"I had a dream."
Sui tilted her head slightly. The snakes released through the chime of her wind-bells carried the image of the snow-covered courtyard back to her.
Seven days had passed, and the snow still had not melted.
"Tell me about it," Ubuyashiki said with a nod.
"The demons I killed did not vanish. Instead, they became some kind of nourishment and were absorbed into my body," Sui said.
"You already mentioned that much in your earlier letter, Miss Sui. There is nothing abnormal about your body—in fact, it is healthy to an almost unnatural degree. Is that connected to the dream you wish to speak of?" Ubuyashiki perceptively asked.
"In the dream, I was Yamata no Orochi," Sui said. "Susanoo severed all of my heads, and in the end I heard a single eye say: 'I need more blood, more blood! That lowly thing stole away my precious blood!'"
Sui's hearing was so sharp that when she imitated the voice from the dream, it sounded vivid enough to make one feel personally present.
That metallic shriek struck Ubuyashiki's heart like a heavy hammer.
"How astonishing," he murmured.
"Dreams are sometimes real. Perhaps what you saw was an ancestral memory, preserved through inheritance and finally revealed to you in the form of a dream."
Sui cradled her teacup and tilted her head. "You mean my ancestor was Yamata no Orochi?"
"That is not impossible."
Ubuyashiki looked utterly calm.
"We have always believed that gods truly exist in this world. The curse that has continued through the Ubuyashiki line is proof enough. Those dragons and tigers who should have lived ordinary lives instead opened their eyes because of Muzan's evil—can that not also be called divine punishment upon him?"
"In that case, could my Mystic Eyes have come from that ancient demon god?" Sui asked.
Then she shook her head.
"No, Master."
"I do not think I truly have anything to do with Yamata no Orochi. Of course, that is only a vague feeling. If gods really do exist in this world, then perhaps my ancestor truly was that legendary monster."
She took a small sip of tea and gazed at the moonlit snow in the courtyard.
Moonlight spilled down, making the ground seem to flow with liquid silver.
The loss of ordinary eyesight had little real effect on Sui. In the past, the perception granted by Thunder Breathing's heightened hearing had already been enough for her to observe her surroundings. Now, with the bells on her earrings expanding her awareness, and with the fully concentrated state she had developed—Serpent—she had even acquired a strange kind of overhead perspective.
For a swordsman who hunted demons in the dark, it was an enormous advantage.
And with her normal vision gone, the burden on her Mystic Eyes had been reduced as well.
"Are you truly all right, Miss Sui?" Ubuyashiki asked with concern. "I have heard what happened. The demon disturbances at Mount Shaku and Mount Kurama were caused by that fox demon—your younger sister from long ago, Kagetsuki. She possessed a Blood Demon Art called Divine Fire Play, one that desecrated the corpses of the dead and made them fight for her. Even Rengoku Shinjuro was controlled by it. Fortunately, you freed him."
"And as long as a puppet remained, Kagetsuki would not die even if she were beheaded. Every puppet had to be dealt with first."
Even Ubuyashiki sounded troubled by the sheer difficulty of such an ability.
"The hallucinations Sanemi described as well. The red flames represented the puppets, the blue flames the illusions. Those Blood Demon Arts were dangerous even to excellent Hashira like you. If one of you were to fall because of them, our situation would become far worse. I do not wish to see the day when you must raise your blades against your own comrades, or against those you once swore to protect."
"That won't happen anymore," Sui said softly.
Ubuyashiki set down his teacup, waiting for her to continue.
"I cut through her Blood Demon Art with the Mystic Eyes. I did not merely sever Kagetsuki's link to Shinjuro—I directly killed the technique itself, the Blood Demon Art that allowed her to manipulate corpses and shift her true body between them. From that point onward, no matter what great abilities she may possess, if she is beheaded, she will die."
"Incredible, Miss Sui."
Ubuyashiki bowed to her. Beside him, Amane did the same.
"Thank you for all you have done," he said.
"Thank you for all you have done," the entire Ubuyashiki family echoed.
"There is no need for thanks, Master," Sui replied with a bow of her own. "Such things should not exist in this world in the first place."
"Oh, yes. There is one other matter. After your sword was broken, the head of the Swordsmith Village contacted me. He wishes to become your swordsmith."
"What about Mr. Haganezuka?" Sui asked curiously.
