Disclaimer: Demon Slayer is not mine. This fanfic is a translation.
Enjoy Reading!
---
The Kasugai crow beat its wings, tracing a path through the air.
"Caw! Caw! All Hashira, emergency assembly!"
The Kasugai crow looked down at the forest below. Its crimson eyes reflected the figures of the people moving swiftly beneath the trees.
Several figures, each carrying a Nichirin blade at their waist or on their back, flashed past.
Accompanying their advance was a somewhat noisy voice.
"Put me down!!"
"Why won't that Oya-guy let us head to the Butterfly Mansion?!"
"The crow clearly said the Demon King was at the mansion, didn't it?!"
Inosuke was slung over Tengen's shoulder. He waved his fists indignantly, twisting his body frantically to try and escape his hold.
Seeing that no one was paying him any attention, a glint of what might have been cunning (or foolishness) shone in the two large eyes of his boar mask.
Tanjiro is still at the Butterfly Mansion, and those little Tanjiros too.
Inosuke's mind flashed an image of Kotoha.
He suddenly looked up.
In this situation, he absolutely had to go to the Butterfly Mansion!
Moments ago, after witnessing Doma's death and hearing his confession, Inosuke seemed to recall memories from his early childhood.
Though quite vague, they were precious memories that had once been real.
They were memories of his only family, his real mother.
Inosuke suddenly jerked his upper body up, bringing his arms together, his whole body bending like a drawn slingshot.
"Hey! Answer me!!"
Thud!
He slammed his elbow hard into Tengen's back.
"Guh-ck!"
But it had no effect. Inosuke only felt the muscular arm holding his torso squeeze even tighter.
Tengen remained silent, his eyes fixed straight ahead, following the Kasugai crow's position in the sky as he advanced rapidly.
Tied tightly around his right arm was a wet shinobi forehead protector.
Around them, the others advancing alongside him were equally silent.
"This is the Oyakata-sama's command."
Obanai slightly turned his head. He looked at Inosuke on Tengen's back and said in a cold tone. "Shut your mouth and obey. It's better for you."
"What did you say?!" Inosuke froze, then angrily raised his arm to retort.
Slap!
But Sanemi reached over and slapped him unconscious with a smack.
Events had been happening one after another tonight.
Their mood was necessarily bad, but it was definitely heavy.
"Caw!! Everyone stop!"
The Kasugai crow suddenly spread its wings wide, hovering in place, shouting loudly. "Hold position!!"
Tengen stopped steadily. As a shinobi, he landed silently on a tree branch.
Sanemi and the others also landed on nearby trees, quietly observing their surroundings.
"Hm?"
Sanemi's gaze suddenly shifted to a spot beneath a nearby tree.
"Tomioka?"
Giyu, who had received orders early and rushed here from his post, slowly emerged from the bushes. He looked up at the group in the trees.
He gave the group an imperceptible nod. His deep, still eyes held no emotion.
The Hashira exchanged glances.
At this point, all currently available Hashira had arrived.
Giyu slightly turned his head, looking in another direction.
The Hashira followed his gaze.
There, they saw a small wooden house that appeared to have been carefully maintained.
"This place is…" Shinobu jumped down from the tree, her toes tapping the ground. She found no trace of the Demon King anywhere.
She gripped the hilt of her sword, her eyes scanning some leftover firewood in front of the wooden house.
Curious, Shinobu squatted down, picked up a bit of wood shaving with her fingertips, and smelled it.
Just ordinary wood.
"The Kamado's house."
Giyu spoke. His gaze remained fixed on the open space in front of the house.
"And the place where Muzan was first discovered since the Taisho era."
As his voice trailed off, almost simultaneously, everyone's eyes turned to Giyu.
He paused for a moment, seemingly aware of Shinobu's surprised look beside him. Keeping his eyes forward, he added.
"Oyakata-sama has ordered us to wait patiently here."
He turned his head, looking at Obanai and the others who had also jumped down from the trees, and said with absolute certainty.
"Kibutsuji Muzan will walk right into the trap."
Giyu's gaze was firm as he spoke.
Everything fell silent once more.
The Kasugai crow perched on a treetop, its crimson eyes reflecting a hint of satisfaction.
On its forehead was pasted a talisman with a pattern of an eye.
...
"Huff, huff."
Saburo, holding his hunting rifle, gasped for breath halfway up the mountain. Leaning against a tree, he struggled to stand, his aged voice revealing his exhaustion.
"This is the place."
He raised the gun, aiming at a spot beneath a tree not far ahead.
The head of the Ubuyashiki family, though cursed, possessed the ability to see briefly into the future.
Through Yushiro's Blood Demon Art, he transmitted his precognitive visions to everyone who had affixed the talisman.
Click.
Saburo loaded a bullet into the chamber. His breathing gradually steadied.
On his forehead, a talisman with a painted eye had also been affixed.
"Grandpa Saburo will now… avenge you."
