Chapter 51: The Tsugikuni brothers, seemingly engaging in mutual NTR (Netorare, a form of sexual assault), in front of Iwakatsu...
Emerging from the time tunnel, we landed in a small alley, the very spot where Yoriichi and I landed when we entered Bungo Stray Dogs.
As I was still gazing nostalgically at the alley, Yan Sheng suddenly said in an extremely cold yet expectant voice, "Is Yoriichi here?"
"Yes, the World Stone that Yoriichi kept on his person for me was accidentally stained with your blood, and I was then transported back to the world I've lived in since I was a child."
After speaking to Iwakatsu, I explained to Muichiro, who had suddenly shifted to a different world and gripped his Nichirin Blade tightly.
"Don't be nervous, this is another world. We'll return to the Infinity Castle once we find Yoriichi, so we won't delay in slaying the Demon King. The swordsman who uses the Initial Breathing: Sun Breathing is Iwakatsu's younger brother and also your uncle. He's a very good person, and you'll like him."
When Muichiro learned that he was about to meet the legendary swordsman, his eyes lit up, and he looked quite excited.
Seeing how much his son was looking forward to meeting Yoriichi, Iwakatsu snorted coldly, clearly displeased.
I couldn't stand Iwakatsu's constant jealousy, so I puffed out my cheeks and said, "What are you jealous about now? You're obviously looking forward to seeing Yoriichi too!"
Yan Sheng paused for a moment, then strode off toward the street outside the alley, seemingly not intending to continue the conversation with me.
I suddenly remembered and quickly chased after him, saying, "No! You can't go out like this! Use mimicry, otherwise you'll scare people."
The air seemed to freeze for a moment. Yan Sheng, who had been walking on tiptoe, unconsciously clenched his fist at his side. It seemed that he was very concerned about his six-eyed face after his demon transformation!
"There's no need; it's just self-deception."
He spoke in a cold, emotionless voice, and then continued walking forward, making me realize that I had probably inadvertently touched a nerve with him.
No matter what, I absolutely cannot let Iwakatsu go out like this; he'll definitely be on the Yokohama News. So I quickly grabbed his arm and said, "No! You're not allowed to go out without mimicking! I don't care what you look like, but others can't!"
Yan Sheng stopped again, his six eyes looking at me with a hint of expectation as he asked, "You really don't care?"
"Of course, no matter what Yan Sheng becomes, he's still you. Why should you care?"
I can say this without a doubt: Sasuke also becomes less human when he uses the Heaven's Seal, but my brother didn't seem to mind! As someone who aspires to be like my brother, I naturally wouldn't dislike Kokushibo either.
Seeing that Yan Sheng's lips were slightly upturned and he seemed to be in a good mood, I pressed on and said, "Just use the mimicry. It's not for me to see, it's for others to see. That way it will be easier for you to find Yoriichi, and you won't be surrounded by onlookers."
I turned my head and explained with a smile, "Iwakatsu and Yoriichi are twin brothers, so they look very alike!"
After saying that, I used my mimicry to transform back into my human appearance, and then I walked out of the alley and onto the brightly lit, bustling street.
Iwakatsu and Muichiro followed. Iwakatsu was fine; he had seen this scene in his dreams as a child and wasn't surprised by the bustling sight outside. Muichiro, on the other hand, although he lived in the electrified Taisho era, couldn't compare to modern society. He stared wide-eyed at the world with curiosity, looking around—it was really adorable.
Actually, I feel fortunate for Muichiro in this state. After losing his memory, the original Muichiro seemed to have lost all his human emotions as well, just like Yoriichi back then, who became taciturn and showed signs of autism.
Fortunately, with the help of Tanjiro Kamado, he regained his memories, even those from a parallel world. This changed Muichiro's personality, making him more optimistic and cheerful, like a real child. That's wonderful.
I was still smiling at him when Muichiro looked at me with clear eyes and asked, "Where are we going to find that Sun Breathing swordsman?"
