Demon Slayer: Starting with the Kingdom

It wasn't that there was something wrong with their bodies, nor that they were attacked by some mysterious blood demon magic... it was their lifespan.

Without exception, all the striped swordsmen who died in their sleep had reached the end of their lifespan.

They reached their lifespan limit of twenty-five years.

...Twenty-five years old?

The swordsmen of the Demon Slayer Corps are usually either on missions here or there, and rarely have the chance to get together, let alone celebrate each other's birthdays.

Therefore, at the beginning, no one had thought about it at all.

It wasn't until a doctor who was collecting the bodies of the deceased striped swordsmen questioned and recorded their information that he suddenly realized this detail.

Of all the scarred swordsmen who have passed away to this day, all of those whose exact birth dates can be confirmed were exactly twenty-five years old, and all of them died on the very night they turned twenty-five.

Why 25 years old?

Nobody can figure this out.

But the current situation is enough for the demon hunters to realize that the gift of the markings is not without cost.

While gaining immense power from the demon slayer, their lifespan is drastically reduced to twenty-five years.

Once this limit is reached, death will occur.

This shocking news instantly caused a huge uproar within the Demon Slayer Corps.

Among them, Yan Sheng was naturally the one most deeply influenced by him.

In order to join the Demon Slayer Corps, he went so far as to change his identity, abandon his wife and children, leave behind his sister, and forsake his family...

He made such a huge sacrifice and trained so hard not because he had a strong sense of justice, nor because he had a deep hatred for evil spirits.

All of this was simply because he wanted to pursue Yoriichi.

He wanted to possess the power of Yoriichi, to have that divine swordsmanship, and to eventually become a true prodigy like Yoriichi!

Yan Sheng has always been a very hardworking person.

Once he has identified his goal, he can strive towards it day after day for decades without ever slacking off.

But...why?

He had worked so hard and given up so much to finally get to where he is today and become the person in the world who is closest to Yoriichi.

But now you're telling me that all I've gained comes at such a heavy price?

Twenty-five years old, twenty-five years old...

He is almost twenty-three years old now.

He has no future.

With only two or three years left to live, he no longer had time to catch up with Yoriichi through continuous training.

This blow was devastating for Yen Sheng.

Everything is over.

All his efforts over the years have been in vain...

Chapter 41 He is my elder brother whom I haven't seen for many years!

"It's alright, elder brother."

Inside the room, Yoriichi, who had also learned the truth upon returning to the Demon Slayer Corps, quickly recovered after a brief period of shock and silence.

Suddenly, Yoriichi recalled what Mitsuha had said to him that night, and he smiled as he comforted Mitsuha:

"Brother, do you know that death isn't actually that scary? As long as we can accept it calmly, it won't threaten our hearts..."

Upon hearing this, Yan Sheng slowly turned his head and looked at Yoriichi beside him with an almost blank gaze.

Yoriichi, what are you saying...?

Of course you can be at ease, after all, you already have everything that others envy, things that others may not be able to obtain even in their entire lives, all of which were given to you by the gods at the time of your birth.

If your life is already complete from the moment you are born, you can naturally face death with equanimity.

My goal is far from being achieved, and the distance between us is still immense. If I were to just accept it so easily and give up like this...

Doesn't that mean that my life has been completely... a complete failure?

“Brother, perhaps this is the end for our generation, but that’s alright. I firmly believe that there will be successors to carry on our unfinished work and continue moving forward…”

Staring blankly at Yoriichi, who was still eloquently comforting him, Yan Sheng's mind was completely unable to process what Yoriichi was saying. At this moment, one question after another arose in Yan Sheng's mind.

What exactly was he striving for to get to where he is today?

And what was the purpose of being born into this world?

What is the significance of Kokushige's existence?

Yan Sheng was unaware.

He couldn't answer any of these questions.

Ignoring Yoriichi's words, Yan Sheng suddenly stood up and walked out of the room, looking utterly lost.

"Brother, where are you going?"

Hearing Yoriichi's question from behind, he paused slightly, then said without turning his head:

"My vacation is over, and I have to go on my mission."

"That's it."

Not noticing anything unusual in Yan Sheng's words, Yoriichi didn't press the matter further but instead abruptly changed the subject.

"Did you see Mitsuha when you went back this time, brother?"

Mitsuha's face appeared in his mind. Kokushiro, still with his back to Yoriichi, slowly shook his head.

“I haven’t seen…”

"But it's okay, I think we'll see her again soon..."

Yes, the siblings will be able to meet again soon.

Meanwhile, on the town streets late at night, Mitsuha and Tamayo were strolling along.

"Mitsuha, are you looking for someone?"

As Tamayo followed Mitsuha along the way, she noticed that in each town she visited, she would ask people for information about a certain doctor, which made Tamayo very curious.

