The moment Muzan heard Ubuyashiki's final words, he realized something was wrong. His grotesque, blood-soaked claws shot forward instantly, slashing toward Ubuyashiki before him.
But what his fingertips felt was not the sensation of tearing through flesh. It was the brittle shattering of something far harder.
That damned puppet.
That damned puppet again.
Before his anger could escalate further, a towering blaze erupted and swallowed him whole. In that instant, his fury surged to its peak, yet he couldn't help but acknowledge the Demon Slayer Corps' strategy.
He had anticipated that Ubuyashiki would lay a trap, but he had never expected that cursed puppet to be part of it as well. In that brief moment, he had failed to realize that what stood before him was only a lifelike dummy, not the real person.
The detonation was tied directly to the puppet. The moment it was destroyed, the explosion was triggered. Worse still, the explosives were packed with cross-shaped spikes forged from Scarlet Crimson Iron Sand, each infused with wisteria poison. With such layered traps, even he could not regenerate immediately.
Sensing presences rapidly closing in from all directions, Muzan—his face reduced to charred flesh with exposed bone—let out a savage grin.
"You think this is enough to corner me… Tonight, I'll wipe out every last one of you filthy demon slayers—"
Before he could finish, a faint pain pierced his abdomen.
At the same time, countless flesh seeds appeared out of nowhere, transforming into vicious thorns that burst through his body, locking him in place.
Even so, Muzan forcibly twisted his body and seized his attacker. The moment he saw who it was, his voice twisted with fury.
"Tamayo! What are you doing here?! And you dare show yourself before me—"
"You absorbed my fist, didn't you?"
A frenzied, almost deranged smile spread across Tamayo's usually gentle face.
"You'll regret that, Muzan! I've waited hundreds of years for this day! Just to take revenge with my own hands. Go to hell!"
"…You truly are a troublesome woman, Tamayo. Who killed your husband and child? Was it me? Or was it you who devoured them? And now you dare blame me?"
"If I had known, do you think I would have agreed?!"
Tamayo's pupils shrank to slits, all gentleness gone. Tears streamed down her face as sharp fangs emerged.
"I said I didn't want to die of illness! Because I wanted to watch my child grow up!"
"Then was what I saw afterward a lie?"
Muzan tightened his grip around her head.
"After I forced you to eat a human for the first time, didn't you enjoy it?"
"I know that very well! The sins I bear are just as unforgivable as yours! That's why today, I'll drag you down to hell with me!"
Blood tears streamed from Tamayo's eyes.
"Himejima!"
At her cry, a roaring gust split the air. A massive flail came crashing down, obliterating most of Muzan's body along with Tamayo's arms.
A force yanked at Tamayo's collar, dragging her away. But instead of relief, fury filled her face as she glared at Himejima.
"What are you doing?! Why aren't you attacking Muzan?! Why didn't you cut off his head?! Why save me?!"
Tears streamed down Himejima's face, veins bulging at his temples.
"Amida Buddha… The Master said that only if you live will there be a chance to kill Hiru. This… is a necessary choice."
Tamayo was about to argue, but Muzan's voice rose sharply, drowning her out.
"You pests!"
With those words, countless black thorns burst from his body, surging toward Himejima.
Without hesitation, Himejima flung Tamayo away and seized his heavy chain, his movements swift and precise as he blocked every incoming strike.
At that moment, the remaining Hashira arrived.
No one spoke.
Suppressing their grief, they charged at Muzan Kibutsuji.
They had pleaded with their Master to relocate while the demons' movements were uncertain, or at least assign more Hashira as guards. But he had always refused—sometimes gently, sometimes firmly.
In recent days, he had even summoned them one by one, as if foreseeing his end, asking them not to grieve too deeply.
But how could they not?
They loathed their own weakness.
If only they had found Muzan sooner. If only they had killed him sooner. None of this would have happened.
Driven by that overwhelming fury, the Hashira held nothing back. Working in perfect coordination, they unleashed their strongest techniques, determined to cut Muzan down where he stood.
Muzan laughed.
"So this is all you have?! If that's the case, then go to hell! Tonight, the Demon Slayer Corps ends here!"
As his voice fell, the still-burning ground erupted with paper sliding doors of all sizes. The Hashira, who had been about to step forward and strike, suddenly lost their footing as the ground vanished beneath them.
"The one going to hell is you! I won't let you escape! I will defeat you!"
Muzan glanced at the doors as they snapped shut, his smile widening.
"Then come and try. Whether it's you persistent trash or that puppet who somehow survived… all of you will die tonight. Nakime!"
The faint sound of a biwa echoed.
More and more paper sliding doors appeared across the mountain, swallowing every approaching swordsman into the vast Infinity Castle.
Hiru did not resist. He allowed the ornate doors to drag him inside.
"…Getting in here wasn't easy. Let me think… Muzan probably won't let anyone find him right now. Which means the Upper Moons are the priority targets."
Hiru looked up, taking in the bizarre, ever-shifting space. From the corner of his eye, he saw grotesque demons rushing toward him and let out a quiet sigh.
"You really didn't need to send fodder my way."
As multicolored crystals fell around him, Hiru raised his gaze toward the void.
"Let's skip the nonsense. Who has my painting?"
…
Sanemi landed lightly, cutting down the demon that lunged at him. Yet confusion still crept into his heart.
Once again… he had once again watched someone important slip away before his eyes.
He lowered his head and collapsed to his knees, drained, his hand clutching his hair tightly.
"I'm too weak… Sanemi Shinazugawa, you're too weak. You haven't changed at all since back then…"
But the demons gave him no time to grieve. They smashed through the delicate paper sliding doors again and charged at him in a frenzy.
