"The final battle... Victory is at hand!"
This news echoed through every corner of the Infinity Castle.
The demons were being pushed back steadily!
The Upper-Rank Demons—those who had once caused countless Demon Slayer Corps swordsmen to die in regret—were now falling one after another.
Joyful reports poured in: Upper Rank Three, Akaza, had been slain.
Upper Rank Two, Doma, had been slain.
Even the demonized Former Thunder Hashira had finally found peace.
Even the strongest and most arrogant of them all, Upper Rank One, Kokushibo, had been mysteriously teleported away during the battle, his fate unknown.
Fear began to spread through the hearts of the demons in the Infinity Castle.
Meanwhile, the Demon Slayer Corps swordsmen burned like a wildfire, their flames growing ever fiercer!
"KILL!!!"
A Kinoe-rank swordsman roared as he swung his blade, cleaving two low-level demons in half at the waist.
His body was covered in wounds, but his eyes blazed with astonishing brilliance!
"The Upper-Rank Demons have all been slain by the Hashira's! These remaining grunts are nothing to fear! Everyone, fight with all your might!"
"Charge! Kill all these demons!"
"For my family! For the Demon Slayer Corps!"
A chorus of furious roars echoed from every corner of the Infinity Castle.
The squad members, who had been overwhelmed by the sheer number of demons and struggling to even breathe, now fought like completely different people.
They charged forward bravely, and wherever the gleam of their Nichirin Blades passed, demons turned to ash.
It wasn't just the combatants fighting desperately.
The members of the Kakushi Unit, though lacking combat strength, were equally heroic.
They risked demon attacks to transport the wounded, relay intelligence, and deliver supplies through the complex, disorienting corridors of the Infinity Castle.
Within the chaotic, inverted space of the castle, Kasugai Crows weaved through the intricate structures, delivering the latest battle updates and orders.
They were the Demon Slayer Corps' most reliable eyes in the Infinity Castle.
As time passed, the scales of victory tipped visibly in the Demon Slayer Corps' favor.
***
Atop the ruins, Shinichi had just finished treating Gyomei and the other two.
He stood up, about to speak, when—
"Caw!!"
A Kasugai Crow circled down from above and landed on Shinichi's shoulder.
Its glossy feathers and wings shimmered with a green sheen.
It was Eizo!
Eizo cawed urgently, flapping his wings, his voice filled with irrepressible excitement.
"Shinichi! Shinichi! A message from Oyakata! The Hashira's are converging on your position! Uzui Tengen, Shinazugawa Sanemi, Shinobu, Kanae, Iguro Obanai, Kanroji Mitsuri, and Rengoku Kyōjurō have all disengaged from their battles and are on their way! The Oyakata-sama himself is leading them!"
Shinichi's eyes lit up instantly.
"And there's more! There's more!" Eizo continued to caw. "Oyakata-sama orders you, Shinichi, along with Hejima Gyomei-sama and those two brats, Yuichiro and Muichiro, to stand by and await rendezvous. Do not act on your own."
"Why would he say that?" Shinichi asked, puzzled.
Then, a thought struck him.
He looked at Eizo and asked, "What about Giyu and Sabito? Is there any news of them? Why haven't they joined the Lord?"
Eizo paused, then spoke hesitantly. "Caw! For now, we haven't received any news of Tomioka Giyu and Sabito. The area they're in is complex, and my fellow Kasugai Crows haven't found them yet. But Oyakata-sama says he believes the two of them will be safe."
Shinichi fell silent.
He knew Giyu and Sabito must have run into trouble.
But right now, there seemed to be no time to search for them. He could only hope they were safe, just as the Lord trusted they would be.
However, Shinichi hesitated to follow Oyakata-sama order.
He understood that staying put and waiting for the main force was for their own good.
After all, they had no idea what Shohisa had prepared in the deepest parts of the Infinity Castle.
Advancing together after regrouping was the safest approach.
But in this critical moment, every second wasted meant another fraction of unknown danger, another fraction of Shokyu's mysterious plan completed.
Moreover, Lady Tamayo and Nezuko were still missing.
How could Shinichi possibly wait patiently?
Gripping his Nichirin Blade, he pondered for a moment, then resolutely raised his head.
He had to go.
"Shinichi." Gyomei's voice came from behind, as if he had sensed Shinichi's plan. "I will go with you!"
"I'll go too!" Yuichiro immediately chimed in, gritting his teeth as he raised his arm. "Master, my injuries are almost healed!"
Muichiro said nothing, simply moving to stand beside his brother, his actions speaking louder than words.
Shinichi looked at them, genuinely touched.
But he shook his head.
"No. You will stay here and regroup with the main force."
"Master!" Yuichiro protested anxiously. "Why?! I can do it! I won't hold you back!"
Shinichi's gaze swept over the three of them, finally settling on his apprentice's face.
Though Yuichiro's left arm had been reset, it was still trembling slightly.
Muichiro's chest wound had stopped bleeding, but his face remained pale.
And as for Gyomei... the scorching Demon Slayer Mark on his body was practically burning away his life.
The massive amount of life force Shinichi had just infused into him had only slowed the process.
"Your wounds haven't healed," Shinichi said, his voice calm but firm. "Forcing yourselves to fight will only get you killed."
"But Master—"
"Yuichiro." Shinichi cut him off, his voice a mixture of sternness and concern. "Listen to me! Don't make your Master worry about you."
Yuichiro froze.
Shinichi reached out and gently patted Yuichiro's shoulder.
"You are the disciple I am most proud of. Now, as your Master, I am giving you an order. Your mission is to stay here, wait with Gyomei and Muichiro for Oyakata-sama and the others to arrive, and then charge in together. I will go first..." He turned, his gaze fixed on the churning darkness at the heart of the Infinity Castle.
"I will go first to clear a path for you."
Yuichiro's eyes reddened, but he bit his lip, refusing to let the tears fall.
He nodded forcefully, his voice trembling. "Master..."
Shinichi offered a faint smile. "Straighten up. Don't be a wimp. Don't you trust your Master's strength? I am the Forest hashira, after all!"
With that, Shinichi turned away, the verdant green light of his Nichirin Blade flaring to life once more.
"Shinichi." Gyomei's voice came from behind, graver than ever before. "Don't be reckless! Wait!"
Shinichi didn't turn back.
He simply raised a hand and gave a small wave.
"Gyomei, someone has to scout ahead. Trust me!"
The moment he finished speaking, Shinichi's figure transformed into a streak of verdant green light, hurtling toward the churning darkness at the heart of the Infinity Castle!
Behind him, Yuichiro watched the direction where his Master's back had vanished, his fists clenched tight.
"Master! You must come back safely!" he murmured under his breath.
Gyomei closed his eyes, pressed his palms together, and chanted softly, "Namu Amida Butsu... Shinichi... you must return unharmed."
In the distance, the streak of verdant green light grew smaller and fainter, until it finally disappeared completely into the darkness.
And from the deepest part of the Infinity Castle, the heart-stopping pulsation grew stronger, more frenzied, as if something was awaiting its final sacrifice.