Episode 72: No object can lose its charm.
『 However, the screen continued to slowly narrate the final chapter of Tsugikuni Yoriichi.
This man, who was born with unparalleled swordsmanship, took down the Demon King Muzan with just one move, as if a god had descended.
But his whole life, from childhood to adulthood, was a constant process of losing.
Tsugikuni Yoriichi's life...
As a child, his mother passed away;
In his youth, his beloved wife and unborn child;
Now, he had finally found his mission - to eliminate all demons in the world,
Yet he repeatedly missed opportunities.
He could have ended all misfortune at this moment,
But instead, he was rejected by the team he cherished.
In this life, he had lost almost everything he could lose:
Family, love, friendship, and career.
It seemed there was nothing left to lose,
But no matter what...
The days ahead still needed to be figured out and continued... 』
『 .....』
~Chat Room~
[ Kocho Shinobu (Demon Slayer): "So that's it, is this the truth behind Yoriichi-senpai leaving the Demon Slayer Corps back then?" ]
[ Kato Megumi (Saekano): "Um, why didn't he stay here and atone for his actions?" ]
[ Uzumaki Naruto (Naruto): "Needless to say, that guy is so cowardly, how could he dare to come here with Tsugikuni Yoriichi-san around?" ]
[ Oyama Mahiro (Onimai): "Don't say it, what you said is really very reasonable." ]
[ Sanemi Shinazugawa (Demon Slayer): "That's indeed true, it wasn't until after he died that our Demon Slayer Corps suffered that disaster, and it was fortunate that the former Oyakata-sama took the seniors and hid." ]
[ Saitama (One Punch Man): "I see." ]
[ Tatsumaki (One Punch Man): "Hmph." ]
[ Oyama Mahiro (Onimai): "Sigh... I suppose that's just the reality of the Warring States era." ]
[ Oyama Mahiro (Onimai): "Thank goodness we live in peaceful times now~" ]
[ + 1+ 1+ 1+ 1 ]
『 On the screen, after leaving the Demon Slayer Corps, Tsugikuni Yoriichi, having nothing to do, returned to the small house where he used to live with Uta.
However, the house was no longer empty.
A family of charcoal sellers found the house empty and moved in directly.
This family was none other than the ancestors of the protagonist of the future story - Kamado Sumiyoshi.
Perhaps, at this time, there seemed to be an unspoken connection quietly existing between the past and the future.
When Tsugikuni Yoriichi entered the small house that had become Sumiyoshi's home,
He met his old friend, Kamado Sumiyoshi, whom he hadn't seen in two years, again. 』
『 .....』
~Demon Slayer World~
Kamado Tanjiro, who was thinking while looking at the familiar place on the screen, suddenly raised his head in shock when he heard the name.
No wonder he felt a strange sense of familiarity when he saw this place before.
Wasn't that the place where he had lived since childhood?
Could this person named Kamado Sumiyoshi be his ancestor?
It was amazing that the place he had lived in since childhood was the final residence of Tsugikuni Yoriichi and his wife.
So, the earrings in his ears might be the same style that the senior wore.
~Infinity Castle~
Muzan Kibutsuji, who had been hiding all this time,
Recognized this place at a glance.
This was the house where a few mortals he had casually killed not long ago lived.
He didn't expect that he and this guy, Tsugikuni Yoriichi, had been old acquaintances for hundreds of years.
Wait,
"Could they be hiding the legacy of Sun Breathing?"
Muzan muttered.
At this moment, Muzan secretly rejoiced; he didn't expect that he had eliminated a person with the legacy of Sun Breathing just by eating a meal.
"Hehe, this live stream is really useful, watch me find all your legacies and get rid of them one by one."
"And then I'll destroy those annoying Demon Slayer Corps too, and no one in this world will be able to threaten me."
Muzan laughed proudly,
The surrounding Upper Moons couldn't help but lower their heads.
Only the Upper-Rank One beside him, Kokushibo,
Still stared intently at Tsugikuni Yoriichi on the screen, motionless.
.....
『 At this time, Kamado Sumiyoshi and Tsugikuni Yoriichi met on the screen.
As soon as the other party saw him, a joyful smile immediately blossomed on his face.
Immediately after, he warmly invited Tsugikuni Yoriichi to step into this familiar yet slightly novel house.
Then he asked how the other party had been doing lately.
"Do you really want to know about my recent experiences?"
At this moment, a faint, bitter smile appeared on Tsugikuni Yoriichi's face.
And Sumiyoshi's emotions immediately surged: "Needless to say, I'm especially curious about what kind of challenges you've gone through in the past two years?"
"Alright then, I'll tell you everything about the past, just as it happened." Tsugikuni Yoriichi sighed helplessly.
After sorting through the details of the past, he began to speak softly.
He spoke without any concealment to his old friend about the completely unsuccessful days after leaving home.
From leaving that home lacking warmth, to meeting the love of his life, Uta,
Then, to the little life that vanished before it even had a chance to see the world.
