Inside the Infinity Castle, an atmosphere unlike anything in its thousand-year history had taken shape.
Instead of bloodshed, punishment, and terrifying summons from Muzan Kibutsuji, the endless halls echoed with movement, conversation, and bizarre attempts at celebration.
For once, the demons of the Twelve Kizuki were not gathered for slaughter.
They were preparing for New Year's Eve.
At the center of one chamber, Muzan currently in his female form and dressed in an elegant black kimono sat beside Rui while discussing decorations with surprising seriousness.
Rui listened quietly, his pale face showing the faintest trace of happiness.
Ever since Kokushibo's influence had gradually altered the atmosphere within the Infinity Castle, Rui had become far less isolated than before.
Suddenly
The sliding doors burst open violently.
Lower Rank Four, Mukago, rushed into the room recklessly.
"Muzan-sama! Come help us already!"
Before Muzan could react, the childlike demon grabbed his sleeve and began dragging him away through the corridors.
Muzan's eye twitched slightly.
Normally, such disrespect would have ended in immediate execution.
Yet tonight, for reasons even he did not fully understand, he allowed it.
Throughout the Infinity Castle, the Lower Rank demons busied themselves preparing the banquet.
Some adjusted tablecloths.
Others arranged lacquered dishes and sake cups carefully across the enormous dining area.
Several weaker demons nervously carried trays back and forth while trying desperately not to anger any Upper Rank.
Near one of the pillars, Daki sat cross-legged while folding decorative paper ornaments.
Unfortunately
Rip.
The paper tore apart in her hands.
Immediately, Daki's eyes filled with tears.
The surrounding demons froze in terror.
Nobody dared approach Upper Rank Six when she looked upset.
Gyutaro sighed helplessly from nearby before crouching beside his younger sister.
"Oi, Ume, don't cry over something stupid."
Despite his rough tone, he gently wiped away her tears before handing her a fresh sheet of paper.
Daki instantly brightened again.
"Mhm!"
The siblings resumed sitting together quietly while making decorations.
Elsewhere, Gyokko had entered a state of artistic obsession.
Upper Rank Five proudly displayed dozens of his grotesque ceramic creations throughout the Infinity Castle as though unveiling a sacred exhibition.
Twisted vases.
Distorted pots.
Nightmarish sculptures made from warped flesh and bone.
To Gyokko, each piece represented ultimate beauty.
As he admired his collection proudly, a quiet voice suddenly drifted through the room.
"…That pot isn't symmetrical."
Silence.
Absolute silence.
Crack.
Veins bulged instantly across Gyokko's face.
His expression twisted with murderous rage.
"WHO SAID THAT?!"
Nearby demons scattered immediately in fear.
Hantengu, meanwhile, had already collapsed onto the floor while trembling violently.
"So scary! Too scary!" he wailed.
Gyokko no longer cared about rank or etiquette.
Someone had insulted his art.
That offense could only be repaid with death.
Just as he prepared to erupt completely, another presence entered the hall.
Muzan appeared.
In one hand, he held Rui calmly.
In the other, Mukago continued tugging him forward excitedly.
Rui looked curiously toward one of Gyokko's vases.
"Muzan-sama," Rui asked softly, "is that one supposed to look uneven?"
Muzan glanced at the pot indifferently.
"…It does appear somewhat unbalanced."
Gyokko froze instantly.
The murderous aura vanished without a trace.
Challenge Muzan over pottery?
Absolutely not.
With complete dignity, Gyokko quietly retreated back toward his display area as though nothing had happened.
Several Lower Rank demons immediately looked at him with silent disappointment.
Meanwhile, elsewhere within the castle
Akaza remained asleep.
Upper Rank Three sat motionless within a private chamber while Enmu's Blood Demon Art maintained a deep dream state around him.
Inside that dream, Akaza stood beside Koyuki.
A wedding ceremony.
Peace.
Warmth.
The impossible life he had lost as a human.
Enmu observed him from nearby with eerie fascination.
"I wonder…" Enmu whispered with a twisted smile, "what Upper Rank Three dreams about so desperately."
Curiosity overcame caution.
The moment Enmu attempted to probe deeper
Crack.
Akaza's fist moved instinctively even while asleep.
Enmu's left arm exploded apart instantly.
"Aah…"
Enmu stared at the stump helplessly.
Even unconscious, Akaza's battle instincts remained terrifying.
