Chapter 60 "Brother?"
Ah Zhi lived a very peaceful life for a while.
She didn't go to see Yoriichi Tsugikuni, partly because she didn't know him and it seemed like there wouldn't be much to say, and partly because 000 didn't really recommend that she go.
However, it didn't say it explicitly; it was Azhi who guessed it.
When the black-haired swordsman and the flesh-haired swordsman came to see her again at the same time, Azhi learned that they had held another "pillar meeting".
They don't often discuss official matters with Aori; this time they came to convey Yoriichi Tsugikuni's final request.
Whether or not to meet is a matter of Aori's personal decision, and everyone else should respect that and has no reason to interfere, although Sabito and Giyu Tomioka secretly don't want the girl to meet them.
She's doing very well now, spending time with girls around her age, researching food in her free time, or tending to flowers and plants. That's good for her.
At that moment, the swordsmen stared intently at her, waiting for her answer. 000's behavior was also strange. It said that she should choose for herself, but Azhi could actually sense its hidden irritability.
Azhi was someone who disliked causing trouble; she hated anything complicated, so she refused outright.
The swordsmen visibly breathed a sigh of relief.
Sabito will be going on a mission to another region, while Giyu Tomioka will be heading to the swordsmith village to retrieve the Nichirin Blade that was reforged for him.
The original sword was completely broken when he encountered Kokushibo, and he had been using a spare sword since then. He returned just in time to see the new sword being forged.
Then, under the azure sky, the black-haired swordsman asked her earnestly, "Would you like to come with me?"
Azhi: "?"
She slowly typed a question mark, completely bewildered, and even wanted to reach out and touch Yoshiyuki Tomioka's forehead to see if he was delirious from a fever.
Azhi has always had a clear sense of self-worth and never has too many expectations of herself. She was puzzled and thought the black-haired swordsman was joking: "You're going to do something important. Wouldn't it be a mess if I went with you?"
Compared to that, it's actually quite funny that Giyuu can even make jokes.
Giyu Tomioka: "Haven't you been sleeping well these past few days?"
He noticed the faint blue marks under A-Zhi's eyes, so light that they were almost invisible without close observation. This made him realize that the girl had some issues with adapting to her environment.
We've been really busy lately. Since the meeting, the Demon Slayer Corps' work has undergone some adjustments. Although the general direction hasn't changed, it's still been more demanding overall.
After all, they are preparing for the final battle.
A-Zhi has been having trouble sleeping lately, but the main reason is not what the black-haired swordsman thought.
As we all know, she used to live a life with her days and nights reversed, and now that she has suddenly returned to a normal routine, it is inevitable that she will need some time to adjust to the time difference.
However, this doesn't connect with what the black-haired swordsman said. Azhi tilted her head and stared at him, confused.
Yoshiyuki Tomioka added, "There is a hot spring there with many benefits, including treating insomnia."
Taking A-Zhi along is not a problem; we just need to report to the lord and get permission.
So Aori went with Giyu Tomioka.
Like the Lord's mansion, the swordsmith village was also well hidden. Azhi was blindfolded, and when she regained her sight, she saw a village built against the mountain with a unique style.
To be honest, even if Azhi's eyes weren't covered and she was made to stare at the road the whole time, she still wouldn't remember the route.
********
After a warm dinner, Yoshiyuki Tomioka was invited to the swordsmith who forged his sword to make final adjustments to it.
Unlike ordinary members, the Pillars of the Demon Slayer Corps have very different personalities and fighting styles, so the swords they forge must be made with utmost care.
Azhi has a small appetite and had finished eating long ago. She looked at Tomioka Yoshiyuki and, sure enough, found a few grains of rice stuck to his expressionless cheek.
This seemingly aloof swordsman has surprisingly... very... eating habits.
In short, when Azhi first saw him, she almost thought he was possessed. But after seeing him many times, she gradually got used to it.
A smile played on her lips as she rested her chin on her hand, handed a handkerchief to Yoshiyuki Tomioka, and pointed to the rice grains, thus preventing more people from shattering their positive perception of him.
********
Giyu Tomioka had already made arrangements. After he left, Aori finished her meal and was taken to the hot spring.
This hot spring is really big. It looks like it was formed naturally. Its shape is very irregular, like a twisted "8". The two pools are connected by a channel that is neither too wide nor too narrow, so they are not completely separated.
