Boom!
The moment Akaza appeared, the air crackled with tension, and the temperature seemed to rise. His sudden arrival was a shock to both the Stone Hashira, Gyomei Himejima, and the Flame Hashira, Kyojuro Rengoku. They had known they would be discovered the moment they set foot in the Yoshiwara Red-Light District and had mentally prepared for the worst.
However, when that moment finally came, a wave of anxiety washed over them. There was no avoiding this. Unlike the demon before them, who clearly saw battle as a form of entertainment, they had a mission to complete and responsibilities to uphold. But it was obvious they couldn't rush now. The more desperate they were, the more mistakes they would make.
"He's not just an Upper Rank of the Twelve Kizuki, he must be one of the strongest among them," Kyojuro Rengoku declared, his usual bright smile unwavering. Even facing a top-tier demon who wanted a fight to the death, Rengoku's spirit only burned hotter. "It seems we're in for a good fight!"
"Stone Hashira, let's attack together!" he shouted.
As the words left his mouth, flame-like markings appeared on his face. Whoosh! With a burst of speed, he shot forward, his movements as sharp and fast as a hurricane.
"Alright!" Gyomei responded.
Almost at the same instant, the spiked flail in his hand spun violently through the air, aimed directly at Akaza. They knew this was a dangerous and unfair battle, but they had no choice but to engage. Their only hope was to end the fight as quickly as possible so they could complete their mission. If they failed, the consequences would be unimaginable.
...
While the Hashira and the Twelve Kizuki clashed in a fierce battle, hundreds of miles away, a figure seemed to step out of thin air. An incredibly sharp presence radiated from him, leaving afterimages as he moved at an impossible speed.
Poof! Poof!
Along his path, several lesser demons who thought they had found an easy meal were instantly vaporized by the sheer force of his movement before they could even scream. A strong, unpleasant smell—the stench of demons—filled the air.
"This feeling... I have waited more than ten years for this," the man sighed. "I never expected to have this chance at a time like this."
This man was Kagaya Ubuyashiki, the leader of the Ubuyashiki family and the supreme commander of the Demon Slayer Corps. He had left his ancestral home, a place where he was supposed to lie waiting for death. Originally, he was so weak he could barely move, but the miraculous power of a mysterious being had granted him a new life.
It was only a temporary enhancement, lasting just three short days. But for Kagaya, it was a gift from the heavens. How many times in a person's life do they get to burn as brightly as a firework? He intended to leave his mark on this final battlefield.
When happiness is destroyed, there is always the smell of blood. No matter what, I will slay the demons!
An unshakable resolve filled Kagaya's heart. As the current head of his clan, he had always dreamed of wielding a sword and fighting alongside the Hashira he considered his own children. But the curse that ran through his bloodline had made it impossible for him to even stand properly, let alone fight. Now, with only three days of strength, he cherished every single moment.
"My children of the Demon Slayer Corps... I'm coming," he whispered to himself.
With a single thought, he once again moved through the air, heading straight for the Yoshiwara Red-Light District. When he was granted this temporary power, Kagaya did not ask for Muzan Kibutsuji and the Twelve Kizuki to be eliminated. He knew it wasn't that simple. If it were, Muzan wouldn't have reigned in terror for a thousand years. The first and only thing he asked for was the strength to save the six remaining Hashira. He knew the entire Red-Light District was a trap set by Muzan, a battlefield designed for slaughter. But no matter the danger, nothing would stop him.
Whoosh!
As Kagaya sped through the night, the overwhelming stench of blood suddenly filled the air. He stopped, and his eyes fell upon three demons in a clearing below, greedily feasting on human remains. Before he could even react, the three demons looked up at the same time, and an intense killing intent flooded the area.
Boom!
The air grew heavy, and a horrifying silence fell over the forest. Kagaya felt a wave of nausea so strong he nearly vomited.
"This... this is impossible..."
A chill ran down his spine as he stared at the scene before him, his entire body trembling. The demons were not just any demons. They were the three Hashira who had died on the Mugen Train.
The former Water Hashira, Sakonji Urokodaki.
The current Water Hashira, Giyu Tomioka.
The Serpent Hashira, Obanai Iguro.
The battle on the Mugen Train had been Muzan's ultimate act of cruelty—a plan not just to kill, but to destroy his enemies' spirits. First, he turned the slayers into a joke, destroying the reputation of the Demon Slayer Corps across Japan. Then, he forced the resurrected Hashira to take their own lives, causing unimaginable pain to the six who had tried to save them.
But for Kagaya, who saw every member of the Corps as his own child, the blow was the most devastating of all. Muzan's actions weren't just about killing; they were about trampling on their beliefs and shattering their will to fight.
To kill the body, and then to kill the heart. It was a terrifying, truly monstrous strategy. Why? Why does a demon like Kibutsuji Muzan exist in this world?
"Why... why is this happening?" Kagaya whispered, his heart growing incredibly heavy.
He had to get to Yoshiwara. He had to save the other six Hashira. But how could he possibly draw his sword against Sakonji, Giyu, and Obanai? Even if they were no longer the men he knew... even if they were already dead... the choice was impossible. At that moment, even a man with a will as strong as Kagaya Ubuyashiki felt himself beginning to break.
He could feel it. Somewhere in the darkness, Muzan was watching, enjoying every second of his agony.
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