Demon Slayer: The Journey That Began When I Became Yoriichi's Sister

Chapter 560 Inner World

Yuko scratched a strand of hair near her ear: "What?"

"Sit down!" Yoruichi said irritably, forcefully pushing her to the ground.

"and then?"

Yoruichi crossed her arms and said, "Then cross your legs and place your Zanpakuto on them."

As the saying goes, "He who eats another's food is bound to him, and he who takes another's money is bound to him." Yuuko had no choice but to obediently sit cross-legged as Yoruichi instructed, placing her Zanpakuto on her lap with her knees pressed against each other.

"Huh? Zen meditation?" Yuko sat on the ground, speechless.

Yoru said without changing his expression, "This is called sword Zen, a common method used by Shinigami to communicate with their Zanpakuto."

Yu Zi laughed and said, "If putting down a knife is called 'Knife Zen,' then if I put down a stick, is it called 'Stick Zen'...?"

Yuko's voice stopped abruptly because Yoruichi's death gaze was almost poking a hole in her face.

Yuko surrendered with both hands: "Okay, you can continue."

Yoruichi, her eyes narrowed, said irritably, "Now put your hand on the knife."

Yuko blinked obediently: "Okay."

"..."

This guy is really dramatic.

Yoruichi rolled her eyes, sighed, and continued, "Close your eyes."

Yuko did as she was told: "And then?"

Yoruichi sat down in front of Ikuko and said, "Then empty your mind and sink into your inner world."

“OK,” Yu Zi replied briefly, then closed her eyes and sat cross-legged on the floor, remaining motionless.

Yoruichi breathed a sigh of relief. Although she didn't know if it would work, it was better than seeing this idiot just standing there guessing wildly, which almost drove her crazy.

Yuko kept her eyes tightly closed, her brows slightly furrowed.

Great, keep up the good work!

Yoruichi nodded slightly, her face full of satisfaction. Just as she got up to leave.

Yuko looked up and asked sincerely, "What should I do if I can't get into it?"

Yoruichi's face darkened. "If you can't sink, I'll throw you to the bottom of the water."

Yuko decisively closed her eyes and mouth.

Yoruichi rubbed her temples and held up one index finger: "Listen carefully, try to clear your mind, don't think about anything..."

Yoruichi stopped midway through her sentence, her face filled with shock as she sensed Ikuko gradually settling into a state of deep concentration.

No? So fast?

Yoruichi was shocked. This guy was angry with her one second, and the next second he was completely absorbed in it?

I don't understand.

But I guess that's settled then?

Yoruichi shook her head and left.

Meanwhile, Yuko immerses herself in her inner world.

……

Gulu gulu...

When Yuko came to her senses, she found herself immersed in the deep sea. She quickly held her breath and swam from the seabed to the surface.

Gradually, a black spot on the sea surface grew larger and larger.

Yuko swam towards the black dot, which turned out to be the outline of a small boat. She climbed onto the boat.

"Cough cough..."

Yuko spat out two mouthfuls of seawater, which surprisingly didn't taste salty. She looked around in confusion, surrounded by a vast ocean, as if she were in the middle of it.

"Why does this place... seem familiar?"

Yuko sat on one side of the small boat, smoothing her wet hair and wringing out the water.

It seems like she's been here before.

When?

Yuko frowned and fell into deep thought. After a while, she remembered.

It looks like a dream demon under Muzan's command?

It seems like they encountered it while on a mission on the train with Tanjiro and the others. Its ability is to trap people in its own dreams.

However, at that time, her dream seemed to be filled with blizzards, a vast expanse of white where nothing could be seen, and the seawater was unusually cold and icy.

just now……

Yuko gazed at the boundless clear sky, the warm sunlight shining on the sea, making even the water feel warm.

The changes seem to be extraordinary...

but……

Where is your Zanpakuto?

Yuko subconsciously reached for her waist, but it was empty; there was nothing there.

Just as Yuko was completely confused, she suddenly remembered something.

Oh, right! It seems that Shinobu also exists in this dream.

Which direction was it again?

Yuko sat on the boat gazing into the distance, but the scenery was exactly the same no matter which direction she looked in.

Since it's one's own inner world, surely it's right to follow one's inner judgment?

With that thought in mind, Yuko randomly chose a direction and rowed her boat away into the distance.

She didn't know how much time had passed when a black dot suddenly appeared in the middle of the sea. Yuko knew that it was land.

