"Oh? You're all still alive?" The demon slowly approached. "And completely unharmed."
"If I eat you, I'll definitely become stronger."
"Be careful not to chip your teeth." Yuko spat out a mouthful of blood and gripped her katana.
Michikatsu suppressed the blood bubbling in his throat, propping himself up with his sword, trying to rise.
The demon licked its lips: "It's decided. I'll start eating you from your legs, so you can personally experience being eaten."
Yuko felt a bit nauseous and said with disgust, "A foot fetishist? You're a pervert, aren't you?"
Yuko tried hard to regulate her emotions, easing the fear in her heart.
She had thought that as a transmigrator, she wouldn't be afraid of creatures she had seen countless times in anime, but when that ugly, humanoid figure truly appeared before her, Yuko felt discomfort and fear from the bottom of her heart.
The demon's veins bulged on its forehead. It didn't quite understand, but it was enraged.
When the demon attacked with inhuman speed, Yuko had only one thought left in her mind.
Damn it!
She should have known to switch places in mid-air and let Michikatsu take the front.
Suddenly, a wisp of clear breeze seemed to blow away the dark clouds, stirring a strand of Yuko's hair.
Under the full moon, a crimson figure descended from the sky.
Holding a blade that shone brightly under the full moon, a god-like figure appeared before their eyes.
The demon's head had already flown off, and its body, lying before them, was rapidly disintegrating.
No one had seen his movements clearly.
After more than a decade, Tsugikuni Yoriichi reappeared before the two of them.
Yuko let out a long breath and waved at him happily: "Yoriichi~ Long time no see."
Although they hadn't met for ten years, the three of them looked almost identical.
Especially the twins, Michikatsu and Yoriichi; besides the Demon Slayer Mark on their faces, there was no other way to tell them apart.
Michikatsu's face, with a bit more gentleness and calmness, was Yoriichi's face.
Yoriichi's face, with a touch more charm and softness, was Yuko's face.
The three only had noticeable differences in height.
Yuko, at only 1.7 meters, was nearly twenty centimeters shorter than her two older brothers; Michikatsu was even as tall as 1.9 meters.
Even Yuko's height was quite tall for this era, not to mention the Tsugikuni brothers, who looked like little giants when standing in a crowd.
Yoriichi smiled faintly at her, then knelt before his elder brother Michikatsu.
"I apologize, Elder Brother, I arrived late."
Yoriichi felt apologetic for not being able to save his brother's subordinates.
Michikatsu merely leaned against the tree trunk, quietly watching his younger brother, the flame of jealousy, almost forgotten deep within him, rekindling in his eyes.
After many years, their gap had widened even further.
While he was complacent about becoming a samurai, Yoriichi could already easily cut off a demon's head.
Through Yoriichi, they learned the truth about the existence of demons in this world.
Both of them had sustained injuries of varying degrees.
After Yoriichi simply bandaged them, he took them to the Demon Slayer Corps' residence for treatment.
Throughout the entire process, Michikatsu spoke very little; only Yuko occasionally chatted with Yoriichi.
Yuko exclaimed, "Compared to before, your communication skills have greatly improved."
Yoriichi smiled gently, "Yuko, you haven't changed at all; you're still as lively as before."
Yuko patted his shoulder, "I'll take that as a compliment."
Yoriichi brought the two to the Demon Slayer Corps for resettlement; at this time, the Demon Slayer Corps was not as hidden as it would be in later generations.
Lying on the sickbed, Yuko started to let her thoughts wander.
If nothing unexpected happened, the plot should align.
She hadn't watched much of Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, only finishing the first season and occasionally seeing some trending content online.
In reality, her understanding of the overall plot of Demon Slayer was fragmented, impossible to piece together.
It was the kind of fragmented knowledge where if she joined a Demon Slayer discussion group, she'd be questioned and kicked out within three to five sentences.
However, if nothing unexpected happened, Michikatsu would soon join the Demon Slayer Corps and be too busy with family matters, which would be her chance to join the Demon Slayer Corps as well.
Then she would learn the Sun and Moon Breathing Techniques from her two older brothers, embark on the pinnacle of life, and become Muzan's new father.
Just thinking about it made her a little excited.
As for what would happen to the tsugikuni family after losing its patriarch... Yuko could only say she was struggling to protect herself and had no time to worry about it.
