Summoned to the Infinity Castle again after several decades, Akaza certainly did not think Muzan had called a meeting on a whim. Clearly, something had happened to enrage him.
Light flickered in Akaza's golden irises.
As his thoughts shifted, he saw tier upon tier of wooden buildings that seemed to float on water, with the space above, below, and to either side seemingly thrown into disarray.
These structures seemed rooted in the void, packed in close rows and stacked ever higher, with other houses inserted on either side, ultimately forming a vast city.
An alternate dimension, the Infinity Castle.
Muzan Kibutsuji's happy home.
Whenever he encountered danger, or grew bored with the outside world, Muzan would return here.
Of course, the Infinity Castle also served as a hub. This was the demons' headquarters, where Muzan could use Nakime to summon the Twelve Kizuki-or any demon, for that matter.
"Well, well, if it isn't Lord Akaza. It's been over eighty years since we last met, hasn't it?
It's truly wonderful to see you safe and sound.
Hehe, I thought you had been... Oh my, if that were the case, it would be so exhilarat- ahem, I mean, utterly heartbreaking."
On a floating platform, a patterned jade pot suddenly spoke in a delighted voice.
A nauseating gurgle churned at its mouth, and then a grotesque, misshapen body abruptly emerged.
His appearance was exceedingly peculiar, even horrifying. His body was connected to the pot, a wide mouth occupied the place where his eyes should have been, and his eyes instead sat on his forehead and beneath his mouth.
Several purple fish fins sprouted from the top of his head. His skin was deathly pale, and several tiny arms grew from the sides of his head and along his body. He was bizarre in the extreme.
Upper Rank Five, Gyokko!
Akaza glanced at him and ignored the pervert.
"How frightening... An Upper Rank has died. Eek! Terrifying, terrifying!"
An ugly old man clutching his head in fear spoke in a trembling voice. It wore black and red clothing, with a huge, smooth lump atop its head.
Upper Rank Four, Hantengu!
Akaza counted silently. Upper Rank Five and Upper Rank Four were both here, so where was Upper Rank One?
He looked up at the long-haired woman kneeling on a high platform and stroking her biwa, her brow and eyes concealed beneath black hair.
"Nakime, has Kokushibo not arrived yet?"
"Lord Kokushibo was the first to arrive."
His pupils contracted sharply. Akaza turned and saw a tall figure seated upright in a distant building, dressed in lavish purple samurai robes, his long, blood-red hair thick and loose.
In that case... could Doma have died?
A fleeting pleasure flashed through Akaza's heart.
"Oh my, Lord Akaza, you look rather happy. Were you thinking I'd died? How heartbreaking. Sob..."
A soft, velvety voice sounded beside his ear. A tall, white-haired young man was already standing beside Akaza, looking at him with smiling eyes.
His five fingers gently gripped Akaza's shoulder.
Rainbow-colored eyes gleamed faintly, the words "Upper Rank Two" clearly engraved within them.
Upper Rank Two, Doma!
Damn it, why wasn't it this bastard! So it was Gyutaro...
Akaza felt utterly disgusted.
"Let go!"
"Oh, come now, don't be angry..."
Bam! Akaza abruptly punched backward. Flesh and blood burst apart as he smashed the entire lower half of Doma's face.
Yet Doma showed no anger at all. He recovered in an instant and lightly licked the corner of his mouth.
"You've grown stronger, Lord Akaza."
His gaze icy, Akaza slowly turned around. The two looked as though they were about to fight right there. Hantengu lay trembling on the floor as a chill spread.
"Lord Muzan has arrived."
Kokushibo glanced over and suddenly spoke.
Everyone's gaze abruptly turned toward a high spot nearby. On a floating platform stood a handsome man in a suit, his eyes scarlet as blood, his snake-like slit pupils looking down impassively at the five Upper Ranks below.
The source of all demons, the progenitor of demonkind!
