Demon Slayer: Starting with the Kingdom

Amidst the crimson expanse, looking at Yoriichi before her, who was tightly bound and entangled by countless wrist-thick crimson iron chains, almost indistinguishable from a marionette, Mitsuha truthfully replied.

“The power of cause and effect on you is stronger than I have ever seen before. It even surpasses that of Ubuyashiki, whom I met decades ago.”

Mitsuha's tone carried a hint of pity.

Pity for Yoriichi.

Perhaps only she knows that beneath the empty title of "Son of God," Yoriichi is also the puppet most deeply controlled by the gods.

Countless forces of cause and effect entangled him, tightly controlling everything in his life.

"Can you tell me what my fate will be?"

Yoriichi continued to ask questions.

Mitsuha continued to answer.

"You will spend your whole life searching for Lord Muzan, from the ends of the earth to the corners of the sea, from the cold winter of Hokkaido to the cherry blossoms of Kyushu."

Your life will never stop until you pass away at the age of eighty-nine.

Mitsuha sees no trace of "death" in Yoriichi, who has never suffered any injury since birth.

Even death is predetermined for the Son of God; he is destined to live to the age of eighty-nine and die peacefully in his sleep.

"After that, will I meet anyone else worth remembering?"

"No, your life is destined to be lonely, destined to be without companions or companions. As the son of God, whether or not you can fulfill your mission, you will walk alone to your end."

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

Yoriichi smiled upon hearing this, but Mitsuha was unaware of what his smile truly represented.

Yoriichi didn't ask any more questions. He simply bent slightly, gripped the hilt of his Nichirin Blade tightly in his right hand, and said calmly:

"Get ready, Mitsuha, I'm about to draw my sword. Show me your Blood Demon Art."

In an instant, with the blessing of the Transparent World, Mitsuha saw all the changes within Yoriichi's body, and also saw the direction in which Yoriichi's sword was about to be swung.

As expected, it was her neck.

This is a natural result.

Mitsuha knew her older brother, Yoriichi, well; he was never someone who enjoyed fighting.

On the contrary, he even loathed the feeling of a knife cutting into flesh, a feeling he had had since childhood.

This personality also shaped Yoriichi's decisive and efficient fighting style.

He would not humiliate his opponents or torture his enemies; if he could finish them off with one strike, he would never strike a second time.

Even when facing an enemy like Muzan, whom he believed had to be killed, Yoriichi would always strike vital points with every strike, never making any unnecessary or useless cuts.

Given this premise, how would Yoriichi strike Mitsuha, who has far fewer hearts and brains than Muzan?

The answer is simple: the neck.

His first strike, which he believed would be fatal, would definitely be aimed at Mitsuha's neck.

He wouldn't deliberately torture Mitsuha, nor would he need to test her. His first strike would definitely be this fatal blow.

And this is precisely Mitsuha's chance to win.

It was her only chance to win against Yoriichi, the son of God... and she only had one chance.

Chapter 0 [Side Quest: The Child of God]

We still haven't found Muzan Kibutsuji today.

The morning sun rose and shone on Yoriichi, who was wandering aimlessly through the mountains and forests.

Over the years, he had been searching for Muzan's whereabouts, but to no avail.

Several years have passed since the night the previous Demon Slayer Corps leader was beheaded, and Yoriichi has now officially turned twenty-six.

Yes, he did not die.

Unlike other swordsmen with the markings who died suddenly at the age of twenty-five, he unexpectedly yet unsurprisingly survived this brush with death.

The morning sun on my 26th birthday was warm and bright.

Yoriichi sat alone under a tree in the mountains, lost in thought for a long time.

Why was he the only one who survived?

Why is he the only exception?

Why is he the only one who can obtain the power of the markings without any cost?

Because Yoriichi is the son of God.

The words that Tamayo had once whispered in his ear suddenly came to mind at this moment.

Tamayo said that this was the sentence Mitsuha most often said when she mentioned him to her.

It seems that in his sister's eyes, he was born different from others, blessed by the gods, and born with a mission bestowed upon him by the gods.

He was born superior to everyone else in the world.

Therefore, he can always easily do things that others cannot.

Therefore, he could easily defeat evil spirits that others could not.

Therefore, he can easily overcome obstacles that others cannot.

Therefore, he is the true Son of God.

No matter how much Yoriichi wanted to refute this point, or how much he wanted to prove to others that he was just an ordinary person, that he didn't have any irreplaceable talents, or that he was no different from them.

But the undeniable facts repeatedly refuted him, telling him that he truly was... unlike anyone else in the world.

This truth terrified Yoriichi.

If he was truly extraordinary, he was born into this world with some kind of mission.

Doesn't that mean... Shi's death was actually... all because of him?

Shi is a very beautiful and cheerful country girl.

