied with it.
After all, pursuing Yoriichi on the path of the sword was his lifelong pursuit.
Therefore, obtaining a Blood Demon Art that matched this, Michikatsu felt very pleased about it.
Like Mitsuba, Michikatsu, who had mastered Breathing Styles as a human, could not only continue using them after becoming a demon, but they had also become stronger under the enhancement of his Blood Demon Art.
When Michikatsu's Moon Breathing was executed, every swing of his blade would be accompanied by numerous small moon blades.
And now, not only were there more of these moon blades, but their size and length would even continuously undergo irregular changes during Michikatsu's attacks, making them impossible to guard against.
Truly admirable.
"Mitsuba, where is Lord Muzan now?"
Late at night, in the courtyard of an abandoned temple on the outskirts, after testing his newfound power, Michikatsu immediately asked.
The courtyard was in complete disarray, with blade marks everywhere on the floor tiles—clearly all caused by his Moon Breathing.
"Lord Muzan went to look for the blue spider lily."
Sitting on a nearby wall swinging her legs, Mitsuba pointed at her temple and replied with a smile.
"If Elder Brother has matters to discuss, you can directly call out to Lord Muzan in your mind. Very convenient."
"Unnecessary. As a subordinate, one should not disturb the master without cause."
Quickly adapting to his new identity, Michikatsu, who had originally wanted to immediately pay respects to Muzan, shook his head slightly in refusal.
He gripped the katana shaped from his own flesh and blood, briefly closed his eyes in contemplation, then suddenly opened them and said:
"Besides, when paying respects to the master, one must never go empty-handed."
At this moment, a person surfaced in Michikatsu's mind.
That one who had been bedridden year-round, whose strength was laughably weak yet was incomparably important to the Demon Slayer Corps—Ubuyashiki.
Now that he had decided to serve Muzan, naturally he should take this former master's head as his "letter of allegiance" to Muzan.
As the Moon Hashira of the Demon Slayer Corps, Michikatsu had naturally met Ubuyashiki.
Not only met him, he even knew that the Ubuyashiki clan had been regularly changing their hiding places for years to avoid Muzan's pursuit.
Fortunately, the Ubuyashiki clan had just changed their hiding place not long ago and wouldn't change again in the short term.
More fortunately, due to the mysterious deaths of marked Demon Slayers, Michikatsu and the other Hashira had just been summoned by Ubuyashiki a few days ago.
Therefore, he knew very clearly where the Ubuyashiki clan was currently hiding.
The target was clear.
He was going to cut off Ubuyashiki's head now, to present the Demon Slayer Corps master's head to Muzan.
Michikatsu didn't doubt his ability to accomplish this in the slightest.
As a human, he was already the strongest person in the entire Demon Slayer Corps besides Yoriichi.
Now transformed into a demon, with his strength elevated to a higher level, even when facing the combined assault of several Hashira, he had confidence he could withdraw safely, or even kill them all in counterattack!
"Where is Elder Brother going?"
"I'm going to take Ubuyashiki's head to present to Lord Muzan."
Facing Mitsuba's inquiry, Michikatsu slowly sheathed his blade and replied honestly.
"Does Elder Brother know where they're hiding?"
"Mhm."
Nodding lightly, just as Michikatsu wanted to advise Mitsuba not to follow, he saw Mitsuba smile and speak first:
"Interesting! Elder Brother, then let me go with you!"
She also very much wanted to see with her own eyes what this legendary Demon Slayer Corps master looked like...
"No."
However, Michikatsu immediately refused upon hearing this.
"The Demon Slayer Corps just held a Hashira meeting a few days ago. There may still be other Hashira present at the headquarters now. If we encounter a siege, I cannot guarantee I can protect your safety, Mitsuba."
"Rest assured, Elder Brother, your younger sister's Blood Demon Art is very strong~
To me, humans are all the same regardless of strength. It makes no difference how many come."
"But..."
