Chapter 16 - Severing and Curse Breathing
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"How long have I been out this time?"
"Seven days."
"Did something happen in these seven days?"
"Yes, there was an attack on the blacksmiths, but Mist Hashira, Rengoku, and Tanjiro were there, and they managed to defeat the Upper-Rank Four and Upper-Rank Five."
"Ah, that was just the prelude," Ai held her head, glancing towards the one answering her question, but before she could see him, the person hugged her, holding her tightly.
"Thank you."
"Why?" Ai gently hugged Kanao back, softly smiling, "For using the—"
"For coming back alive," Kanao smoothly pulled away, "Thank you for coming back alive."
"Right," Ai grinned, making a victory sign, when she felt a cold shiver go down her spine, "I know that gaze."
"Of course you do," Shinobu appeared behind her, coldly looking down at her, "You always go too far! Do you care so little about your life?!"
Ai pressed her lips, lightly smiling, looking into Shinobu's eyes, "No…that is how much I have come to care about you."
Shinobu's eyes turned gently as she crouched down behind Ai and raised her hand, only to pull her cheek, causing Ai's eyes to turn in confusion, "You think that is enough! That will allow you to get away with everything! You idiot!!"
"Bwatt!! We decared waaaarrrr!!!!"
"Doesn't mean you had to almost die to declare war!! And I have full right to punish you!!!"
"Kanao!! Save me!!"
Kanao held her smiling face, tilting her head, acting confused without saying anything.
"Don't act like you can't decide?! Save me!!!"
Kanao tilted her head to the other side, and her father, who was giggling, sitting in the virtual window, created virtual question marks on top of Kanao's head, forcing her to decide whether she should laugh or bed for her life.
"Alright, you should stop berating her; we are running out of time."
Shinobu took a deep breath, sighing, "Lady Tamayo. I think that you are the one who has spoiled her."
"I can't take credit for that. I'd say it's in her nature," Tamayo sat beside her, taking her pulse.
"I heard you woke up; good morning."
"Rengoku? Morning," Ai chuckled, waving her hand, slightly thankful that she was saved from more scolding.
"I heard Ai is awake?"
"Is she?"
"Miss Ai?"
She barely had time to say hello to him when Tanjiro, Inosuke, and Zenitsu scanned from the side, with only their heads visible to those in the room.
"Yes, I am quite awake," Ai grinned, "I heard Tanjiro defeated another Upper-Level Demon?"
"I…." Tanjiro scratched his head with a modest and shy expression on his face, being humble. He looked over his shoulder and then came to stand in front of the door, with an arm holding an inch of his t-shirt.
"Right, Ai, there is someone who wants to meet you," Tanjiro lovingly beamed, taking that hand, pulling that person in front of Ai's and others' gaze.
"Is that?" Ai's enlarged her eyes, running them over the girl with entirely black hair, worn tied back in three low buns, decorated by pink ribbons, and eyes of a dark red color that only appeared pale pink around their lower irises wearing the exact kimono.
"Nezuko?" Ai ignored the smiles on everyone else's faces, calling the girl over, and Nezuko did, albeit a bit shyly. She sat down on her knees, fixed on the tatami mat.
Ai wrapped her hands around the girl, pulling her in an embrace, "Nezuko!!!"
"Big sis Ai," Nezuko turned her legs sideways, hugging her, "You sleep more than me."
Ai erupted in amusement and delight, "Maybe I do."
Nezuko cuddled in her arms; others might not understand why they were close, and they might not have talked much, but when she was a Demon, Ai was the only other person who unconditionally trusted her.
The one who played with her, who treated her like a child, was always there. Whenever Tanjiro stopped her for training, she spent most of her time with Ai.
"You were so much cuter when you could shrink," Ai tenderly stroked her hair, "But you are so beautiful now."
"Actually…I…" Nezuko hesitated to say, but she didn't get the chance to say what was in her mind.
"I heard you woke up! You defeated the Demons flashily!"
Ai raised her eyes, finding Uzui and his wives standing at the door, grinning, "Yeah. After all. I had to declare war. It couldn't be anything less than flashy!"
"Hahahahaha, right! It couldn't be anything less than flashy!"
Ai scanned the room, looking at every one of them, and before she knew it, a tear trickled down her cheek, but the smile filled with joy didn't leave her face.
"What? What? What? Why are you crying?! Are you still hurt?" Tanjiro panicked since his little sister was the one hugging Ai. Her sudden tear made him wonder if she might have been still injured, and the pain made her cry.
