The words had barely left his mouth.
Lin Fan flashed forward with his blade and slashed straight at Wakuraba's neck.
Wakuraba's head came off, but his body immediately changed, as though some chemical reaction had begun.
It burst apart, spraying a vast cloud of dark green venom that surged toward Lin Fan from point-blank range.
The corners of Lin Fan's mouth lifted.
"You think that's enough to kill me?"
His free hand drew the Nichirin Blade at his waist. "Water Breathing—Sixth Form: Twisting Whirlpool!"
He spun with the blade, sending water spiraling from its edge into a vortex that swallowed every drop of venom.
With that done, Lin Fan released his control over Tanjiro's body. No longer supported, Tanjiro collapsed to the ground.
Not far away,
several more figures had appeared alongside Zenitsu and Inosuke.
They had seen everything!
Muzan, You Really Are My One True Love
Inside the blade, Lin Fan had already severed the connection. He listened intently to the system notifications in his mind.
[Ding! Intense negative emotions detected from Lower Rank Four Mukago before her death. Received 3,000 Emotion Points! Intense negative emotions detected from Lower Rank Three Wakuraba before his death. Received 3,200 Emotion Points! Intense negative emotions detected from Lower Rank Two Rokuro before his death. Received 3,700 Emotion Points! Ding! Intense negative emotions detected from Demon King Muzan Kibutsuji. Received 5,000 Emotion Points!] Total Demon Power received: 7,000. Thirty percent of the Demon Power has been returned as Nourishment to the blade's wielder, Kamado Tanjiro!]
As the notifications ended,
Lin Fan could no longer keep the delighted smile from his face.
Muzan, you really are my one true love!
He didn't just shower me with points. He threw in a gift, too.
I could cry...
Meanwhile,
Muzan was close to breaking down inside Infinity Castle.
"Those Lower Ranks are useless! They can't do a thing!... And what exactly is that thing inside him? Why won't it die? Is he really possessed by a ghost?"
And then there was the sword technique he had used!
Muzan would never forget it. One glance had been enough to confirm it.
It was the Sun Breathing used by Yoriichi Tsugikuni!
But everyone who knew it had been killed. How could this boy know it...?
Everything pointed to one answer: Yoriichi Tsugikuni had become a demon and returned by possessing that boy!
He had come back to kill Muzan!
At the thought, Muzan covered his face with one hand, hiding the terror in his eyes as his whole body trembled.
The scars concealed beneath his skin ached faintly. Only one thought remained in his mind.
I'm never leaving Infinity Castle again!
Mount Natagumo.
Among those who had arrived,
a nimble woman with a butterfly hair ornament and a butterfly-patterned haori reached the unconscious Tanjiro first, landing lightly before him.
She was the Insect Hashira, Shinobu Kocho.
She bent slightly, her usual smile on her face.
"Is this the boy the Master told us about? Are you all right?" She checked Tanjiro's condition as she spoke. Kagaya Ubuyashiki had specifically warned them about him.
Finding no injuries, she finally relaxed.
The Flame Hashira, Kyojuro Rengoku, arrived beside her, his long red-and-gold hair and cape stirring in the wind. His golden-red eyes went straight to the ground.
The venom Wakuraba had released upon death had completely corroded the Nichirin Blade in Tanjiro's hand.
Its edge was broken and ragged, clearly ruined. But another blade hung at Tanjiro's waist!
"His Nichirin Blade is ruined! Though it seems the other one is the special Nichirin Blade the Master mentioned!"
The words had barely left his mouth
when the Sound Hashira, Tengen Uzui, appeared beside him. Muscular, white-haired, and carrying two blades on his back, he examined that sword as well.
Though he could see only its hilt and sheath, his verdict was glowing. "Now that's a flamboyant Nichirin Blade."
While the two looked on, the scar-covered Wind Hashira, Sanemi Shinazugawa, strode forward without hesitation, his white hair stark against the night.
He struggled to contain his anger as he spoke.
"I don't know why the Master places such high hopes on him, or why he considers him more important than himself. I can't understand it!
Anyone who travels with a demon deserves to die!"
He kicked Tanjiro over onto his back, then fixed a fierce stare on the Nichirin Blade at his waist.
He reached for the hilt, intending to take it.
