fictional spring

Although I haven't met the other members of the Demon Slayer Squad, the impression that Mr. Toyama left on me is that he is actually a very gentle person.

He worked hard for things that should have nothing to do with him, fought to protect strangers, and came to the city to track down the whereabouts of ghosts.

We have only been together for a few days, but I can feel those firm beliefs in him that I have never had before—compared with me who has no goals, and can even be said to be indifferent, the feelings he has, It is as dazzling as the sun.

That is the meaning of existence that supports his progress and is integrated into his blood.

But now all I see is his body.

Has lost temperature, covered in fine snow, not even complete...a lifeless body.

Scarlet blood was suddenly mottled in the white snow in his sight, and his mind was filled with indescribably chaotic thoughts. A biting chill rose from the soles of his feet, as if he lost all warmth in an instant.

I just feel dizzy.

His teeth were shivering non-stop, and the mouth seemed to be filled with rust-like blood, and the surroundings were filled with an indescribably weird tranquility.

I don't know exactly what Gui Wu Tsuji's expression is like at this time, but I must have an extremely terrifying and hideous expression on my face at the moment.

……no.

For some reason, I raised my palm and placed it on my face, and I realized at this moment that my expression was actually very calm.

Don't say it's ferocious and terrifying, it doesn't even count as gnashing of teeth.

It can even be said that it is the same look as usual.

It's just that there are so many unexpected things in my head that I can't even raise my face, and my eyes can't help but fall on the long knife that fell beside me, staring at it tightly, and I can't move it at all. open eyes.

"Those humans are annoying."

Someone spoke up.The eerie silence that had been maintained for a long time was suddenly broken, and it even felt a little unreal in my ears.

That was obviously not a female voice I was familiar with, but when it sounded, I had the urge to almost cry.

What came out together with that voice was a strange familiarity in my heart - as if I had heard it a million times, the moment it sounded from Gui Wu Tsuji's mouth, I couldn't stop trembling.

"You think enough is enough?"

He said: "Relying on the status of a so-called parent, I think that this can control you in my hands, and you have to do whatever you want, no matter it is a small thing in ordinary times or a so-called lifelong event, you are always on behalf of me. You make the decision."

I kept silent and didn't answer.

I don't know why such thoughts came into his mind, and I don't know the reason why he wants to say these words to me. When unacceptable facts are in front of us, the human brain often cannot be as calm as usual run.

But the speaker gave me plenty of time to react.

—I don't think anyone is annoying.

Whether it is my father or my mother, I never feel that there is anything wrong with the decisions they make for me.Because it seems to me that there is no specific point at all whether such a change is needed or not.

I can't really say I like those things, but in reality, I don't resist the idea of ​​embracing them.

But in another person's view, it is not the case.

The gentle male voice continued to sound in front of me, and there was no sense of guilt or guilt in his words. He seemed to be just stating his own opinion, and thought——my thoughts must be the same as his.

"Even if you don't have to think about it, you can know that in their eyes, everything they do is for your own good." Guiwu Tsuji said: "In this case, why don't you focus more on yourself? How to let you do something, it is better to think about what should be given to you."

The warm palm held my hand. It was different from the white and soft palms I felt before. It was as innocent as a man. His palm was much wider than mine, and the tactile sensation of the palm also changed significantly.

But—this feeling is unreasonably familiar.

Just like in the past, we also clasped our fingers like this, confiding our hearts to each other in whispers.

This kind of gentle to overly familiar feeling that came from nowhere overlapped with the cruelty of reality, which made it more difficult for me to calm down.

"Mutsuki Hime, you should be happy."

He lowered his head, put it close to my ear and whispered to me: "Do you remember what you said to me, you said you liked me and wanted to be with me forever."

I did say that, but it wasn't about Mumai Onimai Tsuji, but about Mikoto that shrine maiden.

It was probably because I kept silent all the time, so that Wumai Tsuji was also a little annoyed, and the tone of his speech was no longer the gentleness at the beginning, but with obvious displeasure.

"Actually, you don't need those people, do you?"

He said to himself: "Obviously at that time, they made a decision for you. When you knew that you were going to marry to the capital, you just didn't want to be separated from me."