When I heard him ask that, I told him my plan directly, "No need to go looking for him, just call Yoriichi and arrange a meeting place."
Although I miss Mr. Fukuzawa very much, I don't want to see him right now. How can I, now a demon, have the face to see him? It's not too late to see him after I turn back into a human.
So I only plan to contact Yoriichi first, and I will not see the other people in the Bungo Stray Dogs world for the time being.
Our attire seemed to have attracted a lot of stares from passersby, so we'd better find someone to borrow a phone and leave.
The thought had barely crossed my mind when I happened to see Ryunosuke Akutagawa passing by not far away. I immediately ran over excitedly and said, "Akutagawa-kun! Can I borrow your phone? I need it urgently!"
"Young Miss?!" Ryunosuke Akutagawa was slightly surprised to see me here, and then obediently took out his phone and handed it over.
I happily accepted it with a smile. Although others might see him as a rabid dog, to me he's just a domestic dog! He's so obedient.
"Who is this?" Iwakatsu walked over and asked in a deep voice, which immediately made Akutagawa Ryunosuke's expression change in a second. He shouted "Tsugikuni Yoriichi" and used Rashomon to attack him frantically. It seems that Yoriichi, who is in the Armed Detective Agency, has given this Port Mafia guerrilla captain a lot of trouble.
Just as I was about to tell Akutagawa to stop, Iwakatsu had already dodged Rashomon's attack and cut off one of his arms with his sword. I regretted asking this stubborn kid to borrow my phone. Wasn't I just asking for trouble?
Because of this sudden battle, everyone on this street had fled, and there wasn't a single person left to watch. It's no wonder that Yokohama is known for its simple and honest people; the residents here must have long since developed a knack for seeking advantage and avoiding harm.
"Stop it! Stop fighting!" I shouted, bringing the inexplicable battle to a halt. I then picked up Ryunosuke Akutagawa's severed arm and reattached it, saying as I treated him, "You've mistaken him for someone else! He's not Yoriichi. Can you please stop being so impulsive and forcing things every time?! You're just causing trouble for others!"
If it were anyone else who dared to speak to Ryunosuke Akutagawa like that, they would probably have been riddled with holes by Rashomon. However, as the daughter of the Port Mafia and Mori Ougai's acknowledged daughter, he naturally wouldn't dare to be disrespectful to me. He just glared at Iwakatsu with murderous intent, and Rashomon was stirring again.
"Don't cause me any more trouble! Otherwise, I'll take a picture of you looking so useless and show it to Mr. Dazai!"
I slapped Akutagawa on the head with a chop to threaten him, which immediately made the mad dog behave. As expected, Dazai's name is more effective than anything else!
Then I looked at Yan Sheng next to me and said angrily, "Can you please stop cutting off people's arms without warning in the future? Cleaning up his messes is such a hassle."
"He's too weak," Yan Sheng said coldly, his words instantly mocking the two men present.
"How can Muichiro bear to hear you say that? You can't be arrogant and look down on the weak just because you're strong. Yoriichi would never do that."
Because of my offhand remark comparing him to Yoriichi, Kokushibo released a terrifyingly sharp pressure, causing Muichiro to instinctively draw his Nichirin Blade and point it at him, while Akutagawa's Rashomon transformed into a giant beast that seemed to be bristling with fur...
As expected of Upper Moon One, his angry appearance was truly awe-inspiring, instantly making Muichiro and Akutagawa feel a strong threat and pressure, prompting them to instinctively take precautions.
Of course, I'm not afraid of Iwakatsu at all, because we know each other too well.
He was like this when he was a child. Every time I accidentally put the two brothers together for comparison, Iwakatsu would get angry and look like he could no longer be friends. At that time, I even thought his angry look was quite cute. But now, when he gets angry, he turns into this villainous demon king style? Seriously, more than four hundred years have passed, and he's still as jealous of Yoriichi as ever!
