Demon Slayer: Starting with the Kingdom

He didn't draw his sword immediately, just as Mitsuha didn't activate her Blood Demon Art immediately.

Under the clear world, he could see every part of Mitsuha's body.

Her body was no longer frail, and the lesions in her body were completely swept away, leaving only a powerful physique far surpassing that of a normal human!

The terrifying power contained within this seemingly frail body is the strongest that Yoriichi has ever seen in his life, apart from Muzan!

What's even more terrifying is that Yoriichi didn't sense any fighting spirit or demonic energy from his own sister.

There is only one possibility.

Like him, Mitsuha has already entered that transparent world. Only those who have reached this level can completely conceal their aura.

Chapter 57 This is the destiny ordained by the Son of God

Yoriichi slowly closed his eyes.

On the surrounding streets, people were still running around, and panic continued to spread throughout the city.

Mitsuha remained standing in the same spot, watching him with that smiling expression, waiting for him.

Yoriichi knew that she was waiting for him to speak.

Because she also knew that, given their unexpected reunion after decades, he must have a lot to say to her and a lot of questions to ask her.

She was willing to wait until both sides had said their piece before making that final decision.

Yes, Yoriichi could sense that his sister was ready.

I was ready the moment I saw him.

Yoriichi could sense the determination emanating from the depths of Mitsuha's heart; her fighting spirit was boundless.

She longed to defy the gods, to have a real confrontation with her brother, who was hailed as the "Son of God."

She desperately wanted to sever this destiny ordained by the gods with her own hands.

Therefore, she will not run away.

So, where should he begin?

Then let's start with him...

"Over the years, besides constantly searching for Muzan's whereabouts, I have also traveled to many places."

Rural villages, bustling towns, deep in the mountains and forests, and on the edge of the sea…

Opening his eyes again and looking at Mitsuha in front of him, Yoriichi finally spoke.

His voice was somewhat aged, yet still steady and powerful.

"Mitsuha, do you know that in the past decades of searching, I have unexpectedly met many, many people?"

I'm not referring to demon hunters like myself, but to ordinary people who are even more common and mundane than them.

Among them, the small mountain village from more than 20 years ago left a deep impression on me.

It was a secluded mountain village, deep in the mountains. In the village, there was an old man who loved to sit at the village entrance and chat, a kind-hearted old woman who was busy with housework all day long, young people who were farming in the fields, a little girl who was learning to weave with her mother, and a little boy who was always thinking of stealing my purse...

It was a peaceful and beautiful place. During my stay with that family, as my interactions with them deepened, I woke up one morning and was suddenly struck by how vast the world truly was…

A hint of happiness appeared in his eyes, and Yoriichi's tone softened considerably.

"It turns out that besides ghost hunters and evil spirits, there are so many other living beings and stories in this world."

They don't have dramatic stories or thrilling lives, but each of them is full of energy.

Those days were the happiest period of my life, apart from my time with poetry.

I've even seriously considered more than once whether I should just let go of everything from the past, settle down in that small mountain village, and live out the rest of my life there...

However, the story did not end there.

His wrinkled face gradually darkened, and deep sorrow resurfaced in Yoriichi's already somewhat cloudy eyes.

"On that very evening, while I was chopping firewood for the villagers, a demon suddenly appeared under the cover of darkness and slaughtered the people in that small mountain village."

When I returned, there was no one left in the village.

But Mitsuha, did you know that there were originally no evil spirits near this small mountain village?

This suddenly appearing evil spirit was unaware of the existence of this mountain village; it discovered it by chance while following the trail of a fleeing human…

His tone paused here, Yoriichi closed his eyes again, let out a deep sigh, and his voice was full of exhaustion.

As if seeking some kind of answer, he asked Mitsuha, who was listening quietly in front of him:

"Mitsuha, I don't understand why I always encounter things like this?"

Can you tell me why I can never protect the people around me?

"Because you are the true son of God, Yoriichi-nii."

When Yoriichi asked her question, Mitsuha smiled and gave her answer.

"Your mission was already destined; your life will be devoted to slaying Lord Muzan."

Therefore, any obstacles that might hinder you from achieving this mission will eventually be eliminated by chance.

So it's not that you can't protect them, but that your desire to stop is what's harming them.

"The gods will not allow their blades to dull; this is your destiny, Yoriichi-nii."

“Yes, Mitsuha, you are right... I am the child of God.”

Yoriichi nodded slightly.

He showed no doubt about his sister's words, but accepted them with great ease.

It was as if this was an answer he had already accepted.

"Over the years, I have become more and more convinced of this: an extraordinary birth, extraordinary talent, and extraordinary superhuman strength..."

No matter how much I deny it, no matter how much I try to make people believe in my ordinariness, these are undeniable facts about me.

There is no one else in the world like me.

I am indeed the Son of God.

Slaying Muzan is my mission in this world. Anyone who obstructs me from achieving this mission, whether it is Shi, the villagers of that small mountain village, or anyone else, will die tragically.

Because the Son of God cannot have any burdens; he must remain sharp until the day he completely slays Muzan.

