Using two consecutive sword techniques, Kokushibo thought he could block the attack of the Demon Slayers.
Yet to his shock, his proud swordsmanship crumbled before the swordsmen who had awakened through meditation.
The crescent slash was crushed.
Powerful force sealed off every possible escape route.
In the next instant, searing pain erupted across his entire body.
The once-dominant Kokushibo, tyrant of hundreds of years, was turned into a sieve by countless strikes.
And worse—these swords carried devastating divine energy.
Every cell in his body began to wither and die.
His ghostly regeneration failed completely.
"No... I don't want to die yet...
I still want to become stronger!"
Kokushibo's body shattered—only half his head remained, still struggling pitifully.
At that moment, a meteor hammer descended.
The traitorous swordsman who had abandoned the Demon Slayer Corps...
Finally met his end after centuries of wickedness.
As for Akaza, he had already been utterly destroyed by the earlier sword strikes.
Gyomei Himejima surveyed the wreckage of the forest, folded his hands together, and murmured a prayer:
"**Now, it's all up to the Divine Envoy.
Today, every Upper Rank demon has been slain—
I hope he finds success as well.**"
Since the sacrificial festival was still ongoing, Tanjiro Kamado set out under everyone's urging.
After traveling for a day and a night,
he was now close to Muzan Kibutsuji's true hiding place.
Inside a bustling, magnificent city—
Tanjiro sat quietly by the street, patiently waiting for Muzan to emerge.
There were too many civilians here.
If a battle broke out, countless innocents would die.
For their safety, Tanjiro decided to wait until Muzan showed himself.
"I hope I won't have to wait too long..."
He held a bowl of ramen, eating quietly.
The fragrant udon noodles were delicious and cheap—his favorite simple meal.
Even after becoming a Divine Envoy, Tanjiro remained humble.
He didn't think of himself as special.
Upon becoming a two-star envoy, he had chosen to learn the divine Tracking Art—
an extremely specialized ability.
But it required no cultivation—
Just understanding the principles was enough to use it.
To find someone, you simply needed a "medium."
This was easy:
Ghosts carried Muzan's blood.
By tracing it back to its source, he could locate Muzan's position in the vast sea of people.
It made Tanjiro marvel at how powerful the gods were:
Just one technique could track someone with pinpoint accuracy across the world.
Meanwhile, inside a luxurious mansion across the street—
"**Husband, what's wrong? Are you feeling unwell...?
It's already so late—
why are you still sitting alone in the study?**"
A gentle woman in a beautiful dress called softly.
But instead of a kind reply, she was met with a furious roar:
"Don't meddle in my business! Get out!"
"Yes... Please take care of yourself..."
The woman bowed her head and left silently.
Unaware that the man she loved for three years… was no longer human.
Inside the wrecked study, glass shards littered the floor.
Furniture lay overturned.
Muzan Kibutsuji clenched his fists, snarling:
"**Damn it...
Why does it always feel like the world is against me?!
First the Demon Slayer Corps...
Now even gods?!
How much longer must I keep hiding?!**"
All he wanted was to live happily.
Was it really so difficult?
Muzan gnashed his teeth in frustration, then opened the window.
He knew he had to flee again.
It was no longer safe here.
The Demon Slayer Corps would soon come for him.
This time, they were different.
He had a bad feeling all day—his left eyelid twitched nonstop.
His body felt strangely uncomfortable.
It was an omen—something terrible was about to happen.
"No one can kill me.
No one—not even the gods!"
With a flash, Muzan transformed into a shadow and darted out of the city, heading toward the deep mountains.
Suddenly, he halted midair.
With a snarl, his arms turned into countless razor-sharp tentacles, striking fiercely into the darkness behind him.
Clang clang clang—!
Metal clashed loudly.
Out of the darkness, a figure appeared.
Tanjiro Kamado stood there calmly.
"**Muzan Kibutsuji...
I've been waiting for you.
This time, you die.**"
Muzan's expression twisted into rage.
"**You lowly human!
You dare speak so arrogantly to me?!
Do you think I'm like those useless worms you've killed?!**"
In a flash, Muzan turned into a blur, intending to slaughter this insolent "swordsman" immediately.
But he made a fatal mistake.
He didn't realize—
it wasn't an ordinary swordsman chasing him this time.
It was a Divine Envoy of the Eternal God!
"Breath of Water: Stormy Sea!"
Tanjiro unleashed a devastating sword technique.
A tidal wave of sword energy, stretching over a thousand meters, crushed everything in its path.
There was nowhere to run.
In Muzan's vision, the whole world turned into a boundless ocean, crashing down upon him.
No weaknesses.
No escape.
No mercy.
The attack was flawless.
RUMBLE—!
The earth collapsed under the weight of the torrent.
Muzan Kibutsuji howled in agony.
His body was crushed into minced flesh.
Divine power tore through him, all the way into his very soul.
"**If I had known...
I would never have turned back!!**"
Muzan frantically tried to split off a piece of flesh to escape.
He had used this trick before—
escaping death at the hands of Yoriichi Tsugikuni.
But this time...