Upper Rank One Is Still Looking for a Way to Get a Happy Ending

Kokushibo, formerly known as Michikatsu Tsugikuni, was defeated. As he lay dying, he lamented, “I only wanted to become like you, Yoriichi.” Yoriichi replied, “Understood, dear brother. Then let's try again.” Kokushibo: ?! A mini version of Michikatsu jolted awake in bed. In his dream, he'd become hideous and poured his heart out to the long-dead Yoriichi. Suppressing his grief, Michikatsu immediately decided: This time, it has to be a happy ending! But the moment the utterly confident Michikatsu saw Yoriichi: “Ugh.” Michikatsu: ? Yoriichi: ! Yoriichi noticed that some unidentified lump was always clinging to his brother. He was itching to chase it away... But he could always sense some inexplicable connection to the thing, so he decided to watch it a little longer. Why did he keep getting hungrier the more he watched? Then one day, his hunger erupted. Disoriented, Yoriichi grabbed the black mist and stuffed it into his mouth. The instant he swallowed it, a flood of memories rushed in to fill the gaps. Forced to accept those memories, Yoriichi finally understood. He looked back at his brother, who was kneeling on the ground with a blank expression. Yoriichi smiled. “Don't be sad, dear brother. I'll always be by your side.” [Content warnings]: The tone is highly unpredictable. A heartbreaking scene might suddenly give way to comedy. This story was written as an outlet for the author's pent-up feelings, so it may include gender-swapping, animal transformations, and other unusual elements. Please be mindful of the content warnings. If anything makes you uncomfortable, stop reading right away. I apologize to anyone who gets caught off guard. The characters are very out of character. The author isn't skilled enough to write them the way you imagine, so please accept my apologies once again. Lastly, I hope Michikatsu and Yoriichi can find happiness.