Mitsuko and Kūkai sat in front of the fire.
Kūkai felt the power contained in the blood in his palm.
"Besides the power of demons, your blood also possesses a power like the blazing sun. It's truly strange that such contradictory powers exist in one person."
Mitsuko looked at Kūkai with hope: "Is there any way to cure me?"
Kūkai shook his head: "There has never been an example of a demon becoming human again."
Upon receiving the answer, Mitsuko hung his head in disappointment. His father had worked so hard to find a cure for his illness, only to discover it simply didn't exist...
Kūkai said kindly to Mitsuko, "Don't be discouraged. Perhaps it's just that a cure hasn't been found yet. Child, why did you come to this wisteria grove?"
Mitsuko told Kūkai what had happened.
After listening, Kūkai closed his eyes, fiddled with the prayer beads in his hand, and uttered, "Amitabha."
Mitsuko said self-deprecatingly, "Master Kūkai, you are a Buddhist, you must despise me, a demon who killed people, right?"
Kūkai opened his eyes and said, "In my opinion, you are a human being. This idea has never changed from beginning to end. I don't hate you. On the contrary, I admire you very much."
"Admiration?" Mitsuko was quite surprised.
"Your choice to fight demons for the sake of others shows that you have a strong sense of justice."
The fact that you only choose to retaliate against those who laid a hand on you, while letting others go, shows that you are very self-disciplined.
You brought your parents here, enduring the pain brought by the wisteria, to bury them, which shows that you are very filial.
To suppress your bloodlust, you chose to consume wisteria flowers, which are highly poisonous to you. Very few people could do that; how can I not admire you?
Mitsuko's expression was filled with pain and bitterness: "So what? I have nothing left now."
"Child, you have inherited your parents' will, so how can you be left with nothing? Don't let your current predicament hold you back. Hold firm to your beliefs and keep walking down your own path."
Mitsuko hugged his knees, looking bewildered, and said, "But I don't even know where my own path is, so how am I supposed to walk it?"
"You are the most special person I have ever met. You have the constitution of a demon, but your heart has not been corrupted. You have many paths: the path of a human, the path of a demon, or the path between humans and demons. You just haven't seen them yet."
"The path between humans and demons?"
"The path between humans and demons is the most difficult. You are human, but you possess the power of a demon. Therefore, only you can walk this path. Too many kind people have been forced to become demons. Perhaps you can become a bridge between humans and demons."
But no one knows where this road leads. Once you choose this path, you may encounter endless hardship and torment, and you may see no hope at all, but you will become hope for others.
Mitsuko lowered his head and fell silent.
Kūkai did not disturb Mitsuko.
After a long pause, Mitsuko raised his head again, his eyes filled with determination.
"I want to walk the path between humans and demons. My father told me that if I gain superhuman power, I will walk a more difficult and arduous path than ordinary people. Humans will not accept me, and I do not want to become a demon, so no matter how difficult this path is, I want to give it a try!"
Kūkai looked at Mitsuko, his expression somewhat moved: "I really want to meet your parents. They must be very outstanding themselves to have raised such a kind and excellent child."
Mitsuko said with unwavering determination, "My parents are the best parents in the world!"
Kūkai sighed, "If I had more time, I really wanted to see what the end of the road you've walked would be like. It must be quite beautiful..."
Mitsuko looked at Kūkai with a puzzled expression, not understanding what Kūkai meant.
Kūkai explained, "I came up the mountain this time because my time has come, and I have returned here to pass away peacefully."
Mitsuko's body trembled slightly. He had read about the meaning of "sitting in meditation and passing away" in books; it represented death.
There's something I want to give you.
Kūkai took out an object wrapped in burlap and handed it to Mitsuko.
When Mitsuko opened the white cloth, he found it was a samurai sword with a blade.
"This is a Nichirin Blade. The blade is made of 'Scarlet Crimson Iron Sand' and 'Scarlet Crimson Ore,' materials that absorb sunlight. It is the only weapon that can harm demons besides sunlight and wisteria flowers. I'm giving this Nichirin Blade to you. I hope it can help you."
Mitsuko stared blankly at the Nichirin Blade in his hand, lost in thought. The man in his mind was also holding a sword that was similar to this one.
"Yoriichi Tsugikuni...what kind of person is he?"
Kūkai's eyes were filled with longing: "I have never met Yoriichi Tsugikuni because he has been dead for hundreds of years, but the legend of Yoriichi Tsugikuni has been passed down. He was humble and kind, and seemed to embody all the good aspects of humanity. If Muzan is the extreme of evil, then Yoriichi Tsugikuni is the extreme of good."
"Oh, by the way, child, I haven't asked you yet what your name is."
"Mitsuko, Mitsuko Katō".
Kūkai lovingly stroked Mitsuko's head: "Mitsuko, the road ahead will be difficult. I hope you can always stay true to yourself and not lose your way."
Mitsuko nodded vigorously.
"Alright, Mitsuko, your future doesn't lie here. Go down the mountain. It's time for me to pass away."
Kūkai sat cross-legged on the spot, closed his eyes, and began to recite scriptures devoutly, moving his prayer beads.
Mitsuko knelt on the ground and kowtowed three times to Kūkai: "Master Kūkai, thank you for showing me the way. When I succeed, I will definitely come back to tell you!"
Afterwards, Mitsuko came to Kenichi and Miyako's graves.
"Father, Mother, I have found the path I should take. Rest assured, I am no longer lost. I will come to see you again. I hope you will bless me."
After kowtowing three more times before the grave, Mitsuko left the mountain with the Nichirin Blade that Kūkai had given him.
...
When Mitsuko arrived at the foot of the mountain, it was already past midnight, and the sun was about to rise.
To avoid the sun, Mitsuko quickened his pace and arrived at a small town, where he found a secluded alleyway to hide in.
Hiding in the alley, Mitsuko was pondering her next move.
Since we are to become a bridge between humans and demons, we must first find demons.
Since demons must feed on flesh and blood, they should hide among humans.
And the blood problem also needs to be solved.
If things get out of control here, the people nearby could all suffer.
Mitsuko planned to go to the town's clinic to see if there was any blood available after nightfall.
Night finally fell.
The town is quite lively, with many pedestrians on the streets even at night.
At the night market, many things that Mitsuko had never seen before were being sold.
Mitsuko, who was traveling far from home for the first time, found everything around him novel and fascinating.