It was pitch black all around.
"Tanjiro, remember to breathe."
In the dark and dull mind, the low voice echoed layer by layer.
"Gasp~!"
Tanjiro Kamado suddenly woke up from his suffocation.
"Cough! Cough cough!!"
He took a deep breath but was choked by the snow that had buried his head.
His whole face was a deep purple from prolonged suffocation and being buried in the cold snow.
'My head is throbbing!'
'That's right! Father, Father is still at home!'
The white snow fell from the top of his head, and Tanjiro, who had just woken up, suddenly raised his head and looked in the direction of his house. "Father!"
The blood smell that made people's scalps numb still existed in the air, and it was getting stronger.
Tanjiro's eyes trembled slightly, and the pervasive smell in the air made him feel very uncomfortable.
"Ha...ha..."
He breathed in the air deeply, and the gas he exhaled formed a white mist in the cold environment.
The cold air stung his lungs.
The wind and snow blew wildly, and the biting cold almost froze Tanjiro's limbs, which were starting to turn blue due to lack of heat.
Then...
~Slop~
The sound of footsteps in the snow.
A familiar, thin figure was standing at the door of the house, facing away from Tanjiro, blocking his vision.
He wears a yellow and black checkered haori.
His long crimson hair was tied into a high ponytail, which was unusual.
The sun-patterned hanafuda on his ears were swaying slightly as the snow and cold wind blew past him.
In his hand he was holding a katana that Tanjiro had never seen before.
This is the sight of Kamado Tanjuro, the father of Kamado Tanjiro.
Tanjiro's trembling eyes reflected the two figures in front of him, and he was a little dazed, as if he couldn't believe his eyes.
After a year of slumber, has his father finally woken up?
Tanjuro was holding the black katana in his hand, the tip of the blade pointing downwards, the sharp cold light reflecting off the blade forward.
The man facing his father was wearing a black suit and a white bowler hat. Tanjiro had never seen him before.
The nauseating smell of blood that filled the air was all coming from this strange man.
Tanjiro couldn't see his father's expression, as he was facing away from him.
But he could see the strange man.
The black-suited man's red pupils trembled with shock, awe, and fear.
As if he had seen a ghost from his past.
---
-Time: One day ago, before the Confrontation-
Somewhere in the mountains of Japan.
A wooden house with homely decoration stood tall.
This is the Kamado family's house.
They have lived here for generations, and it is said that the earliest relatives can be traced back to the Warring States Period.
Dawn is coming, and the mountain is shrouded in the morning mist.
The winter morning always greets people with a shivering cold, but also the dripping morning dew and crackling sound of icicles hanging from the roof.
~Hyuu!~
Cold wind seeped into the wooden house through the open door, making a rattling sound.
The children who were sleeping soundly in the house all curled up subconsciously and tightened the quilts around their bodies.
Seemingly noticing this, the young man who had just walked out the door turned back with an apologetic look on his face and closed the door quietly.
~Creak.~
The old wooden door was squeezed and made a sour sound.
The crimson-haired boy, his face covered in black ash, smiled as he looked through the crack in the door at his sleeping younger siblings.
After closing the door, he straightened his back and prepared to set off down the mountain with a full basket of charcoal on his back.
His name is Kamado Tanjiro, the eldest son of the family.
Meanwhile, inside the wooden house.
"Huff..."
Several children were huddled together, hugging each other, and snoring.
The second oldest one was a girl, who was sitting up in a daze, rubbing her sleepy eyes.
"Ha-ah..." she stretched.
Turning her head around, her eyes looked at the wooden door that was slowly closing, and some dazzling light came from it.
The girl tilted her head slightly, and she looked at the empty futon beside her.
"Nii-san...?" (Big Bro)
Sleepy eyes moved from the empty space beside her to the middle of the bunk.
She saw her father, who had lost his quilt and blanket because of the unconscious struggle of her younger siblings.
"Ah!"
In an instant, the drowsiness was swept away.
"Really..."
She sighed with a helpless smile, then took the bedding back from her younger siblings and put it back on her father.
"Wake up, Takeo, Shigeru."
"No matter what, you can't take your father's quilt."
The two boys, who were sleeping in each other's arms, opened their eyes when their names were called.
"Sorry... Nee-chan." (Big Sis) Takeo responded sleepily.
Looking at the futons of her big brother and her mother, which had already been made in the room, and the faint sound of activity coming from outside the door, the girl also prepared to get up and tidy up.
"Okay."
"Nii-san and Kaa-san have already gotten up; you two hurry up too. We might have to go down the mountain today."
"Okay—"
The room was noisy with the sound of rustling as she began to tidy up and get dressed.
"Shigeru, you're crushing me!" Takeo, who had just put on his scarf, kicked away Shigeru, who was sitting next to him with a buzz cut.
"It hurts... Takeo-nii." Shigeru, who was a little younger than Takeo, quickly got up and touched his smooth head: "Nezuko-nee, are you going down the mountain today?"
"Yes, if I can."
The Kamado family currently has six children.
They are Tanjiro, Nezuko, Takeo, Shigeru, Hanako, and Rokuta.
