Demon Slayer: Starting with the Kingdom

Looking at the only friend in front of her who truly cared about her, Mitsuha simply smiled and nodded.

"Well, I believe you."

Mitsuha saw Yoriichi again a year later.

Just like last time, I happened to be passing by, and just like last time, I quietly climbed in through the window.

Of course, just like last time, only Yoriichi came this time.

Yoriichi's promise to Yan Sheng last time did not come with him.

"Isn't Brother Yan Sheng coming?"

In the pitch-black room, sitting by a small stove, slowly brewing her medicine, Mitsuha asked.

Smelling the lingering medicinal scent in the room, Yoriichi walked straight to the small stool next to Mitsuha and sat down.

"I'm sorry, Mitsuha."

He first glanced at the medicine simmering on the stove with a puzzled look, then explained apologetically:

“I mentioned this to my elder brother before, but he kept hesitating, so…”

“Brother Yoriichi, you don’t need to explain, I understand.”

With her gaze fixed on the pot of boiling medicinal soup in front of her, Mitsuha nodded gently.

She knew very well that Yan Sheng would not come back.

Or rather, he felt too ashamed to come back.

After all, abandoning his wife and children and passing on the responsibilities of the head of the family that should have been his to his younger sister... from the perspective of an elder brother, this was indeed somewhat inappropriate.

Therefore, Mitsuha never actually expected that Mitsuha would return.

But it's okay, as long as Yoriichi is back.

She still remembered the favor Butterfly had asked her to do a year ago.

"Mitsuha, these medicines of yours..."

"Brother Yoriichi, could you do me a favor?"

Chapter 19 I'm sorry, I'm not blaming you.

Interrupting Yoriichi's question, Mitsuha stirred the medicinal soup in front of her with a spoon in her right hand and slowly said:

“I have a doctor friend who is a kind-hearted person. Some time ago, I talked to her about your breathing method.”

She is very interested in this and hopes to use your breathing techniques as a foundation to develop some breathing methods suitable for ordinary people that can improve health. I wonder if you, Brother Yoriichi, would be willing to share all your knowledge with her?

"no problem."

Suppressing his doubts for the time being, Yuan nodded, then stood up and placed his hand on the Nichirin Blade at his waist.

"Mitsuha, what do you need me to do? Draw a picture book for your friend, or take me to her..."

"There's no need for that. Brother Yoriichi, you can just demonstrate it for me."

Mitsuha shook her head slightly and replied calmly.

Yoriichi was taken aback upon hearing this, his expression showing slight surprise.

"Is that all?"

"Yes, I have a good memory. I can remember it after seeing it once."

Mitsuha is not being arrogant.

She noticed at a young age that she actually had an extraordinary memory.

Even today, she can still clearly remember the sword moves that Yoriichi used when he first picked up a bamboo sword and knocked his swordsmanship master unconscious more than ten years ago.

She clearly remembers every moment of that time, every movement of Yoriichi when he swung his sword, and if she wanted, she could even replicate them one-to-one.

Therefore, Mitsuha was confident that she could remember it completely after just one demonstration.

Without another word, in the pitch-black room, Yoriichi drew his Nichirin Blade in the dim candlelight and, accompanied by his explanation, began to demonstrate the Sun Breathing sword techniques to Mitsuha, move by move.

"Besides the techniques, there are also corresponding breathing techniques, and each breathing method has its own unique approach..."

His shadow danced back and forth on the wall behind him as he moved.

Even though Yoriichi had intended to suppress it, Mitsuha, who was sitting not far away, could still feel the chilling sharpness of his sword from his moves.

Yoriichi's movements are full of beauty, but this is not "beauty" in the sense of dance. Rather, it is the kind of "beauty" that eliminates all superfluous movements, grasps the power and angle to the extreme, and achieves the most perfect degree in every move.

This is a kind of exquisite beauty that even a layman like Mitsuha, who has never been exposed to martial arts, is not interested in, and knows nothing about, can find pleasing to the eye and even shocking.

It is no exaggeration to say that Yoriichi's swordsmanship is so perfect that it is like a work of art.

A perfectly natural and exquisite work of art.

"Let me demonstrate the other breathing techniques as well, but I'm not very good at these, so please don't laugh if my movements aren't very graceful."

After demonstrating the sword techniques of Sun Breathing, Yoriichi then demonstrated the other five basic breathing techniques and the sword techniques of Moon Breathing.

Yoriichi's movements remained extremely precise, meticulously executing each sword move to its best.

Even Mitsuha, an outsider, could clearly see some flaws in Yoriichi's sword techniques.

This feeling is especially pronounced when observing these breathing techniques after first observing the breathing of the sun.

Of course, this is not the reason for Yoriichi's death.

Yoriichi himself had no flaws; the flaws lay in the breathing techniques he used later.

They are all imitations of the breathing of the sun.

