Demon Slayer: Upper 0 seems to be a waste

Chapter 121 Gathering of Owls

Kyojuro had a dream on the train on his way home.

The content of the dream was consistent with what he had dreamed on the Infinite Train, about the last time he went home, which happened not long ago.

That time, he brought back news about a boy named Rinko.

----

"Father! I'm back!"

All the raised voices received was silence.

The man was lying there, covered with a quilt, his head resting on his arm, a pot of wine on his head, and in his other hand was a casually rolled up book, the contents of which were unknown.

The indifference did not dampen Kyojuro's enthusiasm. He had long been accustomed to such a father and was also accustomed to being a role model for his younger brother. As a son, all he needed to do now was to report his previous performance truthfully and recount the success of this mission to let his father know the news.

Whether the other party will respond or continue to attack him is not something he will consider in advance.

"That's the mission this time."

He remained silent, his book turning a page, as if he hadn't heard what he said. In the past, he would have made some sarcastic remarks and let him go after he finished speaking, but lately, his father had become increasingly silent, and the gap between them had become increasingly clear. It seemed that becoming the Flame Pillar was something he couldn't hold back.

Kyojuro always hopes that his father can be as energetic as before. Chijuro is too young and he doesn't remember his childhood, but Kyojuro remembers. He remembers how sunny and cheerful his father used to be, how he taught him swordsmanship with great enthusiasm and told him about his wonderful performance every time he went on a mission.

It was only later that he seemed to have suffered a blow, and after his mother passed away, it was like the last straw that broke the camel's back. His father suddenly lost all his strength, as if his bones had been pulled out.

That fiery passion seemed to be buried underground along with the mother.

"Besides that, I met someone on the train who you might know. It was a very young boy who said his name was Rinkou..."

The book was flung out, brushing past his face at great speed before slamming heavily against the wall. From the sound of the collision and the crumpled pages that fell to the ground, it was clear the force had been immense.

"Who told you to mention that name?"

The man finally sat up, not only did he sit up, but he turned to face him. However, the expression on his face was far from good. To put it bluntly, it was completely terrible. His brows were furrowed, his face was stern, and even the veins on his palms supporting his body were bulging.

"Who gave you permission to say that name?"

The low, hoarse tone of voice revealed anger and dissatisfaction, and the eyes revealed a lively emotion that Kyojuro had not seen in a long time. Unfortunately, it was anger instead of happiness.

"That's the boy I met on the train! Father! Rinkou said he knew you, and that he'd known you for many years! So I thought! I should at least come back and tell you!"

This time it was a wine jug that flew up, and the fragments scattered when it hit the wall. The force used was just as great as that of the book just now. The wine splashed on Kyojuro's face, but he was still kneeling steadily, still smiling on his face, and his eyes met the angry gaze without avoiding or dodging.

"He asked me if I was well! I answered truthfully! When he first saw me, he even said your name! I thought maybe you two really knew each other!"

This enthusiasm was not treated as it should have been, and he was still responded with angry roars.

"Get out! Don't ever mention that name again!"

It was hoarse, but powerful, and loud enough that Kyojuro could clearly detect the anger, so he responded, bowed, and obediently left the room.

His father's behavior was undoubtedly the best proof that Rinko was indeed someone his father knew, but why did his father behave so strangely?

The question could not be answered from his father, so there was only one place where he could find the answer.

"In that case! Next time, just ask Rinko!"

----

Every time I go out is like a gamble.

The only bargaining chip is Kyojuro's own life, and the only thing he can trust is his subordinate's Nichirin Sword. There are many demons who want to take away the bargaining chip, but Kyojuro always has reasons to persist, so he wins more often.

But in addition to this, he will also have some unexpected gains, sometimes good news, sometimes not.

Like this time, this cannot be considered good news.

The last time he came back, he brought back news about Lingguang, and the end result was that he was angrily driven out by his father.

So this time, how should he tell his father that the so-called friend was actually a ghost?

-

Kyojuro thought about it all the time, but there was no answer.

All he could think of was to tell the truth and tell his father everything that happened that night. As for the consequences, he didn't know. If his father was really the friend that Lin Guang said, the blow he suffered might be far greater than his.

After all, that was a friend my father had known many years ago.

But Kyojuro didn't want to hide this from his father. If Rinko was right, then Makijuro, as a participant, had the right to know the truth.

The long journey home became short while he was thinking, and he arrived at the doorstep in almost the blink of an eye. Chijuro happily welcomed him back to this home with his life.

After asking, I learned that my father was still drunk every day, and still spent most of his time staying in that room, living a chaotic life without paying attention to the day and night and the world.

"No matter what sound you hear later, don't come over, understand, Chijuro."

Kyojuro gently stroked Chijuro's head, smoothing his short hair. He comforted his brother softly. Although the other party didn't understand, he nodded obediently when he thought of his father's attitude towards his brother. He simply walked out of the yard with a broom to sweep the open space in front of the door, leaving the space in the house to them.

The mental preparation he had made along the way was actually useless. After kneeling down and before he opened his mouth, Kyojuro heard his heartbeat speeding up unconsciously.

"Father. Rinko..."

The book was deformed by the increased force, and Kyojuro finished the second half of the sentence before a possible roar could appear.

“It’s actually a ghost!”

There was no roar, nothing was smashed out, nothing was dropped, there was only silence, an unusual silence.

It seemed as if the air was frozen in an instant.

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【tips：

I don't know if anyone remembers, but Rinko was curious if he had a place in Kyojuro's dreams.

The good news is, there is.

The bad news is that he doesn't know, and he has no chance to find out.]