"Careful! Muzan is about to self-destruct and escape!"
Tamayo, watching from the high walls, shouted a warning. She'd personally witnessed Muzan's self-destruction back then.
"Not a chance."
Gusion sneered, flashing forward. He'd finished chanting a Bakudō spell before even drawing his sword the first time. His left hand shot out, casting Six Rods Light Prison.
Six beams of golden light bound Muzan, suppressing his self-destruction and movements. In the next instant, Gusion's blade struck.
Like endless thunder flickering at high frequency, countless slashes tore Muzan apart in his screams.
As Gusion shredded Muzan's final brain, Mazuko let out an exultant cry, as if intoxicated by the sweetness of his soul.
"Is... is it over?"
Mitsuri looked at the heap of Muzan's flesh, seeing it motionless, not even twitching.
The nine Hashira and Tanjiro remained tense, eyes darting over the bloody scraps, watching for any sign of movement.
Gusion stopped slashing, flicked off the blood, and exhaled deeply, the markings on his face slowly receding. "It's over. Rest assured—Muzan Kibutsuji has been slain."
With Gusion's authority, everyone relaxed. Several Hashira, exhausted from injury and the godlike Mark, slumped to the ground, their bodies limp.
Next came the joy of victory. Not a single Demon Slayer had died, yet they had slain the thousand-year-old Demon King—a dreamlike triumph.
Initially, the Hashira unease was because most had prepared to die. This victory felt almost too easy.
But Gusion knew it was deserved—he alone had defeated most of Muzan's camp.
The nine Hashira had learned his enhanced godlike technique, and all were in peak condition. If they couldn't suppress a weakened Muzan, there was nothing more he could do.
When he arrived, Muzan was already weakened by Tamayo and Shinobu's poisons, drained of both stamina and strength.
Under these circumstances, Gusion could utterly overpower Muzan, turning the unskilled boss into mincemeat.
Compared to Kokushibo, Muzan had no special advantage in strength—just higher constitution and survivability.
With Kokushibo's superior technique already defeated, Muzan stood no chance.
To prevent Muzan from escaping via self-destruction, Gusion had quietly finished chanting Bakudō while the Hashira distracted him.
Bakudō in Bleach could affect both body and soul. Six Rods Light Prison not only immobilized Muzan's flesh but bound his soul, preventing him from fragmenting and attaching it to every scrap of meat.
Once so bound, Gusion's Zanpakutō, Mazuko, could deliver [True Damage], severing Muzan's soul with every cut. Muzan was doomed.
His confidence in Muzan's death came from completing the world's main quest and receiving a prompt from the End Space.
[Main Quest: Final Phase Complete. Does the Pioneer wish to return?]
Gusion chose [No].
Explorers had three months in this world, regardless of faction. Completing the main quest earned the right to leave, not an obligation.
He was still in good shape, with no urgent injuries, so he decided to spend the remaining three weeks training and observing the Demon Slayers' future.
"Big Boss, you're incredible!"
Cammillia rushed out, shouting excitedly. Nezuko also ran out, embracing Tanjiro with joy.
The Hashira, realizing Muzan was truly dead, wept—some from joy, others from relief at long-past sorrows.
At this moment, the Oyakata-sama of the Demon Slayer Corps, Ubuyashiki, was helped out by Amane. The Hashira, seeing this, paused their celebration in concern. "Oyakata-sama, are you well enough to be out?"
He waved a frail hand and, bowing deeply, said, "Thank you all for your efforts."
Too weak for more words, he let his wife help him to Muzan's remains. Confirming there was no sign of life, he sighed in relief, "At last, the wish of my ancestors is fulfilled. The demon is gone."
Strangely, after saying this, the scars on Ubuyashiki's face seemed to lighten, as if some curse was lifting.
Gusion was surprised; he'd tried to heal the Oyakata-sama with Bleach's Kaidō before but achieved little. Kaidō could heal wounds but not illness, so he'd only used a restorative item to improve Ubuyashiki's condition slightly.
