丨Soar丨 Kimetsu no Yaiba x OC｜

Chapter 57

"The 'Mu' in 'Muichiro' is the 'in' in 'ineffective'."

Muichiro wiped his tears.

We lived like that until... until spring came... when... Amane-sama visited us in spring.

"Are you saying that you can do something!!? How can some weakling who doesn't even know how to cook become a swordsman!? Stop spewing nonsense!!" Yuichiro slammed the knife onto the chop board hard, the daikon rolled to the floor, "You're just like Mum and Dad! Just what is inside your heads!!? You're all way too optimistic! Mom fell ill because she worked without telling us she was sick! Dad went into the storm even when I told him to stop! Even when mum told him to rest!"

"Saving people is nothing! It's only for the chosen ones! We're just children! What can we do!!?" the glare from Yuichiro still stung Muichiro, "I'll tell you what we can do! We'll die like dogs out there! That woman is just using us! She's scheming something! We're never talking about this anymore got it!? Now just get the food ready!"

Muichiro squeezed his eyes shut.

We were so angry at each other that... we stopped talking altogether.

Then... Before we could sort it out... A demon came to us one night... in the summer... We foolishly left the door open because of the heat...

Muichiro sobbed as he recalled how Yuichiro's arm was cut off, how he crawled back into the house after the demon crumpled under the rays of dawn, how his twin was laying in a pool of his own blood, on the verge of death.

"Because... the 'Mu' in 'Muichiro'... is the 'in'... in 'infinity'..."

He was truly alone after that, wasn't he?

"O-Ohayo! Tokito-san! I am Suzuki Chizuko!"

Muichiro's eyes snapped open.

Rain poured from the thick, almost black clouds covering the sky. She wouldn't come today, wouldn't she? Muichiro thought to himself as he listened to the howling wind.

"Muichiro-kun!!" Chizuko slammed open the screen doors, completely drenched from head to toe, water was dripping from her hair, "I'm here! Sorry for being late! L-Let's eat together!"

"A-Ah! Don't worry! My clothes will be dry soon! L-Luckily the food isn't wet!" Chizuko must had caught him staring as she unraveled the carefully wrapped basket, "I-I promised to come everyday right? A little rain won't stop me!"

No...

I was never alone...

Chizuko... Chizuko was there with me.

More tears rolled off his cheeks.

"Ehhh!!?" Chizuko was so surprised, Muichiro remembered her birthday, and he was gifting her a pair of chopsticks decorated with foxes. Although Muichiro didn't magically remember everything about Chizuko, he wrote it down on a small booklet he kept under his pillow. He wrote something down everyday, some silly little things Chizuko said, her habits, her likes and dislikes. He would read it every day, either before Chizuko visited him or whenever he was free.

That explained the booklet he found under his pillow, and why Chizuko insisted on only using that particular pair of chopsticks even if it was worn out.

"Look! Muichiro-kun! That cloud looks like Hachi!" Chizuko pointed to the blue sky.

"Pfff... Muichiro-kun, you have rice here," Chizuko laughed, pointing at the corner of her mouth.

"Muichiro-kun!! I'm back!!" Chizuko exclaimed, holding his hands, jumping up and down excitedly, "I passed the Final Selection!! I'm a demon slayer now!!"

"I-It's unfair!" Chizuko sobbed into his shoulder, "Wh-Why am I thinking like this? What... What is wrong with me?"

He hugged Chizuko tightly, demon or not, she was his angel.

"Mui-kun, I'm sorry for asking you about what you did in your past birthdays. I just want you to know that it doesn't matter if you remember the past or not. Today is a new day, all I want is for you to feel special at this moment, and be happy with us every day starting from now!"

And then... And then he had forgotten about her... because...

"BROTHER!!!" the child hugged his brother's broken body, "BROTHER!!! WAKE UP!!!" he wailed, his face stained with the blood his brother spilled, his desperate sorrow coming straight from his soul.

All because Muichiro had gotten the wrong answer for Lower Moon One.

Guilt, pain, anger and flashbacks of Yuichiro overwhelmed him at that moment, something in him had snapped.

His memories must had been in chaos after he fainted.

I remember now, Chizuko.

Muichiro stood, veins popped from his forehead, patterns of mist appeared on his face.

There was nothing but resolution in his eyes.

***
Chizuko kicked and punched at the water basin holding her.

Not good not good not good! Chizuko couldn't swim, and she was running out of breath.

Haganezuka-sama!! Kanamori-sama!! Chizuko made the deadly mistake of opening her mouth, gulping in mouthfuls of water as the swordsmiths were attacked.

Gyokko ducked all of a sudden, disappearing into his vase.

Splash.

Chizuko was freed from the water basin.

She coughed up water as soon as she could breathe again.

A hand came into sight.

Lifting her head, Chizuko saw Muichiro smiling at her.

Infinity Train will be airing on Friday ⊙▽⊙
Wish I were in Japan or Taiwan (ಥ_ʖಥ)