The air inside the Infinity Castle grew deathly still. The face of the Divine Lord, Chinami, was incredibly grim. Her original plan had been to use this confrontation with Muzan Kibutsuji to gain an unexpected advantage. She had even revealed their trump card, Yoriichi Tsugikuni, not only to target Kokushibo but Muzan himself.
But she had never expected Tsukihiko to turn the Ubuyashiki couple into demons, using their new bloodline to suppress everything. The most absurd part was that a power like Yoriichi Tsugikuni was only truly effective against Muzan at his peak. The legendary swordsman's brief return was meant to be a show of overwhelming divine might, but Tsukihiko's calculations had been perfect. By the time he appeared, Yoriichi was already weakened and was instantly defeated.
That devastating turn of events, combined with the earlier deaths of her six Guardian Priests, made Chinami realize just how severe the situation had become. If she couldn't suppress Tsukihiko now, her only option would be to flee immediately. However, the entire barrier around them was now the Infinity Castle, which had fused with the Ubuyashiki estate and other locations. Even with her own terrifying sorcery, she felt a profound sense of powerlessness.
"Now that things have come to this, everything can finally come to a perfect end." A calm smile spread across Tsukihiko's face. To Chinami, that smile was infuriating. It signified that the thousands of years of effort by her Priest Clan had all been for nothing.
"Surely you still have one last trick up your sleeve, Divine Lord," Tsukihiko's voice echoed in the silence. Although he had already forced her to reveal several of her trump cards, he knew an organization that had hidden in the shadows for a thousand years must have more secrets. More importantly, Tsukihiko knew his actions were like defying fate itself. He had even eliminated the so-called Child of Destiny, Tanjiro Kamado, pushing the world's story to a point of no return. He couldn't be certain if the will of the world would choose to directly intervene. He had a counter for that, but he needed his opponent to make the first move.
"Muzan Kibutsuji, do you really think you've won!?" Just as Tsukihiko predicted, even a woman as elegant and calm as Chinami was beginning to lose her composure. "You should know that since ancient times, evil has never triumphed over good! The moment a Demon King like you appeared in this world, your destruction was already sealed! Originally, our Priest Clan had everything under control, but your actions, starting from Fujikasane Mountain, threw everything into chaos!"
Though Chinami had never read a manga, the unique abilities of the Priest Clan had allowed them to foresee and arrange many things. But now, when faced with this new version of Muzan Kibutsuji, all their plans had failed. One or two failures could be explained away, but as he broke through every one of their arrangements, they finally understood. This Muzan was completely different. After careful review, they concluded that everything had changed during the Demon Slayer Corps' Final Selection on Fujikasane Mountain.
"Is that so?" Tsukihiko's face remained perfectly calm as he faced her hysteria. "And I suppose your so-called Priest Clan, scheming against all beings and using the Ubuyashiki family and the Demon Slayer Corps as pawns, is what you call 'destiny'?"
A small smile played on his lips. "Destiny isn't spoken, it's made. Whether human or demon, no one can simply stand by and wait for it. If your plans were weak, you should never have entered the game in the first place."
Those simple words were the ultimate mockery. Pure rage filled Chinami's eyes.
"In that case… let's perish together!" A cold smile suddenly appeared on her face. She knew Muzan had one final goal: to steal the three sacred treasures of the Japanese Imperial Family through Prince Showa.
The Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi. The Yata no Kagami. The Yasakani no Magatama.
For a thousand years, these three treasures had been enshrined by the Imperial Family, representing the national destiny and luck of Japan. While concepts like 'destiny' and 'luck' were vague, a high priestess like Chinami knew their true power. If Muzan obtained the three sacred treasures, he might actually be able to defy fate and change his own destiny. He would, in effect, become the legitimate ruler of Japan.
And now, she would ruin his grand scheme. At this very moment, her priests, the Imperial Family, and the Onmyoji should be fighting Prince Showa for control of the treasures. If she could just delay Muzan for a few moments, she could change the entire future of Japan.
"Infinity Castle, transform!"
However, before her sorcery could even begin to take shape, Tsukihiko spoke softly, a smile in his voice.
Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!
Suddenly, the world spun around them. Countless afterimages stretched across the void as intersecting timelines seemed to converge. In the next instant, they were all standing inside the Imperial Palace of Japan.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The moment they arrived, a terrifyingly fierce killing intent erupted in the air. A figure shrouded in a blood-red shadow shot through the hall, holding three ornate boxes.
"Those… those are the three sacred treasures!"
"No! We can't let Muzan get them!"
"No…"
Instantly, the powerful members of the Priest Clan let out cries of absolute despair.
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