Demon Slayer: Starting with the Kingdom

Fate is sometimes so wondrous. Although I tried my best to mend things, I ultimately couldn't truly stop its collapse, as if everything was already predetermined..."

After these words were spoken, the two people in the courtyard fell silent once again.

The butterfly finally understood that the green leaf hairpin in front of her, which had never been replaced, was not a gift to her at all, but a shackle.

This is the shackle that her mother placed on her head before she died. It is this shackle that has trapped Mitsuha in this small town, forcing her to slowly rot in the dark and cold castle.

So that's how it is... So this is the real source of all the abnormalities in Mitsuha?

Despite having a completely different true self, she always forces herself to pretend to be someone else.

Even though it's a responsibility that shouldn't be borne by me, I always force myself to take it all on.

Under these layers of pressure, one's heart gradually becomes distorted into something else, to the point that one begins to take it all for granted...

All of this is because Mitsuha's mother had placed this shackle on her head when she was young, and used it to bind her for life.

Everything has been explained.

Butterfly suddenly understood why Mitsuha always liked to hear stories from her past travels.

Why did she always look at her with an envious gaze when listening to these stories?

Because Mitsuha is the butterfly that never escaped her family.

The butterfly is actually what Mitsuha once wanted to become.

Mitsuha had also longed to escape the castle that bound her, just like Mitsuha, and to be free to do what she wanted.

In the end, she could only remain in that cold, isolated country, slowly approaching the end of her already short life.

"Sorry……"

Her eyes suddenly welled up with tears, and facing the three leaves in front of her, Butterfly slowly lowered her head.

"Mitsuha, I'm sorry..."

Unable to understand the butterfly's sudden reaction, Mitsuba looked puzzled.

"Why are you apologizing to me?"

"I'm sorry, I lied to you..."

Clutching the hem of her clothes tightly with both hands, tears streaming down her face, Butterfly kept her head down, her voice trembling with sobs.

“I’ve been lying to you all along. I actually… always knew what illness you had. The moment I saw you on the street that day, I knew your illness was incurable.”

But I still wanted to try, so for the past few years I've been lying to you that I could be cured, hoping you would continue to believe me and be willing to accept my treatment...

I'm sorry, I really didn't mean to deceive you... It's all my fault. If I had told you the truth sooner, if I had let you know all this sooner...

Perhaps, perhaps it could help you, Mitsuha, figure all this out sooner, instead of dragging it out until now…

Chapter 27: Collapse in Silence

With a soft sigh, Mitsuha slowly leaned forward and gently embraced the weeping butterfly in front of her with her still-functioning right hand.

"Butterfly, there's something I've never told you before."

Unlike the butterfly, who wept and shed tears, Mitsuha's tone remained calm. She gently stroked the butterfly's long hair and slowly said:

"My mother died from this disease."

It's also because she always hid her illness from me during her lifetime, so at first I didn't realize that I actually had the same disease as her.

I kept mistakenly thinking that it was just a normal numbness in my finger and nothing serious.

It wasn't until later, when the problem became more and more serious, from one finger to several fingers, and then to the whole arm... that I gradually realized all of this.

Butterfly, I actually knew about my health condition a long time ago. After all, when I was young, I witnessed my mother pass away from illness.

Now, those symptoms that once happened to her are reappearing in me. With someone like that as a reference, how could I possibly not be able to foresee my own death?

A smile appeared on her face. Mitsuha held the person in her arms, gently resting her chin on her shoulder, and softly comforted her:

“I understand. You have done your best. You have been trying every possible way to delay my death for the past few years. I have seen all of this and I have never thought of blaming you.”

Rather, it's more accurate to say that even though you knew I was a dying man, you were still willing to waste your time and continue to invest in me, and for that... I am already extremely grateful.

A few tears finally welled up in the corners of her eyes. Mitsuha's tone remained unchanged as she smiled and said:

"In my entire life, I've never met anyone who cares about me as much as you do... So, please don't be sad anymore, okay?"

"But...but I..."

"Birth, aging, sickness and death are the natural course of life. I just passed away a little faster than others. Although it is unfortunate, it is not a big deal."

"Butterfly, you're willing to stay here with me, someone destined to die soon, and you've worked so hard for me for so long. I'm truly grateful and content."

Leaning gently against the butterfly's embrace, Mitsuha's eyes gradually dimmed, but a smile remained on her face.

"So, really don't waste your precious time on me anymore; you've already lingered here for far too long."

You are a doctor, you are only in your twenties, you are still very young.

After me, you will go to many, many places, there are many, many people waiting for you to heal them, and many, many stories waiting for you to experience.

You have a new tomorrow, you will definitely meet new friends and experience new stories with them, right?

Butterfly, thank you for arranging all of this for me tonight.

To have someone like this to play with without any worries, to argue with, and to make me happy, even if it's just for one night, I'm so content. Really... thank you.

"Mitsuha... I'm sorry... I'm so sorry... It's my fault... I couldn't save you... I'm so sorry..."

