What was meant to come would inevitably arrive.
This was Yuki's primary thought upon encountering Upper Moon Three, Akaza.
Akaza's skin was deathly pale, his hair and eyebrows a peculiar peach-pink hue.
Inscribed within his eyes were the characters "Upper Rank" and "Three."
The moment he saw Akaza, Kyojuro immediately drew his sword, his face hardening with unprecedented solemnity.
"Mr. Yuki, this demon is Upper Moon Three!"
Kyojuro had slain Lower Moon Two, and during their joint missions with Yuki, they had also eliminated Lower moon six, and Lower Moon Three.
In his view, the difference between ordinary demons and the Lower Moon demons of the Twelve Kizuki was already immense.
Even among the Lower Moon demons, the disparity in strength was vast.
Based on this reasoning, Kyojuro had long mentally estimated the power of Upper Moon demons.
Even facing just Upper Rank Six would likely overwhelm a Pillar.
After all, though the Demon Slayer Corps had slain numerous Lower Moon Demons over the past century, they had yet to defeat a single Upper Rank Demon!
And now, standing before them was Upper Rank Three!
Yet at this critical moment, while Kyojuro's expression grew grave, there was no trace of fear in his eyes.
He subtly shifted his stance, positioning himself in front of Yuki—
Even if the power gap between himself and this Upper Rank Demon was vast,
with him at the forefront, desperately creating an opening for Yuki, the latter's strength would surely be enough to defeat the Demon!
Yuki watched Kyojuro move to shield him, his expression a mix of surprise and deep emotion.
He knew Kyojuro's character all too well.
The moment Kyojuro stepped in front of him, Yuki understood: he was willing to sacrifice his life to create an opportunity for him.
Just as in the original story, even on the verge of death, Kyojuro had protected the Demon Slayer Corps' new recruits, refusing to let the Demon pluck away the Corps' budding talents.
But!
Yuki's Restoration Rate had already reached 55%!
Don't forget, when his Restoration Rate was only 42%, Yuki could barely hold his own against Upper Rank One - Kokushibo.
With his current Restoration Rate, the danger wouldn't be to himself or Kyojuro, but to Akaza!
Meanwhile, Akaza's attention was almost entirely focused on Kyojuro.
In fact, the moment Akaza saw Kyojuro, his eyes lit up:
"Among all the humans I've encountered, your fighting spirit burns the brightest!"
"If you had a few more years, your strength would surely reach a new peak!"
"But even that peak would only be relative to humans."
"So, what do you say? Why not consider joining us and becoming a Demon...?"
Hearing this, Yuki immediately began mentally scoffing:
Truly, Akaza is the ultimate salesman. He never misses an opportunity to invite any promising human to become a Demon.
In the original story, even during the final battle in Infinity Castle, Akaza didn't forget to invite Tomioka to become a Demon.
Kyojuro refused in a deep voice, "No matter the reason, I will never become a demon!"
Akaza narrowed his eyes, his gaze sweeping past Kyojuro to the ground behind him. "Human bodies age and die. What's wrong with becoming a demon?"
"Speaking of which, judging by the marks on the ground, you've already taken care of Enmu, haven't you?"
"Tch, such a weakling who only knew how to scheme. It's no surprise he was killed."
"Besides, he brought it on himself. He was already retreating, but then he just had to..."
Yuki's heart stirred at these words.
From Akaza's brief remarks, he pieced together the situation.
Enmu had indeed been hiding temporarily, concealing his movements as instructed by Muzan.
But he had encountered Kyojuro along the way and decided to ambush him at this bento shop.
As for why Akaza had suddenly appeared here—
Yuki sensed Akaza's gaze shifting toward him.
The look in Akaza's eyes as he stared at Yuki was filled with suspicion.
In Akaza's perception, this man seemed to be just an ordinary Demon Slayer Corps swordsman. Compared to the owl-like swordsman beside him, Akaza could barely sense any fighting spirit emanating from him.
Why would such an unremarkable individual attract That Lord's attention?
What's more, That Lord had specifically ordered Akaza to personally visit the site of Enmu's death to confirm whether a swordsman with crimson hair, a Demon Slayer Mark on his forehead, and sun-patterned Hanafuda earrings was present.
Could Enmu have transmitted information about this man to That Lord before dying?
But why had That Lord instructed Akaza to merely confirm the man's presence from a distance?
And to leave immediately after spotting him!
Akaza saw nothing special about this man, which is why he chose to reveal himself directly.
He had already decided that rather than wasting time on this unremarkable individual, he might as well try to recruit the owl-like swordsman instead.
With this in mind, Akaza called out:
"Hey! You over there with the Hanafuda earrings."
"You look so ordinary. Why would That Lord..."
The moment this thought crossed Akaza's mind, his body froze.
Kyojuro immediately tightened his grip on his Nichirin Blade, bracing for a potential attack.
But Yuki knew exactly what was happening. Akaza was currently being "remote-controlled" by Muzan, just like Kokushibo had been earlier.
Even Upper Rank One - Kokushibo would stiffen momentarily when Muzan seized control of his body.
How much more so would Upper Rank Three!
A perfect opportunity!
Yuki's eyes flashed as he drew his sword in a single, swift motion:
'Sun Breathing, Seventh Form: Sunflower Thrust'
Meanwhile, Akaza felt a foreign will forcibly invade his mind.
The will spoke in a cold, furious voice:
"Akaza! Leave this place immediately!"
"Have you forgotten the mission I gave you?"
"Leave now!"
The power surging through his blood erupted, vying for control of Akaza's body.
Akaza's eyes widened as his body involuntarily lurched forward.
Each word Muzan hammered into his mind felt like a crushing blow, threatening to shatter his own will.
Yet Akaza stubbornly clung to his will, his mind echoing with the question:
"Why? Why him?!"
"Just an ordinary guy..."