Kokushibo smiled as he looked at the three Hashira before him.
"Well then, at least you didn't come empty-handed."
His six eyes shifted toward Tengen.
"After all, you brought yourselves here, didn't you?"
Tengen's eye twitched.
For a moment, he looked at Kyojuro and Muichiro.
Then at Kokushibo.
Then back at Kyojuro and Muichiro.
So in this situation…
Was he the gift?
Kyojuro and Muichiro seemed completely unbothered by the strange atmosphere.
One stood proudly with his usual radiant smile.
The other stared blankly into the distance as if wondering whether clouds moved faster in autumn.
Kokushibo ignored the awkward silence.
With a snap of his fingers, two figures emerged from the forest.
Kuchiki Makoto and Saito Arashi stepped forward.
Each carried a captive.
"Suma!"
"Makio!"
Tengen immediately took a step forward.
Relief flooded his face.
However, under Kokushibo's gaze, he restrained himself and remained where he was.
He knew very well that rushing forward recklessly would accomplish nothing.
"Lord Tengen!"
Suma burst into tears the moment she saw him.
"Makio didn't appreciate my kindness at all! She kept calling me stupid!"
Makio nearly exploded.
"You were the one who started it!"
"You called me violent and said I smelled bad!"
The two women immediately resumed arguing.
Despite being tied up.
Despite being prisoners.
Despite standing in front of Upper Rank One.
The argument escalated so quickly that even Kuchiki Makoto and Saito Arashi struggled to hold them apart.
"Enough."
Kokushibo rubbed his forehead.
"Can the two of you please remember that you're hostages?"
Only then did they reluctantly stop.
Nearby, Kyojuro noticed something.
The Flame Hashira pointed toward the blood packs hidden behind the two demons.
"Father."
His voice was completely serious.
"Are you still consuming human blood?"
Kuchiki Makoto and Saito Arashi froze.
They had hidden the blood packs the moment Kokushibo spoke, yet somehow Kyojuro had noticed immediately.
Kokushibo glanced at them.
Then at Kyojuro.
"You could say that."
He offered no further explanation.
Tengen was not interested in discussing blood supplies.
He had come for only one reason.
"Kokushibo."
After a brief hesitation, he added respectfully,
"Please return my wives."
Kokushibo nodded.
"I was planning to."
Then his expression changed slightly.
"But I require something in return."
Tengen immediately became cautious.
"What do you want?"
"The same thing I asked for before."
Kokushibo folded his arms.
"What has the Demon Slayer Corps been doing recently?"
Before Tengen could answer
Kyojuro spoke.
"We brought Lady Tamayo into the Demon Slayer Corps!"
Silence.
Absolute silence.
Tengen slowly turned his head.
His expression contained the despair of a man watching a fortress gate open from the inside.
That was far too fast.
He had not even been given a chance to think of a response.
However, Tengen was not the most shocked person present.
Kokushibo froze.
For several seconds, he simply stared.
Then he blinked.
Once.
Twice.
His mind processed the information.
Tamayo.
The Demon Slayer Corps.
Together.
His eye twitched.
What?
He had gone out to participate in a battle.
When he returned, Tamayo had joined the enemy?
Not only that
She had apparently moved in completely.
The feeling was similar to leaving one's house unattended for a day and returning to discover that every possession had been stolen.
Kokushibo slowly inhaled.
Then exhaled.
His voice remained remarkably calm.
"And then?"
Unfortunately, Tengen never got a chance to stop the conversation.
Because while Kyojuro's mouth could theoretically be covered
Muichiro's could not.
The Mist Hashira spoke immediately.
"Lady Tamayo and Shinobu are developing medicines capable of harming Upper Rank demons."
Tengen closed his eyes.
He was tired.
Very tired.
This negotiation was becoming a disaster.
Fortunately, Muichiro continued.
"At the moment, they are still incomplete."
That statement prevented Tengen from suffering a complete emotional collapse.
After all, Tamayo herself had stated that the current poisons were effective only against weaker Upper Rank demons.
Against Kokushibo, they were essentially useless.
Realizing that both of his companions were revealing information at an alarming rate, Tengen finally decided to speak himself.
At least that way he could control the damage.
He briefly summarized the current situation of the Demon Slayer Corps.
The recent recovery period.
The injuries suffered by several Hashira.
The medical research being conducted.
And the general lack of large-scale operations.
When he finished, Kokushibo looked genuinely bewildered.
"So after that battle…"
"You all spent months recovering?"
Kyojuro nodded immediately.
"Yes!"
Kokushibo suddenly understood why Muzan had been so confident.
The Demon Slayer Corps truly had been forced into a prolonged recovery period.
