Parting

The moment he finished speaking, the demon's remaining lower half at Suzuki Mufeng's feet moved, sweeping a leg toward Mufeng's ankles.

"Lightning Release: Earth Flash."

Having been prepared, Suzuki Mufeng sent a flash of lightning surging beneath his feet. The lower half was instantly paralyzed and unable to move.

His blade flashed from its sheath with a sharp ring, slicing through the air so quickly that only an afterimage could be seen. By the time anyone came to their senses, only a dozen or so chunks of flesh remained on the ground.

"Mufeng, forget about me! Hurry and finish off this demon!"

Looking toward the voice, he saw that at some point, Jigoro Kuwajima had been seized by the neck and lifted into the air by the demon, whose body was riddled with holes.

"Hey, when it comes to illusions, I can tell you without exaggerating that I'm your ancestor. What kind of tricks do you think you can pull in front of me?"

The Three-Tomoe Sharingan appeared, and the illusion shattered with just one glance. The real demon had already closed in, and the two locked eyes.

"Got you!"

The Thin Mist Demon drove both hands through Suzuki Mufeng's chest. The sound of flesh being pierced rang out. It had done it. It had killed this Demon Slayer, who possessed such great strength.

"Scum! You've got some nerve!"

That voice of terror, etched into its DNA. The mountain where they had ambushed their targets was gone. They were inside the Infinity Castle, with the Lower and Upper Ranks kneeling before it. No— they were kneeling before the person standing in front of it.

Unable to control itself, it shakily raised its head. The words spilled from its mouth. "Lord Muzan Kibutsuji!"

"Hey, you said that name, didn't you? You're as good as dead."

Lord Muzan Kibutsuji, dressed in a suit before its eyes, suddenly broke into a triumphant grin. Only then did it realize it had been tricked. No, it didn't want to die so horribly!

The mist dispersed. Just as Jigoro Kuwajima emerged from the illusion and reached for his sword, an unbelievable sight unfolded before him.

The Thin Mist Demon suddenly clamped both hands around its own neck, completely out of its control. A thick arm burst from its mouth and seized its head, then snapped its neck in an utterly cruel fashion.

Even that wasn't enough. Its body suddenly swelled with bulging lumps, then twisted grotesquely before collapsing into a puddle of mush before their eyes.

That was the price for revealing information about Muzan Kibutsuji.

"Mufeng, what in the world was that?"

"It was a curse Muzan Kibutsuji placed on the demons. I used a little trick to lure it into triggering the curse. But this isn't the time to talk about it. Senior Kuwajima, this place has been exposed. We have to move somewhere else immediately."

The entire mountain had suffered heavy casualties, and Muzan Kibutsuji could look through the memories of all demons. It had surely discovered this hideout. There was no telling whether it might send an Upper Rank to wipe them all out, so they had to relocate at once.

"Right. I'll notify the Kasugai Crow to have the Kakushi take over, but they won't arrive until tomorrow. I'm afraid I'll have to trouble you, Mufeng."

"Not at all. We weren't the only ones here tonight. Zenitsu helped too."

Just then, Zenitsu Agatsuma suddenly appeared beside Suzuki Mufeng, though with his eyes tightly shut, he still seemed to be sleepwalking.

Even so, Zenitsu Agatsuma had killed two demons in this state tonight. For a child who had only started training a few days ago, it was an outstanding achievement.

Still, the old man couldn't help worrying as he watched Zenitsu sleepwalk with his eyes closed. Every so often, his gaze drifted toward him.

Perhaps because Suzuki Mufeng had carried out such a thorough purge earlier, no more demons came during the second half of the night. Taking advantage of the lull, Suzuki Mufeng asked Jigoro Kuwajima for guidance on the finer points of Thunder Breathing. Thanks to the Sharingan's ability to copy techniques, he had already mastered most of it and could continue training on his own.

The sun, a symbol of hope, slowly rose. Its gentle light seemed to dispel some of the scent of demons that had invaded the mountain.

"Lord Suzuki Mufeng, these are your Demon Slayer Corps uniform and Nichirin Sword."

News of the demons' attack on the mountain the previous night had already spread. To ensure the swordsmith's safety, a Kakushi had been entrusted with delivering the Nichirin Sword to Suzuki Mufeng this time.

Wearing his Demon Slayer Corps uniform, Suzuki Mufeng took his Nichirin Sword. The instant he gripped the hilt, the blade began to change color, producing a sight that left everyone dumbfounded.

It turned red, then orange, yellow, green, blue-green...

At last, it became rainbow-colored before gradually blending into a flawless white.

"Haha, how astonishing. Since the founding of the Demon Slayer Corps, I've never seen a Nichirin Sword change color like that. If your swordsmith saw this, his jaw would drop."

Suzuki Mufeng ran a hand over the blade. Could this strange change have been caused by the power he'd gained from another world? He wondered if the sword had acquired any special effects.

"Ow! My legs! I can't feel my legs! Am I going to be crippled? No way! Senior Mufeng, you have to take responsibility for me. I'll never forgive you unless you introduce me to a cute, kind wife!"

As soon as Zenitsu Agatsuma woke from his sleepwalking state, he started hollering. Yesterday's fatigue and injuries hit him all at once, turning his face ashen with pain. It was amazing he still had the energy to act the fool.

"Zenitsu, stop yelling before you reopen your wounds. From now on, study hard under Master Kuwajima. I'm leaving. You looked cool when you killed those two demons last night. You've got talent, and I hope to see you at a Hashira Meeting someday. Take care of yourself."

"Senior Mufeng! You still owe me a mixer, and you're just leaving like this?"

"I'll make it up to you next time."

Suzuki Mufeng and Jigoro Kuwajima exchanged a silent glance. They tacitly avoided mentioning that someone had made a hole in the Wisteria barrier the previous night.

Some things only brought more trouble when spoken aloud. The person was already gone. Perhaps all he could do was have a Kasugai Crow convey his intentions.

"Next, you should head to the Rengoku Family. The Flame Hashira is a warm-hearted man who won't keep anything to himself. With your talent, you'll probably master Flame Breathing in no time. Safe travels."

"Old man, I hope you stay well and live to a hundred. Don't throw your life away so easily. If something happens in the future, I'll take care of it for you."

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Suzuki Mufeng put on the haori that Jigoro Kuwajima had prepared long ago and made by hand. He left his old haori with Jigoro Kuwajima, put on his fox mask, and set off for the Rengoku Family.

Just as Suzuki Mufeng had expected, their events of the previous night had already attracted Muzan Kibutsuji's attention.

"A brat with a special ability like a Blood Demon Art. I need to nip this threat in the bud. Kamanue, capture the brat alive on the way. I have a use for him."

"Yes, my lord."

Muzan Kibutsuji recalled the memories that had been sent back. If this brat were turned into a demon, could he overcome the sunlight?