Chapter 33

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Genius, Mortal

A comparison akin to a dimensional strike dragged Iwashiro into the abyss.

Hatred, disgust, fear—

Even though they both stood at the pinnacle, the fire of jealousy burned and consumed him.

Yet Yoriichi knew nothing of this; he was so kind that he was content to accept such a displaced 'sacrifice.'

As the 'child of taboo,' his mother and brother were the bridges connecting him to love.

The family's confinement kept him from the corrupted world and allowed this genius's heart to remain pure and calm.

The moment he stepped out of the house, there was no fear or panic in Yoriichi's heart.

Under the night sky, he wandered alone.

The stars were scattered, the world was brilliant.

Yoriichi's speed grew faster and faster, faster and faster, as he sprinted beneath this boundless starry sky—

The natural wind, the path ahead, and a heart no longer restrained!

That brilliant 'divinity' merged with nature, and his pitch-black eyes grew brighter and brighter, glowing with radiance!

He was like a kite no longer held in his mother's hand, soaring joyfully, breaking free from the final attachment!

Until the sun rose in the east and set in the west, until the darkness faded, and he was exhausted, Yoriichi never stopped!

】

【Kurahara Kakeru: "If you feel pained or tired, then run! Let the natural wind cleanse your soul!"】

【Eren: "... At that moment, I felt like I saw Yoriichi like a bird, breaking free from its shackles, soaring above the sky."】

【Merlin: "Most humans are like fallen leaves, floating, tumbling, and trembling in the air, eventually falling helplessly to the ground. But a few are like stars moving along a fixed orbit; the winds of fickle fate cannot reach them, for their hearts have a predetermined path."】

【Might Guy: "That's exactly it! Young man! Run! Burn! This is youth! Sob sob sob!"】

【Shirai Kuroko: "Hey, hey, hey! Old man, where did you get this middle-schooler syndrome? Why are you crying yourself?"】

【Koiyuki: "Mr. Yoriichi is truly a gentle person; he will surely be happy in the future."】

【Doma: "Koi... yuki... who are you?"】

【

For a day and a night, the young Yoriichi ran for a day and a night, and at dawn, he reached the end of the fields.

There, he met a petite, lonely little girl of the same age.

But what Yoriichi found strange was that the girl just stood there, motionless.

Yoriichi took the initiative to ask why and learned that an epidemic had killed her family; she was lonely and wanted to catch some tadpoles to take back.

The dazed Yoriichi looked at this sad, lonely girl and blurted out, "Then I'll go home with you."

Uta paused, turning her head blankly; at some point, the girl's eyes had already filled with tears.

In those obsidian-like eyes, a faint, clear light shone, reflecting the equally petite boy.

In an instant, Uta's heart was filled with something.

In the sunset's afterglow, Uta wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes and brought Yoriichi home. The young girl talked non-stop, and Yoriichi felt no impatience, just listening quietly.

Day, night, spring departed, winter arrived; year after year, the two lived together, deeply in love with each other.

Until they became husband and wife, and as the long passage of time flowed, Yoriichi finally understood how vast the difference was between the world in his eyes and the world of others.

This was the origin of the... 'sense of alienation.'

There was no one else like him in the world.

Whenever Yoriichi was lost in thought, Uta would just grip Yoriichi's hand tightly, smiling as she integrated into this ordinary and warm world.

The young girl held tightly onto that kite with the broken string.

】

【Eriri: "Sob sob sob! This is the real script! It's too sweet! Uta is the best! Childhood friends are the best!!! Get out of here with your 'destined arrivals'!"】

【Kasumigaoka Utaha: "Isn't Mr. Yoriichi also a 'destined arrival' for Uta? What is that mere blonde barking about?"】

【Kurosaki Ichigo: "Ah, Mr. Yoriichi is so gentle; he must be very happy."】

【Satania: "Woohoo~ This Great Demon King of Hell approves of you two humans; just live on happily like this!"】

【Zoro: "It's a pity that with such strong talent, he never practiced the sword?"】

【Goetia: "There will be an opportunity."】

【Fujimaru Ritsuka: "... Eh?"】

【Merlin: "Ritsuka~ don't you know that everything you have gained and experienced has already had its price marked by fate?"】

Demon Slayer World

Infinity Castle

A Lower Moon demon with an ugly, blue-green face looked thoughtful. That... woman, had he seen her before?

【

"Yoriichi, stay safe~," Uta said, cradling her pregnant belly and waving goodbye.

"Mm," Yoriichi nodded. Uta was nearing her time to give birth, and he needed to find a midwife.

Yoriichi's speed was fast; in less than half a day, he reached a remote path.

But just as Yoriichi was about to leave, a cry for help made him stop; it was an injured old man.

The kind-hearted Yoriichi took him to his three sons three mountains away, and it was nearly midnight when he returned.

But Yoriichi was not worried, because he could see his mother's hidden illness, and he could calculate the exact moment of his wife's labor at a glance.

It wouldn't be too late to find a midwife the next day.

The silver moon hung high in the sky, slowly obscured by dark clouds...

When Yoriichi returned home and pushed open the door, blinding fresh blood flowed slowly to the threshold.

His wife and child had both been brutally murdered...

Even the things he valued more than his own life could be easily trampled by others... could they?

Yoriichi did not cry, and his eyes showed no sign of life.

He just stumbled to Uta's side, holding the corpses tightly for ten days and ten nights.

His wish was just to live peacefully with his family, to see his loved one's face when he looked up, and to touch their warmth when he reached out.

As long as... as long as that was enough.