Chapter 75: One Dirty Trick After Another |
The Demon Slayer Corps headquarters was situated deep within a mountain forest, but the sheer amount of explosives—combined with the Progenitor of Demons' own Blood Demon Art—triggered what could only be described as a massive earthquake.
Even the houses at the foot of the mountain were shaken by the force of the blast.
Only one small wooden house remained perfectly intact, standing like a monolith amidst the chaos.
Inside, Nezuko and Mitsuri stared at the screen, their mouths hanging open at the sight of the cataclysmic explosion.
Kagaya had sacrificed his own family without the slightest hesitation, all to drag Muzan to the grave with him!
It was almost impossible to believe that a man so gentle and soft-spoken could be capable of such decisive and ruthless actions.
"Oyakata-sama..." Kanae whispered, her small fists clenching involuntarily. She couldn't help but feel a wave of sorrow, even as she respected her former leader's resolve.
"Let us go," Yeruashi said suddenly, rising from his chair.
The eyes of everyone in the room immediately snapped toward him, filled with curiosity as to where he was heading at such a critical moment.
Nezuko and the others exchanged brief glances before standing in unison and following him outside.
Meanwhile, the smoke from Kagaya's explosion had begun to clear. Unfortunately, the Progenitor of Demons, who had been on high alert, had managed to block the brunt of it.
A cold glint flashed in Muzan's eyes. He had certainly expected a trap, but he never imagined his opponent would sacrifice his family, nor that the blast would be powerful enough to force him to deploy his Blood Demon Art at maximum capacity.
Muzan did not dare lower his guard, even in this brief moment of recovery. He knew the Demon Slayers were a breed that was utterly ruthless even to themselves; they wouldn't stop at a single explosion.
And he was right.
Immediately following the massive blast, a tiny figure emerged from beneath the earth. It seemed fragile at first glance, but it moved with such blistering speed that even Muzan’s eyes narrowed in surprise. Having just exerted his full power to block the explosion, he was forced to take the hit with his physical body.
A heavy crash echoed as the two figures collided, and the Progenitor of Demons felt a faint numbness spread through his arms.
"It is impressive that you managed to strengthen your body to such a degree... Does this mean you have been researching the secrets of demonization all these years?" Muzan sneered coldly as he recognized the face before him.
The attacker was none other than Tamayo.
Judging by the sheer speed and raw power of her strike, she surpassed even the strongest of the Upper Moons under his command. As a demon turned by his own blood, it should have been impossible for her to achieve such progress. Thus, the conclusion was obvious: Tamayo had unraveled the mystery of demonic blood.
Without a doubt, Tamayo was now a progenitor in her own right, capable of creating many of her own kind. She simply wasn't as powerful as him yet because she hadn't consumed enough humans.
'I doubt this will be the end of it...' The thought had barely flashed through Muzan's mind when a low, booming voice resonated nearby.
"Heavenly Firmament Strike!"
Boom!
A massive axe attached to a heavy chain slammed toward the Progenitor's neck.
However, since Muzan hadn't been weakened by the explosion and the poison-laced shrapnel hadn't penetrated his skin, he was still at the absolute peak of his power.
Tamayo’s full-strength blow had only managed to numb his hands; likewise, Gyomei’s strike—delivered without the activation of his Mark—managed only to force the Progenitor's neck to bend slightly forward.
'Oh, how incredibly durable the Progenitor’s neck is!' the Stone Hashira noted, though he did not panic at the sight.
After all, a fourth attack followed the third immediately.
Thwack!
Makomo appeared nearby as if from thin air, hidden until that moment by Yushiro’s paper talisman. She grieved for Kagaya’s death no less than Gyomei, but that sorrow only served to harden her resolve. A split second later, a brilliant, shimmering sword stroke hissed toward the Progenitor of Demons.
'Is this that Sword Hashira? Not bad, but still not enough to sever my neck...' Muzan thought dismissively.
He had to admit the enemy had partially caught him off guard, but he didn't believe there was any real threat to his life.
But the moment that thought formed...
The blade of the ill-fated Sword Hashira sliced through the Progenitor’s impenetrable neck as easily as a hot knife through butter!
"This... this is impossible!" Muzan’s severed head hissed, his face twisting in shock. Unable to fathom what had happened, his bewildered gaze immediately locked onto the blade in the girl's hands.
Makomo was strong, there was no doubt about that, but at best she was on par with Kokushibo. It was physically impossible for her to decapitate him so easily. Furthermore, the wound burned with a searing agony, a pain he hadn't felt since his encounter with Yoriichi Tsugikuni.
It was the blade!
Even with five brains and seven hearts, Muzan was genuinely wounded by the Sword Hashira's striking blow.
Following this, Gyomei’s massive spiked flail descended upon Muzan’s back with a terrifying roar, mercilessly shattering his spine. In that same instant, Tamayo’s eyes sharpened as she ruthlessly thrust her clawed hand into his chest.
Kagaya’s explosion, followed by the calculated, successive strikes of Tamayo, Gyomei, and Makomo... while the first three attacks had failed to yield significant results, the last one certainly had. The blade gifted by a god proved to be many times more lethal to demons than any ordinary Nichirin Sword.
This gave Tamayo the opening she needed. If she could pierce his chest now and inject the drug into Muzan’s system, he might not die instantly, but he would be severely—fatally—weakened.
The Progenitor of Demons would be left with no escape!
But...
At the most critical moment, Muzan’s gaze turned icy.
The enemy had exceeded his expectations.
Not only had Tamayo conspired with the Demon Slayers, but the Sword Hashira’s weapon posed a genuine threat to his existence.
However, he wasn't someone to be easily cornered. He had prepared thoroughly before stepping into the enemy's lair; he wasn't just on alert. There was a reason, after all, that he had survived in this world for nearly a thousand years!