Boom!
With a deafening roar, Kagaya Ubuyashiki lunged forward. Now a demon, an immense and terrifying power exploded from his entire body.
"Blood Demon Art: All Creation!"
The hellish shout tore from Kagaya's throat. A chilling aura instantly erupted around him, amplifying his presence by nearly five times. In the world of the Demon Slayer Corps, any demon created with Muzan Kibutsuji's blood could develop powerful abilities known as Blood Demon Arts. The nature of these arts was always deeply connected to the demon's strongest desire from their human life, a fact most clearly seen among the Upper Ranks of the Twelve Kizuki.
For instance, Upper Rank One, Kokushibo, had awakened a terrifying Blood Demon Art that gave him multiple eyes, which he combined with his sword techniques. These demonic eyes could perceive and analyze everything on the battlefield with chilling accuracy. The reason Kokushibo awakened an art focused on perception was directly tied to the experiences of his past life.
Another example was Upper Rank Three, Akaza, whose Blood Demon Art was a pure expression of his fighting spirit. Combined with his relentless desire to grow stronger, his combat abilities far exceeded what they should have been.
The same principle now applied to Kagaya Ubuyashiki. However, his situation was different from any demon Muzan had created before. First, his unique Ubuyashiki bloodline and physical condition played a role. Second, his body had been forcibly altered by a secret art from the Priest Clan. During the battle in the Yoshiwara Entertainment District, Kagaya had nearly died. If it weren't for the desperate efforts of Slayers whose power rivaled the Twelve Kizuki, he would have never been able to save the remaining members of the Demon Slayer Corps.
Because of these unique circumstances, the newly transformed Kagaya now possessed a Blood Demon Art powerful enough to rival Kokushibo's, even though Kokushibo had spent centuries honing his skills.
"Blood Demon Art: Strongest Guardian!"
To everyone's shock, Amane Ubuyashiki suddenly moved. With a soft hum, her body transformed into a spirit-like form and appeared directly above her husband's head. Like a guardian goddess from an old myth, a scepter materialized in her hand. At this moment, she was no longer just a priestess; she was the demon, Amane.
Buzz!
In an instant, Kagaya's power surged once more, and his roaring aura shot toward the sky. The wave of demonic energy rushed directly at Yoriichi Tsugikuni.
"Damn it… How can this be?"
Before Yoriichi could even react, Chinami of the Priest Clan, who was watching from the sidelines, was overcome with rage. Her beautiful face twisted in anger. She had been wondering how Kagaya and Amane, two people who should have been dead, were alive again. She never imagined that Muzan Kibutsuji had turned them into demons and made them enemies of her own Priest Clan.
Even worse, she realized that the awakened Kagaya and Amane were far more powerful than she had estimated. In an instant, the entire situation had been turned completely upside down.
Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!
However, before Chinami could make a move, Upper Rank One of the Twelve Kizuki had already drawn his blade. To Kokushibo, it didn't matter who stood before him—be it Yoriichi Tsugikuni, the Priestess, or even the man who was once Kagaya Ubuyashiki. Anyone who became his opponent, anyone who stood in the way of his progress, would be cut down.
Those who block the path, die.
In his human life, he couldn't overcome the limits of mortality, he couldn't surpass his twin brother, and he couldn't become the absolute strongest swordsman in the Demon Slayer Corps. So, he became a demon. He struck down the leader of the Corps, the head of the Ubuyashiki clan, and completely severed his bond with his brother, Yoriichi.
Now, after hundreds of years, those complicated emotions were gone. Only a single thought remained: Kill.
"Moon Breathing!"
"Crimson Red Blade!" "Transparent World!"
In a single moment, Kokushibo pushed himself to his absolute limit. His surging power roared like an erupting volcano, shaking the entire battlefield. With the strongest of the Twelve Kizuki making his move, the battle instantly became a one-sided slaughter.
Even if Chinami wanted to stay out of it, she no longer had a choice. Her expression turned grim. The situation was completely out of her control. She could almost picture the sinister smile on the face of Muzan Kibutsuji, who was surely watching from the shadows.
"Damn it all!"
With a furious roar, Chinami launched herself into the fight.
…
At that exact moment, inside the Infinity Castle, Muzan watched everything unfold.
"So the Priestess has finally decided to act," he mused, a cruel smile spreading across his face. He effortlessly controlled the shifting rooms of the castle, observing every battlefield at once. "The moment you chose to fight is the moment you chose to die."
For Muzan, it was all or nothing. When he made a move, it was always a spectacular, world-shaking one. In the other battles raging within his castle, his victory was already certain. Doma and the other demons had completely overwhelmed Shinobu Kocho and the other members of the Demon Slayer Corps; it was only a matter of time before the harvest began. Elsewhere, Akaza and his Six Demon Servants were pushing Tanjiro Kamado's group into a corner, leaving them with absolutely no chance of survival.
As for Yoriichi, who couldn't fight for long periods, he was no threat. With the Ubuyashiki couple and the most powerful of the Twelve Kizuki, Kokushibo, suppressing him would be an easy task. Even the mysterious Priestess, Chinami, was now just a rat in a trap. Could she really reverse this situation all by herself? It was impossible.
But before savoring his victory, Muzan's eyes fell upon the woman kneeling before him. Tamayo's beautiful eyes were filled with tears, and her face was a mask of pain.
A person's life is nothing more than a long, painful race. At every turn, a choice must be made. Each choice leads to a different destination. Whether that destination is a beautiful garden or a barren wasteland, one can only know when they arrive. Fate is cruel like that. If you resist, it drags you along anyway. It never gives you the time or the freedom to truly choose.
"Tamayo," Muzan's voice echoed like a death sentence. "Time is up."
Splat!
At his words, the countless tentacles gripping Yushiro tightened. A sharp, mournful scream filled the air before his body exploded into a shower of blood.
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