I couldn't sleep. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't even take a short nap. It was getting out of hand. At this rate, it was going to drive me insane.
I turned to the side. Yoriichi was fast asleep. His hands were clasped together on his chest, and he faced the ceiling of the tent, his expression stoic. By merely looking at him, it was hard to tell if he was truly asleep or meditating. But knowing how many hours had passed since lights out, I was certain he was asleep.
"I'll go take a walk."
I stood up from the futon and tiptoed my way out of the tent.
Behold, the moon stood as a crescent, alone in the vast expanse of the night sky. Its bright, radiant light bathed the surface of the earth in a silvery glow.
There was no guard in sight. The only ones on watch were stationed at the forest's outer perimeter.
I wandered around the camp, gazing at the bright crescent moon. Suddenly, I felt the urge to relieve myself. Making my way to the outer edge of the forest—avoiding the location where the guards were stationed—I unfolded my cloth and began to pour what could only be described as acidic rain onto an unsuspecting army of ants.
After finishing, I began to hear a faint sobbing sound. I turned my head, trying to pinpoint its source.
"Hmm?"
Following the sound, I ventured deeper into the forest, where I stumbled upon a cage made of thick wood bound with chains. The cage was mounted on a wheeled platform. Inside were people—women and children, all huddled together.
"They're war slaves," a voice spoke from behind me.
Startled, I leapt backward, clenching my fist instinctively, only to realize it was Yoriichi.
"Apologies. I didn't mean to startle you," he said, walking toward the cage. His gaze settled on the prisoners. They were weak and malnourished, their faces hollow.
"You followed me?" I asked.
"Hm, more or less. I had already planned on coming here, but you arrived before me." He turned to me, his expression unreadable. "Tell me, Tatsuya-dono, what do you think is the reward of war?"
"If you frame it like that, in most cases, the reward is what started it in the first place. A village needs more land, so they battle their neighbor for it. Whoever wins claims the land as the reward."
Upon hearing my answer, his expression hardened.
"So, do you suggest wars are necessary?"
"Necessary, huh… Let's just say they're unavoidable."
If I remember correctly, World War II was almost the same case.
"I have decided!" Yoriichi turned, locking eyes with me. "Tatsuya-dono, we are going to stop my brother from engaging with the Himori clan!"
"Eh?"
He turned back to the slaves in the cage.
"Don't worry. I'll guarantee your safety when we return," he assured them before looking at me again. "Tatsuya-dono, we leave immediately."
"Wait a minute, my man! How do you plan on stopping a war? Surely, you're not going to fight your brother. So, what's your plan?"
"..."
"..."
"I have none at the moment, but we'll think of something on the way. It will take at least two days for my brother to reach Himori. That gives us enough time to come up with a strategy."
"It'll take us two days? See, dude—"
"Not us, my elder brother. We'll reach there in three hours if we run, so we must leave now."
Not putting up much of a fight, I decided to follow Yoriichi. Watching firsthand how the battle between the Tsugikuni brothers would unfold might teach me a thing or two.
In canon, Michikatsu became a Demon Slayer after Yoriichi saved him and his army from a demon attack. But now, things were taking a different turn. Could it be because of my interference?
***
We were currently in East Japan, where five villages resided: Aira, Shogi, Ohara, Kenjaku, and Genta.
I was reborn in a ninja village nestled atop an isolated mountain near Kenjaku Village. After my banishment, I unknowingly wandered into Kenjaku, where Ms. Ayuma found me and took me to the Demon Slayer Corps. Later, I made my way to Mt. Tenryu, located south of Genta.
If not for the Tsugikuni brothers, I would've been en route to Shogi Village.
Among these five villages, a war was raging between Ohara and Aira. Both villages had powerful clans leading the charge. Aira boasted the Tsugikuni clan, while Ohara had the Himori clan.
Judging by the land area and population, Ohara dominated. Specifically, the Himori clan thrived due to their natural gift of fertility and youth, resulting in rapid population growth. Their expansion had likely triggered the territorial conflict.
If my suspicions were correct, Aira Village intended to make Ohara women their concubines, turning them into child-bearing vessels. No matter the age, some things never change.
"We're here!" Yoriichi's voice pulled me back from the brink of exhaustion. We had been running for hours. My legs felt so sore they might give out at any moment.
"Look over there."
He pointed to the horizon, where the sun hung just above the rooftops. The village was fairly large—the biggest I'd seen since leaving the ninja village. Unlike my former home, where families lived closely together, this village's clans lived separately, spread out across the land.
"So… what's your plan?" I asked, still trying to catch my breath.
"We meet the clan chief and explain everything. Hopefully, they'll hear us out."
"Isn't that treason? I think the better option is to convince your brother."
"I've already shared my thoughts with my elder brother, but he's decided to continue this aimless bloodshed. Nothing I say will change his mind now."
And confronting the enemy clan is your best idea? Classic.
As we walked into the village, a sudden chill ran down my spine. I glanced at Yoriichi and noticed he felt it too. The village seemed deserted, yet a palpable bloodlust lingered in the air.
"I think we should check the houses," I suggested.
"You're right," Yoriichi agreed.
We parted ways to search the huts on either side.
Approaching a hut, I raised my hand to knock when I heard a sharp whistling sound. It came fast—too fast.
Unsheathing my dagger, I swung at the oncoming projectile, slicing through an arrow. But then I noticed the bomb tied to its tip.
The explosion sent a cloud of sand and gas into the air, blinding me.
[Neural shell triggered: Unidentified substance affecting host consciousness. Requesting permission to counter—]
"Counter the damn gas!"
[...]
[Counter Failed: Host will fall into a lucid sleep in five, four, three, two, one.]
Eh… What the hell?
The Neural Shell, a skill granting me unmatched mental resilience allowed me to detect, counter, and inflict mental attacks. However, it had one major flaw: it only worked on illusion-based attacks that disrupted perception.
None of that mattered now. As of this moment, the strongest Demon Slayer, Yoriichi Tsugikuni, and I were about to be executed before the war general of the Himori clan.