The moment Urokodaki whispered his name, Giyu Tomioka's tall figure flashed forward, placing himself between his master and the enemy. Two more shapes landed silently beside him. One was a man with spiky white hair and a body covered in scars, his eyes burning with an uncontainable rage. The other was masked, with mismatched eyes and long snakes coiling around his body, his posture radiating a cold and deadly intent. It was clear from their powerful auras that they were not just any Demon Slayers; they were Hashira, and they had come prepared for a serious battle.
"Water Hashira, Giyu Tomioka."
"Wind Hashira, Sanemi Shinazugawa."
"Serpent Hashira, Obanai Iguro."
Their gazes first fell upon Urokodaki, who was covered in blood and barely conscious on the ground.
"Senior Urokodaki, we're here," Giyu said softly. The concern from his former student and his fellow Hashira warmed Urokodaki's heart, even in his pained state.
"You all... be careful..." he managed to force out, using nearly all of his remaining strength. He knew the true extent of Akaza's power. Even with Nezuko's help, he had been utterly defeated. He feared that even with three of the Demon Slayer Corps' strongest warriors present, killing Upper Rank Three would be an incredibly difficult, if not impossible, task.
"Don't worry, Teacher," Giyu replied, his face becoming an emotionless mask once more. He had made it in time to save his master's life, and for now, that was all that mattered. He had cast aside any thoughts of his own life or death the day he joined the Demon Slayer Corps.
"So, you're an Upper Rank," Sanemi snarled, a savage grin spreading across his face as he fixed his gaze on Akaza. "This should be interesting."
"Three against one," Obanai observed, his voice a cold hiss. "Don't get careless."
Though Akaza was just one man, the aura of power rolling off him was as immense as a mountain. What was more terrifying was that even as he stood perfectly still, his entire body radiated a flawless fighting spirit, leaving no openings for an attack. He was a perfect warrior.
"We end this quickly," Giyu stated, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword.
"Remember, we're not fighting to the death," Obanai added. "The mission is to rescue Senior Urokodaki and the girl."
"Tch," Sanemi clicked his tongue in annoyance.
Before any of them could make a move, a strangely eerie sound echoed through the silent forest. It was the sharp, twanging music of a biwa.
In an instant, the world before them twisted. Space itself seemed to compress and fold, and the sensation of being violently displaced seized them all. When the sound of the biwa faded a moment later, Giyu, his companions, Urokodaki, and Nezuko all trembled.
They were no longer on Mount Sagiri. They stood in a bizarre, impossible city of shifting rooms and endless corridors.
A high platform rose from the floorboards, and upon it stood a tall, slender man in a dark coat, his hands clasped behind his back.
"Greetings... Master," Akaza said, instantly dropping to one knee on the ground.
Master?
An absurd, terrifying, and utterly unbelievable realization washed over the three Hashira. An Upper Rank like Akaza had already pushed them to their absolute limit. But the man who had just appeared was the master of the Twelve Kizuki, the most terrifying demon in all of Japan: Muzan Kibutsuji.
"Everyone," Muzan said, his voice echoing in the vast space. He stood with his hands behind his back, his crimson eyes emitting a piercing light that was impossible to look at directly. "We finally meet."
At the same time, in the Ubuyashiki ancestral land, Amane knelt before her husband, her face an expressionless mask as she relayed the new intelligence that had just arrived.
"Mount Fujikasane, the training ground for our new members, has been completely destroyed. The three Hashira we sent arrived in time to save some, but Kiriya... and his sisters... have all been sacrificed." Her voice was steady, but held no warmth. "The entire mountain is now engulfed in flames. Aside from a few survivors among the participants, the rest are all gone."
The air grew cold and silent. Kagaya Ubuyashiki, lying on his futon, finally broke the silence, his voice weak. "And... what is the situation at Mount Sagiri?"
Amane paused, a flicker of sadness finally showing on her face. "According to the last report, there is no one at Mount Sagiri. No one alive, and no bodies found. That includes Senior Urokodaki and the demon girl, Nezuko Kamado. The three Hashira we sent as support—Giyu Tomioka, Sanemi Shinazugawa, and Obanai Iguro—are also missing."
Each piece of news was like a steel needle piercing Kagaya's heart.
"A misstep..." he whispered after a long pause. "A complete misstep... Who would have thought that the coward who has hidden for a thousand years would finally launch an all-out offensive?" His voice was filled with despair. "We are now completely on the defensive. This is truly a matter of life and death for the entire Demon Slayer Corps."
As if things weren't dire enough, Amane's voice came again.
"Not only that. At this very moment, assassination attempts have occurred in the Japanese Cabinet and in various prefectures across the country." She took a breath. "According to our intelligence analysis, demons are also behind this."
The words hit Kagaya like a physical blow. He trembled, his voice barely a whisper.
"This... this is impossible..."