These breathing techniques were created as "degraded versions of the Sun Breathing" because the users themselves could not reach the same level of perfection as Yoriichi.

What they embody is the clumsy imitation of the "Son of God" by ordinary people.

If someone else were here at this moment, they might see the struggles and efforts of ordinary people, the brilliance in ordinary people, their resilience and hard work, and be deeply inspired by them.

But Mitsuha can't see any of this.

During Yoriichi's demonstration, she only saw the divine miracles sculpted on his body by the gods, stroke by stroke.

Yoriichi's older brother is indeed the "son of God".

Witnessing Yoriichi's swordsmanship again after more than a decade, Mitsuha became even more certain of her inner guess.

Yoriichi was undoubtedly born with the blessings of the gods in heaven.

So, what kind of destiny did the gods arrange for Yoriichi?

Mitsuha asked herself a question, then slowly lowered her head to look at her left arm hidden in her sleeve.

What kind of destiny was arranged for her at the same time?

"Well, Mitsuha, can you remember it?"

At the same time, Yoriichi, who had finally demonstrated all the breathing techniques, put away his Nichirin Blade and walked over.

"Do you need me to demonstrate it a few more times?"

"No need, Brother Yoriichi, I've already remembered it."

Mitsuha shook her head slightly and thanked him earnestly.

"Thank you."

"No need for that. Helping others doesn't require thanks. If Mitsuha, your friend has any questions, she can ask me anytime while I'm here."

Sitting back down on the small stool, Yoriichi earnestly gave his instructions, and with Mitsuha's soft response, the two siblings fell silent once more.

The dimly lit room was so quiet that the two of them could only hear the bubbling sound of the medicinal soup in front of them.

The pungent smell of medicine once again clung to Yoriichi's nose, drawing his attention back to him.

He suddenly remembered that when he last came back, his sister seemed to be taking medicine.

More than a year has passed, and Mitsuha... is she still taking medicine?

A vague sense of unease crept into his heart, and Yoriichi finally spoke, asking:

"Mitsuba, are you sick?"

"not at all."

As if she had anticipated Yoriichi's question, Mitsuha shook her head slightly and replied in a calm tone:

"This medicine is for Yan Sheng's brother's child, who has been sick recently."

"Is this so..."

Upon hearing this, Yoriichi lowered his head and remained silent.

Are you brewing medicine for Yan Sheng's brother's child...?

But when he arrived, he noticed that his elder brother's wife and children, who lived in the room next to Mitsuha's, were already asleep...

Mitsuha is lying.

She took the medicine herself, and she had been taking it for at least a year.

Is there any illness that requires taking medication continuously for a year, and yet there's still no improvement?

The unease in his heart grew stronger. This time, Yoriichi didn't ask Mitsuha again. Instead, he activated the Transparent World and turned to look at her body.

Then, his pupils suddenly contracted.

His expression was one of astonishment; he stood up almost instinctively, his clear eyes filled with shock.

Under the clear light of the world, everything about his younger sister's body was laid bare before his eyes.

Yoriichi could clearly see that one of the blood vessels in Mitsuha's body that supplied blood to her brain had shrunk considerably.

The resulting insufficient blood supply to the brain has led to the death of a large number of neurons in this part of the brain tissue due to ischemia and hypoxia.

The part of the body controlled by this part of the brain, namely Mitsuha's left side, from her arms to her toes, also lost control.

The muscles under the skin atrophy, become loose, shrunken, and weak; cells gradually die; and blood slowly pools in these areas, causing swelling and a purplish tinge.

If he hadn't seen it with his own eyes, Yoriichi wouldn't have dared to imagine that, with half of his body paralyzed like this, his younger sister could still sit upright in a chair and chat with him like a normal person!

"Mitsuha, your body...this is..."

This was not the first time Yoriichi had seen such a terrible physical condition.

He had seen it once before.

That time, it was with their deceased mother, Zhu Nai.

At this moment, his sister is suffering from the same illness as his mother.

"Brother, you've already seen it?"

Faced with Yoriichi's extremely shocked reaction, Mitsuha's reaction was rather calm.

Using her still functional right hand, she scooped the medicinal soup in front of her into a bowl, letting out a soft sigh.

"You shouldn't have done this..."

"Mitsuha, why... didn't you tell me?"

"Brother, why didn't you save Mother back then?"

She calmly asked a question in return, looked up at Yoriichi's momentarily stunned expression, and smiled apologetically.

"I'm sorry, I wasn't blaming you."

She picked up the medicine soup with her right hand, put it to her lips, and gently blew on it, her eyes slightly unfocused.

"Around last year, shortly before you came back last time, I realized that I might have the same illness that my mother had.

Although I didn't pay attention to it at first, as the condition gradually worsened, I should have realized it by now..."

Chapter 20 That's not how it is!

"Brother, I am beyond saving."

As Mitsuha uttered this self-judgment, her tone was as calm as her expression.