The instant Hiru raised his hand, Tanjiro sensed no killing intent at all, yet every cell in his body screamed a warning.
Blinding crimson flames surged up in an instant. With the sharp ring of steel striking steel, the scarlet blade slashed straight into the crystal spike thrusting toward him.
But this time, the crimson blade that had always cut through everything in its path failed to bite in even half an inch. Tanjiro's pupils shrank. Using the force of the impact, he sprang backward and landed on the ground, narrowly avoiding the crystal spikes that shot after him.
Looking at the gray crystal spikes that had completely sealed off the path ahead, Tanjiro could not help shouting toward Hiru's retreating back.
"Hiru-san! Are you really going to do this? Hiru-san!"
"What's going on?"
Tanjiro looked back at Sabito, who had come up behind him. His expression looked deeply hurt.
"Hiru-san seems to be trying to eat Shinazugawa-san. He was the one who kept telling me to restrain myself, so how could this happen..."
"So that demon is called Hiru?" Kanae finally stepped forward. "Are the memories we lost related to him?"
"Yeah, he's the one who did it. This kid knows everything, he just refuses to talk." Sabito pointed at the wounded Tanjiro. "What happened on your side?"
Before Kanae could explain, the entire Infinity Castle began shaking violently. Thinking back to what had just happened with Doma, it was not hard for them to guess what had occurred.
"Hmm! We may be safe here because of those crystal spikes, but the other swordsmen will likely have a hard time dealing with this. That is deeply concerning!"
"Nothing should happen. Blood Demon Arts gradually dissipate after a demon dies," Tanjiro explained. "The Infinity Castle may look solid, but it's actually constructed from the demon's own power. Once the demon dies, it will naturally collapse and disappear. If anything, the crystal structure Hiru-san built with his power is the more dangerous place."
"Hey, Tanjiro, things have already reached this point. Isn't it about time you told us everything?" Makomo looked over as well. "What exactly did Hiru do to us? What's the best way for us to deal with him? And who killed Muzan?"
After a brief pause, Tanjiro averted his gaze.
"I... I think we should figure out how to chase after them first."
"Hmm! I know you are in a difficult position, Kamado! But in the current situation, it would be best not to hide anything from us!" Kyojuro withdrew his gaze from the doorway. "That Hiru is clearly hostile toward the Demon Slayer Corps right now. We cannot even be certain whether he still has the ability to think or judge properly. At this moment, there is no doubt that we should stand against him!"
"Hiru-san hasn't lost his reason. That attack just now had no killing intent, and he avoided my vital points!" Tanjiro looked a little angry. "He may seem cold, but Hiru-san still hasn't given up fighting himself! So please don't say that about him!"
"I agree with Tanjiro," Kanae said calmly, trying to steady herself inside the shaking Infinity Castle. "Although Hiru has shown killing intent toward us more than once, judging from the strength he displayed, he was clearly holding back more often than not. Also, when he heard the crow call out 'Yoriichi-san,' he paused very noticeably. So I believe our most urgent task right now is to find Yoriichi-san."
"There's one more thing. Though it may not be very appropriate for me to say it." Makomo also shifted slightly to keep her balance. "When he looked at us, it didn't feel like he was simply looking at food. If I had to describe it, it was more like the disgust someone feels after finding worms in their meal. It's left me feeling a little conflicted."
Everyone: "..."
Tanjiro could not find a response for a moment either. But soon, a scent reaching his nose gave him something to focus on.
"Sensei!"
Everyone followed Tanjiro's gaze, and an unfamiliar swordsman in a vivid red haori came into view. He was tall and handsome, but his brows carried a sorrow that would not fade. Hearing Tanjiro's voice only made his steps pause slightly.
"Where is Hiru?"
"Hiru-san chased after Shinazugawa-san and went that way!" Tanjiro had to raise his voice so Yoriichi could hear him over the deafening roar of the collapsing Infinity Castle. "Sensei, have you already killed Muzan?"
"Mm."
Yoriichi looked toward the long crystal spikes, then rushed out through the violently shaking room.
"Wait here until things stabilize before leaving."
A crimson longsword like the one before swept across the gray crystal spikes. But unlike earlier, this time the blade easily cut them apart, and Yoriichi rushed through the opening without the slightest hesitation.
"Did I hear that right? He admitted he killed Muzan?" Sabito could not help looking at Tanjiro, appearing even more shocked than when he saw Hiru. "If your teacher has that kind of strength, I should remember him. Or did Hiru erase our memories of him too?"
"I think that must be the Yoriichi-san the crow mentioned." Kanae's delicate brows drew together slightly. "It must have known in advance that Hiru would want to feed, so it deliberately brought Shinazugawa here, intending to use him to lure Hiru to Yoriichi's side while Yoriichi was fighting Muzan. But it didn't expect Yoriichi's battle to end so quickly, which caused the current situation."
"Hmm! Now that the path is open and the collapsing Infinity Castle has begun to stabilize, we should go help as well!"
"Wait. Yoriichi-san's presence feels strange too. Could he also be a demon?" Shinobu frowned just as tightly, though her expression showed more confusion than anything else. "Aren't we the Demon Slayer Corps?"
The group looked at one another, but no one could give an answer.
...
Compared with the relative safety here, however, the battlefield where the Hashira had gathered was far more dangerous.
When the building suddenly collapsed, Obanai and Mitsuri were in midair with nowhere to brace themselves. If Tengen and the others had not arrived in time, they would not have escaped without breaking several bones.
But even after being saved, they still could not avoid falling together with the collapsing Infinity Castle.
As they continued descending and using the shifting terrain to their advantage, the group quickly exchanged information.
"So in other words, you never actually cut off the head of the demon controlling the Infinity Castle. That demon suddenly started collapsing on its own?"
"Yes." Obanai looked at Tengen. "The crow told us to destroy the Infinity Castle as quickly as possible, or everyone would be in danger. Did some unexpected enemy appear?"
"No one can say for sure... Hm?" Tengen narrowed his eyes. "Is that... Shinazugawa?"
"Amida Butsu... What is happening?"
Tengen raised his twin blades again, his expression darkening.
"I don't know if I'm seeing things, but it looks like Shinazugawa is being chased by a demon."