Chapter 74: I Don't Want to Marry...
This chapter almost ends Tsugikuni Ren's story. He will be mentioned later at an advanced point in the story, but for now enjoy the happy ending.
Enjoy~~~
In the heart of the "Sengoku" era, where the flames of wars danced on the horizon and samurai swords controlled the fates of humans, the mansion of the "Tsugikuni" clan was dressed in a form it had never known before.
The mansion was not decorated to welcome the Tsugikuni clan army returning from war, but was preparing for an event that would be immortalized in the records of the prestigious family.
Inside one of the spacious rooms, "Tsugikuni Ren" stood at the peak of his brilliance and elegance. He wore the heavy formal black kimono decorated with the clan emblem on the shoulders and back.
The fabric's texture told a story of wealth and power, but Ren's face did not carry the expressions of an expected groom, rather it overflowed with curious expressions as he stared at something no one else could see: the transparent system window floating before him in the air.
"Seriously, Ron? Do you really have the nerve to leave this burden on me and go enjoy beating disciples in the Butterfly Mansion?" Ren thought bitterly.
The "original" Ren had been forced to exchange bodies and consciousness with "Ron" (using the Transmigrated Souls Technique). Ron was completely annoyed by the idea of attending his official wedding ceremony and considered it a "social nuisance" even if it was his own wedding.
So he convinced Ren to take over the task under the excuse that Ren was "more social." And thus, the Sun Hashira found himself trapped inside the body of "Tsugikuni Ren" in a parallel timeline, while Ron practiced his sadism in training in the other world.
"But… there's something interesting about this situation, don't you agree, Rena?"
Ren turned slightly to see "Rena," the system version, floating near him with complete coldness. She looked at him as if he were a piece of furniture being polished.
She did not answer him, merely shrugging her digital shoulders, as if saying: "You're the one who agreed to this stupid deal."
"So the damned system update only applies to the other timeline of the Demon Slayer world… meaning as long as I'm not discovered, I can use my full power? Great!"
After the system updated from the Player System to the Dimensional System, the system began restricting Ren and preventing him from using his full power so he would not be crushed by the will of the world.
And because of this, and as an absurd joke from Rena, the system functions were restricted too, but fortunately in dimensions of other worlds the system functions were not restricted.
"This is interesting… it's like I discovered a glitch in my favorite game…"
[Then don't blame me if your consciousness gets crushed by the will of the world… I'll remove the restrictions on the system functions, but you still won't be able to use the full powers of the Jujutsu world in the Demon Slayer world… understood?]
This was very happy news for him, even better than his wedding day.
"Ren-sama! Stop moving! I'll ruin the obi knot for the tenth time!"
That sharp voice came from "Haru," Ren's personal servant. Haru was a short girl with a strong personality and a tongue that never stopped talking.
She was currently fully occupied tightening the cloth around Ren's waist so hard that he felt his intestines would come out of his mouth.
"Haru, I'm trying to breathe here, not turn into a mummy," Ren complained while trying to push her hands away.
"Be quiet, my lord! You're always outside the mansion, sometimes chasing demons and other times disappearing into forests. I'm tired of explaining your absence to Lord Kazima and Lady Aki!" Haru continued grumbling while placing the finishing touches.
"Because of your carelessness, I haven't gotten a promotion in two years! Lord Kazima calls me incompetent because I can't control you, and Lady Aki thinks I encourage you to run away. You're really annoying exactly like your father in his youth!"
Ren thought while looking at his reflection, "This Haru is really annoying… I don't blame Ron for wanting to escape from her. The psychological pressure she exerts really seems strong."
"And anyway," Haru added while smiling mischievously, "you should be grateful. Your fiancée, Miss Kyoka Ubuyashiki, has already completed her preparations. They say she looks like an angel fallen from the sky in the white wedding robe (shiromuku). She's very nervous and excited for today, doesn't that make you feel some responsibility?"
An angel? She's a demon!
Ren's eyes stiffened and his emotions faded. "Kyoka nervous? Impossible." Ren remembered Kyoka's personality; that girl who could break a wall with one punch if she got angry.
"I should send an urgent message to Ron through the system… make sure Kyoka doesn't bring any spear or short sword (wakizashi) into the room. And if possible, keep the door slightly open so you can escape if she goes crazy. She won't kill you on the wedding night, but she may make you disabled for the rest of your life."
Ren laughed mockingly while fixing his clothes narcissistically in front of the mirror, ignoring Haru's warnings. "I may not run away, Haru… but I may get kidnapped by my fans. Have you seen how handsome I look today?"
Haru smiled and said foolishly with spontaneity: "Oh, do you mean Tamayo-san? Well, Lady Aki (Ren's mother) doesn't mind Tamayo being your mistress since she's an excellent doctor, but it'll be very difficult convincing her to become the official wife instead of Kyoka-sama. You know Lady Aki worships traditions."
Ren's expression completely froze. He slowly turned and looked at Haru with emotionless eyes. "Haru… did you just say my mother doesn't mind having a mistress?"
Lucky Ron…
Then he noticed something strange. "Wait… why are you the only one in my room now? Where are the rest of the servants and assistants? Don't tell me they're…"
Haru nodded simply: "Yes, my lord… all of them are around Miss Kyoka. Everyone wants to see true beauty, while you… they're used to seeing your annoying face daily."
Ren sighed deeply while sitting on the edge of the tatami. "I feel now that nobody truly cares about me in this house… I'm just a tool for producing grandchildren for the Tsugikuni clan."
Haru patted his shoulder with fake affection and said: "Don't worry, my lord… I'm still with you. As long as you pay my salary, I'll continue praising your fake handsomeness until morning."
