Disclaimer: Demon Slayer is not mine. This fanfic is a translation.
Enjoy Reading!
---
"What happened?!"
"...Where is this?"
"Hey! That house is moving!"
A group of Kakushi members in black uniforms stood on a wooden platform, frozen in place, stunned for a brief moment.
Then, coming to their senses, they looked at each other in panic.
"Where's the mansion?!"
Under the warm glow of the lights, the flustered Kakushi members looked particularly lost and helpless.
In front of the group.
Two figures stood.
They were Gyomei and Shinjuro.
Whoosh!
"Calm down!"
Shinjuro swept his arm, the flame-patterned haori on his back swaying with the motion. He turned his head and quickly assessed their surroundings.
"This is the Infinity Castle."
"It's Muzan's final stronghold. The fact that we got in means Muzan has been backed into a corner."
His voice was low, and there seemed to be a hint of disbelief in his eyes, as if he were trying to convince himself to accept this fact.
The once-hopeless Demon Slayer Corps had really...
A moment of hesitation crossed his mind.
Shinjuro furrowed his brow firmly. He looked at each of the people behind him, his tone reinvigorated.
"Oyakata-sama distributed structural maps of the Infinity Castle. Everyone, carefully recall them in your minds!"
As a Hashira, Shinjuro had to stabilize everyone's emotions right now.
While loudly giving the group a sense of security, Shinjuro furrowed his brow slightly, organizing his thoughts.
It seemed that because Muzan had retreated into the Infinity Castle in such a rush.
Muzan had actually brought everyone nearby along with him into the Infinity Castle.
What a panicked move.
Shinjuro's gaze swept over the people behind him.
Kakushi members made up nearly eighty percent of the group.
But that was alright.
His gaze fell on the remaining individuals. Unlike the Kakushi members, these people had Nichirin blades at their waists, and their expressions quickly became calm and alert.
They were swordsmen who had rushed over from the vicinity of the Butterfly Mansion upon hearing the news of Muzan's appearance.
Kagaya had once distributed a structural map of the Infinity Castle to every Hashira. It had been provided by Kokushibo.
Although the interior of the Infinity Castle was constantly moving and its structure was incredibly complex, the structural map provided by Kokushibo meticulously divided the Infinity Castle into four major districts—A, B, C, and D
Which were fixed in place because they served as the Upper Moons' strongholds. These corresponded to the usual locations of "Doma," "Akaza," "Kokushibo," and "Muzan," respectively.
(Corresponding to the locations of the Upper Moons in the Infinity Castle in the manga.)
The map also detailed the moving buildings within each major district as well as the natural movement directions of nearly all structures under normal conditions, and the ways Nakime most commonly used to move buildings and switch spaces.
It was a complete guide to clearing the castle.
Under Kagaya's direction, the map was copied, traced, and distributed to all Hashira, who then instructed the members under them to memorize the Infinity Castle's layout.
During this period, Shinobu had captured a demon capable of controlling the rooms of a mansion within a small area and switching their positions.
This Blood Demon Art, which could simulate the interior of the Infinity Castle, greatly accelerated the swordsmen's training progress.
Through this, the swordsmen repeatedly practiced how to respond to the Infinity Castle's changes.
Even the Kasugai crows were forced to memorize the map's contents.
And this project had begun in earnest shortly after the events in the Swordsmith Village.
That meant.
Click.
Shinjuro's flame-colored eyes scanned the surroundings. He turned back, the tip of his Nichirin blade resting against the floor.
Now, nearly all the swordsmen were extremely adept at handling the shifts within the Infinity Castle.
They could even navigate through the Infinity Castle as if walking on solid ground.
Whoosh!
"Caw!"
A Kasugai crow spread its wings and quickly flew across the sky. A piece of paper was pasted on its forehead, and its dark red eyes took in everything around it.
"Caw! Muzan's location!"
"District A!! District A!!"
Shinjuro drew his blade upward.
His thick black eyebrows rose. His once tired and dejected eyes were now reinvigorated, and he shouted with full energy.
"Everyone, move out!"
---
At the Ubuyashiki Estate.
"Dear… is everything going smoothly?"
Amane gently helped the frail Kagaya sit up. Her worried voice softly broke the silence of the quiet courtyard.
"Yes…"
Kagaya smiled, even though purple curse marks now covered half of his face.
A voice as warm as sunlight came from his lips. "Everything is going as predicted."
He slowly raised his hand.
Between his thin, bony fingers was a piece of paper with an eye drawn on it.
Kagaya pressed the paper to his forehead.
"Let me make this clear beforehand."
The silent figure who had been standing off to the side, hidden in the darkness, suddenly spoke. "I agreed to help you solely for Tamayo-sama's sake."
From the shadows, Yushiro opened his pale purple eyes. He crossed his arms, and a Kasugai crow perched on his shoulder, preening its feathers.
His tone betrayed no emotion. "That is all."
Kagaya turned his head slightly toward the direction of the voice, offering a smile in return.
"Yes, thank you."
No sooner had he spoken than his frail body gave way, and he coughed several times violently, but he quickly continued speaking to Yushiro.
"For being willing to help us in such an urgent situation."
"No more words are needed."
Yushiro looked at Kagaya in silence, then turned his head away with a snort, offering no further reply.
Kagaya turned back, took a deep breath, used what little strength he had left to remain seated, and focused on the paper pressed to his forehead.
This was Yushiro's Blood Demon Art.
It was activated using a piece of paper inscribed with a charm of an eye.
Any creature that affixed the paper could conceal its presence.
And could share its vision with other creatures that had affixed the paper.
Pat.
Kagaya slowly opened his eyes.
Currently Available Information
Muzan's Location. The far end of District A.
Tanjuro's Location. The far end of District D.
The distance between them spans nearly four entire districts.
This was deliberate on Muzan's part.
Inside the Infinity Castle.
At the border between District B and District C.
Layers upon layers of Japanese-style buildings moved back and forth. The wooden structures pressed against each other, emitting creaking, decaying sounds.
Clang!
Nakime sat high above in the very center of the Infinity Castle, holding her biwa, strumming it lightly with calm composure.
Muzan had ordered her to hold this position and fend off any attacks that might come before receiving the order to retreat.
Recalling Muzan's disheveled state from earlier, Nakime couldn't help but feel a pang of bitterness in her heart.
Whoosh—!
)—Sun Breathing Thirteenth Form!—(
Rumble—!!!
A violent sound mixed with tremors echoed!
'What was that noise?'
Nakime flinched, tucking her head down. Her single eye, hidden beneath her hair, cautiously looked around. She clutched the biwa tightly to her chest, trembling.
Shing!
Tanjuro suddenly appeared out of mid-air as a blur, accompanied by a sudden gust of wind.
He gripped the long, crimson blade with both hands, swinging it directly down at her.
Dangling from his body were several broken wooden doors, shattered from his reckless charge.
'What a barbaric human!!'
Seeing this, Nakime frantically shrank back.
'This isn't something I can handle at all, Muzan-sama!!'
She let out a sharp, piercing shriek.