Lost his mind again?

"Spare me the bullshit. Just tell me whether they can recover."

Muzan couldn't be bothered to listen to Tamayo's lengthy explanation.

Tamayo was already used to her boss's temperament. "I'm not sure. You can stay here for a few days while I look into it."

Muzan looked at the two of them, as if asking for their opinions.

They exchanged a glance and nodded. "All right."

Two days later, dawn was approaching, and the sky was about to brighten. Muzan wanted to sleep through the boring daylight hours, but just after he lay down, a loud crash startled him awake. He opened his eyes.

Yoriichi had kicked the door open. Brimming with murderous intent, he drew his long sword with a clang, his face every bit as grim as in the original story, and slashed at Muzan without a word.

Muzan: "!!!!"

Holy fucking shit!!!

He jolted in fright and hastily rolled off the bed, dodging the slash.

At the same time, he roared, "What are you doing?!"

"Muzan Kibutsuji!"

Yoriichi forced his name out through gritted teeth and swung at him again.

The wounds from the slashes a few days ago still hadn't healed and hurt like hell, yet here he was again, charging over like a madman to cut him up.

Muzan lost his temper, too.

I held back from killing you two days ago, and now you think you can push your luck?!

No longer caring whether Yoriichi's memories had been altered again, Muzan unleashed all his tube whips and struck back hard. At the same time, one tube whip snatched a sword hanging in the corner, and Muzan took it and drew the blade.

You think you're the only one who can use a sword?!

He closed in and slashed without mercy.

Moments later-

"Heeeeelp!!!"

"Tamayo! Michikatsu! Help! Yoriichi's lost his mind again!!!"

Muzan was covered in cuts again. Even one of his tube whips had been severed and fallen to the ground, where it flopped forlornly like a fish out of water.

Muzan charged out of the hacked-apart room, which was on the verge of collapse, and screamed for help.

I can't beat him!

I really can't beat him.

〒▽〒

Even a player with cheats can't beat an invincible character!

Tsugikuni Michikatsu and Tamayo had also been alerted. Well aware of her own combat capabilities, Tamayo hid and watched the situation.

Tsugikuni Michikatsu ran out and hastily drew his sword to block Yoriichi's attack. "Yoriichi! You-"

Before he could finish, Yoriichi, whom he had expected to stop attacking, slashed straight at him instead!

Tsugikuni Michikatsu:

"?"

"!!!"

"Have you gone mad?!!!"

His expression dark, Yoriichi shot Muzan a murderous glare.

This time, in his memories, Muzan had tempted Michikatsu into becoming a demon after they met a few days ago, then used a trick to abduct Yoriichi so he could go after him, too.

Though it pained Yoriichi, his eyes were filled with resolve.

When his elder brother strayed down the wrong path, he had a duty to stop him before things got any worse!

Forgive me!

The sword in Yoriichi's hand descended mercilessly toward Michikatsu.

How could Tsugikuni Michikatsu possibly withstand an attack from someone at the absolute pinnacle of combat strength?

For an instant, the threat of death nearly suffocated him.

The next moment, one of Muzan's tube whips yanked him aside, dodging the attack, while the blade at the tip of another blocked Yoriichi's sword. Muzan hurriedly fled with Michikatsu in tow.

There's no fucking way I can beat him!

Under the cold, pale moonlight, in the small courtyard, a fellow with tube whips covering his back dragged another fellow holding a sword, with a murderous Demon Slayer chasing behind them. The three made an enormous racket.

In the deserted forest beyond the courtyard, there was only the rustle of wind and birdsong heralding the coming dawn.

The three of them turned the courtyard into a complete mess. Even the stone walls had been smashed into broken sections.

Shattered tiles, chunks of stone, and dust flew all over the courtyard.

Muzan could see that the sky was about to brighten, while Tamayo was still hiding behind a wall, bleeding herself furiously to create illusions.

But they were useless against someone at the pinnacle!

"Tamayo! Stop bleeding yourself! Think of something!!!"

Muzan urged Tamayo on as he dragged Tsugikuni Michikatsu along, dodging and fleeing.

