I, Yorii Tsugikuni, Must Do Something Chapter 1

I, Yorii Tsugikuni, must do something.

By Ye Chengzhou

Synopsis:

After Yorii Tsugikuni's natural death, his thoughts did not cease.

Everything he had experienced in life replayed within Yorii Tsugikuni's consciousness, like a slideshow before death.

Many of these memories were filled with laughter and happiness, but even more were filled with sorrow.

He felt he had failed the gifts bestowed upon him by heaven; in his long life, he had accomplished nothing.

Then, Yorii Tsugikuni discovered that he had not died and had instead returned to his youngest, most peak state.

"I must do something."

Volume 1: Akame ga Kill

Chapter 1: Rebirth and Encounter

Just moments before his natural death, Yorii Tsugikuni had an impulse and went out for a walk.

He encountered his elder brother, whom he hadn't seen in many years, Yorii Genkatsu, now a demon. Yorii Tsugikuni, amidst his grief, unleashed his final slash of this life upon his brother.

Regrettably, at the very instant the blade was about to meet Yorii Genkatsu's neck, Yorii Tsugikuni's heart softened.

In that moment, Yorii Tsugikuni hesitated for a flicker.

Ultimately, the Nichirin Blade in Yorii Tsugikuni's hand did not truly strike.

'Have I died then?'

'What happens after death is much more mundane than I imagined.'

In a void, Yorii Tsugikuni pondered aimlessly.

As the second son of the Yorii family during the Warring States period, Yorii Tsugikuni had never wanted for food or shelter. He was born with the ability to use Breathing Techniques and the Clear World, and his swordsmanship talent was immeasurably high.

Yorii Tsugikuni's memories from birth to his natural death flashed before him like a movie.

As he continued to watch, the guilt within Yorii Tsugikuni grew more severe.

Yorii Tsugikuni realized that despite possessing talent incomparable to others, he had accomplished almost nothing and changed nothing throughout his entire life.

He had failed to kill the Progenitor of Demons.

Even his most beloved brother had been turned into a demon by the Progenitor of Demons' temptation.

He had failed the gifts bestowed upon him by heaven; in his long life, he had accomplished nothing.

In short, that was about it.

Yorii Tsugikuni thought endlessly in the void, unable to perceive the passage of time.

Everything was void; the only thing that made Yorii Tsugikuni feel a sense of existence was that his thoughts had not stopped.

Even though the slideshow of his life had ended who knew how long ago, Yorii Tsugikuni's mind was still functioning.

However, to Yorii Tsugikuni's surprise, he didn't know when his surroundings had changed. The void was gone, replaced by light.

One of the lights looked somewhat familiar to Yorii Tsugikuni.

A girl who had appeared in his line of sight several times seemed to glance at him with concern before hesitantly discussing with the boy beside her and walking towards him.

"Hey, hey, hello."

"I saw you standing here alone for a long time."

Sayo looked at Yorii Tsugikuni standing blankly in the street and said with concern, "If there's any problem, maybe we can help you."

Today was Sayo and her companion Ieyasu's first day in the Imperial Capital.

They were supposed to be with another companion, Tatsumi, but due to various reasons, they had become separated. Sayo and Ieyasu could only continue towards the Imperial Capital after parting ways with Tatsumi.

Upon arriving in the Imperial Capital, Sayo and Ieyasu noticed Yorii Tsugikuni standing by the side of the street.

His face bore a heartbreaking expression, and he exuded an aura of sadness from head to toe.

However, the passersby seemed accustomed to Yorii Tsugikuni's demeanor and didn't bother him as he stood there lost in thought.

But, as this was Sayo and her companion Ieyasu's first time in the Imperial Capital, and after passing by several times and seeing no change in Yorii Tsugikuni, Sayo decided to speak to him.

"That's right."

Ieyasu added with unusual cheerfulness and energy, "If you have any difficulties, tell me, Ieyasu, and Sayo!"

As he spoke, Ieyasu thumped his chest forcefully.

He had completely forgotten that he and Sayo were currently penniless.

In fact, the reason Sayo and Ieyasu had passed Yorii Tsugikuni several times was because all their money was with Tatsumi. Now, they had no money for lodging or food.

'?'

Yorii Tsugikuni stared blankly at Sayo and Ieyasu, who seemed to be speaking to him.

A look of confusion crossed his face.

He had been dead for so long, and this was the first time anyone had spoken to him after death.

Yorii Tsugikuni's somewhat sluggish thoughts couldn't quite catch up. After a long hesitation, he tentatively asked, "Are, are you talking to me?"

What a beautiful girl.

It's such a shame she died so young.

At this moment, although Yorii Tsugikuni had sensed the changes around him, he still believed he was in the land of the dead.

He was already dead, and this vibrant, beautiful girl who could speak to him must also be dead.

Otherwise, how could she speak to a dead person like himself?

"Yes, of course, we're talking to you."

Seeing the dullness in Yorii Tsugikuni's eyes regain a bit of its light, Sayo smiled and said, "I saw you standing here alone for a long time. Did something happen?"

