At the center of the loft, the Kasugai Crow tried to send word out... but Kuwajima stopped it.
Seizing the opportunity, Kaigaku carefully studied the sturdy, somewhat short middle-aged man before him, brimming with energy and with both legs intact. He still could not quite process what he was seeing.
Faced with his disciple's drastically altered, sinister appearance and the Nichirin Blade darkened by blood, Kuwajima was heartbroken. He simply could not accept it.
He snapped, "I'm your master, you little bastard!"
"What?! That's impossible!"
"Hmph. Have you forgotten how you knelt on the ground, sobbing your eyes out, begging me to take you as my disciple?"
Crack! Kaigaku clenched his fists and shouted back, "Shut up! I don't care whether you're that old geezer Kuwajima or not. You're dead either way!"
"You bastard! What did I teach you? Respect every life!"
"Shut your mouth! Stop lecturing me like you're above me! Who the hell do you think you are? Even that guy has no right to lecture me now!"
With that, he stole a guilty glance upward.
"Kaigaku! Come back! As long as you're willing to reclaim your humanity, I'll swallow my pride and beg His Majesty to turn you back into a human, just like Akaza."
"Y-you really are old man Kuwajima?" That familiar feeling, the concern in his words... Kaigaku could not help being moved, and he hesitated.
"That's right. What's so good about being a demon? The Empire can even resurrect the dead, restore youth, and extend lifespans. There's a bright future ahead!"
"Infinity Castle has been locked onto, and His Majesty's Wood Release has sealed off the surrounding area. You can't escape, and Muzan can't win!"
"..."
"Akaza is the best example!"
Kaigaku fell silent.
Unlike in the original story, Kuwajima had not only been