Isekai Mizuki S1 - A World With Demons

KC: Selflessness

Hello, readers! I know I'm kind of just milking this story, but I want to use this to remind you all that I've already released three parts of "A Doki Adventure"! When you have time, go read it! Isekai's new adventure is waiting for the eyes of potential fans.

The "Kimetsu Chronicles" (abbreviated to KC) mini-series will basically be side stories that are really just neat ideas I made in my head that I wanted to put out for you guys. This one here features Kokushibo in Hell, a long, long time after Nezuko burned him until not even ashes remained.

"SELFLESSNESS"

In Hell, Kokushibo was enduring an infinite amount of torturous pain. It burned everywhere in his body. Along with his own, billions upon billions of screams filled the place. The fires of Hell truly did hurt.

Kokushibo (A demon, and the elder brother of the Tsugikuni twins. His proficiency in battle was supreme, but incomparable to that of his brother's. He was killed by Nezuko Kamado's Sacrificial Arts, along with Yahaba, who pinned him down. He was the Twelve Kizuki's Upper Moon One.)

He thought back to everything that happened in his human life. Like he said, he could recount every memory that Yoriichi had been involved in. From when he gave him the flute, to when he sliced him in two.

"My brother... we are not that great. We are merely a fragment of humankind's long, long history. At this moment, those whose talent will surpass ours are letting out their first cries. They will come to reach the same place as us. There is no need to worry. We can draw the curtain of life closed with relaxation at any time we desire. Does that not put you at ease, brother? Someday... the children now being born will surpass us and ascend... to even greater heights."

Yoriichi Tsugikuni (The greatest Demon Slayer of all time. With combat proficiency and physical ability beyond human understanding, no one could defeat him. He, however, failed to kill Muzan Kibutsuji, yet he served as a gateway for a future generation to finish the job.)

He could not comprehend what was amusing about it. Kokushibo wasn't being open-minded, and looking at it from HIS view instead of his own. He gave it a lot of thought, and then he considered putting himself in Yoriichi's shoes. "...ah. Is that what you thought, Yoriichi...?" he asks, realizing what it was that amused Yoriichi whenever a person whose talents surpassed his own appeared in this world.

"How could you always be so selfless? You thought about only others, not really caring for yourself. I was the opposite, as in our time, twins were considered as ill portents. There have never been any struggles over succession as an immediate default, but rather, it only exists because of the selfish desires of humanity.

I only hated Yoriichi because he surpassed me in the moment he took down my trainer in four strikes. Yet, he never harbored that same animosity towards me. I know now... but God won't forgive me anymore. You said we could draw the curtain of life closed with relaxation whenever we want to if that happened. We could do so, because it's THEM who could protect others instead of us, because that has always been the purpose of the Slayers: To protect those who cannot fight for themselves. But I didn't join them for that reason. I joined them to pursue further power.

Yes, of course. This all happened not because of Yoriichi's otherworldly ability, but rather, my selfishness. I wanted it all to myself, and I did not consider Yoriichi as my brother from the very moment he got four points against him."

All the hate in Kokushibo just went away. He realized that, in the end, only one difference made Yoriichi and Michikatsu so different: The level of their selfishness. Yoriichi fought for others, while Michikatsu fought for himself. He stopped thinking about it, and just accepted his punishment for what he's done.

-=END=-