Asakusa District, Tokyo.
Tamayo and Yushiro stood in an alley, each with a talisman affixed to their chest, concealing their presence.
"Tamayo-san, it's almost dawn. Should we continue to wait?" Yushiro asked, worried about Tamayo's safety.
"Yushiro, let's wait a little longer," Tamayo said, biting her lower lip.
A few days ago, a Demon Slayer swordsman named Aomori found them. After he revealed Tamayo's identity, Tamayo decided to form an alliance with him to take revenge on Muzan.
At Aomori's request, Tamayo performed a physical examination on him and discovered that his blood was remarkably pure, completely different from the "filthy" blood of ordinary humans. Not only did it contain numerous nutrients coveted by demons, but it also possessed an incredibly powerful restorative factor.
Tamayo extracted this factor. After multiple attempts, she found that in sufficient quantities, it could restore demon cells back into human cells.
Seeing a glimmer of hope for revenge, Tamayo used years of research and the newly discovered restorative factor to urgently produce an antidote specifically targeted at Muzan within just a few days.
When she handed the medicine to Aomori, she heard the man say, "If you want to see Muzan exposed to the sun, wait there the day after tomorrow, just before dawn."
That is why Tamayo brought Yushiro here and had been waiting all night.
With just over ten minutes until sunrise, there was still no movement. Just as Tamayo was about to give up, a colossal sound, like mountains crumbling and the earth splitting, erupted, and two thick pillars shot up from the ground right before her eyes.
Immediately following this, Tamayo finally saw the person she wished to devour alive: Muzan Kibutsuji!
...
Time rewinds to five minutes earlier.
After being ambushed by Aomori with the "strongest secret weapon in history," Surströmming, Muzan's weakened body made him feel the threat of death once again.
Muzan wanted to retreat again.
But he glanced at Aomori, whose face also looked poorly, and truly did not want to miss this opportunity.
I'll try a little longer. Nakime can transfer me away at any time, anyway. Having made his decision, Muzan attacked Aomori once more.
This time, Muzan's attack was even fiercer, as if Tamayo's medicine hadn't taken effect, but the perceptive Aomori noticed the pretense of strength; this was just Muzan's desperate last stand.
The sun still needed a moment to rise, and Aomori was happy to fight Muzan a little longer.
"Black Blood Thorns!"
After using his tentacles to restrict Aomori's movement, Muzan's body sprouted hundreds of thorn-like tendrils. A dense mass of them extended behind Aomori, blocking his escape path.
Then, Muzan unleashed his most powerful technique—a 360-degree, all-encompassing super shockwave aimed at Aomori!
However, Aomori was prepared. He tossed aside his twin swords, spread his hands, palms facing Muzan, and a white energy sphere erupted.
Ah Wei's 18 Forms: One Hit, One Kill!
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Aomori's One Hit, One Kill penetrated Muzan's shockwave and struck him, but Muzan's wide-range shockwave also hit Aomori.
It was a mutual defeat.
Aomori was flung back by the shockwave, tumbling several times on the ground, even knocking off his glasses.
A large hole was torn open in Muzan's chest. Flesh tentacles writhed around the edges of the wound, but they were blocked by a layer of white light and struggled to heal.
"This familiar power is... How could this be?!" Muzan looked at Aomori in shock, and in that moment, discovered Aomori's true identity.
"It was you all along!"
Aomori spat out a mouthful of blood and laughed, "Long time no see."
"You bastard!"
No wonder he was so strong but previously unheard of. No wonder he possessed the same precious Marechi as that man.
So that was it. This entire thing was a conspiracy targeting him, Muzan!
Muzan understood everything and immediately resolved to retreat.
The Demon King's revenge is never too late, even after a hundred years.
Once he healed his wounds and recovered his strength, Aomori, Tamayo, and all the Demon Slayer swordsmen would be unable to escape.
Aomori, reading the intent in Muzan's eyes, took a deep breath, about to unleash Ittou Shura to hold Muzan down, when the room suddenly began to collapse. The entire Infinity Castle was falling apart.
