Going on a mission with his older brother

Muzan had arrived at Nakime's Infinity Castle.

Although there had been a building much like the Infinity Castle in his previous life, he had been too poor to visit it. He had always been rather curious about what the Infinity Castle looked like.

Just as she did in the manga, Nakime knelt on the raised platform at the very center, holding a biwa.

Since Muzan's aesthetic tastes were fairly normal, Nakime had not taken on a one-eyed appearance. Still, her long black hair covered both eyes, and her head was slightly bowed.

Playing her biwa allowed Nakime to change the layout of the Infinity Castle and teleport the people inside it, but she could naturally also play it without using her Blood Demon Art.

After killing her husband, Nakime's only remaining hope had been her pursuit of ever more beautiful biwa music. Otherwise, she would never have risked killing people merely to improve her performance.

After becoming a demon, she had gained another vague desire shared by almost all demons-to make the Demon King, Muzan Kibutsuji, more pleased with her.

But Nakime did not know what tasks Muzan had for her, and with him now inside the Infinity Castle, she was afraid that playing her biwa would disturb him.

Muzan naturally knew what she was thinking. He stroked her head, covered in silky black hair. "Play me a piece on your biwa."

Nakime froze for a moment, then nodded and lightly brushed the strings.

Twang-

A soft note rang out, and she began plucking the strings, filling the air with pleasant music.

Muzan did not know much about the biwa, though. He simply thought it sounded nice and sat down on the wooden floor.

A biwa piece did not take very long, and before he knew it, the music had stopped.

Muzan nodded and stood up. "That sounded lovely. Keep it up."

The Biwa Woman inclined her head slightly. Although her face remained expressionless, Muzan could still sense her satisfaction and joy.

Muzan wandered around the Infinity Castle for a while.

The wooden structure was extraordinarily grand and magnificent, with fully furnished rooms stretching one after another.

This puzzled Muzan. How could this Blood Demon Art create things out of thin air?

It had even made a fully equipped house.

Couldn't figure it out. No point thinking about it.

Normally, leaving the Infinity Castle required Nakime to send someone out with her Blood Demon Art, but Muzan could leave directly using his own.

In a flash, he left the Infinity Castle and returned to the house Asanuma Seiji had prepared for him, settling back into his rocking chair.

He had barely lain down when he sensed Asanuma Seiji approaching. As Seiji reached the door, Muzan said, "Come in."

Hearing this, Asanuma Seiji pushed the door open and entered. "My lord, I'd like to..."

"Go do whatever you want. No need to tell me."

Lying in his rocking chair, Muzan interrupted Asanuma Seiji without even looking at him.

Without needing him to say anything, Muzan had already learned what he wanted to do from his thoughts.

Asanuma Seiji still refused to give up. He wanted to find Maruoka Masahito and continue his involvement in politics.

With Muzan's permission, Asanuma Seiji left his room and hurried off to find Maruoka Masahito.

Muzan had come to realize that while Asanuma Seiji was quite capable, he was rather rigid. Compared with him, Maruoka Masahito knew much better how to adapt.

For instance, Jingji remained somewhat contemptuous of humans, believing that being a demon made him superior to them. Muzan even found him rather stubborn, such as in his insistence on treating Muzan with the deference owed to a superior.

Learning a thing or two from Maruoka Masahito would do him some good.

Meanwhile, among the two Tsugikuni brothers, Yoriichi had activated "win over my older brother mode."

After learning about the brothers' situation, the other Hashira asked the Ubuyashiki Oyakata-sama to send the two of them on missions together.

Once he learned the reason, Ubuyashiki readily agreed.

Under the blazing sun, Yoriichi received a mission delivered by a Kasugai Crow—to slay the demon hiding in River View Town.

With Oyakata-sama's support, this mission required Yoriichi and Michikatsu to complete it together.

Tsugikuni Michikatsu angrily snatched the mission note from Yoriichi's hand and scanned it, feeling nothing but irritation. Why were they being sent on another mission together?!

Whatever. He was going to slay demons!

Slay more demons and prove his strength!

Michikatsu grabbed the sword beside him without even looking at Yoriichi. With a single "Let's go!" he rose and left the Demon Slayer Corps headquarters.

Yoriichi hurriedly picked up the sword beside him and followed his older brother.

After half a day's travel, the two finally reached their destination-River View Town.

Everything before them looked peaceful and prosperous. In the setting sun, people returning from the fields carried hoes over their shoulders as they headed home, while the town's busy shopkeepers and vendors began packing up and closing their doors. Nothing about it suggested there was a demon here!

As usual, Michikatsu split up with Yoriichi to investigate.

According to the mission description, someone had seen a demon eating a person in the farmland near River View Town at night. Terrified, the witness had fled, then found somewhere that could contact the Demon Slayer Corps and reported what had happened.

Tsugikuni Michikatsu told Yoriichi to find the person who had seen the demon, while he headed straight for the farmland on the edge of town.

The land around River View Town was flat, with little cover. The rice had only just begun to grow and could not conceal anyone at all. If a demon appeared, he would spot it immediately.

Yoriichi followed his older brother's instructions and nodded. Before leaving, he reminded him, "Make sure you stay safe."

"I'm not that fragile."

Michikatsu glared at him, then turned and walked toward the fields.

Yoriichi sighed. There was still a long, difficult road ahead.

After watching his older brother disappear into the distance, he headed toward the local household that could contact the Demon Slayer Corps.

Those who could contact the Demon Slayer Corps were usually families its members had helped, or people who had suffered at the hands of demons and wanted to help the Corps.

Yoriichi soon found the house. It belonged to a fairly well-off family, with several wisteria trees planted by the entrance. Yoriichi also knew that Muzan hated wisteria.

He had once picked up some wisteria flowers because he thought they were pretty. But when he brought them back, they seemed to remind Muzan of something terrifying, and Muzan urged him to stay away-as far away as possible.

"Don't bring that stuff anywhere near me!"

Muzan had explained the reason to him afterward.

The wisteria by the entrance was probably there to ward off demon attacks.

Yoriichi knocked on the door, and a young man soon came over to open it.

"Hello, I'm..."

Before Yoriichi could finish, the man hurriedly took his hand, his face full of respect and urgency.

"You're from the Demon Slayer Corps, aren't you, sir?"

Yoriichi nodded blankly, unsure why the man before him was so excited.

"Please, come in."

The man hurriedly led Yoriichi inside, where he warmly ushered him to the table.

Seated at the table, Yoriichi watched his host go to pour tea. Not wanting to waste any more time, he spoke up.

"There's no need for tea. I'd like to ask who discovered the demon."

"Oh?" The man preparing the tea responded, then placed it on the table in front of Yoriichi. "It was that boy Inemoto. Let me take you to him."