Muzan Kibutsuji raised his plum-red eyes and watched Soma's slash, filled with the energy of the sun, fall toward him.
Muzan wanted to dodge, but after being affected by Tamayo's medicine, his strength was no longer what it had been. Compared with Soma now, his movements were far too slow.
The sharp blade sliced cleanly through his neck. There was little pain. Just like when Yoriichi Tsugikuni had struck him all those centuries ago, it was only after his head had been severed that he realized it was gone.
Thud…
Muzan's head struck the ground. Blood gushed from the stump of his headless body.
"Once again… my head has been cut off."
The fallen head murmured as it stared at its own decapitated body.
The last time his head had been severed was hundreds of years ago, during his encounter with Yoriichi Tsugikuni. Now it had happened again.
This time, however, it was by the hand of a demon—a demon he had once controlled.
Yet…
Muzan Kibutsuji was not dead.
Even with Tamayo's medicine suppressing his demonic regeneration, healing, and recovery, and even after having his head severed, he still did not perish.
His headless body even bent down, stretched out its hand, picked up the head, and pressed it back onto his neck.
If he had not been affected by Tamayo's medicine, the flesh at his neck would already have writhed and healed together almost instantly.
But now, although his head had been placed back on his neck, the wound could not close. He even had to hold it with his hand to keep it from falling off.
Clearly, the loss of most of his regenerative ability was not solely due to Tamayo's medicine. Soma's slash had also carried the special property of the Nichirin Sword.
Soma stood silently, watching the scene without making any move to stop it. Internally, he felt a quiet sense of awe. Simply severing Muzan Kibutsuji's neck could not kill him.
Demons like Muzan Kibutsuji and Kokushibo, who had broken through their "limits," no longer possessed any fatal weaknesses. Even having their heads severed by a Nichirin Sword would not end them.
Aside from exposure to sunlight, such beings were truly terrifying existences.
Still, the thought that he himself now possessed such overwhelming power brought him a measure of calm.
"You can't kill me… You can't kill me…"
Holding his severed head in place with one hand, Muzan growled hoarsely at Soma.
Even as the words left his mouth, his plum-red eyes were filled with fear.
After all, even though he had broken through the demons' "limits," he was still only the closest thing to a perfect being. He could never reach the level of Soma—a true perfect being who could bathe in sunlight.
And sunrise was drawing closer with every passing second.
Once the sun rose, only death would await him.
But Muzan did not want to die. Even if it meant spending the rest of his existence hiding in darkness. Even if he could never again walk beneath the sun.
He suddenly closed his eyes.
In that instant, the voice of Muzan Kibutsuji rang out inside the minds of every demon across the land.
"Stop the Demon Slayers. Stop Soma. Otherwise… die."
The blood-red word "die" burned into every demon's consciousness like a death sentence.
The demons who had been relentlessly pushing the swordsmen back—only held in check by the Hashira Gyomei Himejima, Rengoku Kyojuro, and Shinazugawa Sanemi—suddenly turned around.
In the very next moment, the entire horde of demons abandoned their assault on the swordsmen and charged toward Soma to rescue Muzan Kibutsuji.
Countless demons surged forward in a massive wave. Even if they could not kill Soma or stand against him in direct combat, their overwhelming numbers would still serve a purpose.
Under their cover, there might still be a chance for Muzan to escape.
If Muzan managed to break free, tracking him down again would become nearly impossible.
And if they failed to kill Muzan, they would never sever the root of all demons. Every sacrifice made today would have been meaningless.
......
As the demons withdrew, the surviving swordsmen in the Yoshiwara entertainment district let out a small sigh of relief. But they quickly understood the reason. At this point, everyone realized that the eradication of the demons' source would happen today.
The goal the Demon Slayer Corps had pursued for centuries stood right before them. They only needed to hold out until sunrise.
They just had to keep these demons at bay.
But after fighting the demon onslaught for so long, every swordsman was wounded and completely exhausted. Even if they wanted to provide support now, their bodies no longer had the strength.
If the demons truly managed to cover Muzan's escape…
Just imagining it was unbearable for every swordsman present.
"Kill them!"
The surviving swordsmen in Yoshiwara gripped their blades once more and charged forward to block the demons. Even though their bodies were drained, even if they could only slow down a single demon, it would be worth it!
But human stamina had its limits. No matter how strong their willpower, when their legs could no longer move and their hands could no longer grip their sword hilts, how could they possibly stop the advancing horde?
They could only watch helplessly as the demons ignored them and surged toward Soma's direction to rescue Muzan.
"Kraa kraa kraa…"
A Kasugai Crow flapped its wings, flying in from afar with urgent cries.
"Reinforcements… Reinforcements…"
The crow's voice echoed through the night sky.
Thud thud thud…
From the depths of the darkness came the sound of dense, rapid footsteps. Then, one after another, swordsmen emerged from the distant shadows, rushing forward at full speed.
Muzan naturally saw the scene as well. Yet a sliver of hope still remained in his heart. Even though many swordsmen were arriving as reinforcements, demons from all directions were also being summoned and converging here.
After so many years, the accumulated number of demons was vast enough to hold back these reinforcements. Perhaps even…
But that thought had barely formed when the arriving swordsmen raised their firearms.
Muzan knew about guns. In fact, one of his former Twelve Kizuki, Hairo, had only become a member of the Twelve Kizuki by relying on firearms.
But these weapons were not particularly effective against demons.
He couldn't understand why these Demon Slayers had suddenly started using firearms. For centuries, the Demon Slayer Corps had relied almost exclusively on Nichirin Swords.
Rat-tat-tat-tat-tat…
While Muzan was still puzzling over this, the reinforcements opened fire.
Bullets rained down in a relentless barrage. Even demons moving at speeds far beyond human limits struggled to dodge them. Many demons didn't even bother trying to avoid the thumb-sized projectiles, confident that their powerful regeneration would heal any wounds in an instant.
But as the bullets continued to pour in, the demons struck by them did not display their usual monstrous regeneration and recovery. Instead, they collapsed powerlessly to the ground, one after another, like stalks of grass being mowed down. Just like demons whose necks had been severed by Nichirin Swords, their bodies began to disintegrate and slowly vanish.
This sight left every demon with expressions of utter disbelief.
Even Muzan Kibutsuji, at this moment, found it hard to believe.
When… had bullets become so lethal against demons?