Upper Rank One, Kokushibo, was slain by Shiraki with the ultimate form of Sun Breathing.
Upper Ranks Three through Six—Akaza, Gyokko, Hantengu, Gyutaro, and Daki—were utterly crushed by the Pillars using modern heavy firepower.
Ever seen a compact thermobaric grenade with a 45-meter kill radius?
World Serpent custom edition, baby!
Thunderous booms rang out, tremors like an earthquake, the forest consumed by raging flames. The mansion lay in ruins, the ground thoroughly plowed.
Before them was a world woven of blood and firelight, a surreal scene not of this earth but of hell itself!
Demons deserved to be cast into the eighteen layers of hell!
With a stockpile of hundreds of high-explosive grenades, frankly, the Pillars wanted to seize this chance to torment the demons, make them "carry a few sacks of rice."
But, concerned for Kochou Kanae, who'd gone to intercept Muzan Kibutsuji, the Pillars, seeing the Upper Ranks' regeneration and mobility plummet, drew their Nichirin Blades and swarmed.
"Water Breathing, Tenth Form: Constant Flux."
"Flame Breathing, Ninth Form: Purgatory!"
…
"Wind Breathing, Ninth Form: Idaten Typhoon!"
Water currents, flames, gales, and lightning surged as the Pillars unleashed their breathing styles' current ultimate forms, lopping off the Upper Rank demons' heads.
The sole exception was Upper Rank Three, Akaza.
The top three Upper Ranks were fundamentally different, evolved to withstand Nichirin Blade beheadings.
Douma's soul was crushed by the mysterious space, Kokushibou fell to a unique Sun Breathing ultimate form, and Akaza…
The peach-pink-haired demon lay on the shattered earth, golden eyes silently scanning the circle of Pillars before him.
Seven or eight Pillar swordsmen formed a ring around Akaza, their Nichirin Blades and meteor hammer glinting coldly. No one spoke, just stared at Akaza.
At the circle's center, Akaza's face was blank.
Screw this!
After a few seconds' hesitation, Akaza gave up regenerating.
Seven Nichirin Blades slashed down in unison, and the last Upper Rank demon turned to ash!
A send-off by seven Pillars—what a flex for Akaza to brag about in hell~!
"Gorgeous! Super gorgeous! Unprecedentedly gorgeous!"
Arms spread wide, gripping his blades as if exclaiming something grand, Uzui Tengen's face bloomed with a smile, his headband's diamonds reflecting the pure moonlight.
"I declare high-explosive grenades the god of ninja festivals!"
"Namu Amida Butsu."
With the Twelve Kizuki annihilated, Himejima Gyoumei had much to say, but for now, he merely hefted his meteor hammer, chanted a Buddhist prayer, and stood.
More important tasks awaited!
"Let's move out." Rengoku Kyojuro's aura blazed like a vibrant flame.
"To help the Flower Pillar." Tokito Muichirou.
White mist surged from mouths and noses, breathing styles intertwining.
Swish!
Swish!
Toes tapped the ground, the Pillars darted forward, weaving through grass and leaping over trees.
Shiraki raised his head, gazing at the distant sky of emerald winds, lips curling slightly, then turned and strolled away with leisurely steps.
"Time to fetch Ubuyashiki~!"
Shiraki kept his word—he promised Ubuyashiki would see Muzan's end, and he'd make it happen!
When the Pillars reached the 'final battle' site, before they could close in, their rapid steps slowed, then stopped entirely.
Mouths gaped, unable to form a single word, the Pillars froze like statues, Nichirin Blades slipping from their hands to the ground.
Winds whipped their hair, yet nothing could mask their inner shock.
What happened!?
What happened!?
What happened!?
The scene was too staggering, shattering their worldviews forged over a dozen or decades of life.
A girl floated in the night sky, lustrous black-purple gradient hair cascading behind, encircled by emerald breezes.
The Emerald Wind Blade in her pale hand glowed with radiant brilliance, like a peerless goddess descended from moonlit glory.
"That… that's Kanae-neesan?" Kanroji Mitsuri's red lips parted, stunned.
Was this really reality?
How could a person fly?
"Ami… da Butsu…"
Tears streamed, Himejima Gyoumei clasped his hands reverently, chanting softly with devotion.
This world had gods!
"That monster… is Muzan?" Shinazugawa Genya's eyes widened, bloodshot whites overtaken by shock, ferocity replaced by awe.
In the hurricane, Muzan had lost all human form.
