Under the night sky, a full moon hung high.
The wisteria in the courtyard had long since withered. The evening breeze brushed past bare branches, stirring the hair of the young men and women.
"Nezuko, don't be afraid. Big brother will protect you."
Tanjiro held his sister's hand tightly. Nezuko had already taken the medicine developed by Lady Tamayo and was in the process of turning back into a human. Because of that, she was running a fever and feeling unwell, and Tanjiro stayed by her side without leaving.
"I'll protect Nezuko too! Don't worry, Nezuko!"
Zenitsu, sitting beside Tanjiro, leaned forward and chimed in, his face full of flattery. Nezuko didn't seem to dislike him, smiling and nodding in response.
Over these two months, Tanjiro, Zenitsu, and Inosuke—as Tsuguko—had also participated in the Nine Hashira's training, and their strength had soared.
They were top-tier talents to begin with. Under Kurosaki Rei's hellish training, all three had reached the realm of Total Concentration: Constant, learned Ghost-God, and were now no weaker than the former Hashira.
Zenitsu, in particular, had finally gained some confidence. He felt that even if he faced the terrifying Upper Rank demons of the Twelve Kizuki, he would dare to fight.
What changed him wasn't just his increased strength—it was also the realization that his senior brother carried far too much on his shoulders.
Two months ago, he had received devastating news: his second senior brother, Kaigaku, had fallen while hunting demons, with not even a body left behind. The sorrow weighed heavily on him, and through letters, he could feel his grandfather's grief as well.
Zenitsu wanted to slay demons—to avenge his senior brother, to show his strength, and to keep his grandfather and Senior Brother Rei from worrying.
Most importantly, he felt that Senior Brother Rei was simply too busy—training the Nine Hashira and Tsuguko, teaching Ghost-God, hunting demons outside, and even using himself as bait to gamble with terrifying enemies.
Zenitsu wanted to shoulder some of that burden. He wanted to become strong—strong enough to face the Twelve Kizuki, even Kibutsuji Muzan himself.
"All the Hashira have gathered… This really is an unusual night. I can smell the scent of a great battle."
Perched atop the wall, Inosuke—wearing his boar mask and gripping his twin blades—gazed up at the starry sky.
"I wonder how Senior Brother Rei is doing. With his speed, if he'd finished his mission, he should've returned to headquarters by now."
Zenitsu spoke worriedly. They had only learned after finishing training that Kurosaki Rei had gone out on a mission, heading fifty li away.
"Don't worry. Godfather is very strong. There's no way he'd lose to those demons' schemes."
Because she was roughly the same generation as Tanjiro and the others and had grown close to them, Hinata was also guarding the courtyard.
Two months ago, after receiving Kurosaki Rei's assignment, she and Xiao Whirlwind had quickly found Kaigaku. While Kaigaku was still utterly confused, they chopped him up and fed him to the dogs.
After completing the task, Kurosaki Rei had indeed kept his promise—letting the two of them remain hidden in the rear, never sending them out demon-hunting, keeping them safe.
But after hearing that Kurosaki Rei was training the Nine Hashira and Tsuguko, Hinata felt tempted. She knew that in the System Space, one was like a boat rowing upstream—if you didn't advance, you fell back. So she volunteered for training. Kurosaki Rei hadn't treated her any differently and taught her Ghost-God as well.
Though she wasn't as naturally gifted as the Hashira, she managed to learn the basics. On her status panel, it showed as a Level 1 skill.
Even at level one, she felt Ghost-God was incredibly powerful. After learning that Kurosaki Rei had created it himself, she only felt that the big boss was absurdly strong.
Before leaving today, Kurosaki Rei had actually told her she could run—because a major battle might break out at the Demon Slayer Corps.
After much thought, Hinata decided not to flee. Mainly because after two months of living and training together, she had grown attached to Tanjiro and the others. She truly didn't want to abandon them at the last moment.
Besides, Nezuko was in the middle of transformation. Even if Hinata didn't fight, she could still help by carrying Nezuko away if things went bad. So she stayed.