But in the next instant,
black smoke seeped from the hilt and formed sharp spikes. Had Sanemi grabbed it, they would have pierced his palm.
He sensed something wrong and pulled his hand back in time. When he looked at Asuramaru again, his expression had grown wary.
"So this is the blade that can turn the tide? It certainly isn't ordinary..."
He glanced toward the box nearby, murder plain in his eyes.
Fortunately, the current Water Hashira, Giyu Tomioka, stepped in front of the wooden box. His expression did not change. Never one for words, he made his position clear through his actions.
Sanemi could do nothing about it. The Master had already told them he would explain the truth when they returned.
Besides, they had all seen what Tanjiro could do.
According to their intelligence, four Lower Ranks of the Twelve Kizuki had been here. They might not have been a threat to the Hashira, but Tanjiro had defeated them.
None of them had expected that.
Shinobu stepped forward with a smile. "Let's bring everyone back first. The Master is waiting for us."
She turned toward Zenitsu and Inosuke. "You two, please come with us as well."
"Who are you people?!"
Inosuke stepped forward with both blades in hand and demanded an answer in his distinctive voice.
Beside him, Zenitsu was already trembling uncontrollably. Just looking at the way these people stood told him how terrifyingly strong they were...
But they seemed to be members of the Demon Slayer Corps...
He hurriedly whispered a warning.
"Inosuke, I think they're with the Demon Slayer Corps. Maybe we should just go with them..."
"Hmph!"
Inosuke snorted but did not argue.
Shinobu, still smiling, called over two Kakushi.
Dressed in black uniforms with hoods concealing their heads and faces, they came to her side.
Shinobu reminded them with a smile,
"Carry this boy. Watch out for that sword, and don't touch it or you might get hurt."
The two Kakushi looked puzzled, but one stepped forward, took Tanjiro by the arm, and hoisted him onto his back.
Asuramaru did not react.
Sanemi's expression shifted.
"So it won't attack unless someone touches the sword itself..."
"That seems to be the case,"
Shinobu replied with a smile. Look at it long enough, though, and it became clear how unchanging—and false—that smile was.
"No one but that boy can touch it? What a flamboyant sword..." Tengen rested a hand against his forehead, a different look flickering in his eyes.
Kyojuro's thoughts were much simpler. He looked firmly at everyone present and declared,
"Let's finish our work here quickly. The Master is waiting for us!"
With that,
everyone pulled their attention away from the blade and split up to hunt down the demons still on the mountain and tend to the wounded.
A Legendary Deity Dwells Within!
Time passed swiftly.
The Demon Slayer Corps swept through every part of Mount Natagumo. Not a single demon there escaped death.
Then they evacuated the wounded and returned to headquarters.
Dawn had risen by the time they reached Demon Slayer Corps Headquarters. Tanjiro was still unconscious.
The meeting had to be postponed.
When morning came,
Tanjiro finally opened his eyes. He looked around in confusion and found himself lying in a quiet room.
Two people in black uniforms stood beside him, their faces hidden. They grew excited when they saw him wake.
"You're finally awake! I'll go report it!" One of them immediately opened the door and ran out.
Tanjiro looked around, puzzled.
"Where am I?"
His memory ended at the moment he had lost consciousness. He only remembered seeing Asuramaru and entrusting his body to him.
Since he was still alive, those demons must have been killed.
The remaining Kakushi hurried to explain.
"This is Demon Slayer Corps Headquarters. You've been unconscious all night. You don't have a single injury, so I don't know why you were out for so long."
That brought Tanjiro fully awake. He immediately asked in his mind, his concern plain.
"Asuramaru, what happened last night? And how are Nezuko, Zenitsu, and the others?"
Lin Fan answered him from within the blade. "The Demon Slayer Corps took your sister Nezuko away. Zenitsu and Inosuke are fine too."
Hearing that they were all safe, Tanjiro breathed a temporary sigh of relief. Then he thanked Asuramaru in earnest.
"I couldn't have managed without you this time. I truly don't know what I would've done. Thank you for being with me, Asuramaru."
"As long as you know."
With that reply, Lin Fan stopped paying attention to him.
Instead, he began preparing to talk everyone at the upcoming Demon Slayer Corps meeting into working for him.
He had been waiting for this day for longer than he could remember.
Before you continue