Is it the rabbit...?
No, it definitely wasn't the rabbit. Was it the vampire magic?
Tomioka Giyu's movements paused slightly. He had just chopped off the demon's neck with one blow. When he was about to put away his sword, he heard a sound of breaking air above him, so he subconsciously raised his sword and swung it, but suddenly he collided with another Sun Blade, and the strength of the two swords was evenly matched.
It's an illusion. Tomioka Giyuu thought calmly, trying to avoid the face covered by the fox mask. He took this second to recall that the information he received earlier did not indicate that there were two ghosts who did not know each other.
"Are you new here?" His tone was calm and unmoved, as if the boy in front of him was not the only one who died in the final selection of Fujiwarayama. Only he knew how difficult it was to control his hands and hold the Nichirin Sword tightly.
Although anger was growing in his heart, there was still no expression on his face.
The blade was instantly entangled in water due to the breathing method, and the first form of water breathing made a flat cut. In a short time, Toioka Giyu had the upper hand in strength and repelled Santo.
The rabbit fell to the ground and quickly took a few steps back to steady itself.
The person standing opposite was wearing a yellow, orange and green turtle-shell feather gown. The fox mask he was wearing was pulled to the side of his cheeks, revealing his lower face. His eyes were drooping and his expression was serious.
The blade of the Nichirin Sword turned, and the sharp blade chopped straight towards Tomioka Giyuu who was right in front of him. As his move was blocked, Santoshi immediately raised his leg and kicked him in the knee. The latter was caught off guard and was nearly tripped.
The two fought all the way to the back, and in the end, they even put away their Sun Blades and switched to bare hands, which looked even more brutal from a visual perspective.
Tomioka Giyuu, who was 10% inferior in physical skills, was pinned down by Santo. Santo raised his elbow fiercely and dropped it sharply, intending to hit Tomioka Giyuu's neck. However, Santo realized belatedly that the man he had knocked down had body temperature, and his heart was still beating regularly under his palm before it stopped.
...living people?
Xuantu was stunned.
While he was lost in thought, Tomioka Giyuu vaguely tasted a hint of blood in his mouth. His cheeks were probably a little swollen at the moment, and he felt a dull pain from the places where he was hit.
Assessing the general extent of his injuries, Toioka Giyuu didn't care about such minor injuries. He held the Nichirin Sword tightly with his uncontrolled hand, and the tip of the blade lightly brushed the side of Sanusu's neck and stopped. A drop of bright red blood fell on his cheek, still with a little residual temperature.
Tomioka Giyu was also stunned.
The two looked at each other, wondering if they had been careless and fallen into some mysterious illusion. Otherwise, how could a person who had been dead for many years appear before their eyes again?
"quack--"
The crow flew over the two of them, flapping its wings. At the same time, they both raised their heads to look at the crow. As they watched, the crow floated down to the top of the rabbit's head, and the weight of the crow made him lower his head subconsciously.
"…Saito?" Tomioka Giyuu's eyes were filled with confusion. He began to wonder if he should go to the Butterfly House and ask Shinobu Kocho to prescribe some medication. Otherwise, how could he have such a hallucination? Was it because he missed her too much?
Xuantu blinked and didn't respond, but he didn't let his guard down. Even if the touch of his hands seemed real and vivid at this moment, it was a complete illusion in his eyes.
But the 鎹鴻 was really too heavy. Xuantu thought, he looked very thin, and even made people wonder if he was malnourished. It was only when he actually fell on his head that he felt the weight under his thin appearance - just like Toioka Giyuu himself, of course, not talking about his weight.
Tomioka Giyuu was completely unaware, and he asked Santo sincerely, "Didn't Sister Tsuta come with us?"
Xuantu: “…………” This tone really makes people want to hit someone. It’s really too much to hallucinate to this extent.
We won't go into how long it took the two of them to finally confirm that the other was a real person, not a demon disguised by blood demon art, nor an illusion that could disappear at any time - although Toioka Giyuu still got beaten up in the end.
He covered his swollen cheek, and it hurt when his lips and teeth opened and closed.
The chain crow flew ahead to show the way. Both of them were not fast enough and soon arrived at the Butterfly House.
Tomiokana Giyuu followed closely behind Santu, his eyes occasionally falling on the wound on Santu's neck that was simply wiped clean of dried blood, with a hint of guilt in his eyes.
"You." Santu walked in front, but finally stopped and turned around, "Since you are already a pillar, you should take responsibility like a man!"
"I'm not a Pillar." Tomioka Giyuu spoke each word with a serious tone, as if he was making an oath that could not be taken lightly.
Xuantu: “…” A vein on his forehead jumped.
"Mr. Tomioka, are you dissatisfied with the appointment of the Pillar?" Shinobu Kocho appeared from the corner behind him with a gentle smile on her lips, but it alerted Tomioka Giyu's dull intuition.
He opened his mouth, but the wound on his face was pulled, and he closed his mouth in silence and stopped talking.
"Excuse me for disturbing you." Santu said to Shinobu Kocho.
"A pillar from another world?" Shinobu Kocho handed over a roll of gauze. Normally, she would have ignored such words as a joke. But Santu was not afraid of the sun, and his body temperature was within the normal range. He was definitely not a ghost in disguise.
The pillars who joined the Demon Slayer Corps earlier than Toioka Giyuu had heard about the Fujisoyama selection that he participated in, and others could also inadvertently learn some true or false stories. The only thing that can be confirmed is that the final selection had the most survivors, but it is better to say that most of those people survived because they were "protected".