"That's enough! Can you stop acting like you've eaten a ton of lemons every time Yoriichi is mentioned?" I punched Iwakatsu on the shoulder, extremely serious, and said to him, "Yoriichi has many good points, but you have plenty too! Why is your gaze always fixed on Yoriichi, completely blind to your own brilliance?!"
The terrifying aura that seemed capable of tearing everything apart emanated from Yan Sheng. He gazed at me and said in a low voice, "Yoichi is a person as blazing and dazzling as the sun. His existence is enough to overshadow the light of everyone around him. Can you really see my light?"
"Of course I can see it! Iwakatsu's hard work is the most dazzling! Do you know how shocked I was when I saw you wielding your sword with your hands covered in blood? You were so cool at that moment! So the result doesn't matter at all! What matters is the process! Surpassing yourself in the process is the greatest victory!"
I gave him a thumbs up and a big smile, while Yan Sheng looked bewildered, clearly showing that my verbal sparring had a great impact on him.
The surroundings were quiet for a moment, until the sound of footsteps broke the silence.
Seeing that familiar, dignified, and noble figure, I couldn't help but wave and call out joyfully, "Yoriichi!"
In that instant, all of Yan Sheng's confusion vanished.
He shed his disguise, revealing his true six-eyed appearance. Not only was his hand already gripping the hilt of his sword, but his cold voice was also filled with nostalgia and killing intent. "Long time no see, Yoriichi."
Realizing something was wrong, I quickly used Shadow Clone Technique to have my shadow clone take Akutagawa Ryunosuke aside to treat him. Then I grabbed Iwakatsu's hand that was gripping the hilt of his sword and said, "You haven't seen Yoriichi for hundreds of years. Why are you trying to fight right away? If you want to spar, wait until we kill the Demon King. Not now. I still have something to say to Yoriichi!"
Although he was still filled with killing intent, Yan Sheng slowly loosened his grip on the hilt of his sword. At this moment, Yoriichi had also approached. His temperament was as calm and serene as ever, but with a touch of sadness in it.
As a demon, I am very sensitive to human emotions. Although Yoriichi seemed very calm, I immediately felt the heavy pain deep in his heart that was so intense it was hard to breathe, as if his heart had been broken. I clutched my aching chest and suddenly felt like crying.
Yoriichi was able to kill Muzan because Iwakatsu and I failed, which made him bear the blame for the failure. This also meant he had to bear the responsibility for all the countless lives that would be lost because of demons. He must have been suffering mental anguish and torment during this time, which is why he was in so much pain.
Unable to control myself, I threw myself into Yoriichi's arms like a moth to a flame, holding him tightly and crying as I said, "Don't blame yourself! It's not your fault! Yoriichi wasn't born into this world to kill the Demon King, but to pass on the Breathing Technique to future generations and entrust them to slay that man. I was too obsessed!"
"Song, don't cry." Yoriichi gently hugged me, showing no wariness even though I was a ghost at that moment.
A sharp gust of wind suddenly swept past, leaving a deep crack in the ground, followed by Iwakatsu's furious voice, "Yoriichi! Let go of the song!"
“Brother, Kaguya is not your wife, nor will she choose you. Please give up.” Yoriichi said calmly, holding me, which only fueled Iwakatsu’s anger. He coldly replied, “What makes you think that?”
“This is what Mr. Dazai said: if Uta jumps into my arms in front of you, then what you said before was a lie. He also said that the reason why Uta didn’t choose her brother was because he was destined to abandon his wife and children, so no matter how much Uta likes you, she will not marry you.”
Yoriichi's words completely baffled me. What's with that black mud spirit? It's one thing to have Bungo Stray Dogs scripts, but why is it even messing with Demon Slayer scripts? Its intelligence is practically a bug!
Author's Note: Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants with nutrient solution between 20:02:44 on March 2, 2021 and 14:23:03 on March 3, 2021!
Thank you to the little angels who irrigated with nutrient solution: Izumi no Kami Kanesada (6 bottles); and Miyu Hatsumu (5 bottles);
Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