Nezuko backed away, worriedly looking at Ai's face, wiping her tear, "Big sis Ai?"
Ai shook her head, "No…I am…over the moon…that I had the pleasure of meeting you all, and I came to love you so dearly."
Rengoku squatted in front of her; his perpetually happy grin covered his face, "Don't talk like you will die. We might soon fight the final war, but that doesn't mean you will die. Don't cry! Smile!"
Ai beamed through her tears, "Right."
Evening, Kagaya's Courtyard,
"Can you do it?" Amane Ubuyashiki sat by her husband, asking the simple question she had wanted to ask for a while.
The girl in front of her, with golden-blonde hair, and a visible blue eye, wearing a long-sleeved yellow kimono, smiled at them, "Yes. I can."
"Didn't you say that technique takes a lot from you? The fight against Muzan Kibutsuji is about to start. I wouldn't want you to become incapable of the fighting because of me."
"No, that's fine," Ai looked at the whole Ubuyashiki Family, glancing towards the virtual screen, messages from when she woke up.
[Congratulations on Beating Sixth Rank Upper Demon.]
"System has enough energy to work at 10% Capacity.]
[Calculating possibilities of curing Ubuyashiki Family of their Curse.]
[Possibilities Found]
[System Suggests using Ninth Karmic Form]
[System Suggests absorbing the energy of the Curse to Strengthen Curse Breathing.]
Wood Breathing itself was very limiting and awarding at the same time. Now she could probably use it for a long time without fainting, but the problem was Karma Breathing was way above that, and it was a miracle that she could even survive doing two of them. If she had to assume, using one of them would take about half your life, and using the second would leave you on death bed with only a few days to live.
But, with her Immortality returning in that time, she managed to live. If she were to use one form once and then rest, she'd be alright.
She picked up the broadsword, closing her eyes, 'Start.'
[Activating Higher-Order Breathing Technique]
[Simultaneously Activating Sun Breathing and Wood Breathing]
[Activating Life Breathing Technique]
[Simultaneously Activating Curse Breathing and Life Breathing]
[Karma Breathing Technique…Activated.]
"Karma Breathing Technique…Tenth Form—The Law of Here and Now—Severing."
The moment she started the Karma Breathing; The Tenth Form. Her view of past, present, and future changed; the line, made of the concentrated curse, moved through to the past and the future, connecting the present and someone else, "This…this is the End of this Thousand Year Old Curse!!"
She slammed the white broadsword down, and sparks came out when it connected to the string. These sparks, dark purple, weren't that of lighting or electricity but created from the collision between Karma and Curse.
Nevertheless, she finally managed to cut the string, separating them, and at that precise moment, the time stopped for her, but not for the System.
[The Thousand-Year Old Curse Has been Destroyed.]
[Absorbing the remnant energy from the destruction of the curse.]
[Absorption from the present is completed.]
[Absorbing the energy from the future.]
[…]
[Absorption is completed.]
[Absorbing the energy from the past.]
[…]
[…]
[…]
[…]
[…]
[Absorption Completed.]
[Forming Curse Breathing Forms]
[Forms Formed]
[There is immense Curse Energy left.]
[Kleid Blood is a Good Match with Curse Energy.]
[Strengthening the Kleid Blood.]
[Kleid Blood Strengthened.]
[Vampire King Physiology has Evolved to Pseudo True Vampire Physiology.]
[To allow the User to stay awake during the process, the rate of evolution will be forcefully slowed down.]
[Current Conversion Percentage – 1%]
It wasn't as if the time had stopped, but its processing rate was much faster. So fast that for Ai, Kaguya, and his whole family here, it was as if the time had stopped moving.
Ai's broadsword touched the ground, but there was no release of curse energy, its disappearance since it had already been taken away by the system.
All that happened was everyone in the family felt the sword hanging on their neck lift and Kagaya Ubuyashiki, and the rotting skin became lighter.
Kagaya raised the palm of his hand, touching his face, "I guess this isn't going to go away. Though my life might still be short…it fills me with joy that my children and their children will have a full life in front of them."
Ai knelt on the ground, taking quick breaths, standing up, "Don't worry about that. I already have a solution."
(Activate Life Breathing.)
[Stopping Karma Breathing.]
[Re-activating Life Breathing.]
"Third Form – Breath of Life."
