"How can this be!?"
The scene unfolding before her sent a wave of pure astonishment through Chinami, the Head of the Priest Clan. She simply couldn't believe her eyes. In her calculations, Kagaya Ubuyashiki was supposed to be dead, utterly destroyed by Kibutsuji Muzan. His death would have marked the end of the thousand-year-old Ubuyashiki family line.
Although Muzan's survival was a major deviation from her clan's original plan for them to destroy each other, the situation had remained under their control. A dead Muzan, a demon king defeated, was the perfect tool for the Priest Clan to use. They could present his corpse to the Japanese Imperial Family and the orthodox Onmyoji, claiming victory and restoring their clan to a position of power and prominence. A living, scheming Muzan was far too powerful and unpredictable to be used.
But Tsukihiko's actions had completely upended their strategy. And now, the sight of Kagaya and Amane Ubuyashiki—reborn as powerful demons—had shattered her composure entirely. Not only had her enemies been transformed by Muzan's power, but they now viewed her and the Priest Clan as their sworn foe.
"You… you are demons…"
The words were spoken almost simultaneously by Yoriichi Tsugikuni and Kokushibo, their duel forgotten as their gazes fixed on the demonic couple.
For Yoriichi, this was a waking nightmare. The entire purpose of his prolonged existence, of being brought back to this world in this unique form, was to eradicate every last demon from the face of the earth. He would sacrifice anything to achieve that goal. It was why, despite suspecting the Priest Clan had its own selfish motives, he had agreed to fight his brother. Kokushibo was a demon, and so he had to be slain.
But he never could have imagined this. It wasn't just his brother who had fallen. Now, the current heir of the Ubuyashiki clan—the very family that had led the war against demons for a millennium—had become a demon himself. It was the cruelest irony the world could offer. What in the world was happening?
"Heh. You must be the legend himself… Yoriichi Tsugikuni," Kagaya said, his voice dripping with a chilling venom. He exuded a terrifying aura as his demonic eyes locked onto the swordsman. "Still trying to kill the brother you turned into a demon. You truly are a fool who can't let go of the past."
The words struck both brothers like a physical blow. Yoriichi's expression hardened. His only reason for drawing his Nichirin blade was to kill demons. Even if that demon was his own twin brother, the duty remained the same. For Kokushibo, he had believed his bond with Yoriichi had been severed forever when he died centuries ago. He never expected the Priest Clan to drag his ghost back into this world. But whether it was Yoriichi or himself, they had both let go of what was. All that remained between them was a battle to the death.
Now, Kagaya's appearance had changed everything. The hatred between the Ubuyashiki and demonkind was a thousand-year constant. For the current heir to willingly become a demon for the sake of revenge… it spoke volumes about the sins of his target.
"What are you saying, descendant of Ubuyashiki!?" Yoriichi demanded, his crimson Nichirin blade blazing with the intensity of the sun. He channeled his power to its absolute peak. He knew that his resurrected body, sustained only by the Priest Clan's secret arts, could not last for long. His true enemy was not Kagaya, nor even Kokushibo, but the progenitor of all demons, Kibutsuji Muzan.
"Hmph. Yoriichi Tsugikuni," Kagaya sneered, his face twisting into a hideous demonic snarl. "The chosen one who joined the Demon Slayer Corps, awakened the Mark, mastered Sun Breathing, and even perceived the Transparent World. Your appearance brought hope to countless people, to my ancestors."
He leaned forward, his voice dropping to a harsh whisper. "But in the end, all you gave us was despair. And you… you fled like a coward."
Kagaya stared directly into Yoriichi's eyes. "A person like you, no matter how powerful, is still a useless failure."
The air grew deathly still.
Kagaya's words were a hammer blow, striking the deepest cracks in Yoriichi's soul. For all the centuries he had been kept alive by the Priest Clan's arts, not a moment had passed when he wasn't consumed by regret. The magic could preserve his body, but it could not erase his memories or soothe the pain of his failures.
His entire life played out in his mind: a series of profound losses. He had always put others first, but he was forced to flee his own family. He joined the Demon Slayer Corps and shared everything he knew—his Breathing Style, the Mark, the Transparent World—believing he would finally find a place to belong. But when he faced Kibutsuji Muzan, he failed. He let the monster escape.
Then, his twin brother, Michikatsu Tsugikuni, betrayed the Corps, murdered the Ubuyashiki head of that era, and offered his life to become a demon. His life was an endless list of failures. He couldn't protect his mother. He couldn't protect his wife. He couldn't save his brother.
"Die!"
In a flash of movement, Kagaya and Amane lunged. Their plan was simple: use words to shatter Yoriichi's spirit, then kill him swiftly. Once he was gone, they would deal with Chinami. They were trapped in Muzan's Infinity Castle, but they couldn't know if the Priest Clan Head had a secret way to escape. This might be their only chance to eliminate her, and they would use any means necessary, no matter how dishonorable.
"Kill!"
At the same instant, Kokushibo's blade erupted with a brilliant, sinister light, and a surging killing intent exploded from his body.
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