Emmanuel_Capricorn
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DS : Chapter 149
🕑 Added 2025-02-19 15:55:02 +0000 UTC[Seiji's POV]
"A lost kid in the jungle who could somehow use a unique Breathing Style," I said thoughtfully, digesting the information I read off Sanemi's lips.
"Was that why you brought him with you?"
"He was starving too," Sanemi said, "Food is scarce in winter, a kid had no business staying alone in the forest. As you can see, he is already quite thin so I thought it best to bring him with me,"
That was unexpectedly kind of Sanemi, people must think. Well, people did not know he had one of the biggest hearts among the Hashira. A big heart that was twisted and wounded a long time ago but it still had room for kindness.
Kanae sat beside me, leaning on my shoulder while her fingers intertwined with mine in assurance of my presence. Shinobu sat on the opposite side, a few feet of distance between us. She was reading a book about biology in light of her research but now her eyes were focused on Sanemi and the boy.
"That's unexpected. I thought he was your child or something," Shinobu commented in amusement and he replied just like she expected.
"The fuck? How old do you think I am? And this kid looked NOTHING like me," he said, the kid blew out steam from his nose and nodded. They were in synch.
"So then what are you planning to do with him? Are you going to train him, take him in as your first Tsuguko perhaps?" I raised an eyebrow. I never really expected Sanemi to find Innosuke, nothing of the sort was mentioned in the manga so this must be a butterfly effect.
I wondered what he was planning to do with him.
"I-...." Sanemi tried to speak but words caught on his throat. He was speechless for a few seconds before I quickly caught on to why.
"You...You were not trying to dump the kid here and leave, were you?"
"Of course...not," More yes than yes. I could see that he never thought this through and now that he did, it seemed unreasonable to drop a kid he himself found in the forest into another hand.
He should have the responsibility since he took the kid with him.
"What do you think this is? An orphanage?"
"I said I didn't try to do it!!" Sanemi snapped sharply, "But I don't understand your problem, you have Kanao, Aoi, and Muichiro and I heard even the Kamado kid is going to come here, what's one more?"
"One more?' I asked with a raised eyebrow before my gaze shifted to his back. Sanemi, confused looked beside him and quickly noticed the absence of the kid he brought with him.
"What the?!" he looked behind him, just in time to see Insoku running along the tall fence, chasing our cat.
"Don't run food!" Insokue was perfectly balanced as he ran in the small line that was the top of the fence.
Our poor cat, on the older side, ran for its life after nearly a decade of safe domestication.
We all watched, speechless in our own way.
"That's at least a dozen kid's worth of trouble," I said. Sanemi was fuming and he quickly chased down Insokue, held him by the back of his neck and put him back in his previous place.
"Come here," I said with command in my tone before Inosuke could bark back at Sanemi.
The young boy stilled at my voice, he turned to me and stared. I did not move my gaze as I penetrated through the mask and stared directly at his eyes.
The staredown took a long time. Inosuke remained frozen but as time went on, you could see nervous sweat on him, even his boar head.
In the end, the boy obediently came up to me and stood before me in a docile posture. On my part, I could only praise his instinct.
"Take off your mask," I said and the boy froze once more.
"Don't bother, he never wants to take the mask off. Trust me, I've asked," Sanemi commented at the back.
But contrary to what he said, Insokue swiftly took off the mask.
"WHAT!!" Sanemi fumed.
When the boar mask was taken off, it revealed a delicate face that looked even younger than his body. He looked like a cute baby still even tho I knew that he was not.
The skin on his face was impeccable, unblemished by the rough forest due to wearing the mask consistently during his life.
"What does he look like?" Kanae tugged at my hand when she felt the atmosphere and I gave a brief description to her before I spoke to the boy again.
"What's your name?"
Inosuke's dolly face finally pinched into an emotion. It was a rough expression that did not befit his elegant face.
"Inoskue is Inosuke!" he said.
"Okay, how old your you?"
"I don't know,"
"Well..." I said and my eyes shone purple even during the day. It was true that the boy did not know his age since he never had real parents so I looked it myself.
"You've turned twelve," I said.
Insokue was nearly two years younger than his fellow generation Demon Slayer - Zenitsu and Tanjiro. But even still, Insokue right now looked even smaller and younger than his age.
I guess puberty had not hit him yet and his rough living conditions situation had not supported much growth.
"Inoskue is twelve years old!!" he declared with a smile.
