[The original chapter 25 was removed it only contains authors note]
"Hey, Douma, regenerate your body. I promise I won't stop you this time."
While Shiraki, Kochou Kanae, and Shinobu talked, Reverie sauntered over to Douma with her ivory-smooth, delicate legs, giving his head a light kick.
Douma turned his head blankly. The girl's hair rippled like a lake brushed by a breeze, reflecting the sky's hues.
Shattered over a hundred times by this dreamily cute and beautiful girl, Douma felt no anger—he truly had no emotions.
What was anger?
What was resentment?
What was humiliation?
He didn't know.
The only thing stirring his mind now was a realization: a demon's regeneration had limits.
Sustained pulverizing destruction drastically slowed and weakened a demon's recovery. Without timely feeding to replenish, the outcome was near death.
"Why not kill me?" His prismatic eyes showed no flicker from start to finish.
"Regenerate fully, then I'll tell you." The blue-haired girl's soft, pink lips parted slightly.
Nearly a hundred regenerations had drained Douma's stamina. Even fully restored, he posed no threat.
After a brief hesitation, Douma used his dwindling energy for one more regeneration.
"Why?" Still lying on the ground, he was utterly exhausted.
"The reason is…" Reverie bent her slender legs, squatting down. Her small hand grabbed Douma's hair. "Off you go~!"
In the next second, Douma was hurled into the Honkai world. Crossing the mysterious space, his soul was utterly obliterated.
The intact body of Upper Rank Two was more than sufficient as research material!
Before coming, Shiraki had arranged with Kiana to receive the demon corpse on the other side.
Reverie's next task: find the scummy boss and give him a thrashing!
Shiraki had planned to return via this "door" opened for the corpse delivery, but since he met the little sister… or rather, sister-in-law?
He'd stay a bit longer.
Douma's body vanished, but Shinobu didn't notice anything odd, assuming Reverie had beheaded Upper Rank Two with a Nichirin Blade.
"By the way, Sister, who's this…?" Shinobu finally snapped out of the brother-in-law shock, eyeing Reverie as she dusted her hands.
Cascading sky-blue hair, a swan-like pale neck, lips so lightly pigmented they seemed ethereal personified.
"This one…" Kanae paused, her fingers rubbing her smooth chin, pondering briefly. "She's like my older sister. Shinobu, you can call her Sister Reverie."
"S-Sister?" Shinobu tilted her head, her expression baffled. "What's with the 'sister'?"
The girl looked about her age, maybe even younger—how was "sister" calculated?
In truth, Reverie was nearly 500 years old. By normal standards, calling her great-grandma wouldn't be too much!
"Because she's your brother-in-law's first wife! So, by custom, I should call her sister."
Kanae's casual remark sent Shinobu, who'd barely calmed down, spiraling again.
"What!?"
Her sister was a concubine!?
"Alright, alright~! Shinobu, Shiraki's identity is special, and Reverie and I are *really, really* close!" Kanae soothed her sister's emotions gently.
"But! Sister… you…!"
Shinobu's eyes reddened, gazing at her sister's ever-gentle smile, then at Shiraki and Reverie's equally warm smiles, finally letting out a sigh.
In Earth's Japan, polygamy was abolished during the Taisho era.
The Demon Slayer world's history mirrors Earth's by about 95%, so it's unclear if this holds true.
Even if a new law were passed years later, shifting societal views would take time.
Thus, in this era, polygamy was easily accepted, especially for someone like Shiraki, clearly from a noble family.
The current Sound Hashira, Uzui Tengen, has three wives, after all!
A harmonious harem—total life winner!
But no one's harem could be more harmonious than Shiraki's, since his wives were all himself!
And Uzui's just from a ninja clan. Samurai families, especially top-tier ones, often had even more wives!
Anyway, as long as her sister was happy!
Just as the mood teetered toward awkwardness, a black crow swooped down, perching on Kanae's shoulder.
A Kasugai Crow, used for contacting Corps headquarters.
Every Corps member had one, highly intelligent.
"Orders! Kochou Kanae, Kochou Shinobu, return to headquarters immediately! Kochou Kanae, Kochou Shinobu, return to headquarters immediately!"
The sisters exchanged a glance and nodded.
…
A chaotic jumble of architectural parts fused seamlessly, transitioning naturally.
This was the otherworldly space—Infinity Castle!
