Chapter 32 – The Demon King's Wrath and Fear
A soft ding echoed in Hikaru's mind as the system notification popped up.
[Skill Upgraded: Anti-Demon]
Rank: F+ → E
He blinked in surprise.
"…So taking down just one Lower Moon demon is enough to raise the skill?"
Hikaru glanced down, thoughtful.
"It's not about quantity… but quality."
He'd slain countless ordinary demons before. And yet, not once had the Anti-Demon skill shown even a flicker of growth. But now—after eliminating one of the Twelve Kizuki, even if it was just a Lower Rank—he had leveled up.
Which could only mean…
"If I take down an Upper Moon… it might push me to F++, and if I manage to kill Kibutsuji Muzan himself… maybe I'll break into E-rank for real."
He let out a breath and turned his gaze to what little remained of Kamunue's body, now dissolving into thick black mist.
"What's gone… is gone. His sins fade into the void."
Kamunue's corpse lay still, the wide-eyed look of terror frozen on his face even after being decapitated. But… there was something else there too.
A tear.
Just one. Glinting in the moonlight.
Was it… regret?
Or maybe—
He saw it.
That illusion of sunlight—something no demon had touched in centuries.
Of course, it wasn't real. It was a mental construct, a final trick of Mirror Moon Illusion—a Void Breathing technique meant to tamper with the enemy's awareness.
When conscious, Kamunue had been far too strong to be pulled into that false world.
But in the final seconds before death—when his mind was fractured by fatal trauma—Hikaru slipped it in.
Just enough to make him see it.
And that… was the point.
"You saw it, didn't you… Kibutsuji Muzan?"
The night had gone eerily still.
Kamunue's body burst into a dark vapor, dissolving into nothing. His severed head landed several meters away, melting into smoke, vanishing into the shadows.
Hikaru stared into the distance.
He knew.
Even if Muzan hadn't been physically present—he was watching.
The Demon King could see through the eyes of those who carried his blood. Especially in those final, terrifying moments before death.
Which meant this…
Was a message.
A psychological attack.
A warning.
A challenge.
— — —
In the heart of the bustling city, a man's footsteps came to a halt.
His gloved hand, tucked under the sleeve of a sleek black suit, clenched tightly. Knuckles turned white. Nails—sharpened like claws—dug deep into his palm, drawing blood. It dripped, one drop at a time, onto the pavement below.
He looked up.
A wide-brimmed white hat cast a shadow across his corpse-pale face. Behind round-rimmed glasses, crimson eyes stared blankly into the night—as if witnessing something no one else could see.
"...The sun… Damn it…"
He growled.
He could feel it.
Kibutsuji Muzan wasn't sure if the light Kamunue had seen was real, or an illusion.
But it didn't matter.
He understood what Hikaru was trying to say.
A statement.
An insult.
And worst of all—
A memory.
From a time long past.
From a war-torn era when Japan had yet to become one unified land.
A time when a certain man had almost killed him.
Yoriichi Tsugikuni.
The only human who had ever brought him to the brink of death.
"…He needs to die. That boy must be eliminated."
"Whether that light was real or not—it's irrelevant!"
His thoughts boiled with rage.
Or was it…
Fear?
"Ah, there you are, sir!"
A woman's voice called out behind him.
In the blink of an eye, the fury in his face melted away.
When he turned, Muzan was all charm again. His posture refined. His features warm. He smiled like a gentleman born to royalty.
"Delighted to see you… Yoko-san."
The woman who approached wore a lavish kimono, adorned with glittering jewelry—every bit a high-society daughter of one of Japan's post-Meiji industrial giants.
"I was worried you wouldn't come," she giggled softly. "After all, I was once married… and I have a child."
"Please, that's hardly a concern," Muzan said gently. "Such notions are outdated. A woman as elegant as you… the past is just part of your beauty."
He played the part well.
The Demon King had lived over a thousand years—and he knew how to navigate every era. With this face, with this charm, he would use people like Yoko to push his plans forward from the shadows.
Still—
His nature hadn't changed.
Cautious. Paranoid. Obsessive about control.
He loathed chaos.
That's why he refrained from creating too many demons among the elite. Too risky. Too messy. One slip could bring unwanted attention.
And he couldn't stand that.
"The Demon Slayer Corps…"
"I need to accelerate things."
"I need to find it…"
"The solution to my weakness—the sun."
"If I can obtain it…"
"Then not even Sun Breathing will matter anymore."
His thoughts slowly settled.
The name Hikaru faded from his mind, pushed aside by calm calculation.
As long as the boy didn't expose Muzan's identity—didn't force him into the light—
Then there was no need to act.
Not yet.
He'd remained hidden for centuries.
And he would continue to do so.
For now.
"…Let the boy play."
— — —
"No response? Did I scare him off?"
Back on the outskirts of Tokyo, Hikaru narrowed his eyes, exhaling a deep breath.
He looked out over the glittering cityscape, still buzzing even in the middle of the night.
"Guess my bluff worked."
Muzan hadn't shown himself.
He had backed off.
And Hikaru knew—
He was lucky.
If the Demon King had chosen to act recklessly—to throw caution aside and strike back on impulse—
Then he might've been the one in real trouble.
But… it seemed the "Cowardly Boss"—as Muzan was often dubbed by fans of the Demon Slayer chronicles—was exactly as Hikaru had hoped.
A master manipulator.
But deep down…
A coward.
Moonlight cast pale beams over the quiet city.
Hikaru let out a small sigh of relief and smiled faintly.
"If I pull this off a few more times… maybe I'll unlock a hidden achievement. Something like 'Demon King Intimidator,' huh?"
He chuckled softly, rubbing his chin.
Then turned.
Time to head back.
"Miss Shinobu… is probably waiting."
His knees bent, and his figure darted forward—disappearing into the shadows, carried by the wind.
The grass rustled in his wake.
The moonlight shimmered on the leaves.
And somewhere… in the unseen darkness—
A massive figure stirred.
Six glowing eyes opened.
Watching.
Silent.
Curious.
Confused.
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