The Crying Fist

Chapter 98 The Crying Fist

According to the unwritten rules of the Demon Slayer Corps, if one of one's disciples falls into demonhood, then the master must bear full responsibility.

But this is not just a matter of responsibility.

For Kuwashima Jigoro, Gaku was his pride and the successor he placed high hopes on.

Even though the child was extreme in personality and utilitarian, he always believed that under the tempering of the Breath of Thunder, behind that twisted self-esteem, there was always a trace of protective kindness.

"Old man..." Asuka opened her mouth, wanting to comfort him, but found herself speechless.

The demon's corpse had long since turned into ashes and vanished into the mist.

However, the silence in the courtyard was even more suffocating than the fighting that had just taken place.

"Flying birds..."

'

Kuwashima Jigoro raised his head, his eyes filled with a deathly stillness: "Go back. I... am a loser, and I have nothing left to teach you."

He looked down at his hands.

These hands have slain countless demons, gently wiped away the tears of young disciples, and sternly instructed them on how to wield their swords.

"The successor of Thunder Breathing has become the Demon Moon... How terrible... I have trained a monster... I have disgraced Thunder Breathing and cast the honor of the past Hashira into the mire..."

The old man slowly turned around and walked unsteadily into the temple.

"I must now go and fulfill... my last duty."

The bird followed them all the way to the door.

He saw Kuwashima Jigoro enter his Japanese-style room and sit upright on the tatami mat in the center.

The old man unbuttoned his shirt, revealing a scarred but still strong chest.

He picked up a clean white cloth and slowly wiped the Nichirin Blade that had accompanied him throughout his life.

Without needing to say more, the bird already understood the old man's decision.

He committed seppuku (ritual suicide by disembowelment).

This is the oldest and most tragic way to apologize.

This means he will face the end of his life alone in extreme pain.

"Shouldn't we wait a little longer?" Asuka stood by the porch, looking at the old man's profile. "The final battle is just around the corner. Perhaps you can end him with your own hands."

"No..." Kuwajima Jigoro's voice was calm and undisturbed: "That was Zenitsu's mission... As his master, the last response I can give that traitor is to use my old life to wash away the filth he left on this sect."

He paused, then suddenly turned his head and gave the bird a smile that seemed to hold a hint of relief.

"Kid, thank you for letting me see that Thunder Breathing... will not be completely cut off."

"The rest of the sword types are in the Book of the Pillars of the Ages in my room. Take them if you find them useful."

"Let's go, don't look back."

The bird stood there, watching as the old man's hand gripped the tip of the knife.

He remained silent for a long time before finally bowing deeply to the room.

"Thank you for your guidance, Professor Kuwashima."

That night, the fog over Peach Mountain never dissipated.

In the quiet of that late autumn night, only the faint sound of a sharp blade piercing flesh and the rustling of leaves in the wind could be heard from the dojo.

A few days later, at the Ubuyashiki mansion.

The atmosphere here is extremely tense.

In preparation for the upcoming decisive battle, all the Pillars and ordinary team members are undergoing almost insane special training.

The courtyard was filled with figures sweating profusely and the clanging of sharp blades clashing.

Birds flew into the mansion in the afterglow of the setting sun.

He had two swords hanging at his waist, and his expression was calm to the point of being cold.

Anyone with a modicum of strength could sense the change in him. If he was an unpredictable whirlwind before he left, now a condensed and dangerous pressure of lightning was subtly circulating around him.

"Lord Storm Pillar! You're back!"

Several team members in charge of the training bowed respectfully.

Feiniao nodded slightly, preparing to walk through the corridor to his lord's residence to report on his mission.

However, a yellow figure suddenly rushed out from around the corner.

His movements were extremely fast, even accompanied by a thunderous sound.

"Asuka—!!!"

A shrill, tearful roar echoed through the corridor.

The bird stopped in its tracks.

Standing before him was Zenitsu Agatsuma, the blond boy who was always timid, cowardly, and constantly crying.

But Zenitsu at this time was not like before.

He didn't rush up to Asuka and hug her leg as usual, begging her to say nice things and make the training easier.

Zenitsu stared intently at Asuka, his eyes, which usually conveyed unease, now bloodshot.

He was trembling violently, clutching a crumpled piece of paper tightly in his hand.

"You...you really went to Momoyama, didn't you?" Zenitsu's voice was so hoarse that every word seemed to be squeezed out from between his teeth.

The bird looked at him but did not answer.

"Speak up, you bastard!" Zenitsu suddenly stepped forward and grabbed Asuka by the collar. "Didn't you say you were going to learn Thunder Breathing?! Tell me, are you really there?"

The bird remained silent.

His gaze fell on the letter in Zenitsu's hand, the last letter that Kuwajima Jigoro had sent out by the crow that night.

"Did you...watch him...watch him do that?"

Zenitsu's voice was choked with sobs, and he nearly collapsed to the ground, yet he still gritted his teeth and forced himself to speak: "Tell me! They said the old man committed seppuku for that traitor... for that damned guy! And... and there wasn't even a second..."

"That was his choice." Asuka finally spoke, her tone as calm as ever, even somewhat indifferent.

These words were like a bolt from the blue for Zenitsu.

"You were right there...you were just watching! Why didn't you stop him? Aren't you a pillar? Aren't you strong?!"

Tears welled up in her eyes.

"Although he has a bad temper...although he always hits me...he's my only family! He's the best old man in the world!"

How could you... how could you just watch him die?!

Anger and grief overwhelmed reason in an instant.

"You bastard—!!"

Zenitsu suddenly swung his fist and slammed it heavily into Asuka's calm face.

boom!

The bird neither dodged nor chose any means to deflect the force.

He took the punch head-on.

Zenitsu was in a state of extreme grief and anger, so his punch was extremely powerful. Asuka was hit hard in the face, his head tilted to one side, and his mouth was immediately cut open, with a trace of bright red blood seeping out.

"Lord Lanzhu!!!"

The team members around him were startled by Zenitsu's behavior and quickly came over to pull him away.

Zenitsu had completely lost his strength and knelt helplessly before Asuka, covering his face with his hands and letting out a mournful cry like a wounded beast.

"Answer me... why aren't you saying anything..."

'

"Waaah... Old man... Master..."

The cries drifted in the evening breeze, echoing through the exquisite yet cold corridors of the Ubuyashiki mansion.

Asuka looked down at the boy kneeling at her feet, offering neither comfort nor explanation.

He took another Nichirin sword from his waist and handed it to him along with a yellow-covered book from his arms: "Go and become stronger than anyone else. Don't look back."

The bird bypassed the sobbing Zenitsu and strode forward.

"Old man, this is all I can do."

Whether he will undergo a complete transformation is not something I can decide.

He murmured to himself, touching the corners of his slightly swollen mouth.

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