The hot spring is surrounded by large rocks, and you can't see the scene in the water unless you get close. Presumably for convenience and safety, the surface of the rocks has been modified into an arc shape.
Azhi, carrying a change of bathrobe, slowly walked to the shore.
The hot spring water rippled outwards, splashing against the stone wall and making quite a noise. A hazy white mist hung above, making it easy to see that the water temperature was not low.
Under the cover of this environment, Azhi didn't even realize that someone was already soaking in the hot spring.
Completely unaware, she tried to move the water with her hand, found it just right, and quickly took off her outer clothes and immersed herself in the water.
Azhi Zhe put the towel on her head, squinted her eyes, and felt so comfortable that she wanted to hum. No wonder the young lady who led the way recommended it so highly; it really could soothe the mind and body.
A gentle reminder: [Don't fall asleep!]
Falling asleep in a hot spring is extremely dangerous. Tomioka Giyu had warned about this before, so 000 didn't say anything, but after thinking about it, it decided to emphasize it again.
Azhi pouted: [I know, am I really that stupid!]
They all think she's too naive!
Frustrated, she fiddled with the stones and slowly moved along the stone wall, wanting to find out where the still bubbling hot spring source was since she was going to soak for a while longer.
Of course, she doesn't yet know how much she will regret making this decision later.
The bottom of the hot spring was leveled, and she arrived at the passage connecting the two sides without much effort. She held onto the stone wall and was about to pass through when she saw another person in the hot spring.
Although Aori had only met him once, Yoriichi Tsugikuni's face was by no means unfamiliar.
He was leaning against the edge of the hot spring, sitting casually with his long legs loosely bent. His bare, muscular upper body had smooth muscles and beautiful lines.
His long, dark red hair, half-wet, was partially floating in the water and partially clinging to his honey-colored chest.
He looked over, and with just a slight movement, the water droplets that had settled on his skin rolled down his slender V-line and finally merged into the shimmering hot spring water.
For a moment, Ah Zhi's mind went blank, and she froze on the spot, completely dumbfounded.
000 also crashed.
Ji Guoyuan was born with the ability to open the "Transparent World," which allows him to easily conceal his presence at any time.
In the last mission, if he hadn't been identified as the "mission target" and the system hadn't automatically locked the mission target, 000 might not have been able to track him down.
However, Yoriichi Tsugikuni has now been "demoted" and is no longer a target of missions.
000: […………]
It's confirmed, this person is the biggest cheater!
********
At first, Yoriichi Tsugikuni was resting with his eyes closed. He was in a secluded corner, and after noticing someone approaching, he didn't intend to open his eyes to see who it was.
However, he soon changed his mind.
Perhaps because she had climbed the steps, the girl was panting slightly, her steps were unsteady, and she mumbled something in a familiar voice.
But what Yoriichi found even more familiar was the girl's soft "eh" sound as she touched the water's surface.
—It's A-Zhi.
He immediately opened his eyes.
The reality was also quite ingenious. Yoriichi Tsugikuni was sitting behind a large rock, in a position that allowed him to see the girl perfectly, while the girl, due to her limited field of vision, was unable to notice his presence.
She wore a light and comfortable yukata, her long, black hair flowing smoothly down her back, and her fair skin almost blended into the light-colored clothes, making it impossible to tell which was more perfect.
Immediately afterwards, she placed the clothes she was carrying on the shore, and put her fingertips to her chest, indicating that she was about to untie them.
Yoriichi Tsugikuni abruptly looked away. He pursed his lips, looking slightly embarrassed, and his prominent Adam's apple bobbed up and down unnoticed. Amid the soft sounds of his clothes rubbing against his skin, his ears grew increasingly hot.
He waited until the hot spring water made a soft "plop" sound, and then, after a while, he casually looked back over.
Then, the girl's delicate collarbone and rounded shoulders, which were above the water, were clearly reflected in Yoriichi's eyes.
This sounds like something being spied on in the dark.
Yoriichi Tadakuni's thoughts were very pure; he wanted to get close to Ori and appear in front of her. However, what prevented him from taking action was the girl's rejection not long ago.
Yoriichi learned from the then-lord that Ori refused to meet him, a situation he had never anticipated. Bewildered, he didn't know what to do and could only recuperate at the Butterfly Mansion while waiting.
The only thing he could think of was that the girl was angry, angry about something that happened three hundred years ago. This troubled Yoriichi greatly, and he couldn't come up with a suitable solution.
