__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
"Rewards for the heroes?"
The subtitle on the glowing screen flickered, and across the countless worlds, beings of every realm nodded in agreement.
Those who fought to their last breath deserved reward—no question about it.
Wealth?
Power?
Or perhaps… the return of the fallen?
As people speculated about what kind of reward the Demon Slayer Corps would receive, the scene on the light screen shifted, cutting to their headquarters.
The images of the slayers reflected across the heavens.
Seeing that Flame Hashira Rengoku Kyojuro and others were still alive, everyone watching froze in surprise. For a long moment, no one spoke.
"So that's it… The battle we saw earlier wasn't the past—it was the future!"
Fleet Admiral Sengoku from the One Piece world suddenly realized it.
"Good! Excellent! That means the demons still exist—there's still hope!"
In the Naruto world, Orochimaru's golden eyes gleamed with excitement.
Throughout the multiverse, those chasing immortality or studying demons felt a spark of new ambition.
"How could this be possible?"
"So everything we saw before… hasn't actually happened yet?"
"I mean, I'm happy that Rengoku-san and Mitsuri-chan are still alive, but…"
"We finally thought they'd won, only to find out it hasn't even happened yet?"
"If they have to fight again, they might not win this time!"
"Not might—not at all. The demons have seen everything too! There's no way they'll make the same mistakes again!"
"Their past victories against the Upper Moons had so much luck involved. If the demons learn from that, killing them again will be nearly impossible!"
"Especially Upper Moon Four and Six, with their unique abilities!"
"No! Don't jump to conclusions yet. This whole highlight reel clearly favors the heroes' side!"
"Exactly! The Demon Slayers are about to receive their rewards. Maybe… it'll turn the tide!"
The multiverse erupted in debate.
Meanwhile, in the Demon Slayer world—
at the Corps' main headquarters—
"Uh… g-guys? I think we're, uh… on screen! What do we do?!" Zenitsu squeaked, his face pale.
"Hahaha! Let them see the great me!" Inosuke puffed his chest and struck a pose for the camera, completely unfazed.
"Idiot, it's not even the first time," Sound Hashira Uzui Tengen said, smacking Zenitsu on the shoulder hard enough to nearly knock him over.
"Hmm! It seems the gods have finally delivered our reward," Rengoku said with his booming laugh. "Marvelous!"
"Marks! Red Blades! And—Transparent World!" Uzui's eyes sparkled. He'd retired after the Entertainment District battle, missing out on those upgrades, but now, thanks to the mysterious video series, he was back in the game.
"So this is the Transparent World… I can see through flesh and bone!" Serpent Hashira Iguro Obanai was brimming with excitement.
"Wait, does this mean I can get a mark and a Red Blade too?" Shinobu blinked in disbelief. She'd always thought that was a power only berserk warriors could access. She was an assassin-type—how could she awaken that?
"YAHOO! Mark, Red Blade, and whatever that 'World' thing is—ALL MINE! I can feel power rushing through me!" Inosuke jumped three feet high in joy.
"And not just any mark—it's the kind without side effects! No twenty-five-year limit!" Stone Hashira Gyomei's voice trembled with awe.
"Tanjiro! Tanjiro! How about you?" Zenitsu shouted, shaking him.
"Hinokami Kagura… the Thirteenth Form. I… I can fully master it now." Tanjiro's eyes glowed faintly as he murmured.
"Wha—what?! I… I have a mark too!"
"M-me too!"
"Mine's a Red Blade!"
"What's happening?!"
"This power is unreal!"
"I never thought I'd have a mark of my own!"
Even ordinary Demon Slayers were shouting in amazement.
The heavens exploded in noise.
"This reward is insane! Marks, Red Blades, and the Transparent World—those are powers only someone like Yoriichi ever had all at once!" Red-Haired Shanks raised an eyebrow, impressed.
"The being behind this 'hero compilation' just boosted the entire Corps to their peak and gave all the Hashira the ultimate trio of upgrades. This battle's about to get serious," Taoist Wang from the One Person world muttered as he drew new divination lines.
"And not just the Hashira or the trio—every Demon Slayer now wields marks and Red Blades. No more fodder soldiers! The Corps' power just skyrocketed! Speaking of which… what did their leader, Ubuyashiki Kagaya, receive?"
The question spread fast. The answer came almost immediately.
As the head of the Corps—and a hero in his own right—Ubuyashiki Kagaya had two reward options:
Lift the clan's curse and gain immortality.
Two Summon Cards, each calling upon a powerful ally from another world.
The entire multiverse spammed "11111" in disbelief.
No one even had to think about it.
The Ubuyashiki clan had been cursed for a thousand years, each head dying before the age of thirty. The promise of freedom from that curse—plus eternal life—was a temptation almost no one could resist.
And yet…
"Why couldn't it be me?!" Orochimaru slammed his table in frustration.
"If I could live forever, I'd rule for eternity—Qin would never fall!" Emperor Qin Shi Huang raged, breathing heavily, eyes burning with envy.
Across the realms, countless people gnashed their teeth in jealousy.
But—
to everyone's shock—
Ubuyashiki didn't even glance at the first option.
Without hesitation, he chose the second reward: the Summon Cards.
"Huh?"
"What?!"
The outcry was deafening.
"WHAT A WASTE!"
"Total waste of a god-tier reward!"
"If you didn't want it, give it to me!"
The multiverse screamed.
"Still… admirable," Sengoku muttered.
"Yeah," Jiraiya said, smiling faintly. "Immortality wouldn't help him in this war—but two allies might change everything."
"Exactly," Yamamoto Genryūsai said. "A wise leader sacrifices personal gain for his people."
Even Fairy Tail's Makarov nodded in respect.
"Master Ubuyashiki?"
"Why?"
The Hashira exchanged uneasy glances.
"Don't worry," Kagaya said softly. "Once Muzan is defeated, our family's curse will end naturally. As for immortality… a lonely eternity doesn't appeal to me."
Then, with a calm breath, he activated the Summon Cards.
Two beams of light shot into the night sky.
A thunderous crash followed—BOOM!—as if something massive had fallen from the heavens, leveling an entire row of buildings at headquarters.
Through the rising dust, they could faintly see a massive golden battle axe glinting under the moonlight.
Every world fell silent, eyes locked on the smoke-filled crater. Who… had he summoned?
Then the dust cleared.
And everyone froze.
No one spoke.
Even the gods were dumbstruck.
He'd given up immortality—for this?
Qin Shi Huang and Orochimaru both clutched their chests in secondhand pain.
Then the screen lit up with a divine message:
Congratulations! Ubuyashiki Kagaya has successfully used the Summon Cards.
Summoned allies:
1. Little Nebula (evolvable)
2. Escanor, the Sin of Pride
"..."
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________