Infinity Castle.
The spacious attic echoed with Muzan's Muzan laughter.
Kokushibo knelt on the spot, his six eyes suddenly widening and his pupils contracting violently.
Mount Sagiri!!
Giyu Tomioka!!
The two names intertwined, directly stirring up his long-dormant DNA.
The scene on Hachijōjima instantly flashed through Kokushibo's mind.
The boy clad in a white haori, his severed arm regenerated under the blinding sunlight.
And that azure blade light that perfectly blended the suppleness of the flowing water with the sharpness of the crescent moon...
Kokushibo tightened his grip on the [Kokyū Shinku] resting on his knee, veins bulging on the back of his hand, his breathing becoming incredibly heavy.
As the Upper Rank One who regarded swordsmanship as his life, that defeat was the greatest humiliation in hundreds of years, and also the most unforgettable shock.
He yearned for revenge, longed to stand before that boy once more, to slay him with the purest swordsmanship, and wash away the humiliation of being forced to flee in disgrace by a mere human!
Kokushibo suddenly stood up, his usually calm face now showing barely suppressed fervor and excitement.
"Your subordinate obeys."
Kokushibo turned around and strode out of the attic in a blur.
The attic fell silent again, leaving Muzan standing in front of the luxurious leather sofa.
Muzan's fanatical smile gradually froze, his lips slowly drooping, and the madness in his eyes quickly cooled, replaced by a complex and suspicious expression.
The more arrogant Muzan was when he shouted "Target: Mount Sagiri," the more Muzan he is now.
Muzan plopped back down on the sofa, crossed his legs, and tapped his thigh impatiently with his index finger.
Mount Sagiri is the territory of the former Water Hashira Cultivator, and the current Water Hashira Giyu Tomioka, is also there.
The name Giyu Tomioka is like a poisonous thorn that Muzan get rid of.
That guy can not only jump around in the sunlight, but also has the Upper Rank One.
What if I personally lead the team to Mount Sagiri this time, and it turns out to be a trap?
What if Giyu Tomioka evolves again during this time and becomes the red-haired devil with the Sun-wheel earrings from four hundred years ago?
The thought of Yoriichi Tsugikuni's Muzan fire-patterned silhouette sent chills down Muzan's spine.
Possessing the world's greatest power and countless underlings, he could become Perfect Lifeform simply by hiding in the back and devouring the brought-back Yaoshi. Why would he risk his life on the front lines?
Even if there's a 99% chance of him personally crushing Giyu Tomioka, there's still a 1% chance of failure!
Even a one percent mortality rate is still death. For the Demon King, who cherishes life like gold, this is practically walking a tightrope with his life on the line!
A wealthy man's son shouldn't sit under a dangerous roof; how can a boss risk his life on the front lines like a factory worker?
Muzan, having found a way to save face in his mind, suddenly raised his head and shouted into the void.
Nakime!!
A soft, clear sound came from the Biwa.
"Relay my command!!"
"At all costs, even if it means razing that mountain to the ground, you must bring the Yaoshi's body back to me!!"
Muzan paused, then shrank deeper into the sofa, his tone becoming incredibly gloomy.
"As for me, I will personally oversee the entire operation within the Infinity Castle, ready to receive the spoils you bring back at any time!!"
These words, though spoken in a grand and dignified manner, actually meant that the emperor had completely abandoned the idea of personally leading the expedition and was determined to remain in the safe house like a cowardly turtle, completely safe from any mishap.
At the same time, at Mount Sagiri.
"Puff!!"
Yushiro suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood, staining a large area of the tatami mat in front of him red, and fell heavily onto the floor.
Tamayo knelt beside him with a pained expression, carefully wiping the cold sweat from Yushiro's forehead with a handkerchief.
"Lady Tamayo... I'm sorry... I failed..."
Yushiro weakly raised one hand, trying to grab Tamayo's clothes, his voice filled with a sob and unbearable frustration, as if he wanted to put on a show right then and there o(╥╥)o.
"That old bastard's mental power is completely unreasonable!!"
"I had meticulously fabricated a fictional memory of a Yaoshi struggling to find herbs deep in the mountains, hoping to deceive everyone."
Yushiro swallowed a mouthful of bloody saliva, his expression turning extremely pained.
"As a result, that old mummy immediately unleashed an extremely brutal mental attack, smashing my firewall to pieces!!"
