The journey of dragon transformation starting from Demon Slayer

Aoi is a woman who grew up in such an environment. She is conservative and intellectual, and is devoted to her lover.

If you are a married woman, would you fall in love with a man with whom you had a certain connection in the past and knew each other well, but with whom you could only meet a few times a year?

Even if you are childhood sweethearts and have been playmates since childhood.

I think unless it's some old love rekindled plot, it definitely won't work, right?

In addition, since childhood sweethearts know each other well, and with the appearance of the tall, rich and handsome Tōsaka Tokiomi, it is understandable that Aoi did not choose Kariya.

Kariya still naively believed that the feelings between them had not changed, and that they were still the childhood sweethearts who could talk about everything.

The feelings in his heart gradually deepened with every encounter, but he never thought that the Aoi in his mind was no longer the Aoi of the past.

Now she is married and has children of her own.

Simply put, Aoi has gained a lot, which is far beyond the imagination of the current Kariya.

Compared to Aoi, who has received a lot in the past eight years, Kariya is still single and can't even get enough money to get married. He is a freelancer without a stable job, and he maintains his unrequited love every day.

This ordinariness was earned through his hard work, and the difference is immediately apparent when compared with his brother.

Although Tsuruno doesn't need to worry about money, as an assistant he has to deal with magic that Kariya hates.

His wife was fed to insects by Zang Yan, and He Ye lived in fear all day, fearing that his life would be in danger at any time.

So from this point of view, Kariya is relatively happy.

But because of this incident, Tsuruno also hates his younger brother Kariya very much.

Ordinary people's life, for the descendants of magicians who inherited the devil's blood, what a dreamlike word it is.

This kind of ordinariness was something that Kariya and Zōken fought for.

It was out of disdain and contempt for Matou Zouken.

Even death will not shake this will in the slightest.

When he fought against the old man ten years ago, it was because of this kind of spirit that Matou Kariya was able to break the family rules and leave the Matou family to become a free man.

However, although Kariya has freedom, he is not free because of this and is bound by heavy shackles of life.

What Kariya thought of as being devoted and caring was to "run into" Aoi every time he came back, and then give her and her daughter a gift that was not expensive but full of love.

Play with Rin and Sakura for a while, chat with Aoi about daily life, and finally it’s time to go out of town and fight for your own life.

Matou Kariya and Zenjo Aoi.

Now that their values, outlooks on life, views on money, and classes have all changed, is what Kariya considers to be "selfless dedication" really something worth mentioning in Aoi's eyes?

Don't talk nonsense like you're willing to sacrifice your life.

Even if it really exists, it would require a suitable opportunity.

During the ten years, Kariya did not get the chance to sacrifice his life, but he sacrificed his youth, struggling for a living in the big dye vat of society.

The current Matou Kariya is just an ordinary person, but Aoi is a wealthy lady who married into a wealthy family with an annual income of over 10 million.

The gifts that ordinary people spend a lot of money to buy may not even be a fraction of the value of luxury goods in the eyes of the rich.

Aoi would be happy for Kariya's kindness and would politely return the gift, but she would never betray her family and feelings for such a thing.

If a response is required just because of such efforts, then what is Aoi considered to be? How cheap is her emotion?

After eight years of marriage, she was betrayed just like that. Does Aoi still deserve to be called a model of a good wife and mother by Tokiomi?

And if we do a little calculation, if Tudou gave gifts to the rich woman every day, could he also rise to the top?

After all, Tudou has also made contributions, so the response from the rich woman must be in place.

Why would that potato still need to type? He would drive a luxury car and live in a villa, so why would he have to work so hard for others?

This possibility does exist, but if there is no emotional foundation, it is just a toad wanting to eat swan meat.

The same is true for Kariya here, although it is not so serious as to use the toad and the swan as a metaphor for the two. But it is precisely because he has no time to maintain the relationship that his efforts are destined to be unrequited.

And taking a step back, even if Kariya believed that it was his withdrawal that saved Aoi and prevented her fate from being manipulated by Zouken.

But if he doesn't say it, then everything will be meaningless and it will just be his "self-satisfaction".

If I had said it at the beginning, if I had confessed to Aoi, perhaps it would have left a deep impression in their memories after they broke up.

As long as they cultivate good feelings, it is not impossible for him to transform into Cao the thief ten years later and complete the theft of Tokiomi's house.

Of course, there is a question mark regarding Yan Ye’s appearance. After all, Tudou has only seen handsome guys stealing homes, but has never seen handsome guys being stolen from.

Or, if Kariya succeeded Tsuruno as the head of the family and Tokiomi confessed his feelings to Aoi earlier, he might be able to have a happy ending with Aoi. But the result might not be so wonderful.

In short, you choose your own path. If you don't want to take responsibility for it, you will be the only one who suffers in the end.

"I'm sorry... Kariya... I didn't know you had such feelings for me..." Aoi finally spoke up, gaining Kariya's attention.

Under Kariya's gaze, Aoi rejected him in a gentle voice: "I'm already married..."

"Besides, I only treat Kariya as my younger brother..."

The word "marriage" flashed in his mind, and Kariya's body trembled slightly, with a barely perceptible sadness flashing in his eyes.

Afterwards, when he heard the word "brother", Kariya's wry smile almost failed to maintain.

Yes, she just said that she just treated herself as a younger brother.

Aoi, who had always been gentle, rejected me with the same attitude ten years later.

Yes, he should have realized it earlier. Aoi's attitude towards him never changed, even after he left Matou.

He took it for granted and actually thought that there was still a possibility for development between him and Aoi.

Kariya finds this result hard to accept...

But what if he can't accept it?

He chose his own path, and he cannot blame anyone.

"Yeah, I guessed that Sister Aoi would say that!" Kariya forced a smile.