"Hmm? Ah, I'm looking for my former doctor, who is also my only friend."

Turning her attention away from the couple arguing in the shop next door, Mitsuha explained:

"She is a traveling doctor whose medical skills are no less than yours, Miss Tamayo. For the past few years, she has been by my side, working hard to cure my illness."

It wasn't until the night I encountered Lord Muzan again that she left under my coercion..."

A hint of tenderness appeared in her eyes, and a smile unconsciously crept onto her lips. Mitsuha said softly:

That night, knowing I wouldn't live much longer and not wanting her to see my final, embarrassing state, I forced her to leave my side overnight.

Honestly, if I had known my life wouldn't end like this, I shouldn't have driven her away back then. Otherwise, I wouldn't be searching for her like a headless fly now..."

After listening to Mitsuha's explanation, Tamayo shook her head slightly.

"She might not want to see you as you are now."

Aside from a hint of sarcasm, her words carried more of a compassionate reminder.

From the subtle change in Mitsuha's tone, Tamayo could sense that she truly valued the doctor friend she mentioned.

Although the two have been verbally arguing with each other for days, Tamayo even tried to use the demon slayer to eliminate Mitsuha, who had just awakened, and Mitsuha held a grudge against her, repeatedly mocking and ridiculing her...

However, out of sympathy for the tragic experiences of the Mitsuba humans, Tamayo couldn't help but offer this reminder.

A doctor, especially a traveling healer with good medical ethics, would find it almost impossible to accept that his close friend has turned into a cannibalistic monster.

This is the tragedy of being transformed into a demon.

After careful consideration, Mitsuha nodded seriously in agreement.

"What? Did Ms. Tamayo think I would get angry and argue back? Well, I guess I'm afraid I'll have to disappoint you..."

Noticing the slightly strange look in Tamayo's eyes, Mitsuha, unusually, didn't speak to her sarcastically this time.

She slowly stopped, looked up slightly at the night sky above, and said softly:

"I don't have that strong feeling that I have to keep someone by my side forever."

For me, as long as she can live a happy and peaceful life from now on, even if she's not by my side, even if I never see her again, I won't mind.

This is Mitsuha's current attitude towards butterflies.

Her mind was clear; she knew she had become a different being.

Therefore, she does not insist that the butterfly must accept her as she is now, and that is not her purpose in seeking out the butterfly.

She simply wanted to take one last look at her only friend from afar and check on Butterfly's condition; that was all.

As for anything else, she no longer had any thoughts about it.

"I never expected to hear such words from you."

Standing beside Mitsuha, Tamayo said, seemingly mockingly:

"I always thought you would have an extremely self-centered personality like that person."

Without a doubt, the "that person" Tamayo was referring to was Muzan.

"Didn't I already say that, Ms. Tamayo, that I always make exceptions for my friends whom I value... Oh dear."

Suddenly, Mitsuha's gaze fell upon a familiar figure standing atop the castle tower in the distance, and a look of surprise appeared on her face.

She blinked rapidly, and murmured unconsciously:

"This is truly... an unexpected encounter..."

"what happened?"

Tamayo followed Mitsuha's gaze and saw a male figure holding a sword standing on the roof of the castle tower in the darkness. From a distance, he looked like a demon slayer.

Opposite the man, a clearly grotesque demon had been beheaded, its body gradually disintegrating.

"As far as I remember, this town was indeed left with a demon by that person before. If I'm not mistaken, it should be the daimyo who ruled this town..."

After recalling the events briefly in her mind, Tamayo turned to look at Mitsuha and asked in confusion:

"Do you know that demon hunter?"

"More than just knowing each other..."

The surprise on her face was gradually replaced by excitement. Seeing that no one was around, Mitsuha immediately grabbed Tamayo's arm and rushed towards the castle at a speed that was impossible for a normal human to achieve.

"He's my elder brother whom I haven't seen for many years!"

Chapter 42 is truly pitiful, elder brother.

What is the meaning of all this?

Late at night, Yan Sheng, who had come to this town to carry out a demon-slaying mission, stood on the roof of the castle tower with his sword, quietly watching the evil spirit he had already beheaded gradually dissipate.

His eyes were somewhat vacant, and he could no longer hear the evil spirit's repeated curses at him before it died.

In the town below, the lights have faded, and the town is enveloped in the silence of the deep night.

Yan Sheng stood there blankly until the evil spirit in front of him had completely disappeared, without any reaction.

What exactly is he doing right now?

Why is he still here carrying out these meaningless tasks?

Yan Sheng couldn't understand it.

It's not just these things he can't understand; there are many things he can't understand now.

He didn't understand the meaning of his birth, nor did he understand the meaning of continuing to live like this.

Anyway, in another two or three years, he will die from the side effects of the spots.