Uzui and I remained speechless.
Uta tilted her head and blinked, seemingly unable to grasp the weight of the conversation.
Amano, perhaps having missed what Yoriichi had just said, kept her gaze fixed solely on her food, her chopsticks moving in a rhythmic dance.
There it is again—that sickeningly humble flex.
Just look at that 'world-class' expression of his.
He is my brother, but this has gone beyond mere deception; it's practically a disease.
Pray tell, who exactly is supposed to surpass your talent?
This is a man born with the Slayer Mark, Sun Breathing, and the Transparent World as his default settings—a man whose physical prowess is such that his blade turns into a Crimson Blade the moment he grips it.
Honestly, can that even be described as 'talent' anymore?
That isn't talent; it is a natural phenomenon.
As the one standing at the forefront of the Hashira—excluding Yoriichi—I cannot even imagine holding my own for a single exchange against him, let alone landing a meaningful blow.
If there were two of you, the Demons would probably build some sunless cavern and live out their days as shut-in hermits.
And yet, a talent that surpasses yours?
Is that not thinking far too optimistically?
In those prophetic visions, how on earth did you manage to teach Breathing styles to the Demon Slayer Corps with this level of communication skill?
Furthermore, having lived alone with Uta for ten years, I'm certain he must have been scolded by her at least once.
"We may close the curtain on our lives at any time with peace of mind. Does it not make your heart soar, Brother? The children born hereafter will one day surpass us and ascend to even greater heights."
Oh, my heart is 'soaring' alright. It's soaring so hard my insides feel like they're about to burst with frustration.
I can't even give him a good smack... because if I did, I'd be the one getting thrashed.
Moon Breathing isn't the priority here; I need to fix this guy's communication style first.
@@@
How could one's heart not soar?
How could one not be joyful?
All roads lead to one.
The proof of that stands right before me in the form of my elder brother.
The Transparent World, Sun Breathing, and the Slayer Mark—all these things I possess are merely what I was granted from birth.
Because I did not earn them myself, I am not a great man.
Without them, I would have been nothing more than an ordinary person.
But what of my brother?
Starting from nothing, Brother attained all of those things through his own effort alone. Without any help, he is carving his own path and moving forward.
Lady Amano, Lord Rengoku, Lord Shimotsuki, Lady Minase, Lord Anji, Lord Sakata—every one of them.
Are they not all climbing the stairs, step by step, toward a single destination?
Even at this very moment, talents capable of surpassing the likes of me are being born.
So, how could I not be delighted?
Even if the era changes.
Even if the journey to reach that place differs.
Every soul will surely arrive at the same peak.
That is why the children of the future will undoubtedly surpass us.
Therefore, we can rest easy and—
"Yoriichi, did I not tell you before? Admiration is the emotion furthest from understanding. You are merely admiring this world."
My brother let out a sigh and covered his face with one hand.
His facial muscles hardened, and the muscles of his body contracted.
His heartbeat began to accelerate.
It was exactly the same as when he used to scold me or teach me things in the past.
Did I say something wrong?
"That is the logic of a loser. A winner must always discuss not what the world is, but how it ought to be. Your words sound like nothing more than gross irresponsibility."
"Irresponsibility, you say?"
Why?
"In this world, there is no such thing as 'truth' or 'lies' from the beginning. There are only cold, hard facts. Yet, every living being in this world mistakes only the facts convenient to them for the 'truth' and lives by them. They know no other way to survive. That applies to you, and it applies to me."
"That is..."
"Let us assume, as you say, that children with talent surpassing ours are being born this very moment. Then have you ever once stopped to think why the murderous war between the Demon Slayer Corps and the Demons has continued for five hundred years? If your words were true, such individuals surely would have existed before our time."
I... had never... thought of that...
"It is because our generation is more exceptional than those of the past."
"But that is..."
"You mean to say they lacked Breathing techniques back then? That they lacked the Marks? Those are all meaningless assumptions. Five hundred years is a long time. If they truly possessed talent equal to ours, they would have awakened Breathing or the Marks within that vast span of time. While it is true this world is beautiful, the scales of the world are not balanced."
"..."
"Furthermore, the time we have been granted is not much. Knowing that, you say we need not worry because those who will surpass us are being born? I find those words to be incredibly irresponsible."
My brother moistened his throat with a bit of soup before continuing.
"There is no guarantee that people like us will be born in the next generation or even in the distant future once we exit the stage. And even if children surpassing us are born in the future, why should we pass this karmic burden onto them?"
!!!!!!
"The karma of slaying Demons must end with our generation. However, no matter how strong or special we may be, our time is limited now that the Marks have manifested. There is no guarantee we can kill Muzan within that time. That is precisely why we must leave behind safeguards. So that even if it falls to the next generation to strike Muzan down, the children of the near future can use their great talents for something other than killing Demons."
It felt as if I had been struck a heavy blow to the back of my head.
Why had I not thought of it that way?
Why was I unable to see it?
Why did I try to foist our duties onto the children of the future?
Because the children of the future would be stronger than us?
Even so, did that ever constitute a reason to pass on the problems of the present?
Of course not.
How could I have been so foolish?
I see. So that's it.
Meeting my brother's deep gaze as he looked straight at me, I finally understood his intent.
The reason my brother suddenly mentioned passing down Moon Breathing...
It was likely because he saw through my lax spirit and wished to grant me a teaching.
My brother surely wanted to say this: No matter how strong the future may be, we must not simply hand over our burdens. If we cannot finish it, we must at least ensure the cycle of evil is severed in the very next generation.
So that the existence known as 'Demons' does not threaten the children of the future, allowing them to live in a peaceful world.
What was my reason for joining the Demon Slayer Corps?
Was it not to ensure that the existence of Demons did not put Uta or my child in danger in this beautiful world?
And yet, I was going to pass that burden onto the children of the future?
I was truly such an ignorant, childish person.
Just how far ahead is my brother looking?
Even if I could see through everything, in the eyes of this dull-witted younger brother, the depth of my elder brother's world remains completely unfathomable.
"There is no pain... other than that of taking one's eyes off the scales. This world does not consist only of beauty. Just as Demons exist, the world is not fair. In truth, the scales are tilted. Your optimistic attitude is commendable, but I would ask you to refrain from the thought of entrusting everything to the future."
You are always my guide, Brother.
"And do not seek only the good in this world. A justice held with absolute certainty is evil. For justice to remain justice, one must constantly and endlessly doubt their own sense of justice."
I am forever grateful, Brother.
"My thoughts were shallow. I will take your words to heart, Brother."
At my words, my brother's pulse gradually began to calm.
He seemed satisfied with my answer.
@@@
Good grief. My heart feels like it's going to explode.
Bluffing in front of this guy is always nerve-wracking.
Seeing him smile, it looks like I managed to muddle through again, but I have no idea how long this bravado will keep working.
But seriously... is it really possible that I'm the only one with an aptitude for Moon Breathing?