In the courtyard, the butterfly's cries continued for a long time. Mitsuha let her hold her and gently stroked her long hair.

"It's alright, Butterfly, really..."

Separation is a normal part of life.

In this world, no one can stay forever, and no one will never leave.

Just as the fireworks display ended that night, she packed her bags and, with Mitsuha watching her go, left the town overnight.

Of course, this was also at Mitsuha's urging.

Butterfly herself wanted to stay and accompany Mitsuha during her final moments.

But Mitsuha herself, as expected, didn't want her to see the ugly state of her final death.

Let everything end here, on this night that brings joy and happiness to both of us. Perhaps this is the most fitting end.

After all, Mitsuha could have ended it all by dying.

But Butterfly is still alive, and she needs to move forward. Mitsuha doesn't want to cram too many sad memories into her life, as that would only add to her burdens.

Faced with Mitsuha's final wish, Butterfly, no matter how reluctant, could not refuse.

"To resort to such tactics to coerce my own friend, I really am a cunning person..."

Late at night, with the help of her maids, Mitsuha slowly returned to her room. Looking at the empty and desolate room in front of her, the noisy and lively atmosphere she had experienced at the fireworks festival not long ago seemed to echo in her ears once again.

Gently, she slowly closed her eyes.

Recalling the opera she had watched with Butterfly on stage, Mitsuha raised her right hand, making a gesture as if holding a knife, and suddenly shouted:

"Who is coming?"

As soon as she finished speaking, she immediately moved her feet, put her right hand behind her back, raised her chin, and replied in a deep voice:

"A wandering swordsman."

"Why?"

"Take your head."

With a surprised expression on her face and her eyes closed, Mitsuha shifted her feet around the room again, feigning panic as she said:

"What grudge do I have against you? Why do you insist on taking my life?"

"Hmph, you villain, you rob the village, rape women, and wherever you go, even the big yellow dog at the village entrance gets kicked twice. Your evil deeds are so numerous that everyone has the right to kill you!"

"Fine! Since you're being so aggressive, let's settle this with our skills! Here... um!"

Suddenly her footing went awry, and Mitsuha fell heavily to the ground, completely out of control.

Stimulated by the pain, she subconsciously opened her eyes.

In an instant, all the fantasies in my mind vanished.

There were no villains, no wandering swordsmen, no onlookers, and no girl waiting to be saved by her.

Her mind was blank. She returned to the empty room once again. It was completely quiet all around her. She was always alone here.

A soul trapped in a nation, a... decaying shell nearing its end.

"Ha...hehe..."

Her kimono was disheveled, and she struggled to prop herself up. Mitsuha leaned against the ground and suddenly laughed.

"Ha ha ha ha……"

Her laughter grew louder and louder, and her shoulders shrugged in response.

"Hahahaha!"

Tears welled up uncontrollably, streaming down her cheeks, and Mitsuha cried while laughing.

"Ah...ah!!!"

She let out a heart-wrenching scream, and lay on the ground, her tears completely soaking her sleeves.

"Don't leave me here alone...don't..."

At this moment, all pretense was shed, and the suppressed sobs filled the entire room, expressing Mitsuha's deep-seated resentment and despair.

She wasn't actually that carefree or that open-minded at all.

She was actually filled with fear of death; she didn't want to die at all, and she wanted to live a good life...

She didn't want to be satisfied with just one night of happiness; she wanted to live the life she wanted and do the things she wanted every day.

She didn't really want the butterfly to leave; she really wanted it to stay by her side until the very last moment of her life.

But, but...

"Poor little clover."

Suddenly, a male voice with a smile rang in my ears.

Chapter 28 Because of my arrival, your immortality was proclaimed.

Moonlight streamed into the room, and Muzan's figure seemed to descend from the sky, gently landing in front of Mitsuha.

Behind him stood Tamayo, who remained silent with her head bowed, as always.

"Poor little clover."

Looking down at Mitsuha, who was lying on the ground looking up at him with tears streaming down her face, Muzan chuckled softly.

After a long time, his appearance and clothing remained unchanged.

It was still that signature ramen-noodle hairstyle, that same black kimono with gold foil stamping, that same wild and unrestrained expression... everything was exactly the same as Mitsuha remembered.

"Mr. Kibutsuji?"

Her already dulled brain didn't even register the strangeness of Muzan's sudden appearance. Mitsuha only paused for a moment before quickly getting up, straightening her posture, and saying solemnly:

"I was slightly out of line, please forgive me."

This was an action she took without thinking; it was purely instinctive.

In the later stages of a stroke, some patients may find that their brains are unable to react promptly to sudden events and can only respond based on habitual memories imprinted in their minds.

That's exactly what Mitsuha is like right now.

Her mind didn't clearly realize that "Muzan and Tamayo shouldn't be in her room right now," but instead, based on the past memory that "guests have come to the room and need to be properly entertained," she made the action she just did.

"How pitiful this is."

However, although Mitsuha herself was unaware of the problem, the two people in front of her were very clear about it.

"It's only been a short time since I last saw you, and your brain has already become this diseased?"