Before those grotesque demons could come within even an inch of him, they were shredded by invisible slicing winds.
"Wave after wave, never-ending…"
Sanemi raised his head. His expression was even more savage than the demons rushing him, yet his eyes were bloodshot, tears streaming down his face.
"Come at me! I'll slaughter every last one of you!"
...
Obanai and Mitsuri stepped through the paper sliding doors that had opened beneath them, one after the other.
Countless demons swarmed below their feet.
Without hesitation, Obanai drew his blade and struck. The twisting, serpentine arc of his sword flashed past their necks, reducing them all to ash in an instant.
Only then did he stand amid the fading remains, tilting his head slightly.
"I won't let this trash get near you… You're not hurt, are you?"
Though the timing was far from ideal, Mitsuri's cheeks flushed faintly.
"No!"
"Then let's move," Obanai said, sheathing his sword. "We don't have the luxury of hesitation anymore."
"Yes! I'll give it my all too!"
...
Kyojuro moved swiftly through the Infinity Castle, his expression tighter than ever before.
He could still remember how, just days ago, their Master had summoned them one by one, speaking gently as he gave his final instructions. That calmness… it was as if he had already seen the fate awaiting him, something inevitable and unchangeable.
Aside from the Rengoku family, most of the Hashira had joined the Demon Slayer Corps because of their own tragedies. And it was their Master who had accepted them all without reservation.
Even as grief weighed heavily on him, Kyojuro did not dare dwell on what the others must be feeling.
All he could do now was give everything he had and cut down every—
A thunderous crash erupted at his side.
Kyojuro reacted instantly, swinging his blade to intercept. In that moment, he saw clearly who had attacked him, and his brows drew tight.
"Akaza!"
"Ah, how wonderful! Kyojuro!"
Akaza stared at his severed arm, his body trembling with excitement.
"You survived. And you've grown stronger! This is truly delightful! I must thank that annoying boy. Otherwise, I would never have seen a stronger you!"
"That boy's unwavering will surpasses even mine. If you cannot even recognize that, then it is truly regrettable."
Kyojuro tightened his grip on his sword, white breath spilling from his lips.
"Today, I will cut you down here."
...
"Gah! Kyojuro has encountered an Upper Moon! Reinforcements immediately! Reinforcements immediately, gah!"
"This is bad…"
Sabito withdrew his gaze from the cow.
"Giyu, we need to move faster."
"Mm."
Giyu tightened his grip on his scabbard and quickened his pace to keep up.
"The crow… it's under a Blood Demon Art."
"I noticed that too, but we don't have time to think about it now."
Sabito drew his blade and cut down a demon descending from above.
"What matters is regrouping. Didn't we already say it? Against an Upper Moon, none of us can fight alone. We have to work together."
"…Who?"
"Hm? Wasn't it—"
Sabito paused.
"No… I can't remember. It should be someone familiar…"
"…Blood Demon Art."
"…Yeah. That must be it."
Sabito looked again at the Kasugai Crow flying ahead, his expression beneath the mask turning more serious.
"But at least it proves they don't mean us harm. Otherwise, they could've killed us outright instead of just altering our memories…"
"Focus on what's in front of us. Regrouping is the priority. We can't let Oyakata-sama's resolve go to waste."
Giyu's grip tightened further.
"…Mm."
...
"To split us up like this…"
Muichiro's face was filled with anger.
"That despicable bastard!"
"That's not necessarily a bad thing," Yuichiro said, looking up at the tall figure before them. "It means we've pressured Muzan enough that he has to separate us and deal with us individually."
"Himejima, you reached the summit first. What happened to Oyakata-sama?"
"Amida Butsu…"
Tears streamed down Himejima's face.
"Oyakata-sama has already departed before us. But even at the very end, he was thinking of us. He even prepared a final measure."
"A final measure?"
Despite his anger, Muichiro showed a hint of confusion.
"What kind of measure?"
But Himejima only lowered his tearful gaze and murmured a prayer, offering no answer.
"…Is it something that would trouble the two of us?"
Yuichiro looked up at him, but received no response. He let out a breath.
"I understand. For now, let's focus—who's there?!"
The moment Yuichiro shouted, Himejima's chain flail was already swinging.
Buildings shattered apart, and the demon hiding within was exposed.
It had no number in its eyes. Its forehead bulged grotesquely, with two twisted horns protruding. Its expression was pitiful and cowardly. It rolled on the ground, clutching its broken body, wailing endlessly.
"Eee! Eee! So scary! Don't bully me! Don't bully me! I'm so pitiful! How can you be so cruel!"
Muichiro frowned, about to speak—
The roof above the demon exploded.
Uzui descended in a flash, his twin blades striking straight for the demon's head. As the blade severed it, his voice rang out loudly.
"I could hear your filthy whining through two whole floors! And you still dare say 'don't bully me'? Just die properly under my flashy blade and crawl to hell to repent!"
But the demon did not die.
From the severed head, new flesh began to grow.
Muichiro's expression tightened.
"Uzui! Watch out!"
"I saw through it long ago!"
A wild grin spread across Uzui's face as he swung his blade backward with full force. The strike tore through the regenerating body with a sharp sonic boom.
At the same moment, Himejima's chain flail smashed down, destroying the remaining half.
His brows furrowed as tears streamed down his face.
"Amida-butsu… pitiful creature. The Buddha will surely forgive your sins…"
Muichiro looked at him in surprise, not expecting such words.
But in the next moment, Himejima spoke again.
"This monk… will now send you to meet the Buddha."