Mount Sagiri.
The air was as fresh as ever.
Giyu Tomioka is back.
He still had that expressionless face, walking with an air of indifference as he went down the mountain path.
The only difference was that in his left hand he was carrying a bundle of human body parts tied with rope, resembling a large hairy crab, which were still wriggling.
In his right hand, he held a ghost head, its gold-rimmed glasses still properly on, while it was frantically spouting the quintessence of Chinese culture.
"I'm warning you! You carbon-based creature with facial nerve disorders! Immediately! Right now! Put my noble head off your filthy hands!"
"And another thing! Can you walk a little more steadily?! You're shaking my nose so much it's about to break!"
"These gold-rimmed glasses are a limited edition made of pure gold! Can you afford to pay for them if you break them?!"
The Yaoshi's head, like a kidnapped chatterbox, kept cursing and swearing, spittle flying everywhere.
Giyu Tomioka remained expressionless, even seeming annoyed by the noise. He tossed his hand, turning the head so it faced the back of Yoshiyuki's elegant head.
"..."
The world is peaceful now.
When Giyu Tomioka appeared at the training ground carrying his "trophies,"
Sabito and Shinobu Kocho, who were locked in a fierce battle, suddenly pressed the pause button.
Kanae Kocho and Sakonji Urokodaki, also looked over.
All eyes were focused on what Giyu Tomioka was holding.
"Giyu / Tomioka- kun/Mr Tomioka?"
Everyone spoke in unison, their voices filled with obvious questions.
Without a word, Giyu Tomioka stepped forward and threw the bundle of "crabs" along with their heads on the ground.
"Mission complete."
He uttered a shocking statement in a tone as casual as if he were throwing away trash.
"He is the Yaoshi."
"He ate the Blue Spider Lily."
"Now, he can't be killed, and he's not afraid of the sun anymore."
An eerie silence fell over the training field.
A gust of wind blew by, swirling up a few fallen leaves; the atmosphere was so awkward it could be described as a three-bedroom apartment.
Upon seeing this commotion, the Yaoshi's head assumed his reinforcements had arrived and immediately resumed his performance.
"That's right! I'm the man you'll never have!"
Upper Rank Seven, Yaoshi!
"Do you see that?! I am the perfect Ultimate Lifeform! A god walking in the sunlight!"
"You bunch of vermin, why aren't you kneeling down and welcoming the arrival of a new era?!"
"Ara ara~"
Shinobu Kocho was the first to break the silence. She covered her mouth and laughed heartily, but there was no hint of amusement in her purple eyes.
"Mr. Tomioka, you went on a business trip and even brought back a local specialty that can perform stand-up comedy? You must have gone to a lot of trouble."
"This... this is the Upper Rank demon?"
Kanae Kocho's expression was somewhat solemn, but more than that, it was... a kind of amazement at seeing a rare species.
Sakonji Urokodaki didn't speak, but under that Tengu Mask, everyone felt a sense of impending doom.
And the Sabito...
Her reaction was the most unusual.
She stared blankly at the arrogant head at first, and then, slowly, slowly, the corners of her mouth began to turn up.
Finally, he flashed a morbid smile that sent chills down the spines of everyone present.
"Pharmacist..."
She pronounced the name slowly and deliberately, her voice sickeningly sweet, but a fierce fire of revenge burned in her silver eyes!
"Hehehe... hehe..."
A chilling laugh, the kind that could be written into a villain's textbook, came from her mouth.
The next second, she drew her Nichirin Blade!
"Wait... wait! What are you doing?!"
"You pink-haired, violent woman!"
"Stop! I command you to stop!"
The Yaoshi's head sensed for the first time that something seemed amiss.
However, the Sabito didn't even look at him.
Her target was that bundle of "hairy crabs" on the ground!
"Water Breathing - Eighth Form - Waterfall Basin!"
Sabito's figure descended from the sky, his Nichirin Blade creating a massive surge of water as he mercilessly smashed into the bundle of human parts on the ground!
"Bang-!"
"Ahhh—my leg! My perfect left leg!!"
The Yaoshi's head emitted a bloodcurdling scream, like a pig being slaughtered!
"Heh heh! Shout! Shout louder!"
Sabito's smile grew increasingly sinister. Carrying her knife, she walked step by step toward the scattered parts, like a mischievous child who had just received a new toy.
Didn't you say you were the perfect Ultimate Lifeform?
"Come on, let me see if your regenerative abilities can keep up with my blade!"
"Water Breathing - Second Form - Water Wheel!"
"Water Breathing - Seventh Form - Drop Ripple Thrust!"
"Ah! My kidneys! You actually cut off my kidneys!"
"Hehehe! Don't rush, there's still the liver and lungs to go!"
"Help! Murder! No! Ghost killing! Is anyone going to do anything about this?! There's a madman here!"
For a moment, the entire training ground echoed with the Yaoshi's shrill screams and Sabito's morbid laughter.
The Kocho Sisters' lips twitched as they watched.
Giyu Tomioka silently took a half step back, indicating that this matter had nothing to do with him.
Sakonji Urokodaki sighed deeply, feeling utterly exhausted.
He pulled Giyu Tomioka aside, looking at his beloved apprentice in the distance, whose eyes were already bloodshot with rage, his voice filled with solemnity.
"Giyu, is Sabito's mental state... a bit off?"
"It doesn't matter."
Giyu Tomioka's words were concise and to the point.
"He won't die."
"..."
Sakonji Urokodaki decided to change the subject.
"You just said that he is no longer afraid of the sun."
"This means that Muzan will soon receive the news, and he will stop at nothing to take this 'Yaoshi' back."
"The Demon Slayer Corps is facing an unprecedented crisis."
Giyu Tomioka nodded, a resolute glint in his deep blue eyes.
"Yes, it's a race against time."
"But perhaps, this is also an opportunity."
"A chance... to Muzan Kibutsuji! Once and for all!"
He spoke calmly, but Sakonji Urokodaki sensed a determination hidden beneath that calmness that even he himself wasn't entirely sure of.
While the master and apprentice were having a serious discussion about the fate of the world, the "torture" continued.
The Yaoshi was on the verge of a mental breakdown from the torture. Seeing that begging for mercy was useless, he steeled himself and began to threaten him with bluster.
"Stop! You bunch of idiots! Stop it all!!"
He used all his strength to roar wildly in the direction of Urokodaki Sakonji Urokodaki and Giyu Tomioka!
"Do you know who I am?! I am the most treasured gem of Lord Muzan! I am the one who will lead the demon clan to a bright future!"
"If you dare lay a finger on me today, once Lord Muzan finds out, he will personally lead the Twelve Kizuki to raze this wretched mountain to the ground and turn you all into demon food!!"
He roared with all his might, full of imposing force, as if he could already see the Demon Slayer Corps flowing with blood.
However, his self-righteous threat caused both Giyu Tomioka and Sakonji Urokodaki, who were having a serious conversation, to pause simultaneously.
The two exchanged a glance, and in each other's eyes, they saw a glint of... cunning!
Even Sabito, who was unleashing a flurry of attacks, stopped his sword and, along with the Kocho Sisters, turned to look.
An eerie silence fell over the training ground once again.
The Yaoshi was a little confused by the sudden silence.
What's going on? My threat worked? They've finally realized they're scared?
Just as he was feeling smug, Giyu Tomioka's expressionless face slowly turned towards him.
"You mean...
"Is Muzan unaware of everything that's happening here?"