Under Kagaya Ubuyashiki's calm, orderly direction, the various Corps members who had already broken inside began withdrawing in an organized manner.
Obanai Iguro ran through the collapsing corridors, with Mitsuri Kanroji beside him.
Normally, he would have watched Kanroji with tender eyes as she smiled and ate in front of him, bubbling with excitement like a cherry-pink steamed bun.
But in the icy gloom of the Infinity Castle, there was no time for tenderness.
He extended his tongue and lightly touched the scars at the corners of his mouth. Though those wounds had long since healed, his childhood experiences remained branded into his heart.
All he could do was cast aside the distracting thoughts and tell himself over and over.
Obanai Iguro, Obanai Iguro, fight. Kill Muzan!
Only then will you have washed away even a little of the filth and corruption staining you...
As you are now, you're nowhere near worthy of approaching someone as pure as Kanroji!
Kaburamaru, the white snake coiled around his neck, brushed his back with his tail, hoping to ease his tension.
"Thank goodness the Master is safe..."
Only after a long while did he say heavily, "If anything had really happened to him, I would never have forgiven myself, even in death."
He had rejected Mr. Himejima's suggestion at the time, but if given the choice again now, Obanai would certainly have chosen to protect the Master.
Thank goodness...
Thank goodness Mr. Haruto was as reliable as ever.
"Mr. Obanai..."
Mitsuri Kanroji turned to look at him with concern. "Please don't let these things distract you."
"I understand."
Obanai nodded and kept moving, soon reaching the point closest to the center.
"This should be the place where Yushiro said the energy pulses were strongest..."
He carefully surveyed his surroundings, but all he saw