『Tanjiro』: "Muzan Kibutsuji! Why are you here!?"
Tanjiro raised his blade and shouted furiously.
Though his Nichirin Blade was already broken,
even the jagged fragment in his hands still gave him a sense of security.
『Hashira』: "Muzan Kibutsuji…?"
!!!
At the sound of Tanjiro's words, the Hashira all froze in shock.
Their gazes locked on the figure that had suddenly appeared before them.
The young man standing there, with neatly combed black hair and a calm, elegant face—
that was the progenitor of all demons? Muzan Kibutsuji?
It was nothing like what they had imagined.
None of them had ever actually seen Muzan before.
Not even the current head of the Demon Slayer Corps had seen him in person.
After all, most of them were young.
They didn't even belong to the same generation as the Demon King.
Ubuyashiki Kagaya was barely in his twenties.
But Muzan Kibutsuji—he was ancient.
And now, for the first time, they were face to face with him.
Shock and disbelief rippled through them.
The man before them looked far too refined,
his features too delicate, too human.
It was hard to believe this elegant figure was the origin of all demons.
『Obanai Iguro』: "Protect Lord Ubuyashiki!"
『Rengoku』: "Right!"
Even though none of them could confirm whether this man was truly Muzan,
they all instinctively moved to guard their master.
『Muzan Kibutsuji』: "Oh?"
Muzan tilted his head slightly, a hint of confusion crossing his face.
He had no idea how he had suddenly appeared here.
But soon, his sharp eyes swept over Tanjiro, the Hashira, and the assembled demon slayers.
The Demon Slayer Corps might not have much information on him—
but he knew quite a bit about them.
The Nine Hashira, the Corps' structure, even the existence of their leader.
After all, he had lived for centuries, with eyes and ears everywhere.
『Muzan Kibutsuji』: "You… that brat… and the Hashira of the Demon Slayer Corps?"
His tone grew cold and dangerous.
『Muzan Kibutsuji』: "So it was you who dragged me here?"
『Tanjiro』: "What are you talking about!? Who would ever do such a thing!"
Rage burned in Tanjiro's chest.
This monster had slaughtered his family, turned Nezuko into a demon,
and even recently sent other demons to hunt him down.
To Tanjiro, Muzan Kibutsuji was not just an enemy—
he was the enemy, his life's greatest hatred.
『Muzan Kibutsuji』: "Not you, then? So who was it?"
『Carl』: "That would be me."
『Muzan Kibutsuji』: "You?"
Muzan's gaze slid toward Carl, sharp and disdainful.
『Muzan Kibutsuji』: "You're not a demon, nor a slayer. Just a human—
and a rather ordinary one at that. What nonsense are you spouting?"
As the progenitor of demons, Muzan could easily tell humans from demons.
And he was certain—Carl was neither.
The man carried no blade, wore no Corps uniform—
clearly, not a swordsman either.
In this world, there were only two kinds of beings with extraordinary power:
demons and demon slayers.
Carl was neither.
『Sanemi』: "So it was you, bastard! You brought Muzan here!"
『Sanemi』: "You're working with him, aren't you?! A human traitor!"
But before anyone could even glance toward the voice—
SPLAT!!!
Blood exploded across the tatami floor.
『Mitsuri』: "Iguro-kun…!"
She whispered, eyes wide with horror.
She had been standing right beside him.
She saw it—Obanai Iguro's body had suddenly burst apart into a red mist.
『Carl』: "Talk too much, and you die."
Carl's voice was calm, almost bored.
『Carl』: "Yes, I brought Muzan here. So what?"
『Carl』: "You should've realized it already, after the last two who died."
Yes—
he had killed the Serpent Pillar, Iguro Obanai,
just as easily as he had killed the others before him.
By simply folding space,
he crushed the man's body into fine crimson dust.
『Rengoku』: "What did you do to Iguro!?"
The Hashira turned their furious eyes on Carl.
They didn't question why anymore.
They simply hated him—
this man who could kill them as easily as breathing.
Muzan, however, was intrigued.
His crimson eyes flicked toward Carl,
and for the first time, his expression shifted—slightly impressed.
『Muzan Kibutsuji』: "Interesting… I didn't expect you, a human, to have such power."
『Muzan Kibutsuji』: "I acknowledge your strength. Tell me, Carl—
would you like to become a demon? My subordinate?"
『Muzan Kibutsuji』: "Become a demon, and you'll gain eternal life. Limitless power."
His tone was smooth, persuasive—like a serpent whispering promises of eternity.
He was ruthless and arrogant,
but also cunning enough to see potential when it stood before him.
『Carl』: "Heh."
Carl chuckled softly.
『Muzan Kibutsuji』: "…"
The laughter made Muzan's eyes narrow in irritation.
He could tell—it wasn't amusement.
It was mockery.
『Carl』: "Become your subordinate?"
He smiled faintly.
『Carl』: "You think you're worthy?"
『Carl』: "The reason I brought you here… was to kill you."
『Muzan Kibutsuji』: "Ridiculous!"
!!
Muzan's fury erupted.
The very air seemed to tremble beneath his rage.
He was the Demon King—the first of all demons,
a being no one dared to speak to in such a tone.
And yet this mortal man stood before him, mocking his power.
He scowled, raising his hand to strike—
But before he could move,
a blinding red light exploded across the room.
BOOM!!!
And then—
nothing.
Muzan Kibutsuji, the Demon King, was gone.
Evaporated—
completely, instantly, by Carl's Heat Vision.
Carl hadn't brought him here to talk.
He had brought him here to end him.
He had already saved Tanjiro earlier.
But he remembered what was supposed to happen in this world—
Tanjiro's final battle with Muzan,
where countless people died,
and Tanjiro himself barely survived.
Carl didn't like that outcome.
If he'd already saved Tanjiro once,
he wasn't going to let that effort go to waste.
So he made a simple, pragmatic decision.
He would end it all
once and for all.
The Demon King of this world, Muzan Kibutsuji,
was no more.
And with that, Carl turned slightly,
glancing at the stunned faces of the Demon Slayers,
and said with quiet finality:
『Carl』: "You're welcome."