She drove toward the black dot, and sure enough, not long after, she set foot on land again.

The memories of over a hundred years have become somewhat blurred, but one can still vaguely discern that this is the appearance of the Demon Slayer Corps' Butterfly Mansion.

On her way back to the Butterfly Mansion, Yuko soon arrived at the main entrance. Just as she placed her hands on the door and was about to push it open, she instinctively withdrew her hands the instant they touched the wooden door.

Was this just a dream of hers?

Even if she sees Shinobu again, it's only Shinobu in her heart, right?

Yuko hesitated for a moment, took a deep breath, and decided to go in anyway.

She and Shinobu Kocho had lived a perfect life together, and it didn't end in tragedy. This is not a fact that needs to be avoided.

Pushing open the main door of the Butterfly Mansion, Yuko stepped inside, only to find it deserted.

She walked along the corridor of the Butterfly House towards the backyard. As she turned a corner, she saw a petite girl sitting on the corridor not far away.

"Hmph hmph hmph~" The girl hummed a song cheerfully, her bare feet swinging under the eaves.

Upon seeing this, Yuko suddenly froze.

The girl seemed to notice Yuko's arrival, turned around with a smile, and greeted her, "Yuko, you've finally arrived."

Hearing the girl's voice, Yuko's thoughts gradually returned, her eyes filled with a complex expression.

So... she really had thought about it...

The girl's appearance was at least 80 or 90% similar to Shinobu Kocho's, if not 100%.

She has a similar appearance and physique to Shinobu Kocho, but unlike Shinobu, the girl's eyes are not clear purple pupils. Instead, she has the same double pupils, a pair of purple double pupils. A curved demon horn sits atop the girl's head, and a few blue veins are visible on her face. She doesn't look scary; instead, she has a strange kind of beauty.

She once thought... that Shinobu would also become a demon, and they could live together forever...

This is really...

Yuko felt a bit depressed, so she slowly walked over and sat down next to the girl.

Yuko maintained her composure, turned her head, and softly asked, "What's your name?"

The girl wore a gentle yet lively smile: "Butterfly, don't you already know?"

"So that's how it is. You are my Zanpakuto?"

"Yes."

Yuko wasn't surprised; she had actually already guessed it.

A Zanpakuto is half of a Shinigami (death god), a manifestation of the soul, representing one's inner world.

When Yuuko guessed the name of her Zanpakuto, she wondered if it might be shaped like a butterfly.

Yuko paused for a moment, then asked, "Do you... have memories of her?"

“Yes, but I’m not her, you know that.” The girl named Butterfly looked at her gently. “I should say that what I possess is not her memories, but yours.”

"Your memories of her, including your memories of other people."

"So, I am actually the Shinobu Kocho that you met in the dream world before."

"The difference is that my personality has also changed because of the change in your relationship with Shinobu Kocho."

"Of course, the strongest memories are of her, otherwise I wouldn't be like this."

Yuko understood what she meant. The last time she came here, she hadn't yet understood her feelings for Shinobu Kocho.

In a person's dreams, they can only see what they remember.

She knew from the beginning that this girl was not Shinobu Kocho.

"If you can, I hope you can call me Butterfly." The girl seemed to understand Yuko's feelings and took the initiative to speak.

Yu Zi smiled slightly: "Yes, a butterfly."

Can I continue to call you Yuko?

This girl seemed quite intelligent; she understood that when Yuuko visited last time, she saw her as Shinobu Kocho. But this time, she only saw her as the butterfly.

That's why she asked that question.

"of course."

Yu Zi smiled and looked around; it was exactly the same scene she remembered.

Have you been here long?

The butterfly countered, "Do you know when I was here?"

"When?"

"When you stayed at the Butterfly Mansion."

Yu Ziwei was taken aback. So that's when she started to like Kanobu?

She thought it was love at first sight.

"Then you've been here for over a hundred years, haven't you?"

"uh-huh."

At first, this girl probably didn't look like this... It should have been... after she had lived with Shinobu for a while...

The girl didn't bring up the topic herself, but instead asked, "You came here to ask me the release phrase for your Zanpakuto, right? Aren't you going to ask?"

Yu Zi smiled and shook her head: "I almost forgot if you hadn't mentioned it."

"Can you tell me?"

Butterfly laughed and said, "Of course, if I hadn't been unable to bring myself to say it, I would have told you long ago."

