Carl unleashed his heat vision, burning Kibutsuji Muzan to ash.
After all, that had been his plan from the very beginning.
『Tanjirō Kamado』: "Kibutsuji Muzan… is dead…"
Tanjirō stared blankly, utterly stunned.
He hadn't expected it — the demon who had massacred nearly his entire family, his lifelong enemy — to just… die like that.
On the other side, the Demon Slayer Corps was equally speechless.
None of them had ever seen Kibutsuji Muzan before.
And now, their first glimpse of him was his death.
It all felt unreal, almost unbelievable.
Some even doubted the demon's identity at first — but recalling Tanjirō's words and Muzan's own desperate cries, there was no longer any room for doubt.
Kibutsuji Muzan was truly dead.
Carl glanced at the dazed Tanjirō and spoke calmly.
『Carl』: "Kibutsuji Muzan is gone. From now on, live peacefully with your sister."
『Carl』: "I'll be going."
Tanjirō immediately bowed deeply.
『Tanjirō Kamado』: "Thank you so much, Mr. Carl!"
Carl had not only saved his sister but also avenged his family.
The gratitude in Tanjirō's heart was beyond words.
『Carl』: "Mm. No need to thank me."
Carl smiled faintly—then vanished in an instant.
『Tanjirō Kamado』: "Please… take care."
He stared quietly at the spot where Carl had disappeared.
He alone understood what Carl meant by "leaving."
Carl wasn't just leaving the Demon Slayer Corps —
He was leaving this world entirely, returning to his own.
Yet Tanjirō didn't feel sad. After all, they could still speak through the chat group.
Even if separated by worlds, they could always reach each other—and perhaps meet again.
The Hashira exchanged glances, speechless for a long while.
Only after some time did they realize Carl was truly gone.
Of course, none of them imagined he had crossed into another world.
They assumed he had simply left the Demon Slayer Headquarters.
When Carl returned to his own world, it was still deep night.
He didn't bother doing anything else—he simply rested.
The next morning, as usual, he accompanied Zhang Manyue to the filming set.
They spent several more days there before Carl returned to New York.
Zhang Manyue had been filming nonstop and was utterly exhausted, so Carl decided to let her rest properly.
Back in New York, his life returned to its peaceful rhythm.
New Mexico
That day, a tall, broad-shouldered man descended upon the desert.
Moments later, he was struck by lightning and rushed to a hospital.
The medical staff, unable to identify him, assumed he was a lunatic.
The Next Day – New Mexico Wilderness
A barren stretch of land—normally empty and lifeless—was now crowded with people.
Groups were grilling, chatting, and setting up makeshift picnics.
It wasn't even a scenic area; the surroundings were bleak, dotted with only dry yellow weeds.
Ordinarily, no one would come here to relax.
But this place had become an exception.
Not long ago, a meteor had fallen here.
And within the impact crater, people discovered something extraordinary—
A hammer.
A perfectly square, iron hammer lying quietly in the center of the pit.
Because it looked oddly pristine and finely crafted, many passersby tried to claim it for themselves.
But to their astonishment, the hammer refused to budge—
as though it had fused with the earth itself.
One after another, people tried and failed.
Soon, word spread.
Within hours, crowds had gathered—hundreds of people drawn by curiosity and greed.
Among them was a massive, two-meter-tall man named Hank.
He had come after hearing about the "unmovable hammer" from a friend.
Pushing through the crowd, he reached the crater just as another man was straining to lift the hammer.
『Hank』: "Move aside. My turn."
He shoved the man away with ease.
『Middle-aged Man』: "Fu—"
The man almost cursed, but after seeing Hank's enormous frame—
he swallowed his words and quietly backed off.
After all, picking a fight with someone three times your size was asking for trouble.
『Hank』: "Heh. Can't even lift a little hammer?"
Ignoring the glares around him, Hank crouched and grabbed the weapon's handle.
But
CLANG!
The hammer didn't move. Not even a millimeter.
『Hank』: "…What the hell? It's… heavy?"
He rolled up his sleeves, bent his knees, and tried again—gritting his teeth, veins bulging.
GRRRH!
Still nothing. The hammer remained embedded like a mountain root.
!!
Hank refused to give up. He tried again and again until exhaustion took him.
Panting and sweating, he finally stood up and left silently.
After him, more people came—each trying their luck.
But not one succeeded.
Then, an elderly man arrived with a new idea.
He wrapped chains around the hammer's handle and attached them to his pickup truck.
『Old Man』: "Let's see you stay stuck now!"
He revved the engine. The tires screeched.
RUMBLE!!!
The hammer didn't move an inch.
Instead, the truck's rear bed tore loose and crashed to the ground.
『Onlookers』: "HAHAHAHAHA!!"
『Onlooker #2』: "Even a truck couldn't pull it loose! What is this thing?"
『Onlooker #3』: "Yeah! Who even put it here? It's creepy!"
Laughter and chatter filled the air.
Then—
A sleek black car pulled up nearby.
A man in a black suit and sunglasses stepped out.
It was Phil Coulson.
He had been sent here by Nick Fury to investigate the situation.
Coulson looked toward the crater, noting the crowd, then raised his communicator.
『Coulson』: "Sir, we've found it."
He didn't approach further. Instead, he waited.
Soon, several more vehicles arrived—
S.H.I.E.L.D. agents stepping out one by one to join him.
『Agent』: "Sir, what are our orders?"
Coulson thought for a moment, then replied crisply:
『Coulson』: "Disperse the civilians. Set up a research perimeter around the site."
『Agent』: "Yes, sir."
The suited agents advanced in formation toward the crater.
Seeing their approach, many bystanders grew uneasy.
『Coulson』: "Hello, everyone. I'm Agent Phil Coulson with S.H.I.E.L.D. We're investigating a potential safety hazard in this area. For your own safety, please evacuate immediately."
『Civilian #1』: "Safety hazard? Yeah right—you just want that hammer for yourselves!"
『Civilian #2』: "Exactly! I'm not leaving!"
The crowd began to shout and protest.
Coulson exchanged a silent glance with his men.
The next second, S.H.I.E.L.D. agents moved in, forcibly clearing the area.
This wasn't a negotiation—no one could risk unknown alien tech.
Even S.H.I.E.L.D. didn't yet understand what they were dealing with.
And until they did, no one could be allowed near the hammer.