"So when I left the Matou family, I had already decided to silently protect Sister Aoi's happiness..."

"Kareya..."

Kariya's words and smile were so powerless that Aoi even felt that this might be the saddest time in Kariya's life.

Noticing Kariya's sad look, Tatsumi reached out and gently patted Kariya's shoulder.

"I won't say that I'm saying this for your own good, but I think that since you've made this choice, you have to take responsibility for your choice!"

"You still have unrealistic fantasies now, and these fantasies will lead you into the abyss sooner or later!"

Tatsumi remembers very clearly what happened to Kiri Kariya in the middle of the anime.

Tatsumi didn't know how to evaluate this twisted pure love warrior.

"By then, you will not only hurt yourself, but also hurt others..."

"I think it's hard for you to take it to heart, right? Anyway, 'know yourself and don't overdo anything', that's all I have to say, I hope you take care of yourself..."

After saying that, Tatsumi looked down at the little girl beside him.

"Let's go, Sakura..."

"Yeah..." Sakura nodded obediently, then asked softly: "Onii-chan...are we going back?"

Tatsumi shook his head and said kindly, "No, it's still early. Sakura can play with her mother for a while longer. I also have something to tell her."

"After all, where Sakura will go in the future is very important to her..."

Sakura was slightly stunned when she heard Tatsumi say this, and a few tears appeared in her eyes. She thought that even Tatsumi was going to abandon her.

"Onii-chan, are you disgusted with Sakura? Sakura will be obedient..."

Tatsumi smiled softly: "Haha, I don't dislike Sakura..."

"Let's see what your mother says first..."

With the echo of their conversation lingering in his ears, Kariya stood there in a daze, not knowing what to do.

For the next hour, Tatsumi left the time to the mother and daughter, and waited quietly by the side.

Kariya didn't want to be lonely, so he also wanted to go up and chat with Aoi.

However, due to the change in atmosphere, he found that no matter how he talked to Aoi, he could not find the original feeling.

Kariya knew that from the moment he confessed his love, Aoi no longer viewed him as a brother, but as a man.

However, because Aoi is a married woman, this also completely distances her from Kariya.

Kariya was happy that he had the courage to confess his feelings, but at the same time he was sad that Aoi rejected him.

Kariya had no idea whether this change in atmosphere was a good thing or a bad thing.

But fortunately he had expressed his feelings, so Kariya had no complaints about the current situation.

Before leaving, Kariya gave the jewelry gift he bought to Sakura. As for Rin's, he asked Aoi to pass it on to her.

Just like that, Kariya left.

......

Time passed quickly, and before Aoi could react, dim sunlight sprinkled on the square.

As fewer and fewer people came to the park, Aoi realized that it was time to leave.

She asked Tatsumi before leaving.

"Um, can I take Sakura back with me..."

Seeing Aoi's pleading look, Tatsumi shook his head silently.

The white hair swayed gently with Tatsumi's movements. Under Aoi's gaze, he simply refused: "No, ma'am."

Seeing Tatsumi's refusal, tears flashed in Aoi's eyes. After hesitating for a moment, she asked, "Um... can you tell me why?"

Tatsumi smiled softly, and under Aoi's gaze, he said softly: "Madam, there is an old saying in China, 'The person who tied the bell must be the one to untie it'..."

"I think it would be more appropriate for the head of the Tousaka family to make this decision rather than you, Madam!"

"You also said that this is a problem between Tousaka and Matou, and I have no right to interfere in this matter! I just hope that you can be a little more formal when dealing with this relationship."

"I see..." Aoi suddenly looked enlightened.

Tatsumi smiled softly: "Of course, if Madam wants, you can come to the Matou residence with your husband to find me..."

Aoi showed a touched look and said "hmm" softly.

Aoi touched Sakura's head, hesitated for a second and then raised her head again: "Also, I will tell Tokiomi about this..."

Tatsumi smiled and said, "It's okay. Parents should have the right to know!"

Hearing Tatsumi say this, Aoi was so moved that she was speechless and could only keep thanking Tatsumi.

--------

Matou Kariya wandered alone on the streets of Shinto, his steps sometimes slowing down, sometimes pausing, as if he was lost in this strange city.

As time passed, the originally gem-blue sky was gradually covered by a layer of gauze-like dark color, heralding the arrival of night.

At this moment, Yan Ye's heart was filled with endless loneliness and contradictions. He was completely focused on his own thoughts and turned a blind eye to everything in the outside world.

As the night deepened, the darkness spread rapidly like ink until it completely swallowed up his vision.

In this pitch-black night, Kariya finally woke up from his numb state.

He raised his head, looking at the endless darkness above his head, and muttered to himself: "Is it already night... Time flies so fast..."

However, at this moment, he suddenly felt hungry and his stomach began to rumble.

Yanye couldn't help but wonder, should he go eat something?

"But what's the point of eating?"

A sudden thought came to Kariya's mind, making his face even more haggard.

He turned his head and glanced blankly at the various shops lining the street.

The scene before him was completely different from that during the day, when he had gotten off the bus with great joy, full of expectations for the future, as bright as the colorful lights flashing in the store.

But now, his mind was filled with the scene of Aoi rejecting him, causing him to completely lose his appetite.

Every memory is like a sharp knife, piercing Yanye's heart mercilessly.

He couldn't understand why Aoi rejected him so resolutely, and the pain was almost unbearable for him.

In this state of mind, eating seems to become an insignificant thing, or even a burden.

Kariya felt that his soul had been drained out, leaving only a zombie-like body wandering the streets of this prosperous yet indifferent city.

"Is this what it feels like to be heartbroken?"

Such thoughts popped up in Kariya’s mind.

He remembered that when he was a student, he had witnessed many scenes of male and female classmates confessing their love to each other.