----
Zing!!
Yoriichi Type Zero had just fully extended its six arms.
Clang!
A faint, ethereal biwa sound echoed through the warehouse.
Muzan, who had been sprawled on the floor with a look of utter despair, vanished instantly from the spot.
The doll swung its arms a couple of times. Its mechanical movements didn't connect with any target. It slowly stopped, as if confused.
Screech—
On the floor where Muzan had been lying, a deep gash from a blade appeared.
...
Back inside the Infinity Castle.
Tanjuro looked down at the Mortal Blade in his hand, still stained with blood. He wasn't surprised.
With Nakime around, Muzan's escape was expected.
Just as he was pondering what to do next,
Clang!
The sound of biwa rang out.
Muzan's panicked, blurred figure appeared before him again.
He stumbled a couple of steps, gasping for breath in utter disarray, cold sweat covering his sickly pale forehead.
Then, as if sensing his gaze, he looked up slightly toward Tanjuro.
The eyes of the man and the demon met again.
Along with their locked gazes came Muzan's already terrified, hoarse cry of panic.
"Why are you here too?!"
His eyes were frantic. He was completely at a loss. He raised a finger, pointing shakily at Tanjuro. "Wha—?! You, then that thing just now…!?"
Tanjuro's reaction was equally swift. He didn't pay any attention to Muzan's hysterical prattling.
Puchi!
He once again raised his blade and brought it down. Using the Transparent World, the tip of his sword had already targeted the location of one of Muzan's hearts.
"Fancy meeting you again," Tanjuro said.
"Gu-ck!" Muzan's pupils contracted sharply. He instinctively grabbed the blade embedded in his body. The intense pain instantly cleared away some of his chaotic thoughts.
Blood spilled from the corners of his mouth, pouring onto the floor like thick, sticky cloth.
"Na...ki...me...!" Muzan forced out the words with great difficulty.
On the far opposite end of the Infinity Castle, a large, swollen lump bulged on Nakime's neck. Her hair was dry and brittle. Her once vibrant single eye was now sunken and withered.
She stiffly raised her arm.
Clang!!
She slammed it down heavily onto the broken, battered biwa in her lap.
A tremendous sound instantly echoed throughout the entire Infinity Castle.
Muzan's figure vanished from the spot.
He wanted to immediately detonate the Infinity Castle, burying everyone currently inside it underground.
Tanjuro stood quietly in place, observing the Infinity Castle around him, which had begun to emit creaking, decaying sounds, seeming on the verge of collapse.
In his arms, a small paper doll struggled to crawl out.
And affixed itself to the long sword in his hand.
Click.
)—Sun Breathing Ashina-style!—(
)—Fushidachi!—(
---
Halfway up the mountain at the Kamado house.
A completely exhausted Muzan abruptly appeared beneath a tree.
His eyes were hollow. The blood at the corners of his mouth had dried, but thick, viscous blood continued to ooze from his wounds.
"…Damn it all…" he muttered to himself.
Muzan crawled to his feet, swaying, and leaned against a nearby tree. Only one thought occupied his mind right now.
'Keep moving, no matter what.'
'Don't let that persistent bastard catch up again!'
Muzan, covered in countless wounds, failed to notice that behind him stood a human with a faint presence.
'It's here!'
Saburo stared intently at Muzan. His breathing grew rapid. His fingers unconsciously rubbed against the gun barrel. The hunting rifle he held trembled slightly from nerves.
Without time to think, Saburo's unfocused vision blurred slightly.
After aiming the shaking gun muzzle at Muzan's back from a distance,
Bang! Bang!
His finger pulled the trigger decisively.
Two Nichirin bullets, wreathed in tongues of fire, exploded from the gun's muzzle!
"Oof!" The powerful recoil kicked the gun barrel up, and Saburo, caught off guard, fell backward onto the ground.
Puchi!
The rifle bullets struck Muzan's back with precision, blasting open two fist-sized, bloody holes.
"Bluaagh!!" Muzan froze, then spat out another gush of blood.
In disbelief, he slowly turned his head to look at the culprit.
"…A… human?"
Muzan's crimson pupils contracted to pinpricks with excruciating slowness. The crushing irritation inside him instantly transformed into rage.
His body trembled slightly. Veins spread around the wounds.
In his crimson pupils, Saburo's aged face was reflected.
Along with the old man's expression, which held not a trace of fear.
Muzan grew even angrier.
At the same time,
The loud gunshot echoed through the mountains. Birds that had already returned to their nests were startled, flapping their wings and flying up from the forest, shaking the leaves.
...
At the mountaintop.
The Hashira who had been waiting quietly.
In unison, they whipped their heads towards the sound.
Their sharp gazes locked onto the same direction.
The Kasugai crow perched on the treetop was now also eerily staring straight at the spot halfway up the mountain.
"The mission begins."
The crow opened its beak and spoke slowly.
Its tone sounded… just like Oyakata-sama's.