Chapter 79: Give me a good, hard blow!
With Yushiro's help, the Biwa Demon was controlled, and the enraged Kibutsuji Muzan killed her, causing the Infinity Castle to lose control and the battlefield to shift.
Beneath the moonlight.
The final showdown of the Infinity Castle Arc!
All available combatants arrived at the scene one by one, and everyone now had only one goal - to kill Kibutsuji Muzan!
To end this nightmare that had plagued humanity for far too long!
During the battle, Tanjiro, poisoned, was carried away for emergency treatment. As he fell unconscious, he traced memories from his body's cells, arriving in that era, the era when that man still existed...!
"Is it coming?! Is it coming?!"
"Tanjiro is about to rise up! This time, he's finally going to surpass everyone and fight Muzan, right?!"
"Is Tanjiro about to receive Yoriichi's true inheritance?"
"Muzan, your time has come!"
"Yoriichi, forever a god!"
"What a Versailles story! For the first time in my life, I felt a chill down my spine, and then I instantly killed him with one strike?"
Seeing this scene, everyone wasn't worried about Tanjiro's safety. Instead, they were all eagerly anticipating Tanjiro standing up, activating his power-up, and ending this final battle.
After all, that's what a protagonist is for.
And when the atmosphere was right, even if the protagonist's power-up felt like cheating, as invested readers, they wouldn't care about such minor details at this point.
Izumi Chihiro made a slightly different plot setting here compared to the original work.
While the Demon King was so vulnerable before Yoriichi Tsugikuni, his performance before the others was vastly different.
Kibutsuji Muzan's strength was undoubtedly even greater than Kokushibo's before!
Because of Kibutsuji Muzan's immense power, the participating Demon Slayer Corps members were one by one struck down. It was at this moment that the Serpent Hashira, who had yet to show his full power, began to make his presence felt. After explaining his background, and because he, like the Love Hashira, had maintained good stamina, he took on the primary attacking role.
However, Kibutsuji Muzan's power remained insurmountable. When he unleashed one of his Blood Demon Arts, he finally overpowered the combined efforts of everyone, leaving them lying unconscious in various parts of the street, their fates unknown.
Just as Kibutsuji Muzan prepared to execute them one by one, a reborn Tanjiro appeared before him. The spiritual appearance he displayed immediately reminded Kibutsuji Muzan of that man, that divine technique that filled him with dread!
Fortunately, although Tanjiro had grown stronger, both sides were still on the same level, and the outcome of this battle remained uncertain.
In a blink, more than two hours had passed.
Kibutsuji Muzan, sensing his body's decline and an abnormal physical condition, chose to flee.
Another despicable move.
But this is also easy to understand; he is merely a creature obsessed with 'survival,' not a swordsman with great self-respect, nor the 'natural disaster' he claimed to be.
Face, after all, isn't something he truly couldn't let go of.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have waited until Yoriichi Tsugikuni died of old age before daring to become active again.
However, Kibutsuji Muzan's escape ultimately failed.
Because Lady Tamayo's medicine took effect, preventing him from splitting into over a thousand pieces through cell division to escape, forcing him to fight Tanjiro.
At the same time, everyone else, under Yushiro's healing, chose to overtax their bodies to participate in the battle, all to ensure Kibutsuji Muzan would die without a burial place.
With no other choice, Kibutsuji Muzan had to push his body, which was already nearing its limit, fighting desperately against everyone regardless of the toll.
After a fierce battle, the sun finally rose, and Kibutsuji Muzan finally vanished completely under the sunlight…
In the aftermath of battle, sacrifices are always inevitable.
The Stone Pillar's sacrifice was already fated due to his mark.
Sanemi Shinazugawa, due to severe injuries from previous battles, finally reunited with his brother.
However, Izumi Chihiro gave the Love Pillar and Serpent Pillar a relatively good ending; although their bodies were somewhat crippled and they wouldn't live past 25.
But for the two who had already expressed their feelings and were planning to marry, this ending was already very satisfying.
