She Hadn't Been Able to Change Anything

Yuko had a nightmare. In it, Kokushibo still became a Demon.

When she awoke, cold sweat chilling her forehead, Yuko suddenly opened her eyes and sat up.

Was it a dream?

Almost instinctively, she searched for the table she had knocked over in the dream, and the floor that had been stained with blood.

The table stood properly in its place, and there wasn't a trace of blood on the floor.

It was...

Swish~

The door was pulled open. A physician entered carrying a basin of water. When she saw Yuko awake, she quickly strode over.

"Miss Yuko? Thank goodness you're safe."

Yuko stared blankly. "What?"

The physician froze for a moment. Her fingers tightened around the basin, and her expression grew somber.

"Kokushibo... cut off the Lord Master's head and went to serve the Demon King."

Anger also showed in the physician's eyes.

Yuko opened her mouth, but unexpectedly, no words came out.

As a modern person, Yuko had always felt uncomfortable with the ancient notions of ruler and subject.

She especially disliked making people kneel from the bottom of her heart.

But there was no denying that the leader of the Demon Slayer Corps was a charismatic man who treated his members exceptionally well.

Kokushibo had also received his kindness...

Kokushibo, who had always respected hierarchy and order, had personally cut off the Lord Master's head.

How ironic.

Yuko opened her mouth, her voice slightly hoarse. "What about everyone else?"

"They're all fine."

"Kokushibo fled immediately after killing the Lord Master."

"If the Hashira hadn't all been away on missions, Lord Master would never have been harmed."

"What about Yoriichi? Does he know?"

"Mr. Yoriichi returned with the Flame Hashira this morning. He came to see you once. He should be at the Lord Master's residence now."

At that, Yuko threw off the covers and got up.

"Miss Yuko, your body truly can't withstand you forcing yourself like this anymore."

"Snow Breathing causes severe damage to the lungs. If this continues, you might not even have three years..."

From the perspective of breathing techniques, people whose bodies were unsuited to Sun Breathing would suffer burning pain in their lungs if they forcibly practiced it.

Snow Breathing was the opposite. For those unsuited to it, their lungs would suffer frostbite.

That was also why many members of the Demon Slayer Corps considered Snow Breathing no inferior to First Breathing.

Its requirements were simply too harsh. At present, only Yuko could use it.

But after Yuko's lungs had been injured, the effect Snow Breathing had on her became especially obvious.

Yuko gently pressed down the physician's hand. "I know. I'm sorry for making you worry."

"But there's still something I want to do."

She dragged her heavy body outside and headed toward the Lord Master's residence.

On the way, she happened to encounter some Demon Slayer Corps members—the newcomers she had once instructed.

Yuko forced out a faint smile and nodded at them.

None of them responded. They looked at her with complicated expressions.

There seemed to be anger, resentment, and sympathy in those gazes. It was impossible to say exactly what they felt.

But it was completely different from the admiration they had shown before.

Yuko was briefly distracted. When she came to her senses, her expression changed slightly, and she quickened her pace.

At the Lord Master's residence.

The Hashira, who had rushed back overnight after learning of the Lord Master's death, were surrounding Yoriichi, who was kneeling on the floor.

Yoriichi sat rigidly upright, his hands resting on his thighs and clenched tightly.

"This is all your fault! Your elder brother became a Demon and got the Lord Master killed!"

"Stop it. Yoriichi must be suffering too." The Flame Hashira pulled back the companion who was berating Yoriichi.

"It's because he failed to kill the Demon King and even let the evil Demon accompanying him escape!"

"You! You should commit seppuku..."

Swish~

The door was suddenly pulled open. An astonishing force burst from Yuko's frail body, sending everyone surrounding Yoriichi staggering away. She then hugged Yoriichi protectively, shielding him beneath her.

"Stop..." She held Yoriichi tightly, her voice almost pleading.

The Hashira here had all taught her breathing techniques. They were kind people and had always gotten along well with Yoriichi.

