Chapter 273

The Upper Three were in the Mugen Castle - right under the nose of Muzan Kibutsuji Muzan, they rolled up the Demon King's most important blue spider lily and ran away, openly betraying the Demon King.

Muzan Kibutsuji Muzan was furious.

He never dreamed that someone among the Upper Moons would dare to betray him, and that the betrayer was Inoza, a rare honest man among the Upper Moons.

The power of the blue red spider lily cut off his absolute control over the ghost, and Inoza disappeared from his perception range.

The two non-human people who were "missing" by the Demon King have already set out for the Demon Slayer Corps headquarters without leaving him any clues.

Komaji's memory was becoming increasingly loose, and for a ghost, sleep was a very rare need. So apart from rushing at night, he had plenty of time during the day to think and recall.

Little by little, he was able to remember his original appearance. Memories were like reflections in water, allowing him to see himself practicing in the dojo in the illusion.

Soryu——these two words were written behind the flying white kimono.

These two words should be left in the sun with honor and should not be tainted by blood.

Komaji didn't dare to think about whether he was still qualified to wear that outfit.

Qing's health was not good, and he even vomited blood on the way back. But in order to be able to isolate Muzan Muzan's pursuit, he had to stay awake for a long time and replenish his body with blue power at any time.

Komaji can clearly feel the transformation of his body by this power, which is completely different from the time when other ghosts came into contact with the power of the blue spider lily in the Infinite City.

This power did not harm him, and there was no sense of conflict with his body or his fighting spirit; it was warm and even gentle.

Trust——He could feel that Qing trusted him.

Qing carefully guided him, let him recall the past that he was unwilling to give up, earnestly helped him to establish a connection with this world, and earnestly stood in front of him, wanting to protect him.

How long has it been since I felt protected like this?

Komaji couldn't count them. It was just once, he felt that Qing's body was weak, maybe due to lack of nutrition, and he also suggested using his own flesh and blood, but Qing sternly refused.

Moreover, he refused with a rather unhappy look on his face.

Komaji didn't understand, he looked at his palm. He always felt that Qing was worried about something, and was watching something through him - but Qing was never willing to say it directly.

It’s hard to say…hidden?

It doesn’t matter - Komaji could sense that there was something deliberately vague in Aoki’s words, or even something that wasn’t entirely true, but none of that mattered anymore.

Qing is so sincere.

To him, Qing was the one who pulled him out of the quagmire. This person had witnessed his most vicious posture, knew his most shameful past, but was still able to be so sincere...

It must be his friend.

Komaji himself had never expected that the Demon Slayer Corps would actually let him, a former upper-rank demon, sit in front of the leader of the Demon Slayer Corps.

Different courage.

As soon as he saw Umayashiki Yoshiya for the first time, Komaharu knew that Muzan Muzan had already lost.

Even though one was the powerful King of Ten Thousand Demons and the other was just an ordinary human with a weak body and a curse, Komaji knew clearly that the one who looked stronger had lost.

The looser his memory became, the more he could remember and the more he knew. The more he realized that the word "strong" was not determined by physical strength.

In other words, it is not just determined by physical strength.

For example, I am compared to Koiyuki and Ao, and Muzan Kibutsuji Mukuro is compared to Ubuyashiki Kyouya. The latter is obviously stronger, and this strength cannot be made up for by strength.

A kind of [power] that is hard to match.

When Ubuyashiki Yoya sat calmly in front of him, and when he approached him to get the cushion, he remained calm and even stopped the pillars who wanted to take action.

This kind of mentality and this kind of will are what Muzan Muzan cannot catch up with.

After separating his own personality from the ghost's spirit, he was able to increasingly find the deepest, indelible and intense emotion in the ghost king's heart - fear - in the ghost king's blood cells.

The kind of fear that flashed through my body when I looked back and saw the swaying flower banners after being pierced through by Tanjiro Kamado's Hinuri sword.

That was not his fear, but a fear that was deep within the Ghost King's cells and could not be eliminated.

Over the past few hundred years, Komaji has killed many people. Every upper-rank demon has come this way, fighting the Demon Slayer Corps and killing the pillars of the Demon Slayer Corps. Even until now, the number of pillars killed is still a standard for measuring the strength of the upper-rank demons, in addition to the bloody battles.

However, among so many dead pillars, very few were caused by the Ghost King himself.

Even though he is extremely powerful, Muzan Muzan is still avoiding the fear in his heart - he cannot even face his own heart, as if he can only live in the shadow forever.

This is not the strength that Komaji seeks.

The strong will seek out those who are stronger than themselves, and the weak will look to those who are weaker than themselves.

Komaji looked at these bright faces and recalled the pillars who had fought with him and who would rather die than become demons.

It turns out that I was the one who lost...

