Kagaya Ubuyashiki felt conflicted; his thousand-year entanglement with Muzan Kibutsuji was about to end.
"Mr. Higashino, that Curse of the Ubuyashiki Family— "
"It's also decreasing."
Higashino Makoto turned his head and looked at him.
"Your karma has decreased by about 50%. Because those demons are dead, human fear will inevitably decrease, and the God's punishment of the Ubuyashiki Family will be lessened."
Kagaya Ubuyashiki closed his eyes.
"Fifty percent..."
Higashino Makoto stood up, walked to the center of the courtyard, and looked up at the cherry blossom tree.
"The remaining 50% requires killing Muzan Kibutsuji."
Kagaya Ubuyashiki opened his eyes, his purple eyes looking at him.
"Then will you kill him?"
Higashino Makoto was silent for a moment.
Yes, but not now.
"Understood, but please be careful not to let him escape."
Higashino Makoto looked at Kagaya Ubuyashiki with a satisfied tone.
"I thought you'd be begging me to kill him right now... I understand."
Since the other party was sensible, Higashino Makoto was happy to give them a heads-up and didn't care about Muzan Kibutsuji expression.
"He won't live much longer. When he dies, he will release his last vestiges of karma. That karma will dissipate and return to God's embrace. I need to observe that process. And I need to study the remaining remnants of divinity within him."
Kagaya Ubuyashiki stared at him for a long time.
"Mr. Higashino, do you want to become a god?"
"Not to become."
Higashino Makoto shook his head.
He turned around and looked at the pillars standing in the courtyard, at Muzan Kibutsuji kneeling on the ground, at Kagaya Ubuyashiki sitting in a wheelchair, and at Momo, Kanae Kocho, Shinobu Kocho, and Kanao Tsuyuri standing behind him.
"My current circumstances do not support me becoming a god in this world. I am merely preparing to challenge the gods, change some rules, and incidentally seize or utilize some authority to see if I can break one of the shackles on me."
He paused.
"Of course, if you think that gaining great power is what makes you a god, then you can just consider me a god as I am now; I don't need to become one anymore."
The courtyard fell silent.
No one spoke.
It's not because they disagree, but because they don't know what to say.
Because what he said was true.
An being capable of resurrecting the dead, altering celestial phenomena with a wave of the hand, stopping time, and easily capturing the Ghost King can be considered a deity.
"Mr. Higashino."
Kagaya Ubuyashiki's voice broke the silence.
"As a god, what do you think humanity will do?"
Higashino Makoto looked at him.
"Humans will continue to be humans. I will not interfere with your lives, change your systems, or force you to believe in me. I will only do one thing."
"What?"
"I will stand at the pinnacle of the world's largest religion, Christianity, and collect faith in the name of 'God.'"
Kagaya Ubuyashiki frowned slightly.
"Belief?"
"Yes, faith."
Higashino Makoto walked to the cherry blossom tree and reached out to catch a falling petal.
"The power of God comes from the collective unconscious of humanity. If I want to challenge God's authority, I need enough faith. I'm too lazy to create a new sect, so I've decided to just pick up an existing one."
He placed the petal in his palm, watching it glow with a faint pink light under the moonlight.
"At that time, I will reorganize the heavens and hells of this world, completely eradicate ghosts and the like from the human world, and ensure that the effects of karma and merit are not limited to going to heaven or hell, but that the good are rewarded and the evil are punished."
Kagaya Ubuyashiki remained silent for a long time.
Then he nodded.
"If that's all there is to it... I agree."
Higashino Makoto seemed completely indifferent, waving his hand dismissively to shut down the Pillars who were about to express their opinions.
"I'm sorry, but you don't have the right to refuse or agree to what I want to do."
The pillars did not refute him. If what he said was true, no, the other party had no reason to deceive them.
If what he said is true, then there's nothing wrong with Higashino Makoto becoming a god.
Muzan Kibutsuji knelt on the ground, his dark red eyes watching everything unfold.
"Are you all crazy?"
His voice was hoarse.
"He wants to become a god, so what's the difference between him and me? You guys aren't..."
"Muzan Kibutsuji."
Higashino Makoto interrupted him.
"Shut up."
Muzan Kibutsuji shut his mouth.
It wasn't that he wanted to close his eyes, but that his body wouldn't obey him.
Higashino Makoto walked up to him, squatted down, and looked him in the eye.
Do you know the difference between you and me?
Muzan Kibutsuji stared at him without saying a word.
Because he cannot speak.
"The difference is that I'm stronger than you! Not just in strength, but also in action and methods."
Higashino Makoto stood up.
"You've lived for a thousand years, killed countless people, and created countless demons. But why does the Demon Slayer Corps still exist? Why do you directly use the lure of immortality to control the upper echelons of humanity, implanting the idea that demons are noble and humans are inferior into everyone's minds?"
"After a while, ghosts will no longer be ghosts, but messengers of the gods, angels, and being eaten will be an honor for them."
"They forbid anyone from providing any supplies to the Demon Slayer Corps, yet every Demon Slayer Corps member's head can be exchanged for a huge bounty, and every piece of information about the Demon Slayer Corps can be rewarded. I just don't understand how they can continue to exist."
"You piece of trash."
Ignoring the Demon Slayer Corps members who were sweating profusely, he turned around and walked out of the courtyard.
"Momo, take him downstairs and lock him up. Don't let him die."
"Yes, ma'am."
Momo bowed slightly, her black tail gently wrapping around Muzan Kibutsuji's chains.
"Let's go, you scumbag boss."
Muzan Kibutsuji was dragged out of the courtyard, his dark red eyes filled with humiliation and anger.
Higashino Makoto stood at the entrance to the courtyard, gazing at the sky illuminated by the moonlight.
"Achievement..."
He said in a low voice.
"Industry..."
He stretched out his hand and looked at the faint white light in his palm.
"Divine residue..."
The white light shimmered in the moonlight, like something that had been dormant for a long time and was now awakening.
"Soon."
He clenched his fist, and the white light dissipated between his fingers.
Kagaya Ubuyashiki sat in his wheelchair, gazing at Higashino Makoto's back, his purple eyes flashing with a complex light.
"Higashino Makoto... he's a truly terrifying person."
He murmured the name.
Can he really become a god?
No one answered.
Only moonlight spilled into the courtyard.
Not far away, Muzan Kibutsuji Momo dragged Muzan away, the chains made a rustling sound on the ground like snakes crawling.