BOOM-!!!
The deafening blast swept over them half a second later.
The terrifying shock wave became a visible surge of white air, spreading wildly in every direction. The entire Demon Slayer Corps Headquarters shook violently. Tiles were torn from countless rooftops, and trees were ripped out by their roots.
Atop the Watchtower, Sasuke's black haori snapped in the gale, but his feet remained rooted, his body utterly still. He merely narrowed his eyes slightly, the visual power of his Rinnegan piercing the dazzling flames and smoke at the center of the explosion.
The Ubuyashiki Estate had vanished.
In its place was an enormous crater over fifty meters in diameter. Everything inside had been reduced to charcoal and fine dust by the extreme heat and the force of the explosion.
What a ruthless man, taking his wife and children with him... A trap made with his own life really did pack an extraordinary punch.
Sasuke felt no emotional stirrings. He even felt a slight urge to give this fireworks show a thumbs-up.
This had been more than explosives. Sasuke could sense large quantities of pulverized Nichirin Blade fragments, scarlet crimson ore, and highly poisonous wisteria powder mixed into the dust from the explosion. It was the most vicious "welcoming salute," tailored specifically for Muzan Kibutsuji.
The Hashira lying in ambush nearby were also stunned by this sudden upheaval.
"Master!" Kyojuro Rengoku cried out involuntarily, the flames in his eyes flickering fiercely.
"Bastard...!" Sanemi Shinazugawa clenched his teeth until they creaked, his veins bulging.
They all wanted to rush over, but Sasuke's strict advance order to "stand by in place" kept them firmly pinned where they were.
Sasuke's gaze remained fixed on the center of the explosion.
Amid the smoke and dust, an enormous, grotesquely twisted cocoon of flesh, tentacles, and bone