Unexpectedly, while he dared not approach Azhi, the girl walked towards him on her own initiative.
Yoriichi's heart pounded, and he felt more excited than he had in days. He involuntarily leaned forward a little, and a barely perceptible smile appeared on his lips.
The next second, he was doused with a bucket of cold water.
Azhi had never regretted anything so much; she even wanted to hit the version of herself who had been so enthusiastic just moments before.
She immediately pulled back her foot, instinctively wrapping her arms around herself. The spring water splashed as her arms moved, and she realized what was happening and sank down, leaving only her small head above water.
Belatedly realizing what was happening, Azhi's face turned bright red.
She didn't know there were already people there, and the young lady who led her there hadn't told her beforehand, but Azhi couldn't blame anyone for her current embarrassment.
Because this hot spring didn't look like a place for one person to soak, and besides, the two of them weren't even in the same pool at first; she had been the one who clumsily disturbed others.
Azhi desperately wanted to run away, but the tragic truth was that she was only wearing a bath towel, and any big movement would be dangerous and extremely inconvenient.
She lowered her eyes, not daring to look at Yoriichi Tsugikuni, who was almost right in front of her. Her eyelashes trembled, and she moved her lips, her voice so low it was almost inaudible: "I'm sorry, I didn't know..."
Azhi was about to cry: [What should I do?]
000 was also dumbfounded: [...]
It's hard to comment on the current situation; whether it happened sooner or later, the odds are incredibly low.
The girl looked flustered, as if she couldn't breathe properly. Her small body trembled slightly, and she almost slipped into the hot spring water.
Her eyes were red, as if she had applied rouge, and her eyes seemed to be filled with water, shimmering with a wet light, making her look both innocent and pitiful.
Yoriichi Tsugikuni saw all of this clearly.
He tried to help the girl up, but as soon as he raised his arm, it stiffened and fell back down.
Therefore, he suddenly realized that the Azhi in front of him was not quite the same as the Azhi in his memory. Similarly, he did not have any doubts about the girl's identity.
He just backed away helplessly, his brows furrowed in genuine confusion: "Don't you remember me?"
He repeated himself, his deep voice filled with dejection, "A-Zhi, don't you remember me?"
During the time he was recovering his strength, Yoriichi would sometimes stare blankly at his hands, and whenever he thought about it, it seemed as if the feeling of embracing the girl was still preserved there.
It's so good to see her when I wake up, and it would be even better if she could calm down.
Like a large animal that had suffered a severe blow, the red-haired swordsman stood there alone, head bowed, half his face submerged in darkness, exuding a sense of grievance.
As if struck by a sudden attack, his entire aura underwent a dramatic transformation. He strode forward at a speed that A-Zhi couldn't avoid, and grabbed her.
A-Zhi didn't even see his movements clearly.
With a "whoosh," she was pulled out of the water, and Yoriichi Tsugikuni then pulled her backward at high speed.
This sudden scene left Azhi flustered and frightened. She was naked, and her exposed body trembled timidly, yet she was powerless to resist the red-haired swordsman's actions.
In the end, all I could do was close my eyes, tears streaming down my face, and a soft sob escaped my pink lips.
The next second, Yoriichi Tsugikuni grabbed his yukata from the shore, and without looking to the side, wrapped it around the girl's body, which was still soaking wet.
The finely made yukata immediately absorbed water and clung tightly to Aori's body, but the parts that weren't covered continued to drip water, all of which flowed onto Yoriichi Tsugikuni's body.
He ignored her, his taut hands firmly sinking into the girl's waist and the back of her legs, his brows furrowed as he stared straight in one direction.
Before long, the tall figure gradually emerged from the darkness, like a ferocious beast passing through, leaving a violent impact wherever it went.
Until the cold moonlight illuminated the hard, cold lines of Kokushibo's face, revealing his face filled with a sinister, ghostly aura.
Yoriichi Tsugikuni's pupils trembled slightly: "Brother?"
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Author's Note: I can't finish writing this, I simply can't finish it (crying). Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants between 09:51:22 and 15:18:27 on June 28, 2023!
Thank you to the little angel who launched the rocket: 1 like from an old friend;
Thank you to the little angels who threw the landmines: seven and a half and one.
Thank you to the little angels who watered the nutrient solution: 7 and a half bottles;
Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!
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