At this time, recalling the bits and pieces of the past, the feeling is completely different-the relationship and relationship that were built on deception and illusion from the beginning are not real at all.

It shouldn't be like this.

The shrine maiden in my memory, who occasionally gives people a strong or contemptuous look, is just a person who says excessive words, but in fact is easy to soften her heart, and she will apologize when I apologize or take the initiative to reconcile. When it's good, let go of the estrangement in your heart easily, and return to the usual gentle appearance.

But the person in front of me now...is too strange.

I could hear every word he said, but I couldn't understand why he said it anyway.It's as if I've never seen him clearly - and indeed it seems to be.

All I know is that witch named Wu Mi who came to stay in the city.

Silence spread between us, and after a long time, my jaw was suddenly lifted, and my eyes were forced to move away from the long knife, and met a pair of scarlet vertical pupils.

"Why didn't you say a word? Do you think I'm wrong?"

This is the first time I have looked at him seriously.

The pale face, handsome facial features, and the slightly curly long hair with a familiar curvature gave me a completely different feeling when it fell on both sides of the cheeks.

The former beauty was gone, and what was left was almost cruel gloom—there was no trace of softness in those scarlet pupils.

Obviously, he was angry.

And I can't understand.

Why is he angry?

Before I could realize it, I turned my father into a ghost, and the look of fear that my mother showed when she saw him is enough to prove that my mother also knew something, even the appearance shown in front of me was a ghost. pretended form.

Obviously, I was the one who was deceived, and I was the one who concealed everything, even if there were factors that I didn't think about on purpose, but the person who should be angry now, in any case, shouldn't be him.

"why?"

I subconsciously spoke—it was a very calm voice.

Obviously, the chaos in his mind was so chaotic that he couldn't sort it out, but his voice was still calm.I myself can't understand why this is the case, but after hearing this question, Onimai Tsuji's expression improved slightly.

I really can't understand his thoughts.

Even if I can't hear it from the voice, but just thinking about it a little bit, I can know what kind of emotion I should have towards him at this time.

He asked back: "Why what? Why kill them?"

He misunderstood me again, what I really wanted to ask was - why did he look at me like that.

With such a kind of eyes that seem to be blaming, but also seem to be nostalgic and thankful, while looking at me, they showed an angry face.

I didn't explain anything, didn't comment on his understanding, just watched him quietly.

I probably also want to know the answer to this question, why did you do this in front of my face? You have already kept my father into a ghost from me, so why not continue to hide it.

If it was his ability, it would be easy to do these things without alarming me.

"Because the lifespan of human beings, even if it is extended to the extreme, it will only be so long." Guiwu Tsuji said: "So what does it matter if it is earlier or later, since you don't need anyone other than me?" , It doesn’t make any difference whether those people are alive or dead.”

"As long as you don't think about it, it's fine as if they were sick and died, or because of some accident. The pillar of the ghost killing team has only met a few times, so it's as if you have never seen it before, or on the road Strangers you meet by chance can forget even their faces in a few days."

Guiwu Tsuji's voice spread in the cold wind. I don't know whether it was the effect of the cold wind or these words. I actually felt that the temperature in my body was being gradually pulled away. Even the palm held by him seemed to no longer belong to me. I am average.

wrong.

I want to refute him.

Everything he said was wrong.

Even if it is a dispensable existence, there is no reason to be obliterated. Even passers-by who meet by chance will have to meet—everything that exists has a meaning of existence, and everything that happens has a meaning. There are reasons why.

Just like my encounter with Onimai Tsuji.

"Onimai Tsujimu," I repeated his name, staring him in the eyes and telling him, "It shouldn't be like this."

These are words that came out of my mouth, even though there are countless thoughts entangled in my heart, but these words are extremely clear.

I wanted to deny him, and I didn't want to repeat the mistakes of the past, so I opened my mouth.

Suddenly, the drug seller said to me that if one is bound by the curse called "misunderstanding", then what will be ushered in must also be a tragic ending.

I didn't understand the meaning of this sentence until now.

My feelings for her, I regard her as my best friend, and I firmly believe that the other party treats me in the same way. In fact, it was a misunderstanding from the beginning.

