Chapter 76: Battle in the Infinity Castle |
Out of nowhere.
The rhythmic twang of a biwa echoed through the air.
The world around them shifted.
The burning ruins vanished, replaced by a chaotic, overlapping sprawl of architecture.
Every direction was filled with a dizzying array of rooms, halls, and staircases.
The Infinity Castle!
Muzan's secret lair, manifested through Nakime's Blood Demon Art.
As they were transported, the gravitational pull suddenly inverted. Tamayo's rapid strike whistled harmlessly past the Demon Progenitor's chest.
Meanwhile, Makomo swung her blade and Gyomei yanked his chain. Struggling to find their footing in the shifting space, they reflexively lashed out at the Demon Progenitor's headless body.
Swoosh!
A tall figure with long black hair, wearing a traditional purple kimono, intercepted Makomo. This was Michikatsu, the elder brother of Yoriichi Tsugikuni during his life as a human, and now the Upper Rank One: Kokushibo.
Thoom!
On the other side, Gyomei's spiked flail was halted by a small but extraordinarily powerful bare hand.
Upper Rank Two, Akaza!
"Oh, so many familiar faces... wherever did you find the courage to ambush our Lord? I'm afraid you'll have to pay for that with your lives!" Doma appeared nearby, his fan waving gracefully as he sent an icy blizzard swirling toward Tamayo.
"How terrible, how truly terrible! To wound our Master so gravely! We must run, or something even more horrific will surely happen!" Upper Rank Four, Hantengu, whimpered from a corner where he had curled into a ball.
Further off, Nakime stood calmly with her biwa in hand, a large ceramic pot resting at her feet.
Gyokko remained Upper Rank Five, while Nakime had stepped up to occupy the vacant position of Upper Rank Six.
All six Upper Ranks were assembled!
Now, it was Tamayo, Gyomei, and Makomo who found themselves surrounded.
In the center of the chaos, the headless Muzan, his spine shattered, caught his severed head and tried to press it back onto his neck. To his shock, the wound utterly refused to close.
The Demon Progenitor's face twisted with rage. Though he had only experienced such a thing once before—centuries ago—he was prepared now and knew exactly how to respond.
Squelch!
Without hesitation, Muzan jammed his severed head into his own abdomen. His right arm began to pulse and warp; eyes, ears, and a mouth sprouted from the flesh until a brand-new head had fully formed.
Muzan cast a fleeting glance at Makomo and the others before fixing his intense gaze on Tamayo.
"I wonder... will I grow even stronger after consuming your flesh? Perhaps I will finally conquer the sun," he said, his voice tinged with dark anticipation.
Until today, there had never been a second Demon Progenitor in the world. In over a thousand years, he had never fed upon the flesh of a being as powerful as Tamayo. It was entirely possible that by merging the essences of two Progenitors into one, his ultimate weakness would vanish.
Yet, despite the dire circumstances, no fear touched the faces of Makomo, Gyomei, or Tamayo. On the contrary, the Sword and Stone Hashira were still consumed by the grief of their leader's sacrifice.
"Since Muzan turned out to be more cautious than we anticipated, it is time to proceed to Plan B," Tamayo said softly, her eyes scanning the room.
Things would have been much simpler if Plan A had succeeded. Now, while victory was still certain, they would have to put in a significant amount of effort to reach their goal.
"Plan B? What sort of Plan B?" Doma asked with a smile. He felt a ravenous urge to devour the beautiful woman before him, though Muzan's earlier words made it clear he wouldn't get the chance.
Tamayo lowered her head, and when she looked up a moment later, her large eyes were glowing brilliantly. Suddenly, ephemeral, slender threads erupted from that radiance, piercing through the very fabric of space.
This was the new Blood Demon Art Tamayo had acquired upon her transformation into a Progenitor.
Whoosh!
A split second later, the threads retracted into the castle, but now their ends were gripped tightly by several pairs of hands.
In the blink of an eye, a multitude of figures appeared beside Tamayo...
Very familiar figures!
The Insect Hashira, Shinobu Kocho.
The Mist Hashira, Muichiro Tokito.
The Flame Hashira, Tanjiro Kamado.
The Wind Hashira, Sanemi Shinazugawa.
The Water Hashira, Giyu Tomioka.
The Serpent Hashira, Obanai Iguro.
In an instant, the strongest members of the Demon Slayer Corps had gathered, including Zenitsu, Inosuke, and...
Every single Hashira!
As the newly arrived Slayers took in their surroundings within the Infinity Castle, their expressions were masks of fury and sorrow.
"Waaaaah! So many demons!" Zenitsu screamed, his eyes bulging.
"I've been waiting for this!" Inosuke added eagerly.
"I never imagined the Demon Slayers would conspire with a demon. It sounds quite ironic... but have you asked yourselves if she can truly be trusted? Especially after the ignominious death of your master?" Muzan ignored the loud duo and spoke calmly, his eyes never leaving Tamayo as he tried to sow discord among his enemies.
"I believe with all my heart that no matter who we are, we are united by a single faith and purpose... the purpose of sending you to hell!" Gyomei declared firmly, not waiting for Tamayo to answer.
Many of the Hashira had indeed harbored doubts about allying with a demon. In fact, the late Kagaya himself had initially presented arguments against it. However, the simple fact that Yeruashi had been in contact with Tamayo effectively erased any lingering hesitation.
Without that trust, Muzan's words combined with Kagaya's death might have planted seeds of doubt within the Corps. As it stood, the provocation had absolutely no effect.
Following Gyomei's lead, the rest of the Hashira drew their Nichirin Swords.
"Wind Breathing, Third Form!" Sanemi was the first to charge, unable to restrain his volatile temper even in the presence of the Upper Ranks and the Demon Progenitor himself.
Almost simultaneously, the other Demon Slayers and the Upper Moons surged into motion. In a heartbeat, the decisive battle between the strongest of demons and humanity erupted within the halls of the Infinity Castle!