"Hey! Someone explain to me what on earth is going on—why is there a demon here?"
"Was I tricked?"
"Mr. Tomioka, Mr. Tomioka, are you just going to stand there and watch?"
...
The chattering Shinobu Kocho looked pretty ridiculous just now: both her wrists were held together, and her body was tucked under Stella's arm.
Charles couldn't help glancing at Giyu Tomioka; why did this scene look so familiar?
The Shinobu who had just been telling Giyu to calm down and talk things through lashed out the instant she saw Nezuko. Giyu, for his part, had no intention of drawing his sword.
But she wasn't the only one in the room with quick reactions. Stella had immobilized Shinobu on the spot, leading to the current situation.
Charles wasn't surprised. For all her talk about wanting to befriend demons, Shinobu harbored the deepest hatred for them; an outburst like this was well within expectations.
Several of the Hashira in the Corps had their families and lives stolen by demons, but under Kagaya Ubuyashiki's guidance they strove to transform their hatred into the will to protect.
Only Shinobu was different. Her hatred for demons hadn't faded with time; it grew by the day. Beneath her smile was a heart steeped in the venom of vengeance.
Charles nodded to Stella, signaling her to release Shinobu. Once freed, Shinobu didn't move again; she simply looked at Charles with eyes that had little light in them.
Clearly, she was waiting for Charles to explain—and if he failed to convince her, she really would strike again.
Charles said, "Nezuko is a demon who has never eaten a human and has overcome the man-eating instinct. And to draw out Muzan Kibutsuji, this child is indispensable.
So there isn't anything to discuss about her. What we should talk about is intelligence on Muzan and his Twelve Kizuki. I believe that's what you need as well."
Shinobu said, "So this is a trade? Your intel in exchange for us turning a blind eye to that child."
Charles shook his head. "No. Until Nezuko truly commits the sin of eating a human, she's merely a victim created by Muzan. Why would I need a deal to protect her?
You should know that imposing the logic of sacrificing for the greater good onto a victim is an act of violence.
So whether you accept it or not, the moment you try to lay a hand on Nezuko, you become my enemy."
Shinobu fell silent for a moment, then said, "Understood. But this isn't mine to decide. I'll report to the Master and only then can I give you a clear answer."
Charles didn't want to make things too tense. He knew the Corps' head was lucid and resolute and would ninety-nine percent make the right call, but he still needed to make his own stance clear.
So Charles said, "As a gesture of good faith, I'll tell you what I know about Muzan Kibutsuji first."
"Wait!"
Shinobu said in surprise, "This is extremely important intel. You're just going to tell us?"
Charles smiled. "Of course. I already said our positions align when it comes to Muzan Kibutsuji. What, don't you want to hear it?"
"Of course we do. Please tell us everything about Muzan Kibutsuji in detail!"
Not only did Shinobu show an eager expression; even Giyu Tomioka leaned in.
The Demon Slayer Corps had fought demons for centuries, and intel was scant not only on Muzan but even on the Upper Ranks among the Twelve Kizuki.
Learning that there was intel on Muzan, how could they stay calm? Even if it was only intel, it still meant they were one step closer to slaying the Demon King and ending the war with demons once and for all.
Charles gathered his thoughts and said, "Muzan Kibutsuji is unlike ordinary demons; he's a complete aberration. Severing the neck won't kill him.
His body contains five brains and seven hearts. To kill him, you must destroy all of them simultaneously.
He can also exercise complete control over his body; molding his own flesh and blood into weapons is his primary mode of combat.
In terms of range, speed, and power, he is formidable. Probably only you Hashira-class swordsmen can face him head-on, and even then it's perilous.
Most critically, he can split his body into nearly two thousand fragments; if even one escapes, he can slowly regenerate. The moment he faces a lethal crisis, he will flee without hesitation.
But how to beat him isn't the hardest part—dragging him out is.
Because of his abilities, he can alter his appearance at will—man, woman, or child. That said, he more often moves about as an adult male.
That was his original look when he became a demon: about twenty-five to twenty-nine years old, eyes a red-plum color, with narrow vertical pupils like a cat's."
Giyu and Shinobu both furrowed their brows. From Charles's description alone, they could imagine a nearly unassailable foe.
Even with the most brutal tactics they could conceive—staking their lives as Hashira to create chances for their comrades—they still couldn't claim much confidence in killing Muzan.
They also noted Charles's main point: more than his strength, what made Muzan so troublesome was his extreme fear of death.
Talk of slaying him aside—finding him was the real problem.
The more quick-witted Shinobu glanced at Nezuko. She hadn't forgotten Charles saying Nezuko was the hope to draw Muzan out, and she faintly guessed at some of Nezuko's special qualities.
Charles continued, "I do have some leads. For a thousand years, Muzan has been searching for an herb called the Blue Spider Lily to overcome his weakness to sunlight.
Besides using his demons to search, he has also leveraged human resources. Investigate trading companies or institutions related to medicine and pharmaceuticals.
If any of them have a member with a strange illness that prevents exposure to sunlight, that is very likely Muzan in disguise."
Shinobu's eyes lit up. That was a concrete lead.
Though the Corps wasn't an official organization, under successive Masters it had built powerful connections and an intelligence network. They might really be able to trace Muzan's whereabouts.
Charles doused her enthusiasm. "Even if you find Muzan, don't rush to strike. I've already said how hard he is to kill.
Most crucially, he has a subordinate whose Blood Demon Art creates a space she controls freely. She can pull Muzan into that extradimensional fortress, the Infinity Castle, at any time, and only her ability leads there.
If you're dragged into the Infinity Castle, you'll face Muzan, the Twelve Kizuki, and countless other demons all at once."
Charles truly meant to warn them against rash action.
In the original course of events, the final battle only came after Kagaya Ubuyashiki laid layer upon layer of traps in advance, the Lower Ranks were wiped out, and several Upper Ranks had already been slain. Even so, victory came at a horrific cost and by the narrowest margin.
Muzan alone was hard enough; combined with Nakime's Blood Demon Art, the difficulty spiked dramatically.
This generation of the Corps indeed gathered the finest swordsmen since Yoriichi, but killing Muzan wasn't something the present Corps could accomplish yet.
Move to hunt Muzan now, and the result would be annihilation, plain and simple.
But once Charles completed the journey with Tanjiro, the time would likely be ripe.
So Charles said, "I've shown my sincerity. Next, I'll be visiting the former Water Hashira, Mr. Sakonji Urokodaki, before long. Give me your final answer there."
______
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