As the sun drew closer to rising, the Demon Slayer Corps members were every bit as excited as Muzan was terrified.
But that excitement gave way to an even fiercer clash between the two sides.
They all knew that victory or defeat would be decided in the little time that remained.
At this moment, Muzan could spare no thought for anything else. His five brains were all thinking about one thing-escape.
The will to survive was an instinct etched into Muzan's very bones over the past thousand years.
For that reason, even if it meant letting everyone else's attacks slash into his body, he had to draw in all his whips and concentrate them on breaking through in one direction.
"Get out of my way!"
Holding almost nothing back, Muzan struck and punched a gap straight through the weakest point in the encirclement.
Of the five Kinoe Swordsmen who had been blocking that spot, only one was sent flying with severe injuries. The other four were torn apart outright.
"Stone Breathing, Fourth Form: Flowing Rock • Swift Charge!"
The lives of those Swordsmen bought a momentary pause in Muzan's advance, allowing Gyomei, who was closest, to plug the gap in time.
But with Muzan bent on fleeing for his life, even Gyomei could barely stop him. Even at the cost of being sent flying again, he only managed to slow Muzan's steps slightly.
Still, those few seconds were enough for the others to follow close behind Muzan and surround him once more.
"Thunder Breathing, Seventh Form: Dragon's Roam!"
Muzan had just knocked away the heavy, powerful Meteor Hammer when a dragon-shaped flash of lightning immediately coiled around him.
With the drugs inside his body weakening him and his mind focused solely on escape, his attacks, which had never possessed