"Didn't Senior Brother Rei say he doesn't like you calling him that? 'Godfather' is so embarrassing."
Zenitsu complained from the side. Strangely enough, even though Hinata was a beautiful older sister, he felt no urge to pursue her. He only ever found Nezuko truly captivating.
"Isn't that what Tsuguko means?" Hinata laughed, looking up at the bright moon. "I hope this will be a peaceful night, and that Godfather can return safely soon."
No sooner had she finished speaking than an explosive roar erupted outside the courtyard, accompanied by furious shouts from the Hashira.
Hinata's face changed. No way… did I just jinx it?
Zenitsu reacted the fastest—his hearing was exceptional. He sprang to his feet at once, stepping in front of Nezuko and Tanjiro, one hand resting on his Nichirin Blade, his gaze sharp and alert.
"Tanjiro, stay with Nezuko. Inosuke and I will help!"
At that moment, the boar-headed figure on the wall didn't even say a word—he leapt down first and charged straight into the battlefield.
On the other side of the wall, the Nine Hashira were already standing in formation, staring at Kibutsuji Muzan as he emerged from a door of the Infinity Castle.
The Serpent Hashira's perception was extremely sharp. He detected the anomaly immediately and warned the Hashira lurking around the courtyard. In less than two seconds, Muzan was completely surrounded.
"On such a beautiful night, seeing you eyesores really puts me in a foul mood."
Kibutsuji Muzan adjusted the white hat on his head. He was a particular demon—after being transferred to a safe location by Nakime, he had even changed into a fresh outfit.
"This is… Kibutsuji Muzan?!"
The Love Hashira gasped. It was her first time seeing a demon with such ominous, overwhelming presence.
"So you're all here. Looks like that guy wasn't unprepared—he's already set things up."
Facing the encirclement of the Nine Hashira, Muzan remained calm. In his view, monsters like Kurosaki Rei or Tsugikuni Yoriichi were rare anomalies. Normally, Hashira were weak—he could slaughter them at will.
On the contrary, seeing all nine gathered together confirmed the intelligence his subordinates had provided: the Demon Slayer Corps' Master and the sun-conquering Nezuko were very likely here.
Thinking of eternal life and immunity to sunlight being within reach, Muzan's lips curled upward uncontrollably. Even the Nine Hashira before him began to look more pleasing to the eye.
He extended his hand, his deep voice sounding:
"Blood Demon Art: Black Blood Brambles."
In the next instant, countless blood-red thorny tendrils spread outward from him like threads—sharp and resilient. From Muzan's experience, this single move was enough to kill most Hashira.
If none of them were particularly strong, this would clear the field. Then he could calmly devour Nezuko in the courtyard.
At this distance, he could already sense Nezuko's presence—so sweet, so delicious.
However, the very next moment—
As the Black Blood Brambles shattered, the smile on Muzan's face froze.
Among the Nine Hashira, the towering figure at the center erupted with power. Earth-yellow markings spread across his face and skin, like an enraged Myōō.
He swung his meteor hammer, smashing the ground to rebound, obliterating vast swathes of the spreading Blood Demon Art.
Then he stepped forward, dragging the meteor hammer as it swept horizontally toward Muzan—such speed and strength made Muzan utterly unable to laugh.
At the same time, the other eight Hashira moved as well.
Like the Stone Hashira, their auras surged explosively. It was as if they transformed—patterns similar to Demon Slayer Marks, yet covering their entire bodies, emerged.
Starting from the Stone Hashira and moving clockwise, each unleashed their ultimate techniques toward Muzan:
Stone Breathing, Second Form: Upper Smash!
Mist Breathing, Fourth Form: Shifting Flow Slash!
Water Breathing, Eleventh Form: Dead Calm!
Sound Breathing, Fourth Form: Constant Resounding Slashes!
Insect Breathing: Dance of the Bee Sting · True Drag!
Serpent Breathing, Fifth Form: Slithering Serpent!
