Shinichi sheathed his blade and stood where he was, watching the gray-black mist left behind after Shōkyū's phantom dispersed.
"What was it saying? My teammates…" Shinichi murmured, repeating Shokyu's final words as his brows furrowed slightly.
Shokyu would not say something without reason.
That guy might have been bluffing, but it was also possible that he had truly laid a trap targeting the Demon Slayer Corps.
Setting everything else aside, that Yoriichi Tsugikuni was absolutely the greatest threat!
"No. I have to leave quickly! But…"
He turned to look at Nezuko and Tamayo, who were bound in blood-red threads.
Both of them were still immersed in their dreams.
One had a smile at the corner of her lips, while the other's brows were tightly knitted. Both were trapped in their own dream worlds.
"Damn you, Shokyu!"
Shinichi cursed, then strode forward quickly.
His Nichirin blade was drawn once more, and a blue-green glow lit up along the sword.
He first walked to Nezuko's side.
The blood-red threads wrapped around her were densely packed like a spiderweb, tightly binding her limbs and torso.
The edge of his Nichirin blade cut through them cleanly. The moment the threads touched the life force on the blade, they withered rapidly and snapped apart.
Without support, Nezuko's body tilted forward. Shinichi reached out to hold her and gently laid her on the ground. She did not wake up.
The smile still remained on her lips.
Her complexion was rosy, and her breathing was steady. It seemed that the beautiful dream she was having was quite pleasant.
After settling Nezuko down, Shinichi went to the other side.
Gripping the hilt tightly, he did the same thing again.
With a swift swing of his blade, he released Tamayo from her restraints.
But the same problem remained.
Looking at Tamayo, who was deeply trapped in a nightmare with her brows tightly furrowed, and then at Nezuko beside her, how was he supposed to wake them up?
When it came to medical knowledge, he was not an expert like Kanae or Shinobu.
"This is really troublesome."
Shinichi frowned.
He had been able to forcibly break through the illusion with his willpower, but just because he could do it did not mean others could.
After a moment of silence, Shinichi's gaze fell on Tamayo's arm.
"I'm sorry, Lady Tamayo. I hope you won't scold me when you wake up."
Shinichi crouched down, then raised the Nichirin blade in his hand.
A blue-green light condensed at the tip of the sword before he thrust it straight into Tamayo's left arm.
For demons, if it was not a fatal blow, the sharp pain brought by the life force of Forest Breathing was extremely intense.
Almost the very next second after Shinichi stabbed her, Tamayo's body trembled violently, and the pain on her face became even deeper.
It seemed the stimulation was not enough.
Filled with guilt, Shinichi twisted the hilt forcefully.
"Ah!! No! Don't!!!"
Her tightly shut eyes suddenly opened.
Tamayo let out a sharp scream, her voice filled with fear and despair.
Her body shook violently, and her uninjured hand waved wildly, as if she were trying to drive something away.
"Lady Tamayo! Lady Tamayo!"
Shinichi grabbed Tamayo's shoulders.
"Calm down, calm down! It's me, Moriki Shinichi! Look carefully. This isn't a dream. Wake up!"
Under Shinichi's repeated calls, Tamayo's unfocused gaze remained dazed for quite a while before gradually sharpening.
Tamayo stared blankly at the young face in front of her, then at those steady black eyes. After that, she slowly looked around at the dim and unfamiliar surroundings.
The fear in her eyes faded little by little, and her reason began to return.
"Shinichi… sir?" Tamayo's voice was somewhat weak and feeble. "What happened to me…"
"You and Nezuko were captured by Shokyu. He trapped you with an illusion," Shinichi explained briefly while helping Tamayo sit up.
"I just cut apart the restraints binding you, but I didn't know how to wake you up, so I had to use a somewhat excessive method. Also, the dream seems to have affected you deeply."
Tamayo lowered her head and looked at her pierced arm.
Blue-green specks of light still lingered around the wound, which was slowly healing.
She immediately understood what method Shinichi had used to wake her. She could not help giving a bitter smile.
"It seems that pure physical stimulation is even more terrifying than a sinking nightmare. Shinichi-san, you are quite similar to Miss Shinobu."
Shinichi's face showed a trace of embarrassment, and he did not reply.
Tamayo took a deep breath and tried hard to calm her disordered breathing. Her gaze swept across the secret chamber.
She saw Nezuko lying on the ground and the severed blood-red threads.
Her memories surged back like a tide.
Her expression gradually became solemn.