The only sacrifice was Xuantu, who was sitting quietly on the bed treating the wound on his neck.
And the bifurcation point between the two worlds emerges.
In Santo's memory, during the final selection, he was indeed exhausted at the end, but before facing the Hand Demon, his Nichirin Sword broke. The swordsman he saved handed him a brand new and undamaged Nichirin Sword, allowing him to successfully kill the Hand Demon.
After the hand ghost disappeared, Santo searched for a long time in Fujisou Mountain but could not find Tomioka Giyu. Until finally, he found Tomioka Giyu's Nichirin Sword in a corner, the blade was broken into three pieces, and there were bloodstains beside it.
——'Why did you leave the helpless volunteer?'
Recalling the scene at that time, Santo questioned himself more than once. Even though he asked the other rescued swordsmen to help take care of the semi-conscious Tomioka Giyuu, accidents always come unexpectedly.
After watching the two boys walk to Fujisugami Mountain together, Rinjo Sakonji waited on Samagiri Mountain for them to return safely. However, what he waited for was not the two intact children, but only Santo brought Tomioka Giyu's broken and bloody Nichirin Sword back to Samagiri Mountain alive after the final selection.
After learning what happened from Santo, Rinta Sakonji remained silent for a long time, but he did not blame Santo. He reached out and hugged the extremely guilty boy. After a while, Santo, who was always strong, suppressed his tears in his embrace, and his tears stained Rinta Sakonji's clothes.
In this kind of situation, even if we say someone is wrong, we cannot find out who is at fault.
Those who are still alive will suffer the most.
Because of this, Santu was as silent as Tomioka Giyuu for a while and spoke very little. It was not until he recovered from this experience and accepted the fact that it existed there like a nightmare that he returned to his original personality.
The fragment of the Sun Blade that belonged to Tomioka Giyuu was always carried with him, as if the two of them had agreed to slay demons together and shoulder the responsibilities represented by the Pillars together.
"Satsuki... is the Water Pillar." Tomioka Giyuu repeated Satsuki's words in a low voice, earning a helpless look from the latter.
Tomiokawa Giyuu has his own way of thinking, and what he says is often very different from what he really means. If fighting within the team was not prohibited, the hot-tempered Fuzuigawa Saneya would probably be the first one to rush over with a sword.
For example, leaving the meeting early, saying "I am different from you", which is a very hate-inducing sentence, and the retort of Nada Spider Yamanaka to Kocho Shinobu "I am not hated".
As Santo listened to Giyuu's story, he held his forehead with a headache. When they first met, Tomioka Giyuu was far from being like this now. He spoke so briefly and crisply that the meaning of his words changed.
When he was little, Giyuu was still quite cute. After comparing them, Santu came to this conclusion. At that time, Giyuu would not have a blank expression all day long. He would smile when he should be happy, and would also have a sad expression when he was unhappy.
Although Santo doesn't know what the future of Toioka Giyuu in his own world will be like, if it is like this now, it will probably not be a headache for just one or two days.
It's just a pity that no matter how hard you try to imagine, there will be no 'Tomioka Giyuu' in that world.
Xuantu's thoughts flew far away, and the sounds in his ears seemed to gradually fade away.
"Will there be a world where both of them survived the final selection?"
"Shan Rabbit."
"Um?"
"Shan Rabbit."
"…Giyuu, please speak properly."
“…………”
The above conversation happens almost every day, especially at night, because the two people live in different rooms and have to go their separate ways. Whenever this happens, Tomioka Giyuu will call out Santo's name, and won't say anything else. After calling, he will quietly stare at Santo, as if he is afraid that he will run away or disappear.
After thinking about it, Santu realized that the scene of him leaving was no different from disappearing from the spot.
If I keep thinking like this, I'll be like a scumbag who cheats on others' feelings. Xuantu huddled in the quilt and sighed.
When he opened the door early in the morning, someone knocked twice politely. Santu, who had gotten up early and packed up, stopped wiping the knife, got up and opened the door. Sure enough, it was Tomioka Giyuu outside.
He didn't bring the Nichirin sword today, but held the Hagi mochi in his hand. Santu could see a trace of grievance in his eyes.
"The Immortal River was confiscated." He opened his mouth, and the grievance in his heart seemed to solidify into substance, radiating from the inside out. The other swordsmen passing by couldn't help but be attracted by the rare scene here.
Facing Tomiokana Giyu's gaze, Santu slowly reached out to the neatly placed Hagi mochi in front of him, pinched one and bit off most of it. The sweetness almost made him physically uncomfortable.
"I followed Santo's advice." Tomioka Giyuu said seriously, "but I was escorted out of the house by Busui River along with Hagimochi."
"What did I say yesterday?" Santu chewed slowly and finally swallowed half of the cake.
I remember.
He asked Yiyong to please him yesterday.
Santu was silent. This incident made him feel that the adjective for Tomioka Giyuu would be more accurately described as 'rush' or 'throw'.
The author has something to say: You are worthy of being me, Giyu Tomioka.
Feng Ge's mentality is probably: Danger Tomioka Giyuu is in danger
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It is a different world from the previous Demon Slayer, don't confuse them.
The big brother of this world has not died! (Very loud)
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The next world is a cooperative mode, and it may be written from a dual perspective (online spoilers.jpg)