An invisible stream of information quietly descended upon this world.
Ian's consciousness sank as the surrounding matter converged, rapidly forming a brand-new body.
He did not hesitate in the slightest.
The moment his form stabilized, he immediately began digging toward the center of the earth.
A day later, a massive amount of EMC flooded into the Transmutation Tablet like a burst dam.
His power rapidly recovered to its absolute peak.
Then, a powerful divine sense expanded outward from him in an overwhelming wave, instantly enveloping the entire planet.
However, a second later, Ian furrowed his brows slightly.
He saw a tragic, freshly concluded battle. It appeared to be the finale of Demon Slayer.
In a mountain valley, the ground was littered with broken Nichirin Swords, torn uniform fragments, and the dissipating ashes of demons.
The thick stench of blood and the scent of wisteria still lingered in the air.
The swordsmen of the Demon Slayer Corps, led by the Hashira, had paid the price of countless lives to forcibly drag the progenitor of demons, Kibutsuji Muzan, into the light of dawn.
In the final moment before Muzan was reduced to ash, he injected all his blood, power, and his millennium-spanning resentment and obsession into the completely exhausted Kamado Tanjiro.
Thus, a new Demon King was born.
However, this was merely the end of the story in this specific world.
Ian's perception pierced through the world's barrier as easily as poking a hole in thin paper.
He witnessed an incredibly bizarre sight.
The soul of the Muzan who had been completely incinerated by the sunlight did not fully dissipate.
Instead, it transformed into an imperceptible stream of information, crossing the gap between dimensions to arrive in another, strikingly similar world.
It then drilled right into the body of that world's Kibutsuji Muzan.
...
Infinity Castle.
Twisted, upside-down architecture stretched endlessly through the boundless space.
Kibutsuji Muzan, dressed in a Western-style suit, had a face full of furious rage.
Lower Rank One had actually been killed by the Demon Slayer Corps!
What a piece of trash!
He was just about to summon the Twelve Kizuki to vent his anger and discipline them in the process.
Suddenly.
Muzan's body stiffened violently, his head feeling as if it had been smashed by a heavy hammer.
Buzz—
An unimaginably massive torrent of memories violently flooded his mind.
Countless unfamiliar scenes flashed wildly before his eyes.
He saw himself fleeing in a panic, relentlessly pursued by a swordsman wearing hanafuda earrings—a man who looked like the reincarnation of Tsugikuni Yoriichi—using the Thirteenth Form of Sun Breathing.
He saw himself pinned down and immobilized by countless Demon Slayer swordsmen using their very flesh and blood.
He saw himself bathed in sunlight, experiencing the agonizing pain and despair as his body crumbled inch by inch into flying ash!
"Gwaaaah!"
Muzan clutched his head in agony, letting out a bloodcurdling shriek as his handsome face twisted completely from the intense pain.
A few breaths later, the memories finally settled.
Muzan collapsed to his knees, gasping heavily for air, his eyes filled with confusion and disbelief.
"I... I didn't die?"
"I've been resurrected?"
After a brief moment of confusion, the memories from the other world completely overwrote his original understanding.
He snapped his head up, his eyes erupting with unprecedented ecstasy!
Because he now knew the location of the Blue Spider Lily. Now, he could complete his final evolution and become the ultimate lifeform.
A thousand years!
The dream he had pursued for a millennium—the dream of becoming an immortal, unaging ultimate creature that did not fear the sun—the answer was now laid out right in front of him!
"Haha... Hahahahaha!"
Muzan's ecstasy overpowered all his pain and lingering fear. He couldn't help but burst into laughter, the sound echoing through the empty Infinity Castle, making him seem utterly deranged.
However, after the euphoria passed, he immediately dismissed the idea of summoning his subordinates for a meeting.
'A meeting? To hell with that!'
Armed with memories of the "future," he knew better than anyone that his so-called Upper Ranks were all useless trash, save for Doma and Kokushibo, who were only marginally useful!
Every single one of them would be easily slaughtered by those bugs in the Demon Slayer Corps!