Everyone except Tanjiro, who had gotten up early, was now awake and stretching as they got out of bed.
However, there was one person who had not woken up and was lying there as silent as a log. He was particularly unique in contrast to his family.
The Kamado patriarch is a middle-aged man with a sallow complexion, thin face, long dark red hair, and a scar on his left forehead.
His eyes were tightly closed, and his bare hands outside the quilt showed that his muscles were shriveled.
The thin man was dull and lifeless, and at first glance, one would think that he was a terminally ill man and had little time left.
He didn't make a sound from beginning to end.
He was so quiet that people couldn't help but wonder if he was already dead.
The others in the room seemed to be used to the middle-aged man's lack of reaction.
Only the youngest, Rokuta, who had just reached the age where he could speak, held the man's hand and cried, unwilling to get up. "Waaah, waaaah, waaaah—Daddy!"
His crying noises instantly attracted the attention of the others in the room.
Often, the only ones who can express their feelings directly are children.
"Rokuta..." Takeo looked at Rokuta's crying face and then at the middle-aged man's eyes that were still tightly closed, and his mood was shot.
Shigeru, who was two heads shorter, was the same.
The middle-aged man lying down with his eyes tightly shut was none other than their father, as well as Tanjiro's father, Kamado Tanjuro.
"Good boy, good boy, Rokuta, if you want to sleep, just continue sleeping." Nezuko, who had already cleaned up, reached out and picked up the crying Rokuta and skillfully coaxed him. "Father is still sleeping; don't disturb him."
Nezuko held Rokuta in her arms and rocked him gently.
"Hmm..."
Soon, Rokuta calmed down under Nezuko's soothing and fell asleep in her arms again.
Takeo looked at his sleeping father and opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something.
But Shigeru, who was a little younger than him, was faster.
"Father has been sleeping for almost a year."
Shigeru's statement just brings forth the palpable low mood in the room.
"Sister, brother."
"Will Father wake up again?"
The room was quiet, for no one had the answers.
Takeo turned his head to look at Shigeru, who was next to him, and secretly pinched him.
Shigeru also knew that he had said the wrong thing, and he lowered his head and did not resist.
"He will."
It was Nezuko who broke the silence.
She smiled, holding the sleeping Rokuta in her arms, and looked at Takeo, Shigeru, and Hanako.
"He will wake up." Nezuko took a deep breath and just repeated this sentence, holding on to hope against all odds.
~Creak—Bang~
The door of the wooden house was slowly opened, revealing a person passing through. The sunlight reflected by the snow outside instantly filled the dim room.
Along with the light came a blast of cold air, though the wind had died down.
A woman wearing a white scarf and a purple and white checkered kimono stood at the door, smiling at the children in the room.
"Ah, you're already up."
This is their mother, Kamado Kie.
Kie's voice was soft. She noticed Rokuta, who was still sleeping in Nezuko's arms, and nodded at Nezuko with a smile.
"Thank you for your hard work."
Then, her eyes moved to Tanjuro. Seeing that he was still asleep, her expectant eyes slowly dimmed.
She clapped her hands and smiled slightly but could not hide the fatigue in her eyes.
"Tanjiro has gone down the mountain to sell charcoal, but it snowed heavily yesterday, so everyone should not go down the mountain."
"Eh—!" Shigeru and Takeo, who had just been excited to see the thick snow, were instantly doused with a bucket of cold water, and their happy faces collapsed.
"But, Mother!"
Shigeru looked at his mother with pleading eyes.
"Tanjiro has already gone down the mountain." The answer from Kie was still a refusal.
"Oowh..."
"Let's go, Shigeru."
"Ok..." In the end, the disappointed Shigeru could only go out with the equally disappointed Takeo.
"But," Kie changed the subject, rubbing Shigeru's head and smiling, "Tanjiro will bring back delicious treats."
Hearing this, Takeo turned around instantly, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes.
"Really?"
Kie nodded.
"Great!" x 2
The two were instantly happy and cheered.
They took an axe and went hopping and skipping to the forest to cut down trees.
Hanako combed her hair and followed her mother to learn how to tidy up the house.
Nezuko, wrapped in a blanket, carried Rokuta on her back to prevent him from catching a cold and went to the charcoal kiln to check whether the heavy snow last night had made the kiln damp.
"If the kiln is damp, we may not be able to burn new charcoal for the next few days."
---
The open door to the sleeping room had been closed to prevent the cold wind outside from chilling the sleeping man.
Tanjuro was lying quietly on his back.
Suddenly—
It seemed to be because of the noise just now.
Or...
It was because of the fresh and dripping red kanji.
—The character "危."
His fingers twitched.
---
---
On the other side of the land.
A place that is incredibly far away.
So far away, it seems to have crossed into another world.
The world of "Sekiro."
-Location: Inner Hall of Senpou Temple-
~Splash~
The sound of water came down from the waterfall to the pond outside the hall.
The Divine Child of Rejuvenation, leaning on her cane, stood at the entrance of the inner hall, seemingly in doubt, and looked back at her aide.
"What's wrong? Ookami (Wolf)."
