The grand hall, once filled with New Year cheer, now felt like a tomb.
The air was heavy.
Kibutsuji Muzan sat casually upon the cult leader's throne, his plum-red vertical pupils sweeping coldly across those below.
At the foot of the steps—
Doma had put away his usual playful grin and sat upright in solemn silence.
Daki and Gyutaro had rushed over as well, kneeling on the ground. Daki's body trembled uncontrollably; she didn't dare lift her head even a little.
Dead silence.
"He still hasn't come?"
Muzan's voice wasn't loud, yet it carried a biting chill.
"I told you to bring that child here…
Such a simple sentence. Do you not understand it?"
Doma let out a dry laugh.
"Ah, Lord Muzan, you know how it is. Inosuke has just become an Upper Rank.
He's currently in special training with Lord Akaza—probably too absorbed in the fight to hear us…"
"Silence."
Muzan cut him off coldly.
"My patience is limited. If he doesn't appear within five minutes…"
...
Back Mountain
Of course, Inosuke had already felt it.
That pressure—he had sensed it long ago.
"Damn it… of all times, now?!"
Inosuke stood in the snow, looking at Tanjiro and Zenitsu, whose faces were just as pale.
If it were only him, he could go alone.
But now, these two idiots were still here at the Bliss Cult.
Hide them? Useless.
Before the Demon King, hiding in a cellar was no different from standing right on his face.
"No choice…"
Inosuke gritted his teeth.
"We'll have to inject again.
We already used it once during training… and now a second time so soon?"
He spun around sharply and pulled two more purple-glowing serums from his clothes.
"Gonpachiro! Stripe-itsu! Listen carefully!"
Inosuke spoke at lightning speed.
"That demon is here.
There's only one way to survive."
He shoved the serums into their hands.
"Inject it. Become demons. Then follow me to see Muzan."
"Huh?!!"
Zenitsu's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.
"M-Muzan?!
That Demon King?! And we have to become demons?!"
Tanjiro was shocked—but didn't hesitate for even a second.
"I trust you, Inosuke-kun."
He pulled off the cap and drove the needle hard into his carotid artery.
"As long as we can live… as long as I don't become a burden to you…
So what if I become a demon!"
"AAAAH! Screw it!!"
Zenitsu shut his eyes and stabbed himself as well.
Glug.
Glug.
The liquid was injected.
"GRAAAAHHH!!!"
Both of them dropped to their knees in the snow, letting out agonized howls.
The deep crimson mark on Tanjiro's forehead seemed to come alive, instantly spreading across half his face.
Crack! A sharp sound rang out.
A dark-red horn slowly grew from the right side of his forehead.
The whites of his eyes turned pitch black, while his pupils burned gold-red.
Magma-like patterns surfaced across his skin.
Every breath he exhaled carried searing heat.
Zzzraaa!!
Lightning exploded around Zenitsu.
Within the lightning danced arcs of black electricity.
From his neck, black lightning patterns crawled up across his cheeks.
When he opened his eyes, the pair that once cried at the drop of a hat had turned into blinding platinum-white light.
Inosuke watched, his pupils shrinking slightly.
"…Kind of cool."
"Just a bit of serum, and the aura's already this terrifying?"
At that moment, Akaza—who had been observing from the side—walked over.
Looking at the two boys now radiating the same presence, surprise flickered through his eyes.
"Oh? Interesting.
So you really turned them into demons, Inosuke."
Inosuke took a deep breath and glanced back at his two underlings.
"Listen. When we see that boss, don't say a word.
Act cool. Cold."
"The rest… leave it to me."
...
Inner Hall
The final ten seconds of the five-minute limit.
Muzan's expression had already darkened to its limit.
Bang!
The doors were thrown open.
Four overlapping demonic auras swept through the entire hall.
Muzan snapped his head up, shock flashing through his plum-red eyes.
Inosuke strode in arrogantly.
On his left was Tanjiro, now bearing a single horn.
On his right was Zenitsu, wrapped in black lightning, his gaze icy and detached.
Behind them stood Akaza, arms crossed.
The pressure created by these four walking together—
"Boss! Sorry, sorry!"
Inosuke waved casually as he walked, utterly insincere.
"Got held up a bit. Was disciplining some rookies."
