I Am Not a God

Chapter 100 I Am Not a God

The bird's breath paused for a moment.

Since he learned to concentrate on breathing, this long, drawn-out breathing never stopped, even when he was unconscious and seriously injured.

But when Kagaya said those words, he still couldn't control his shock.

"Lord Kagaya, I don't quite understand what you mean."

In that instant, he had detached himself from his identity as a Demon Slayer Corps member and was seriously considering how to answer this terminally ill man.

How could he know? How could he possibly know?

Kagaya gasped for breath, each word seeming to be squeezed out from his shattered lungs: "Before answering my question, I want to tell you something from the past..."

"A thousand years ago, the nightmare of the Ubuyashiki family, the past of Muzan..."

'

It turns out that the Ubuyashiki family already existed as a noble family during the distant Heian period.

Kibutsuji Muzan is a curse born from this very clan.

His heart stopped beating several times while he was still a fetus in the womb, and he had no breathing or pulse at birth, and was once thought to be a stillborn.

This state of weakness accompanied him throughout his life, and he was constantly plagued by illnesses, both major and minor.

The doctor asserted that the child would not live past the age of 2,000.

Despite the Ubuyashiki family's best efforts to find him a doctor, they could not change the tragedy that he was slowly walking towards death.

Until a mysterious doctor appeared.

Even now, the Ubuyashiki clan themselves can't say for sure about the doctor's origins, but they do know that he turned Muzan into a man-eating demon.

Whether it was divine cruelty or not, Muzan, who became a demon, left the Ubuyashiki clan, but left behind a thousand-year-old curse.

Since then, every boy born into the Ubuyashiki family has been plagued by illness and rarely survived.

In order to continue their family bloodline, the Ubuyashiki family followed the advice of the shrine priest, requiring each male member of the family to marry a female member of the priestly family. This barely extended the men's lifespan to their twenties.

"...It sounds unbelievable, doesn't it? This is completely unfounded." Kagaya smiled bitterly, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.

Tianyin, struggling to suppress her grief, wiped away the bloodstains for him, and he continued, "Our clan has lived for generations to atone for our sins... We consider finding that man and severing his head as our sole reason for living."

"A thousand years is too long...so long that our souls are almost dried up..."

'

He abruptly changed the subject, steer the conversation back to Asuka: "So, Asuka, I truly believe in gods and hell... You don't need to be nervous..."

"Although I can't sense any human presence in you..."

Kagaya murmured, as if talking to himself: "But it's not as violent and vicious as a demon..."

It's more like a desolate wilderness, making it impossible for me to see the other side...

"I've been watching you since your very first battle, Asuka. I'm not referring to when you killed Akaneuma and became a Demon Slayer."

"Back then, I wondered what kind of child could slay demons with just ordinary swords... After all that has happened, including talking to your friend, the Fist Pillar, I'm pretty sure now."

"Asuka, what I want to ask is, are you a god?"

With Tianyin's help, he struggled to sit up a little, staring intently at the flying bird with his gray-white pupils.

It was as if it could penetrate his flesh and see the figure hidden deep within him, and the soul-slaying blade.

The question came so suddenly that even the birds didn't know how to answer.

The light and shadow in the room flickered, and the interrogation caused Asuka's spiritual pressure to involuntarily overflow with emotion, making the surrounding air heavy.

For a dying man as perceptive as Kagaya Ubuyashiki, this small reaction said it all.

He was not afraid of the oppressive aura; instead, he showed a relieved expression, as if he had finally confirmed a long-standing mystery.

"Now that I am about to die, my senses have touched the Sanzu River... I just want to hear you tell me, does the soul truly exist in this world?"

"After death... is there really another world?"

Having said all that, Asuka silently closed her eyes, pondering how to respond.

"I am not a god."

After a long pause, Asuka opened her eyes and calmly answered Kagaya's question: "If you really want to call me, you can call me... the Grim Reaper."

"grim Reaper....

'

"That's right... Death is not a god, but more like a scavenger who harvests souls... I only have the potential to become Death, not any god."

Yaozai paused for a moment, then burst into a violent cough.

But between coughs, he burst into laughter, laughing until tears streamed down his face, mingling with blood as they dripped onto his bluish-purple skin, making him look exceptionally pitiful.

"Great...that's wonderful." He grabbed Tianyin's sleeve, his laughter trembling. "So there really are gods in this world..."

"However, there is no heaven there." Asuka spoke frankly, shattering Kagaya's illusion.

"After a person dies, they become a wandering ghost in another world. If they are lucky, they will live a normal life. If they are unlucky, their life may not be much better than your current state."

"This has nothing to do with whether you are a good person or what your current status or position is."

He didn't want to deceive Kagaya about how wonderful the other world was, and he didn't know if Kagaya would go to the Rukongai he knew after he died.

He just wanted to advise him to give up his fantasies and start planning how to live in another world right now.

To be honest, if it weren't for the ghastly red mark around his mouth, Kagaya Ubuyashiki's smile would be quite sunny.

He waved his hand dismissively, "Knowing this is enough... Honestly, to have my family sacrifice their lives with me... I'm so sorry to them. I hope in the world you mentioned, I'll have a chance to make amends..."

""

With Tenon's help, he bowed slightly to Asuka: "Thank you, Asuka. Thank you for everything you've done for humanity. Please keep today's conversation a secret..."

"...I should thank you, Lord Kagaya. If it weren't for the Demon Slayer Corps, I might have died that snowy night."

"Hehe...you're saying something different from what Arashi said; you're starting to use polite phrases..."

'

Even from this distance, the lord chuckled and patted Asuka on the shoulder as if gently touching her: "I've heard from Arashi about your past... Asuka, everything you've experienced in this world may become your precious memories..."

"You are no longer alone. You have learned human emotions. This belief in protection and the passion that burns in your heart will be more powerful than cold, hard battles..."

"You have found your own breath, and you have found your own path."

"You are no longer that stray dog ​​huddled in the winter night, Asuka, you are a true Storm Pillar!"

Kagaya lay down again, his breathing much calmer than before, perhaps because the pent-up emotions in his chest had finally been swept away.

He closed his eyes contentedly; it was the first truly peaceful smile he had shown amidst his long illness and scheming.

"Goodbye, Asuka... If there is another chance, I hope to meet you in another world."

"9

Asuka closed the paper door and silently left Kagaya Ubuyashiki's bedroom.

Outside the bedroom, the first winter thunder rumbled in the sky.

Winter nights have arrived, and this cat-and-mouse game that has spanned millennia is finally coming to an end.

Stepping out of the corridor, Feiniao looked at the churning dark clouds in the night sky and muttered to herself, "They all seem to enjoy playing the self-sacrifice card so much..."

"

He touched his palm, where there was a scabbed scar, which looked like it had been caused by a sharp blade piercing deep into his skin.

He sighed softly, glanced back at the lifeless Ubuyashiki mansion, and gripped the hilt of the katana tightly.

"I said, if my wish is for his dream to come true, could you do it?"

Apart from the sound of the wind in the courtyard, there was no other sound.

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