More than a decade ago, after Yoriichi fled the country, he ran wildly through the fields all night and eventually met Shi, who lived alone, at the foot of an unnamed mountain.

When Yoriichi first met her, all her relatives had already died from the plague. Because they felt the loneliness they shared, the two began to live together.

It was from that day on, influenced by poetry, that Yoriichi first realized the difference between himself and the world.

It turns out that normal people are not born with eyes that can see through everything, nor can they have such great strength without any training, nor can they know how to use a knife just by holding it.

At that time, however, he did not understand what all that he possessed truly meant.

For Yoriichi, this country girl was the "window" that connected him to the world.

She's the kind of girl who will hold onto him tightly, like a kite with a broken string...

Ten years passed peacefully like this.

Throughout this long and leisurely time, Yoriichi never left that deep mountain; he remained by Shi's side, living with her.

This peaceful and leisurely time made Yoriichi feel extremely satisfied.

If he could stay here forever, and live with Shi forever, until they both grow old together, surrounded by children and grandchildren, then his life would be incredibly happy and fulfilling…

Then, poetry died.

It was on the day before Shi was about to give birth, the day he went out to find a midwife.

A demon suddenly appeared in the deep mountains where no evil spirits had ever been before, and cruelly murdered Shi, who was alone at home, and her unborn child.

It wasn't until later that Yoriichi learned that the demon hadn't originally been active in that area.

The reason it appeared there that day was because it sensed the pursuit and encirclement of the ghost hunters. Under the pressure of being surrounded and blocked from behind, it panicked and fled into this deep mountain that it thought was deserted.

Then, poetry was killed by it.

Everything he longed for, hoped for, and cherished was shattered on that day.

What was Yoriichi doing at that time?

On his way to find the midwife, he happened to meet an old man.

This is an old man who, despite knowing he has a heart condition, still insists on traveling to the battlefield to rescue his severely wounded son who is about to be abandoned by the army.

The place the old man was going to required crossing three mountains, a very long journey. Even with Yoriichi's stamina, it would take him until late at night to get home on a round trip.

But his kind heart prevented him from abandoning the old man...

And so, through a series of coincidences, he missed his last chance to go back and protect the poem.

By chance...

Slowly raising his head, looking at the dazzling sun gradually rising on the horizon, Yoriichi's clear eyes were filled with confusion.

Is this really just a coincidence?

Was Shi's murder really just a series of coincidences, an unfortunate accident that happened by chance?

Really, it has absolutely nothing to do with him?

"Young man, what are you doing sitting here all by yourself?"

Just as Yoriichi was lost in confusion, an old man with a palm-leaf fan slowly walked up behind him and asked him with a smile.

The old man had a kind smile, was dressed simply, and smelled of earth and sweat; he was the kind of old man you often see in the countryside.

"I... am thinking about some things."

"Being confused about your future at such a young age is not a good habit..."

As if they were old friends, the old man walked over and sat down next to Yoriichi, smiling as he began to talk to him.

"Are the young people from outside?"

"Um, grandpa, do you live in this mountain?"

"Yes, our entire village has lived in this mountain for generations, for at least several hundred years..."

During their casual conversation, the old man took the initiative to extend an invitation to Yoriichi.

"Young man, if you really can't find a place to go, why don't you stop and rest for a while and stay in our village for a period of time?"

"Stay for a while?"

"Yes, stay for a while... Although people have always said that everyone's life is a long run."

But no one says we have to keep running forward without stopping, right?

It's nice to stop and rest occasionally like this, to appreciate the scenery around you... What do you think?

Looking into the wise and kind eyes of the old man beside him, Yoriichi fell into deep thought.

And so, on the first day of his twenty-sixth year, at the urging of an old man, he temporarily moved into that secluded little village.

"Old man, who is this child?"

“His name is Yuanyi. He is a lost stranger. We happened to have an empty bed at home, so I thought I would bring him back to stay for a while.”

"My dear husband, quickly prepare a bed for him, just use the one we always keep in the closet."

"Oh! Yoriichi looks quite tall, but he doesn't seem very muscular! If you don't mind, why don't you come and learn how to farm with me? It's good exercise!"

"Mr. Yoriichi, hello..."

"Ah! This is my sister! Isn't she beautiful? But let me make this clear first, you can't make any advances on my sister!"

"Hey! Third brother, what are you doing sneaking around like that? Are you trying to steal Brother Yuan's purse?"

"I-I didn't!"

"How many times have I told you? You can't just steal other people's things!"

A warm-hearted elderly couple, a shy little girl, two brothers chasing and playing...

Standing by the wheat field in the countryside, staring blankly at the lively family in front of him, Yoriichi's eyes suddenly welled up with tears for some reason.

This is a small village that is both tranquil and lively.

Time flows incredibly slowly here, like a paradise on earth, where everything is exactly the perfect image that Yoriichi once dreamed of...