Demon Slayer: I Got Reincarnated As Yoriichi

One year ago.

In 1959.

After the death of Naraka, the Upper Moon 6, another Upper Moon meeting was held.

All the upper moons gathered in the Infinity Castle. Kokushibo, the current demon king, announced Naraka's death.

A chilling air of tension filled the Infinity Castle as Kokushibo's declaration hung in the air like a thunderclap.

Akaza murmured, his eyes widened in shock, "No way… How could he..?"

"Oh… It's so sad to hear that Naraka-kun is dead," says Douma.

A fake sadness is visible on his face.

"He was strong enough to defeat both of those slayers simultaneously… I trained him by myself… So how could he die?" says Akaza in disbelief.

Jigen, the Upper Moon 3, says in a calm voice, "Don't get it wrong, Lord Akaza! He didn't die because those slayers killed him. He died because he was weak."

Akaza clenches his fist at Jigen's insensitive response.

"What do you mean?!!"

Even Douma, the Upper Moon 2, and Suiryu, the Upper Moon 5, take a step back at Akaza's frustration.

"No… Don't fight. Naraka-kun was strong but…" says Eliza, the Upper Moon 4, in a somewhat concerned voice.

"Don't interfere in quarrels between men, Eliza," Jigen's sharp tone cuts her off, warns her to take a step back.

Now, he looks back at Akaza, "Lord Akaza! I don't only mean physically weak. But also mentally weak."

Everyone's eyes widened at his unexpected answer. Akaza asks, "Mentally weak? What does it mean?"

Jigen's crimson gaze sharpened, his tone dipping further into frost. "Yes, mentally weak. We all know Naraka could have easily dodged that girl's attack… but he didn't. What was going through his mind at that moment? Did he feel sympathy for her? Regret for what he'd done? Whatever it was, it's nothing but… pathetic."

"Huh?"

"It's true, Lord Akaza! He had a chance to kill them, but he didn't. It's truly pathetic. Shameful. Unforgivable. But I'll still forgive him for that, even if it disgusts me."

Kokushibo says in a cold voice, which echoed in the surroundings, "Jigen is correct. It is pathetic."

"What?! You too?" Akaza's eyes widened in shock.

"He lost the opportunity to emerge victorious. He thought that he died like a warrior, but it's utterly disappointing," says Kokushibo.

Akaza takes his step back, "A-Alright…"

"Lord Akaza, I'll avenge him. I'll find that girl and kill her. Once I kill her, you'll know how weak that girl was. I can't do anything for Naraka. He hated me more than anything in the world. I've killed five former upper moons, but I didn't intend to kill him so early. Even now, I can feel his soul cursing me from whatever abyss he's fallen into. Let him curse me. It changes nothing.

But that's the only thing I can offer to my deceased subordinate, cleaning up the mess he left behind."

Without another word, Jigen's figure dissolved into the shadows, his presence fading like a cold wind vanishing into the darkness.

Nakime sent everyone back to their previous places.

Kokushibo went back for training.

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Douma found himself back in his cult's grand, gaudy temple, the air thick with incense and the whispers of his devoted followers.

"Ah, today's meeting was even more interesting than the previous upper moon meeting," Douma laughs.

"If Jigen and Akaza-dono were to fight, it would be even more interesting. It would be fun to tease Akaza-dono even more. Hahahaha~"

Douma places his finger on his chin as he considers his own question, "I don't understand why they were upset. How does it feel to have emotions?"

But then some of his followers arrive and bow down before him.

Douma laughs again, "Well, well. Seems like the fun is over now."

He looks at his followers with a wicked grin.

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On a desolate, rocky expanse under the vast, unyielding night sky, Akaza, the Upper Moon One, stood motionless. The jagged terrain around him mirrored the turmoil brewing within.

He clenches his fist once again.

"Without you, training feels so meaningless... Why did you let someone kill you?"

He looks at the night sky, staring at the moon. Time passed, the silence pressing heavily around him.

He says in a soft voice, "Sleep, warrior!"

————————————————————————

In a small, desolate village swallowed by time, silence reigned. The crumbling remnants of wooden houses stood like gravestones, bearing witness to the lives that once thrived there.

Suiryu, the Upper Moon 5, is sitting on the top of an abandoned wooden house.

He jumps off the house and reaches the ground. He keeps slowly walking, towering at 9'11 feet.

"Dear Naraka, I'm glad that you didn't hate me, even though I swore my loyalty to Lord Jigen. You understood what I am… what I must be.

You've lived your life as a warrior, not as a demon. And for that, I'm honored to have a friend like you.

Sleep well, Naraka."

————————————————————————

In the heart of an ancient forest, the gentle rustle of leaves filled the cool night air. Eliza, the Upper Moon Four, sat gracefully on the branch of a towering tree, her legs crossed as she gazed into the distance.

The moonlight filtered through the canopy, casting her in an otherworldly glow, her angelic beauty seeming almost unreal amidst the quiet wilderness.

Her thoughts lingered on the Upper Moon meeting, the echoes of their voices still fresh in her mind.

A soft smile played on her lips as she mused aloud. "What would happen if they had truly fought? Oh, what a spectacle that would've been."

She chuckled delicately, a sound as light as the wind brushing through the leaves. "How amusing... and yet, how embarrassing it was for me. Being scolded by Jigen-san... that was certainly unexpected.

I didn't step back because of Akaza-Sama's wrath, he's a gentleman who won't hurt me. About Jigen-San, he won't do anything to me. I was interested to see their fight. I like to create chaos. But…" her smile slowly fades away.

"Jigen-san… I've never seen him like that before. Vulnerable, if only for a fleeting moment. He hides his emotions so well, yet for the first time, there is something there. Something dark, neither sorrow nor joy. It was... consuming."

She exhaled softly, her gaze lifting to the moon. "He truly is an enigma," she whispered. "It wasn't fear that made me step back. It was the weight of his darkness. Something even I couldn't ignore."

With a gentle motion, she rose into the air, her body levitating effortlessly. Her long, dark hair cascaded behind her like liquid silver, and as she ascended higher, the moonlight embraced her form, enhancing her ethereal beauty.

She hovered above the treetops, a vision of divine elegance.

"Naraka-kun, you're strong. You didn't die because you were distracted or weak." She paused, her azure eyes shimmering like the stars above, "You died because I willed it so. Because I wrote your fate with my own hands."

A faint, melodious laugh escaped her lips as she placed a hand gently over her chest. "What a wicked little witch I am."

Her expression faltered, her radiant smile giving way to a somber look.

"But that's what you wanted, don't you? Farewell, Naraka-kun…"