The pitch-black dimensional space began to collapse. Yosuke's entire body tensed, and the moment he regained his mobility, he launched an attack on the Priest Master.
"The Blood Breathing, Fifth Form—Blood Flash!"
In an instant, Yosuke dashed forward at blinding speed, his blood-forged blade slicing toward the Priest Master's neck.
Facing Yosuke's onslaught, the Priest Master calmly raised one hand.
"Kotodama — Reject!"
Yosuke's strike was repelled by an invisible force.
The Priest Master sneered coldly.
"Ubuyashiki Yosuke, this new sword form of yours has already been foreseen by my power to see the future. You've exhausted every trick you have. What do you have left to challenge me with? That pitiful, incomplete fragment of rule power inside you?"
"Kotodama — Repulse!"
A tremendous shockwave struck Yosuke, hurling him out of the room.
The commotion naturally drew the attention of Hakuji and Gyutaro, who were also within the Infinite Castle.
"Yosuke-sama!"
Seeing the one they had been longing to reunite with, both Hakuji and Gyutaro rushed to his side—
"Don't come any closer! This is not a battle you can interfere in!" Yosuke barked sternly, halting them.
The Priest Master gazed emotionlessly at Akaza and Gyutaro.
"Those who should have died… ought to accept the coming of death quietly."
"Kotodama — Instant!"
In a flash, the Priest Master appeared before the two and thrust out both hands.
"Kotodama — Strike!"
A powerful, unseen force shot toward them.
Sensing danger through his Compass Needle, Hakuji shouted,
"Gyutaro! To your left!"
"Blood Demon Art — Rampant Slaughter: Annihilation Form!"
Hakuji unleashed a devastating punch, generating a massive explosion that neutralized the invisible attack.
After centuries of fighting side by side, Hakuji and Gyutaro's coordination was seamless—they needed no words to understand one another.
"Blood Demon Art — Frenzied Blood Rampage!"
Gyutaro summoned bladed waves of blood to whirl around him, forming a complete defense that blocked the Priest Master strikes.
Just as the Priest Master prepared to attack again, Yosuke appeared in time and delivered a powerful kick, sending the Priest Master flying.
The struggle between Yosuke and the Priest Master did not escape the notice of Nakime, the one controlling the entire Infinite Castle.
"Muzan-sama, Ubuyashiki Yosuke and the Priest Master have both escaped their confinement!"
Nakime immediately reported to Kibutsuji Muzan, who was still engaged in battle outside the Infinite Castle against Kokushibo and Gyomei Himejima.
Upon hearing the news, Muzan struck both opponents back with a whip-like tentacle.
He frowned deeply—how could it be that even his full-powered strikes had failed to damage that black coffin, and yet Yosuke and the Priest Master had broken free so quickly?
The current battle was entirely in Muzan's favor; given time, victory was certain.
But now, with both Yosuke and the Priest Master released, the situation had become unpredictable once again.
"Nakime! Swallow everyone around me into the Infinite Castle!" Muzan commanded immediately.
Since the Priest Master had also broken free, their alliance still stood. For now, he would join forces with the Priest Master to eliminate Ubuyashiki Yosuke once and for all.
"Yes, Muza-sama!"
Nakime instantly activated her Blood Demon Art, drawing everyone surrounding Muzan into the Infinite Castle.
When the others saw Yosuke locked in fierce combat with the Priest Master, the Butterfly Sisters, along with Koyuki and Ume, were overwhelmed with emotion.
Koyuki grasped Hakuji's hand tightly.
"Hakuji, you did it!"
Hakuji, however, looked troubled.
"It was Yōsuke-sama who broke free on his own. Gyutaro and I have been toyed with by Nakime all this time. Every time we tried to move deeper into the Infinite Castle, her Blood Demon Art would send us back to the starting point."
Muzan turned to Doma and Hantengu.
"I will face Ubuyashiki Yosuke myself. You two, assist Nakime and slaughter the rest of them!"
With that, Muzan leapt into the fray, joining the Priest Master in the battle against Yosuke.
As Muzan departed, Sanemi Shinazugawa and Obanai Iguro attempted to intercept him—
but the moment Nakime's biwa sounded, they were warped back to their starting positions once more.
"Tch, useless!" Gyutaro growled, scratching his cheek irritably. "Even though Hakuji's Compass Needle can sense Nakime's position, before we can reach her, she teleports us back again!"
Gyomei Himejima continued chanting sutras as he spoke gravely,
"This cursed teleportation must be stopped first. If we don't eliminate Nakime, we'll be at a severe disadvantage in this battle!"
Hakuji clenched his fists in frustration.
"Damn it! The entire Infinite Castle is under her control. If only she couldn't see us…"
"Wait—'can't see'... I have an idea!" Shinobu Kocho suddenly exclaimed. "Hakuji's right. If Nakime can't perceive us, she can't teleport us. Before the battle, Yushiro gave me three talismans—his spell tags can not only share vision, but also conceal one's presence."
However, there were only three talismans—deciding who should use them became the problem.
Hakuji's Compass Needle could detect Nakime's location, but only reactively, when she activated her ability, making it unreliable for stealth.
There was no time to waste—Doma and Hantengu were already preparing to attack.
Thus, the mission to locate and eliminate Nakime was entrusted to Tanjiro, Zenitsu, and Inosuke.
The three accepted without hesitation. With their heightened senses—Tanjiro's smell, Zenitsu's hearing, and Inosuke's touch—they were the best suited for the task.
After attaching the talismans, they slipped away quietly, vanishing into the shifting labyrinth in search of Nakime's hidden chamber.
Seeing three figures suddenly disappear, Doma immediately realized what had happened.
"So, three of them have gone after Nakime, huh?" he muttered, smiling coldly. Raising his twin fans, he unleashed his Blood Demon Art.
"Blood Demon Art — Scattered Lotus Petals!"
He waved his fans, scattering countless razor-sharp ice petals through the air. Each petal glimmered like a blade, filling the entire battlefield with a storm of death.
To cover Tanjiro's team, Hakuji and Gyutaro rushed forward, launching a coordinated assault on Doma and Hantengu.
"Destructive Death: Final Form — Azure Silver Splinter Light!"
In an instant, Akaza fired hundreds of energy blasts in all directions, shredding Doma's frozen petals and surging toward him.
Gyutaro joined in immediately.
"Hantengu! Our last fight wasn't finished! Blood Demon Art — Flying Blood Scythes!"
His poisonous blood turned into razor-sharp spinning blades that shot toward Hantengu.
Hantengu snorted derisively.
"Hmph! I have once again received Muzan-sama's blood—my power is far beyond what it once was!"
Sekido's fused form, Zohakuten, struck the drum upon his back.
"Blood Demon Art — Thunderous Roar of Rage!"
He unleashed a massive ultrasonic shockwave from his mouth, the destructive resonance blasting apart Hakuji's energy projectiles and Gyutaro's blood blades alike.