After issuing his orders, Muzan Kibutsuji had Nakime eject the Upper Rank demons from the Infinity Castle.
That night, the four remaining Upper Ranks gathered together.
It was a rare occurrence.
The wound on Kokushibo's chest had already healed.
As Upper Rank One, he naturally took the lead.
"What do you plan to do about the man Lord Muzan wants dead?"
Upper Rank Five, Gyokko, giggled.
"That's simple. Capture a few Demon Slayer Corps swordsmen and use them as bait. Humans are foolish creatures. He'll come running."
Kokushibo nodded.
"That will work."
Upper Rank Two, Doma, opened his fan and spoke calmly.
"Then leave the task of capturing Demon Slayers to me."
Kokushibo did not object.
Doma was the leader of the Eternal Paradise Faith.
To avoid attention, he usually kept his number of followers around two hundred and fifty.
This time, however, he used his cult to spread news of a demon sighting.
Nearby Demon Slayer Corps swordsmen rushed to investigate.
What awaited them were four Upper Rank demons.
Their faces twisted in horror.
None of them left alive.
Soon, a kasugai crow delivered news of their disappearance to headquarters.
The Demon Slayer Corps immediately judged the threat to be severe.
They dispatched several Kanoe-ranked members to investigate and rescue the missing swordsmen.
Within the Corps, excluding the leader and the Hashira, there were ten ranks.
Mizunoto.
Mizunoe.
Kanoto.
Kanoe.
Kinoto.
Kinoe.
Tsuchinoto.
Tsuchinoe.
Hinoto.
Hinoe.
Kanoe-ranked swordsmen were only one step below the Hashira.
Yet when they arrived, they vanished as well.
The situation quickly reached Kagaya Ubuyashiki.
He immediately realized the truth.
This was likely one of the Twelve Kizuki.
After careful consideration, he dispatched two Hashira together.
The Sound Hashira, Tengen Uzui.
And the Flame Hashira, Kyojuro Rengoku.
They never returned.
At that point, Kagaya understood.
This was Muzan Kibutsuji's retaliation.
The demon involved was almost certainly an Upper Rank.
After centuries of fighting, the Corps knew one fact well.
Defeating a single Upper Rank required at least three Hashira working together.
When both the Sound and Flame Hashira disappeared, Kagaya could only turn to Emiya.
He asked him to save them.
And the missing members as well.
Even if the chances were slim, as long as there were no bodies, he refused to give up hope.
When Emiya heard that an Upper Rank demon had appeared, he became interested.
After confirming the location, he went alone.
That night, Emiya arrived at a small village not far from Tokyo.
This was where the Sound and Flame Hashira had vanished.
The moment he entered the village, he activated Observation Haki.
The entire area came into his perception.
He immediately located the demons.
Then-
He froze.
Four auras.
Each one no weaker than Akaza's.
Akaza was Upper Rank Three.
A genuine Upper Rank.
Anyone with an aura comparable to his was the same class of monster.
There were only six Upper Rank demons in total.
Upper Rank Three and Upper Rank Six were already dead.
That left four.
And all four were here.
In this village.
Emiya instantly understood.
This was a complete trap.
Four Upper Rank demons working together.
If this wasn't Muzan's direct order, he wouldn't believe it.
After losing Upper Rank Three and Six, Muzan had grown afraid.
So he gathered all remaining Upper Ranks to lure Emiya out and kill him in one decisive strike.
Emiya chuckled.
He had been wondering how to draw out the remaining Upper Ranks.
After absorbing the life force of Akaza, Daki, and Gyutaro, he was still thinking of a way.
He hadn't expected them to deliver themselves.
After this, he really ought to award Muzan a collaborator's medal.
After locking onto their position, Emiya shot forward like a beam of light.
Boom.
The warehouse door exploded inward.
Emiya walked in openly.
Inside, two familiar figures hung from the ceiling.
The Flame Hashira.
The Sound Hashira.
Their bodies were covered in blood.
Clothes torn.
They were clearly beaten senseless before being captured.
Yet they were still alive.
Breathing techniques had kept them going.
"I apologize, Lord Emiya," Kyojuro Rengoku said hoarsely, coughing.
"You have to see us like this."
Tengen Uzui gave a bitter smile.
"This isn't flamboyant at all."
Suddenly, his expression changed.
"Behind you!"
A demon with six eyes appeared soundlessly.
Kokushibo.
His blade flashed toward Emiya's neck.
Clang.
Pitch-black Haki coated Emiya's neck instantly.
Sparks flew as the blade struck.
No damage.
Kokushibo's pupils shrank violently.
Danger screamed through his instincts.
He leapt back without hesitation.
But in the next instant-
A blazing light erupted.
Sun Breathing, Third Form: Blazing Crimson Mirror.
The slash was impossibly fast.
Murderous intent flooded the air.
Kokushibo reacted on instinct.
Moon Breathing, First Form: Dark Moon, Evening Palace.
Their blades collided.
The impact sent a terrifying force through Kokushibo's arm.
So heavy it surpassed what his body could fully withstand.
His hand was knocked back.
A sharp numbness spread.
If Emiya had followed up, Kokushibo would have been injured.
But he wasn't alone.
"Blood Demon Art: Waning Ten Thousand Ice-Lotus."
Bitter cold exploded outward.
Icy vines descended from above, aiming to bind Emiya.
Upper Rank Two, Doma, had joined in.
And then-
The other two moved as well.
"Blood Demon Art: Thousand-Needle Fish."
Upper Rank Five, Gyokko, summoned grotesque golden fish from his patterned vase.
Countless needles filled the air, sealing every escape.
At the same time, Upper Rank Four, Hantengu, split apart.
"Blood Demon Art: Manifestation of Emotions."
This was the core of his ability.
Joy.
Anger.
Sorrow.
Pleasure.
His emotions materialized as four immortal clones.
The main body shrank into a tiny, cowardly form and fled.
Each clone wielded a different Blood Demon Art.
They couldn't harm themselves.
And they didn't tire.
A perfect war of attrition.
In an instant, Emiya was surrounded.
But he wasn't surprised.
He already knew all four Upper Ranks were here.
A simultaneous assault was expected.
And meaningless.
Nen Power: Almighty Push.
A thought was enough.
Overwhelming Nen erupted outward as an invisible repulsive force.
Vines.
Needles.
Blood Demon Arts.
All of it shattered instantly.
The four Upper Ranks were blasted away like infants hit by a tidal wave.
Bang. Bang. Bang. Bang.
They flew out of the warehouse and crashed outside.
Before any of them could react-
The Dragon of Greed burst out.
It swallowed Gyokko whole.
Upper Rank Five vanished in an instant.
A vast life force flooded into Emiya.
The Dragon turned.
It lunged at Hantengu's clones.
Anger.
Joy.
Both were devoured in one bite.
"My... my clones! I've lost contact with them!"
Hantengu screamed.
Kokushibo's grip tightened.
He stared at the Dragon of Greed in the sky.
Then he stomped forward, launching himself like an arrow.
Moon Breathing, Eighth Form: Moon-Dragon Ringtail.
His flesh-and-blood blade expanded.
A massive horizontal slash swept out.
Countless crescent moons tore through the air toward the Dragon of Greed.
They struck.
Sparks erupted.
Nothing more.
To pierce that defense, he would need a flying slash that spanned hundreds of meters.
Something on Hawkeye's level.
Without that-
Breaking through was impossible.
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