Just when he was a little distracted, Qing's voice brought him back to his senses.

"Mr. Komaji, I'm counting on you."

Qingdu had already said so, and Komaji did not hide it. He actually did not pay much attention to other ghosts, but after all, they had worked together for a hundred years, and it would be a lie to say that he did not understand them.

The one who knows the most details is probably Kokushibo.

He had a bloody battle with Kokushibo. Generally speaking, a bloody battle between demons would end with the winner eating the loser, but Kokushibo let him go, saying that he was looking forward to his growth.

He knows a lot about Douma. Although there has not been a formal position-swap bloody battle, he has fought with Douma many times. There is only one reason why he doesn't have a position-swap bloody battle. He feels disgusted about eating Douma or being eaten by Douma.

Komaji was disgusted by those superficial emotions and those empty and cold eyes.

He even has some idea of ​​Muzan Muzan's abilities, which is very valuable information for the Demon Slayer Corps.

Arranged on the right side of the courtyard, Komaji looked through the window at the sunlight outside that was enough to kill him, and slowly closed his eyes.

After a long absence, he had a dream.

In his dream, he had his sick father, his bright master, a caring doctor at the foot of the mountain, an old man selling apple candies at the festival, and a litter of kittens kept next to the So-Yue Dojo.

But there is no love snow.

Time and again, there was only a blurry figure and a beautiful hairpin. Even when she turned her head back in his memory, Komaji could not see Koyuki's eyes clearly. He could only have a vague feeling... that "she was looking at him".

The recovered memory is like a hole that cannot be filled.

He couldn't even remember that gentle voice until now. It seemed as if it had flashed by at a certain moment and finally overlapped with Qing.

But they are not one person, Komaji knows that very well.

It is despicable to look for another person's shadow in an important friend. It is unfair and disrespectful to either party.

He would not make that mistake.

Important friends and people he likes - friendship and love, these are two different emotions, and he can distinguish them clearly.

But sometimes, there would be a little doubt that made him unable to help but ask.

Why, why couldn't he remember every detail of Lian Xue no matter what?

Will he, who has committed sin, never be able to see that person again?

"She doesn't want to see me anymore, right?"

Such a person who has failed his own test, has nothing in his hands and is good for nothing.

Why should I ask Lian Xue to be willing to see me again?

He murmured almost unconsciously, but Qing paused, with a stunned look on his face, as if he was considering why Komaji would say such a thing.

Immediately afterwards, Qing's expression became firmer than ever before - even more firm than when he declared his opposition to the Ghost King.

"Everyone may give up on you, and I may also--"

Is it possible? Komaji discerned the aura emanating from Ao, the kind of tenderness that never faded. If Ao had given up on him, he would not have pulled him out of the mud.

"But Miss Lian Xue won't do that. She definitely won't!"

Komaji lowered his head.

Qing's words and firm tone tore through his protective covering.

Komaji has always known that Koiyuki has a heart stronger than his.

It's not so much that Lianxue didn't want to see him, but rather that he didn't have the courage to face Lianxue and didn't have the face to see the girl he loved but missed.

However, he has already taken the first step towards the sunshine. Perhaps, one day in the future... he can make up his mind.

——Although I thought so, this reunion came more unexpectedly than I had imagined.

There was a moment when Komaji almost wanted to cry. When he couldn't make up his mind and when his mood was wavering, just like every time in the past, it was the most important person who helped him point the way.

Because of forcibly swallowing Douma, Ao fell into a coma, and his breathing was so weak that even Komaji's level of perception could not feel it, which made him fall into a deep panic.

Was it like this again, once again right in front of him, within his reach?

Is he unable to protect the people who matter to him?

Is this what will happen if I get involved with him?

Komaji picked up Qing's body. Qing curled up with his hands and feet trembling. His horribly pale face and tightly closed eyes made him feel as if he had returned to that dark afternoon.

The person lying on the straw mat waiting to be buried in the ground, and the dizziness and blacking out feeling in the sunlight.

No, don't do that again.

As a ghost, his tear glands, which had not appeared for three hundred years, began to swell, and raindrops fell on Qing's face.

Suddenly, Qingming opened his eyes.

It was still those blue eyes without any haze, but... this time there was something more.

As if to echo his identity, a beautiful little flower bloomed in the center of his eyes.

Qing grabbed his hand, and the sound was as if it was rubbed by gravel, "Sun Blade, I need the power of the sun, light--"

If there is no time to wait for the sun to rise, then use the heat of the Sun Blade to replace the power of the sun.

Komaji was speechless and his lips were trembling.

This is Ao's face, Ao's body, Ao's voice. There are no extra words, no more texts - but Komaji is so sure of it.

This time, it’s Love Snow.

She came toward him.

Once again.