"Pass down the order: the Ubuyashiki clan has secretly raised death squads and is plotting rebellion. Your unit is to move out immediately and suppress them.
No survivors are to be left behind. Before dawn, all rebels must be annihilated!"
"Yes, sir!"
Under the cover of night, after more than ten minutes of relentless artillery bombardment, multiple army units—led by infantry fighting vehicles and equipped with flamethrowers—advanced from all directions.
Shouting slogans akin to "Tenno Heika Banzai," the soldiers charged forward under armored cover toward the base, which had nearly been reduced to rubble.
Rat-tat-tat! Rat-tat-tat-tat!
"Urgh! Aah!"
Bang! Bang bang!
Under the pale moonlight, the heavy machine guns mounted atop the armored vehicles poured continuous fire into the ruins.
A handful of Demon Slayers who had miraculously survived the bombardment—and possessed extraordinary strength—managed to deflect the incoming bullets with unbelievable sword speed.
But it didn't matter.
They were quickly engulfed by the advancing flamethrower units, turned into living torches, and then finished off by the soldiers who followed close behind.
"Report! There are people hiding in the ruins ahead!"
"No need to approach! Use mortars and grenades!"
The battle was completely one-sided.
Against overwhelming modern firepower, the Demon Slayers wielding Nichirin Blades stood no chance.
As time passed, the soldiers steadily tightened the encirclement, and the remaining Demon Slayers fell one after another under coordinated assault.
On a distant hillside, inside the temporary command post for this suppression operation, Inosuke Hashibira held a pair of binoculars, observing the burning base below.
Beside him stood a military officer, posture respectful.
"Young Master Hashibira, do you have any further orders?"
"I don't. But my uncle said it clearly—before dawn, every rebel must be eliminated. Not a single one in that base is to be left alive."
Who was the "uncle" Inosuke referred to?
There was only one possibility—Michikatsu Tsugikuni, now a high-ranking councilor who had detected the Ubuyashiki clan's suspicious intentions.
"Yes, sir!"
"Also, send men to search the surrounding forests. Make sure no one slips through the net.
Same rule applies—any remaining rebels are to be executed on sight. No need to report."
"Yes, sir!"
With that, Inosuke tossed the binoculars to the officer and turned to leave.
"That's all. I'll leave the rest to you. Don't worry—once this mission is over, I'll put in a good word for you with my uncle."
"Thank you very much! Please take care, Young Master!"
"..."
On the ground, while Inosuke directed the purge of the Demon Slayer Corps' headquarters, another battle was unfolding simultaneously within the Infinity Castle.
"Kibutsuji Muzan!!"
"Damn it!"
"What the hell is going on?!"
The sudden opening of the Infinity Castle's gates had sucked everyone near the estate inside.
Through precise manipulation of the castle's internal structure, Nakime swiftly separated the group, scattering them across different locations.
"Father!"
Falling uncontrollably under distorted gravity, Tanjiro Kamado looked up at Tanjuro Kamado above him and shouted, instinctively reaching out.
But in a state of weightlessness, no matter how far he stretched his arm, he couldn't close the distance between them.
"Tanjiro."
Barely turning his head, Tanjuro's gaunt face revealed a faint smile.
"Remember… keep breathing."
The moment his words fell, a building shot sideways from a nearby structure, slamming directly into Tanjuro.
"Father?!"
Within the Infinity Castle, gravity shifted chaotically according to Nakime's will. That impact sent Tanjuro flying in a completely different direction from Tanjiro.
"Big brother!"
"You brat!"
Elsewhere, as Sanemi Shinazugawa plummeted at high speed, he shouted toward Genya Shinazugawa above him just as a building hurtled toward him.
"You better stay alive! I'll come find you! You hear me?!"
"Giyuu! Makomo! Grab on!"
In another area, Sabito, who had landed on a rooftop, spun around and grabbed both Giyuu Tomioka and Makomo, pulling them up with all his strength.
"You two okay?"
"Still alive."
"I'm fine… but where is this place?"
Crouched on the narrow rooftop, the three cautiously scanned their surroundings.
"I think… this is the truth behind the demons' teleportation."
Sabito looked down at the seemingly bottomless darkness below, his expression grave.
"We were wrong before. It's not just teleportation—they possess an entire alternate dimension that can connect to the real world at will!"
"An alternate dimension? Then doesn't that mean Muzan can just hide here forever…?"
"Exactly. Which means if we want to win this battle, we have to find the demon controlling this space—and kill it first."
As he spoke, Sabito slowly stood and began walking toward the cluster of buildings behind them.
"For now, our priority is regrouping with the others. Let's move."
"Damn it… the Master…"
"Calm yourself, Muichiro. Our priority is to regroup—and defeat the demons."
Elsewhere, Muichiro Tokito had joined up with Gyomei Himejima, the two searching nearby structures for their allies.
"I understand."
Taking a deep breath to steady himself, Muichiro suppressed the grief and rage within.
"Those demons… they killed the Master. I will never—never forgive them!!"
"Of course. I'm sure everyone feels the same—Muichiro! Watch out beside you!"
As they rounded a corner, the building next to Muichiro suddenly shot sideways. Caught off guard, he was slammed away and sent hurtling toward a bottomless abyss!
"Muichiro!"
[Damn it!]
Gyomei's voice quickly faded as Muichiro fell at extreme speed, the scenery around him shifting wildly.
[Adjust your body! Move!]
Soon, the countless buildings vanished, replaced by an endless, ink-dark void.
Then, a faint light appeared below.
"Ground"…?
It looked like… a town?
Instead of being crushed on impact, the gravity dissipated at the final moment, allowing Muichiro to land safely on a deserted street within an empty city.
"Now then… let me see what kind of little guest Nakime has sent me this time."
Before he could even catch his breath, a soft, smiling female voice echoed in his mind.