Tamayo looked at Shinichi and said in a serious tone, "Shinichi-san, Shokyu must be stopped no matter what. What it wants to do is even more insane and terrifying than Muzan. It is trying to overturn the order of life and death in this world. If it truly succeeds, then the boundary between life and death will be completely shattered. The dead will crawl out from their graves, and the living will be dragged into hell. This entire human world will become an endless inferno."
Shinichi stood up.
"I will never let something like that happen, Lady Tamayo. I'll leave Nezuko to you."
Tamayo looked at Nezuko, who was unconscious beside her.
"I will take good care of Miss Nezuko, Shinichi-san."
She reached out and gripped the hilt of Shinichi's sword. Her voice was earnest and solemn.
"I beg you. Please be sure to slay Shokyu!"
"Mm!"
Tamayo watched as Shinichi's back quickly disappeared into the darkness of the Infinity Castle.
Only after a long while did she withdraw her gaze.
She lowered her head and looked at the unconscious Nezuko, then gently brushed aside the stray hair on her forehead.
"Nezuko, your brother must also be fighting desperately somewhere," Tamayo said softly.
"So you must do your best too. Wake up soon!"
...
At the same time, somewhere within the chaotic attics of the Infinity Castle.
Sword light and blood-red flashes intertwined as the tragic battle continued.
Clang!!
The raging hurricane stirred up by Wind Breathing crashed down and collided fiercely with that ancient and profound Nichirin sword light.
Sanemi Shinazugawa spat out a large mouthful of blood. His entire body flew backward like a kite with its string cut, slamming heavily onto the ground.
He rolled several times before finally stopping.
The Nichirin blade in his hand was already battered and dented, covered in fine cracks, as if it might shatter at any moment.
"Cough, cough… cough!"
Sanemi struggled to get up, but his legs were as heavy as if they had been filled with lead. Half-kneeling on the ground, he fixed his bloodshot eyes on the godlike figure ahead.
The unwillingness in his gaze seemed ready to overflow.
"Bastard… bastard!!!"
He roared hoarsely, but he barely even had the strength left to grip his sword.
Beside him, Shinobu Kocho lay collapsed among the ruins. Her Nichirin blade had flown far from her hand. B
lood had dyed her butterfly haori deep red.
Her face was pale, and her breathing was weak, but she was still struggling to lift her head.
Obanai Iguro leaned against a broken stone pillar. His winding Nichirin blade was stabbed into the ground, supporting his body. His chest rose and fell violently.
A wound had been carved into his left shoulder, so deep that bone could be seen.
Blood dripped down his arm. Kaburamaru, wrapped around his neck, looked listless as it rested on his shoulder, its red tongue flicking weakly.
Kyojuro Rengoku knelt on one knee, both hands braced on his knee as he gasped heavily.
Every breath carried flecks of blood, but he still held his head high, staring at the enemy before him with eyes that burned like flames.
As for the Tokito brothers, their condition was even worse.
In order to protect Sabito, who had already been severely injured earlier, they had been directly sent crashing into one of the Infinity Castle's attics by a powerful attack.
Whether they were alive or dead was unknown.
In just a short while after returning, several Hashira-level swordsmen had already been left covered in wounds.
Not far in front of them, Gyomei Himejima's towering body still stood firm.
Among all the Hashira, he was the only one still standing.
But Gyomei's condition was also terrible. His uniform was torn apart, and his whole body was drenched in blood.
The wound on his left arm was so deep that bone could be seen.
Most of the chain on his Nichirin spiked flail had snapped, and the blade of his giant axe was chipped and curled.
Yet his breathing remained steady, and there was no trace of fear in his blind eyes.
"Namu Amida Butsu…"
Gyomei softly recited the Buddhist prayer and tightened his grip on his broken weapon.
"Powerful swordsman of the past, why are you being controlled by a demon?"
Opposite Gyomei, that godlike figure stood quietly in place.
Yoriichi Tsugikuni stood with his sword planted against the ground. His calm eyes looked at the wounded swordsmen before him, who still refused to fall.
There was no killing intent in his gaze.
"Your will is worthy of respect," he said.
Then he added, "You are no match for me."
Sanemi suddenly raised his head and roared hoarsely, "Shut up! The battle isn't over yet!"
As he spoke, Sanemi forcibly dragged his heavily injured body to his feet. His broken Nichirin blade was raised once more.
Yoriichi looked at him, and an almost imperceptible ripple flashed through his eyes.
"If you insist on dying here, I will not hold back."
Yoriichi raised the ancient Nichirin blade in his hand.
"But your companion does not seem to wish for your deaths."