Right now, the most important thing wasn't venting his anger or throwing his weight around.
It was to lay low!
He would use the Blue Spider Lily to evolve into an ultimate creature immune to sunlight first!
Once he became a perfect being, he would start selecting stronger humans to cultivate into demons. Furthermore, the power of humans was not to be underestimated; he could leverage that as well.
Finally, once he was fully prepared, he would go out and slaughter every last one of those damned Demon Slayers, leaving no survivors!
...
Ian floated above the Infinity Castle, taking in all of Muzan's psychological shifts.
A playful smirk curled the corners of his lips.
"Interesting."
A final boss armed with a "walkthrough."
His divine sense continued to probe beyond the world.
Through the chaotic rifts between dimensions, he saw countless bizarre and dazzling world bubbles.
In one world, Soul Reapers in black kimono wielded all sorts of Zanpakuto.
In another world, powerful ninjas ran along walls and rooftops, spewing fire and lightning from their mouths.
In yet another world, a gluttonous kid wearing a straw hat set sail on a small wooden boat.
"I see."
Ian instantly understood.
"This is a converged multiverse themed around Japanese anime."
A brilliant, highly entertaining plan quickly formed in his mind.
Since this world's Muzan was about to receive a massive buff, shouldn't he add some "spice" to the mix?
...
Meanwhile, at the Demon Slayer Corps Headquarters.
Ubuyashiki Kagaya sat before the courtyard. His pale face bore a sickly complexion, but his eyes were filled with deep unease.
"Master, what is troubling you?" Lady Amane asked softly.
Ubuyashiki Kagaya coughed lightly twice, his voice weak.
"Recently, the frequency of demon activity has suddenly plummeted."
"This abnormal silence is far too eerie."
"It often portends that a storm beyond our imagination is brewing."
...
Elsewhere.
The Flame Hashira, Rengoku Kyojuro, was walking along a quiet mountain path on his way back from a patrol mission.
He was naturally cheerful, and even in the dead of night, a fire burned brightly in his heart.
Suddenly, he stopped in his tracks.
Not far ahead of him, an elderly man in a simple kimono stood quietly in the middle of the road, leaning on a walking stick.
Kyojuro's gaze instantly sharpened.
He couldn't sense any demonic aura from this old man.
But he also couldn't sense any aura belonging to a "human."
Just by standing there, the old man made him feel as though he wasn't facing a person.
But rather a massive, erupting volcano capable of incinerating the entire world!
That terrifying presence—restrained to the absolute limit yet feeling as if it could burn the heavens and earth to ash at any moment—sent every cell in his body into a frantic state of high alert.
Kyojuro took a step forward, his right hand already resting on the hilt of his sword. Yet, maintaining his manners, he asked loudly,
"The mountain paths are dangerous at night! Why are you lingering here, old gentleman?!"
"I am the Flame Hashira of the Demon Slayer Corps, Rengoku Kyojuro! If you need anything, I would be glad to help!"
The old man slowly opened his closed eyes.
What kind of eyes were those!
They seemed to contain a thousand years of time and the flames of war, his gaze as sharp as an unsheathed divine blade.
"I have been entrusted by an interesting individual to come and instruct you,"
the old man's voice was hoarse yet commanding. "Your flames are not hot enough."
Kyojuro's mind reeled in shock.
'Instruct me? My flames are not hot enough?'
Just as he was about to ask who exactly this man was and who this "interesting individual" could be,
the restrained aura around the old man violently erupted!
Boom—!
The terrifying pressure shot into the sky like tangible, roaring flames!
The surrounding air instantly became scorching and distorted, and the trees lining the mountain path even began to spontaneously combust!
Kyojuro felt as if he had been struck head-on by an erupting active volcano, making even breathing incredibly difficult!
He could only watch helplessly as the old man declared his name in a voice as deep and resounding as thunder.
"I am the Captain-Commander of the Gotei 13—"
"Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni!"
The moment his words fell.
Kyojuro's consciousness was forcibly dragged into a boundless hell of fire by an irresistible force!