It turned out that Sanemi, Muichiro, and Kyojuro, after searching for Nakime for a long time without success, decided to split into three groups, which reduced Nakime's spatial shifting ability. She was eventually found and struck down by Muichiro using Mist Breathing, Seventh Form: Obscuring Clouds—causing the Infinity Castle to collapse.
"Even Nakime..." Muzan felt he was being dragged down by his worthless subordinates.
This works out well. Let them all be buried here, Muzan thought, flashing a cold smile at Aomori. But he saw Aomori's lips move slightly.
13 Totem Pole!
A totem pole shot up simultaneously beneath Muzan and Aomori's feet, launching them through the ceiling of the Infinity Castle and out into the pale light of the external world's pre-dawn sky.
"You detestable human!" Seeing the sun about to rise, the panicking Muzan in mid-air quickly piled up cells on his back, sprouting a pair of fleshy wings. He barely managed to control his body, attempting to flee the area.
Aomori, also in mid-air, was calm. He released his Pidgeotto, who had been resting for a while.
Aomori landed on Pidgeotto's back and instructed, "Pidgeotto, chase down the monster ahead! Use Gust on him from below!"
"Pidgeotto!"
Pidgeotto, having grown considerably and barely able to carry Aomori, flew beneath Muzan and unleashed Gust!
The powerful gale caused Muzan to lose control of his body, blowing him higher into the sky.
"Hey, Muzan Kibutsuji! Do you want to experience the feeling of invincibility?" Aomori shouted.
"What are you trying to do?" Muzan was in full panic.
Aomori's energy was nearly depleted, so he unleashed his ultimate move without hesitation.
"Ittou Shura!"
Followed by, "One Hit, One Kill!"
"Go to the heavens!"
The wave of energy, crackling with lightning and holy light, shot straight into the clouds, illuminating the entire sky.
Muzan, sent tens of thousands of meters high by the energy wave, finally came face-to-face with the sun.
"No! I don't want to die! I will become the perfect being! I am immortal!"
Amidst these screams, Muzan was bathed in sunlight, walking towards his death and entering Hell.
...
Akaza lay in the ruins of the Infinity Castle. The moment Muzan died, his memories were restored. But it was too late.
"Koyuki..." Akaza gently murmured the name, as if returning to the happy days of his past. His body slowly disintegrated in the wind.
...
Kokushibo voluntarily walked out of the ruins, facing the sun directly for the first time in centuries.
In the warm sunlight, his expression gradually softened, a trace of a doting smile appearing on his lips.
"Yoriichi, you were right. I truly was pathetic."
A breeze blew by, leaving only a single worn-out flute on the ground.
...
"Is Muzan... dead?" Tamayo, who had witnessed Aomori launch Muzan high into the sky, felt regret that she could not see Muzan burn to ash in the sun with her own eyes.
But, at last, it was over.
"That's wonderful, Tamayo-san," Yushiro said with a smile.
"Yushiro."
"Yes?"
"You must take good care of yourself from now on."
"Huh? Why? Does Tamayo-san not want me anymore?" Yushiro grabbed the corner of Tamayo's sleeve, speaking in disbelief.
"I committed an unforgivable sin and should have gone to Hell long ago. I survived only to seek revenge on Muzan. Now that Muzan is dead, I should finally find release."
Watching Tamayo's weary, relieved smile, Yushiro couldn't bring himself to say anything to stop her.
"Yushiro, you are a clean, good boy. Live well." With that, Tamayo gently pulled free from Yushiro and walked step by step out of the shadows and towards the sun.
Looking at Tamayo's back, Yushiro felt a wrenching, agonizing pain in his heart. He rushed toward Tamayo without hesitation.
"Tamayo-san... I won't! I won't leave you! Even if it's Hell, I'll go with you!" Yushiro declared firmly.
"Yushiro..."
Under the warm sunlight, the two embraced tightly.
————
You can read the ahead chapter on Patr if you're interested: p-atre-on.c-om/Overgod [Just remove the hyphen to access normally]