"Inosuke…"
Muzan narrowed his eyes, his gaze passing over Inosuke and locking firmly onto Tanjiro and Zenitsu.
Those two.
That pair of earrings. That blond hair.
Muzan's memory was flawless.
Weren't these the two Demon Slayers who had killed Hantengu at the Swordsmith Village?!
Especially the earring-wearing brat—the one he hated most.
"This… what is the meaning of this?"
Muzan pointed at them, his voice devoid of emotion.
Inosuke slung an arm around Tanjiro's shoulders and patted Zenitsu's head.
"Well? Boss!"
"Back at the Swordsmith Village, I thought these two had good potential.
Killing them felt like a waste."
"I needed subordinates. So…"
Inosuke put on a villainous grin.
"I captured them and turned them into our people."
"This is the Demon Slayer Corps' hope? Hahahaha!
Now—they're my dogs."
Dead silence.
Doma's fan slipped from his hand.
Daki's mouth fell open in a perfect O.
Muzan stared at the two boys who once made his teeth itch with hatred—now demons, standing obediently behind Inosuke.
Shock—
followed immediately by overwhelming ecstasy.
He stood and walked step by step toward Tanjiro.
Tanjiro clenched his teeth, desperately suppressing the urge to draw his blade and slaughter the monster before him.
Muzan reached out and pinched Tanjiro's chin, savoring that familiar aura.
"Hahahahahahahaha!!"
Muzan suddenly threw his head back in laughter, laughing so hard his body shook.
"Inosuke… you…"
He turned back toward Inosuke, his gaze growing ever more fanatical.
"You are a genius—through and through!!"
Muzan slapped Inosuke's shoulder excitedly.
"Magnificent! Such vicious taste!
Such methods—playing with your enemies like toys!"
"Worthy of my chosen Upper Rank Five!!"
At this point, Muzan had fully talked himself into it.
"And what about Akaza?"
In high spirits, he turned toward Akaza.
"You were involved too?"
Akaza glanced at Inosuke and could only nod stiffly.
"Yes.
I've been teaching Inosuke and these two newcomers Destructive Death.
Since they've become demons, they cannot afford to disgrace you."
"Good! Good! Good!!"
Muzan praised him three times in a row.
"Hardworking, ambitious, intelligent! Knows how to build power—and how to grow stronger!"
"Inosuke, you're ten thousand times better than those previous wastes!!"
"These two brats—I'm very satisfied."
Muzan nodded.
"For now, they're under your command.
Train them well. They may fill Upper Rank vacancies in the future."
Then Muzan looked at Inosuke again, his gaze so gentle it gave Inosuke goosebumps.
"Inosuke, if you encounter any difficulties, just tell me."
"Blood, intelligence, even assistance from other Upper Ranks…
As long as you ask, I'll grant it."
With that, Muzan adjusted his top hat in an excellent mood.
"Nakime."
Zing!
The biwa sounded.
Smiling, Muzan vanished from the hall.
As Muzan's presence completely dissipated—
the suffocating pressure in the hall vanished all at once.
"Haa…"
Inosuke's legs went weak, and he nearly collapsed.
He gasped for breath, his hands trembling slightly.
Those few minutes—one wrong sentence, or the slightest slip from Tanjiro or Zenitsu, and today would've been a total party wipe.
"B-big brother…"
The serum's effect on Zenitsu was already wearing off; his demonized form began to recede.
"So that was Muzan? That was terrifying…"
Tanjiro also slumped to the floor, touching the horn on his forehead as it faded away, his face pale with lingering fear.
"Inosuke-kun… that was reckless. Way too reckless."
Akaza looked at the two collapsed boys. His face was still cold—but the corner of his mouth lifted slightly.
"Hmph. You've got some guts."
Doma leaned over, fanning himself, eyes full of amazement.
"Wow~ Inosuke. That performance just now was incredible!"
"Even I almost believed you really wanted to raise them like dogs~"
Inosuke wiped away cold sweat and stared at the ceiling, his expression complicated.
He recalled how frequently Muzan had been appearing lately—and how quickly his expectations had risen.
"That guy… hasn't he been showing up way too often recently?"
"Being stared at by a psycho boss like that…
feels really damn uncomfortable."
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