Ai lifted the sword with her two fingers around the grip, tapping it on the ground, and greenery poured forth around her, and like a fresh wind, brushing past against Kagaya, whose rotten skin was filled with lifeforce, removing the adverse effects of the curse from everyone in the family.
Kagaya closed his eyes, reopening them for the first time in his life. It wasn't light falling in his eyes; he could follow them and see the tatami mat, the ground, the grass, greenery, and the elegant and attractive girl wearing a long-sleeved yellow-colored kimono with a flower pattern on it, "Ai…Senju."
Ai tilted her into a smile, gazing at him, "Hey."
It didn't take long before the other Hashira heard the news that Kagaya Ubuyashiki was free of his curse, and so was everyone else in his family. Once that was known, most of the Hashira agreed that now there was no need for the Ubuyashiki Family to fight with their life on the line; they were to be shifted somewhere safe.
Kagaya Ubuyashiki tried to fight against it, trying to convince them. Still, it was also confirmed that they could offer nothing other than strategy, and they could do this from a faraway place, from safety. Rather, precisely because they could do this, they needed to do it from a safe place.
While a few of Hashira transferred them, Ai was lying in her room, leaning against the wall, looking at the virtual system screen, 'Pseudo True Vampire. 3% already.'
(System, can you show me the abilities I gain with the Physiology?)
[Yes.]
[Pseudo True Vampire Physiology – Natural Superior Powers – Superior Powers (Unlocked)
…
Will be Available After Conversion.]
(Hey, what is this… Superior Powers?)
[The User's Physiology Allows them to Possess Advanced/Superior/Evolved/State/Level of an Existing Power.]
[Congratulations – All Your Breathing Techniques have Evolved to Grand Breathing Techniques.]
[Congratulation. Your Physiology can bring out a Hundred Percent Power of Sun Breathing, Curse Breathing, and Immortal Wood Breathing without any side effects.]
[Congratulation. Your Physiology will now allow you to bring out 30% Power of Life Breathing with a few Side-Effects.]
[Congratulations. Your Physiology will now allow you to perform two Karma Breathing Forms without the help of the System.]
"Oh boy. I feel like I went from Level 10 to Level 100 in One Moment."
[If Muzan Kibutsuji is Level 100, and Upper Three Demons range from 90 to 95. You have reached Level 90.]
She breathed out in relief, "That means I can do this. My base level was a little low…otherwise, I would have been as strong as Muzan. No problem. I will level up!"
She lay down on the bed, closing her eyes, slowly falling asleep. When she woke up the following day, she realized everyone was training. It seemed that Tanjiro had awoken Demon Mark, and it had influenced Mist Hashira, awakening, and others planned to do the same even if they couldn't live past 25 years of age.
"What, you have something to say about that?"
Ai's eyes met with Shinobu's, and she shook her head, "No. Nothing at all."
Shinobu looked away towards where others were training, "And that worries me more."
Ai chuckled without saying anything and a week passed since then. That night, Ai was already in the room that used to be occupied by Kagaya.
"You must be Muzan Kibutsuji," Ai raised her eyes, looking through the darkness of night at the being standing there wearing a suit.
"Ai Senju," Muzan Kibutsuji, "And here I was expecting the Leader of Demon Corps."
Even as he said that he was careful, wondering if the other members were here and if this was a trap.
"It's not a trap. I am waiting because I knew you'd come from Master Kagaya. Before the end approach…I wanted to see you."
"Hm," Muzan raised his chin, "Approaching end? It seems you have accepted your death."
Ai placed the broadsword on her lap, scanning his appearance, and a slight smile appeared on her lips, "Demon King…."
Be in all the stories she had read, there were always Archetypes, and one of them was Demon King. Her father also had a similar appearance, followed Demon King Archetype, black hair, scarlet eyes, though his skin wasn't this sickly pale, and he was far more gorgeous.
Even Muzan felt strange; looking at her gaze, he didn't feel the need to hurry.
"Submit to me and become a Demon," Muzan offered her a choice, "Or die."
"Say, Mr. Muzan. What do you seek?"
Muzan took a step forward, "Eternity."
"Even this Universe isn't Eternal. How can you be?"
"Universe? It's long enough."
"I guess you have a point," Ai chuckled, tilting her head, "Muzan. Have you felt death before?"
"Hm?"
Ai chuckled, "Feel it again."
*BOOM*BOOM*BOOM*BOOM*BOOOOOMMMM*