Yoriichi Tsugikuni was floating in darkness. He couldn't see, nor hear. This was not new to him. He had been in this place since he died.

I deserve this. It's my fault that Kibutsuji lived another day.

Over and over, that's what he told himself. He was alone with his thoughts, which were becoming increasingly negative.

Kokushibo was dying. Not out of unwantedness, mind you. He was a demon. He could regenerate any wound if he wanted to.

But he didn't want to regenerate.

Kokushibo remembered his human life. He remembered his name.

The ugliness of having my head cut off, my body diced and crushed into pieces, and being unwilling to accept defeat. A disgrace to life. Have I lived hundreds of years for this? Was I so afraid of defeat that I became a monster? Did I want to be strong even if it meant eating people? Did I become this miserable creature because I didn't want to die? No. I... I just... Yoriichi. I just wanted to be like you.

I could never grab hold... of anything. Anything at all. I abandoned my home. I abandoned my wife and children. I abandoned my humanity. I cut down my descendants... and abandoned being a samurai. But even all that... wasn't enough? You said that those who master their paths all reach the same place. But I never did. I could not see the same world that you did. Why could I not leave anything behind? Why could I not become someone known? Why are we so different? Why in the world was I ever born? Tell me... Yoriichi.

My name is Michikatsu Tsugikuni. My brother was Yoriichi Tsugikuni. We were twins. I was the elder, but he was always better than me. I ruined everything with my ambition.

Everything is my fault.

Yoriichi had never been able to tell the time in the endless dark. He had no idea how long he'd even been in this place. So it was a surprise to him when he heard a familiar voice.

"Hello?"

"Michikatsu?"

"...Yoriichi? What are you doing here?"

"I don't know. But, you finally kicked the bucket, huh? I'm sorry,"

"...It's fine. I deserved it. Anyways, is this supposed to be a hellscape of some sort?"

"I don't think so, there's really nothing here,"

"I can't see anything,"

Greetings.

"Ack! What was that?" Michikatsu subconsciously clung to his brother.

"Don't know, it's never happened since I was here," Yoriichi noticed what his brother did, but decided not to comment on it.

Do not worry. I will not harm either of you. I merely am a messenger.

Michikatsu snarled. Apparently, there was still some demon in him. "And we can trust you because…?"

"Brother, let's at least hear them out,"

Thank you, Yoriichi. As for trust, you will trust me, because you have no choice. Now listen.

You are both dead. You can never return to your world. Feel free to ask me a question about the future. You are only allowed a single question together.

Yoriichi immediately asked the one question that had been on his mind. "What happened to Muzan Kibutsuji?"

Michikatsu added, "I too, am curious about what happened to him,"

Very well. Muzan Kibutsuji is dead.

"What? How?"

I can't tell you that. One question, remember?

Yoriichi sighed in relief. So Kibutsuji was dead. Even if he himself couldn't beat Kibutsuji, others could.

Michikatsu's eyes widened. So even the king of demons couldn't be everlasting. He thought of how foolish he was, that he ever thought he couldn't die.

"Ha...ha...ha"

"Michikatsu?"

"So even the life of the king of demons comes to an end. How funny. I was foolish,"

"Oh, brother, you were misguided,"

"Misguided? Was I misguided when I chose to become a demon? Was I misguided every time I killed and ate someone? No, I was selfish,"

"Brother-"

Michikatsu let go of his brother. "I'm not worthy to be your brother,"

"Brother, listen. What you did was wrong. But I will always consider you my brother,"

"...Why?"

"Because you are my brother, Michikatsu, and nothing can change that. Besides, you sound like you regret what you did, right?"

"Yes, I do regret what I did, but that will never fix the situation,"

Well, you can start now, in your new life.

Yoriichi paused. "New life? But we are dead and can never return to our world. How are we supposed to have a new life?"

By putting you in a different world.

"Different world? You must be pulling my leg," Michikatsu was skeptical.

I am not. You will be brought into this world now.

"Wait, what?"

A brilliant burst of light shone through the darkness, and the brothers disappeared.

Yoriichi woke up in a strange place. It was a broken-down building unlike any he had seen before. It wasn't familiar at all. It was too tall, too box-like. He looked beside him, and there was his sleeping brother. Though, he looked...smaller?

"Psst- Michikatsu, wake up!" He shook his twin lightly.

Michikatsu's eyes shot open, and he slapped Yoriichi's hand away.

"Ever heard of keeping your hands to yourself?"

"I was trying to wake you up, but if you don't want to be touched that's fine,"

"Just ask first, okay?"

Yoriichi smiled. "Okay!"

Michikatsu looked around. "So, this is a different world? Seems off somehow,"

"Well, we just woke up, so what are we going to do?"

"First we have to find water and food. We can worry about the rest later,"

While there were stores of food, the brothers couldn't find water. But they figured they could just use the many buckets to collect rainwater.

After that, they found weird clothes that were nothing like the clothes they had on. They tried on a few, but they laughed at how odd they looked.

Speaking of themselves, Yoriichi had been right about Michikatsu looking smaller. They appeared to have shrunk back into their approximately 17-year-old bodies.

Now with their necessities in place, they could do other things, such as explore their abilities.

Yoriichi discovered that while they looked about 17, they had incredibly strong muscles, akin to the muscles later in their 20's. He and his brother were able to lift many of the heavy things around the building. Sure, it wasn't a demon's strength, but it was above the average human.

Then the rat came. It wasn't a big rat, but it was really noisy, so they had to get rid of it.

Yoriichi was overcome with a weird instinct, and he pointed his finger at the rat.

To his surprise, a jet of white-hot flame came out and struck the rat's tail.

Michikatsu was jealous. He tried to point his finger at the rat, and out came something else. Little yellow and blue crescents came out of his finger and completely missed the rat.

"It's okay, brother! You can't always get it the first time! In fact, that's very rare!"

But YOU got it the first time. Michikatsu thought.

Nevertheless, the brothers worked on their powers. All in all, they were okay. This new world was no work at all to them. Yeah, there were no futons, no protection from the rain, but that was fine!

But the world was not content letting these teens get peace.