I couldn't help but sneer at his dazed look. Slowly, I reached for the Sun Breathing Nichirin hidden in the haori at his waist. It was the same sword the original Sun Breathing user wielded—only difference was the hilt, wrapped with a black magatama pendant tied with red rope.
"If a tiger doesn't show its strength, do you think I'm a cat?"
I gripped the Sun Blade with my right hand, red light swirling around my left. I glared at Yuichiro Tsugikuni.
"Listen. I'm not going to that Demon Slayer Corps you keep talking about!"
"Good."
Yuichiro's calm voice carried across. His face didn't change, but I could tell he had made up his mind.
I paused, trying to process his words. Break the limbs and bring them back?
Before I could figure it out, he added with a faint smirk,
"You really are a pervert."
Break his limbs. That guy had zero mercy—completely heartless.
I glanced at the ghost in front of me, drew my sword, but didn't activate the red light yet. Preparing, I vanished from the spot in an instant.
"One Form—Round Dance."
Red light erupted before my eyes. My left hand shattered. Some lingering fire glowed on the broken arm, then fizzled out.
Yuichiro Tsugikuni appeared in front of me, eyes cold. I froze for a moment—but then my shock twisted into a wicked smile. My broken left hand touched him.
"Chiyang Yu!"
Like before, red light engulfed his body, solidifying into armor. I condensed the energy further.
But then… his eyes shifted. He lightly kicked the ground, and my red light armor scattered instantly.
He could use a kick to break a Blood Demon Technique strong enough to trap a Pillar-level being? A human shouldn't be able to do that.
I stepped back several times, shaking my newly restored hand. My neck felt icy. I'd already guessed the answer from our clash:
Run? Sunlight's out—I can't run. Blood replacement technique won't work in daylight.
Fight? Forget it. I can't win anyway.
It was a miracle I'd survived getting pummeled. My life… was over.
Just as I sighed, Yuichiro came up and spoke—his tone softer than the first time we met.
"Brother… long time no see."
I blinked in confusion, then realized Kokushibo had appeared behind me.
"Sorry I'm late."
Finally… my savior. But why does this feel so familiar?
I hid behind him. Kokushibo stepped in front of Yuichiro, six eyes blazing with anger. He drew the Sun Blade from his waist. The normal Nichirin transformed into a flesh-pink sword inlaid with golden eyes, each flashing a strange red light.
"Why are you still alive… You're… a monster…"
Yuichiro's expression flickered briefly, but he kept a calm, gentle gaze on his brother. His eyes also flicked toward Yuichiro's waist.
The purple sachet…
Both the man and the ghost didn't move except for their eyes. I wasn't idle either—I signaled Mingnu to get ready for a quick escape. No hesitation this time. I had plenty of time to teleport. If I waited, he might cut me mid-teleport.
Suddenly, the clash of blades reached my ears. I looked up. Kokushibo was attacking without holding back, using all kinds of Moon Breathing strikes aimed to kill. But daylight and patchy leaves forced him to dodge, making his attacks chaotic and less than half-strength.
Yuichiro seemed to have stopped, only dodging and resisting. I sighed. Kokushibo couldn't win here, and Yuichiro didn't want to fight. How long would this drag on?
I reminded Kokushibo via mental signal that he'd be teleported back to the Infinite Castle soon. He stopped swinging, retracted his sword, and slowly came to my side.
Yuichiro stayed alert, watching the ghosts carefully.
I glanced at him, then at the stunned Fushigawa Miyabi. A smile crept across my face.
"Goodbye~"
A sharp pipa note rang out, and Kokushibo and I vanished.
Yuichiro relaxed, still standing in thought. The red armor binding Fushigawa faded, and his legs went limp—he'd been holding the pose too long.
Yuichiro walked up to him, expressionless.
"Can you explain you and him?"
Fushigawa froze, then spat back angrily,
"I… have nothing to do with him!"
Yuichiro bent down, pointing at Fushigawa's chest.
"When I cut off his hand, your breathing and heartbeat stopped at the same time."
Busei Kagawa stared in awe at the man his lord claimed could end the thousand-year feud between humans and demons. His face showed nothing, but his eyes drifted toward the place where the Demon King had vanished. Confusion and disbelief flickered across them as he spoke slowly:
"He… saved my life… and my brother's life…"
A gentle wind stirred the leaves, rustling them across the ground. The sound seemed to pull Shimi back into the memory.
"At that time, I didn't know he was a ghost. I thought he was just a human… a stranger who saved us. He was strange… He said it was painful to be a ghost, but he was still a ghost…"
"Sometimes… he was so gentle I could almost call him family. And sometimes… so cold, I thought he had no heart at all…"
Busei stood quietly nearby, calm but listening intently, as if weighing every word.
"Then I found out he was a ghost… and he vanished, as if he had evaporated from the earth."
"I wanted to know why he lifted me when I fell into the abyss… and why, when I compared him to light, he turned and pushed me into an even emptier void."
"I even thought about becoming a ghost… becoming like him…"
This world… is full of contradictions. Good memories bring pain. The sky darkens, people change… and who can truly know someone's heart?
Infinite City
I lay in a huge bathtub, my long hair spread across the water. Flower petals—rose, azalea, even durian—floated around me, turning the water a deep, blood-red hue.
"The two-year atonement… over in less than three days… I still don't know how Yoriichi Tsugikuni came back alive."
I brought his remains back… burned them… scattered the ashes into the sea. He shouldn't be alive. If his body weren't so old, I might have kept it as a specimen…
I stared at my hands, confused. Male body… yet soft, delicate, almost feminine. Fair skin, smooth curves. I wondered if something was off.
"Is there something wrong with Muzan Kibutsuji's body? He looks… like a courtesan. I didn't ask for this…"
Still, this body is perfect in balance, graceful, responsive. The only flaw—slender arms and waist. Originally a teenager's body, it slowly matured into this over time.
If someone like this didn't have the power of the Demon King, they'd be in real danger…
I closed my eyes, pushing the thoughts aside. None of that matters. Being alive is enough.
Snow fell outside. As usual, I lounged in my rocking chair, watching the winter scene. Cold didn't touch me.
"It's time…"
I rose and walked to my room. Opening the closet, my eyes fixed on a suit—one Muzan Kibutsuji himself would wear. I ran my fingers over it and muttered to myself:
"Are we really going to wipe out his family, just like the original story?"
I hesitated. If I didn't follow the original path, would Tanjiro even start hunting demons? Was it good or bad? After a pause, I made my decision.
I grabbed the suit, faced the long mirror, and began changing. I manipulated my cells, reshaping my features. Slowly, a man appeared: delicate yet pale, wavy medium-length hair, a solemn, almost gloomy face.
I put on the suit, smoothed out the wrinkles, and grabbed a black-and-white top hat from the rack to keep my hair in place.
Looking into the mirror, my blood-red eyes had darkened, cold and emotionless. I emanated an aura that told strangers to stay away.
I touched the glass; the reflection stared back with disgust. My gentle voice deepened into a low, harsh tone.
"Now…"
"I'm you… again."