And when Tanjiro finally collapsed from exhaustion, he happened to fall into Kanao's arms…
Then it recounted how, after the demons disappeared, everyone left the Demon Slayer Corps and went about their different daily lives.
Until one day, everyone gathered together, and those who had already confirmed their relationships once again discussed those memories, which were both cruel and nostalgic…
Everything ended here.
As if having experienced a long life, everyone reluctantly closed their books, their minds flashing with the unforgettable moments from demon slayer.
Ultimately, they could only sigh, "It's finished."
Trying to return to normal from that state.
After more than a year of following the series, everyone had developed feelings for many characters in demon slayer, especially the righteous and compassionate protagonist, Tanjiro, shaped by Izumi Masamune; everyone loved him.
This is a character who truly deserves to be described as 'gentle,' not in the derogatory sense of 'yasashii.'
The strength of gentleness lies in the warmth of water and the burning of fire.
He tries his best to save everyone he can help but would never harm strangers in the process.
He can empathize with the pain of demons from their human past but would never let them off the hook because of it.
Tanjiro embodied this perfectly, making him a very likable protagonist who allows people to better relate their own values, thus eliciting different degrees of resonance.
As for other very charming characters, they also left a deep impression, especially the elder brother Flame Pillar; such an optimistic and uplifting character seems to be a rare trait in this era, yet he is so beloved.
This proves one point: it's not that people dislike such characters, it's just that many writers don't portray them well, thus avoiding the appearance of these 'unpopular' characters.
Besides, although the stories were short, there were indeed many charming characters, for example, the Insect Pillar Kocho Shinobu, who left many people wanting more.
And on the villain's side, apart from the two despicable and low-level characters, Upper Rank Four and Upper Rank Five, the other characters should also be memorable.
At this point, the story of demon slayer also came to an end.
At most, he would write some epilogues and side stories at the request of Fujikawa Bunko.
…
"Ha~"
In front of his desk, Izumi Chihiro stretched, threw off the covers, and lay on the bed.
"I wonder what the comment section will be like tomorrow? That's truly something to look forward to."
With that thought, he drifted off to sleep.
The name '80-year-old Old Thief' is well-deserved.
Early the next morning, Izumi Chihiro eagerly logged onto the website to check everyone's comments.
["Ah ah ah!! Shinobu died, Muichiro Tokito died… and everyone else died! So many important characters died in the final battle, waah waah waah… The Old Thief is too ruthless!"]
["I cried and cursed while reading yesterday! Old Thief, give me back my good mood for this week!"]
["The despicable boss finally achieved his dream, basking in the sun one more time! Everyone, let's celebrate!"]
["This battle was too arduous; it's my first time seeing such a difficult fight. If it weren't for Lady Tamayo's sacrifice, I really don't know how Kibutsuji Muzan could have been dealt with."]
["The despicable boss still has strength! Even in his old age, at ninety years old, he could defeat so many people. I can't imagine how terrifying Yoriichi, who instantly killed the despicable boss at his peak, truly was!"]
["Old Thief, you tricked me! Muichiro Tokito's 'Mu' isn't the 'Mu' for infinity at all, but the 'Mu' for a complete corpse, right! And Genya too, he didn't even leave a body, not even ashes…"]
["It's okay, still acceptable. As someone who constantly reads tragic stories, I don't mind. After Izumi-sensei's demon slayer finished, I suddenly felt an emptiness. I wonder when Izumi-sensei's next work will come out? I hope it's soon."]
Even if he slightly modified the plot to lessen the emotional impact, everyone still felt dissatisfied; too many people died, and among them were some very popular characters.
However, no matter what, demon slayer had come to a complete stop.
This reading experience would become an unforgettable period for many people for years to come.
Closing the website, Izumi Chihiro changed his clothes and pushed the door open.
After breakfast, Mrs. Izumi went into the kitchen to wash the dishes, while his father left for work.
"Ni-san, it's finished," Sagiri suddenly came over, her voice full of melancholy.
As an illustrator and the younger sister of a light novel author, her feelings were equally intense.
With the completion of the work, it meant her work would also temporarily come to an end.
"Yes, it's finished."