Joining the Demon Slayer Corps, meeting Sumiyoshi, and living a period of peaceful time.
But not long ago, I was blamed for not being able to kill Muzan and forced to leave the Demon Slayer Corps.
This sad life seems to be a joke played by God on me.
Playing with the world's top swordsman like this, making my later life exceptionally desolate.
My wife, my brother,
I couldn't protect them.
And the Demon King Muzan, who caused all these tragedies, I still haven't been able to eliminate him with my own hands.
When these heavy matters piled up,
It was like a thousand tons of rock pressing down on my heart,
Making me feel deeply regretful, self-reproachful, and regretful.
Although his face was still his usual calm at this time, without any fluctuations,
But as his only confidant at the moment, Sumiyoshi, after listening for a long time, gradually came to understand that sorrow.
After thinking and thinking, he decided to cheer up his friend properly.
"Hehehe," saying that, Sumiyoshi put his arm around the other's shoulder: "Yoriichi, don't be so hard on yourself."
"After all, you're just a mortal, but you can make that terrifying Demon King Muzan afraid, isn't that quite impressive?"
"Now, everyone knows that you have the ability to defeat him, which is already a great piece of news for us humans."
"You said it, it's difficult for others to do even one-tenth of what you can do, right?"
"So, if it doesn't work this time, as long as you're still alive, there will always be another chance. If it really doesn't work, we have to believe that someone will be able to handle him in the future, right?"
These heartfelt words made Tsugikuni Yoriichi couldn't help but smile.
"You're right."
"However, what makes me uneasy is not the matter of not being able to defeat Muzan."
"I'm not a unique existence, there will definitely be people stronger than me in the future who can solve all those demons."
"I just feel that I haven't accomplished a single truly complete thing in my life."
Sumiyoshi's eyes widened in surprise when he heard this: "How could you think that?"
"Why? This is really a difficult question." Tsugikuni Yoriichi sighed and said something that everyone didn't know how to respond to.
"What I regret is that I couldn't protect even one thing, and I feel quite useless."
"Up to now, I'm even confused about what to do in the future."
"Heh, talking about these with you is just making you worry."
At this point, Tsugikuni Yoriichi stopped talking.
As a close friend, Sumiyoshi could feel the heavy burden in the other's heart, so he didn't force him to continue the topic.
But just at this moment, an unexpected scene unfolded.
Everyone found that a small figure was slowly inching towards them.
Although her movements were clumsy, her determination was obvious - she was going to get close to Tsugikuni Yoriichi.
Slowly, her small hand grabbed Tsugikuni Yoriichi's hem.
Her bright, watery eyes stared intently at Tsugikuni Yoriichi's handsome face.
"Cawwyy..."
The small hand reached out towards Tsugikuni Yoriichi.
Her pure and innocent smile made Tsugikuni Yoriichi freeze on the spot.』
『 .....』
~Chat Room~
[ Umaru Doma (Himouto): "After seeing the situation before, seeing this cute little guy is really healing." ]
[ Sawamura Eriri (Saekano): "What a healing feeling, I wonder if in the future..." ]
[ Utaha Kasumigaoka (Saekano): "Shut your crow's mouth." ]
[ Sawamura Eriri (Saekano): "..." ]
[ Shinomiya Kaguya (Love Is War): "Indeed, a very cute little guy." ]
[ Kamado Tanjiro (Demon Slayer): "Yes, very cute, just as cute as my Nezuko," ]
[ Kocho Shinobu (Demon Slayer): "Speaking of which, this little guy is also Tanjiro's ancestor, right?" ]
[ Kamado Tanjiro (Demon Slayer): "..." ]
[ Kamado Tanjiro (Demon Slayer): "This is... my ancestor?" ]
[ Kamado Tanjiro (Demon Slayer): "No wonder I felt so familiar, this place seems to be my home, but it's gone now." ]
[ Kamado Tanjiro (Demon Slayer): "I only have my sister left now." ]
[ Muzan Kibutsuji (Demon Slayer): "..." ]
[ .....]
『 Then...When Tsugikuni Yoriichi saw the little girl acting cute towards him on the screen, His heart suddenly skipped a beat.
He seemed flustered, unsure of how to handle this situation.
He didn't expect the other family's little treasure to come and ask for a hug at this time.
When it came to dealing with children, Tsugikuni Yoriichi really had no experience.
So, he looked at Kamado Sumiyoshi next to him with a confused expression.
Sumiyoshi didn't step forward to help, but smiled and said to Tsugikuni Yoriichi:
"If you can, carry her."
"You're tall, if you lift her high, she'll definitely be happy."
"..." Tsugikuni Yoriichi was startled by his friend's words.
But soon, he carefully examined the pure and innocent little face of little Sumi at his feet,
For some reason,
A trace of warmth suddenly welled up in Tsugikuni Yoriichi's calm heart.
