Muzan: Still not over it?

Another world.

The Ubuyashiki Estate.

For nearly two months, there had been no incidents of demons harming humans; with the Demon King sealed away, it was as if all demons had fallen into a deathly silence.

Yet, the Demon Slayer Corps had not been idle during this time; in fact, they were busier than ever.

They were busy racking up merit for Obanai Iguro.

Mm, that was how Kagaya Ubuyashiki referred to it.

Whenever members discovered civilians suffering or in distress, they suppressed the urge to intervene immediately and instead urgently contacted Obanai to handle the situation.

At the same time, the vast industrial network of the Ubuyashiki family was handed over to Obanai, leaving him to manage every transaction.

In these days, Obanai only had half an hour for prayer and three hours of sleep to rest.

Even his meals were consumed while on the move.

Yet he still felt it wasn't enough, demanding to be woken up after only an hour of sleep.

Muzan would break the seal in one hundred days; he could not allow that being to descend again before then...

If it is only me now...

Even if I die, it does not matter!

It was the Master who persuaded him.

"That being said much, but I believe the most important part was the final sentence."

"Obanai, your survival is what matters most."

"Even if we fail this time, as long as you are alive, we have a chance. You, above all others, must live on!"

--

On this day, having finished a day of heavy tasks, he returned to headquarters.

The entire Demon Slayer Corps gathered at the newly built headquarters, where the buildings surrounded the wooden barrel sealing Muzan in the center.

They had prepared for two outcomes: if that being could not come, they would launch a decisive battle the moment Muzan broke the seal.

Adjusting his breathing, Obanai walked into the shrine room with the most devout posture.

"Kaburamaru, I am sorry."

Obanai removed the white snake coiled around his neck, placed it before the shrine, and used a small blade to slice into the white snake's scales.

Its body was already covered in many wounds, yet it did not complain, instead flicking its tongue to comfort Obanai.

It was originally the desire of Ubuyashiki to protect his wife and daughters that had elicited a response from that Great Being.

Considering that those closest to one were more likely to make prayers effective, Obanai had no choice but to painfully harm Kaburamaru, who had grown up with him since childhood.

Snap.

He pressed his palms together and prayed silently in his heart.

Deity, I beg you to heal Kaburamaru, great...

In the night, with his eyes tightly shut, he did not notice the mark on his forehead slowly manifesting.

The Demon Slayer members waited at the entrance.

Seeing that there was still no reaction as usual, Obanai's friend, the somewhat hot-tempered Sanemi Shinazugawa, muttered in a low voice:

"Why must we wait for that person? Why don't we just take advantage of Muzan being sealed and split the barrel open during the day!"

"Watch your tongue! You must not be disrespectful to the gods and buddhas!" the Stone Hashira hurriedly shouted to stop him.

"Cough, cough..."

Ubuyashiki, supported by his wife, dragged his sickly body inside.

Several captains quickly gathered around, not wanting the evening breeze to disturb their Master.

"Master, you need rest, you shouldn't..."

"I have tried."

His voice was very low, devoid of much vitality, yet still as gentle as ever.

"As long as Muzan can be killed, I would defy even the will of the gods."

"But that wooden barrel... even gunpowder cannot blast it open."

"The seal does not just trap Muzan; it also protects him."

"I didn't tell you before... but I cannot hold on much longer. Perhaps by tomorrow..."

"How could this be? Master, please, say no more!"

Yaozai raised a hand, signaling everyone to continue listening: "That person is not a deity who came to save us. To him..."

"This should be a transaction."

"Regrettably, everything I offered back then was not enough to make him eliminate Muzan."

"It is... cough, cough... it is the Infinity Castle... To that person, the value of a demon is higher than our own."

"But I can sense that he is benevolent."

"Remember... after I pass, if he comes..."

"You must request that he eliminate Muzan, not demand it. For him, eliminating Muzan is not part of any code he is bound to follow."

"Hmm, you are correct."

A voice appeared without warning.

The tense members of the Demon Slayer Corps drew their blades and looked around in an instant, but the next moment, an intense presence forced them all to look up at the eaves.

Three Tomoe Sharingan swirled with an eerie, hypnotic glow.

The temperature in the air plummeted. Suppressed whimpers escaped the throats of the Demon Slayer swordsmen, as if an invisible giant hand were gripping their necks, cold sweat soaking their backs.

These battle-hardened elites found their hands trembling as they gripped their swords, their very thoughts becoming sluggish.

It had only been a few months...

Even they could clearly feel that he was stronger than when he last appeared!

Uchiha Sora held the shivering Kaburamaru in his hand, a black hole appearing behind him.

It was a standard circle, as if the color within it had been stripped away, revealing nothing at all.

Utterly minimalist.

It was too ordinary for interdimensional travel, carrying an indescribable sense of wrongness.

Shisui leaned out from within, his Sharingan scanning the area before he landed steadily at Uchiha Sora's side.

Having been warned beforehand, even though Shisui had a hundred questions in his heart, he dared not voice them.

He mimicked Fugaku's deadpan expression, remaining emotionless, like a loyal guard.

Gods... two of them have arrived!!

Tossing the white snake to Shisui, Uchiha Sora said indifferently: "Make the cut bigger. If it's only that small, it might heal itself before we're finished."

Swish—

Shisui drew his short blade and widened the less-than-half-centimeter wound, a sight that made Obanai below ache with concern.

Without pleasantries, Uchiha Sora flickered to the wooden barrel he had left behind.

At this point, Shisui could no longer hold back and whispered: "Sora, where have you brought us? Is this still the Land of Whirlpools?"

The Land of Whirlpools?

It wasn't even in the ninja world anymore, let alone the Land of Whirlpools.

Glancing at Shisui, he said calmly: "Wait a moment and sift through that guy's memories, and you'll know. He's a creature that has lived for over a thousand years; although he is weak, his mind is filled with a chaotic mess of information."

"The keywords are Nakime and the Infinity Castle."

Shisui nodded, though he didn't quite understand. Hearing that it was a monster that had lived for a millennium still made him a bit nervous.

Uchiha Sora pressed his hand onto the wooden barrel, and the previously hidden runes manifested.

"Fuinjutsu..."

The Transcription Seal could be considered a variation of ocular jutsu, but what was before him was orthodox sealing art.

Fuinjutsu had always been a difficult category of ninjutsu; since the Uzumaki Clan went extinct, there were very few in the ninja world who could be called masters of sealing.

Shisui had tried to learn it, but he lacked the talent for it.

Considering Uchiha Sora's age...

"Get ready."

Uchiha Sora's voice stopped his train of thought. He saw the sealing charms on the barrel being torn away, the obscure curse marks slowly fading.

Bang!!

Without the curse marks to maintain its form, the wooden planks instantly burst, shattering into countless splinters.

Muzan, his upper body bare, had just felt the moonlight and begun to process his thoughts...

Before he could even attempt to run.

The moonlight turned into thunder, and the darkness twisted into flames.

Muzan was pinned to the mountain peak, looking up at those eyes that filled the spiritual sky.

The psychological trauma these eyes inflicted upon him was already rivaling that of Tsugikuni Yoriichi.

Again?!