She put on her headscarf and looked at the ninja "Wolf," who was kneeling behind her and getting up, but his eyes were constantly looking around.
The ninja was wearing a slightly worn orange linen shirt, and the flax-colored scarf looked like it had been through a lot.
The large, dark red, and hideous lines on the left forehead proved the particularity of the ninja.
Wolf frowned, his hand unconsciously clenched the wedge pill around his waist, and he became vigilant.
Something's wrong.
'Are there enemies nearby?'
His perception ability has been maximized, and he can clearly perceive the danger from all around his body.
The word "danger" that represented his perception seemed to be flashing violently above his head.
Even when he faced Ashina the Sword Saint, who had returned from hell, the warning in his heart had never been so sharp and frequent.
Sweat beaded on his forehead, and the hand holding the katana handle turned white.
Wolf's eyes quickly scanned the surroundings.
It was as if someone was holding a gun over his brow, and a chill climbed up his spine.
It's suffocating.
But after a while, it seemed that nothing had happened.
Wolf looked at the Divine Child in front of him and slowly swallowed the nervous lump he was holding.
"It's nothing."
Looking at the ninja's nervous appearance, the Divine Child nodded calmly.
"It's good that you're okay; let's go."
"To the west, the sacred home of the dragons."
After that, the Divine Child resolutely stepped out of the inner hall.
Wolf regained his composure and quickly followed.
However, before leaving the hall, he couldn't help but worry in the depths of his mind.
'I have been in this world for more than 30 years.'
'I wonder how Kie, Tanjiro, and Nezuko are doing.'
'The neon lights here have not found their way back. Will the dragon's homeland in the West have a way for me to go back?'
Even though he dismissed his master's concern, Wolf did not let go of the hand that was holding the hilt of the sword.
The Ninja "Wolf," whose real name is Kamado Tanjuro, had crossed over from another world.
To be precise, this is already the third life of Kamado Tanjuro.
He was originally born in the modern era, on Earth in the early 21st century, but at the age of 20, his life as an ordinary person was ended by truck-kun.
After that, he was reincarnated into another world, which looked like ordinary Taisho era Japan.
The world of the manga "Demon Slayer."
But, when he was first born into the "Demon Slayer" world, Tanjuro did not awaken the memories of his previous life on Earth.
Instead, he grew up, married, had children, and practiced the Kagura dance year after year.
Until he killed the man-eating bear near his home, overworked his body, and collapsed.
Only then did he recall everything from his previous life.
So, in his heart, everything there was real: his family, his beloved wife, and his children.
Before he could say it, the heavy fatigue made him close his eyes.
This is probably death yet again, he thought.
He closed his eyes and came to the world of the game Sekiro, an ancient Japan that was similar to the warring states era.
His second rebirth.
He became the original protagonist, "Wolf," who was picked up from the battlefield and trained as a ninja from childhood.
More than 30 years passed.
He has already completed the most difficult hidden ending in the original game—Dragon's Homecoming.
He was preparing to leave Japan with the Divine Child and head to the country west of Japan.
He wanted to go back, back to the home that belonged to him.
Wolf raised his head and looked outside the hall.
It seemed that his contemplation took too long; the dazzling light shone so bright it made him want to close his eyes.
Which he did.
However, Wolf felt as if he had stepped into the air.
When his eyes had adjusted to the glare.
Kamado Tanjuro slowly opened his eyes.
"What happened?"
The light gradually faded.
What came into his view was the roof of the wooden house that was so familiar.
'Roof? Am I lying down?' Tanjuro blinked his dry eyes, and his vision gradually recovered.
Slowly raising his left arm, he felt the stiffness and soreness of his body.
"Huh?" "Hand?"
!!
Tanjuro's pupils contracted as he looked at his left hand that appeared in his field of vision.
Hand?!
Wolf had his left hand cut off long ago, and it was replaced with a prosthetic ninja arm made of bone.
But what was in sight at the moment was a complete human hand!
Tanjuro came to a realization in his mind.
Could it be that...
Tanjuro, who had lived for nearly a hundred years in three lives, could not suppress his emotions. His eyes moisten, and the heavy burden in his heart eases.
Tanjuro tried to sit up from the bed.
~Crack!~
In the direction of the door, something crashed into the ground.
Tanjuro subconsciously turned his head to look.
As soon as Kei opened the door, the stone teacup in her hand slipped to the ground unconsciously.
She was covering her mouth, her eyes were filled with watery mist, and she looked at Tanjuro's gray eyes in disbelief.
She thought she would scream her joy, but when the day came, she found that she could not scream at all.
Tanjuro's attempt to sit up stopped in place, and he quietly looked at his wife, whose face was more tired than he remembered.
He opened his mouth, but he couldn't say a word.
The two spent a moment that felt like forever, speechless, simply staring before coming back to their senses.
"...I'm back." Kamado Tanjuro said in a hoarse voice as he tried his best to squeeze out a smile with the extremely stiff muscles on his face.
Kie nodded vigorously, trying not to choke up, and smiled back.
"...Welcome home."
---
---
---
(Tr. Notes)
Well, here we go.
My only wish right now was to complete one project. Let's do it!