Buzz.
In an instant, Tsukihiko's figure materialized on the cold throne of the Infinity Castle. He pressed his hands onto the armrests, and a powerful, imposing aura erupted from him. The twisted, endless fortress, a product of Nakime's Blood Demon Art, now fell under his direct control. With a thought, he fundamentally changed its nature. The entire castle split, its presence now anchored to three separate locations: one-third in the Yoshiwara Red-Light District, one-third over the residence of the Japanese Imperial Family, and the final third directly above the Ubuyashiki Ancestral Home—a place most demons feared to even think of.
A small smile touched Tsukihiko's lips. "I have to say, Tamayo is indeed a woman of taste and thought."
This was not the Kibutsuji Muzan of the past. His thoughts were more intricate, his methods more complex. He understood Tamayo's value. She was the one who held the knowledge of the Twelve Kizuki, the one mind capable of creating a medicine that could not only turn a demon back into a human but could even restrain him. After being devoured in another timeline, it was the remnants of her medicine that had nearly destroyed him from within.
While the nine Hashira and Tanjiro Kamado had been crucial, Tamayo was the true key to his defeat. Knowing this, dealing with her became a delicate and urgent matter. Simply killing her or erasing her consciousness would solve nothing. Her death would rewrite the future, rendering all of his foresight useless. Her brilliant medical skills would be lost forever.
But controlling her without force was nearly impossible. The hatred between them was deep and seemingly irreconcilable. So, Tsukihiko had chosen a different path: a direct assault on her mind.
Tamayo presented herself as gentle, kind, and dignified—a white lotus among demons, if one ignored the sins she'd committed under his influence centuries ago. She had spent all that time atoning, but Tsukihiko's goal was to stop that transformation. He believed her hatred was no longer a burning fire but a faint ember she kept alive through sheer willpower, a psychological suggestion she repeated to herself. His weapon to extinguish it was a twisted view of love, the idea that his past atrocities were a sick form of affection.
Faced with this, she had not rejected him outright. Instead, she chose to feign compliance, a tactical retreat. She had to survive, and this was her only option. The problem with deception, however, is that to make someone else believe a lie, you must first, on some level, believe it yourself. The moment she decided to deceive him, she had already stepped into the intricate maze he had built for her.
"Tamayo, that unpredictable piece, can be set aside for now," Muzan mused from his throne. Light swirled in his plum-red eyes, like galaxies being born and dying. "Now, I can finally free my hands to deal with Ubuyashiki and the Demon Slayer Corps."
At that very moment, several kilometers outside the Yoshiwara Red-Light District, six figures moved through the shadows. The remaining Hashira of the Demon Slayer Corps had arrived.
The Stone Hashira, Gyomei Himejima, paused and looked at the five warriors with him, his hands clasped in prayer. "Everyone, this mission is extremely important, not only for the Corps but for Oyakata-sama himself," he said, his voice a low rumble. "Namu Amida Butsu… Reinforcements can't reach us in time. In this battle, we can only rely on ourselves. The district before us is teeming with demons placed by Kibutsuji Muzan. We won't just be facing demons with powerful Blood Demon Arts ; we must also confront the Twelve Kizuki head-on."
The Twelve Kizuki were Muzan's personal guard, demons of immense power. While the Corps had managed to slay several of the Lower Ranks over the years, they had never successfully killed a single Upper Rank demon. This very district had claimed the lives of many former Hashira, subtly becoming a forbidden land for demon slayers. But now, for the future of the Corps, for their master, and for themselves, they had no choice but to enter.
The Sound Hashira, Tengen Uzui, stepped forward. "Alright, listen up. I'll be working with the Mist Hashira, Tokito Muichiro. We're splitting into three groups," he announced, his tone all business. "My three wives entered Yoshiwara to gather intelligence, but I've lost contact with them. I have to find them. Stone Hashira, you'll be with the Flame Hashira, Kyojuro Rengoku. Insect Hashira, you're with the Love Hashira, Mitsuri Kanroji."
"No problem," came the unified reply.
They were an elite force. Gyomei was the strongest, followed by the prodigious talent, Muichiro. The Insect Hashira, Shinobu Kocho, was a master of poisons, while the Love Hashira, Mitsuri Kanroji, possessed incredible speed and strength. Rengoku's explosive power was legendary, and Tengen, a descendant of shinobi, relied on his flashy Breathing Style and an arsenal of ninja tools.
"Then let's move out."
The six Hashira shared a final look of grim determination. In the next instant, they shot forward, moving as one toward the glowing, deceptive lights of Yoshiwara. Their speed was immense, a silent rush of wind in the dead of night, completely invisible to the untrained eye.
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