Horitake's violet lightning blade sliced cleanly through Yushiguro's neck.
Raikiri—his strongest technique. If it couldn't finish a gravely wounded Yushiguro, that would be surprising.
As expected, Yushiguro's lone remaining eye, set in his forehead, trembled with despair.
His mangled head fell, rolling a few times before stopping on the ground.
Thud! His headless corpse collapsed.
Death claimed Yushiguro.
The purple lightning faded, and the electric arcs on Horitake's Weiguang blade calmed.
Gazing at the sword, Horitake gave a faint smile.
Satisfied now? You cut down an Upper Rank Five. Thrilling enough?
Thrilled? Then back to the sheath.
With a contented nod, he slid Weiguang into its scabbard, securing it at his waist.
As Yushiguro's body disintegrated, Horitake activated his Spirit Vision, glimpsing the demon's final memories.
As a human, young Yushiguro grew up in a fishing village, surrounded by fish and crafting pots as art. His idea of art? Sadistically killing animals, stitching their scales and bones onto his pots to create grotesque, "perfect" works.
Even then, his mind was warped.
When his parents died in a fishing accident, their bodies washed ashore. The tragedy pushed Yushiguro further into depravity. He sewed their remains into his pots, calling it art.
What must the villagers have felt, witnessing such horror?
They branded him a monster, shunning and isolating him.
Yushiguro reveled in it, diving deeper into his twisted craft.
His art grew crueler, no longer satisfied with animals. He turned to humans.
He killed a village child, crafting their remains into his so-called art.
When the child's disappearance sparked a search, the villagers found Yushiguro—and the truth.
Chased out and hunted, he crossed paths with Muzan Kibutsuji.
The rest was history.
Horitake's face remained impassive as the memories faded.
Unlike other demons' tragic pasts, which held some pity or sorrow, Yushiguro's had none.
He was a pure sadist.
Warped from childhood.
And meeting Muzan, the ultimate sadist, only amplified his depravity as a demon!
It spoke volumes about Muzan's own nature. What kind of creature favored such a monster?
As Yushiguro fully disintegrated, his death rippled outward.
As Upper Rank Five, his demise didn't go unnoticed by Muzan.
Somewhere in Japan, in a library where Muzan posed as a curator, he sensed Yushiguro's death and accessed his final memories.
Rage consumed him!
His eyes flared red, fangs sharpened, and he roared skyward!
The sonic shockwave rocked the library, toppling books from shelves and shattering every window with a cacophony of cracks.
Panting with fury, Muzan seethed.
Yushiguro—dead?! One of his most loyal lieutenants, skilled at gathering intelligence, gone?!
How many years had it been since an Upper Rank fell? And now, Upper Rank Five!
A female librarian rushed over, alarmed. "Curator, are you alright? What was—"
Muzan, back turned, growled through his anger. "I'm fine. Clean up the books and get someone to replace the glass."
"Curator, you—"
"Get out!"
His shout unleashed a wave of murderous aura, terrifying the librarian. How could her gentle curator turn so vicious?!
Terrified, she fled to tidy up, not daring to ask more.
She was lucky. In Muzan's rage, her survival was a miracle. He'd shown rare patience.
Why? Was it her beauty?
No. After a millennium, Muzan had little interest in such things.
His patience was for the library itself. Its vast collection might hold clues to the Blue Spider Lily.
That hope kept him from slaughtering the librarian or trashing the place.
But one could imagine—once he confirmed the library held no leads, his frustration might unleash havoc on it and its staff.
Taking deep breaths, Muzan calmed slightly, delving into Yushiguro's memories.
"Killed… by a Kinoe-rank Demon Slayer?!" he muttered. "Yushiguro, you've been so focused on your 'art' that you neglected your strength."
"A Thunder Breathing user? Who was the last Thunder Hashira? I don't care about such trifles."
"What?! Special purple lightning that prevents demonic regeneration?!"
This memory jolted Muzan. His menacing aura surged, sweeping the library!
Others in the building fainted under its weight.
He couldn't ignore this.
"Thunder Breathing doing that? Impossible! What's this… Thunder Breathing?"
"What is this technique? Who is this swordsman? Why have I never heard of him?! Could it be… another Yoriichi Tsugikuni rising?!"
The name Yoriichi triggered humiliating memories. Muzan had been forced to split into countless fragments, scattering to survive, hiding until Yoriichi's death.
A degrading, shameful past!
Fury and humiliation surged. He wouldn't allow another Yoriichi!
This Thunder Breathing was too potent against demons—wounds that couldn't heal were a dire threat!
Fortunately, the swordsman's strength wasn't overwhelming. Yushiguro's death stemmed from his own neglect. Muzan reckoned he and the top three Upper Ranks could handle this foe.
This swordsman had to die. He couldn't be allowed to grow. He needed to be crushed now!
Muzan's killing intent had never been so resolute.
"Nakime!"
A biwa string twanged, and Muzan vanished from the library.
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