Release: Feb 23, 2021
Words: 1537
Other than his master Howling wind was one's only companion on the high peaks.
Above the endless clouds, there was only an unnatural darkness. it's been a while since the storm gone so everything get back to normal.
A few moment ago Kokushibo told tanjiro to practice with this while he is away finding some food. He look at the boulder and it's really massive, but it's possible to use it for training.
Tanjiro is thinking now if his master is trying to kill him or not. With a sigh and a smirk, the well-toned, muscular berserker, tanjiro move the boulder using his body continuously left and right and he even try to use it as a squat, but too heavy to do so.
In just give hours of training he can feel that his body become much stronger than before. His muscle was aching though. Good thing that they already go down from the peak.
A few moment pass by and his appeared bringing him foods."Woah! That's delicious"
He said as he still on the boat meats that his master was holding.
"Let's clean and cook it first" Kokushibo said as tanjiro nodded. Something is bothering Tanjiro's mind lately. How can he eat human food even though he is a demon.
"Master, it's been bothering me lately so-
"Spit it out" Kokushibo said as he nod.
"How can I still eat human food? I know that demon eat human flesh and drink human blood, but why am I not like them?" I asked as he replied still looking at the camp fire that he was making.
"Do you want to be like them?" He asked as tanjiro shivered in the thoughts of being a complete demon. "Eating humans, yuck!" He thought.
"No! I don't wanna" I said.
Kokushibo successful readied the camp fire and started to cook the fish and meats the he hunted from the boar earlier and from the lake somewhere near them.
"Demons use human flesh to gain more strength. The more they eat, the more they get strong. But there is an alternative way other than eating human flesh. The human food." He said as tanjiro keep listening.
"Being a demon doesn't means that you can gain strength just by devouring humans. You can also eat human food, but it's hard because of the curse he made and his own will itself." He added.
"Curse and will? What is the curse, master?" Tanjiro asked wanting to know more.
"There is a Curse and a Will that muzan bestowed to us demons. The Curse was the demon cause inducement, it's job is too prevent you from saying his name, if you did then it will automatically activated and destroy you." Kokushibo said.
"The other one was his Will to Annihilation of humanity." He added.
"Why do he want to kill the humans, master? I'm curious since I saw a demon who really hate humans. But I don't know why, did humans do something that they don't like?" Tanjiro said.
"A long time ago, basically one thousand year Muzan had a wife and a child. Their family didn't do anything bad. Truth to be told, humans that day despise Muzan. Only himself doesn't know it" He replied.
"Why?" Tanjiro asked.
"Because of him being a genius. He is a famous doctor that time and also he likes to experiment. He is good, kind and cheerful. But one-day it all change." Kokushibo said as he become more serious.
"The humans that he trust the most betrayed him. They killed his children's and even defiled his wife in front of him. He can't forgive his self that day. " Kokushibo said as he continue telling him the story.
"He always believed that if you show kindness to other, they do the same to you. But it's just all words and not a fact. In this world if your strong, you can do anything. But if your weak, you will only experience pain and agony. Muzan that time is just a weak boy. He didn't know how to fight. He is strong with his brain but not his physical capabilities." Kokushibo added.
"Do you'd till want to know how he become a demon?" Kokushibo asked.
"Yes, master" Tanjiro replied.
"After the villagers are done with his wife. They untie Muzan. He ran to his wife and apologize that he can't protect her. That he doesn't have any strength to do so. His wife just smiled and said her last words." Kokushibo said.
"I don't know what her words though, but I'll tell you the rest of thing that happen" he added as his apprentice just nodded while grabbing some meat and eating it.
"Her wife can't take it anymore, so she killed herself. She bite her tongue. Before that she smiled at Muzan and give him her last kiss and goodbye. Muzan then bury all the remains of his family." Kokushibo said.
"That's when something happens. The kind and cheerful side of Muzan disappeared. He swear to himself that he would take revenge, no mater what happen. He ran to his laboratory and get the pill that he is experimenting and studying for almost 10 years of living." He continue.
"He didn't know what it's effect, but what he know is that pill can strengthen someone. He made that pill to strengthen their village man power since they always got attack by bandits every winter. But now it all change."
He continued.
"He use it on himself. After that he passed out for almost three days and three nights. No eating, not drinking even water. He woke up and found himself in such a pitiful state." He added.
"He look at himself at the mirror and smiled. His looks of an old man didn't change. But he can feel some power surging inside of him. Then his stomach grumble. He want to eat. And because of his hate of humans. He started his revenge with them." He continued.
"That night, the moon is red. Some says the if the moon becomes red. There is someone or something from the darkness that emerge. That was Muzan. He every humans he see in the village. He didn't spare anyone, children, man, women and even old people. He eat them all while laughing menacingly."
He said.
"On that day, the demon has been born"
Kokushibo finished.
"So that means that it's Muzan's Will that makes the demon eat humans,Not their own self?" Tanjiro asked.
"Yes, he wish to Annihilatte every last humans alive. But he can't do it alone. Thats why demon race has been make and we have missions that was give to us. Kill the demon slayers that is preventing the demons to kill more humans, Find the blue spider lily for Muzan to attain the immortality and last but not the least, kill every last human alive." Kokushibo said.
Tanjiro didn't expected that the king of demons have a kind personality in his past life. He always thought that Muzan kibutsuji born to be bad. But it's not, humans are the one who drive him to do this.
"Master..you said that if you call that guy name then you will get destroyed. But I keep hearing you saying his name without even getting killed" tanjiro said as he take another bite of meat.
"It's the curse is no longer on me." Kokushibo said.
"How?" Tanjiro asked.
"Training, if you become stronger, you can defeat any kind of creature that will go in your way. The curses is no exceptions." He replied.
"Did Muzan know it?" Tanjiro asked again.
"I don't know. It's hard to read his mind. It's the same to you. You drink my blood so the curse was not bound to you" Kokushibo said.
"Now now let's stop for now. I'll tell you a lot of stories next time. We need to hurry and eat it. You need to recover you strength. The sun will soon rise up." Kokushibo said.
"You don't want to make your sister worried, right? He asked as tanjiro nodded and finish the food he is eating.
A few moment pass by and the sun is almost up. Kokushibo called the biwa user using telepathy. Tanjiro hear a biwa sound and a door in front of him appeared.
"Tanjiro, here. This will be your training regime. I can't meet with you tomorrow so please train on your own. I need to be careful or else Muzan will know that I betray him" Kokushibo said.
"Don't worry master, I'll do my best! Once we meet I will make sure that my body become stronger and all my attacks will surprise you! I will beat you next time" tanjiro said as kokushibo just smiled and pat the boys head.
"Farewell tanjiro, we will meet again" Kokushibo said as he disappeared.
Tanjiro then inhale and exhale before heading to the door. He knows that this is the way to Urokodaki's house, but he is wondering what will happen next.
Will urokodaki question him of his disappearance, or not? He just hope it's not that. He sight and finally he cross the door.
To be continue...