Rui’s head fell to the ground; this time, he was truly going to die.
He had never possessed any memories from when he was human, yet right before his death, he remembered everything.
He had been sickly since birth, falling down even when trying to run.
Lying in a hospital bed, he occasionally heard about a mother who died to save a drowning child, deeply moving him and making him yearn immensely for such life-risking bonds between family members.
Later, Lord Muzan appeared and bestowed upon him a powerful demonic body, finally freeing him from his frail physique so he could run and jump, though the price was merely eating humans.
Why did Father and Mother want to kill him?
Shouldn’t they give up everything for their child?
Before dying, Mother wept and apologized, saying she was sorry for not giving him a robust body.
He finally understood that Father and Mother must have wanted to shoulder the sin of murder and take him along to die together.
“I remember now.
I’ve always wanted to apologize to Father and Mother.”
“I’m sorry, it’s all my fault.
Please forgive me.”
“But I’ve killed so many people.
I’ll probably go to hell, won’t I?
There’s no way I can go to Father and Mother’s side.”
Rui’s body gradually turned to ashes, and in his dying moments, a myriad of thoughts crossed his mind.
“That won’t happen.
Even if it’s hell, we will go together.”
Suddenly, Father’s voice rang out, his warm hand resting on Rui’s shoulder with a warm smile on his face.
“Rui.”
Rui turned his head; Father was on the left, and Mother was on the right.
“Rui, we will be together forever.”
Mother’s face wore a bright smile.
Tears welled up in Rui’s eyes, and he tightly hugged Father and Mother, apologizing incessantly.
“I’m sorry, it’s all my fault.”
After confirming that Rui had turned to flying ash, Uchiha Bing let out a complete sigh of relief.
He slumped onto the ground, pulled bandages from his ninja tool pouch, and began bandaging his wounds.
Beside him, Tanjiro walked over with a dejected expression and sat next to Uchiha Bing.
“Before he died, he emitted a very sad scent—the kind of sadness that a human body cannot bear.”
Uchiha Bing was unimpressed by Tanjiro’s remark.
What kind of sadness was too much for a human body to bear?
It was nothing more than an exaggeration.
“Every single evil demon has a tragic story.
Uchiha Bing proceeded to bandage Tanjiro’s wound directly.
Halfway through, he suddenly remembered something.
“Tanjiro, if I remember correctly, your family should have a dance passed down from your ancestors, right?
Can you teach it to me?”
Tanjiro scratched his head, looking puzzled as he asked, “Did I ever talk to you about my family matters?
How do you know about my family’s inherited dance?”
Uchiha Bing continued bandaging Tanjiro’s wound, saying unhurriedly, “I’ve always wanted to create a Breathing Style uniquely my own based on various Breathing Styles.
So I looked up a lot of information and found that the source of the five major Breathing Styles is a man named Tsugikuni Yoriichi.
Back then, he passed down Sun Breathing, which derived the five major breathing schools.
Your family’s ancestral Hinokami Kagura is modeled after the legendary Sun Breathing, so I’d like to learn it.”
Tanjiro hadn’t expected there to be such an origin behind his family’s sacrificial dance.
Remembering Uchiha Bing’s resolute figure standing before him earlier when facing the Blood Demon Art of the Twelve Kizuki, he stood right up.
“Bing, this dance and Breathing Style are, after all, inherited from my family.
I can pass them on to you, but you mustn’t spread them outside.
Even if you want to pass them on, it’s best to come and ask me first.”
“Alright.”
Uchiha Bing readily agreed.
He didn’t have the habit of being a teacher anyway, and teaching disciples was quite mentally taxing.
Thus, Tanjiro performed his family’s sacrificial dance once, executing the twelve forms in succession along with the breathing essentials, making Uchiha Bing nod repeatedly as he watched and listened.
After Tanjiro finished the demonstration, Uchiha Bing likewise executed the twelve forms.
His movements were identical to Tanjiro’s down to the smallest detail, and even his breathing rhythm was exact.
Tanjiro exclaimed in amazement, “Bing, you really are a genius.
I believe you can create your own Breathing Style.”
“Thanks for the praise, Tanjiro.
You’re a genius too.
Maybe the one who chops off the Demon King’s head in the future will be you—after all, your family’s ancestral Sun Breathing is mysteriously destined to be tied to the Demon King.”
While Uchiha Bing and Tanjiro were engaging in mutual flattery, the squealing of a pig suddenly echoed from afar.
Inosuke came running over, shouting and hollering.
“Tanjiro, I’ve come to help you!
Where are the Twelve Kizuki?”
Tanjiro helplessly facepalmed.
“Inosuke, we’ve already finished fighting.
The Twelve Kizuki is dead.”
“What?
You took down one of the Twelve Kizuki?
Dammit, I want to duel you!
Huahahaha!”
Hearing that one of the Twelve Kizuki had been taken down, Inosuke immediately began shouting and making a fuss.
Hearing the commotion, Tomioka Giyu hurried over and happened to catch Inosuke’s words.
The Twelve Kizuki had been taken down?
His gaze turned toward Tanjiro.
The young man looked much stronger than he had two years ago, but he probably hadn’t reached the level where he could take down one of the Twelve Kizuki.
Ignoring the hollering Inosuke, he looked at Uchiha Bing, who was wiping his nichirin blade.
Uchiha Bing instantly sensed someone gazing at him.
Ever since practicing Water Breathing, his five senses had grown increasingly sharp.
Turning his head to look, he saw that Tomioka Giyu had arrived.
Good thing he had acted in time; otherwise, if the Water Hashira had come over and casually finished Rui off with a single slash, he wouldn’t have felt any sense of accomplishment at all.
“Mr.
Giyu!”
Tanjiro also spotted Tomioka Giyu and immediately called out to greet him.
After the evil demon was destroyed, the stench of demons on the mountain vanished, and his nose regained its vitality, allowing him to catch Giyu’s scent from far away.
Tomioka Giyu walked over.
“The two of you took down one of the Twelve Kizuki?”
Uchiha Bing nodded.
“It was Lower Rank Five, the second-to-last among the Twelve Kizuki.”
Tanjiro added from the side, “Actually, the main combat power was Bing.
I couldn’t even get close to that demon.”
Uchiha Bing shook his head.
“Without Tanjiro keeping him in check on the side, I wouldn’t necessarily have won this battle.”
“You two did well.”
Tomioka Giyu’s words remained as concise as ever.
Beside them, Tanjiro scratched his head and chuckled foolishly, looking like he had just been praised, visibly thrilled.
Inosuke, standing next to them, bristled in anger.
“There are clearly three people here!
Why are you only praising two?
I did a good job too!”
Tomioka Giyu was silent for a moment before asking, “What did you do?”
Inosuke fell silent, then instantly drew his nichirin blade and charged forward.
What Tomioka Giyu wanted to ask: “What exactly did you do?”
What Inosuke heard: “You didn’t do anything at all.”
Inosuke was naturally no match for the Water Hashira.
In an instant, his nichirin blade was knocked flying and he was pinned to the ground.
Tomioka Giyu then expertly produced a rope, tied Inosuke up, and hung him from a tree.