Without much hesitation, he reached out and picked up little Sumi,
And lifted her straight above his head.
At that moment, both of their mouths unconsciously curved into smiles.
Tsugikuni Yoriichi himself didn't realize,
Why, just by fulfilling this simple request from his friend's child, he could temporarily forget the deep sorrow in his heart for the loss of his wife and child,
And naturally, embrace the child and lift her high.
Gazing at little Sumi above his head, Tsugikuni Yoriichi couldn't help but fantasize,
If everything hadn't happened,
Perhaps, at this moment, he was living peacefully under this roof with his beloved Uta and their unborn child,
Just like Sumiyoshi and his wife.
Of course, he also knew that if it weren't for those tragic turns,
He probably wouldn't have such feelings in his entire life.
The two most precious treasures in his life had disappeared from his side forever due to his negligence.
Facing such a warm scene, a feeling of not knowing what to do arose in his heart. 』
『 .....』
~Naruto World~
~Konoha Village~
Looking at that scene of Tsugikuni Yoriichi,
Uzumaki Naruto's eyes instantly turned red.
Perhaps it was seeing Tsugikuni Yoriichi's situation that touched a chord in his heart,
Uzumaki Naruto's nose suddenly felt a sourness:
"Tsugikuni Yoriichi-san... is truly an amazing person!"
"...If he were born in our world, I might also believe that he was a child chosen by destiny."
And Jiraiya also murmured to himself:
"That steel-like will, just reading his story, makes people feel admiration... How much burden has he carried along the way to persevere until now?"
Speaking of which,
Jiraiya couldn't help but recall his beloved disciples who had bravely sacrificed themselves on the battlefield...
~Assassination Classroom World~
~Kunugigaoka Junior High School~
Koro-sensei's reaction was even more intense.
Koro-sensei was always very empathetic, and when he saw Tsugikuni Yoriichi holding the child and unconsciously shedding tears, he also unconsciously shed tears of emotion:
"Wuwu, why is fate so unfair... It actually targeted such a gentle person..."
"......."
At this moment, seeing Koro-sensei actually crying emotionally because of a video, all the students in Class 3-E of Kunugigaoka Junior High School couldn't help but feel surprised—
Driven by great curiosity, they also couldn't help but start watching the video with Koro-sensei.
For a while, these fourteen and fifteen-year-old teenagers also couldn't help but feel a deep emotion, a kind of admiration for Tsugikuni Yoriichi.
This admiration.
It was from the heart.
It was not only from Tsugikuni Yoriichi's swordsmanship, perseverance, and spirit.
Moreover, it was also from Tsugikuni Yoriichi's character and his attitude towards his loved ones.
.....
『 The screen shifted to the other side. There, little Sumi, held warmly in the big brother's arms, was overjoyed.
"Yiya..." She stretched out her small arms and tightly wrapped them around Tsugikuni Yoriichi's neck.
Her tender little face was full of happy smiles.
It seemed as if this was the warm scene that should have been in this house but was missing.
At this moment, the slightly cold warmth in the room,
It was filled by Kamado Sumiyoshi's little treasure, little Sumi, and Tsugikuni Yoriichi, who carried regrets in his heart.
"Yoriichi, you..." As a father, seeing his daughter's heartfelt laughter,
His face was also filled with boundless joy.
Because at this moment, not only was his daughter so happy,
Even his close friend, whose mood was complicated just now,
He was slowly finding inner peace in such a parent-child time.
Tsugikuni Yoriichi, after seeing little Sumi's pure and innocent smile,
The beautiful memories that had faded with time in his heart began to awaken.
He recalled the past when he escaped from the constraints of his family and ran freely in the fields;
He remembered the joy of meeting Uta for the first time in the vicinity and catching tadpoles together;
He remembered his gentle wife, holding his hand tightly when she was about to embrace a new life.
Suddenly, a few rare tears slid down Tsugikuni Yoriichi's eyes.
Even he found it incredible, having experienced so many hardships and setbacks in his life,
Having faced so many heartbreaking things, his tears had never fallen,
How could his emotions flow freely at such a moment filled with love?
Just as in the picture, the face of the sword-wielding warrior always appeared exceptionally calm.
He moved his body slightly.
In his arms, he was holding Sumiyoshi's little daughter, little Sumi, that delicate and weak body.
Just then, Sumiyoshi's wife, Suyako, also led their little son and walked into the room from outside.
She was greatly surprised to find that their visitor, her husband's old friend Tsugikuni Yoriichi, was actually holding their precious little Sumi and weeping.
And Sumiyoshi was standing by, not stopping him, just quietly shedding tears.
Although a little curiosity also arose in Suyako's heart,
She still chose to step forward and ask:
"Um, what's wrong? Yoriichi-san?"
Not knowing the reason, the cheerful Suyako directly offered comfort:
"If you're remembering something unhappy, tell us about it, maybe it will make you feel better~" 』
『 .....』