Chapter 5, Section 5: Iwakatsu & Yoriichi
"What are you still standing there for? Hurry up and get some water!"
The boy urged me on in a clear voice. It was obvious that Tsugikuni Iwakatsu, who was wiping the sweat off his face with his sleeve and waiting to replenish his fluids, mistook me for a maid from the Tsugikuni Kingdom.
I'm really annoyed with this unfortunate kid who'll never learn to behave properly, so I want to teach him a lesson.
The moment the thought crossed my mind, a bottle of water appeared in my hand, making me think to myself, "No wonder it's a dream, it really makes my wishes come true!"
The reason why Kokushiro Iwakatsu couldn't make water appear out of thin air was probably because he hadn't realized that this was a dream world.
"The water's here!" I quickly walked up to Yan Sheng, then, pretending to be clumsy, I successfully poured a whole bottle of water over his head.
I waited patiently for this brat to lose his temper, so I would have a reason to beat him up.
To my surprise, the other person wasn't angry at all. They just wiped the water off their face, said "Be more careful next time," and went to change their clothes, which surprised me quite a bit.
I remember that Kokushibo, who was born a samurai, had a very strong sense of hierarchy. He was happy to cut off the heads of the second-ranked samurai, but he couldn't stand it and cut off an arm. Now, he's being deliberately offended by someone below him and he doesn't even say a word? Doesn't he realize that I did it on purpose?
Even if he didn't notice being splashed with water, wasn't he angry? Shouldn't he at least have been scolded a bit in this situation? How did that end there? How am I supposed to find an excuse to beat him up?
Seeing that Ji Guoyan was about to leave, I, whose entrapment attempt had failed, hurriedly followed him and said earnestly, "Are you going to wash up? Let me help you!" I'll decide how to make things difficult for him then, and I'll make sure he doesn't even have a change of clothes.
The child in the kendo uniform stopped, his innocent face furrowed as he looked at me with disapproval: "Don't say things like that again. If Father finds out, he'll have you beaten up and kicked out of the country."
He left after saying that, leaving me standing there slightly stunned. Was Ji Guoyan Sheng just trying to kindly remind me? What's going on? He's clearly a villain.
Well, someone who feels sorry for his deaf-mute younger brother and wants to help him can't really be called a bad person. Even if he was jealous of his brother later, he only felt bitter in his heart. Before becoming a demon, he really didn't do anything to target Yoriichi.
Thinking about it this way, I gave up the idea of bullying him again. Since I didn't fall into the trap, I might as well let it go. After all, I'm a mature adult, and I shouldn't argue with a child.
I sat on the veranda, idly swinging my legs, and imagining all sorts of things to test this dream world. If everything could materialize, that would be amazing; I could treat this dream like a holographic game.
That's what I hope for, but unfortunately, it's just a dream. Playing holographic games is easier in the dream than in reality. Well, even in dreams, you can't play holographic games.
Although I can conjure anything through my imagination, I can only conjure its external form; I cannot conjure its internal form.
For example, I can conjure weapons like katanas, kunai, and shuriken, and I can use them in my dreams as if they were real. However, if I conjure an explosive tag, it won't explode. Also, the various foods I conjure have no taste. Eating them is like eating air; they're just for show and are really disappointing.
What hurt me the most was that I couldn't materialize anyone in my dreams. I was so disappointed that my heart started to ache. I had hoped that I could materialize Minato's father and Kushina's mother to comfort me, but it was all for nothing.
Just as I was about to try to transform the country I was in into Konoha, Konoha ...
"Where have all my family members gone? Do you know where they went?"
Kokuichi Katsutoshi strode over, his brows furrowed, his beautiful eyes, similar to Yoriichi's, revealing a palpable anxiety; he was clearly very uneasy about this unusual situation.
This is quite normal. Everyone in the family seemed to have disappeared. Any normal child would be scared, so he did a very good job.
Although I had given up on the idea of beating him up, I still didn't have a good impression of this guy who would choose to become a ghost in the future, so I gave him a provocative smile: "I know, but I'm not telling you."
When Ji Guoyan saw my behavior, he immediately became wary. Finally realizing what was happening, he pointed at me and said, "You're not a maid in this house. Who are you?"
I grinned at him and said, "Guess!"
Ji Guoyan ignored my provocation and looked me over with extreme vigilance. Then, as if he had seen something terrifying on my face, his expression changed, and he cried out, "Your face has animal marks! You're not human!"
His words hit me like a ton of bricks. What do you mean, "not human"? Why don't you just call me a fox demon?! And what's with the "beast marks"? Those are whisker marks, okay?! Do you think I want six fox-like marks on my face?
Feeling inexplicably expelled from the human race, I immediately put my hands on my hips and yelled at him, "You're not human! Your whole family isn't human!"
