"How does it feel, Mr. Ubuyashiki? I specifically saved you for last, so you could fully enjoy this dramatic performance..."
In the deathly silence, amidst the sea of corpses, Mitsuba half-knelt on the ground, using her only intact left eye to look at Ubuyashiki directly before her.
"What a pity. I clearly let you seize every advantage, stepping into every trap you wanted me to step into.
Yet in the end, I still came out slightly ahead. How regrettable, wouldn't you say~"
Under the moonlight, Mitsuba struggled to her feet. She picked up a Nichirin blade from beside her feet and flashed an utterly provocative smile at Ubuyashiki, who stood before her already dumbstruck, as if he couldn't hear her at all.
"I told you long ago! You will never kill me! Go down there and tell your god! Tell Him not to waste His efforts!"
With those words, Mitsuba threw with all her might. The Nichirin blade in her hand shot forth, instantly piercing through Ubuyashiki's body and pinning him to the ground!
There, it was finally over.
Once again, she had won.
Finally letting out a breath of relief, Mitsuba collapsed to the ground as if all strength had left her.
[No good, I must quickly devour two people to replenish my stamina...]
"Ugh... kill... kill you... I must... kill you..."
But in this silence, among the twelve Demon Slayers who had fallen last, one suddenly stood up at this moment.
He held a Nichirin blade, swaying as he walked toward Mitsuba, his eyes filled with fear and hatred, fresh blood continuously seeping from the wound at his neck.
Lying on the ground, turning her head to look at this person in disbelief, an expression of incredulity appeared in Mitsuba's only intact left eye.
[Truly surprising. In such a state, you can still stand up?]
[Is it willpower? Or simply thick skin?]
Mitsuba subconsciously wanted to activate her Blood Demon Art and command him to commit suicide.
But she immediately discovered that her body had also reached its limit at this moment.
The collapse of her body was accelerating, and the wisteria poison spreading within her could no longer be suppressed.
An unprecedented sense of weakness and powerlessness surged forth at this moment. Forget about moving to kill this last surviving Demon Slayer.
Mitsuba could even feel that she no longer had the strength to stand up again.
Right now, as long as any Demon Slayer who could still move came over with a Nichirin blade, they could easily sever her neck—which had been corroded beyond recognition by the wisteria poison.
[Ah... how pathetic...]
Slowly collapsing to the ground, listening to the approaching footsteps in the distance, Mitsuba laughed self-mockingly.
She had clearly almost won, yet her body couldn't hold on at the final critical moment...
She had clearly taken down all the strongest among them, yet in the end she would be finished off by these weaklings she could normally kill effortlessly...
Decades ago she had spoken so boldly, saying she would absolutely never be killed, yet merely decades later, she was about to have her neck severed by some nobody...
Tsugikuni Mitsuba, you really overplayed your hand this time...
Relying on your powerful Blood Demon Art, acting fearlessly and causing trouble every day, yet not properly considering how you had schemed to kill that Child of God back then.
Even someone as strong as a divine messenger could be killed, let alone a demon like you burdened with numerous weaknesses?
Sigh... when I get down there later, I'll definitely be ruthlessly mocked by those gods in heaven...
There was no resentment toward being schemed against in her heart, only self-mockery.
Sighing deeply, listening to the footsteps drawing closer nearby, Mitsuba exerted all her strength, attempting to make her collapsing body stand up again for this final battle.
Because she hated that feeling of sitting and waiting for death.
So even in desperate straits, she would fight with all her might until the end.
[It's just somewhat regrettable. It seems I won't be able to see the day when Lord Muzan completes his evolution...]
[And Mr. Keizo too—I had just promised to attend his daughter's wedding the day after tomorrow. Now it seems I'll have to break my word...]
[And Elder Brother too—I finally saw him take the initiative to step forward in his new life. I truly hope he doesn't immediately revert to his old self the moment I die...]
[And that old man as well—I had originally planned to leave that small town only after he passed away peacefully. Now it seems I'll be leaving before him...]
[And those little ones at the dojo too—if I leave without saying goodbye like this, they'll surely be sad...]
[And... and Sumire...]
In her mind, the lantern show had already begun.
Her only remaining left eye was also completely corroded by wisteria poison at this moment.
Mitsuba, who had completely lost her vision, lay on the ground, struggling to extend her left arm—which had been dissolved by poison until only three fingers could move—to fumble for and grasp a Nichirin blade at her feet.
[Yes, and Sumire...]
At her ear, the footsteps were already very close.
From these sounds, Mitsuba could no longer detect his fear.
Yes, of course he would no longer be afraid.
Because she was about to die.
Even without a Nichirin blade decapitating her, her body would soon completely collapse under the erosion of that wisteria poison.
She was about to face death—this was a result anyone could see.
Only...
Facing this final moment of death, Mitsuba's mind once again recalled that distant figure.
That was the first true friend in her life who had genuinely cared for her, and also her only friend when she was human.
[If I die like this, will I be able to see her again?]
"Mitsuba?!"
Behind her, an anxious and familiar voice suddenly rang out.
[Little Sumire?]
Instantly recognizing this voice, Mitsuba—who could no longer speak—subconsciously tried to turn her head to look.
[Is it an auditory hallucination? Why would she be here?]
Immediately after, she felt as if someone had pounced forward to embrace her.
That familiar faint scent of traditional medicine in the embrace made Mitsuba completely confirm this person's identity.
It wasn't her hallucination. It really was Little Sumire...
How strange. That little butterfly had actually appeared beside her?
But... why?
"Sumi...re..."
"Don't be afraid, Mitsuba, don't be afraid... Hold on. It's just some wisteria poison. I'll help you neutralize it right away..."
Leaning weakly in Sumire's embrace like this, listening to her trembling voice choked with tears, in the darkness, Mitsuba vaguely felt that Sumire seemed to be injecting something into her body.
Immediately after, a cool sensation began to spread within her.
Under this incredibly comfortable coolness, the burning pain originally caused by the wisteria poison's erosion within her body also began to gradually subside.
"Who... are you people..."
Truly making one... drowsy...
"Get lost quickly... that demon... I must..."
Speaking of which, why was Little Sumire here?
"Mr. Michikatsu!"
No good... the Demon Slayers are still here. They mustn't know about her relationship with her. Must quickly get Little Sumire to leave...
"There's no need to worry. Leave the rest entirely to me. Nakime, first send Mitsuba and Doctor Butterfly back to the Infinity Castle."
Infinity Castle? Where was that?
At the final moment before her consciousness dissipated, what Mitsuba heard was her elder brother's voice.
Speaking of which, why had Elder Brother suddenly appeared as well?
Hmm, this kind of illogical story development—truly, it must be her dying hallucination...