The World On His Shoulders | Demon slayer x Male reader

Chapter XXVIII

Y/N's POV

Y/N's eyes widened. "Tetsugaku... spoke of you... in his last moments."

"Who?"

"A few months ago, I killed a former upper moon.... he... his name was Takashi Haruki." Y/N looked down.

Yoriichi's eyes widened just barely for a moment, Y/n was no stranger to feeling sad, felt this man, somehow had led a worse life than his. "That is a name I hadn't heard in... a long time, so that is what became of him... how unsightly."

Y/N nodded, "I didn't know much about him,  I'm sorry if my actions brought you pain."

Yoriichi looked up at Y/N, "You do not need to apologize. Takashi-san was once a human, and I believe he found peace in the end, so thank you for giving him rest. Now, I am here to talk to you about something important."

"What is it that you wish to discuss?"

Yoriichi's expression grew serious again, "There is much to be done, and I will not stand by and allow another generation of people to die for nothing, no, I will get involved....one last time."

"You created the Breathing Styles..." Y/N whispered in amazement.

Yoriichi acknowledged with a hum, "Yes, I did. While I wanted nothing more than for my comrades and students to learn Sun Breathing, they could not. So, in the end, they created their own styles. I can see you are learning more than one... interesting."

 "Am I dreaming?" Y/N asked still trying to process everything,

Yoriichi's response was both cryptic and straightforward, "Yes and no. I'm not a dream, and I am still here on Earth."

Y/N's curiosity grew, and he asked the question that had been on his mind, "Why?"

Yoriichi's calm demeanor didn't waver as he replied, "Because I failed to kill Kibutsuji, now countless generations suffer. I denied myself rest until he is dead."

"Are you a spirit?" Y/N questioned further.

Yoriichi nodded, "I am, although... it's been centuries since my death. My soul is slowly slipping away, and I believe I don't have much time before I'm forced to go to the afterlife... which is why... I can only speak with those with a connection to Sun Breathing."

Y/N's frustration and anger poured out as he confronted Tsugikuni Yoriichi. He couldn't comprehend why Yoriichi had chosen to reveal himself now, after so many centuries of silence and suffering. The loss of countless lives...

"You could have taught the Kamado family directly since your death, so they could become Demon Slayers and keep passing down and sharing Sun Breathing with others! So why must you hide? Why must you come here now,  generations later, when so many good people have died? I have watched them die—women, men, elderly, children! Why come here now with someone like me?" Y/N's voice trembled as he demanded answers.

Yoriichi remained calm, unfazed by Y/N's outburst, and countered with a question of his own, "Do you think the Kamado family would have survived if they revealed themselves, even with Sun Breathing?"

Yoriichi's question had caught Y/N off guard. He furrowed his brows, trying to make sense of the unexpected question.

"What do you mean?" Y/N asked with a softer voice.

Yoriichi spoke slowly, as if choosing his words carefully, "Sun Breathing is a double-edged sword. While it is powerful, it also draws the attention of demons and those who seek to exploit its strength. The Kamado family's survival might have been at risk if they openly practiced Sun Breathing."