Demon Slayer: I am a Demon.

Is this boy?

Chapter 170 They both clearly wanted the other to be happy, yet they ended up hurting each other.

Quiet room

The candle burned, its flickering light dispelling the darkness of the room.

Su Mu opened the box, revealing the firearms inside.

Shinazugawa Genya focused his gaze on them. Having been born into a poor family, he had clearly never seen or even heard of these things before.

"These are weapons far more powerful than Nichirin Blades. Even an untrained ordinary person could easily defeat a swordsman who has trained for many years by using them."

Su Mu said in a low voice.

Shock appeared in Shinazugawa Genya's eyes, followed by disbelief. His eyes were fixed on the firearms in the box, unable to imagine that something that looked like a matchstick could allow an ordinary person to easily defeat a swordsman who had been trained for many years.

"But you can't hunt ghosts by relying solely on firearms."

Su Mu spoke again: "Firearms can inflict damage on demons instantly. This damage might be fatal to humans, but it's nothing to demons. Therefore, relying solely on firearms is not enough; we also need the Nichirin Blade to end all of this."

Shinazugawa Genya's eyes, which had been filled with hope, immediately dimmed. His physical strength was too poor to practice the 'breathing technique' at all.

Ultimately, it all comes down to 'breathing techniques'.

Only by practicing 'breathing techniques' can one temporarily possess physical abilities comparable to those of a demon, thus enabling one to fight against demons.

But for him, this was something that was destined to be impossible.

Therefore, Shinazugawa Genya turned his gaze to Su Mu, his eyes filled with hope. The master had said these things, so there must be a way.

"Yes, generally speaking, to fight against demons, one must have abilities comparable to those of demons. The swordsmen of the Demon Slayer Corps also achieve this by practicing 'breathing techniques,' but it is not only 'breathing techniques' that can enable people to achieve physical abilities comparable to demons."

As he spoke, he looked at Genya Shinazugawa: "People in this world are different from the moment they are born. Some are born into wealth and luxury, while others are born into poverty and hardship. Some are born strong and healthy, while others are born weak and frail..."

Genya Shinazugawa understood this perfectly well. From birth, he had lived in a broken home. His father was also a very unreliable person. Only his mother and older brother supported the family. Although life was hard, he was actually quite happy with his older brother, mother, younger brother, and younger sister. But everything was destroyed on that night filled with terrible news, that night filled with the smell of blood...

Suppressing his grief, Genya Shinazugawa continued listening to the adult's story.

“People are almost all different. Some people have a keen nose, like Tanjiro, whose nose is very sensitive and can smell all kinds of scents, even people’s sadness. Some people have very bright eyes, like Kanao next to me. And some people have muscle density that is almost eight times that of an average person…”

Shinazugawa Genya's eyes grew increasingly dim; his physique made it almost impossible for him to practice the 'breathing technique'.

"But you... are different too."

Su Mu suddenly spoke.

"what?"

Shinazugawa Genya raised his head. What was different about him? He thought for a long time but couldn't figure it out.

"Your constitution is unique from birth."

Su Mu looked at Shinazugawa Genya.

"Is the inability to practice 'breathing techniques' considered a difference in physical constitution?"

Genya Shinazugawa spoke with a hint of dejection.

"Perhaps this is different, but it's not exactly unique."

At this point, Su Mu paused, glanced at Shinazugawa Genya, and then continued:

"Your constitution must be that of the legendary 'Demon Eater'."

"Demon Eater?"

Shinazugawa Genya looked puzzled. It sounded very powerful, but he didn't seem to feel anything.

"The so-called 'demon eater' has a special 'taste' that allows them to temporarily transform their own body into a demon after consuming a demon."

"Eat...eat the ghost."

Genya Shinazugawa's face turned slightly pale. He had almost never thought of such a thing before. The thought of eating such disgusting things was unacceptable to him both physically and mentally.

"Therefore, if you want to embark on the path of ghost hunting, you can only start from your own physical condition. If you want to hunt ghosts, you must be prepared to eat ghosts."

Genya Shinazugawa's face turned pale instantly, as if he, too, would devour the demons that were once humans, just as demons devoured humans.

Then what's the difference between myself and a ghost?

I couldn't accept these things almost immediately.

"So, are you ready to eat the ghost?"

Su Mu looked at Shinazugawa Genya, whose eyes were filled with confusion, and calmly asked him.

The boy fell silent.

Even if those terrifying things are no longer human, it's still hard to get over the psychological hurdle of eating ghosts that were once human.

"If you're not ready, then just be a normal person. That's probably what your brother would want too—to live a peaceful life like an ordinary person and find happiness like an ordinary person."

Su Mu calmly said, "This is exactly what your brother was hoping for."

Will my brother always hope that I will be happy?

Shinazugawa Genya said incredulously, "Brother, you wouldn't want to think that way."

Why do you think that way?

Su Mu looked at Shinazugawa Genya and asked earnestly.

…………

Genya Shinazugawa hesitated slightly before recounting his story with his brother.