"All my real memories have been leaked out!!"
"The old mummy saw everything clearly: the information that the Blue Spider Lily had been eaten, and the image of the Yaoshi laughing maniacally in the sunlight!!"
Yushiro closed his eyes in anguish, tears streaming down his face.
"That old mummy even knows the whole story of how that expressionless man dismembered the Yaoshi and took him back to Mount Sagiri!!"
"I'm so sorry, Lady Tamayo, I've completely messed things up!!"
This is the worst possible outcome.
Before Tamayo could offer any words of comfort, a figure carrying a Nichirin Blade strolled in from outside.
Sabito leaned against the door frame, arms crossed, eyes curving into two beautiful crescents, and made a clicking sound of admiration.
"Oh dear, I thought the renowned young master Yushiro was some kind of reclusive king, but it turns out his skills are just this."
Sabito deliberately dragged out his words, activating the taunting mode of a max-level Onmyoji, each word precisely hitting Yushiro's sore spots.
"They made all those grand pronouncements, saying they could arrange everything perfectly in a minute, and this is what they came up with?"
"You've been so thorough in tipping off the enemy, you Muzan, right?"
"Is that all you've got? How are you going to protect Miss Tamayo? By pretending to be dead on the ground for the enemy to see?"
Yushiro's face, which had been deathly pale, instantly turned bright red. He sprang up from the ground, pointed at Sabito's nose, and began to curse.
"What do you know, you ignorant, violent pink-haired bastard?!"
"Do you think that's just some random cat or dog's consciousness? That's the Demon King himself invading!!"
Yushiro was so angry that he jumped up and down, waving his hands wildly in the air.
"It's a miracle that I survived that level of mental storm without becoming an idiot!!"
"If you're so good, you do it yourself!! A bunch of muscle-bound brutes who don't know how to use their brains!!"
Sabito wasn't angry at all; instead, he smiled even more brightly, took a step forward, drew his Nichirin Blade, and twirled it in his hand.
"I'm not good at those fancy spells, but I can chop up incompetent good-for-nothings into logs. Want to give me a try?"
Just as a full-blown fight was about to break out inside the house, extremely heavy footsteps sounded outside the wooden house.
Giyu Tomioka and Sakonji Urokodaki, their faces looking increasingly grim.
Even Giyu Yong's perpetually expressionless face showed a rare hint of seriousness, and his deep blue eyes were filled with murderous intent.
Sakonji Urokodaki, wearing Tengu Mask and with his hands tucked into his sleeves, sighed deeply, his voice sounding ten years older.
"Stop arguing."
"At this point, arguing about whose responsibility is is pointless."
Sakonji Urokodaki looked at the Yaoshi's head on the ground, still babbling incessantly, and felt a headache coming on.
Originally, I wanted to secretly hide this powerful weapon for research, but now it's become the coordinates of a top-tier world boss that's been announced to the entire server.
If Muzan learns of this Muzan opportunity to end the thousand-year curse, he will definitely pounce on Mount Sagiri like a mad dog.
They mobilized their entire force; absolutely their entire force was mobilized.
During the Twelve Kizuki, even the lowest-ranking ghosts might be dragged in as cannon fodder.
Given the Demon Slayer Corps' current strength, they have absolutely no chance of winning against such a devastating attack; it's practically a desperate defensive battle with no chance of survival.
But there was no way to back down; this hot potato was already stuck in their hands.
There was no other way but to bite the bullet and go for it.
Giyu stopped talking nonsense and went into the courtyard.
Fluttering.
A rapid flapping of wings came from high above, and a black Kasugai Crow with round, bright eyes landed steadily on Giyu's shoulder.
Giyu stuffed the detailed information into the bamboo tube on the Kasugai Crow's leg, then slapped the Kasugai Crow's rump.
"Go to headquarters, find the Oyakata-sama, and fly at the fastest speed you've ever been!"
The Kasugai Crow suddenly took flight, like a black arrow released from a bow, plunging headlong into the deepening night and disappearing in the blink of an eye.
The mountain winds of Mount Sagiri were growing stronger and stronger, whipping up a sky full of withered leaves, and the forest echoed with mournful cries.
A suffocating smell began to fill the air.
A life-or-death battle, uncertain yet unavoidable for everyone, was abruptly brought to a close.