Upon seeing Karin leaning against the doorframe, the president's wife, who had been lounging lazily on the sofa, instantly tensed up, resembling a startled cat!
"You're with the Demon Slayer Corps?!"
The president's wife immediately arched her back, crouching on the sofa. Her alluring red lips revealed two sharp fangs, and her hands sprouted razor-sharp claws.
"As expected, a demon…" Karin's lips curled into a smirk.
The woman's reaction confirmed her suspicions—this trip had not been in vain.
However, to Karin's surprise, despite the president's wife's menacing display, as if she were about to pounce, she instead hurled a jar of blood at Karin and, in a flash, darted through a hidden door on one side of the room, vanishing without a trace.
Momentarily stunned, Karin shook her head with a wry smile.
Meanwhile, the president's wife, now on all fours like a beast, sprinted frantically through the secret passages of the mansion.
Clearly, she was no ordinary demon.
Her strength might not match that of the Twelve Kizuki, but it was close. More importantly, she possessed a level of rationality uncommon among demons, which was why the mysterious figure had placed her by the newspaper president's side to undertake such a critical role.
Under normal circumstances, her strength would have allowed her to face even a Hashira of the Demon Slayer Corps without such panic. Yet, for some reason, the moment she saw Karin, her Blood Demon Art sent frantic warnings.
Indeed, the reason the president's wife had thrived in human society was her unique Blood Demon Art. Though it offered no combat enhancements, it could alert her to danger, allowing her to steer clear of threats.
Thump.
At that moment, a drumbeat suddenly echoed in her ears.
She halted, looking around in confusion to locate the source of the sound. But then, her surroundings abruptly shifted, and she found herself falling inexplicably into a room.
"This is… the kitchen?!"
The president's wife scanned her surroundings, her confusion deepening.
Her secret passage led directly to an underground network of tunnels outside the mansion, a labyrinth where no pursuer could find her. The kitchen, however, was on the opposite side of the mansion, completely unconnected to her escape route.
At that moment, her pupils contracted, and she bristled like a cornered cat.
In one corner of the kitchen, Karin sat on a dining table, casually swinging her legs while toying with a small drum in her hands.
That drum was a trophy from when Shinji defeated the Drum Demon years ago.
Its ability was somewhat similar to Nakime's manipulation of the Infinity Castle, a rare spatial-type Blood Demon Art. However, this drum could only control the space within a single building, making it somewhat underwhelming for Shinji, who had gifted it to Karin.
For this counter-invasion of the Demon Slayer world, where everything was unknown, Karin had brought all her equipment, including this space-manipulating drum.
"That's the Drum Demon's…" The president's wife recognized the drum in Karin's hands at a glance, as spatial Blood Demon Arts were exceedingly rare.
Karin hopped off the table. "I have a question for you!"
Realizing escape was impossible, the president's wife, despite her Blood Demon Art's frantic warnings, decided to confront Karin.
Swish.
But just as she prepared to lunge and tear Karin apart, several golden chains glowing with a faint halo shot out from Karin's body, binding the president's wife tightly.
Atop a high cliff, Shinji stood at the edge, gazing at the distant city, murmuring, "Heh, so the Demon Slayer Corps is selecting new Hashira?"
He hadn't relaxed his surveillance of Sagiri Mountain, so Haku had reported all the information he gathered about the Demon Slayer Corps.
Thus, Shinji was aware of the Corps' current situation.
The so-called "betrayed" Hashira had clearly participated in the invasion of the shinobi world, yet the Demon Slayer Corps knew nothing of it. This suggested the mysterious figure had sealed off information at the lower levels, preventing it from spreading too quickly or widely.
"Haku as the Water Hashira…" Shinji paused, then chuckled. "Truly well-deserved!"
He also grew intrigued by the upcoming Hashira Meeting.
If the Demon Slayer Corps was connected to the mysterious figure, he could follow that link to track them down. If not, the Corps could become a pawn in his hands.
Just as the mysterious figure could secretly control the Grass Hidden Village in the shinobi world, Shinji could similarly take control of the Demon Slayer Corps from the shadows!
Swish.
At that moment, Karin appeared before Shinji, bringing the subdued president's wife and her subordinate. "Leader, I've brought them!"
"Hm." Shinji nodded lightly.
Through Jikibi, he had kept tabs on Karin's progress and knew she had successfully captured the president's wife, a demon hiding in human society.
However, the woman was uncooperative, and without the Rinnegan, Karin couldn't extract any useful information from her.
Thus, Shinji had instructed Karin to bring her to him for interrogation.
After sending Karin to continue investigating other leads, Shinji approached the president's wife's subordinate first, placing a hand on the man's head.
With his current dojutsu prowess, he could extract the information he needed through genjutsu, though it was less efficient than the Rinnegan's soul extraction.
Soon, Shinji drew the man's soul from his body and examined it.
"Just a lackey in charge of collecting blood, huh…" After reviewing the subordinate's memories, Shinji casually dispelled the genjutsu.
Next, Shinji turned to the president's wife.
Having witnessed Shinji extract her subordinate's soul, the president's wife, immobilized by the Four Symbols Seal, was terrified beyond measure.
Her Blood Demon Art was now warning her with unprecedented intensity, but she was powerless. She could only watch as the mysterious figure in a cat-faced mask and red-cloud cloak approached her step by step. Trembling, she stammered, "Y-You're not with the Demon Slayer Corps! Who… who are you people?"
Shinji didn't pause, casually asking, "Where's the Demon King?"
The president's wife, both shocked and terrified, hurriedly replied, "I don't know!"
"Is that so?" Shinji paused, then activated his dojutsu and placed a hand on her head. "Then I'll just have to see for myself."
"You—"
Before she could finish, the president's wife felt her soul detach from her body. She fell into a daze as her past flashed before her eyes like a revolving lantern.
Moments later, Shinji released the dojutsu, murmuring faintly, "How strange…"