This news struck Mizuki like a magnitude ten earthquake.
Yoriichi actually got married?
You hid that well, kid!
Five years had passed since they last met... Mizuki's almost-uttered complaint got stuck in her throat.
There was no reason for him not to tell her, his sister, that he had started a family.
Unless... Mizuki couldn't bring herself to ask, merely following Yoriichi's steps with a heavy heart.
One night, they arrived at a mountain.
Mizuki saw the path ahead by moonlight: "Brother, there seems to be a house up ahead."
No sooner had she spoken than Yoriichi gripped the nichirin blade at his waist and sped towards the house.
A demon!
Mizuki's reaction was also swift; she gripped her sword hilt and followed closely.
When Demon Slayer Corps members leave the Corps, their nichirin blades are usually retrieved.
However, the Master, considering Yoriichi and Mizuki's contributions to the Demon Slayer Corps, allowed them both to keep their nichirin blades.
Yoriichi's perception abilities far surpassed hers; she only detected the demon's presence when they were within twenty meters of the house.
"Brother, are you alright?"
By the time she burst into the house, the demon's body was already slowly disintegrating.
As expected of Yoriichi, as powerful as ever.
The person who had been saved next to them let out a sigh of relief.
"We're saved~"
Mizuki looked over at the sound, her eyes widening slightly, a look of surprise on her face.
Tan... Tanjirou?
"My name is Sumiyoshi. Thank you both profusely for saving my life."
The man, who bore a striking resemblance to the protagonist of Demon Slayer, Tanjirou, knelt on the ground, bowed, and introduced himself.
It wasn't strange to perform such a grand gesture for saving one's life, but Mizuki didn't like it.
She stepped forward to help him up, "No need for such formality; slaying demons is our du—"
Mizuki paused mid-sentence; they had already left the Demon Slayer Corps.
Sumiyoshi didn't think much of it, only looking at the two gratefully: "It's late now. If you don't mind, you can stay at my humble abode for the night."
Mizuki turned to look at Yoriichi; they had been traveling day and night for several days and still hadn't reached Yoriichi's wife's residence.
Yoriichi suddenly spoke: "Is there anyone else in the inner room?"
If it were just someone else, he wouldn't be so concerned... Sumiyoshi's eyes turned into dots, he was stunned for a moment, then, realizing, he ran towards the inner room in a panic, exclaiming in alarm.
"Oh no! Sumiko!"
The two followed closely. Lying on the bed in the inner room was a heavily pregnant woman.
The woman was struggling on the bed, her expression pained.
"Sumiko!" Sumiyoshi called out his wife's name in a flustered tone.
"Please step aside." Mizuki stepped forward and pulled him away, then performed a simple check.
"She's about to give birth; we need to find a midwife quickly." Mizuki turned to the two and said, "Brother, please take care of them. I'll go to the town at the foot of the mountain right now—"
Before Mizuki could finish speaking, Yoriichi turned and left.
Leaving only a single sentence.
"Mizuki, take good care of them. I'll be right back."
Yoriichi's "right back" was indeed very fast.
He returned with a midwife, having barely spent any time at all.
Upon seeing Sumiyoshi's wife, Sumiko, safely give birth to a baby girl, Yoriichi's usually calm expression showed a slight ripple, and a faint smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.
But Mizuki read an emotion called sadness on his face... Sumiyoshi was tending to his wife in the inner room, while the two sat by the doorway, watching the sunrise. Yoriichi seemed to understand his sister's confusion and explained softly: "This is... where I and Uta once lived."
Sure enough... Mizuki pursed her lips.
Sumiko was resting in the room after giving birth, while Sumiyoshi invited their two benefactors to stay for a meal.
"I'm terribly sorry, there's not much good food at home, so I can only offer you two benefactors some wild vegetables Sumiko picked yesterday."
Mizuki smiled faintly: "As long as it fills our stomachs, it's fine."
What good food could there be in this era? Mizuki was never picky.
Soon, Sumiyoshi had prepared the food.
Several plates of wild vegetables were placed on the table.
Boiled wild vegetables were mostly wilted and shapeless, but since Sumiyoshi offered them, they must not be poisonous.
After breakfast, Yoriichi led Mizuki to the back of the house.
It was a grave mound made of a few broken stones.
It was Uta's grave.
Yoriichi stood before his wife's grave, recounting his story of joining the Demon Slayer Corps.
Mizuki knelt beside him, listening quietly.
One must not be disrespectful when mourning relatives.
Yoriichi's story was long. He spoke slowly in a gentle, tender voice, telling their story, talking about reuniting with his brother and sister after a long separation, and about the days they practiced Breathing Technique together.
The sun was high; it was August, and the weather was extremely hot.
Yoriichi noticed this and turned to his sister, saying, "Mizuki, if you're not feeling well, go back first."
Yoriichi's eyes could clearly see Mizuki's physical condition.
He knew deeply that his sister didn't have much time left.
Mizuki shook her head: "I'm fine."
In fact, she quite liked summer.
Mizuki's physique was quite special; she was naturally fond of cold and unafraid of heat, which might also be why she successfully mastered Snow Breathing.
Yoriichi nodded slightly, understanding his sister's consideration, and continued to speak to his wife.
As Mizuki was about to stretch her legs, which had become somewhat numb from kneeling for too long, a flash of blue suddenly caught her eye.
Mizuki instinctively glanced over, only to see several blooming blue flowers swaying in the wind right beside Uta's grave.
These are... spider lilies?
But why are they blue?
And were these flowers here just now? How did she not notice?
blue spider lily... A few memories from her previous life suddenly flashed through Mizuki's mind.
She seemed to have seen this term somewhere... It was in... Mizuki's eyes widened slightly; she remembered!
The blue spider lily that Muzan had been searching for to overcome the sun, she had seen it in the comments section!
Then, a flash of inspiration struck her.
No wonder Nezuko could overcome the sun; it was because this thing grew near their house!
Had no demons passed through here in these past few centuries?
Even the Scum Boss hadn't discovered it.
Suddenly.
???
What the heck?
Mizuki was stunned.
The blue spider lilies, which were vibrantly blooming a second ago, withered and died within a few breaths, leaving behind branches that resembled Ephedra.
She instinctively reached out to touch them; they really had withered.
Right before her eyes.
For no reason.
What's the principle?
No wonder the Scum Boss couldn't find it; this flower is quite magical.
"Mizuki, what's wrong?" Yoriichi finished mourning his wife and turned to see his sister staring blankly at a few Ephedra stems.
"No, nothing."
"Then let's go."
"Mm."
Mizuki hesitated for a moment but still didn't break it off.
She wasn't sure if these flowers only existed here. If so, it could indeed shatter the Scum Boss's dream of sunbathing.
But if not... then Nezuko would be finished.
She was a talentless person, and in the end, she couldn't change anything.
Whether it was ending Muzan in this era or saving Michikatsu.
She had done nothing.
But she knew that Tanjirou and Nezuko could definitely defeat Muzan.
She, an outsider, couldn't cause any more trouble for this world.
After a final glance at the blue spider lily, which resembled Ephedra, Mizuki followed Yoriichi and left.