Boom!
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
In a city hidden within a different dimension, accompanied by the resonant sound of a biwa, the Upper Moon Demons were teleported here one by one.
The Upper Moons were never summoned without reason. Whenever they were called together, there was only one possibility—
One of them had been killed.
"Oh my~!"
A demon holding an iron fan appeared within the Infinity Castle. His eyes shimmered with rainbow hues as he smiled in surprise."Isn't this the Infinity Castle? To be summoned so suddenly… could it be that an Upper Moon Demon has died?"
Etched into his eyes were the characters Upper Moon and Two.
He was Upper Moon Two — Doma.
"Lord Doma~!"
A voice echoed from within a porcelain vase. A grotesque demon crawled out, bowing obsequiously."We haven't seen each other for ninety years. I am truly relieved that it wasn't you who was killed."
This demon's form was twisted beyond reason. An eye sat on his forehead; where eyes should have been were two green mouths, and where mouths should have been were eyes. Fins protruded from his head, and infant-like arms covered his body.
He was Upper Moon Five — Gyokko.
"Oh, it's Gyokko!"
Doma's smile widened.
"Long time no see. I'm relieved it wasn't you either. By the way, the pot you gave me last time was wonderful—I put the head of a woman I really liked inside it as decoration~"
"It is truly an honor."
Gyokko twisted with delight, then glanced around eagerly."Have the others not arrived yet? I wonder who was killed. Was it Lord Hantengu? Or Gyutaro and Daki? Or perhaps Lord Akaza? I'm so excited~!"
"It wasn't me…"
A trembling voice came from the corner. An ugly, hunched old man with a wart on his forehead and two horns cowered there, whispering nervously."And… the last Upper Moon gathering was exactly one hundred and thirteen years ago… an inauspicious number, terrifying, terrifying~!"
Although there were no rank markings in his eyes, he was unmistakably an Upper Moon.
Upper Moon Four — Hantengu.
"Oh! Not Lord Hantengu either—that's wonderful~!"
Gyokko counted on his fingers excitedly. "Not Gyokko, not Hantengu… that leaves only Gyutaro and Daki, and Lord Akaza. I truly hope it was Lord Akaza who was killed~!"
"It wasn't us either…"
A female voice interrupted from the side. A beautifully dressed woman stepped forward.
She was Upper Moon Six — Daki.
"Oh, it's Daki~!"
Doma smiled in relief and began counting again. "Me, Gyokko, Hantengu, Daki—Two, Four, Five, Six are all present. That leaves only Three… How surprising. Was it really Akaza who died~?"
"No, no!"
Daki immediately objected. "Lord Kokushibou hasn't arrived yet, so we can't be certain—"
"Shut up, you foolish woman!"
Gyokko snapped sharply. "Do you truly believe Lord Kokushibou is weaker than Akaza? Or that humans could kill him more easily?"
"I—I didn't mean—"
Before Daki could finish, the biwa player finally spoke.
"Lord Kokushibou arrived long ago."
Biwa Hime turned her head slightly toward a quiet corner. "He was the first to arrive."
There, kneeling silently, was a man dressed in a kimono patterned with purple serpents and black markings.
He was Upper Moon One — Kokushibo.
His presence alone represented absolute supremacy among the Upper Moons—someone who could not simply be regarded as a subordinate of Kibutsuji Muzan.
At this point, the truth was undeniable.
Upper Moons Two, Four, Five, Six—and One—were present.
Only Upper Moon Three was absent.
"Lord Kibutsuji Muzan has arrived."
Biwa Hime spoke again.
Instantly, the expressions of the demons changed. They all turned in the same direction.
A woman in a kimono sat cross-legged upon a soft cushion, her crimson vertical pupils gazing at them without emotion.
She was the King of Demons, the Progenitor of All Demons—
Kibutsuji Muzan, in his female form.
"I am very disappointed."
Muzan stood slowly, his presence alone making the Upper Moons tremble. "The uselessness of the Lower Moons was one thing. But now, even among the Upper Moons—those in whom I placed hope—there is loss. This is an unforgivable disgrace."
The Upper Moons immediately knelt in unison.
Muzan's gaze swept across them coldly. "I have overestimated you. Centuries have passed—Tsugikuni remains unburied, and there is still no trace of the Blue Spider Lily."
His voice dropped further. "I am beginning to question whether you so-called Upper Moon Demons have any reason to exist at all."
The demons pressed themselves lower. Hantengu, Gyokko, and Daki trembled violently. Another demon emerged from Daki's body and prostrated itself as well.
They could all feel it—
Kibutsuji Muzan was truly enraged.
"I… have nothing to say."
At last, Kokushibou spoke. "Tsugikuni hides too well. I—"
"No explanations."
Muzan cut him off coldly. "All explanations are excuses for incompetence. I do not wish to hear them again."
His gaze sharpened. "I will give you one final chance."
"No matter the method—"
"I want every Demon Slayer under Tsugikuni eliminated in the shortest time possible."