I chuckled, "I see. Then can you tell me where you learned how to fight like that? Where did you learn how to do.." I stopped and perfectly replicated his breathing style but I did it with such force that you could hear the rushing of air from my nose.
"..that?"
For the record, Insokue showed surprise on his face. His eyes widened and he just stared in awe for a while before he grinned like a fox.
"Inosuke saw the animals do it and made his own!" he said and that aligned with what I know.
"So he created the breathing style himself?" Shinobu asked with a surprised blink, "Without an instruction?"
"Seems like it...scary talent," I said.
I took a closer look at his body and noted its extraordinary build. He was starved but his tendons and bone structure were leagues superior to a normal human. I deemed his potential to be easily Hashira level.
"Are you sure you don't want to take him as a student instead?" I met Sanemi's eyes, "Or have you not noticed it?"
"Of course, I've noticed it," he scoffed but he did not answer my actual question. He fell into a thoughtful silence instead.
"What is it?" Kanae whispered curiously. She could no longer see so she needed often to be informed of what was happening.
"Other than being talented, the Breathing Style that Inosuke created, is awfully similar to Wind Breathing," I whispered back but it was still loud enough for the Shinobu to hear as well.
"We don't have to discuss it right now, you can go clean up and rest first," I said after the silence stretched too long. Sanemi grumbled in agreement and I yelled inside the mansion.
"Aoi!!!"
It did not take long for the young girl to come to me. She was similar to Inosuke's age but she was slightly bigger than the jungle boy.
"Take Sanemi and Insoku inside, give them food and show them the bathhouse," I said to which Aoi nodded and gestured for the two of them to follow her.
"Behave Insokue and don't break anything," I told the boy to which he put on his mask and breath out steam for an answer.
They walked away but before they got too far, Sanemi turned back to me and said.
"It's good to see you well Seiji,"
I smiled.
..
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The morning rolled around and the afternoon came before we even realized it. The Mansion was a little more chaotic than usual since three Hashiras were there.
Everything remained the same for us but it was the other residents that were uneasy. The weight of a Hashira was heavy to them and seeing three at one place was amazing for them.
Insuke finally got the rice he craved so badly and after eating enough till his stomach was bloated like he was pregnant, he fell asleep like a log in the guest room.
On the other hand, Sanemi came out, looking more civil than you would expect with the green kimono. We all had lunch together, me, Sanemi, Shinobu and Kanae.
Unfortunately, Mitsuri had gone out for duty early at dawn. She stayed with me for the whole week that I was out so now that I woke up, she had to deal with her stacking duty and mission.
Kanao was nowhere to be seen, rarely visiting the Mansion like I used to when I first became a Demon Slayer. She was on a constant journey, mission after mission.
We talked about the current event and the battle that took place. Although they had heard it many times from the others, they wanted to hear my side of the story.
Sanemi in specific wanted vivid details on how the Demon King fought. How his swing felt, how strong was he, how fast were his attacks and so much more. I was the only one who could answer his curious questions.
Shinobu could not stay long with us though she she went back to do her research after she checked the patients.
"So your sword is broken? Do you intend to visit the Swordsmith village to get a new one?" Sanemi asked.
It was an easy matter to repair a broken sword but mine was broken beyond salvageable. I was planning on going there myself, apologize to Hatori for breaking the masterpiece he crafted.
When I first got the sword, I was confident that the sword would slay Muzan Kibutsuji. The sword was that perfect. But it met its end not from Muzan but from Gyomei's axe when I saved Rengoku.
Another reason why I wanted to go there myself instead of sending Raven was to retrieve Yorichi's sword, either to forge my new sword or to give it to Tanjiro. I would decide what to do when I look at the sword.
I would like a new design for my sword too.
"Yes, I shall visit the Swordsmtih village in the near future,"
There was so much I wanted or had to do so going there myself was a must. But I would do so only after I went to Tokyo and talked to Lady Tamayo.
"Lord Seiji," Aoi came and interrupted our conversation with a bow.
"What is it?"
"You have guests,"
I quirked an eyebrow. I was getting more visitors?
..
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Revised
Comments
Nemesis27
He would probably do that just to give them more PTSD ahahha. Seiji PTSD build
Martin Lervoll
Seiji should get either Yoriichi sword or a part of it, like the hilt or something. So Muzan & Kokushibo get a little reminder of the past. That would be really cool.
