TRANSLATOR NOTE:- chapter 88 doesn't exist, author skipped it with a break notice
Deep within the shifting, non-Euclidean geometry of the Infinity Castle, the Twelve Kizuki—the Upper and Lower Moons—stood alongside a swarming, claustrophobic sea of lesser demons.
They stood in absolute, petrified silence, gazing upward at the figure of Muzan Kibutsuji, who had reverted to his form as a cold, refined gentleman.
"Muzan-sama, according to your decree, half the human population of Tokyo Prefecture has been slaughtered," a demon reported, its voice trembling.
"Tonight, you will slaughter the other half."
Muzan looked down, his plum-red eyes sweeping over the assembled monsters with a gaze that felt like shards of ice. "If the Demon Slayer Corps sends their swordsmen to interfere... you all know what is expected of you."
"Please rest easy, Muzan-sama! This time, we shall ensure every last swordsman is annihilated!" The demons bowed their heads in unison, their voices booming through the halls as they shivered under the weight of his oppressive aura.
"For hundreds of years, you have failed to find the Blue Spider Lily. You have failed to locate the lair of the Ubuyashiki clan. I truly wonder," Muzan said, his voice devoid of any warmth or humanity, "if you useless wastes have any value to me at all. If you fail this task, I shall decide that none of you have a reason to exist."
The memory of the boy who killed Rui—the boy with that strange, overwhelming power—clung to the back of Muzan's mind like a parasite. That, combined with the sighting of the sun-breathing swordsman with the hanafuda earrings, had heightened his sense of impending doom.
But Muzan was not ready to retreat into the shadows just yet. He was close. After a thousand years of searching, he felt he was finally on the verge of overcoming the sun's weakness. This massacre was a calculated gamble—a "Grand Strategy" to force the Corps into a final, bloody confrontation.
His plan was simple: use the demons as a frontline to grind the Corps into dust while he remained safely tucked away in the Infinity Castle. Through the shared vision of his subjects, he would observe.
If the Corps truly possessed a power that threatened him, he would simply hide for another few centuries until this generation died out, just as he had done with Yoriichi Tsugikuni.
After all, his life was eternal. As long as humanity existed, he could manufacture an endless supply of pawns. The only thing that mattered was his perfection.
...
The Counter-Strategy
Back at the Demon Slayer headquarters, Kagaya Ubuyashiki sat before the nine Hashira. The air was thick with the scent of wisteria and the heavy weight of the news from Tokyo.
"This is a trap," Kagaya said softly, his voice echoing in the quiet courtyard. "But it is also a declaration of fear. Muzan Kibutsuji is afraid."
Kagaya had deduced the demon king's intent instantly. By slaughtering half of Tokyo and leaving the other half as bait, Muzan was forcing a choice. It was a classic "Open Maneuver"—the Corps could not ignore the massacre. They were being lured into a killing field.
"In the past, we would have had no choice but to walk into his trap and fight a war of attrition," Kagaya continued, his newly cleared eyes shining with a resolute light. "Even if we killed every Kizuki, Muzan would simply hide and rebuild. But today is different. Thanks to Goku-san and his owl, we no longer need to play Muzan's game. We will not go to Tokyo to fight his pawns. We will go straight to his throat."
The plan was shifted from defense to a total offensive. If they killed Muzan, every demon he created would perish instantly, and the crisis in Tokyo would resolve itself.
"Recall every swordsman!" Kagaya commanded. "We move in one hour. We must find him before nightfall!"
...
The Departure
One hour later, at the main gate of the headquarters, the air was electric. Nearly every able-bodied slayer had gathered, led by the nine Hashira. It was the largest mobilization in the history of the Corps.
Shinobu Kocho walked over to Goku, who was currently preoccupied with wiping crumbs from his mouth after a final pre-battle snack.
"Goku-san, are you certain you want to come with us?" Shinobu asked, her tone uncharacteristically soft. "This is not a mission. It is a war. You are not a member of the Corps, and you are still just a child. You've already done so much by helping Oyakata-sama."
Goku swallowed his last bite and gave a firm nod. "I'm going! If you guys kill him before I get a chance to fight him, I'll have missed out on the strongest guy here. I want to see how strong he really is!"
For Goku, the order of operations had simply shifted. Spar with the Hashira later—fight the big boss now.
"It's time," Gyomei Himejima rumbled, his prayer beads clacking together.
The assembled slayers looked at Goku with a mixture of awe and curiosity. Word had spread of the boy who had saved the mountain and healed their Master. To many, he was a symbol of hope—a wild card that had finally tipped the scales in their favor.
"Juliet, it's up to you," Goku said, pulling the owl from his box. He fed her several choice pieces of chicken, then held up the envelope addressed to Muzan Kibutsuji.
"Take this to him, Juliet. Lead the way!"
With a majestic beat of her wings, the magical owl soared into the sky. The nine Hashira and the army of slayers immediately took off beneath her, a tidal wave of steel and resolve moving through the forest toward the heart of the darkness.