Although Ryukawa Chinatsu mention of "a little" connection was vague, Shinichi still accepted the documents.
After all, when traveling to major cities, the sword prohibition laws could indeed be troublesome.
Just as Chinatsu was enthusiastically preparing to tell Shinichi more about the novel foreign things she'd seen, the wooden door slid open.
Elder Moriki entered, his body slightly hunched with age.
"Mitsuyo-sama!"
"Old Man!"
Chinatsu immediately knelt formally and bowed in respect, while Shinichi casually stretched and offered a more relaxed greeting.
Elder Moriki wore a gentle smile. "Good, good, my dear children. Please, sit."
Soon, servants brought steaming Wisteria Tea and sweets.
The elder sat contentedly between the two young people, his aged face filled with pride as he looked at them.
Whether it was Shinichi or Ryukawa Chinatsu, the old man felt nothing but pride for them.
As he grew older, he'd become like any ordinary grandfather - concerned about his descendants' wellbeing, overjoyed when they came to visit.
He praised Chinatsu remarkable development of the merchant association, though he'd long stopped caring about such worldly matters.
What truly mattered was that Chinatsu had found her own path in life.
When he learned that Shinichi had slain Lower Moon Four - Wakuraba, tears of emotion streamed down Elder Moriki face.
At last, the title of Forest Hashira would have a true successor.
"Speaking of which, Old Man" Shinichi said through a mouthful of stuffed dorayaki.
"You always said you'd tell me your story when I became a Hashira. I'm curious - let's hear it."
Wiping away his joyful tears, Elder Moriki expression turned nostalgic, tinged with regret.
"Since you wish to know, Shinichi, I shall tell you the tale."
****
Decades ago, the Moriki family - generations of Demon slayers - had dwindled until only two brothers remained to inherit Forest Breathing.
The elder brother, Moriki Mitsuyo and younger brother, Moriki Mitsuto. Like all Moriki descendants before them, both brothers joined the Demon Slayer Corps upon coming of age.
Compared to his elder brother, Mitsuto showed greater talent, having mastered up to the Eighth Form of Forest Breathing.
Within two years of joining, the brothers had slain dozens of Demons, with Mitsuto needing only two more kills to become a Hashira.
Just as the brothers excitedly believed they could fulfill their family dreams, their squad encountered an extraordinarily powerful Demon during a mission.
This Demon' strength defied description.
The three Hashira-ranked Demon slayer leading their squad were slaughtered within moments, while other members were massacred.
Most terrifyingly, the Demon seemed to recognize the Forest Breathing techniques used by the brothers.
After casually dispatching the three Hashira, the Demon turned its attention to the brothers' squad.
Without hesitation, Mitsuto and the remaining brave slayers charged to meet the Demon attack.
The outcome... was predictable...Mitsuyo witnessed his younger brother body being sliced into dozens of pieces, along with dozens of other Demon slayer—all killed together.
Mitsuyo broke down.
Having seen it all, he dropped his Nichirin Blade and ran away.
Whether it was because dawn was approaching or not, the Demon didn't pursue him. But Mitsuyo kept running, not stopping for days and nights until he finally collapsed from exhaustion in a farmland.
Later, when rescued by a passerby, Mitsuyo completely fell into ruin.
He became a deserter of the Demon Slayer Corps, abandoning himself to despair.
Overwhelming guilt haunted him for decades.
He never married, never returned to the Corps and instead drowned himself in alcohol, trying to force himself to forget everything.
Yet the nightmare of abandoning his brother and comrades followed him for years—until one night, over a decade ago, when a heavily drunk Mitsuyo had a dream.
In it, he met the legendary ancestor of the Moriki family, the founder of Forest Breathing.
The next day, Mitsuyo suddenly woke up in the Moriki family shrine, surrounded by the memorial tablets of countless ancestors—including his brother, Mitsuto.
From that moment, Mitsuyo seemed to have found himself again.
He could never forgive his past, but since he hadn't died bravely alongside his brother, he now had a duty to pass on Forest Breathing.
He couldn't let it die in the hands of a coward like himself. He had to find a true successor worthy of Forest Breathing.
This was the guidance the ancestor had given him in the dream.
And so, Mitsuyo made it his final mission in life to search for a successor. The search lasted over a decade and Mitsuyo slowly grew into an old man.
Then, two years ago, Mitsuyo suddenly felt a calling from a certain direction—as if guided by his ancestors.
Without hesitation, he followed it.
Along the way, he encountered young members of the Demon Slayer Corps.
Seeing their youthful faces, the old man felt dazed, as if looking at his younger self and his brother, Mitsuto.
And so, the Old Man traveled with them, eventually encountering a Lower Moon Demon on Mount Shirai—and also meeting Shinichi, the true successor he had been searching for all these years.
****
Elder Moriki finished his story.
Both Ryukawa Chinatsu and Shinichi fell into silence.
Even Chinatsu had never known the old man past before.
They hadn't imagined the weight he carried. Shinichi, especially, felt a heavy responsibility settle on his shoulders.
Taking a deep breath, Shinichi heterochromatic eyes flashed with resolve as he asked Elder Moriki.
"That Demon who killed three Hashira and your brother—who was it? A Lower Moon? Or an Upper Moon?"
Elder Moriki hand, holding the teacup, froze mid-air.
Veins bulged on his withered skin as the porcelain cup shattered in his grip.
How could he forget?
That Demon who also wielded a Nichirin Blade!
That Demon who used a Breathing Style!
That Demon dressed in Warring States-era armor!
That monstrous face with six eyes!
Elder Moriki would never forget it!
However, letting go of the shattered teacup, the old man sighed and looked seriously at Shinichi, speaking gravely.
"Shinichi, right now, there's still a gap between you and that Demon. But I believe your future is limitless. When the time truly comes, you will have the chance to slay that Demon!"
Just as he spoke, the sound of flapping wings and something pecking at the door suddenly came from outside the room.
Ryukawa Chinatsu quickly stepped forward to open the door, and soon the Kasugai Crow Eizo flapped its wings as it flew into the room, landing in front of Shinichi and loudly announcing.
"Shinichi! Return to Headquarters immediately! Oyakata-sama is about to announce your promotion to 'Hashira'!"
------------------------------
Please read my new one piece fic : One piece : Beast God Pirates
Read 30 chapters ahead and support me on patreon.
patreon (.)com/Newbietranslator