Love Breathing, First Form: Shivers of First Love!
Flame Breathing, Fourth Form: Blooming Flame Undulation!
Wind Breathing, Eighth Form: First Gale Slash!
All nine Hashira struck at once. Their combined momentum drowned Muzan. The attacks were clearly pre-coordinated, with deliberate attribute synergy.
The Flame and Wind Hashira's techniques fed into each other—wind fanning the flames, making the inferno fiercer and faster.
Mist and Water intertwined, water and fog coiling together to obscure Muzan's vision, allowing other attacks to land more easily.
The Sound Hashira shattered the Blood Brambles in his direction, opening a path for Shinobu's thrust—her slender Nichirin Blade already primed with poison.
The Serpent and Love Hashira moved in perfect coordination—one wielding a twisted blade, the other a whip-like flexible sword—striking at Muzan's defensive blind spots.
With all Breathing Techniques fully unleashed, it looked like a chaotic firework display—an extreme visual spectacle. The overwhelming barrage swallowed Muzan whole.
Boom—!
Amid the thunderous explosion, Muzan's Blood Demon Art was broken through. With all directions sealed, he had nowhere to dodge and was forced to take the hit head-on.
His head was smashed apart by the Stone Hashira's meteor hammer. His body was riddled with holes by the Nine Hashira's combined assault.
Dust and smoke billowed, the scene utterly chaotic. To avoid friendly fire, the Hashira paused their attacks for a split second.
At that moment, Muzan's mangled body suddenly leapt up, escaping the encirclement.
But how could the Nine Hashira let him go?
Their coordination was flawless. The second wave of attacks locked onto Muzan and rained down like bombardment.
By now, Muzan was completely rattled by the previous barrage. His instinct was to flee—but suspended in midair, there was nowhere to dodge.
In desperation, he opened another door to the Infinity Castle.
As he rose, the door opened behind him. From the Infinity Castle's perspective, it looked as if Muzan had fallen in.
The door opened and closed in an instant. The Hashira's attacks smashed into the closing door, shattering it—yet there was no Infinity Castle behind it. The spatial passage had already vanished.
From Kurosaki Rei's perspective, high above in the distance, a door opened within the Infinity Castle, letting in moonlight—and a figure that looked like a torn rag dropped through.
The surviving explorers and demons inside the Infinity Castle were stunned, staring at that falling shape, unable to tell what it was.
No demon would ever associate that tattered, rag-like mass with Muzan.
After all, Muzan was the mighty Demon King. Even if he was a bit cowardly, how could he possibly be beaten into a rag?
But then—
That rag-like lump of flesh squirmed, painfully reforming itself into a grotesque, stitched-together humanoid.
The Infinity Castle fell into dead silence.
Which made the enraged, hysterical roar even more piercing:
"Demon Slayer Corps!!!"
His body had just stabilized when a tremendous sense of danger washed over him.
Muzan instinctively leapt—but he was still a fraction too slow.
A jet-black blade flashed past, slicing through from the root of his thigh, severing all three of his legs at once!
"Kurosaki Rei!"
Muzan roared with hatred. His legs regenerated almost instantly, but he dared not entangle himself with Kurosaki Rei. The moment Kokushibo arrived to clash blades with Kurosaki Rei, Muzan immediately retreated and ordered Nakime:
"Keep them away from me. I'm going over there again!"
As he spoke, a door opened above him—once more opening outside the Demon Slayer Corps' headquarters courtyard.
As soon as the door opened, Muzan saw nine silhouettes standing beneath the night sky, all turning their heads toward him in unison.
The foot he was about to step through… hesitated.
🌟 The story is already written… waiting to be unleashed.Part One is officially complete — and it's now available
Go check it out and dive into the full experience.
Claim early access here: [email protected]/voidink08
🔓 You hold the keys to bonus chapters:💬 10 reviews unlock 1 bonus chapter🔷 100 Power Stones summon another
🔥 Your power determines how fast the tale unfolds.