His already grotesque body swelled wildly, morphing into an even more twisted shape.
His massive frame writhed, warped tentacles shifting into sharp claws, then back into longer tendrils.
Among tangled, scaly tentacles, countless scarlet eyes blinked, clustered densely—a cure for trypophobia.
But it was utterly useless~!
The ultimate bloodline, the Seven Glittering Treasure Tree, Reverie Metherlance of the Emerald Wind, wielded 450 years of slumber-accumulated power, letting Kochou Kanae unleash it freely.
In the azure tornado, emerald light formed razor-sharp wind blades, spiraling cleanly to shred Muzan Kibutsuji's body!
White bones, scarlet flesh, blood, and milky-white fluids mingled, cracked teeth and burst eyeballs flew, fetid blood and venom raining down.
"Muzan, what have you made of life?" Kochou Kanae, wielding the Emerald Wind Blade, waved casually, winds from all directions converging into a tornado.
Words etched into his DNA—fear gripped Muzan's heart like a noose.
Like facing Yoriichi a thousand years ago, Muzan had no power to resist.
No, this person was more terrifying than Yoriichi!
She was the true monster!
Countless mouths on his fleshy mass screamed in collapse.
"AAAAHHHH!"
Normal humans had one brain and one heart, but Muzan, with medical knowledge, crafted five brains and seven hearts, movable within his body, making him insanely hard to kill.
That was against Demon Slayer swordsmen.
Now, Muzan's severed eyeballs reflected the flowing-haired butterfly girl.
Stop!
She wasn't a swordsman!
This wind wasn't swordsmanship!
First, Demon Slayer's sword techniques, animated for viewers, had no real effects.
Second, even Muzan, the Demon King, progenitor of demons with every dead demon's Blood Demon Art, couldn't summon all wind-related Arts from history to alter the heavens like this!
"Stop… don't… stop… don't… spare me…"
Broken, desperate cries echoed from the storm.
The Emerald Wind lacked the sun's power, theoretically unable to deal fatal damage, but…
Every cell trembled under this force, Muzan feeling absolute suppression.
"Don't stop? Don't spare you?" Her slender finger tapped her crimson lips, Kanae playfully blinking. "First time I've heard that request! Don't worry, I definitely won't spare you."
"Ah… AHH… AAH!"
Muzan was like a convict enduring death by a thousand cuts.
Yet his screams, to the Pillars' ears, were music, uplifting their spirits.
"This… this is!!!"
Ubuyashiki, supported by his wife and children, arrived, staring at this supernatural scene.
Quickly, he grasped it.
Locking the last glimmers of his vision on the monster in the storm, he laughed joyously, tears flowing, coughing blood.
Muzan tried his escape trick from Yoriichi, splitting into 1,800 fragments—his ultimate survival tactic.
As long as one piece survived, his unmatched regeneration could restore him.
But, NO!
Kanae's pale hand rose, the Emerald Wind Blade slicing lightly, a melodious breeze blooming with azure light again.
The ink-green tornado morphed into a ferocious blue dragon, wind blades spinning—slice?
Every piece was ground to pulp, to residue.
"Everyone!" From behind Ubuyashiki, Shiraki approached, holding Kochou Shinobu's hand, calling to draw attention.
As the Pillars' gazes focused, Shiraki looked at the Rock Pillar, smiling lightly:
"Mr. Himejima, use your meteor hammer to smash everyone's Nichirin Blades into fragments. Let's spice things up for Muzan~!"
Himejima Gyomei blinked, taking seconds to process, as others' shock morphed into tsunami-like ecstasy!
Mr. Shiraki was the true Living Buddha!
The Pillars swiftly handed their Nichirin Blades to the Rock Pillar. Himejima Gyomei swung his meteor hammer, shattering the blades.
Shiraki and Reverie were one soul in two bodies; Reverie, now bonded with Kanae, was fully in sync.
Before the Rock Pillar could act, emerald breezes rose, carrying the Nichirin Blade fragments into the storm.
"AAAAHHHH!!!!"
Muzan's screams jumped several decibels.
One, two, unrestrained, joyous laughs rang out, carried by the Emerald Wind to Muzan's ears.
This power, utterly crushing Muzan, was effortless for Reverie—she could maintain it till dawn.
Ever grasp what 485 years of slumber means?
Muzan could still speak at first, now reduced to incoherent roars, words indistinguishable.
In the storm, the Demon King was flayed.
On the earth, people laughed maniacally.