Muzan Kibutsuji!
A terrifying pressure crashed down like a landslide, instantly settling on the shoulders of four demons. Akaza's expression shifted slightly, Doma continued smiling, and Hantengu trembled. Only Gyokko wore a perverse flush of comfort and delight.
"Gyutaro is dead. There is a vacancy among the Upper Ranks."
His cold words were filled with displeasure.
"I'm terribly sorry, Lord Muzan. After all, I was the one who recommended Gyutaro. I'm willing to accept punishment."
Doma gave a sweet smile, showing not the slightest self-awareness, which only made Muzan angrier.
Of the Upper Ranks, Muzan liked Akaza best.
Next came Kokushibo and Gyokko, while Doma ranked last.
He felt that Doma never understood what he meant and even slacked off at crucial moments.
He was neither loyal nor diligent, and most importantly, he did not devote himself wholeheartedly to finding the Blue Spider Lily.
The former issues were tolerable, but that last point truly made it difficult for him to feel any fondness for Doma.
Despite possessing a human organization like the Eternal Paradise Faith, making him the demon best suited to searching for the Blue Spider Lily on a large scale...
"What use would punishing you serve?"
Unfortunately, Doma was highly gifted as a demon. If Muzan replaced an Upper Rank, it would be genuinely difficult to find someone capable of reaching his level.
Veins bulged on Muzan's forehead, and he gently pressed his five pale fingers against it.
Though he wore no expression of rage, that very calm instead shrouded the Upper Ranks' hearts in an icy chill.
Silent fury was the most terrifying of all...
"Lord Muzan, spare me!"
Hantengu trembled.
"For hundreds of years, you have neither eliminated the Ubuyashiki Family nor found the Blue Spider Lily.
What use are you!"
Muzan slowly raised his head, his blood-colored eyes fixed on his subordinates.
The terrifying pressure continued to mount, and even the floor beneath all the Upper Ranks began to shatter layer by layer.
Kokushibo alone was an exception.
Muzan had not directed his pressure at Kokushibo. After all, his situation was rather special; he was not entirely a subordinate.
"I have nothing to say. The Ubuyashiki Family has hidden itself well." Kokushibo lowered his head slightly.
"Hmm, I'm really not good at finding things, Lord Muzan." Doma swayed from side to side.
"I have failed in my duties..." Akaza knelt on one knee and lowered his head, his expression grave.
"Spare me, spare me..." Hantengu was still crying.
"Ah, Lord Muzan's power. It feels wonderful!"
Gyokko's face was flushed.
Muzan Kibutsuji lowered his agitated hand, and the pressure instantly vanished. He calmed his emotions and finally looked impassively at the five demons.
"Gyutaro was killed in a direct confrontation. He neither underestimated his enemy nor made a mistake.
Yet he died all the same. Tell me, are the Upper Rank demons too weak, or is his opponent too strong?"
Faced with that question, no demon dared answer.
Muzan knew this too. He gave a cold snort.
"You still haven't found where the Ubuyashiki are, yet this man is already close to finding me!"
Boom!!!
Several floating buildings exploded at once, debris scattering through the air. Muzan's fury sent a sudden jolt through the demons' hearts.
A figure appeared in their minds.
A plain white haori, a mysterious black-and-red Nichirin Blade in hand, the ability to regrow severed limbs at will, and sword forms that were sharp and extraordinarily profound.
His gaze was calm, carrying the confidence of someone absolutely certain of victory. Even though his opponent was Upper Rank Six, even though none had been killed in a hundred years, he remained utterly unruffled.
As though he were crushing an ant by the roadside.
That dazzling slash had beheaded Gyutaro and his sister so cleanly and decisively!
This man was very strange...
"Lord Muzan, please give me the mission. I will bring you this man's head!"
Akaza spoke respectfully and earnestly.
Muzan glanced at him, his expression cold, his thoughts unknown.
Before you continue