Tankichi watched with complete concentration, as if trying to imprint every movement perfectly into his eyes.
Noticing his expression, Mizuki suddenly understood.
Yoriichi, performing the beautiful Sun Breathing Sword Form that made one forget to breathe, looked like an elf dancing in the fire.
This must be how the Hinokami Kagura Dance, passed down through Tanjirou's family for generations, originated.
All the techniques of Sun Breathing were firmly etched into Tankichi's pupils.
After the dance, Sumiko, holding her daughter, happily praised Yoriichi's Sword Form.
Yoriichi lowered his head, seemingly embarrassed.
Tankichi cheerfully said, "Mr. Yoriichi, Miss Mizuki, please be sure to visit often when you have time."
Yoriichi didn't say much; he suddenly removed his earrings and gave them to Tankichi.
Tankichi solemnly received the earrings with both hands. He had a premonition.
Mr. Yoriichi probably wouldn't come again.
"Mr. Yoriichi! We will pass it down... with the lives you saved..."
Tankichi suddenly took two steps forward and shouted with all his might.
"You are definitely not worthless! Please don't ever think that you've accomplished nothing!"
"I will never allow anyone to say that. I..."
"I swear to you, I will pass these earrings and the Sun Breathing down to future generations!"
For a moment, his figure overlapped in Mizuki's eyes with a certain scar-faced young man.
They are all gentle people.
Mizuki saw the sadness in his heart and comforted him, saying, "Don't worry, we will visit often."
She hasn't found her spider lily yet.
She definitely has to come back.
"Miss Mizuki..." Seeing Mizuki's gentle smile, Tankichi paused for a moment, then realized.
Mr. Yoriichi is not alone.
Tankichi's lips moved slightly: "Miss Mizuki, I entrust Mr. Yoriichi to you."
"Mhm, please leave it to me."
Just then, Yoriichi turned back gently.
"Thank you."
...The two returned home together. As soon as they entered the house, Mizuki collapsed limply onto the tatami mat.
"Big Brother, I'm hungry~"
Yoriichi: "..."
What exactly is this cute creature?
After his younger sister was fed, Mizuki treated Yoriichi's wounds.
"Big Brother." Mizuki looked at Yoriichi with a serious expression.
"What is it?" Yoriichi lowered his cuff and looked at her suspiciously.
"Since Muzan is highly unlikely to appear again, I want to make some preparations for the future."
"What?"
Yoriichi fetched paper and a brush.
"Big Brother, you still remember Muzan's body structure clearly, right?"
"If you could draw it, I want to..."
Before she finished speaking, she heard Yoriichi speak softly.
"There's no need..."
A vein popped up on Mizuki's forehead.
"Big Brother."
"Hmm?"
Mizuki gave him a deathly smile: "Did you know? Melancholy handsome men like you are already outdated now."
"?"
Mizuki's upturned lips slowly flattened, and she said sadly, "Why do you always like to shoulder all the blame yourself?"
"It clearly wasn't Big Brother's fault."
Hearing this, Yoriichi simply lowered his eyelids faintly.
Words of comfort... are actually not very effective for adults... If a child is disappointed after failing a test, you can still encourage them by telling them to try harder next time.
But for an adult, such encouragement is hard to work. There is only one way to comfort them: success.
But the fact that Yoriichi failed to protect his family and failed to kill Muzan is an unchangeable reality.
In front of this failure who has already failed with no room for recovery, words of encouragement are useless.
Mizuki suddenly said, "Leave it to me."
"?" Yoriichi looked up in confusion.
"The mission to slay Muzan." Mizuki looked at him solemnly. "No matter how many years it takes, I will fulfill the unachieved wish of Big Brother."
Those who pursue the ultimate path will arrive at the same destination.
This phrase sounds profound, but it actually permeated Yoriichi's 'incompetent' life.
Those who delve deeply into the path will ultimately reach the same place.
This is the same logic as trusting the wisdom of future generations, which is wrong.
Or rather, it's too one-sided.
The development of humanity has never been horizontal.
If predecessors do not try their best to pass down knowledge, future generations simply cannot develop.
Thousands of years of human history are not the talent of one person or a group of people, but the collective effort of everyone.
People, whether significantly or insignificantly, influence everything around them.
In Mizuki's view, Yoriichi was escaping his 'incompetent' life, feeling a sense of despair and self-abandonment.
'I'm useless anyway, I can't do anything at all.'
'Someone stronger than me might be born right now,' and so on. 'Passing down the Breathing Technique doesn't matter.'
Yoriichi is a gentle person, but also a cowardly one.
"Big Brother? Can you hear me?" Mizuki tilted her head and waved her hand in front of Yoriichi's eyes.
After she finished speaking, Yoriichi fell into a trance.
Was he moved by her?
Hmm, that's normal too.
After all, this is PUA technique hundreds of years ahead of its time; ordinary people can't handle it.
Yoriichi stared blankly at Mizuki, tears spilling from the corners of his eyes.
While Mizuki was stunned, Yoriichi suddenly hugged her tightly.
Mizuki was surprised for a moment, then gently patted his back and said softly.
"It's alright, Big Brother has done very well."
"Leave the rest to me."
..."Seven hearts, five brains..." Looking at the structural diagram Yoriichi finished drawing, Mizuki couldn't help but complain, "This guy is seriously impressive."
"In other words, to kill him, must we sever all twelve of his weak points simultaneously?"
"I'm afraid not." Yoriichi shook his head, a hint of disappointment in his eyes. "At that time, my Sword Form completely severed his weak points, but he didn't die."
This was the direct reason Yoriichi failed to anticipate that Muzan had a backup plan.
Mizuki said gloomily, "In other words... only the sun?"
Yoriichi was about to nod, but hesitated and shook his head again: "At that time, he suddenly split into over 1,800 pieces of flesh."
"I think if I had completely chopped up those pieces of flesh then, perhaps he wouldn't have been able to regenerate."
"Slicing his neck along with the twelve weak points, and then destroying the splitting pieces of flesh." Mizuki murmured, her mouth twitching slightly. "I feel like dragging it out until sunrise has a better chance."
She admitted that even if she became a Demon, gained greatly enhanced physical abilities, and the boost from Blood Demon Art, she would definitely not be Yoriichi's match.
Even if Muzan was inferior to Yoriichi, he was certainly not someone they could compare to.
Because, based on what she knew, many people claimed the Demon Slayer Corps' victory over Muzan was due to plot armor.
In other words, even Tanjirou and the others failed to kill Muzan in a frontal confrontation.
Plot Kill is a strange concept that makes it impossible for Mizuki to calmly wait for the happy ending of Muzan's eradication.
Because maybe, due to the influence of an outsider like her, certain things have already changed.
The consequences brought about by the Butterfly Effect must be guarded against.