"Hanafuda (Flower Cards)"
"My father was a woodcutter. I often went to the mountains with him. My mother had a long-lasting cold that worsened into pneumonia, taking her life.
That day, it was raining heavily. My father went to gather herbs to treat my mother, but he fell from a cliff and died. My parents died when I was ten, leaving me alone."
"No, that's wrong. It should be eleven. I had a twin brother, Yuichiro Tokito."
"Good people get no reward; no matter how much you care for others, you'll end up badly."
High in the mountains, Yuichiro Tokito, carrying a bundle of branches, spoke with his usual harshness.
Behind him, his ten-year-old twin brother, Muichiro Tokito, also carrying branches, said, "No, good people get rewarded. Father said helping others is like helping yourself."
Yuichiro Tokito scoffed, "Coming from someone who died trying to help others, you actually believe that?"
Muichiro Tokito: "Brother, how can you say that? Father did it for Mother…"
Yuichiro Tokito: "She was that sick; herbs wouldn't cure her. Father was a fool."
Muichiro Tokito: "Brother, don't talk about Father like that!"
Yuichiro Tokito: "If he hadn't gone out in the storm, he wouldn't have died along with Mother."
Muichiro Tokito: "Stop it! That's too much!"
Yuichiro Tokito: "You're so noisy. Stop shouting. I'm stating facts. Be careful not to attract wild boars. Your 'nothingness' is 'incompetence.' This bickering is pointless. No amount of arguing can change the past. Your nothingness is also meaningless."
Muichiro Tokito always found his brother's words incredibly harsh.
"I vaguely remember becoming as sharp-tongued as my brother during my amnesia. Living with him felt suffocating. I always thought he was cold and hated me."
"In spring, someone visited—the Master's wife. She was so beautiful; I initially thought she was a birch tree spirit."
"Amane-sama told us we were descendants of swordsmen, heirs to the Sun Breathing technique. I was overjoyed and wanted to become a swordsman."
"But my brother, as usual, drove Amane-sama away with insults. I tried to reason with him, urging him to join the Demon Slayer Corps, but he just berated me. I was devastated, utterly heartbroken."
"Yet, Amane-sama kept visiting. One day, my brother threw water on her, and we had a huge fight. After that, we barely spoke."
"Summer arrived. That summer was exceptionally hot, even at night. The cicadas were incessant, making us irritable. With the door open, a demon broke in."
"It was a talking demon. I still remember its words vividly."
"You useless woodcutters have no reason to live. Since life and death are the same, use your meaningless lives to fill my belly."
"My vision turned blood red. I'd never experienced such rage, a feeling like my insides would burst. I don't remember what happened after that. I can't believe that deafening roar came from me."
"When I came to, the demon was dying. Even with its head smashed, it didn't die, only groaning in pain."
"Soon, dawn broke. The demon turned to dust, but I felt nothing. I just wanted to get back to my brother. My body felt heavy as lead. Even though our home was close, it took me forever to crawl back."
"My brother was also dying. Though usually harsh and seemingly hateful, seeing me near death, he prayed for me."
Yuichiro Tokito: "God… Buddha… please save my brother. He's different from me; he's a kind child. I prevented him from helping others…"
Yuichiro Tokito: "It's all my fault. If you're going to punish us, punish me alone. I… I always knew Muichiro's 'nothingness' meant 'infinite' nothingness. You… you were chosen, capable of wielding infinite power for others."
Back in reality, freed from the Water Prison Pot, Muichiro Tokito coughed violently from the water in his lungs.
He remembered everything—his lost memories. He had a brother, Yuichiro Tokito, his twin.
Standing up, Muichiro Tokito removed the poisoned needles. The poison wasn't fatal, but it caused numbness in his limbs.
He embraced the unconscious Kotetsu, whose mask had fallen, revealing his young face.
With a swift strike, Muichiro Tokito bisected the carp demon attempting to ambush him.
"Protect… protect the Nichirin Blade," Kotetsu mumbled, urging Muichiro Tokito to find Haganezuka and protect him, preventing the Nichirin Blade's restoration from being ruined.
Muichiro Tokito recalled his brother's final words.
"I always knew Muichiro's 'nothingness' meant 'infinite' nothingness. You… you were chosen, capable of wielding infinite power for others."
This triggered a power surge within Muichiro Tokito.
His body temperature soared, his heartbeat accelerating to a terrifying 200 beats per minute.
Red cloud-like patterns appeared on his left forehead and right cheek. His physical abilities underwent a qualitative leap as his body reached its limit.
This was a latent ability possessed by ancient swordsmen.
Hanafuda! (Flower Cards)
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