Apparently, this was no hereditary disease but a divine curse. With Muzan dead, the Oyakata-sama's illness eased. Before, he could barely get out of bed.
Other Demon Slayer members began to gather at the mansion. News of Muzan's death spread quickly, and soon, all Demon Slayers across the country wept tears of joy.
The Kasugai crows also relayed the news. Even without the message, some Slayers noticed oddities—demons they fought suddenly turned to ash, signaling Muzan's death.
"Lady Tamayo!"
Yushiro was anxiously watching Tamayo, who was rapidly aging, seemingly about to die.
Gusion frowned and went over.
"Don't worry, I won't die. This is just the side effect of a half-human, half-demon body."
Tamayo said, now looking like a kindly old grandmother.
She had long anticipated this outcome. To survive at all was a blessing, and she expected to live another hundred years for further research.
"You're still as beautiful as ever, Lady Tamayo—at least, in my eyes!"
Yushiro, seeing Tamayo was safe, sighed in relief and praised her.
Tamayo simply smiled, the joy of Muzan's death overwhelming any vanity.
The Demon Slayers erupted in cheers. Zenitsu pestered Tanjiro and Nezuko, insisting on calling Tanjiro 'brother-in-law'.
Shinobu's disciple, Kanao, quietly tugged Tanjiro's sleeve, whispering something that left him stunned.
Gusion, finally relaxing, smiled as he watched. He headed to the side, sat on the porch, and leaned against the door.
The battle had drained him. High-level Kido demanded immense soul energy; even with restorative items, he was running on empty, his mind a little hazy.
The support unit arrived, tending to the wounded. Gusion waved them off.
"Just let me sleep."
With no obvious injuries, he headed to his room, pulled out the luxurious bed he'd bought from the sailor-uniform girl, and lay down.
…
…
…
Summer's heat rustled the wind chimes under the eaves with crisp notes.
Gusion sat on the wooden porch, eating chilled watermelon, greeting the arriving Hashira.
When the last piece was gone, he washed his hands and entered the inner room, where all ten Hashira had gathered.
Seated at the front was Ubuyashiki. In just a few weeks, his face had changed daily; now, the terrifying scars were gone, revealing a handsome face.
He smiled. "This will be the last Hashira meeting."
He bowed deeply, touching his forehead to the ground. "Thank you for your years of dedication. Without you, my frail self could have done nothing."
The Hashira, deeply respectful, hurried to return the bow and expressed their gratitude.
The Oyakata-sama rose and spoke gently, "From this day forward, the Demon Slayer Corps is officially disbanded. I hope you all find happiness in your futures."
The Hashira beamed. After Muzan's death, many members had returned home. The nine Hashira, besides resting, had spent their days in leisure, awaiting the Oyakata-sama's final command.
Of course, there were exceptions—some, like Gusion, kept training daily, occasionally sparring with the Stone Hashira.
"Given that you all have focused on slaying demons for years, you may lack other skills. The Ubuyashiki family will offer you jobs if you have no plans, so you may continue to work together."
Ubuyashiki explained. His family, wise for generations, had accumulated great wealth, supporting the Demon Slayer Corps.
Now, with the Corps disbanded, he had to consider their employment; poverty could be as deadly as demons.
"Though I still don't like her, I'll continue medical research with Lady Tamayo."
Shinobu smiled, her eyes bright with spirit.
Gusion had fulfilled his promise—he not only killed Doma but also brought Doma's head. She had no interest in torturing the corpse, just left it in the sun, settling her grudge.
"I'll probably inherit the family estate. My father said that even without demons, there are people in need of help. I want to continue living to protect others."
Rengoku grinned. His family had a long legacy and no shortage of money.
Each Hashira spoke. Except for Shinobu, none intended to work under the Ubuyashiki family.
The Oyakata-sama didn't insist, knowing the Hashira were independent and likely already had plans. He was just providing an option.
Still, he looked curiously at Gusion, who had not answered. "Gusion-kun, what do you plan to do next?"