The Hinokami Kagura was a ritual dance passed down through the Kamado family for generations. To them, it was a simple tradition meant to ward off wild beasts and honor the gods during festivals. However, information gathered from Kagaya Ubuyashiki revealed a much deeper truth. This dance was almost certainly connected to Yoriichi Tsugikuni, the legendary genius swordsman.
In other words, the family's Hinokami Kagura was actually the long-lost Sun Breathing, the original and most powerful Breathing Style of the Demon Slayer Corps. The irony was staggering. The blue spider lily, the key to conquering the sun that Muzan Kibutsuji had desperately sought for a thousand years, was nothing more than an ingredient the Kamado family used for making pickles. And the very things Muzan feared most—Sun Breathing and the Demon Slayer Mark—were part of the Kamado family's hidden legacy.
It was as if the world itself had been conspiring against the Demon King long before his fated enemy, Yoriichi Tsugikuni, ever appeared. Without this hidden protection, the Kamado family would have surely died if they encountered the blood of a powerful demon, even with the blue spider lily in their diet. Their legacy of the Hinokami Kagura could have easily been lost at any point if a single thing went wrong.
But now, even with these legacies intact, the situation was dire. Nezuko Kamado, the only one known to have resisted Muzan's blood and remained partially human, had been captured and turned by Tsukihiko. At this moment, even if Tanjiro could perfectly master the powerful Hinokami Kagura, it was doubtful he could defeat his opponent.
Worse, his opponent was his own sister.
The air in the clearing grew deathly still. Tanjiro stood frozen, his hands gripping his Nichirin Sword. Just a moment ago, Nezuko had been reveling in slaughter, but now, she had suddenly lunged forward, directly onto the blade he held.
Poof!
The sharp sword pierced through her body without any resistance. Dark red blood dripped from the wound, and for a fleeting moment, the demonic face before him seemed to merge with the gentle girl from his memories.
"You… you…"
Tears welled up in Tanjiro's eyes. Had Nezuko's will managed to break through Muzan's control, even for just an instant?
Bang!
He could no longer hold his sword. It slipped from his grasp and clattered to the ground as he rushed forward to embrace his sister.
"Nezuko… Nezuko… Nezu…"
Before he could say her name a third time, a cold, emotionless voice whispered in his ear.
"Did you really fall for that? You're just too easy to fool, brother."
A chilling terror washed over Tanjiro.
Crack!
In the next instant, a sharp pain shot through his back as something pierced his spine and exited through his shoulder blade. Sharp blows then struck the joints in his legs, and he collapsed to his knees with a heavy thud.
Whoosh!
A brilliant saber light flashed before his eyes, and a familiar yet terrifyingly strange face appeared before him.
"You… you…"
It was Nezuko, but not the sister from his memories. Her eyes were cold and merciless.
"Maybe in your next life, you shouldn't be so quick to trust women," a cruel sneer twisted her beautiful face. "After all, my Blood Demon Art creates the most powerful illusions."
Poof!
A thin red line appeared across Tanjiro's neck. A moment later, blood sprayed from the wound.
Bang!
His body slammed heavily onto the ground.
Kamado Tanjiro, of the Demon Slayer Corps, was dead.
At that same moment, inside the Infinity Castle, a smile returned to Tsukihiko's face. He could sense that the other two battles had finally concluded. Everything was unfolding exactly as he had calculated.
Without exaggeration, even the deaths of the Stone Hashira, Gyomei Himejima, and that stubborn boy, Tanjiro Kamado, were results he had specifically arranged.
Gyomei Himejima was known as the strongest of the nine Hashira, but his age was a significant weakness. After awakening his Mark, his remaining lifespan grew incredibly short, so he rarely used his full power unless it was absolutely necessary. Now, he was in a position where he couldn't save anyone, not Kagaya Ubuyashiki or any other member of the Demon Slayer Corps.
Even more tragic was the revelation that the Priest Clan, the very people they believed were their saviors, was the mastermind behind everything. This truth had driven Kagaya to despair and ultimately led him to become a demon. How could Gyomei, the strongest of the Hashira, have fared any differently? It was less that he was killed and more that he actively sought death. He couldn't save the Ubuyashikis, whose fates were unknown, nor could he salvage the crumbling Demon Slayer Corps. He certainly couldn't reverse the devastating game Tsukihiko had set in motion. In such a hopeless situation, death was his only remaining option.
Tanjiro's death, on the other hand, was almost frustrating. He had awakened his Mark, mastered the Crimson Red Blade, and even unlocked the Transparent World. Against a newly turned Nezuko who had little combat experience, even with Tsukihiko's blood, the outcome of their fight should have been uncertain.
However, Nezuko's Blood Demon Art repeatedly used their sibling bond as a weapon, completely shattering Tanjiro's will to fight. He was mentally broken. In that state, there was no chance for victory. The outcome was exactly as Tsukihiko had predicted: Tanjiro was killed by Nezuko without any real struggle.
With things having progressed this far, only one obstacle remained: the so-called Priest Clan.
"This… how is this possible…?"
Chinami, the leader of the Priest Clan, stared at Tsukihiko, her face a mask of grim despair. In the incredibly brief time they had been fighting, the nearly-dead Kokushibo had completely recovered. Kagaya Ubuyashiki, too, had regenerated. And above his head, the body of Amane, who had exploded moments earlier, was already reforming.
The one-on-one confrontation had instantly become a four-on-one battle. And the most terrifying of them, Tsukihiko, was at his full strength.
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