Yoriichi Tsugikuni PTSD

The night sky was deep, and the stars returned to their places like the tide, as if some ancient destiny was quietly unfolding.

And in that otherworldly dimension—the deepest part of the Infinity Castle.

On the throne forged from blood and bone, the Demon King Muzan Kibutsuji sat Muzan, his fingers interlaced, his long hair falling silently like a waterfall of blood, his eyes bloodshot and slowly contracting.

It was only a few days after Akaza died.

Under Muzan's orders, the Infinity Castle was closed to all Lower Moon demons and ordinary demons, allowing only Upper Moon demons to enter and exit.

He had been silent for a long time.

"... Akaza is dead."

Muzan finally spoke, his voice as low as a snake writhing in the depths of hell.

He didn't yell or fly into a rage; instead, he simply repeated himself, as if confirming something, or perhaps expressing disbelief.

"Dead. Vanished. Not even a trace of flesh or blood remained."

His icy gaze fell upon a blood-red sphere of water suspended in the void, where Akaza's last memories were recorded, but those memories were extremely brief, and the battle never even began.

Who is the enemy? How did they attack? What abilities did they use?

None.

In what seemed like an instant, Akaza was... erased.

"This is something even Yoriichi Tsugikuni couldn't do."

Muzan's voice finally lowered, and a feeling he had never experienced before—unease—emerged in his eyes.

That was Yoriichi Tsugikuni PTSD.

Yes, even the "human swordsman Yoriichi Tsugikuni" who once cornered him couldn't kill an Upper Moon in one move.

But now, an unknown "power"... has done it.

Has another monster like him been born into this world?

He wasn't sure.

He didn't even know who this enemy was.

He is not a Pillar, not any warrior who has appeared in the records, and could not possibly be the inheritor of "Crimson Blade Awakening" or Sun Breathing.

Moreover, this wasn't the first time such an anomaly had occurred.

The lower moons were almost entirely destroyed, while the upper moons suffered successive damage.

In particular, some "illogical" situations have occurred in recent battles.

Human reaction speed, strength, and physique suddenly leaped to a new level.

Muzan frowned slightly, recalling the fragments of memories those demons retained after the war:

"That power... it's completely unlike anything human."

"Their bodies were burning, their blood was boiling."

"Like... a monster making a desperate last stand."

At this moment, Muzan finally turned his attention to the real "key point".

"Someone... has brought new power into this world."

"And the Demon Slayer Corps... is being systematically 'reformed'."

This is the thing he cannot tolerate the most.

--The order was broken.

Humanity has begun to cross the line.

He knew best that once this "breakthrough" gained momentum, the ghost's suppressive power would cease to exist!

He slowly rose to his feet, and the throne beneath his feet trembled slightly.

"If those people are indeed growing rapidly, if their bodies can withstand this inhuman power—"

His eyes suddenly turned cold.

"That means my path to immortality will be blocked."

"We must destroy them completely before they gain power."

At this moment, at the Demon Slayer Corps training ground.

A plume of hot steam rose up.

"Fourth Gate - Gate of Pain... Open!!"

Bang!!

Inosuke transformed into a beast among beasts, smashing through the rocks with a single stomp and crashing violently into the training pillar!

Boom!!

But—the next second, a sharp tearing sensation came from his limbs.

"Aaaaaah--!!" Inosuke collapsed, writhing on the ground in pain. "This door won't do! My body is about to explode!"

"Cold compress! Cold compress!" Zenitsu rushed over and frantically pressed an ice pack onto the skin. "Kakashi-sensei said that you can't master the Eight Gates all at once; you have to 'do it according to your ability'!"

Tanjiro, at this moment, has only mastered the third gate, "Gate of Life," which can only temporarily enhance his explosive power.

The pillars' grasp of the situation is far from its peak.

After all, this kind of extreme Taijutsu is too brutal.

"Can... this really defeat a demon?" Zenitsu murmured, gazing at the night sky, his eyes filled with confusion.

"No." The Wind Pillar spoke coldly from the side, "At this level, encountering an Upper Moon would still mean certain death."

"But—" Flame Pillar laughed, his fighting spirit soaring, "We are no longer who we used to be."

"Give me a little more time... I'm sure I can suppress the Gate of Pain and enter the sixth gate."

"Even if it only lasts ten seconds, I will still cut down the demon with a single strike!"

Everyone was taken aback, their gazes fixed intently.

They were neither unscathed heroes nor breathing technique geniuses.

But at this moment, even if their bones are broken, even if they fall a hundred more times, they will still move forward.

Tanjiro gripped his Nichirin Blade with trembling hands, his eyes bloodshot; Zenitsu bit his lip until it turned white, and his legs twitched; while Inosuke laughed like a madman.

"One more time!"

They have lost count of how many times they swung their knives and how many times they pushed their physical limits.

The white-haired ninja never uttered a word of praise; he simply stood at a distance, quietly observing them.

Kakashi's clone murmured, "The fire is already burning."

"Although it's only a faint light... it's already enough to attract the most greedy ghosts in the night."

"Now, we just wait... for that Ghost King to personally jump out."

In the following days--

The Demon Slayer Corps has been active, abandoning its previous defensive and counter-attacking tactics and taking the initiative to attack.

The multiple gathering points of the demons were wiped out in a short period of time.

This included two mid-level demons with Blood Demon Arts, who were also annihilated in a brief exchange by the new combat force "Pillar + Eight Gates: Beginner Synergistic Combat Technique".

"Flame Breathing, Fifth Form - Flame Tiger!!!"

"Open! The third gate— the Gate of Life!"

Boom!!!

The ghost's head flew up, and blood splattered under the full moon.

Scenes of newly appointed "temporary pillars" fighting side-by-side with the older generation of pillars unfolded simultaneously on several front lines.

A string of good news reached headquarters.

But--

The greater the victory, the greater the unease.

"It went too smoothly."

"Ghosts... they give away their location too easily."

"Moreover, instead of retreating, they seem to be... waiting for us to take the bait."

Shinobu Kocho stood on the edge of a cliff in the mountains, her fingers slowly tapping on the scabbard of her sword, her eyes growing colder.

She slowly turned her head and looked at the white-haired man standing not far away with his back to the crowd.

"Mr. Kakashi, you've noticed, haven't you?"

Kakashi didn't turn around, but merely nodded slightly, his tone eerily calm:

"Hmm... Someone is observing."

"Who?"

Shinobu Kocho slightly, her tone suddenly turning cold.

Kakashi finally turned around, one eye hidden by his bangs, the other Sharingan slowly closing, and whispered that chilling name:

"Oniibutsuji· Muzan."

The air froze instantly.

The white butterflies on Shinobu Kocho's body fluttered silently, as if they too were startled by the name.

"However..." Kakashi looked up, his gaze sharp as a blade, "His spying only lasted a moment before he withdrew."

He's testing the waters.

Shinobu Kocho gripped the hilt of her sword tightly, her voice hushed. "... He's about to make his move, isn't he?"

Kakashi didn't answer. He simply flashed away, as if swallowed by the wind, and vanished from his spot in an instant.

"...What an impolite ninja." Shinobu Kocho muttered helplessly, a hint of sarcasm playing on her lips.

But the next second, she leaped off the cliff, her figure moving like a butterfly through the forest, silently chasing after him.