While Mizuki was held up by her own boss, Enmu arrived at the edge of Mizuki's dream—the Unconscious Domain.
The dreams Enmu created were not infinitely vast; they formed a ring centered around the dreamer, and the area outside the dream was the so-called Unconscious Domain.
The core of the spirit lay hidden within the Unconscious Domain; destroying the core of the spirit would turn the dreamer into a shell of a person.
Arriving outside the bamboo forest, a look of joy spread across Enmu's face: "Found it."
For Enmu, locating the dreamer's Unconscious Domain couldn't be easier, almost as if guided by a navigation system.
Casually tearing open the Unconscious Domain at the edge of the dream, Enmu stepped right in.
A feeling of weightlessness instantly struck him, followed immediately by bone-chilling ice water surging up, penetrating deep into his marrow.
Water?
Enmu sank into the ice water, subconsciously glancing around.
He saw that everything around him was covered in pitch-black ice water, and below his feet was a deep, profound darkness, as if he were submerged ten thousand miles beneath the sea, with no light visible anywhere.
It was as if some unspeakable monster lurked within the profound darkness.
Enmu sensed briefly that the core of the spirit was not in this freezing seabed, and immediately kicked his legs, swimming toward the surface.
Having just entered the water, he reached the surface within a few breaths.
"Hah..." Enmu poked his head out of the water and looked around.
In stark contrast to the pitch-black seabed, an unprecedented blizzard raged above the water surface. Extreme gales swept through, cold snowflakes relentlessly lashed his face, and the surroundings were a vast expanse of white, devoid of any scenery.
The only thing that remained the same was the extreme cold.
Enmu climbed out of the ice water and miraculously stood upon the surface.
What kind of strange place was this?
Even Enmu had never encountered such an extreme Unconscious Domain.
Generally speaking, the Unconscious Domain reflects a person's inner heart.
For example, a warm and cheerful person's Unconscious Domain would usually be warm.
But what Enmu felt from this Unconscious Domain was...
Despair, pain, confusion, and uncertainty.
If those children were allowed in, forget finding the core of the spirit; they would likely be completely lost in this woman's Unconscious Domain.
Enmu sensed the direction of the core of the spirit, determined a path, and walked across the water surface... Mizuki arrived shortly after, stepping into her own Unconscious Domain.
She gazed around, observing with curiosity.
This was... her Unconscious Domain?
There really wasn't a single warm spot to be seen.
Mizuki stepped forward, creating ripples as she walked across the water.
She didn't know where she should go, but a feeling would guide her forward... Dreams are not infinitely vast, and neither is the Unconscious Domain.
Not long after she started walking, a strange scene appeared within the blizzard.
Joy surged in Enmu's heart: "Found it."
He couldn't help but quicken his pace.
It was a scene distinct from the cold oceanic world.
A courtyard, neither large nor small, looked quite old, not resembling something from the Taisho Era.
This must be a sanctuary existing within the dreamer's subconscious mind.
Something normal had finally appeared in this woman's Unconscious Domain.
Enmu didn't think much of it, pushed open the large door, and walked into the courtyard.
His senses told him that the core of the spirit was in the room ahead.
Without pausing, seconds after opening the large door, Enmu shoved open the door to the room ahead.
The dilapidated room looked incredibly real, even the teacups on the table were neatly arranged.
But Enmu had no mind for observation; instead, he stared with shock and uncertainty at the old man sitting before him.
This was an old man with a red Demon Slayer Mark on his forehead. Ugly wrinkles covered his face, and his aged body was like a flickering candle in the wind, looking as if he would pass away at any moment.
The core of the spirit that Enmu intended to destroy was slowly floating in the air behind the old man.
It was a jewel, white and clear as a mirror.
Seeing Enmu appear, the old man slowly put down the teacup in his hand and murmured, "Have you come to my side?"
"An intruder, I see."
Enmu didn't pay attention to the old man's words; the shock and uncertainty in his eyes deepened.
What exactly was going on with this woman?
Individuals with strong self-awareness certainly might appear in the Unconscious Domain, but why was there another person in the Unconscious Domain?
The old man slowly stood up, the long sword at his waist scraping against its sheath, making a chilling sound.
Enmu's pupils trembled. He was afraid of this old man who was practically on his deathbed.
What on earth was happening?!
What on earth was going on with this woman?!
Enmu grit his teeth. As a Sleep Demon, it was the first time he had been confused by something within a dream.
"I've arrived."
As the old man spoke those light words, an indescribable aura erupted, almost crushing Enmu, making his legs tremble and unable to stand.
Unfamiliar memories surged into his mind again.
"What do you... consider life to be?"
The old man before him perfectly overlapped with the figure in his memories. Enmu's pupils shook violently, and terror consumed his entire body.
The mentally twisted demon finally understood what death was, and what fear was.
He finally understood.
Those were the memories of Lord Muzan! The memories of the cells!
This guy! This woman!
This was not a so-called beautiful dream at all!
But something that had actually happened... The scene before his eyes spun rapidly. Enmu stared at his own headless body, his consciousness extinguished in terror.
He hadn't seen anything clearly... "What the hell is this place?"
Mizuki moved forward against the cold wind and snow, unable to stop herself from complaining.
It was just a vast expanse of white; she couldn't see anything clearly.
Damn it!
Can it clear up for her?!
Whoosh whoosh~
The gale blew indifferently, completely ignoring her commands.
Mizuki was indignant; it was clearly her dream.
She then realized it might be a trap set by that wicked demon to obstruct her.
What a sinister fellow, no wonder he was such a pervert.
Finally, after walking for quite a while, a familiar floral scent drifted into her nose.
It was wisteria flower.
Walking forward, a small path appeared on the water surface, covered on both sides by dense wisteria flower vines.
To be honest, although Mizuki always wore a wisteria flower sachet, she personally didn't like the flower.
Because wisteria flower was especially effective against demons, and she was no exception.
She could ignore sunlight, but wisteria flower required time for her to break down.
Something she disliked had appeared in her dream.
Stepping onto land, the wind and snow abruptly ceased, and warm sunlight poured down.
Mizuki continued forward, and a familiar courtyard appeared before her.
"Isn't this the Butterfly Mansion?"
She knew there was a reason why there were so many wisteria flowers.
Mizuki walked toward the building.
She had indeed spent a significant amount of time at the Butterfly Mansion, so it was no surprise that its architecture appeared in her dream.
After coming into contact with the Demon Slayer Corps, aside from the two years she spent with Tanjirou, the place she stayed the most was the Butterfly Mansion.
Speaking of which, why did she stay at the Butterfly Mansion for so long?
A gentle, mature, and soft voice rang out.
"Mizuki, want to sunbathe together?"
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