Onimai Tsujimumi probably never regarded me as a "friend".

So to him, what am I?

I am afraid that there is no possibility of asking this question again.

My body was faster than my consciousness, and when I realized it, I realized that I was already holding the long knife left by the swordsman in my hand.

When we first met, Master Swordsman told me the origin of this sword.

Only sunshine and wisteria can kill ghosts. Ordinary swords can't pose any threat to them, so in the ghost killing team, all members will have their own "sun wheel sword".

It was forged from special materials, and because it carried the power of the sun, it was a sharp weapon capable of killing ghosts.

In my hand, I'm holding Toyama-sama's Japanese sword.

My eyes fell on the young man a few steps away. I looked into the eyes of that man, and saw a look of surprise on his face, which only stayed for a short moment before being replaced by another gushing out of anger .

His voice was almost like gnashing of teeth, questioning my current behavior: "What are you doing?"

I suddenly felt that I was actually very awake at this time, and my way of breathing became completely different from usual, followed by changes in my body—the body that could only be bedridden due to perennial frailty suddenly changed. Light and sensitive.

Such a change occurred because... I saw that at that time, Master Toyama, who was the water column of the Demon Slayer Squad, used the so-called "breathing method".

And this is exactly what the pranayama does.

Guiwu Tsuji's face gradually darkened, his ocher eyes were full of haze, and he had a dark expression, "I have never even touched a sword before, but can I use that kind of thing at this time... "

The words on his mouth seemed to reveal surprise, but for some reason, I felt that he didn't seem surprised.

This strange feeling enveloped my heart from the moment he spoke, which made me feel that the words he said to me were not only aimed at me at this time, but more like before , something happened.

That voice seemed to pass through the rock wall of time, permeating from the long past, carrying long-lasting nostalgia and loneliness, but mixed with other not-so-good emotions.

But at this time, there is not much time for me to realize what these emotions are. The moment I picked up the sword, I was already standing in the diametrically opposite position to him.

This is the sword that belongs to the Demon Slayer Squad, and it is also the sword that belongs to the Demon Slayer Squad's Water Pillar, Toyama Yoshirei.

What I picked up was not only the Sun Wheel Knife, but also the breathing method he used, every move he used in front of me... it was also his belief.

In any case, we must kill evil spirits and protect the beliefs of others.

Even if those people have nothing to do with him, their happiness and existence are worthy of affirmation and respect.

"What kind of existence is the Ghost Killing Squad?"

I don't know what kind of thought I was holding, but I actually asked him such a question.

Hearing the words, Gui Wu Tsuji Wu Mi was also taken aback for a moment, his face was still very ugly, but he answered me: "It's very annoying."

Just such a sentence.

"……yes."

I don't know if my reaction reminded him of something, he said, "I thought you wouldn't be like them."

This sentence was actually a little calm, and he continued: "As soon as I opened my mouth, I could think of what those members of the ghost killing team would say, probably wanting to avenge my family, saying that they would send me to hell or something like that. ..."

Before listening to what he wanted to say, I interrupted him: "Then what do you think I should be like?"

In his eyes, what should I do to be right?

"I gave you what you need most," Gui Wu Tsuji was not angry because I interrupted him halfway, but actually explained it to me. He said to me: "Those who hinder you, I will Killed them all for you."

At this point I'm almost sure.

- We must have met at some point.

Perhaps it was because of something that happened before that he had such an idea, which made him extremely convinced that such an idea was correct.

It is precisely because of that past that he feels that doing these things for me is the best result for me.

But, "You're wrong."

I whispered, "Everything is wrong."

So in the end, there is only a "tragic" ending.

This time the object of silence became Onimai Tsuji Mumi, he watched me quietly, and after a while he said: "Then what do you want to do?"

I want to do what Wonsan Girei failed to do.

With this thought in mind, the body moved unconsciously, the target of the attack dodged the attack very quickly, and the sun wheel sword that lost its target cut through the barrier.

The room where the Miko-sama lived for several months was completely destroyed just like that.

In fact, there is no point in keeping it, and it is useless to keep such things.

What I need and miss is not these anymore.

