Relations to Two

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"...over one measly eyeball."

Gyutaro walked down a dark path between buildings while Ume was in his arms.

"No one would help us. No surprises there. That was just the story of our lives. No one ever offered us a helping hand."

Gyutaro finally drops to the ground in exhaustion.

"It started snowing. We were never shown the slightest mercy, no matter what the situation. Why was that? What happened to 'Fortune and misfortune are intertwined'? Both fortune and misfortune should come by turns!"

A voice spoke out, "Hey, what's the matter? You poor things." That voice belonged to a demon as it had food in its hands. The demon said, "I happen to be kindhearted, so I can't look the other way. That girl is probably going to die any minute now. I'll give you some blood!" That demon was formerly Upper Six at the time. Quite possibly higher in the ranks as of present time. He adds, "Both of you! If he chooses you, you can become demons." The Upper Six demon dropped a female head to the ground and again adds, "Life is a sacred thing. You should treasure it." He reaches his hand out and asks, "Now then... can you become demons... a Twelve Kizuki like me... and rise to the Upper Ranks, I wonder." Gyutaro was then injected demon blood into his body and began to slowly turn into one.

"I don't regret becoming a demon. No matter how many times I'm reborn, I'm going to be a demon every time. I'll show no mercy to anyone who has a better life. I'll always be the Gyutaro who seizes and collects! But... if I did have one regret, that would be... Ume... You might've turned out differently than me. If you'd worked at a better House, you could've become a respectable Oiran. If you'd been born to normal parents, you could've been a normal girl. If you'd been born into a good family, maybe you would've become a well-bred young lady. Since you have such an impressionable, pliant nature. Maybe you only turned out this way because I was the one who raised you. 'Take before someone takes from you.' I taught you to collect and that's why you stabbed that samurai in the eye. But if you'd done as he said, you might've followed a different path. My only regret... I guess it was you."

-The Place Between-
Gyutaro stood in the darkness and looked around. He asked, "What is this place? Is this hell?" Ume called out, "Onii-chan! It's awful here! I don't like this place! Where are we? I want to leave! Do something!" Gyutaro says, "You... Look at you." Gyutaro looked at himself and remained inside his demon form. He began to walk into the vast darkness as Ume asked, "Is that exit that way?" Gyutaro stops and said, "Listen. Don't follow me anymore." She asks, "B-But why? Wait! I-" Gyutaro turns around and yells, "I said don't follow me!" He again walked into the darkness as Ume says, "Are you mad about what I said? I'll apologize! So forgive me! I don't think you're ugly, Onii-chan! I was just bitter! I was bitter be used we'd lost! I didn't want to admit that we'd lost because of me! I'm sorry! For not fighting better! If only I could've been more useful, then we wouldn't have lost! I'm sorry I'm always dragging you down! Listen, Onii-chan!"
Gyutaro was right, Ume could've had redemption, she stood in the light while Gyutaro stood in the darkness. Gyutaro informs, "You're not my sister anymore. You're nothing to me. I'm heading this way, so you go in the opposite direction, toward the light." Ume gasped and ran to him. She jumped onto his back as he yelled, "Hey!" Ume cried and said, "No! No! I'm not leaving you! I'm never going to leave you, okay? We're always going to be together! No matter how many times I'm reborn, I'm always going to be your little sister! No matter what! Please don't hate me! Don't scold me! Don't leave me all by myself! I'll never forgive you if you leave me behind!" Gyutaro finally gave in while Ume cried louder. She also says, "Because we're always going to be together! How could you? How could you? Don't you remember that promise we made? Have you forgotten?" Gyutaro remembered the exact wording and how it all went.

-Gyutaro and Ume's memory-
Both Ume and Gyutaro sat inside a hay sheet while it snowed outside. Gyutaro promised, "The two of us together can't be beaten! Being cold or hungry doesn't bother us at all! I promise you! We're always going to be together! I'm never going to leave you! See? You're not afraid of anything now, are you?"

-Back at the Place in Between-
Gyutaro held onto Ume as he took each other to the gates of hell. Ume cried louder as fires welcomed their presence.

-With Tanjiro-
Tanjiro and Nezuko held either Gyutaro's or Ume's final ash as it finally scattered into the air. They both look at the dust while Tanjiro says, "I wonder if they made up." Nezuko nods her head as a way of saying 'I'm sure they did'. Tanjiro smiles and said, "It's over, huh? I'm exhausted."

-With Uzui and His Wives-
Obanai finally made his debut but was way too late. He hums twice and says, "I see. Five, huh? That would be the second-lowest of the Upper Ranks. Well, Five or not, you still defeated an Upper-Rank, so that still is praiseworthy. Right, Five or not. I don't mind offering my praise." The three wives looked irritated as Uzui says, "Well, not that your praise will do anything for me." Both Suma and Makio said, "That's right!" "You sure took your time getting here!" Suma pointed at Kaburamaru and Obanai as she stuttered in fear, "Y-Y-You took too long to get here! Way too long!" The white snake hissed at Suma and startled her. She retreats to Uzui and says, "Scary!" Obanai says, "What are you going to do now that you've lost your left hand and left eye? How long will it take you to return to duty after battling this lowly Upper Five? Who's going to fill in for you until then?" Uzui replies, "I'm retiring. There's just no way I can still fight. I'm sure the Master will accept that." Obanai says, "Don't be ridiculous. I refuse to accept it. As it is, too many youngsters are dying before reaching their potential. Even someone as uninspiring as you would be better than nothing at all. Battle in until you die." Hinatsuru tried to push Suma off Uzui as he says, "Nope, there is a youngster who's about to reach his potential for sure. That young guy you hate." Those words took a bit of time to render inside Obanai's head as he widened his eyes and said, "Hey... No way. Then, he survived? This battle? That Kamado Tanjiro?"

-At The Master's Residence-
A crow cawed as the Master asked, "Is that right? Did they defeat it? An Upper Rank? Tanjiro... Again? Good job, Tanjiro, Tengen, Zenitsu, Nezuko, and Inosuke!" He began to stir up a coughing fit while his wife asks, "Kagaya-sama..." Kagaya said, "For a hundred years... A hundred years, nothing had changed! But now it has! Amane..." His wife asks, "Yes?" Kagaya went into another chugging fit while his body looked more sickly and purple than before. Kagaya grabbed her hand and says, "Do you see? This is an omen! Fate is about to take another dramatic turn! The consequences will be widespread! Sweeping up everything around the., shaking them to their core! And eventually, they will reach that man. Kibutsuji Muzan! We will defeat you without fail during our generation! You, the sole blemish on my family!" Kagaya went into one finally coughing fit that sounds worse than the last two. Amane ordered, "Children, go boil some water! And fetch his medicine and some towels! Hurry!" The children say aloud, "Father!" "Father!"

-Somewhere Unknown to us and the Demon Slayers-
A demon sat quietly inside an empty room as he thought to himself, "If I was summoned here... Then that means that one of the lower ranks was killed by the Demon Slayers." That demon never opened its eyes as the other Upper Moons greeted each other.

Chapter 83: End

Manga spoilers will now take place in the next chapter. So if you don't want to be spoiled, I suggest you stop reading this book.

**Any Japanese words used will be translated at a later date.**

*Another spoiler with the secret portion*

-A Little Secret-
The quiet demon (mentioned) has a certain relation with the strongest Demon Slayer in history.

1,479 words in total.

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