As expected, a negative butterfly effect triggered.
And it was severe: the Demon Slayer Corps headquarters' exposure!
Hearing the system's voice, Horitake cursed inwardly, his anger boiling!
The Corps' headquarters exposed!?
How could it happen!? Just because he lifted Yoyoi's curse!? How could such an unrelated act cause this!?
Furious, Horitake wanted to confront the system but held back.
He knew it was futile; the system would dodge with vague talk of unpredictable butterfly effects!
The Corps' headquarters exposed!?
Horitake repeated it mentally.
He recalled the original story: after the headquarters' exposure, Muzan himself arrived to crush the Corps, confronting a near-death Yoyoi.
Knowing his time was short, Yoyoi detonated explosives, sacrificing himself, his wife, and two daughters to take Muzan down. The massive blast, combined with Tamayo's drug, caught Muzan off-guard, weakening him.
Then, everyone was pulled into the Infinity Castle, and the final battle began!
Damn it! What's this!?
If the butterfly effect was the headquarters' exposure, didn't that mean Muzan's arrival? The final battle starting early!?
With the headquarters vulnerable, Pillars scattered, and only Horitake present, facing Muzan and possibly Upper Ranks was suicide!
Wait!
Horitake remembered the system's reward: the Substitute Doll!
Was it given for this crisis?
That damn system!
But even with an extra life, could he handle Muzan and the Upper Ranks?
Or, after dying and reviving, should he flee, hide, and retire?
Retire, my ass! That's just running away!
Horitake wasn't a saint, but he wasn't a coward who'd flee, especially with Mitsuri and Shinobu here. Where could he go!?
His face darkened as he communicated with the system via thought:
"Damn system, you'd better explain, or I'll die twice to spite you!"
Sensing Horitake's fury and anxiety, the system chimed:
Ding! Mission issued: Resolve the negative butterfly effect—the Demon Slayer Corps headquarters' exposure!
Demons and humans cannot coexist. The Corps, humanity's forefront against demons, is loathed by all demons! Once exposed, the headquarters will face demonic invasion and slaughter! With the headquarters vulnerable and exposure imminent, the Corps faces dire peril!
The Host must preserve the headquarters' vital forces and core strength. Note: The Host's next actions will determine which demon attacks.
Success Reward: Thunder Breathing, Fourth Form, and its derivative techniques.
Failure Penalty: Ubuyashiki family's death, Corps crippled, fate disrupted, butterfly effect collapses further.
Hearing the mission, Horitake's mind raced.
The crisis was unavoidable; the headquarters would be exposed.
Exposure meant demonic invasion—demons wouldn't miss this chance!
But the system's hint offered hope.
It said Horitake's next moves would influence which demon attacks.
Logically, exposure would draw Muzan.
But the hint suggested it might not be him.
That was a chance.
If it wasn't Muzan, Horitake was confident he could handle it.
Even if it was Kokushibo, he'd fight to mutual destruction! He had an extra life!
Horitake resolved to seize this opportunity.
But the vague hint—what actions, what impact?—left him unsure where to start.
Lost in thought, his grim expression lingered.
Yoyoi, speaking with him, noticed and asked:
"Horitake, what's wrong?"
Horitake looked up, hesitating.
Should he tell them?
He had to—the crisis was too big.
How to explain?
He said:
"Bad news. Very bad news!"
His grim face and tone made everyone tense.
What could make the Corps' strongest call it "very bad"?
The previously joyful Ubuyashiki family and Mitsuri grew serious.
Yoyoi, as leader, asked:
"What bad news?"
Horitake explained:
"You know my eyes see the extraordinary, like Lord Yoyoi's curse. They also glimpse past, present, and future. Just now, I saw a dire future."
The tension rose. Yoyoi asked gravely:
"What future?"
"The headquarters' location will be exposed! A powerful demon will attack!"
The words hit like a thunderbolt! Shock and disbelief swept through them!
Amane, panicked, couldn't believe it:
"How!? The headquarters is so secret, our defenses airtight! How could it be exposed!?"
Horitake sighed:
"The headquarters is hidden, but demons keep searching, and their numbers grow."
Yoyoi, ever the leader, accepted it:
"No wall is impenetrable. In centuries, the Corps has faced every crisis. Exposure is possible."
Mitsuri, stunned, sought confirmation:
"Horitake, you're sure!? This isn't a joke!"
Horitake gave a bitter smile:
"You all know and trust me. Have my eyes ever been wrong?"
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