Twang!
Gravity warped in the complex space, everything shifting with the biwa notes from a black-haired, eye-covered female demon at the center.
Akaza's gaze was calm. Being summoned here meant…
An Upper Rank had changed!
A faint sound drew Akaza's attention. On the tatami beside him, a delicately patterned vase appeared, a distorted voice emanating from it.
A grotesque demon emerged from the vase, its body fish-belly white, purple fins sprouting from its head. Where eyes should be, two emerald mouths gaped.
Upper Rank Five—Gyokko.
"Oh, isn't this…"
"Lord Akaza?"
"So good to see you in high spirits." The mouths alternated. "It's been ninety years, hasn't it?"
"I thought you'd been taken out and was overjo—er, cough, worried."
"Biwa girl," Akaza ignored Gyokko, "has Lord Muzan not arrived?"
The black-haired demon, her face half-hidden, plucked the biwa strings. "My lord has not yet descended here."
"Then where's Upper Rank One?" Akaza scanned around. "Don't tell me *he's* the one taken out."
Akaza only cared about the strong.
"Lord Upper Rank One was summoned first," the biwa girl replied. "He's been there all along."
The intricate space spun, perspectives shifting. Akaza whirled, startled, spotting a kneeling figure.
Even with his battle aura, he hadn't sensed him.
"I'm here." The demon's long hair was tied back. "Right here."
Upper Rank One—Kokushibo.
"Lord Muzan…" Kokushibo spoke slowly, "…has arrived."
All Lower Ranks knelt on one knee, Upper Ranks bowed, but Kokushibo remained still.
The status gap was stark.
What entered the demons' view was a petite, slender figure.
All raised their heads, seeing above a black kimono adorned with pink and pale purple floral patterns, like a flower sea dancing in the dark, petals fluttering.
A stunning black-haired loli sat aloft, her high-slit kimono revealing smooth, round legs, jade-like in luster, holding an ancient book.
"Douma is dead."
The masculine voice, jarring with her loli appearance, might thrill those with… advanced tastes?
The Upper Ranks' pupils contracted sharply in unison.
Even Kokushibo frowned.
Infinity Castle fell into dead silence.
Douma—every demon knew how brutally his Blood Demon Art countered the Corps.
No demon imagined he'd be the one killed!
"Those who killed him weren't from the Corps."
"What!? Impossible!" A panicked voice rang out, from the Upper Rank demon Daki.
Muzan merely glanced faintly.
Thud!
Daki dropped to her knees.
…
Silence.
…
Quiet.
…
Dead stillness.
Muzan didn't like Douma—he hated him, more accurately.
Unlike other demons, Douma lacked emotions entirely.
Fear, awe, loyalty—qualities a subordinate should have—he had none.
Summoning the Twelve Kizuki wasn't for Douma's death, but…
The loli's pale fingers traced the ancient book of herbs, her scarlet, demonic slit pupils glinting.
In that instant, the Twelve—now Eleven—Kizuki, save Upper Rank One, felt their blood tremble in their minds.
Kokushibo's status was unique.
His respect for Muzan and strict adherence to order resembled a noble family's eldest son, often aiding Muzan in maintaining control. It wasn't simple like or dislike.
So, though superior and subordinate, Muzan didn't treat him as a mere underling—more like a partner.
What kind of partnership?
"Go check if your brother's dead."
Images of Douma's battle with Kanae and Reverie flooded their minds.
"This is!"
A demon gasped.
Eerie winds howled through Infinity Castle, doors creaking shrilly, like souls wailing from hell's depths.
"The Ubuyashiki clan still clings to life, and the blue Spider Lily I tasked you to find—centuries, and not a single clue!"
"I truly…" Loli Muzan's forehead veins bulged, a terrifying aura nearly tangible, descending. "Can't fathom what you exist for, disappointing me time and again!"
"This time, your mission: investigate what those things are and kill that man and woman."
Watching via blood link, Muzan's sense of modern weapons was less visceral than Douma's.
Crucially, those bizarre objects lacked the "sun's" power, unable to truly kill demons.
This was why Muzan didn't hide and even dared to strike proactively.
"Fail, and the consequences… hmph!"
Chilling winds echoed, the voice fading, Infinity Castle twisting and shifting.
No need to say more—the Upper and Lower Ranks, beneath one demon and above all others, knew the stakes.