"What are you so surprised about?" Mizuki broke free from the ice-hardened tentacles, tearing them apart, and looked at Muzan with disdain. "I am a more perfect ultimate being than you. Isn't that natural?"
Veins popped densely on Muzan's forehead. He couldn't figure out what was wrong with that bastard Kokushibou's head.
What was so important about this woman anyway?
Muzan felt like he was about to explode with rage... No, in fact, he had already exploded.
Muzan extended his arm, covered in ferocious teeth, toward Mizuki.
Mizuki knew her weaknesses well, and she also knew Muzan's strengths.
Fighting Muzan in such a confined space was disadvantageous for her.
The Blood Demon Art suddenly erupted, and blood-red frost instantly engulfed the inside of the tumor... "Wow! What is that thing?" Kanroji Mitsuri arrived below the building, looking up in surprise at the red crystal in mid-air.
Due to the changes in the giant cocoon, the two sped up, arriving here one step ahead of Yushiro.
Iguro Obanai looked at Nakime sitting in the distance, then turned to speak to Mitsuri, only to see her eyes shining and a thread of drool escaping her lips.
"It looks like Dango~"
Iguro Obanai: "..."
Boom!!!
Just as the two were spacing out, the sparkling, blood-red Dango in the sky exploded, and pieces of red crystal fell beside the two people.
The two looked down to see the blood-red crystal shatter upon hitting the ground, revealing disgusting, frozen chunks of tentacle flesh inside.
They even squirmed twice, attempting to break free from the ice block's confinement.
Iguro Obanai glanced at Kanroji Mitsuri, noticing that her face was pale green as she swallowed her saliva.
Kanroji Mitsuri turned her head, looking miserable: "Iguro-san, I don't think I'll ever eat food with tentacles again."
Iguro Obanai: "..."
A strong gust of wind struck them. The two turned around and saw Mizuki, who had arrived beside them unnoticed, disgustedly brushing the ice crystals off her body.
"Ah~ It's Mizuki~" The misery on Kanroji Mitsuri's face vanished instantly, replaced by a joyful smile.
Mizuki smiled silently, searching for Muzan's figure.
Mizuki couldn't yet estimate Muzan's current condition, but judging from their brief contact just now, he had almost completely broken down Tamayo's poison.
Mizuki remembered Tamayo saying that after the three types of poison were broken down, the final poison she left behind would activate—a potent, cell-destroying toxin.
If successful, it could inflict irreparable damage to Muzan's body.
She wondered if Muzan had discovered and broken down that poison as well.
Mizuki scanned the area and spotted Muzan beside Nakime.
"Iguro, Mitsuri, I will hold off Muzan shortly. You two figure out a way to subdue that Biwa Demon." Mizuki stared at Muzan and said softly, "Remember not to kill her."
"If she dies, we might not be able to leave this Infinity Castle."
"Leave it to Yushiro, he has a way."
Mizuki had already observed Yushiro's location using her own blood; he was very close.
Iguro Obanai nodded seriously: "I understand."
"Oh! Leave it to me and Iguro-san!" Kanroji Mitsuri was full of enthusiasm, looking at Iguro Obanai with sparkling eyes.
Iguro Obanai coughed twice, turning his face away, slightly embarrassed.
Mizuki's mouth twitched. She wasn't here to watch them display their affection.
Mizuki muttered a complaint internally and strode toward Muzan.
"Surrender, Muzan." Mizuki raised her Nichirin Blade, pointing it directly at Muzan. "The Upper Rank Demon Moons have all been annihilated, and you won't be an exception."
Muzan was nearly laughing from anger. Surrender? Do people treat fermented bean curd well after surrendering?
"Don't get too cocky. You just dealt with a few pieces of trash." Muzan's expression was cold. "I can make as many pieces of trash like that as I want."
Muzan wasn't exaggerating. If he hadn't deliberately limited the number of his subordinates, the current number of Demons would definitely be much higher.
Although becoming an Upper Rank Demon Moon requires a certain amount of talent, as long as Muzan wished it and bestowed his cells, there would certainly be no shortage of Upper Rank Demons.
Of course, reaching the level of Kokushibou or Douma is not achievable solely through the amount of blood; that relies heavily on innate talent.
Just because of Kokushibou's centuries of effort, they shouldn't overlook his inherent talent, right?
He was merely inferior to Yoriichi; that didn't make him trash.
Among the people Mizuki had met, only Yoriichi and Himejima Gyomei, as fellow humans, could defeat Kokushibou.
Michikatsu, during his human lifetime, possessed Breathing Techniques and Sword Forms that Himejima Gyomei could not match. But similarly, Himejima Gyomei's physique, unmatched for centuries, was also a factor.
As for Tokito Muichiro, who became a Hashira after holding a sword for only two months, his talent might be superior to Kokushibou's. He might have a chance to defeat Kokushibou after growing stronger, but Mizuki couldn't be certain.
"Trash..." Mizuki murmured. "To view the subordinates who risked their lives for you as trash, I truly feel sorry for Michikatsu."
"Who?" Muzan frowned, seemingly having heard the name before.
Mizuki: "..."
How truly pathetic, Elder Brother.
Working for your boss for centuries, only for the boss not even to know your name.
No wonder they couldn't compare to the company next door; the gap in bosses was huge.
Look at what kind of boss Ubuyashiki Kagaya is, and what kind of boss you, Muzan, are.
They can't compare, they just can't compare.
"Did you hear that? You, the Biwa Woman over there." Mizuki ignored Muzan and glanced at Nakime, who was sitting beside him. "Muzan has always only seen you as disposable tools."
"Think about it. After he conquers the sun, will he truly keep any of you around?"
Muzan gritted his teeth and said viciously, "Sharp-tongued."
This woman truly stops at nothing.
He completely failed to understand. Kokushibou must have been insane; what kind of mind would harbor feelings for a woman like this?
What broke Muzan's composure even more was that Nakime actually lifted her head and looked at him with an inscrutable gaze.
Muzan's face instantly darkened.
Nakime seemed to realize the danger and lowered her head again.
It was true, just as the woman said: once he conquered the sun, he wouldn't need any of these subordinates anymore.
But not yet.
To Muzan's surprise, the Demon Slayer Corps was extremely well prepared, managing to wipe out all the Upper Ranks without losing a single Hashira.
If he were left alone to face this group of humans now, it would be manageable without that woman; even more humans wouldn't matter much in Muzan's eyes.
Compared to humans, victory is a matter of course for Demons.
But adding this woman changes everything. That Blood Demon Art possesses the ability to restrict him.
He cannot lose Nakime now.
He must keep the battlefield confined to the Infinity Castle... No, wait.
He actually had a better way to break the deadlock.
Muzan suddenly looked toward Nakime.
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