Therefore, Mitsuha, I will definitely kill you and Muzan, I must kill you and Muzan, this is... my destined fate.

His withered right hand slowly rested on the Nichirin Blade at his waist.

His momentum surged, and Yoriichi opened his eyes once more. He stared at Mitsuha in front of him, and his cloudy eyes suddenly became incredibly bright, like a tiger poised to pounce.

"But before that, Mitsuha, I have two more questions for you."

Maintaining the stance of drawing his sword, Yoriichi asked in a deep voice:

"Can you tell me why you chose to become a ghost? I want to hear the answer from you yourself."

"Yes, why is that..."

With her attitude still nonchalant and casual, Mitsuha put her hands behind her back and looked up at the night sky.

Vague memories from her childhood decades ago kept resurfacing in her mind. Maintaining her smile, she slowly said:

“Brother Yoriichi, from childhood to adulthood, you all wanted me to do this and that, to be an obedient daughter, a sensible younger sister, and a dutiful head of the family…”

But Yoriichi, did you ever ask me what I thought back then?

They asked me if I was willing to just stay in that small town... rotting and stinking?

No, never.

Neither you, my elder brother Yan Sheng, nor my mother and father did.

Chapter 58 Even Death is Predestined for the Son of God (Bonus Chapter)

The smile gradually faded, and Mitsuha lowered her head, looking at Yoriichi in front of her with an expressionless face and an extremely calm tone.

“Brother Yoriichi, I am not a useful tool. I also have my own dreams, places I want to go, and things I want to do.”

I don't want to be Mitsuha, who belongs only to the Tsugumi country. I don't want to spend my whole life in that castle that I can see the end of in a glance, wasting my life. I don't want to be that sensible younger sister, that obedient daughter, that dutiful head of the family...

I also want to be mischievous, I also want to have a healthy body, I also want to travel the world with a knife, I also want to meet interesting friends, and I also want to experience thrilling stories with them...

Elder brother, tell me, what's wrong with this kind of thinking?

She calmly asked the last question, and before Yoriichi could answer, Mitsuha shook her head and smiled.

"But in the end, I compromised. When I was still human, I ultimately failed to take that step that belonged to me."

Before she died, my mother said, "I am the daughter of the nation, so it is only right that I dedicate myself when it needs me."

Following my mother's words, I failed to become the person I truly wanted to be, but instead strived to become the person you wanted me to be.

Only when she was terminally ill did she suddenly realize that she had completely wasted her short life because of this appearance, and had completely lost the opportunity to make choices again... How pitiful, little clover.

As if mocking herself, Mitsuha looked at Yoriichi and a smile returned to her face.

"So, Yoriichi, you said that when Muzan-sama, who can give me a chance to choose again, appears before me, what reason do I have not to accept it?"

After listening quietly to Mitsuha's account, Yoriichi neither nodded in agreement nor shook his head in denial. He simply continued in his aged voice, "..."

"One last question, Mitsuha: what you said to me that night, was it the truth or a lie?"

Even though decades had passed, when Yoriichi brought it up, Mitsuha instantly realized which night he was referring to as "that night".

It was the last night Yoriichi visited her when she was still the head of the family.

It was also the night she calmly persuaded Yoriichi to accept his own death.

This was both the last time the brother and sister met and the last time they met as human beings.

“It’s all true, Yoriichi-nii.”

Looking directly into his eyes, Mitsuha gave an affirmative answer.

"Whether it was the me who could only force myself to accept it in despair, or the me who later chose to become a demon, these are all the real me."

Humans are such complex beings that, depending on the situation and the power at their disposal, they often make drastically different choices when faced with the same problem.

The one who peacefully faced death was Mitsuha.

The Mitsuha who was in despair and collapse was her.

The Mitsuha who is now living a carefree life is also her.

They are all her, just different periods in her life.

"So that's how it is, I understand now..."

Upon hearing this, Yoriichi simply nodded slightly. Looking at his younger sister in front of him, a smile finally appeared on his aged face.

"Mitsuha, thank you for not lying to me."

At this moment, the fire in the city spreads even further, and the shouts of battle outside the city grow ever closer.

On the streets of Osaka Castle, which was on the verge of falling, there was no one else to be seen except for the brother and sister.

This is truly the perfect place.

"You're too kind, Brother Yoriichi."

A slight smile involuntarily appeared on her lips, and the whites of Mitsuha's eyes quickly turned blood red, her pupils transforming into the shape of a datura flower.

Beneath his feet, an array composed of countless intricate mandala patterns instantly unfolded, enveloping Yoriichi and everything around him.

The brother and sister are about to have their final showdown, but Yoriichi still shows no intention of making a move in the face of Mitsuha's Blood Demon Art array.

He was quite surprised when he witnessed Mitsuha unleashing her Blood Demon Art for the first time.

"Unbelievable, is this Mitsuha's Blood Demon Art...?"

Decades ago, I heard Ms. Tamayo say that Mitsuha could see the cause and effect in human beings.

"In that case, Mitsuha, could you tell me, in your eyes, what does the karma surrounding me look like?"

"They were iron chains, each as thick as a wrist."