Following a faint sixth sense, Yoriichi walked towards the edge of town. The townspeople had said there was a tall tower on the wasteland outside the town. It was originally built for worship but had long since fallen into disuse. The rumors of the six-eyed, sword-wielding demon had also started from there.
Before long, Yoriichi and Si Shu arrived near the tower.
"You go on up there," Yoriichi said, pointing to the structure. "I have a feeling... my brother will come."
With that, Yoriichi stood his ground, gazing at the distant horizon, waiting quietly. Before leaving, Si Shu looked at his master's somewhat lonely back.
"Master, becoming your student was the most correct thing I have ever done in this life."
"As for me," Yoriichi replied, not turning, "to have met you in this life was truly a wonderful thing."
Wiping the tears from his face, Si Shu rushed towards the tower. With a few successive leaps, he stood steadily at its very top.
The night wind blew silently, carrying away Yoriichi's tears and also bringing tonight's other main character.
A rustling sound echoed as if someone were approaching. Soon, a figure appeared at the other end of the path. He wore a samurai uniform with a python-scale pattern, and a strange demonic blade was strapped to his waist. His hair was tied in a high ponytail, and his face held six crimson eyes. What was most terrifying were the characters engraved in the middle two eyes.
The left eye: "Upper Rank."
The right eye: "One."
The newcomer was none other than Muzan's partner, the man once known as Michikatsu Tsugikuni. The current Upper Rank One, Kokushibo.
The moment Kokushibo appeared, Si Shu instinctively wanted to draw his sword and attack. But his promise to Yoriichi restrained him. He had to endure. He alone would be the witness to this history.
Below the tower, as Kokushibo drew closer, he also noticed the person standing opposite him. The crimson moonlight shone down, illuminating the man's features. A look of utter shock filled all six of his eyes. He couldn't believe the incredible sight before him.
His own brother, Yoriichi Tsugikuni, now in his twilight years, was standing right in front of him. He couldn't understand why Yoriichi hadn't died. He should have died from the Mark's curse over sixty years ago!
"This is impossible... Why are you still alive?" Kokushibo's voice trembled with disbelief. "Why... are you the only one who could live to this age?"
Yoriichi didn't answer. A single, clear tear just slid down his cheek.
"How pitiful you are... brother."
The moment he heard those words, Kokushibo's eyes widened. He... was being pitied. Pitied by the man who was once his twin brother, now just a frail old man. But for some reason, he didn't feel a shred of anger. Yoriichi's soft "brother," and the first display of emotion he had ever shown him, were expressing a deep sadness. He himself was bewildered by the strange stirring in his own heart.
For Kokushibo, only one thing was certain. He had to kill Yoriichi. He had to kill the Demon Slayer standing in his path. Looking at Yoriichi's old and withered body, Kokushibo even doubted if he could withstand a single blow. From this perspective, couldn't he be considered to have already surpassed Yoriichi?
At the same instant, both opponents placed their hands on the hilts of their swords.
In that moment, the desolate and lonely atmosphere changed. A fierce, death-defying aura erupted from Yoriichi's body, like a dying lion sizing up its prey. Kokushibo was shocked, astounded that Yoriichi could still possess such a powerful presence. He was the one who had obtained an eternally youthful body, yet he was still being suppressed. It felt as if two great stones were pressing on his shoulders, his chest struck by a heavy hammer.
Yoriichi's stance had no openings, as perfect as it was in his prime.
From the top of the tower, Si Shu watched the two face off, his heart tight. He knew the outcome, but witnessing it firsthand was a completely different feeling. The story of the Tsugikuni brothers had reached its end.
Without any further preamble, Yoriichi simply said, "I'm here."
With a burst of strength from his wrist, Kokushibo, relying on his powerful demonic body, drew his blade first. Seeing Yoriichi still standing there, showing no sign of drawing his own sword, he felt victory was in his grasp.
!
Suddenly, a chilling sensation spread through his entire body, instantly sobering the excited Kokushibo. At some unknown point, Yoriichi, who had been standing opposite him, had vanished, only to reappear behind him.
"Cough... urk."
Coughing up a mouthful of blood, Kokushibo was horrified to find that his neck had been almost completely severed. His greatest weakness besides the sun had nearly been exploited by Yoriichi. He was confused, shocked, and couldn't understand. Why was Yoriichi the only special one? Why was he, a Marked swordsman, still alive? Why was his swordsmanship, even at such an old age, no different from back then?
All his emotions ignited at once, and Kokushibo's face twisted into a mask of rage. Even though he knew that with just one more swing, his head would be on the ground, it couldn't stop his hatred for Yoriichi.
"Yoriichi, tell me, why—"
Kokushibo was about to roar, but he suddenly froze.
From the top of the tower, Si Shu also leaned back against the spire, one hand covering his face. Tears streamed down, carried away by the night wind.
He and Kokushibo both knew. Yoriichi Tsugikuni could no longer make that next swing.
Yoriichi just stood there, his hand gripping his sword, completely motionless. He had exhausted all his life force and had departed from this world.
Looking at the now-dead Yoriichi, Kokushibo became enraged. Even in death, you deny me the chance to truly defeat you?
His demonic blade left its sheath, and a stream of light slashed through Yoriichi's corpse.
Schlick!
The old, frail body was easily cut in two. The corpse fell to the ground in two halves, blood scattering everywhere. In mid-air, a severed bamboo flute flew out from a cloth pouch.
Thump... bonk, bonk...
The flute fell to the ground, rolled a few times, and came to a stop.
Seeing that flute, Kokushibo froze completely.
Lowering his head, taking in everything that had just happened, Si Shu forcibly suppressed the urge to act. He knew... the story of Yoriichi Tsugikuni had, today, come to an end.
-------
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