In the Infinity Castle, piles of white bones lay scattered before Muzan Kibutsuji.
The remnants of clothing strewn about revealed their identities—these were the remains of the Divine Priest Clan, brought back from Swordsmith Village.
Muzan had devoured most of them with great anticipation, yet aside from a fleeting feeling of fullness, his body showed no sign of change.
The excitement he had felt upon finally obtaining the Divine Priests vanished in an instant.
Overcome with rage, Muzan rampaged through the Infinity Castle, unleashing his fury upon the surroundings.
Now, the only ones still able to stand before him were Doma, whose chest had been cleaved open by Kokushibō, and Gyokko, who had lost his right arm.
While Muzan himself could easily regenerate from the Sun Breathing wounds Kokushibō had inflicted on him, the same could not be said for Doma and Gyokko.
Even though they had managed to remove the Sun Breathing flames from their injuries in time, those wounds refused to heal completely.
Only Hantengu, who had fought using his countless clones, had emerged unscathed.
With Kokushibō's defection, the Twelve Kizuki had been reduced to just four members.
Despite his fury, Muzan still needed them, and so he granted them additional Demon King's blood, allowing their injuries to heal—albeit slowly.
Among the Divine Priest Clan, only one survivor remained—the clan's leader, the very same Divine Priest who had first met Yosuke and Kokushibō at Swordsmith Village.
Muzan had intended to finish him off, but suddenly remembered the clue Kokushibō had once brought from Mount Akabane
Grabbing the priest by the throat, Muzan lifted him off the ground, his killing intent barely contained.
"Where is your Divine Lord?" he demanded, voice like ice.
The priest, choking and gasping, managed to rasp out:
"The boundary between man and demon has not yet begun to blur… It is still not the time for the Divine Lord to appear."
Muzan released his grip slightly, his crimson eyes narrowing.
"The boundary between man and demon… what does that mean?"
The priest coughed several times before answering:
"It is literal. Just as humans can become demons through your blood, so too can demons, through special means, become human again."
Muzan's face twisted with disbelief.
"Absurd! A demon turning back into a human? Impossible!"
The priest did not argue—he only countered quietly:
"And yet… hasn't the omen already appeared?"
Muzan's brow furrowed. His thoughts went immediately to Kokushibō.
"You mean Kokushibō, who broke free from my curse? No… impossible! That was likely because of the Sun Breathing's influence! In a thousand years, not once has a demon ever turned back into a human!"
"Once, fate stood firmly on humanity's side," the priest said calmly. "But now, destiny has shifted off its original path. That is why fate favors you instead. When the time is right, the Divine Lord will come to you of his own accord."
Feeling deceived, Muzan's temper exploded once more. He seized the priest's throat again, his voice a snarl.
"You dare speak in riddles when your death is upon you?!"
Yet, even with death looming, the priest's eyes showed no fear.
"We do not fear death. You should already know—the Ubuyashiki Clan's gift of foresight came from us, the Divine Priests. This ability was passed down from our bloodline. Had we not wished to be found by you, you would never have found us at all."
"How arrogant," Muzan hissed. "Look around you—this is my Infinity Castle. Your kin's bones lie at your feet!"
The priest's expression did not change as he looked upon the remains of his people.
"The fall of the Divine Priest Clan is but one thread in the fabric of destiny. We have long been prepared. For us, death is not the end."
With that, the priest took his own life, collapsing lifelessly at Muzan's feet.
Muzan's veins bulged with rage. No human had ever died of their own will without his consent.
Enraged, he decided to inject his own blood into the corpse—to turn the priest into a demon.
Once transformed, Muzan could use his Blood Curse to read the priest's memories.
But then—something unprecedented happened.
The priest's body rejected Muzan's blood.
His cells violently expelled it, refusing the transformation.
For the first time in centuries, Muzan felt genuine shock and fury.
That a mere human could reject his power—it was unthinkable.
In a fit of wrath, he devoured the priest's body whole, leaving not even a scrap of bone behind.
Meanwhile, at the Butterfly Mansion, something astonishing had occurred.
Everyone had gathered around Nezuko, staring in disbelief.
The night before, Nezuko had done something unheard of—she had removed her bamboo muzzle by herself and softly spoken a single word:
"Onii-chan…"
Tanjiro.
Tanjiro stared at her, eyes wide, before pulling her into a trembling embrace, tears spilling down his face.
Overcome with joy, he brought Nezuko to the Kocho sisters and Tamayo.
After thorough examination, they found no changes in her physical condition—but Nezuko had undeniably begun to regain the ability to speak.
It could only mean that something mysterious was happening within her body.
As her constant companions, Inosuke and Zenitsu were both eager to greet her—
but before Inosuke could step forward, Zenitsu kicked him aside.
"Not a chance! Moments like this—belong to me first!"
Tail wagging with excitement, Zenitsu leaned forward eagerly, beaming at Nezuko.
"Nezuko~! It's me—your husband, Zenitsu Agatsuma! Remember? I proposed to you, and you said yes, didn't you?"
Startled, Nezuko shrank back, clutching tightly at Tanjiro's sleeve.
"Zenitsu, stop it!" Tanjiro scolded. "When did Nezuko ever agree to marry you?!"
But Zenitsu clung to him like a stubborn burr, refusing to let go.
At that moment, a cold voice came from behind him.
Yosuke appeared, his expression dark. He seized Zenitsu by the collar and, with one effortless motion, hurled him out of the room like a sack of trash.
Nezuko toddled forward on her short legs and wrapped her arms around Yosuke.
In a trembling, halting voice, she said:
"Father…"
Yosuke froze.
Tamayo spoke gently, explaining,
"It seems Nezuko has mistaken you for her father. Though her speech has returned, her self-awareness has not fully recovered."
A strange, indescribable feeling welled up inside Yosuke's chest.
He had once witnessed the miracle of new life being born—and even as an observer, that emotion had moved him deeply.
For a thousand years, Yosuke had secretly longed for a child of his own—someone to inherit his will.
But fate, cruel and relentless, had never allowed him that chance.
Now, hearing Nezuko call him "Father,"something inside him stirred.
It was as though, for the first time, he truly understood that tender, ineffable warmth.
Smiling softly, Yosuke whispered:
"Thank you… Nezuko."