"If there's anything I or Ieyasu can help with, you can tell us."

"Oh, right, I don't even know your name yet."

In Sayo's hometown, this was how things were.

If a family encountered any trouble, the villagers would do their best to help out.

Sayo and Ieyasu, venturing out to the Imperial Capital for the first time, naturally retained this habit.

Seeing that Yorii Tsugikuni might need their help, they stepped forward to ask.

"My name is Yorii Tsugikuni."

"I don't think there's anything I need help with."

Hearing Sayo's question, Yorii Tsugikuni thought for a moment before saying earnestly, "After all, I'm already dead, so I don't know what kind of help I might need."

As Yorii Tsugikuni finished speaking, Sayo and Ieyasu both paused for a moment, exchanged a glance, and then burst into laughter.

"Mr. Yorii Tsugikuni, you're quite the jokester."

"If Mr. Yorii Tsugikuni were dead, how could I and Ieyasu be talking to you?"

Looking at Yorii Tsugikuni, who had a surprisingly charming demeanor, Sayo covered her mouth and chuckled.

Sayo certainly didn't believe Yorii Tsugikuni's words about being dead.

"I'm not dead?"

Yorii Tsugikuni looked at Sayo, who was covering her mouth and giggling, and was stunned again.

He subconsciously raised his hands and saw the hands of his youth.

Originally, Yorii Tsugikuni had no senses in the void. Even though the surrounding environment had changed, his mind, having been almost stagnant in the long void, hadn't reacted in time.

Now, after being spoken to by Sayo, Yorii Tsugikuni finally sensed the changes in himself.

Chapter 2: Yorii Tsugikuni and Sayo

First was his skin.

His skin, which had become wrinkled with age, had regained its elasticity and luster.

His pale hair had also turned black and shiny again. Yorii Tsugikuni was no longer a frail old man but a young man radiating youthful vitality.

At this moment, what was happening to Yorii Tsugikuni clearly exceeded his understanding.

Yorii Tsugikuni became dazed once more.

He found it incredibly difficult to comprehend why he had suddenly become young again.

What was even more perplexing to Yorii Tsugikuni was how he, who was supposed to be dead, had come back to life.

"Mr. Yorii Tsugikuni, you must be from a small town."

"This is your first time in the big city of the Imperial Capital, so you're a bit overwhelmed?"

Seeing Yorii Tsugikuni's dazed expression, Sayo continued to smile and say, "Ieyasu and I also came from our village to make our way here. I have to say, compared to our village, the Imperial Capital is truly magnificent."

Although Yorii Tsugikuni gave Sayo a somewhat docile impression, as if he didn't quite fit in with his surroundings, Sayo found a good reason for him: Yorii Tsugikuni, like herself, was someone who had come from a small town to the big city to make a living.

Because it was his first time in the grand Imperial Capital, he seemed a bit lost.

When Sayo and Ieyasu first arrived in the Imperial Capital, they had felt lost due to its overwhelming prosperity.

They were unsure of where to go, as the Imperial Capital was simply too vast.

"The Imperial Capital?"

"Indeed, I've never seen such a prosperous city."

Upon hearing Sayo's words, Yorii Tsugikuni glanced around and nodded very seriously, saying, "Such a prosperous city is truly the most I've ever seen in my life."

As someone from the Warring States period of Fusang Country, in Yorii Tsugikuni's understanding, a city with tens of thousands of inhabitants was already an extremely prosperous city.

A city with a population of 30,000 was among the top ten strongest nations in all of Fusang Country.

Here in the Imperial Capital, the permanent population was over a million, with hundreds of thousands more as transient visitors. To Yorii Yorii, it was indeed a prosperity he had never witnessed before.

Keep in mind, the total population of Fusang Country during the Sengoku period was only a few million.

The Imperial Capital's prototype reference was Yanhuang Country, with its population in the tens of millions, a completely different league.

"Mhm, I've heard my elders talk about how prosperous the Imperial Capital was."

"But even though I was mentally prepared, I was still taken aback when I actually set foot in the Imperial Capital."

Sayo looked at Yorii Yorii, who seemed a bit dazed, and chuckled, covering her mouth. "So, Yorii Yorii-san, what are your plans now? Ieyasu and I are waiting for a lost companion."

"Once our companion arrives, we plan to enlist in the army."

Sayo explained her plan.

Due to the increasing economic pressure in their hometown, Sayo, Ieyasu, and their separated companion Tatsumi decided to come to the Imperial Capital to try and make a name for themselves.

Once they had money, they could help alleviate the economic pressure on their hometown.

It was just a pity that, in the original story, Sayo and Ieyasu underestimated the dangers lurking in the Imperial Capital.

As a result, before the main plot even began, they both met their demise.

"My plans from here?"

"I don't know either."

Yorii Yorii thought of his brother, who had become a demon. A hint of sadness crossed his face as he softly said, "I'll probably continue searching for traces of demons."

At this moment, Yorii Yorii simply felt as though he had been given a second chance at life.