That home hadn't brought her much warmth since Akeno's death and Yoriichi's departure.
As expected, after recovering from his injuries, Michikatsu told Yoriichi about his desire to join the Demon Slayer Corps.
Seizing the opportunity, Yuko raised her Hand and seconded, "I want to join the Demon Slayer Corps too."
Michikatsu glanced at her indifferently, making Yuko feel a bit restless.
If Michikatsu disagreed, wouldn't Yoriichi, as his younger brother, have to listen to him?
Fortunately, he eventually withdrew his gaze and didn't say much.
Yuko breathed a sigh of relief; she finally wouldn't have to get married.
Yoriichi didn't understand the family situation, only taking this as support from his older brother and younger sister.
He then became their recommender for joining the Demon Slayer Corps.
From then on, Yuko's sixteen years of life since transmigrating finally got on track.
It was only after joining the Demon Slayer Corps that Michikatsu learned from others about his younger brother's strength.
Before Yoriichi's arrival, the Demon Slayer Corps' swordsmen were simply using nichirin blades, relying purely on their swordsmanship to fight demons, with an alarmingly high mortality rate.
After Yoriichi arrived, he not only created the Origin Breathing Technique — Sun Breathing.
He also taught others to create Breathing Techniques suitable for them, based on it, as they couldn't master it themselves — namely, the Five Great Breathing Styles: Stone, Thunder, Wind, Water, and Flame.
This increased the efficiency of demon slaying and greatly reduced the casualty rate of the Demon Slayer Corps.
It can be said that Yoriichi's arrival pointed the way for the future of the Demon Slayer Corps.
Yoriichi was never stingy with teaching Breathing Techniques.
As his elder brother and younger sister, the two even received his personal guidance.
The two stood on an open ground, holding their accustomed katanas, their eyes tightly closed.
"Hiss~"
Orange-red aura escaped from Michikatsu's mouth.
Suddenly, his calm expression instantly stiffened, his lungs burned unbearably, and he coughed repeatedly.
He couldn't use Sun Breathing.
On the other side, Yuko endured the burning sensation in her lungs, forcibly performing Sun Breathing.
Just as Yoriichi, seeing the condition of her lungs, was about to interrupt her, Yuko suddenly opened her eyes.
"I've learned it!"
Michikatsu, who had just been overwhelmed with a sense of loss, now felt as if he had fallen into an ice cellar. He quickly turned his head to look.
"…"
He saw fresh blood overflowing from Yuko's nose and mouth.
Seeing her two older brothers looking at her, Yuko playfully winked at them, intending to perform Sun Breathing, First Form: Circle Haze for them, and then... Yuko, who mistakenly thought enduring the burning sensation meant success, blacked out.
She literally blacked out.
After a while, Yuko, who had been rescued, sighed, "I thought I had learned it."
Michikatsu: "..."
Yoriichi maintained his calm smile: "It's alright, finding the Breathing Technique that suits you best is the most important thing."
"Sun Breathing isn't necessarily stronger than other Breathing Techniques."
Yuko smiled on the surface, but inwardly she grumbled.
You're lying to ghosts!
She had seen the plot; Tanjirou using Hinokami Kagura almost killed a Lower Rank demon!
Days passed as they learned Breathing Techniques.
Michikatsu did not have the talent for Sun Breathing, but he was not lacking in natural ability.
Relying on Sun Breathing, he quickly created his own Breathing Technique, also known by later generations as an Origin Breathing Technique — Moon Breathing.
"Um... Elder Brother, can you teach me?" Yuko forced a smile, her voice sweet, and asked him despite herself.
Michikatsu's lips curved slightly: "How come your address is correct now?"
Yuko's face was covered in black lines, and her sweet voice instantly snapped back: "If you don't teach me, then forget it!"
She'll create Star Breathing herself!
Ever since Michikatsu created Moon Breathing, not only did she jokingly say she would create Star Breathing, but even the gossiping members of the Demon Slayer Corps echoed her.
"Yuko, when will you create Star Breathing?"
Yuko always replied like this.
"Today!"
However, her understanding of Breathing Techniques was insufficient; just learning consumed all her mental energy, let alone creating one herself.
Otherwise, she wouldn't have shamelessly come to Michikatsu to learn Moon Breathing.