An unexpected turn

Jingyue Qianyu was another demon Muzan had created on a whim.

Although he could freely control the flow of time within his illusions, making a single second last a hundred years, any knowledge or abilities gained inside would be forgotten the moment someone left.

Only a few unforgettable impressions remained, much like a dream.

Otherwise, Jingyue Qianyu would never have been so weak. He could simply put himself into an illusion lasting a few hundred years and soar straight to the top. I'd be the strongest in the world!

Worried about his safety, Muzan had used his ability to snatch him back.

The fellow was just a little too fond of playing around. What displeased Muzan, however, was that unlike the other demons, he seemed unwilling to learn to read.

He was now one of the few illiterate demons among them.

Muzan held Chiyu in his hand. Chiyu gave him a nervous smile. "Lord Muzan..."

He had casually called him Boss before, but now it was Lord Muzan.

Muzan threw him onto the ground and plunged a finger into his head.

Chiyu immediately howled in pain.

Muzan pulled his finger out and gave him a speechless look.

But Chiyu kept howling. Finally, Muzan grew fed up. "A few howls are enough."

"Oh..."

Then he grabbed Chiyu again and tossed him through the air to Yanagisawa Jiyuki—the physician who had become a demon at the beginning—leaving him with one instruction:

"Teach him to read."

Yanagisawa Jiyuki had been enjoying the cool breeze in a rocking chair he had made in imitation of Muzan's. His expression soured as he looked at Chiyu, who had suddenly appeared before him.

What a chore!

Sitting on the ground, Jingyue Qianyu gave his future "guardian" an embarrassed smile. "Hehe..."

Perhaps Chiyu's illusion had worked. Yoriichi clearly sensed the change in Michikatsu, and the brothers' relationship visibly improved.

With Oyakata-sama Ubuyashiki's support, any mission assigned to Yoriichi also included Michikatsu, and any mission assigned to Michikatsu also included Yoriichi.

This mission felt somewhat different.

Previously, deeply hidden demons had been discovered by chance, and at most, their actions had resulted in a few deaths. This time, however, the mission described an extremely powerful demon that had slaughtered almost an entire village.

At that very moment, the demon was heading toward another village without even trying to hide.

After learning of this, the Demon Slayer Corps sent Yoriichi and Michikatsu, widely acknowledged as their strongest fighters, to the scene.

After issuing the mission, the Ubuyashiki Head felt that the future had subtly changed at that very moment. It seemed the Demon King was about to develop another weakness.

Was this mission connected to Muzan Kibutsuji?

His father had told him that, starting a hundred years ago, the future had become increasingly difficult to fathom. The Ubuyashiki Family heads' ability to foresee it had gradually been affected, to the point that two visions could show vastly different futures.

They could not find the cause.

Moreover, opportunities to slay the Demon King had become increasingly rare in the future. Yet this time, the future actually showed something unfavorable to the Demon King happening?

But the future he saw did not make Ubuyashiki particularly happy, because he had also seen an existence unlike the Demon King appear. What was it?

Could something other than demons appear?

When the two brothers of the Tsugikuni family reached their destination, all they saw was a stretch of shattered ruins.

The ruined, desolate village reeked of blood that no breeze could disperse. Dried, blackish-red bloodstains littered the ground alongside shriveled scraps of rotting flesh, like "food scraps."

Even at midday in summer, it felt bleak and cold.

The sight of this hell on earth weighed on both brothers' expressions.

Traces left by an enormous demon remained in the village-not footprints, but marks where it had dragged itself along.

They exchanged a glance and hurried to follow the trail.

While it was still daylight, the demon couldn't come out to feed. They had to reach it before darkness fell and it killed again!

The blazing sun sank in the west, casting its final wash of orange. As night rose overhead, the brothers followed the trail through the cool breeze, accompanied by the lingering stench of blood and the severed limbs strewn along the way, until they finally found the demon.

More precisely, there were two.

There was no need to waste time on demons responsible for such carnage. Yoriichi and Michikatsu drew their Nichirin Blades together.

Clang-

Their long blades left their sheaths.

The demon lurked inside a cave. In the shadows of the night, they could make out its general shape.

Its enormous body resembled a fleshy tumor. Countless mouths bristled with sharp teeth, long tongues writhed in the air, and exposed, unidentifiable organs and tissues throbbed and pulsed. Its lower body resembled a shell-less snail, leaving a trail of disgusting slime as it slid along.

A humanoid demon stood atop the head-like part of the Giant Half-Demon. He was small, barely over a meter tall, and wore a black cloth that seemed intended to block any sunlight he might encounter. The sharp claws on both hands were exposed.

These two bizarrely shaped demons radiated an oppressive strength unlike ordinary demons. Although Yoriichi could clearly tell that they were nowhere near Muzan's level, he still had a bad feeling.

"Brother, shall I handle the larger one?"

The giant demon felt more intimidating.

Michikatsu gripped his sword hilt. "No, leave the giant demon to me."

Although Michikatsu had indeed learned to let go a little, competitiveness was in his nature!

That would never change!

Yet compared with his former resentment and jealousy, Michikatsu now radiated complete confidence, making him seem all the more dependable.

Seeing this, Yoriichi Tsugikuni nodded. "All right."

With their roles decided, the two charged toward the demons, which were already attacking.

Their footsteps had also alerted the two demons, which had been preparing to leave the cave.

As someone capable of becoming Upper Rank One, Tsugikuni Michikatsu naturally had considerable skill. By now, both brothers were Hashira.

Even an enormous demon would require only a few extra slashes from Michikatsu.

"Roar!!!"

Sensing the threat, the mindless demon roared to intimidate Tsugikuni Michikatsu, but its body could not stop retreating.

He bent his knees, pushed off the ground, and leaped into the air. Moon Breathing!

A slash cut across the head of the giant demon, which stood over three meters tall. Before it could react, another slash followed immediately.

Its enormous head crashed to the ground.

Meanwhile, although the smaller demon was fast, how could he possibly compare with Yoriichi Tsugikuni?

This was a fighter so absurdly powerful that he could unleash over a thousand slashes in an instant.

The smaller demon seemed to know this. He neither dodged nor evaded, charging straight at him.

Swish-

One slash severed his throat.

A head parted from its neck.

Yoriichi was just about to sheathe his blade when, in the next instant-

Boom!

With a muffled blast, the demon before him exploded. Yoriichi staggered, dark blood splashing all over him. Whether from the shock of the explosion or something else, his mind felt muddled for an instant.

His vision went white for a moment, but quickly returned to normal.

It was like suddenly standing up after squatting for too long.

Without sheathing his sword, Tsugikuni Michikatsu ran over and asked, "Are you all right?"

Yoriichi shook his head. "I'm fine."

They looked at the remains inside the cave and thought of the corpses along the way.

"Let's bury them."

"All right."

Elsewhere, Muzan had a strange feeling, as though something dangerous was about to happen.

But who could still threaten him now?!

Even Yoriichi had become his son!

Who else was there!