After I finished cursing, I realized I'd accidentally included my friends in the insults, so I quickly corrected myself: "No! You and Lord Tsugikuni aren't human! Yoriichi and Lady Tsugikuni are both wonderful people!"
"You know Yoriichi!"
Upon hearing this name, Ji Guoyansheng's expression changed again. The slight panic he had shown earlier vanished. Indeed, lemon spirits are magical creatures; when they get sour, they forget all fear.
I tilted my head cutely, "Yes, yes, I'm friends with Yoriichi. He's living in my house now, not gone from the world as you hoped!"
Feeling that wasn't exciting enough, I deliberately scared him to vent my anger: "Yoichi will be back soon, and you'll lose your status as the heir to the country and be relegated to a tiny room of only three tatami mats. Three years later, you'll be sent to a temple. How miserable!"
As expected, Kokushiro was provoked. His face, which resembled Yoriichi's, revealed an extremely painful and suppressed hatred that was not something a child of his age should have. He was so emotionally agitated that he unconsciously gripped his collar and gasped for breath, making me suspect that he would collapse at any moment due to the overwhelming psychological pressure.
Seeing that Yan Sheng's reaction was so severe that he had hyperventilation, I felt a pang of guilt for bullying a child. After all, he's only seven years old, and I felt like I had gone too far.
"Okay, okay, I was just kidding. Yoriichi won't come back, and you won't lose your status as the heir."
Do you think saying that will make me feel better?!
Ji Guoyan glared at me fiercely, his once clear eyes now filled with bloodshot veins.
"From the time I can remember, everyone told me that I would inherit the family business. No matter how cold or hot the weather, I stood in this courtyard and kept swinging my sword. No matter how difficult and painful the training was, I had to endure it and make sure I became a powerful warrior and a qualified successor!"
The child in front of her suddenly revealed his blistered hands and cried out in despair, "I've tried so hard! Why can't I compare to Yoriichi?! Why can he so easily make everything I have vanish?! What have all my efforts meant?!"
I opened my mouth, not knowing what to say, when the dream world shattered and I woke up, but I couldn't help but recall the scene I had just witnessed.
The child, driven to despair by his younger brother's talent, clearly displayed a twisted face filled with hatred and resentment, yet seeing the tears welling in his eyes made him seem truly pitiful. He could have been a good person, but his brother's godlike talent forced him into becoming a demon.
Regardless of the reason, becoming a man-eating demon is an unforgivable crime. However, given that Kokushiro Tsugikuni is still a child and has not committed such an evil act, I have decided to be more lenient with him in the future. I always feel that my character is shattered when I make a child cry.
"Ge, you're awake?"
I heard Yoriichi's voice in my ear. I turned to look at him and saw him lying in the blanket looking at me. His round eyes looked wide awake in the dim moonlight.
"Oh, you just woke up. Why aren't you asleep?"
I asked casually, and when I saw the flute in his hand, I couldn't help but twitch the corner of my lower lip, thinking that I knew the answer.
Sure enough, Yoriichi stroked the flute and said, "I can't sleep. I miss my elder brother. I wonder how he is now?"
"Your brother must have just woken up from a dream, maybe he even cried!" I rolled over and lay down on the bedding, not wanting to sleep for the time being, in case I dreamed of seeing Yan Sheng again, it would be too embarrassing.
"My elder brother will become the most powerful samurai, and he will never cry." Yoriichi's usually indifferent voice showed a clear change when he mentioned Iwakatsu, revealing his deep brotherly affection.
He paused for a moment, then murmured with a hint of anticipation, "I wonder what kind of dream my elder brother will have? I would be happy if he could dream of me."
[If your brother dreams that you might throw up, that would be the worst nightmare for him.]
I silently complained, genuinely feeling sorry for Yoriichi, who loved his brother so much, yet even Kokushibo felt a physical aversion to him.
"Song, may I play the flute for a while? That way I'll feel like my brother is still by my side."
"No, playing the flute at night might attract ghosts."
I rejected his request outright. I didn't want to hear the sound of the flute that Yan Sheng made. It was absolutely awful, and I was also afraid that some evil spirits passing by might be attracted by the sound of the flute and come to have a midnight snack.
Feeling that my tone was too harsh, I rolled over and lay flat on the bed. I reached out my right hand and took Yoriichi's hand, saying in a coaxing tone, "It's late, go to sleep. You can play the flute again tomorrow when we go to work in the mountains, okay?"
"Mmm." Yoriichi obediently responded, carefully put away the flute, and closed his eyes, being incredibly well-behaved.
A smile appeared on my lips, and I closed my eyes while holding Yoriichi's hand, quickly drifting off to sleep.
Then I met Tsugikuni Iwakatsu again in my dream. All I want to say is to curse the entire consciousness of the Demon Slayer world.
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