It was clearly the first time he picked up a sword, but his body was incredibly relaxed due to the influence of the breathing method. Even though he had been engaged in high-intensity fighting, he did not feel tired or difficult to breathe.

But my attack did not cause too much damage to Onimai Tsuji.

The Sun Wheel Knife didn't seem to have much effect on him either.

Those wounds on his body healed themselves at an extremely fast speed, and all I saw in my line of sight was that slightly embarrassed figure.

"Gen Muyue." He suddenly called out my name, not the usual "Mu Yue Ji", but the complete "Gen Mu Yue".

I didn't speak, the tip of the knife was pressed down and I could swing it again at any time.

In fact, when I was attacking, I was able to detect that I had no chance of winning.

It is true that Toyama-sama is a brave ghost hunter and one of the most powerful pillars in the ghost slaying team, but... not enough.

His attack was far from enough for Ghost Mai Tsuji.

And the reason why I was able to cause harm to him was more because the so-called "enemy" was showing mercy to me.

He didn't do his best in front of me.

"do you hate me?"

I suddenly asked him.

It is actually very strange to ask this kind of question at this time, even according to common sense, even if you really want to ask it, it should be Guimai Tsuji who asked me such a question-he killed my family , Appearing in front of me with a false identity, what he has done should be hated even more.

But I feel... the way he looked at me, when our eyes met, the look I saw in those scarlet pupils clearly concealed overly complex and heavy emotions.

Oni Wu Tsuji did not speak.

But I think, I should hate him at this time.

Even if there is no anger or grief in my heart, every action I make is actually silently expressing this hatred.

That's why I'm going to kill him—Kimai Tsuji Mumi.

Even if I can't do it.It's not because I don't think enough, but because I don't have such ability.

but……

I don't understand what he's thinking now.

The bitter cold wind blew the ends of his hair, making it easier for people to see his expression at the moment—incomprehensible and indescribable.

"do you hate me?"

After being silent for a long time, he suddenly asked back: "Because I killed people... and ghosts in front of you?"

I suddenly didn't know what to say.

I don't know what expression to use to face him.

But at this moment, there was a very slight sound of footsteps——footsteps from the gate of the courtyard.

A swordsman who has never met before has a long knife pinned to his waist. His feathers are slightly blown by the wind, his clothes are curved in the air, and his expressionless face suddenly appears in our sight.

I froze for a moment, not only because of his sudden appearance, but also because of the strange markings on his face.

It was a fiery color and shape spreading down from the left forehead, like a flame.It complements the equally conspicuous red hair, and people can't help but focus on him.

On the swordsman's earlobe are flower earrings with a sunrise pattern, floating slightly in the wind.The whole person seemed to suddenly appear in the courtyard, abrupt but quiet.

Hearing the sound of disordered breathing, I subconsciously recognized the face and looked at Gui Wu Tsuji Mumi—it was his breathing.

Not only that, I even saw a look on his face that can be called...almost fearful.

who's that person?

With such a dress, is he also a member of the Ghost Killing Squad?

No one opened their mouths to say a word, and no one made a sound. Some were just too fast movements. The red-haired swordsman grasped the handle of the knife, and corresponding to it was the sudden gesture of Onimai Tsuji. near.

He embraced me in his male form, which made it difficult for me to understand his thoughts, but in the next second—someone cut off that arm.

The blood stained my coat, and the red-haired swordsman's long knife slashed in front of me. What I saw in my sight was a color as dazzling as the sun, and some similar but completely different... probably also "breathing method" ".

It's just that it's definitely not the kind of "water breathing" that I've seen Mr. Yuanshan use.

This strange swordsman seems to have known Kiwu Tsuji for a long time, because the moment he pulled out his long sword, Kiwu Tsuji hugged me, I don’t know what he was thinking, I was so surprised at that time. He stood motionless in place.

I was always making wrong choices—at that moment, it seemed that such a thought came to me from the bottom of my heart.

It wasn't until I saw Kimai Tsuji's arm falling in front of me that I suddenly felt that I had thought something wrong again.

He probably wanted to run away with me, because he knew that he could not defeat the red-haired swordsman at this time.

But...that idea couldn't be realized, the swordsman chopped off his arm, grabbed my arm, and threw me in the opposite direction.