Genya Shinazugawa was born into a sad family. His father was an incorrigible man who was hated and eventually assassinated.

After their father died, he and his brother supported their mother and worked hard to make a living for the family.

Until one day, a ghost came to her house and killed her younger brother and sister. She was almost harmed by the ghost, but her older brother saved her.

What she saw was her brother killing their mother with his own hands. At that moment, she cried and shouted that her brother was a murderer.

At this point, the boy, who hadn't uttered a sound even though he was covered in blood, burst into tears, sobbing softly: "Later, I learned that my mother was that fallen demon. She killed my younger brother and sister with her own hands, right in front of my older brother..."

At this moment, Shinazugawa Genya clenched his fists: "My brother witnessed all of this, and in order to protect me, he killed our mother who had fallen into demonhood with his own hands. And then, I... I, his younger brother, called him a murderer."

At this moment, Shinazugawa Genya could no longer imagine the pain his brother had endured.

He probably hated his younger brother to death back then and would never forgive him, right?

Genya Shinazugawa himself could hardly forgive himself for saying such cruel words, for so easily trampling on his brother's feelings.

After telling everything, the boy almost knelt on the ground, weeping bitterly, hating everything he had done and hating his past self.

"So you think your brother will never forgive you?"

Su Mu calmly looked at Shinazugawa Genya: "Why would you think that? It's because you accused your brother of being the murderer without knowing the truth, and then you think your brother will never forgive you in this lifetime?"

"Shouldn't I hate myself for what I did back then? How can I forgive the cruel things I did?"

Shinazugawa Genya said with tears streaming down his face, "I can imagine the despair and pain my brother must have felt. He witnessed his mother kill his younger brother and sister, and then he killed his mother who had fallen into demonhood. In the end, he was called a murderer by his younger brother, who was crying and calling him a killer..."

"I can't imagine, I can't even begin to imagine how much my brother must have hated me back then!"

"Snapped!"

He practically slapped Shinazugawa Genya across the face, knocking him to the ground. Genya, bewildered, clutched his aching face and stared blankly at the adult.

I don't understand why the adults suddenly hit him.

Su Mu calmly looked at Shinazugawa Genya, staring into the boy's eyes: "So, how is there any difference between you now and when you saw your brother kill your mother, who had fallen into demonhood, and then accused him of being the murderer?"

The boy was somewhat confused and didn't quite understand.

"Snapped!"

Another slap landed on Genya Shinazugawa's face, causing his cheek to swell up badly on the spot.

Shinazugawa Genya covered his aching cheek, looking at the adult with confusion.

"So, how are you any different now compared to back then when you trampled on your relationship with your brother? Just because you saw your brother kill your mother, how are you any different from believing your brother is the murderer?"

As he spoke, Su Mu looked at Shinazugawa Genya: "I don't believe in the feelings between you and your brother, I'm just as naive as you to think that your brother has always hated you, and I'm just as convinced that your brother will never forgive you."

"At this moment, you're just like you were back then, trampling your brother's feelings on the ground! You still don't believe in each other's feelings!"

"What do you take your relationship with your brother for? Do you think it can be destroyed by a simple misunderstanding?"

As he spoke, Su Mu stepped forward and patted Shinazugawa Genya on the shoulder: "If I were your brother, if I were the 'Wind Pillar' Shinazugawa Sanemi."

As he spoke, he turned around, put his hands behind his back, and walked to the window, looking at the dark night sky outside: "If I were the 'Wind Pillar' Sanemi Shinazugawa right now, I would probably sigh and say, 'My stupid little brother!'"

He gazed at the starry sky and sighed softly.

"My silly little brother is still blaming himself for that incident."

"My stupid younger brother has no idea that I, as the older brother, have never taken this matter to heart."

"That stupid younger brother has no idea that nothing he says can possibly hurt me, his older brother!"

As he spoke, Su Mu turned around and looked at Shinazugawa Genya: "You are just like you were back then, blaming yourself for your brother being a murderer and trampling your feelings for him on the ground. You don't believe in each other's feelings and still think that your brother still hates you for what happened back then and will never forgive you."

"Do you want to make the same mistake again?"

He looked at Genya Shinazugawa: "Tell me, what do you consider your feelings for your brother?"

Are you going to keep making the same mistakes as before?

The boy stood there blankly, his eyes glazed over, tears streaming down his cheeks. The gloom that had been lingering in his heart seemed to be swept away completely by a gentle breeze.

Everything suddenly became clear.

He, Genya Shinazugawa, has always been on the wrong path.

We've been on the wrong path all along!

"Thank you... thank you."

Almost in tears, Genya Shinazugawa bent over and repeated the same words over and over.

Su Mu stepped forward, reached out, and patted Shinazugawa Genya's shoulder: "When you see your brother again, he will probably still have a cold face towards you. It's not because your brother hates you, but because your brother just wants you to live a peaceful life like an ordinary person and doesn't want you to step onto the path of a demon hunter."

"Right now, your brother probably thinks that he alone is enough on this blood-stained road."