"I'm destined to die at the age of twenty-five?"
To think, I finally make it home only to receive a death sentence!
Haha! My younger brother must have developed quite the sense of humor now that he's getting married. Look at him, finally learning how to crack a joke.
"..."
?
Wait, are you actually crying right now?
Yoriichi had a tearful expression. Even at seventeen, he was a tall man standing at 190 cm with a mature, sturdy build. Normally, I would have told him to stop blubbering like a child, but…
In the seventeen years I've lived with this fellow, I have never seen him cry. Despite his looks, he's the most unfathomably stoic person I know.
One might wonder how someone who isn't a doctor could accurately predict my remaining lifespan, but this man possesses eyes that can see through bodies as if they were transparent. Moreover… whenever my health was even slightly off, he was always the first to realize the cause.
Furthermore, has Yoriichi ever told a lie in his life?
"….Since when?"
"It was since the Mark appeared upon your face, Brother."
The Mark….
A crimson, tattoo-like pattern similar to the one Yoriichi had.
According to Yoriichi, it manifested on my forehead when my blood circulation speed, heart rate, and body temperature reached a certain threshold…
It likely happened when I was forcing my blood to circulate faster to achieve a temporary 'runner's high.'
Since it was my first time and I didn't know exactly how much pressure was needed for that state, I just pushed it based on instinct. To think that bit of reckless experimentation would shave away my very life.
No wonder… it wasn't just a simple runner's high; my physical capabilities and Breathing had become incomparable to what they were before. What's more, the effects that should have been temporary were still lingering within me even now.
"Is this what they call terminal lucidity...?"
I have a time limit! My life has a deadline...!
"Brother, I am truly sorry."
Yoriichi kept his head bowed low, looking as if he were the one who had committed a great crime.
"What have you done wrong? This isn't your fault."
This was all my fault for acting like an idiot.
A limited lifespan….
I never particularly desired to live a long life in this incarnation. Nor did I have a compelling reason to do so.
No matter how much money I might have, there's nothing to spend it on—no internet, no games, no high-quality medical care, and the food doesn't even come close to the twenty-first century. Most importantly, there are no bidets!
Thinking about it, there really isn't much reason to live a long life in the Sengoku period.
The only things weighing on my mind were Yoriichi, Uta, Uzui, and Amano….
Though, I'd rather not die in pain… and I especially refuse to die from being beaten to death by Yoriichi.
I just wanted a modest life. Well… a 'long' life is out of the question now.
"Are you the only one who knows of this?"
"Yes."
"Keep it hidden for the time being. It will be revealed eventually, but if people find out a Hashira of the Demon Slayer Corps has only eight years left to live, it will lead directly to a collapse in morale. Especially Uta—she's carrying a child, she must not know."
Tell no one!
If word got out that I'm dying, everyone would start badgering me to step down as a Hashira.
Yoriichi fell into thought for a moment after hearing my words.
"Even to… Uzui and Lady Amano… should I not…?"
Those two were there as well. They would….
"….I will tell them myself."
A silence fell between us. Yoriichi nodded in understanding and moved toward the door first.
Before leaving, Yoriichi glanced back at me and opened his mouth.
"I am sorry, Brother."
He seemed to think that his request for a duel was what triggered this disaster.
"It is not your fault."
Yoriichi nodded and stepped outside.
Good grief… what a headache.
You could certainly call this the greatest crisis of Michikatsu's life.
It's reaching the point where I should change my life's tag from 'overpowered' to 'tragic.'
@@@
A shinobi has sharp ears.
Among them, mine were particularly acute.
Whether it was transcribing an enemy's movements into a musical score or managing to escape my clan, it was all possible because of my hearing.
Because of this, I often end up hearing conversations I would rather not listen to.
For instance…
"A limited lifespan…."
Just like now.
I was simply on night watch and noticed a room with its light still on, so I approached the door… only to overhear a secret I never wanted to know.
The time Lord Michikatsu has left to live… is eight years.
Since it was stated directly by Lord Yoriichi, it cannot be a lie.
The cause was that Mark that appeared on Lord Michikatsu's face. I wondered how he had managed to fight Lord Yoriichi to a draw… it was because he had unleashed a strike with his whole soul, fueled by the burning of his own life.
Lord Michikatsu probably didn't anticipate this… he was likely putting on a show again and ended up in this predicament.
It seems even Lord Yoriichi has no way to fix it this time.
'...'
I am used to death. Whether in the shinobi clan or the Demon Slayer Corps, and especially in this era of war, it is common for someone who was right beside you to die in some distant land by the next day.
'Yes… it is a common thing. Even without the Mark, there was no guarantee Lord Michikatsu would live past twenty-five anyway.'
At that moment, I locked eyes with Lord Yoriichi as he exited the room.
He paused for a moment and gave a small nod as if in greeting. He likely realized that I had overheard.
I returned his nod and stood before Lord Michikatsu's door.
Normally, I would have entered without standing on ceremony, but…
Today, the door handle felt heavy.
"Lord Michikatsu, it's Uzui."
I called out his name cautiously.
I wondered what kind of expression he was wearing.
I wondered what he was about to say.
'We fear that which has no form.'
Would he strike a cool pose as usual and act as if it were nothing?
'Waaah! Uzui-emon—!'
Or would he whine and complain to me like a child, as he often did?
"Come in."
His voice was no different than usual.
It wasn't a voice filled with resignation… nor was it the voice of someone whining. It was simply his normal voice.
When I opened the door, he looked just as he always did, with the only addition being the Mark—the same pattern in the same location as Lord Yoriichi's.
"Michika…"
"Did something happen? You look like you've seen a ghost..."
...
I don't know…
I should be laughing while asking what kind of scheme you're up to as you act all cool and mysterious…
I was prepared to comfort you as you whined and threw a fit…
"Is it eight years?"
I don't know what kind of expression I'm making right now.
I don't know what it is I'm trying to say.
"You heard, then?"
He responded as if it were a trivial matter.
Why can you act so normal? You're going to die, you know?
'To discard your very life just to stand on equal ground with Lord Yoriichi… how truly flamboyant of you.'
"Is that… so…"
The words I had originally intended to say wouldn't come out.
"Our contract isn't over yet. I intend to work you to the bone for the next eight years… so."
I did what I did back then—I took his face and buried it in my chest.
I just… I didn't want to show him my far-from-flamboyant face any longer.
Yes, for now, that was all.
"'If you give me wings, I will fly for you. Even if this entire land were to be submerged in water. If you give me a sword, I will stand and face the front for you. Even if this entire sky were to pierce you with light'… were those the words?"
"Wow… you memorized all that?"
"I didn't just memorize it; I've been infected by Lord Michikatsu's eccentricities. You truly need to take responsibility for this."
As he remained buried in my chest, making ridiculous sounds and looking quite pathetic, I let out a small chuckle.
The tension in my expression seemed to melt away with that laugh, but I still didn't want him to see my face just yet.
"A world without you seems like it would be boring and lacking in flair. So, until the day you die, keep me entertained—and then you can die in peace."
I'm sure my face right now—
"Man, isn't that a bit harsh?"
'—must look quite terrifying, because when you die, you certainly won't be alone.'
It's likely something very frightening.
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