3 Yoriichi Tsugikuni
(Michikatsu POV)
During the time Yoriichi and I were born, twins were considered unlucky because they caused successor conflicts.
Yoriichi was born with a peculiar birthmark and thus our father ordered him to be killed. But when our mother heard that, she lost control of herself out of burning anger and rage. So instead of killing Yoriichi, our father planned for him to become a priest at the temple once he turned ten years old.
Despite Yoriichi and I being brothers, our rooms, kimonos, educations and even our food were mostly different.
It was believed that because of that he never left his mother's side. Every time I saw him, he was hugging our mother's left side. This led to me believing Yoriichi to be childish and pitiful.
I would go to Yoriichi's small three-tatami room when our father wasn't looking. Since Father would notice if I gave Yoriichi my own possessions I created a small flute and gifted it to my brother.
Ever since Yoriichi was a baby, I had never seen him smile. He never talked until he was seven, so people thought he was deaf. But I realized he was different around that time.
.
When I was practising my sword swings in the garden, Yoriichi was standing soundlessly behind the pine tree. It chilled me to the bone.
"Brother is your dream to become the strongest samurai in the country?", he suddenly asked me.
He spoke very fluently. It was so shocking that I held my breath and dropped my wooden sword.
After that, he suddenly started saying he wanted to be a samurai, although he was supposed to be sent to the temple once he turned ten. He was supposed to become a priest, not a samurai. I wasn't sure whether he understood that.
But for the first time, Yoriichi smiled at that moment. I was disgusted honestly. A samurai fights with his life on the line. A kid who would run to his mother once he caught sight of her could never become a man like that.
But after that, during my practices, Yoriichi started to linger around, saying he wanted them to teach him.
My father's subordinate, who was teaching me the way of the sword, gave him a small shinai. All he told him were basic instructions, on how to hold the sword and form a stance. Then my father's subordinate told Yoriichi to come right at him.
.
Yoriichi not only managed to hit him, he defeated him completely. I was never able to hit this subordinate's body, no matter how hard I tried. Yet he lost consciousness after Yoriichi unleashed four strikes in the blink of an eye.
After that, Yoriichi never said he wanted to become a Samurai again. Because he couldn't bear the feeling of hitting someone and he felt horrible.
But I really wanted to know the secret to Yoriichi's strength. After I hounded him and pressed him for an answer, Yoriichi said something bizarre as we were talking.
"Your opponent's lungs expand before they strike. So just watch their bone movement, muscle contraction and blood flow closely."
It took a while for me to understand his words. Yoriichi could see through a living creature's body. Just like with his mark, he was born with a special vision as well.
He was a prodigy.
And yet, Yoriichi looked extremely bored when he talked about the sword. He had a skill for it that towered over others, yet he didn't look the slightest bit happy. For Yoriichi, the sword had less worth than children's games.
.
Our positions reversed. He was to become the next in line. I was transferred to the three-tatami room when Yoriichi came at three in the morning. He told me that Mother had died.
It came out of nowhere.
"I am departing for the temple right now.", Yoriichi told me.
"Departing? Right now?"
"Yes. I just wanted to say goodbye. This flute ..."
"Flute?"
"I think about this flute you gave me as if it were you, Brother. No matter how far apart we are, I will never lose heart. And I will work diligently every day.", Yoriichi said and smiled again.
Yoriichi bowed his head really low with a satisfied look. then he trudged off to some place, only bringing what he had on him and no other baggage.
.
I read my mother's diary the next day. According to her diary, Yoriichi realized that he was going to be the successor, so he decided to leave the house earlier than planned. It seems that Yoriichi knew about our mother's disease and her final days.
She had been suffering from discomfort on her left side for several years already.
... Her left side ...
Yoriichi wasn't clinging to our mother. He was supporting her because her sickness made her weak.
At that moment, I heard the sound of my body searing with envy. I despised the prodigy known as Yoriichi from the bottom of my heart.
.
.
(3rd Person POV)
Yoriichi found himself at a place full of compact fields and paddies in a mountainous region. But he is not alone. Another girl was there. Without turning around, the girl began to talk.
"My entire family died from a widespread disease. I'm lonely since I lost everyone. So I watned to bring some tadpoles from the paddies back home.", the girl said.
But after saying that, the girl didn't move. The sun began to set. When that happened, the girl who hadn't moved until then, released all the tadpoles in her bucket back into the paddy.
"You're not going to bring them home?", the boy asks her.
"I'm not ... I feel bad about separating these kids from their parents and siblings.", she says.
"Then how about I go home with you?", the boy asks her.
"Eh?"
.
The girl's name was Uta and the boy was called ... Yoriichi. The two chose to live together after exchanging names ... just like that. Uta was a girl who talked from day to night, while Yoriichi was a silent and observant child, with a heart of gold.
Thanks to Uta, Yoriichi learned that people saw things differently from him. He didn't know that it was unusual to see through a living creature's body. And it was at that moment that he learned for the first time, why he always felt so alienated from everything and everyone.
Uta held Yoriichi's hand as if it were a kite whose string got cut loose. She always made sure to grab it tightly.
Ten years later, they married and shortly after that, Uta became pregnant. When she was in the last month of her pregnancy, Yoriichi went to fetch a midwife for the birth. When Yoriichi returned, the sun had already set.
When Yoriichi returned finally ... Uta had been killed, along with the child.
.
Yoriichi spent 10 days absentmindedly embracing the corpses of his wife and child, until a swordsman, who had been chasing the demon told him that they should receive a proper burial to respect their souls.