After all, numerous Hashira had been injured.
Even with exceptional medical treatment, healing required time.
Eventually, Kokushibo raised a hand.
Saito Arashi and Kuchiki Makoto immediately understood.
They stepped forward and untied Makio and Suma.
The two women instantly ran toward Tengen.
Suma buried herself in his arms while crying loudly.
Makio attempted to maintain her dignity.
She failed after approximately three seconds.
Watching the reunion, Kyojuro suddenly stepped forward.
His expression became unusually serious.
"Father."
Kokushibo glanced at him.
"I know you are not truly evil."
The forest became quiet.
Even Tengen looked surprised.
Kyojuro continued.
"Come with us."
"Help us defeat Kibutsuji Muzan."
"And the creatures responsible for the recent attacks."
Kokushibo stared at him.
Then at Muichiro.
Neither appeared to be joking.
For a moment, he genuinely wondered whether these two were too kind for their own good.
Finally, he sighed.
"You really are naïve."
He stepped forward.
Immediately, Tengen instinctively positioned himself between Kokushibo and his wives.
But Kyojuro and Muichiro remained completely calm.
Neither moved.
Neither reached for a weapon.
Kokushibo looked at them helplessly.
Then, surprisingly
He placed a hand on each of their heads.
"You've both grown."
His voice carried a strange mixture of exasperation and pride.
Neither Hashira resisted.
After a brief moment, Kokushibo withdrew his hands.
Without another word, he turned away.
"Let's go."
Kuchiki Makoto and Saito Arashi immediately followed.
As they departed, Kokushibo began considering his next move.
The Demon Slayer Corps.
Tamayo's research.
The mysterious insect creatures.
And something else.
Something far more ambitious.
Without looking back, he issued an order.
"Arashi."
"Makoto."
The two demons straightened immediately.
"Yes, Lord Kokushibo."
"Investigate the current Emperor."
"I intend to meet him personally."
The two subordinates exchanged stunned glances.
Neither dared ask why.
Thus, a relatively peaceful period followed.
At least on the surface.
Tengen never revealed the full details of the incident.
To everyone else, he merely stated that his wives had been captured by a powerful demon and later rescued.
No one questioned the explanation.
After all, demon attacks were common.
However
There was still one matter everyone had forgotten.
The true mastermind behind the insect creatures.
Deep within a hidden cavern, far from civilization, a furious roar echoed through the darkness.
The creature responsible for creating the monstrous insects was absolutely livid.
The battle had devastated everything.
Its lair had been destroyed.
Its forces had been annihilated.
Its resources had vanished.
The more it thought about it, the angrier it became.
"That bastard!"
The cavern shook from its rage.
"He destroyed everything!"
Originally, the creature had intended to slowly build its army.
Expand carefully.
Fight cautiously.
Retreat when necessary.
A perfectly reasonable strategy.
Then Kokushibo arrived.
And the entire plan collapsed.
Months of preparation had disappeared overnight.
Only a handful of surviving insect creatures remained.
The mastermind stared at them.
The creatures stared back blankly.
An awkward silence followed.
Then it snapped.
"What exactly am I supposed to do with this?"
A dozen followers.
That was all.
Launching an assault with such numbers would be suicide.
Eventually, desperation forced it toward a drastic solution.
The creature tore away part of its own flesh.
Then another.
The grotesque masses landed on the ground.
Immediately, the surviving insect creatures rushed forward and devoured them.
"Eat!"
"Grow stronger!"
"Multiply!"
"Create more warriors!"
"I want revenge!"
As the creatures fed, changes began occurring.
Their numbers increased.
Their intelligence improved.
And unlike before, they no longer relied solely on hunting humans.
Now they abducted victims as well.
Entire villages began disappearing.
Reports spread rapidly throughout Japan.
Rumors of gigantic man-eating insects became impossible to suppress.
Fear spread from town to town.
In a small rural village, two siblings worked together in a field.
A young boy nervously glanced toward the nearby forest.
"Sister Hera."
His voice trembled slightly.
"They say giant man-eating insects have appeared nearby."
"We should finish quickly and go home."
The fear in his eyes was obvious.
Hera looked toward the distant woods.
For reasons she could not explain, unease settled in her chest.
"Are they really that dangerous?"
The boy nodded vigorously.
"Of course they are."
"I heard they've already eaten many people."
As the wind rustled through the fields, Hera continued staring at the forest.
Something felt wrong.
Very wrong.
And somewhere beyond those trees, unseen eyes were already watching.
Advanced chapters are Available on Patreon!
We are currently at Chapter 144 on Patreon!
Join now:
Patreon.com/HACKDWORLD