Due to the unease in his heart, Shinji didn't rush forward. Instead, he scanned his surroundings, confirming that the mysterious, eerie "Yorichi Tsugikuni" was nowhere nearby before slowly approaching Ryūhei Ubuyashiki. He asked, "Who was that just now?"
Cough, cough.
After a violent bout of coughing, Ryūhei Ubuyashiki struggled to open his eyes.
At this moment, he bore no trace of his former Demon King grandeur, looking as frail as a mortal, as if a slightly louder cough might tear his lungs apart.
Shinji didn't press him, instead warily glancing around.
Through the Koryugan wielded by his Susanoo Tomoshibi, he could sense that Ryūhei's life force had withered, his blood nearly drained.
Death was only a matter of time.
After a moment, Ryūhei spoke in a hoarse voice, "Is this the end? How laughable… to think I'd die in such a pathetic state!"
Shinji pressed, "Answer my question! Who was that guy just now?"
"Heh."
Ryūhei Ubuyashiki stared at Shinji and laughed.
"You know I have ways to make you talk. If you insist on suffering before you die, I can make that happen!"
As he spoke, Shinji reached toward Ryūhei.
Ryūhei continued to sneer, watching Shinji.
Shinji's outstretched hand froze mid-air, his expression darkening.
Seeing Shinji pause, Ryūhei's smile faltered, and he said with a hint of regret, "Looks like you've already figured it out!"
Shinji remained silent.
When Ryūhei had exclaimed that the figure wasn't "Yorichi Tsugikuni," Shinji had already begun to suspect something.
Now, seeing Ryūhei's wretched state and his fearless attitude toward soul extraction, everything clicked, and Shinji quickly withdrew his hand.
Ryūhei chuckled, "You're more cautious than I was. But it's no use—it's already set its sights on both of us. After I die, you're next!"
Clearly, Ryūhei had just revealed the identity of the eerie "Yorichi Tsugikuni."
Shinji's heart sank as he said, "That 'Yorichi Tsugikuni' just now… was it really the Hegemon targeting the Demon Slayer world?"
Ryūhei nodded, then shook his head. "Not quite. To be precise, it was merely a fragment of the Hegemon's power!"
Shinji pressed further, "The Hegemon's power parasitized the body of the deceased Yorichi Tsugikuni?"
Ryūhei gave a bitter smile, his tone tinged with intrigue. "Do you know which Hegemon is targeting us?"
Shinji shook his head.
"It has many names, but the most widely accepted is 'Fear'!" Pausing, Ryūhei added, "It didn't parasitize Yorichi Tsugikuni's body. It deliberately transformed into the person I fear most deep in my heart!"
"The Hegemon of Terror…"
Shinji mulled over the name.
After dreading it for so long, he finally knew the identity of the Hegemon they were facing!
Ryūhei sighed, "To think, deep in my heart, the one I feared most was the idol I admired as a child… When did I start fearing him? I can't remember anymore…"
As a child, hearing stories of Yorichi Tsugikuni, Ryūhei had deeply admired the legendary figure who created the Breathing Techniques and fought demons with a frail human body.
Yet, the idol he once worshipped had become the embodiment of his deepest fear. Even more ironic, this fear was exploited by the Hegemon of Terror, manifesting as Yorichi to slay him—a former swordsman who had willingly become a demon.
The cycle of karma was unrelenting!
Shinji had no time to sympathize with Ryūhei. He muttered, "The Hegemon of Terror can do something like that?"
Exploiting Ryūhei's inner fears wasn't particularly difficult.
But creating a "Yorichi Tsugikuni" from nothing, with the strength to completely overwhelm Ryūhei, was terrifying.
Ryūhei's power was no small matter—Karin, Yakumo, Sasuke, and three or four others combined couldn't subdue him. Yet the "Yorichi Tsugikuni" conjured by a mere sliver of the Hegemon's power had nearly killed him in moments. The thought alone was chilling!
Moreover, Shinji had already examined Ryūhei's wounds. With his keen perception, he could tell that Ryūhei had been grievously injured by the Sun Breathing technique.
In other words, the Hegemon of Terror hadn't just created a hollow shell—it had perfectly replicated Yorichi Tsugikuni's signature Sun Breathing.
And it was even stronger than the real Yorichi!
Ryūhei's breath grew weaker, his consciousness fading. "So, this is death? Damn it… I'm a noble 'Lampbearer'! How can I die? Why am I dying?"
Shinji glanced at him. "What else do you know about the Hegemon of Terror?"
Ryūhei seemed not to hear, muttering to himself, "Where's my 'Lamp'? If I can find my 'Lamp,' everything will be fine… everything will be fine…"
"Idiot!" Shinji snapped. "Your 'Lamp' shattered long ago!"
Ryūhei froze as if struck by lightning, staring at Shinji. His hazy gaze briefly cleared. "Do you know what task my 'Lamp' gave me?"
Prompted by this, Shinji recalled his own task and casually asked, "What was it?"
"Demon Slayer!" Spitting out the words, Ryūhei burst into laughter. "Funny, right? I turned myself into a demon! Have you ever heard a better joke?"
Shinji thought of his own task, "Dawn," and fell silent.
Ryūhei continued, "My plan failed. This place has already been infiltrated by the Hegemon. Its power can suppress everything here, including this world's pollution of others! But don't get cocky—you're next!"
Shinji's expression darkened, but the immediate crisis was resolved.
With the Demon Slayer world losing its "Lampbearer," the Hegemon's infiltration had accelerated, slowing the Demon Slayer world's pollution of the shinobi world. For now, Shinji didn't need to worry about a collision between the two worlds.
Because before the Demon Slayer world could collide with the shinobi world, it would be devoured by the Hegemon.
But a greater threat loomed. After consuming the Demon Slayer world, the Hegemon of Terror might, as Ryūhei warned, follow the trail to the shinobi world, forcing it to face the Hegemon's threat directly.
Seeing Shinji's grim expression, Ryūhei sneered, "Of course, you could always use the same method I used on your shinobi world…"
Swish.
Before Ryūhei could finish, Shinji's blade flashed, severing his head.