"Excellent. That was fast. Far faster than the time we calculated would be needed!"
The young Ubuyashiki was genuinely delighted. At this moment, the Demon Slayer Corps was riding an unstoppable wave of momentum.
But he also knew it wouldn't last.
Because the brutal fighting just now was only the beginning.
"Now, gather all Hashira and converge toward Muzan's location!"
"At the same time, order every other Corps member to stay away from Muzan Kibutsuji. In a battle like this, they will be useless."
"The moment Muzan recovers, the first thing he'll do is devour them to restore his stamina."
"I'll repeat it. All Demon Slayer Corps members below Tsuchinoto rank, hold position and await orders!"
"If you encounter danger, you may flee without hesitation. That isn't cowardice. It's for the greater mission!"
A flood of victory reports did not dull the young Ubuyashiki's mind. If anything, his judgment sharpened, erupting with clarity far beyond what anyone would expect from a child his age.
Behind him, his two younger sisters moved at once, executing his orders.
The "eyes" scattered through the Infinity Castle, the ones marked with the "297" surveillance network, relayed the young master's commands in real time.
At the same moment, the news that Upper Rank One had been eliminated spread into every ear.
Morale exploded.
"Murata, I'm in so much pain. Can you carry me? Please, carry me, I really can't walk anymore!"
Zenitsu looked like he was on the verge of tears, clinging to Murata and begging.
Hearing the news, everyone was thrilled.
And Murata also caught the young Ubuyashiki's order.
"We can't keep moving forward…" he muttered.
Reluctant, Murata slammed his fist into the wall.
"Damn it… it's always because I'm too weak. Spider Mountain was the same, and now this too…"
He was furious, disgusted with his own weakness.
Then he turned and stared at Zenitsu, who was still sniffling and whining, and looked him straight in the eyes.
"Mr. Zenitsu. What rank are you now?"
Zenitsu froze, then raised his arm and flexed slightly. The wisteria-flower brand etched into his skin gradually surfaced.
"I've been forced to do solo missions nonstop lately, so I reached Kinoe… wait, Murata, what are you getting at?"
Murata's gaze hardened with certainty. He shook off Zenitsu's clinging arm.
"Mr. Zenitsu, this is when you have to step up!"
He gripped Zenitsu's shoulders and spoke with absolute seriousness.
"Your rank, and the fact you just killed Upper Rank Six, proves your strength is already closing in on Hashira level. My rank is far below yours, but I'm still going to say it. Mr. Zenitsu, you can't keep acting like this!"
Murata's eyes were blazing as he shook Zenitsu.
Zenitsu wobbled left and right, dizzy, shouting, "Okay, okay, I got it! If you shake me any more, I really will fall apart!"
Only then did Murata stop, still staring at him with intensity.
"Please do your best. For my share too."
"Fine." Zenitsu looked annoyed. "I just don't know if I'm even coming back when Muzan is that strong…"
Then he suddenly got solemn, like he was already writing his last will.
"Murata, if I don't come back, you have to find my wife, Nezuko Kamado, and tell her every single word. Tell her I, Agatsuma Zenitsu, fought the Demon King Muzan Kibutsuji for humanity's happiness and future. And tell her I really, truly love her. If I have no hope in this life, then she shouldn't be sad. In the next life, she'll definitely find a chance to marry me…"
Murata stared at him.
"She hasn't married you yet."
On the other side, those who had finished off Upper Rank One leapt out of the room. Under the guidance of the Kasugai Crow, they sprinted in a single direction.
The sharp, relentless twang of a biwa echoed through the Infinity Castle, meaning the fortress was still shifting and rearranging itself.
The crow kept changing directions with each command, and they clung to its path without slowing.
"It looks like Muzan is still afraid to face us head-on. We have to move faster," Muichiro analyzed quickly.
"Recover what you can while moving," Gyomei said. "I can sense a slaughter waiting ahead."
As they ran, they accelerated again and again, using Breathing Techniques to stabilize their injuries. Breathing wasn't magic. It couldn't make them regenerate like demons, restoring them instantly to perfect condition.
But it was still their greatest lifeline.
It was the foundation that had allowed the Demon Slayer Corps to fight demons for centuries.
"We're getting closer. I think I can hear fighting!"
Their speed climbed even higher.
Then they caught the smell.
Blood.
Their hearts sank.
Don't tell me…
Muzan has already finished breaking down the poison?
At last, the crow landed on a wooden wall and spoke in a human voice.
"It's behind this wall!"
"Prepare yourselves. Next is the enemy we've pursued for a thousand years. The Demon King, Muzan Kibutsuji!"
Gyomei spoke, then swung his flail.
A weapon that must have weighed well over a hundred pounds howled through the air, carrying a violent gust as it slammed into the wall.
Boom!
A huge hole burst open before them. Through it, they could see figures locked in desperate combat.
"Tanjiro! Hold on!"
Muichiro saw a familiar silhouette and shot inside at once.
The others followed in a rush behind him.
Mist Breathing, Seventh Form!
Obscuring Clouds!
Muichiro moved like a flash, colored mist blooming behind him.
His blade swept with a cold, clean gleam, and in an instant, every thorn coiling around Tanjiro was severed.
"Muichiro!"
Tanjiro cried out in relief when he saw them.
But when he turned to face the group, everyone's blood ran cold.
One of Tanjiro's eyes had been split open.
Blood streamed down his cheek, staining half his face red.
Worse still, the area around that eye was changing. Flesh pulsed and swelled, growing as if it had a life of its own, slowly creeping outward.
Yet Tanjiro seemed not to care at all. He gripped his Nichirin blade and charged again.
"Tanjiro!"
It was as if he couldn't hear.
His sword kept shifting through angles and paths, unleashing techniques none of them had ever seen.
But losing an eye was a brutal loss in combat.
Muzan clearly seized on that weakness.
A spike slid in from Tanjiro's blind side, sneaking closer and closer.
"Tanjiro, dodge!"
With the warning, Tanjiro finally sensed the danger.
He twisted his body, but with his vision crippled, he misjudged the distance and slammed into the wall.
Thud!
The heavy impact stalled his movement for a split second.
And in that split second, the spike was already upon him.
"Damn it!"
Tanjiro realized his mistake instantly and swung his Nichirin blade to block.
Then a figure stepped in front of him.
At the last possible moment, Vincent Fox's speed erupted in full. He appeared before Tanjiro in almost an instant.
Facing the incoming spike, Vincent Fox acted without hesitation.
Armament Haki wrapped around his right hand as he snapped forward and grabbed.
The spike stopped dead in his palm.
Creak, creak!
The spike mutated, trying to pierce through Vincent Fox's hand. But no matter how it twisted, it could only make a harsh, grating sound.
It couldn't do a thing.
"Get ready. Fighting Muzan Kibutsuji isn't a game."
Vincent Fox warned Tanjiro behind him, then tightened his grip.
Rip!
He tore the spike free, along with the strand of living flesh connecting it back to Muzan.
----------------------------------------------------
The deeper he goes, the more the truth unravels. Don't wait read ahead and witness Vincent's rise before the world catches up!
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