"Akaza..... What are you doing now?"
Muzan's roar exploded in Akaza's mind.
This superior pressure, originating from Muzan's cells, was enough to cause any demon he had transformed to explode and die on the spot.
But the problem was, why wasn't Akaza reacting as he had anticipated?
"Nothing much. Just looking at the scenery here. Also, my name is Hakuji."
His voice was so harsh.
Muzan trembled with rage. The wooden floorboards of his residence cracked under his pressure. The veins on his forehead were about to burst.
"What did you say?"
"I said, my name is Hakuji. I remember everything now, Muzan."
"Have you lost your mind? Or has centuries of training finally made your muscles take over your brain? Akaza?"
"You stole my memories, took my name, turned me into a coward who only knows how to kill.... But now, that trick doesn't work anymore, Muzan."
"You bastard!"
Muzan furiously tore apart the book in his hands and harshly roared: "Your blood was given by me! Your life belongs to me!"
"I'll show you right now what happens when you defy me! Rot into pus in agony, you traitor!"
But the next second, Muzan's pupils froze.
He had definitely activated the curse, but nothing happened.
...It wasn't completely ineffective. He could sense that Akaza had initially clearly shown nerve tension and muscle twitching. His cells should have been taking effect.
But immediately after, the black-haired swordsman beside him walked over and plunged his long sword into Akaza's hand.
A wave of being robbed came. Muzan felt as if a piece of his soul was missing. A chill ran down his spine.
Thousands of miles away, in the shrine on Myoko Mountain.
Taka saw the abnormality in Hakuji and immediately used Tonan to try to devour the strange Reiatsu churning within him.
Powerful demonic power gushed in, dark and malicious.
'So this was the taste of Kibutsuji Muzan? Disgusting.'
"Sorry, I can't control the force. If you get hurt because of this, you're on your own."
"Heh heh.... Do as you please!"
Hakuji forced himself to stay alert, letting Taka take away the Muzan cells within him. His own strength rapidly declined.
Muzan's blood was the guarantee of his strength as a Kizuki. Since it was being taken away, he would naturally grow weaker.
Until this aura continuously weakened to a point where he could independently control his mind, he signaled Taka to withdraw the blade, and coldly left a final message to the Muzan within him: "You won't be able to hide much longer, you rat in the gutter."
Bam!
The spiritual connection between Muzan and Akaza, lasting centuries, completely severed!
In the Tokyo residence, Muzan let out a muffled grunt. His whole body swayed, nearly falling.
Blood seeped from the corners of his eyes. Clearly angered to the extreme, the blood vessels in his eyes had burst.
"Betrayal.... You dare to betray me! You, and that vile woman Tamayo!"
"Have you forgotten who granted you eternal life?!"
He lowered his head, letting his black hair fall, covering his twisted face.
His nails dug deeply into the wall, scratching several deep grooves into the expensive marble surface.
At this moment, Muzan felt an unprecedented crisis.
The deaths of Doma and Daki, Akaza's betrayal… this was not just a loss of combat power. It meant that a certain order he had painstakingly maintained for a millennium was completely broken.
'And that boy named Taka, the power in his hand could actually interfere with my blood curse....'
"Oh my! What's wrong? Why are you so angry!"
Behind the enraged Muzan appeared two women.
They were Toshikuni's mother and her maid.
In the dead of night, the commotion from the study naturally drew the mistress's concern, so she hurried over to check.
"Get away...."
"? Toshikuni? What's wrong? Tell mother—"
"I said GET AWAY!!"
Muzan, in a rage, swung his demon hand, instantly severing both their heads. Blood splattered everywhere!
The two bodies fell blankly, never understanding what had happened. Muzan had already slowly reverted from the child Toshikuni to the form of an adult male.
"I can't wait any longer...."
"Nakime!!"
Muzan abruptly looked up, his eyes filled with morbid killing intent.
The sound of a biwa instantly exploded in the residence.
Space distorted like ripples. Muzan's figure vanished in an instant.
The next moment, Muzan appeared in that reality-defying space… the Infinity Castle.
He stood atop a massive suspended pavilion, looking down at the intricate space below.
"Master...."
The kimono-clad woman, Nakime knelt behind Muzan, holding her biwa.
"Go.... summon all the Upper Moons scattered across the land." Muzan's voice was cold as ice. "Whether it's Kokushibo, Hantengu, or Gyokko.... Send the order. Cease all searches for the Blue Spider Lily. Cease all unnecessary killing."
"If you find any suitable prospects, quickly bring them back to the Infinity Castle. I will grant them my blood."
"They want to play hero games? Let them play to their hearts' content."
Muzan extended his hand, clenching the void as if to crush the entire world in his palm.
"Lure all those rats from the Demon Slayer Corps here...."
"I will grind them, along with that traitor who betrayed me, into ashes!"
On the summit of Myoko Mountain, Hakuji weakly stood up, feeling the refreshing clarity within him.
"The connection is severed...." Hakuji turned to look at Taka. "Muzan must be mad with rage by now."
"It doesn't matter. He won't be angry for much longer."
Taka sheathed his Zanpakuto and asked curiously: "Can you still fight now?"
"Although I have indeed grown weaker, I'm not a good-for-nothing like Doma who only filled himself with demonic power by eating people." Hakuji clenched his fist, feeling the strength, now only about sixty percent of before, and said seriously: "I've trained as a Soryu martial artist for a century. I won't lose to the Demon Slayer Corps!"
Giyu silently stepped forward, looking at Hakuji, then at Taka.
Although he couldn't fully trust this Fist Hashira either... the scene just now had made him personally feel this demon's resolve....
"Dawn is breaking."
Giyu sheathed his long sword and kindly reminded him.
Caw—!! Caw—!!
The crows of the Demon Slayer Corps were exceptionally busy tonight.
From the pleasure quarters to Shin'etsu, then to Hayama, Mount Kobushi, Mount Sagiri.
The crows flew at the fastest speeds of their lives, exchanging information with the nearest contact points, loudly reporting this inspiring news to every Demon Slayer Corps' member:
"Nanajuhachi Taka, Kocho Shinobu, Tomioka Giyu!! Upper Rank Two, Slain!!"
"Uzui Tengen, Iguro Obanai, Kamado Tanjiro, Agatsuma Zenitsu!! Upper Rank Six, Slain!!"
"Repeat! Repeat!!"
"An Upper Moon Kizuki has been slain!!"
"An Upper Moon Kizuki! Has been slain by the Demon Slayer Corps!!"
At the foot of the mountain, Shinobu, severely wounded and struggling to breathe, had been forcing herself to stay conscious.
She even refused anesthesia, tightly clutching the Kakushi member's clothes as she hoarsely instructed: In the worst-case scenario... throw my corpse to Upper Rank Two!
For this day, she had been chronically taking wisteria poison...
If eaten by an Upper Moon, it would definitely poison him!
And when the crow's voice exploded above her head, she finally loosened her constantly clenched hand and wept uncontrollably.
Doma was dead!
'That damn demon! Finally....'
Trembling, she extended her little finger towards the night sky, sobbing uncontrollably. Her damaged lungs coughed up pink bloody froth with each sob: "Nee-san! We succeeded...."
"Our promise! Is fulfilled!!"