Nakime was growing increasingly anxious.
She could feel the presence of the Upper Ranks fading one by one. This wasn't supposed to happen. Everything had been in place—powerful demons, a fortified castle—and yet, Akaza had surrendered without a fight.
> "Traitor!" she hissed, her calm demeanor cracking.
Seated high on a floating platform, Nakime calmly plucked her biwa. Each note caused the Infinite Castle beneath her to shift violently, altering the terrain at her will.
Below her, the Snake Hashira Iguro Obanai, the Love Hashira Kanroji Mitsuri, and several Demon Slayer Corps members were caught in her blood demon art. The terrain constantly shifted, walls rising and falling, platforms rotating and spinning to disorient and trap her enemies.
Nakime's ability wasn't especially lethal in direct combat. Her strength lay in manipulation—of space, terrain, and orientation. With her music, she created mazes, crushed foes between moving structures, or flung them far away. If her opponents were fast and cautious, she couldn't kill them easily—but she could exhaust them.
And that's exactly what she intended to do.
> "What a pain…" Iguro muttered, leaping across an ever-shifting chasm, dragging two junior swordsmen to safety.
> "We're just going in circles," Mitsuri Kanroji groaned. "Is there no way to get closer to her?"
They had been trapped in this shifting realm for too long. Their bodies still had strength left, but Nakime's aim was obvious—wear them down bit by bit.
Elsewhere in the castle, several powerful fighters had already regrouped under the guidance of a crow—Shinazugawa Sanemi, Tokito Muichiro, Himejima Gyomei, and others rushed forward.
At the front was James, their strongest warrior, leading the charge.
> "So, Kokushibou is really dead..." James said quietly.
The words carried a strange weight. Even he couldn't quite believe it.
> "So that was his name... Kokushibou."
Gyomei ran alongside James, hands folded in prayer even as tears streamed down his cheeks.
> "We had assumed it might take at least two of us to take him down... and even then, someone might have to die."
Muichiro nodded, adding:
> "If it weren't for Qingyi, there's no way we could've subdued an Upper Rank demon so cleanly."
> "True," Sanemi muttered, his expression serious. Though tsundere in nature, he admired James's strength the most among them.
> "Let's hope the same can happen with the rest of the Upper Ranks."
Eventually, they arrived at a shattered structure. The air was unnaturally cold, and remnants of a battle still lingered—frozen debris, shattered ice, broken walls.
There stood Kanao, Kochou Shinobu, and Inosuke, recovering from an earlier clash.
> "Miss Shinobu!" Muichiro called.
Shinobu turned in surprise. She had been focusing on breathing regulation but smiled upon seeing the group arrive.
> "Ahahaha! James, you should've seen Inosuke just now!" Inosuke grinned, puffing his chest out. "I invented a new move! It was awesome!"
James smiled and nodded, offering the boy praise before turning toward Shinobu.
> "Are you hurt?"
> "No. The Upper Rank Two was already heavily injured," Shinobu replied. "His blood demon art had weakened, and he couldn't move well."
Her violet eyes sparkled with an unusual peace. She had finally avenged her sister, Kochou Kanae. The long-standing weight on her heart had finally lifted.
The anger hidden beneath her usual gentle smile had dispersed, and now, her entire presence felt lighter.
But James noticed Kanao fidgeting slightly.
> "Kanao?" Shinobu asked softly. "Are you hurt?"
> "No, Master..." Kanao replied, eyes flicking away.
James couldn't help but chuckle.
Of course, Shinobu wouldn't understand. She had never been in love—she couldn't recognize the turmoil of a young girl wrestling with those feelings. Kanao wasn't hurt physically; she was simply distracted... by love.
But there wasn't time for tender thoughts.
> "We need to move quickly," James said. "If we delay, Kibutsuji Muzan might escape."
The message spread quickly. A forced march was ordered. James silently whispered to himself:
> Iguro, Kanroji… I'm counting on you.
Above them, a murder of crows flew in formation, each issuing rally calls to remaining Demon Slayers in the Infinite Castle. The goal was clear—everyone must converge on Muzan's location.
Nakime, still observing from her platform, noticed the sudden coordination. Her fear spiked. She plucked her biwa frantically, causing huge stone walls to rise and block the advancing Demon Slayers.
But that moment of distraction cost her.
Kanroji and Iguro seized the opportunity. With the terrain shifting elsewhere, Nakime couldn't respond in time. They leapt forward, followed by several soldiers, rapidly closing the distance to her platform.
Nakime, panicking, struck the biwa again and again. Countless barriers rose before them. The entire platform began retracting as she tried to distance herself once more.
> "Now!" Iguro barked.
> "Got it!" Kanroji replied.
The Love Hashira grabbed Iguro by the wrists, spun with immense force, and launched him like a cannonball.
The wind howled past Iguro's ears. His stomach churned, but he stayed focused. Kanroji repeated the move, throwing several other swordsmen toward Nakime's platform.
> It's up to them now!
Nakime frantically summoned floating platforms to intercept them mid-air. The blocks rose fast—but not fast enough.
Iguro's blade flashed.
> "Snake Breathing—Fifth Form: Slithering Serpent Slash!"
His sword glowed red for a split second, snaking through the air like a live wire. With one clean cut, the platform ahead shattered.
Though Iguro hadn't mastered the Transparent World, he and Kanroji had created a short-lived red blade by striking their swords together before the launch.
The path cleared, Iguro and the others landed successfully on Nakime's stage.
They sprinted across it, fierce winds trailing behind their every movement, eyes locked on Nakime.
Nakime plucked her biwa again.
Doors opened in the air around them, threatening to swallow them whole. Gigantic stone slabs plummeted from above.
> "Snake Breathing—First Form: Twisting Serpent Slash!"
Iguro's movements became erratic—unnatural. His body twisted into impossible shapes as he dodged attacks with inhuman flexibility.
His trajectory became impossible to predict.
Nakime, distracted by Iguro's unrelenting advance, failed to notice someone missing from the group.
That's when it happened.
Shhk!
A hand burst through her chest.
Nakime's eyes widened in shock. She looked down at the arm that had pierced her. Pain flooded her body. Her vision went black.
> "Wha…?"
It was Yushiro.
Iguro's assault had only been a feint.
Yushiro, using a powerful concealment talisman, had approached Nakime undetected. With her attention focused elsewhere, she never realized he was behind her until it was too late.
Yushiro slapped a talisman onto her single visible eye. Veins bulged on his temple as he took control of Nakime's powers.
> Where are you? Master Tamayo... I'm coming!
The crows relayed the new orders. With Nakime subdued, her powers were redirected. All remaining Demon Slayers were summoned and teleported to the same location.
James, the Hashira, and even the younger generation appeared in flashes of light throughout the castle. With Nakime under Yushiro's control, they faced no more resistance.
But the act of transporting so many people took its toll. Nakime aged rapidly—her demonic vitality draining quickly.
The final battle was near.
The strongest warriors of the Demon Slayer Corps had gathered.
And now...
They would face Kibutsuji Muzan.
A war was about to begin.
Or rather—
It was already here.
Øóffer going on for diamond tier
pàtreøn (Gk31)