Nakime sat on the central platform of Infinity Castle, plucking the strings of her biwa.
*Clang!*
The strings resonated, and a square portal materialized in the air above Infinity Castle.
*Splatter—*
Masses of shredded flesh and viscous blood poured from the portal, cascading onto the platform before Nakime.
Nakime had never witnessed such a sight before.
She wanted to ask what had happened, but her subconscious desperately urged her not to.
'If I ask, I'll surely lose my life!'
Sure enough, the viscous blood and shredded flesh coalesced, gradually forming a human figure.
However, several deep sword slashes immediately tore the figure apart, scattering the flesh across the platform once more.
After repeated attempts, the shredded flesh finally managed to barely reconstruct a human form.
The figure slowly revealed its true appearance: Muzan!
Throughout the entire process, Nakime kept her gaze lowered, suppressed her senses, and dared not utter a single sound.
The resonance from the blood within her body not only allowed Nakime to sense Muzan's current state of disarray, but also to feel his overwhelming fear and loathing.
Yet Nakime dared not entertain even a single extraneous thought.
She could only lower her head deeply, terrified of provoking Muzan and becoming the target of his wrath.
At that moment, Muzan had just regained his human form.
Having escaped by splitting into countless flesh fragments, his suit and hat remained on Mount Kumotori.
He stood completely naked, without even a scrap of clothing to cover himself.
*Gurgle...*
Muzan suddenly doubled over like a shrimp, violently vomiting a large mouthful of blood.
When he straightened up again, his appearance and hairstyle had completely transformed.
The man who had stood before her now appeared as a woman, her hair coiled into a bun at the back of her head!
"Transformed like this, that fool shouldn't recognize me now..."
He slowly rose, ignoring the blood still trickling from the corner of his mouth, his eyes fixed intently on Nakime.
"Hmph, you know your place!"
Sensing no thoughts in Nakime's mind, Muzan nodded in satisfaction.
But in the next instant, he extended his hand.
The arm instantly swelled, turning crimson and sprouting countless yellow eyeballs.
The palm of his hand transformed into a massive maw filled with countless razor-sharp teeth, dripping with viscous fluid, which clamped down viciously on Nakime's body.
"But I'm still furious!"
A chilling, flesh-rending sound of devouring echoed through the chamber.
When Muzan released his "arm," only Nakime's head, neck, half a shoulder, and one arm remained. The rest of her body had vanished.
Even as a demon, such grievous injuries and the agonizing pain of being devoured far exceeded Nakime's tolerance. Yet she dared not utter a sound, terrified of incurring Muzan's further wrath.
"How utterly tedious!"
Muzan tossed Nakime's mangled remains aside like a discarded rag doll. He casually picked up her black kimono and draped it over his own shoulders.
Having returned to the Infinity Castle, his sanctuary, he shifted his appearance and brutalized his subordinates. The hatred and fear in his heart began to dissipate, and Muzan finally regained a semblance of composure.
"Summon Kokushibo!" he commanded coldly.
Nakime struggled to drag her mutilated body with her remaining arm to the biwa. She plucked a single note.
*Clang!*
A square passage suddenly materialized in the floor before Muzan.
A man emerged from the passage, dressed in a purple undergarment and a black-patterned haori, with a katana made of flesh and blood at his waist. His entire appearance resembled that of a samurai.
The man's face bore dark crimson markings.
However, what truly shocked and even disgusted onlookers was that he possessed six eyes!
The middle two eyes were emblazoned with the characters "Upper Moon" and "One."
Upper Moon One, Kokushibo!
Kokushibo seemed unfazed by his sudden appearance in the Infinity Castle.
But when he slowly raised his head and saw Muzan's current appearance, his face filled with astonishment.
Of course, Kokushibo wasn't surprised that Muzan had transformed into a woman and was wearing Nakime's clothes.
His six eyes were fixed intently on the wounds visible on Muzan's body, those not concealed by the clothing.
The wounds crisscrossed Muzan's body, surrounded by writhing flesh buds that seemed to be attempting to "Regenerate" them.
Yet the moment these flesh buds touched the wounds, they instantly turned to ash.
This familiar injury...
Kokushibo felt a moment of disorientation, followed by overwhelming disbelief!
"This... this is impossible!"
Muzan's expression turned exceptionally grim, his voice icy:
"Nothing is impossible. This has already happened!"
"Didn't you say you saw Yoriichi die with your own eyes? And that you personally cut him in half at the waist?"
Three centuries later, hearing Yoriichi's name again still sent violent tremors through Kokushibo's expression.
His mind involuntarily replayed their final encounter.
'Yoriichi is definitely dead!'
"And I personally severed his body at the waist.'
'Even the flute I crafted and gifted him was broken in two."
Muzan continued:
"And we've completely eradicated all the Sun Breathing swordsmen, haven't we?"
Kokushibo instinctively replied:
"Yes, I—"
Before he could finish, the disbelief in Kokushibo's six eyes nearly materialized into a tangible force.
He knew Muzan's questions were never without purpose.
If Muzan was asking this, there could only be one explanation!
As expected, Muzan pointed to the wounds on his body and declared:
"The same wounds, slashed in the exact same places!"
"And that bastard even told me he'd returned from hell!"
"Yoriichi was just a human! How could he possibly be resurrected from the dead?!"
Kokushibo lowered his head, utterly unable to answer Muzan's interrogation.
*Thump!*
A dull thud echoed as Muzan's hand slammed violently onto Kokushibo's shoulder.
The once-delicate feminine face now writhed with bulging veins:
"Tell me where that man is buried! I'll go there myself right now..."
"No! Find his grave yourself!"
"Dig up his grave and show me! I need to see if Yoriichi's bones are still inside!"
"I must know if the man I encountered was truly Yoriichi himself, or just an imposter who somehow inherited his legacy and memories!"