Yuko knew very well that they had directed their sharp words at their comrade only because the beloved Lord Master had been killed by Kokushibo and they had lost themselves to anger.

Both Kokushibo and Yuko had joined the Corps at Yoriichi's recommendation. The Lord Master's death was inseparable from Yoriichi.

Setting aside the fact that he had let the Demon King escape, allowing the evil Demon who traveled with the Demon King to escape was likewise an unforgivable crime.

In this era, being told to commit seppuku was actually perfectly normal.

So she couldn't explain anything. All she could do was hope everyone would calm down.

Yuko was still quite popular within the Corps. Whether Hashira or ordinary members, they all held a great deal of affection for the gentle woman.

Now, seeing her slender figure, the accusations gradually ceased.

The Hashira had already learned of Yuko's unconsciousness on their way back.

The one who had discovered Yuko unconscious was the physician who had always treated her.

When she found Yuko, there were signs of a battle inside the room. This proved that Yuko had once fought Kokushibo after he became a Demon.

"Yuko..." Yoriichi, held in her arms, had emotion flickering in his eyes.

Much of the anger in the Hashira's hearts melted away at Yuko's arrival, though the atmosphere remained tense.

Fortunately, the Master's Child appeared at that moment.

Only six years old, he hurriedly took over as the head of the Demon Slayer Corps after his father's death.

He pacified the enraged Hashira and, on the condition that Yoriichi be expelled from the Demon Slayer Corps, forgave him for his failure to judge people correctly.

After resolving Yoriichi's matter, the six-year-old Master's Child turned his gaze toward Yuko, who was sitting quietly nearby. Her pale figure resembled a white lotus swaying precariously in a pond.

"Miss Yuko, I'll have someone take you back immediately."

"The physician has already come to my father more than once. Please, you must take care of your health."

Yuko lowered her head slightly. "Please permit me to leave the Corps together with my elder brother."

"Miss Yuko..."

"Yuko, you haven't done anything wrong."

Everyone spoke up one after another.

Even Yoriichi did.

"Yuko, you don't need to do this."

Yuko shook her head. "I can no longer slay evil Demons. If I stay in the Demon Slayer Corps, I'll only burden everyone."

"Later, I'll compile Snow Breathing into a manual. I hope it can be put to use someday."

The Master's Child opened his mouth, wanting to urge her to stay, but couldn't say anything. In the end, he merely nodded slightly. "I understand, Miss Yuko. Mr. Yoriichi, please take care of yourselves."

"Take care, Lord Master."

"Everyone, take care."

After organizing the Sword Styles and breathing techniques of Snow Breathing, Yuko left the Demon Slayer Corps together with Yoriichi.

She had developed eight Sword Styles for Snow Breathing, more than the Five Great Breathing Styles had at the time.

After leaving the Demon Slayer Corps, Yuko gazed at the boundless clear sky. "Brother, you've been away for quite some time. Would you like to go home and take a look?"

It was only before leaving the Corps that Yuko learned the truth about Yoriichi's battle with Muzan.

It wasn't that he had been unable to kill Muzan. He simply hadn't expected Muzan to transform into more than eighteen hundred pieces of flesh and split apart to escape in an instant.

That was why Yoriichi was called the ceiling.

If she had mentioned it to Yoriichi at the time, even just telling him to be more careful... would things have turned out differently?

Yuko had actually considered staying by Yoriichi's side and helping him when they encountered Muzan. Perhaps together, they could have killed Muzan successfully.

But she hadn't expected Kokushibo to become a Demon and kill the Lord Master almost immediately before Yoriichi encountered Muzan.

She had been completely unprepared.

She... hadn't been able to change anything...

"I have somewhere I want to go." Yoriichi gazed at the same sky as her, a faint sadness tinting his expression.

Yuko nodded. She had even less affection for that cold home after Kokushibo's betrayal. Whether she returned or not didn't matter.

"Where does Brother want to go?"

"To see my wife."

"Huh?"