"As for Haganezuka..." Ubuyashiki's expression turned slightly complicated. "He was deeply shaken by the realization that even the Thunder Hashira could break one of his blades. It seems he has gone off to undergo some sort of training. At present, there is no word from him—not even the village chief knows where he has gone."
"Shall I give the village chief your reply, Miss Sui?"
He smiled faintly and added, "Also, the chief has specifically invited you to visit the Swordsmith Village. He wishes to forge a Nichirin Blade precisely suited to you. The chief, Tecchin Tecchikawahara, is an extraordinarily skilled swordsmith. He is especially fond of forging blades for young girls. Kanae's blade was made by him as well."
Rarely, Ubuyashiki spoke in a tone almost like a joke.
"And what of the demonic sword?" Sui asked.
"The malice sealed within it broke free, which is why it took control of Yajima Hinori's mind so easily. Still, it was thanks to that very malice that Hinori was not killed by the demon," Ubuyashiki answered. "Sanemi defeated her, then took the sword away using the method you described, and sealed it within the inverted tower beneath your shrine. The child is unharmed, apart from a few scrapes. She is now at Senko Myojin Shrine, waiting for your return."
"In short, all is well."
Something about Ubuyashiki's expression set Sui's heart at ease.
She fell silent for a moment.
Then a thought came to her.
She wanted to bring the demonic blade into the Swordsmith Village and hear what those master smiths thought of it.
Previously, Haganezuka had only imitated the blade when forging; no true swordsman had used it, and the malice sealed inside had not yet been released. There had been too little information to learn anything meaningful.
But now things were different.
If Sui personally brought the unsealed blade there, she could demonstrate sword forms before the smiths. Perhaps it would stir some memory in them.
"Tomorrow I will first say my farewells to Kanae and the others," Sui said. "Then I will return to the shrine, retrieve the demonic blade, and head for the Swordsmith Village."
Late that night, Sui quietly slipped back into the Butterfly Mansion.
There was something undeniably guilty about sneaking out behind a doctor's back when you were supposed to be a patient under their care.
She climbed in through the window—only to find Kanae sitting on the bed, cheeks puffed out, waiting for an explanation.
Sui landed as calmly as ever, removed her outer clothing, and lay back down in bed as though she had seen absolutely nothing.
She settled beneath the covers, pulling the quilt up over the lower half of her face so that only her beautiful eyes remained visible.
"Sui!" Kanae finally cried.
"Good night, Kanae," Sui said, blinking innocently.
Join here to read ahead.
In Star Rail, Ultra-Beast Armored — Have I Caught "Equilibrium"? l (Chapter 80)
Uma Musume, But I Only Have Five Years Left to Live (Chapter 178)
Zenless Zone Zero: I'm a Doctor, Not a Bangboo (Chapter 132)
Ben Tennyson Wants to Join the Justice League ( 126 )
TYPE-MOON: Redemption Beginning with the Holy Grail War (Chapter110)
Yu-Gi-Oh! — Transmigrated into the White Dragon Girl (Chapter140)
"Is this chat group even serious?" (Chapter95)
I, Lord Ravager, Utterly Loyal! (Chapter165)
Can Playing Games Save the World? 65
Crossover Anime Multiverse: The Demon Hunter of an Unnatural World 77
From Junkman to Wasteland 66
Weekly Refresh of Overpowered 31
I'm Grinding Proficiency Like 46
From Kiana, Lord Ravager, Onwa 145
Honkai: Is This Still the Prev 42
Elf: My Starter Pokémon Is Inc 65
Warhammer: My Primarch Is Remi 135
From Demon Slayer to Grand Ass 95
The Way the Umamusume Look at 68
Uma Musume, but My Cheat Power 155
Naruto: Weaving the Future, Be 65
Zenless Zone Zero, but Kamen R 76
Multiverse Crossover: The Perf 66
My Cyberpsycho Girlfriend 65
Uma Musume: The Dark Trainer 125
Uma Musume: A Calamity Born fr 105
I, a Reincarnation-Loop Player 62
The Violent Girl Group Is Beat 80
Uma Musume: The Horse Girl Who 66
Uma Musume: From Beginner 80
Becoming a Horse Girl, I Will 62
Uma Musume: I Want All 65
I Can Copy Unique Skills 53
Summoning an Evil God, but the 41
Supernatural Multiverse 45
My Harem Is Indescribable 35
Jujutsu Kaisen: Heroic Spirit 46
"I'm just a Valkyrie passing through." 26
Uma Musume: Today Is Another Romantic Battlefield 36
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