At the same time, he seized an opening to kick a huge rock at Yoriichi, hoping to slow him down.

Yoriichi sliced the rock apart with one stroke and charged on without slowing, as ferocious as a demon.

Muzan's head felt ready to split open!

You're the demon here, aren't you?!

Tamayo wanted to curse. What am I supposed to do?!

Muzan hurriedly dodged Yoriichi's attack. Dragged behind him by his clothes, Tsugikuni Michikatsu was being strangled so badly he could barely breathe. He watched Yoriichi's blade skim past the tip of his nose by a hair, nearly too terrified to breathe.

He struggled to adjust his position and struck the ground with his sword. The pressure on his neck eased for an instant, and he hurriedly shouted:

"Muzan! You're strangling me!"

Muzan was too busy trying to stay alive to notice Tsugikuni Michikatsu's face turning red until Michikatsu shouted. Startled, he hurriedly flung him away.

Michikatsu sailed backward over the shattered stone wall, scraping along the ground hard enough to wear through a patch of his clothes, before slamming into a nearby tree.

Yoriichi Tsugikuni's main target was Muzan. He glanced at Michikatsu, then turned back to continue hunting Muzan down.

"Tamayo, you..."

Muzan frantically dodged another attack, covered in wounds large and small. He was about to urge Tamayo to think of something again when she shouted:

"Turning him into a demon might restore his memories!"

Naturally, Yoriichi and Michikatsu heard her, too. With his memories already altered, Yoriichi believed Muzan had not only tempted his elder brother into becoming a demon, but now intended to do the same to him. His attacks instantly grew even fiercer.

He was determined to kill Muzan as quickly as possible.

Muzan was ready to cry. What the hell?!

I can't even touch the hem of Yoriichi's clothes, and you want me to turn him into a demon?

Michikatsu didn't want his younger brother to become a demon either. Before Muzan could speak, he leaned against the tree, one hand braced on the ground and the other pressed to his aching chest, and shouted:

"Isn't there any other way?"

Yoriichi shot Tamayo a look brimming with murderous intent. She ducked her head in fright and shouted from behind the wall over the tremendous clanging and crashing:

"No! This is the only way! Stop hesitating!"

Last time, Tsugikuni Michikatsu had at least been able to hold Yoriichi back, giving him time to calm down so they could talk things through. Now, with his memories altered, Muzan had become his enemy, and Michikatsu a demon who had strayed down the wrong path. There was no talking to him at all.

If they kept dragging this out until dawn, they could all just die.

An even bigger problem was that, even if they lasted until sunrise and Tsugikuni Michikatsu wasn't killed by the sunlight, making Yoriichi realize something was wrong, there was nowhere left to hide. With Yoriichi still fighting them, Muzan's chances of surviving were practically zero.

"Tch!"

Tsugikuni Michikatsu was deeply frustrated, and so was Muzan. The Half-Demon's scheme had put both their lives in danger.

Muzan glanced at Michikatsu as if asking for permission.

Tsugikuni Michikatsu gritted his teeth and shouted:

"Turn him into a demon!"

At those words, Muzan steeled himself as well. Gritting his teeth, he swung his tube whips and abruptly turned to meet Yoriichi head-on. Yoriichi wasn't deaf, of course, and knew exactly what Muzan intended.

He immediately swung his sword straight at Muzan's head.

I have to kill Muzan!

Muzan used several tube whips along with his Bone Whip to block Yoriichi's blade with all his strength, enduring the pain as his tube whips were sliced clean through one after another.

Yoriichi reacted swiftly. Seeing that his strike had failed, he prepared to retreat and evade Muzan.

But the next moment, a figure suddenly appeared behind Yoriichi, sharp claws poised to pierce his back. How could an ordinary demon possibly hurt Yoriichi, though?

He stepped back, twisted sharply, and slashed.

Yanagisawa Jiyuki recoiled in fright. "Nakime!"

In an instant, Yanagisawa Jiyuki vanished from behind Yoriichi.

Muzan and the other two disappeared along with him.