NOVEL WEB Chapter 10: Michiko Inoue
She has a striking appearance with a braided crown hairstyle that highlights her voluminous locks. Her hair color is an eye-catching emerald green that complements her hazel eyes, adding depth to her captivating gaze.
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"Thank you so much for helping us," said Chikafusa to the girl.
Ai is still confused about whether the girl is a demon slayer or not. It seems like she hasn't seen the girl before.
She asked the girl, "Excuse me! I'm curious, are you a demon slayer? I don't think we've met before, but you definitely are strong."
The girl smiles and replies, "Oh, Ai-chan. My name is Michiko Inoue. I am a demon slayer. I know you haven't seen me because we've never trained at the same time."
Michiko is a soft-spoken girl. Her voice made them relaxed. She is quite beautiful and cute, but not as Ai.
Ai wonders how she knows her name, but continues to fight the demons alongside Chikafusa and Michiko. Michiko reveals that she uses Nature Breathing.
[Author's Note: Nature Breathing is derived from the Stone Breathing. It's not an official breathing, it's created by me.]
While on their way, they encountered a demon. Ai uses her Flower Breathing technique and kills the demon in an instant. The demon's body starts vanishing into ashes.
Ai is shocked to see that demon's vanishing, "What?!! How's this possible? According to the law of conservation of mass, mass can neither be created nor destroyed. So where is his mass going?"
The writer didn't care much about the laws & fundamentals in the verse.
Nonetheless, they didn't care much about it either and returned to their base. When they came back, Ren welcomed Michiko and already knew about her. Ren teaches other demon slayers how they can unlock their marks. And one of them was Michiko.
Ren feels that Michiko is the only person who can truly understand him and motivate him. He sees her as the most innocent and kind-hearted person he has ever met, even more so than Tanjiro and himself.
"Hajime-Kun, I'm so glad to see you again," says Michiko.
They trained together for 3 months and built a strong bond with her.
They enjoyed the time with her and made her a part of their team in no time.
3 months later…
They went on a mission again. Tsunenari is still admitted to the hospital.
Chikafusa and Ai are together on the mission. Their mission is to kill demons and save as many humans as possible.
Michiko is also on the mission but is separated from them. Same as with Ren.
On the way of her journey, she found a demon eating human flesh. That demon looks disgusting and cruel. The demon is walking with 6 hands. Michiko blocks her nose to avoid his bad smell.
Despite that, she politely requests the demon to stop devouring humans. The demon was shocked to listen to her because he was so disgusting and evil but still she showed respect to him.
"W–Who the hell are you?!!! Don't interrupt me from eating a human. I am a demon, you need to kill me to stop it. I— I am impressed with you, don't force me to kill you," said the demon.
Once, Michiko was blessed by a powerful demon who granted her the ability to bring peace to anyone, no matter how wicked or malevolent they may be. However, her powers could be overruled by a being stronger than the demon who bestowed this gift upon her.
By this, she can make anyone happy no matter how depressed they are. However, it's a different story when it comes to the demon seeking her assistance. It was clear from his eyes that he was yearning for liberation, rather than just a temporary fix to his turmoil. It's understandable that even if he were to find some peace, his demon form would prevent him from truly experiencing happiness.
She remembers when she was granted the boon. She was just 7 when she met a real demon. The demon was none other than an Upper Moon 4.
She remembers, "At the tender age of 7, I had to face the unimaginable pain of losing my mother. The only person who loved and cared for me was now gone, leaving me in a state of utter despair and misery. I was so distraught that I couldn't even comprehend the funeral procession, all I knew was that my mother needed to be buried. And so, I buried her behind our old house, tears streaming down my face as I grieved the loss of my only loved one.
It was a dark and gloomy night, with little light to be seen. The silence was deafening, and not even a single insect could be heard. Behind our house was a wheat farm, and the cold wind was blowing relentlessly, adding to the already bleak atmosphere. I was already depressed, and my mother's death had traumatized me beyond belief. I cried out to God, pleading with Him to bring my mother back to me.
Suddenly, out of nowhere, a young girl appeared before me. Her skin was a shade of sky blue, and she was glowing more brightly than the moon in the sky. She looked like she had come straight out of a fairy tale or fantasy story, but even more beautiful than any character I had ever seen. I couldn't remember her face or appearance, but the mere sight of her left me spellbound. Her beauty was unparalleled, and even the most beautiful supermodels seemed like mere frogs in front of her.
It dawned on me that no human being could ever be so beautiful, and the girl must be a demon. And that's when she revealed to me that I was nothing but a blessing from her to my mother, which was true. I had heard tales of the girl who had blessed my mother with a child, but I had always thought it was just a myth. But now, standing before me was Upper Moon 4, the demon of fate, the very girl who had blessed my mother all those years ago.
She seemed pleased with my innocence and asked me to make a wish. I was elated at the opportunity and thought of nothing but bringing my mother back to life.
But as I voiced my desire, she spoke words that shook me to my core. She warned me that even if she brought my mother back to life, she wouldn't be the same person anymore. Death was an inevitable force, and it marked the end of one's fate. What was the point of reviving my mother if she couldn't recognize me anymore?
Recalling my mother's words, I remembered that her only wish was for me to keep everyone happy. And so, the girl bestowed me with a power that allowed me to make anyone happy, except for the stronger demons who were beyond her control. Though I could not have my mother back, I knew that her spirit was with me, guiding and protecting me always."
NATURE BREATHING 5TH FORM: INVISIBLE WISERIA DRAW
She swiftly cuts the demon's head without causing any pain.
"Forgive me, God. It was important for me to free him from every pain. I hope I'll go to Hell for my sins," she prays.
Now the scene shows Ren Hajime.
In this scene, Ren finds himself fighting another demon. He doesn't want to hurt anyone, but the demon has captured a child, so he has no choice but to fight. Ren picks up a rock, thinking that he can scare the demon away by throwing it. However, he throws the rock with such force that it shatters the sound barrier and instantly kills the demon by exploding its head. Even Ren himself is taken aback by the outcome of his actions.
In the other scene, we see Ai and Chikafusa fighting some demons and easily dominating them.
But suddenly, they noticed a boy around 16 years old sitting on a tree's branch and staring at them. He wore clothes similar to the Japanese school uniform, but the school uniform wasn't discovered in the mid-20th century.
"Is it a monkey? No, it's a boy. But why is he sitting there? Maybe he needs some help," says Ai.
The boy creepily smiles and disappears in the heavy wind. He instantly appears in front of them and says, "Girl, don't worry! I won't do anything to you. Just be on my side and I'll make you what I am."
"Aww, do I have to beg you so you won't harm me and show your mercy upon me? Idiot. You need therapy for sure, otherwise, who would jump from the tall tree and risk his life? Now get lost and—"
The boy stops her from saying so and punches at their stomachs which makes them fall to the ground in an instant. He knocked out both of them with likely no effort. The boy is the Lower Moon 1, Ash.
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