"Alright~"
Not giving Michikatsu another chance to refuse, Mitsuba immediately jumped down from the wall, ran behind him, and pushed him forward.
"It's decided! Hurry and lead the way in front, Elder Brother. If we delay any longer, we might miss the opportunity, okay?"
"..."
"The wind tonight is somewhat noisy..."
Late at night, the Demon Slayer Corps headquarters was as peaceful as always.
The current Wind Hashira and Sound Hashira had moved a table and chairs, sitting beside the usual training ground leisurely drinking wine and enjoying the night breeze.
They were both Hashira who had been summoned by Ubuyashiki a few days ago to attend the Hashira meeting.
Although the meeting had ended, at Ubuyashiki's request, they hadn't left immediately but continued staying at this headquarters to undergo medical examinations.
Not only these two, but besides the Tsugikuni brothers, the other five Hashira were currently at this headquarters.
At yesterday's meeting, Ubuyashiki had clarified to them the truth that marked Demon Slayers would die upon reaching twenty-five years old.
Although shocked at first, the Hashira quickly accepted this reality.
The reasons, besides their deep hatred for demons in their hearts, might also be because they had actually anticipated this result in their hearts.
After all, awakening the Demon Slayer Mark to become stronger without any price?
How could there be such a cheap good deal in this world...
Of course, although the swordsmen quickly accepted reality, Ubuyashiki still seemed to harbor doubts about this result.
Holding onto the fluke mentality that perhaps something was wrong somewhere, he requested the Hashira to temporarily stay.
The physicians at the headquarters would uniformly arrange new physical examinations, hoping to discover some other clues and overturn this conclusion.
Regarding this, the Hashira naturally expressed cooperation. They of course understood the thoughts in their master's heart.
After several hundred years, finally having such a batch of powerful Demon Hunters, seeing that the opportunity to slay the Demon King seemed right before their eyes, Ubuyashiki of course hoped this generation could live longer, rather than dying early at twenty-five.
If possible, the Hashira naturally also hoped they could live longer...
Just staying at this headquarters for two more days—consider it taking a vacation. The impact wasn't significant.
You must know, the Demon Slayer Corps currently enjoyed a situation full of vitality with all things competing to flourish.
Especially after Yoriichi brought Breathing Styles to the Demon Slayer Corps, the Demon Hunters of today were no longer what they once were.
Those demons that were previously difficult to slay were now being hunted at astonishing speed under the Demon Slayer Corps' proactive attacks.
The power balance between Demon Hunters and demons had undergone a fundamental change.
It could be said that except for never having found that legendary mysterious Demon King, the situation the Demon Slayer Corps currently faced could be described as excellent.
In such circumstances, Hashira occasionally taking a few days off for themselves actually had no impact at all.
"It's just that those two brothers from the Tsugikuni household are as hardworking as ever..."
Taking a sip from his wine bowl, the Wind Hashira couldn't help but sigh.
He still remembered that after their master informed them of the truth about marked Demon Slayers' deaths.
Only Michikatsu said nothing—neither collapsing nor crying, but silently leaving the headquarters alone to continue executing missions outside.
Honestly, regarding Michikatsu's behavior, the Wind Hashira was deeply moved.
Knowing his days were numbered, he simply threw all his remaining time into the demon-slaying cause, striving to slay more demons before his death...
Michikatsu, you are truly a model for us Demon Hunters!
And Yoriichi too.
After Michikatsu left the headquarters, Yoriichi immediately took a mission as well, following in his elder brother's footsteps to slay demons outside.
This pair of brothers from the Tsugikuni household—each one more hardworking than the other. No wonder they could become the two top Demon Hunters of this generation...
"Speaking of which, Michikatsu and Yoriichi have been out for several days already. They haven't returned for so long. Hopefully they haven't encountered any accidents..."
The Sound Hashira suddenly asked with some concern.
Just as his words fell, a female voice suddenly came from the darkness behind them.
"Rest assured, with the strength of my two elder brothers, they cannot possibly encounter any accidents."
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