A fierce gust swept up as Zongyan reached out, caught the little girl, and set her on the ground.
Then, with a flick of his fingertips, he drew Murasame from his waist.
The cool, snow-white blade reflected the streetlights, its steel radiating a bone-deep chill.
Zongyan pushed the dynamic vision of his three tomoe to its limit, and his blade flashed.
Swish, swish, swish!
More than a dozen faint slicing sounds rang out in succession.
With Murasame in hand, he made a tiny, shallow cut with absolute precision on the shoulder, arm, or elsewhere of every passerby who had been injected with demon blood.
Sheathing his sword, he unleashed chakra beneath his feet and shot through the air in the direction Muzan had fled.
"After him!"
Uchiha Itachi barked the combat order from the shadows.
Before his words had faded, he and the other two, including Uchiha Ren, sprang out of the shadows together. The three figures immediately spread out, using their ninja speed to cut off Muzan's other two escape routes.
Night stretched boundlessly, and wind howled through the leaves in the wilderness outside the city.
By now, Muzan had lost every trace of his composed, astute appearance as a wealthy merchant.
His suit was torn, his hair disheveled, and nothing remained in his eyes but utter panic.
Yoriichi Tsugikuni!
He did not dare look back or confirm whether it was really him. Only one thought remained in his mind-Run!
Escape this area and retreat into the Infinity Castle immediately!
Behind him, the sound of someone cutting through the air drew ever closer.
Zongyan followed him like a shadow, clinging close behind as the distance between them steadily shrank.
The night wind churned, whipping the boy's black hair. His Three-Tomoe Sharingan remained fixed on the fleeing Demon King ahead,