"Speaking of which, is this a characteristic of Zanpakuto? When did you become my Zanpakuto?" Yuko suddenly remembered this topic and couldn't help but ask.

"Hmm~" Butterfly raised her eyes slightly, pondered for a moment, "It should be when you got your Zanpakuto."

Yuko exclaimed in surprise, "So early?"

“Heh heh, didn’t Yoruichi say that?” Kocho held up an index finger, “The name of the Zanpakuto was already fixed when the Shinigami made contact with it.”

Yuko was silent for a moment: "...Is that so?"

Butterfly gave a helpless smile: "Because Yuko was daydreaming at the time."

Yu Zi blushed and coughed twice, trying to cover up her embarrassment.

"No, that doesn't make sense. How did you know I was daydreaming?"

"Because I don't have any."

Yuko looked completely bewildered: "? Aren't you just my other half?"

The butterfly pondered for a moment: "Perhaps it's because of the special nature of the Zanpakuto. I'm now essentially residing within it, so I can sense what's happening outside to some extent. Of course, it can also be considered as residing in your inner world, only with a more concrete manifestation."

"I see." Yuko suddenly realized.

"Getting back to the point, why don't you just tell me the Swastika too?" Yuuko blinked, starting to get used to the girl in front of her. "I heard Yoruichi say that some Zanpakuto don't like to give their masters face and will refuse to give you the release command no matter what, but you're so easy to talk to, you definitely won't refuse, right?"

Butterfly paused for a moment, then chuckled, "Yu Zi, you really do have a funny way of saying things."

"That swastika interpretation too..."

"No way~"

"Uh, why?"

"Because Yuuko's current spiritual pressure is not enough to withstand the power of Bankai, her body will shatter due to the increase in spiritual pressure."

"Broken? That's okay, I can always rebuild it."

"Hmm~" Butterfly seemed to be moved, pursing her lips as she pondered, "Then how about this?"

"Bankai doesn't require a release phrase; you only need to recite the true name of the Zanpakuto's Bankai."

"Yuko, why don't you try guessing it when you have some free time? By the way, the true name of Bankai has five characters, so isn't that much easier to guess?"

Yuko's expression froze for a moment. "Could you give me a hint?"

"Hmm~" The girl's brows furrowed slightly. "Then, the five characters of your real name contain the character 'butterfly'."

Yuko couldn't help but complain, "I knew it even if you hadn't said anything!"

Butterfly showed no intention of discussing the topic further with Yuuko, and said with a smile, "Listen carefully, the initial understanding of language is—"

……

"Master Yoruichi, Sister Yuko has been in her inner world for half a day now, is she alright?"

Soi Fon, who had already stopped training and was afraid of disturbing Yuuko, asked Yoruichi curiously.

Yoruichi shook her head: "How long has it been? If you run into those troublesome guys, it could easily take several days."

"Soi Fon, go and rest. I'll stay here and watch over her."

A Shinigami's attempt to communicate deeply with his Zanpakuto may encounter various troubles. The least troublesome situation is when the Zanpakuto refuses to communicate. If a Zanpakuto resists its master, the Shinigami may be harmed if no one is watching.

Of course, judging from the fact that Yuko casually called out the name of her Zanpakuto, her Zanpakuto is probably not the kind with a bad personality, so it shouldn't be too difficult for her.

Just to be on the safe side, she still wanted to keep an eye on things.

Although Yuuko possesses regenerative abilities that make her difficult to kill, Zanpakuto abilities are diverse and often bizarre, and there are always those that can ignore regeneration.

This includes the Captain-Commander's Zanpakuto, a powerful fire-type attack that, upon Bankai, can completely vaporize the enemy's physical body, leaving not even a trace of cells or spirit particles behind.

Therefore, in this world, Yuko is not invincible.

Soi Fon shook her head: "That won't do. If anyone should rest, it should be Yoruichi."

Ye opened her mouth as if to say something, but Yuko next to her suddenly stirred.

Yuko calmly opened her eyes, her lips slightly parted:

"Disorder, formless butterfly."

At her command, the blue-purple mottled blade resting on her lap suddenly shattered.

"Shattered" doesn't quite capture it; it should be described as "transformation."

The blade transformed into flowing, multicolored aurora, its halo spreading like butterfly wings, the blade itself appearing and disappearing, as if composed of shattered prisms, refracting dazzling iridescent colors.

Only the handle remained unchanged.