. .
After some time, the sliding door quietly opened, and two people representing the prestige of the Tsugikuni clan entered: Michikatsu and Yoriichi.
Looking at the elegant black kimono Ren wore, the two nodded with silent admiration. But the moment their eyes fell upon the katana with the shining black sheath placed at Ren's waist, they exchanged worried glances.
Michikatsu, the serious older brother, approached and said in a low voice: "Listen, Ren… I know our father Lord Kazima convinced you to do the marriage in the old samurai style and keep your sword even during the ceremony to show the clan's strength… but this happened to us during our weddings too."
Ren nodded with interest, then realized something and asked innocently: "But during your wedding ceremonies, I didn't see any sword or even a sheath with either of you. Did father change his mind back then?"
Yoriichi said from the side with a faint smile and a slightly trembling scar: "Exactly… you didn't see it because we couldn't keep it."
Ren: "So it's…"
At that moment, the sound of firm footsteps approaching the room was heard, and the voice of a woman calling Ren's name in a tone that froze blood in the veins. It was "Aki," their mother and the true controller of the mansion's affairs.
With lightning speed, Ren removed the sword from his waist and threw it toward Yoriichi. Yoriichi, due to his instinctive fear of his mother, threw it strongly toward Michikatsu. Michikatsu, who faced the strongest demons calmly, became completely tense and threw it into the air, causing the sword to fall… into the hands of "Aki," who had just entered the room.
Deadly silence spread. Aki held the katana and its elegant black sheath, looking at it with a cold terrifying expression. The three brothers (Ren, Michikatsu, Yoriichi) stood with military stiffness before her, their eyes fixed on the floor, completely silent as if awaiting execution.
Haru left the room at lightning speed while whispering: "Mothers are truly terrifying… even the strongest samurai turn into rabbits before them."
Aki said in a calm terrifying voice: "Ren… were you planning to stain your wife's robe with blood on your wedding night? The sword stays in the holder on the wall, not on the waist. Understood?"
"Y-Yes, mother!" Ren replied with a trembling voice that he had not shown even before the King of Curses.
. .
Finally, the wedding ceremony began.
The grand courtyard of the mansion was crowded with guests. The ceremony was held in the luxurious "Sengoku" era style. Large paper lanterns illuminated the place, and the scent of ancient incense mixed with the smell of luxurious traditional foods.
What shocked Ren (and angered him secretly) was the attendance of all the Hashira and the Demon Slayer Corps from this era.
Even more shocking was the appearance of "Kagaya Ubuyashiki," the current Corps leader. Thanks to the medicine Ren had previously given him (from the system shop), Kagaya was no longer that dying sick man; rather he stood with a straight back, clear skin, and a very handsome appearance attracting attention.
(This is the Kagaya of this era, not the original timeline…)
"Oh, Ren-kun… you look wonderful today," Kagaya said with a warm handsome smile while approaching him.
Ren looked at him with a frown: "Why do you look this healthy? I made you so handsome that you're stealing attention from the groom! This is unfair."
Kagaya laughed lightly and placed his hand on Ren's shoulder: "Don't be sad… call me 'uncle' today, since you'll marry my daughter. We are family now."
"Uncle? You look more like my younger brother instead," Ren muttered mockingly, but he felt relieved seeing Kagaya like this.
Traditional music (shamisen and koto) began playing majestic melodies, and the gates opened announcing the bride's entrance.
Breathing stopped in the chests of those present. "Kyoka Ubuyashiki" walked with composed and calm steps.
The pure white shiromuku robe sparkled beneath the lantern lights, and her long white hair flowing behind her back looked like strands of pure silver.
The traditional head covering (wataboshi) partially hid her features, but when she raised her head and her eyes met Ren's, Ren felt a strange sting in his heart.
"Wait… she's actually beautiful," Ren thought with admiration he could not hide. "Luckily she didn't enter carrying a spear… seems she decided to act like a normal girl for one day."
The traditional ceremony began, where the bride and groom exchanged drinking "sake" from three cups of different sizes. The atmosphere was filled with intimate and calm moments, interrupted by guests' whispers and admiration toward the couple who looked like a painting from legends.
While exchanging cups, Ren whispered to Kyoka in a voice only she could hear: "If you try to kill me tonight, I'll bring three concubines into the house."
Kyoka looked at him from beneath the head covering, her eyes blazing with a sharp glint, and whispered with a hidden smile: "If you try to run away, I'll use your hair as fishing thread, Ren."
Ren shivered internally: "My god… she's terrifying even at her most beautiful."
After the official ceremony ended, the grand celebration began. The Hashira laughed and drank, Yoriichi and Michikatsu tried handling the situation with samurai dignity, while Lady Aki supervised every little thing with hawk eyes.
Ren stood at one corner of the courtyard, looking at the full moon in the sky.
"Long live bachelorhood… but it seems that train has passed Ron now," Ren thought with a mischievous smile.
"Let Ron deal with this nuisance and boring married life. Once I return to my body, I'll leave him this responsibility and go enjoy my freedom."
I practically have an eternal life, I'll marry sometime… maybe.
For a moment, Ren imagined his mother Aki forcing him to produce an army of grandchildren to secure the clan's future. It was a more terrifying thought than facing Sukuna and Muzan together.
And with the wedding ceremony ending, while heading toward his room with his wife who showed foolish shy expressions, Ren smiled mockingly and without any hesitation exchanged with Ron.
"Handle your wife yourself… and remember she might do to you like the female spider after the night ends." Ren said mockingly to Ron in the mental void before the exchange.
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