Isekai Mizuki S1 - A World With Demons

Chapter 80 - Kokushibo

-=FLASHBACK=-

(Narrator: Kokushibo)

I am Kokushibo. I am a demon man affiliated with the Twelve Kizuki. My origins and birthdate were all contained in the Sengoku Era. I have nearly no memory of what it was like back in the old days, except scenes containing my little brother, Yoriichi.

My human name is Michikatsu Tsugikuni. My younger twin brother was named Yoriichi Tsugikuni. Back in our era, twins were considered ill portents, since they would bring struggles over succession with them. When we were born, he had a weird birthmark of sorts on his head. My father had planned to kill him, but my mother went ballistic trying to prevent it. They decided that instead of killing him, he would become a priest at the age of ten.

So our lives began. They had planned for me to become the successor of the house. Between me and Yoriichi, the clothes we wore were different. Even the food we ate differed wildly.

During our younger days, Yoriichi never talked, nor responded to anyone. He just stood silent, and everyone thought he was deaf. "Oh God from the heavens above, please protect this beloved, poor child. He is deaf, and is singled out for the birthmark on his head."

Everyone thought he was deaf... up until he said his first words. "Mother, what do you mean 'I am deaf'? I can hear you," he responded. We were all taken by surprise by this, but we went on with our lives like it wasn't that big of a deal. No one except for our mother recognized him, and we never tried to see his potential. No one would praise him... until that day.

I was trying to learn the way of the sword, as my dream was to become the strongest samurai in the country. To my right stood my younger twin brother Yoriichi, watching me intently. "Brother... if my memory doesn't fail me... is your dream to be the strongest samurai in the country...?" he asked. He smiled for the first time, as he went to finish his sentence. "I want to be like you. I want to be the second strongest samurai in the country."

The man training me gave Yoriichi a bamboo sword as a response to his words. He belittled him, and told him to take a shot against him. My trainer ran up to him with intent on beating him to the ground. Before his training blade could even hit his face... he side-flipped over it, hit his neck with one swing, landed two more swings onto his sides, and then knocked him completely off-balance by hitting his calves.

His bamboo sword broke with that final swing, and my trainer fell to the ground, now unconscious. Yoriichi stood there for a while, dropped his sword and walked away. I never forgot what he said. Not even the tiniest fragment. "I can't stand how it feels to hurt someone... I don't want to learn the way of the sword if it's like this," he said. I chased after him, and I sat down with him every time I got the chance. I kept asking him how he did that, and what techniques he used.

"It's simple, really. Just look at your enemy's muscle contraction and blood flow, and watch how their joints move. After seeing how it goes, take that split moment to attack." I had no idea what he meant. After a while of speculation and connection, I realized something. He could see something I couldn't. It was like he could see inside people's bodies. "But I'd much rather play sugoroku or fly kites with you, brother," he added.

After the incident, I doubted that my instructor didn't inform my father about this. Soon enough, I was moved into that three-tatami room, and Yoriichi would succeed the house instead, while I was the one who was to be at the temple at the age of ten. I had but nothing to say, and in shame, I waited until I turned ten years old, and I would be moved to become a priest at the temple.

It was like that... until that fate-changing night that affected both of us.

To be continued...