The swordsman revealed himself to be a Demonslayer. Yoriichi joined them and since none of them used Breathing Techniques, Yoriichi taught them how they worked.
No one was able to learn the Sun Breathing though and instead, Yoriichi taught them deviations of his breathing style. Even Yoriichi's brother joined the Demon hunters, but even he wasn't able to learn Sun Breathing. No one was ...
Until someone else came along. He called himself, Gremmy Thoumeaux and his presence should forever change the fate of the world and that of Yoriichi as well.
.
.
(Gremmy POV)
I had arrived in this new world. At first I didn't think it possible, but then I imagined that it worked and ... it did. I came to this world at roughly the time he wanted. I wanted to meet the creator of the Breathing Styles, Yoriichi Tsugikuni and learn from him.
I arrived at the place where the Demonslayers' headquarters was located and simply walked in. I was greeted with hositlity at first, which was normal. I told them my name and that I came in peace. After expressing my desire to learn their swordsmanship and to help them, I was eventually accepted.
Yoriichi Tsugikuni took me in and taught me his Breathing Style. I was really happy to meet someone whom I liked a lot. I enjoyed his personality and felt bad for what had happened to him. But who knows ... things might just change for him.
.
"You learned it.", Yoriichi said.
"I did."
"You are the first one."
"Apparently. Don't think too much about it. The others just aren't as special as you are."
"But you are special too?"
"Indeed. I am very special. I guess you were lonely up to now, Yoriichi."
"..."
Pain flashes through Yoriichi's eyes as Gremmy asks him that.
"How about we have a go at it and see how much I progressed?", Gremmy suggests to take his mind off of things.
Yoriichi nods and they both get into positions. They look at each other and then without either of them speaking, they flash towards one another. Yoriichi doens't like to sparr against humans, as he despises to hurt someone, but against Gremmy, he knows that no matter what he does, Gremmy will be fine.
*CLANG*
The two clash and test their strength. Yoriichi is a powerful man for this world's standards. His skill in Breathing Styles and Transparent World, make him a monster in combat and it is obvious when they sparr.
But Gremmy is the much bigger monster. He matches Yoriichi in every clash and their speed picks up as well as the intensity of their bout.
*CLANG*
*CLING*
*BANG*
More and more sparks are seen flying as they exchange strikes after strike.
Gremmy was not really challenged by this. He was faster, stronger and overall more powerful, to a ridiculous degree. But he still enjoyed himself. He saw the small smile forming on Yoriichi's face and then nodded. He knew what he had to do.
*SHING*
They ended their clash and then both bowed to one another.
And in the next moment, a voice was heared that seemed to freeze the blood in Yoriichi's veins.
.
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(Yoriichi POV)
"How fascinating..."
That man ... he is overflowing with violent vitality. He resembles the magma which comes ouf of a volcano. He is bublbing and boiling, trying to swallow everything up.
"Who are you?"
"Muzan. I see that you two are also breath users ... I am no longer interested in warriors who can use breaths.", the man says.
Right after he says taht, his arms transform and I can see the evil in his eyes. He swings his arms around frighteningly fast and with huge range.
I dodge a swing of his bladed arm. I feel like I will be close to dying if I get the slightest scrape. For the second time in my life ... I feel chills running down my spine.
I use transparent world to see his biology and I am surprised at what I see. The man ... Muzan .. he has seven hearts and five brains.
I dodge and move to the side and it just comes to me. I feel something change in me. A change in my Breathing Style and sword technique. I feel it perfecting.
*SWISH SCHING SWOOSH*
I use all of the 12 forms of Sun Breathing one after the other and cut Muzan apart.
...
After everything is over, I stand over him and he seems ... confused. He can't regenerate and that is scaring him.
"What ... what is this?!"
"I knew that my red blade would work on you ... progenitor. I wanted to ask you something ... What do you think lives are?", I ask him.
"..."
He doesn't respond and just looks at me. His face turns red in anger. I take a step forward to end him finally, but as soon as I do that, I hear the sound of clenched molars breaking.
*BOOOOM*
In the next moment, Muzan's flesh explodes with great force.
[Picture]
1800 pieces of flesh ... I use my highest speed to quickly cut all of them, but I know I won't be able to destroy all of them. And then ... I hear another voice.
The voice seems so ... soothing. I don't know what it is about Gremmy, but every time I hear him speak, it is gentle. If only ...
[Imagination Breathing - 1st Form: Genesis Slash]
Time seemed to stand still and the world lost all of its colour and turned black and white. An ethereal slash, flashed before my eyes and turned everythign white.
And then ... nothing.
.
I open my eyes again and look around. I stand in front of a house and next to me Gremmy.
"What happened?", I ask him.
"I helped you a bit. I believe that you have suffered enough Yoriichi. It is time for you to get your wish.", Gremmy says.
"What do you mean?", I ask him. Instead of answering he looks at the house and I see the door sliding back and a figure walking out ...
That ... That's ... impossible
"...Uta ...", I whisper.
[Picture]
Out of the house walks my Uta. When she sees me she smiles gently and waves at me. Tears run down my face and I rush towards her and pick her up.
I embrace her as hard as I can. She still seems to be pregnant ... but how?
I look back at Gremmy but when I do, I see him smiling at me as his form slowly disperses in the wind.
"Don't worry my friend ... you aren't dead. This is a gift from me to you. He is dead and you can enjoy your life. Just like you always wanted ...", his voice travels to me and the last thing I see of him is his smile.
"Thank you."
__________________________
Yeah, Gremmy learned swordsmanship from one of the best there is. He also gave Yoriichi something that he deserved in my opinion. Whether you think this was unnecessary or not, is of no concern to me.
