Ayanokouji Kiyotaka The Demon Slayer

『Revealing The Past - Part 2』

“It’s not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters.” ─ Epictetus.

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“Ayanokouji. I am also looking forward to meeting you, too,” said Manabu.

“Yeah. Definitely,” the person Manabu was talking to replied. Even though he knew from the bottom of his heart that it was impossible, he didn’t deny that they had similar feelings.

“Well, it’s about time.”

The Horikita siblings pulled apart from each other slowly, albeit reluctantly.

“Until we meet again.”

And with those parting words, Horikita’s brother passed through the front gate. And just like that, he left. His sister continued watching him, fixated on his back, trying not to even blink. It felt like Horikita Manabu had left behind a signpost for both his younger sister and Ayanokouji Kiyotaka.

Alas, no one was able to anticipate the future…

■■■

I woke up due to an unfamiliar, wet sensation, akin to being licked. Opening my eyes, I stared at the source of my discomfort─a fully black cat.

That was the first sign.

Pulling myself up from the hard, dirty ground, I stood on my feet. From the position of the Sun, I concluded it was the morning. Looking around, I observed my surroundings.

It seemed like I was in an empty alley. Just when I was about to contemplate my next course of action, it was at that moment that my brain went on high alert. My mind was spinning, and my memories were blurry.

Where am I? How did I get here?

Many questions popped up in my head, however, no answer was found. It was to be expected, as I didn’t have any Intel to go from, and making random guesses was never my cup of tea. Gathering my strength, I walked forward with calm steps until I reached a main street. There, another unexpected piece of information revealed itself to me.

This wasn’t the 21st Century.

And it wasn’t Japan either─or at least, not the Japan I knew.

The scenery was something you would see in movies; amidst a village that echoed with hints of old Japan, there was an uncanny quality in the air. Timbered houses, their roofs kissed by the evening sun, lined the cobbled streets. Lantern light flickered, casting ephemeral shadows on shops that offered goods beyond the realm of familiarity. Cherry blossoms swayed, their petals tinged with hues unseen in earthly springs. A gentle stream meandered, its clear waters revealing hints of bioluminescent life. Amongst it all, a scarlet torii gate marked an entryway, bridging the boundary between worlds. Above, an unfamiliar tapestry of stars glistened in the inky sky.

As I was still processing the view, I came to realize that I was already the center of attention. The reason for that was simple, though─It was my clothes.

It appeared that my clothes were very much different than usual, to the extent that I was receiving an uncountable number of stares.

“Oh, Sir! What a fine thing you have!” An old man, probably in his 60s, said as he shortened the distance between us. I intently raised my guard. Even if my first impression of him gave an image of a weak, kind, and caring grandfather, I knew better than to judge a book by its cover.

“I have been meaning to ask you, would it trouble you if I bought your clothes? You see, as an expert, I am finding it as a source of inspiration.”

That gave me enough information to know where I was standing. First of all, we were speaking the same language. Second of all, if he is an expert as he claims, then my attire doesn’t exist in this place, which confirms my theory regarding the number of strange and curious stares. However, these things were secondary. The most important observation was his own clothes─those types of clothes were popular in the ancient history of Japan.

His garments aside, as far as I was aware, there shouldn’t be any place that resembles this city─not even close.

“I certainly can sell them to you, but I don’t have any spare ones, unfortunately.” I was having a hard time understanding the current situation, and asking blindly would surely create unwanted troubles.

“Do not worry! Your payments will not be exclusive to currency alone. If you want to, you can have 4 or 5 sets ready to go!” isn’t that too much? At any rate, I decided it was best to accompany this man for the time being.

“Very well, then, I accept,” I said. Following after him, he led me to a nearby store. There, a sign was placed above the entrance. It read ‘Welcome To Legendary.’ I felt relieved once again, that I could read without a problem. Looking inside, the interior was polished with a high-quality wood, even a beginner such as myself knew that much. The staff were all adult females, seemingly in their 30s, giving a certain vibe to it.

“So, you are the owner of this place?”

“Indeed I am!”

“Do you have other stores in other cities? Like the capital, or Tokyo?” I deliberately mentioned it twice.

“Of course, we have some in the capital, too. As for Tokyo, I never heard of it before. We also have some in…” He then continued to name a bunch of different places that I never heard of, which confirmed my previous theory, too.

I was not in the Japan I was used to, that was something I needed to accept.

In what seemed to me like a day, a week went by.

I managed to secure a decent job at the same store, and, I acquired some intriguing information regarding the currency here, which when added to their cluelessness about my smartphone, confirms everything so far.

It was pretty much the same as past Japan, which was beginning to sound like an axiom.

“Good morning, everyone,” spoke the owner of my workplace; Mr. Gojo. I.e. my boss.

This was the second sign.

In this last week, I learned a lot of things about this place from this man, things that are considered as common knowledge, in a short time frame without raising any suspicions at all─and all that was thanks to his ignorance, which I was grateful for.

“Good morning to you, Mr. Gojo,” I greeted him back, followed by the stuff. The rest of the day went as usual, cleaning, handling customers, and etc…

Soon, the Sun set. My almost-dieing phone indicated that it was 6 p.m. It was about time we closed. So, just like yesterday, I changed my clothes and closed the place. Outside, my boss’s wife was having a meaningless conversation with a certain female worker. From here it appeared that the main topic they were discussing was their children. On an unrelated note, for some strange reasons, the owner wasn’t the one who paid me at the end of every day. No, it was his wife. And just as usual, I went to claim my share for today.

I didn't know at that time, but, that paycheck was going to be the last one for a while.