Regenerating his arm quickly, Enmu decided against further interference.
"I'll survive longer if I stay away from him," he muttered while leaving quietly.
At the center platform of another chamber, Nakime sat facing Kyogai.
Although Kyogai was no longer one of the Twelve Kizuki, his devotion to Muzan remained absolute, and recently he had become strangely welcomed within the Infinity Castle again.
Tonight, he was enthusiastically demonstrating his tsuzumi drum techniques before Nakime.
The rhythmic sounds echoed beautifully through the endless chambers.
After the performance ended, Nakime gently plucked her biwa strings in response.
The melody she produced was calm and hauntingly elegant.
Then she offered her judgment.
"Your rhythm is excellent," she said quietly. "However… your transitions still lack refinement."
Kyogai nearly ascended from happiness on the spot.
Recognition.
Actual recognition!
He wanted desperately to scream in celebration.
But Muzan had forbidden excessive noise within the Infinity Castle during preparations.
So Kyogai merely trembled in place while trying not to explode emotionally.
Nearby, Doma arrived while casually fanning himself.
Beside him stood Kotoha Hashibira.
Unlike the demons surrounding her, Kotoha showed remarkably little fear.
Instead, she looked around curiously at the preparations.
"I can help too," she offered cheerfully.
Doma smiled warmly.
"Then Nakime-san, could you assist her?"
With a single strum of the biwa, Kotoha instantly appeared among the Lower Rank demons.
The moment several of them noticed an actual human woman standing nearby, dangerous thoughts immediately surfaced.
Lower Rank Two, Rokuro, grinned wickedly while approaching her.
"What a beautiful woman… should I eat you slowly or "
Before he could finish, Wakuraba and Kamanue immediately grabbed him from both sides and covered his mouth desperately.
"We apologize!"
"He's an idiot!"
The two demons dragged the struggling Rokuro away while bowing repeatedly toward the bewildered Kotoha.
Excellent teamwork, honestly.
Eventually, after hours of chaos, the enormous banquet table was finally complete.
And at that exact moment
Kokushibo arrived.
The atmosphere shifted instantly.
Even the Upper Ranks straightened subconsciously.
Muzan watched him silently while pretending not to feel nervous.
Then Nakime quietly announced:
"The food has arrived."
Muzan frowned slightly.
Food delivery?
Inside the Infinity Castle?
Could this gathering possibly become any less dignified?
Just as he prepared to complain
A voice echoed throughout the castle.
A calm voice.
One capable of freezing demon blood itself.
"Delivery for Tsugikuni Yoriichi."
Every demon froze solid.
Several Lower Ranks nearly fainted instantly.
Standing near the entrance was a man wearing a straw hat and carrying multiple wooden food containers.
Tsugikuni Yoriichi.
Even after all these years, his mere presence still inspired instinctive terror within every demon who saw him.
"I brought the special order," Yoriichi said calmly.
"These meals were prepared specifically so demons can consume them safely."
Muzan immediately vanished behind Kokushibo at terrifying speed.
Kokushibo himself looked deeply alarmed.
"Don't push me forward!" he hissed quietly. "I'm not fighting him either!"
From an upper corridor, Doma carefully peeked downward.
"Sorry," he said honestly, "my cells are trembling too."
Not a single demon dared approach the delivery slip.
Unfortunately, without a signature, Yoriichi could not leave.
Silence dominated the Infinity Castle.
Finally
Kotoha stepped forward nervously.
Since she was human, she suffered no instinctive terror from Yoriichi's presence.
"…I'll sign it."
After receiving the signature, Yoriichi nodded politely.
"Thank you. Please enjoy your meal."
Then he departed quietly.
The instant his presence disappeared completely, every demon in the Infinity Castle released a collective breath of relief.
"That monster is finally gone…"
Muzan nearly collapsed from stress.
At last, the banquet officially began.
Kokushibo sat beside Muzan at the head of the enormous table.
Doma occupied the seat below them while Kotoha absentmindedly placed food onto his plate.
Akaza's position remained empty.
At present, disturbing his dream would likely result in catastrophic violence.
No one wished to test that theory.
And so
For perhaps the strangest New Year's Eve imaginable
The Twelve Kizuki gathered together beneath the endless halls of the Infinity Castle and shared a holiday meal.
It felt utterly unnatural.
And somehow…
Oddly peaceful.