Mizuki looked calmly at the eyeball monster that appeared at the corner.
The eyeball monster seemed to have noticed her figure as well, slowly raising its head... raising its eyeball.
It blinked at her.
Having grown accustomed to the dolls of the Ubuyashiki family, suddenly seeing such a little thing, it was surprisingly cute?
Mizuki walked towards the eyeball monster, bent down, and picked it up.
Its tiny tentacles brushed against her palm, feeling a bit ticklish.
If one ignored a certain grotesque fascination, it was actually quite good-looking.
"Kibutsuji Muzan, you're watching, aren't you?"
Just as Muzan shifted his gaze back to the eyeball monster, he saw a face resembling a monster staring right back at him, eye to eye, startling him so much he nearly flung the cup in his hand.
Coupled with those words, it was exactly like watching a horror movie.
Fortunately, the voice wasn't one he recognized from memory, or else he would have slapped Nakime to death, lest the other side track him down through the 'connection' and obliterate him.
Realizing that the other side couldn't reach him through the 'connection,' Muzan's rapidly beating heart gradually calmed down.
With a gloomy expression, he stared back at that monstrous face.
"I am right here." Mizuki looked down at the eyeball in her hand, her icy gaze making Muzan feel hostility.
"I'll be there soon." Muzan said grimly, issuing a threat.
It was just a pity that Nakime's Blood Demon Art couldn't serve the purpose of transmitting messages; it only worked for reconnaissance through'sight.'
But it didn't matter; he knew the other party would understand.
The next moment, Mizuki threw the eyeball in her hand to the ground.
What came next was an enlarged sole of a shoe; Muzan's vision turned dark.
Muzan's face remained gloomy, largely unaffected.
This woman appearing here meant this was the Ubuyashiki residence.
At the very least, it wasn't too far off; it was somewhere within this cluster of buildings.
Muzan wasn't worried about the other party's schemes and tricks because nothing besides sunlight could kill him.
To a certain extent, he could be considered immortal.
Moreover, he had his own arrangements on his end.
Once the battle commenced, he would use himself as bait to shift the fight from the ground to this Infinity Castle.
Once it reached here...
Roar...
From the distance came the faint sounds of numerous beasts roaring. Looking out, one could vaguely see hidden ghostly figures within the Infinity Castle.
In the past, Muzan would never have allowed such unruly subordinates in his domain.
But it didn't matter; consider it his final gift.
After all, once he overcame sunlight, these demons would be completely useless.
...
On the other side, Mizuki looked at the splattered bloodstains beneath her feet, her expression somewhat unpleasant.
She had only been thinking about looking cool earlier, completely forgetting how juicy this little thing was.
The edge of her shoe was smeared with a bit.
Mizuki felt like cutting off her own foot.
She looked left and right, confirmed no one was around, jumped into the courtyard, and rubbed her foot back and forth on the grass, finally managing to wipe away the traces on her foot.
As for the bloodstains on the corridor...
By dawn, these traces would naturally fade away.
...
Mizuki could indeed hide a bit longer, toy with Muzan more, but Muzan's patience was limited.
She could hide Ubuyashiki Kagaya back and forth, making Muzan frantic with anxiety.
But if Muzan, cornered, turned his attention to the Demon Slayer Corps swordsmen, it would be more trouble than it was worth.
It would be safer to keep the other party's focus on this side.
After the distant exchange with Muzan, Mizuki turned back to the room. Climbing through the window to enter, she saw several pairs of eyes fixed on her in the darkness.
Mizuki hadn't been nervous even when playing with that eyeball earlier, but now, being stared at by the several dolls of the Ubuyashiki family, her back went numb.
Mizuki explained with a sweatdrop: "Um, I just went to the bathroom."
"..."
After a moment of silence, a white-haired child asked, "Do demons need to use the bathroom too?"
Mizuki: "..."
Mizuki slipped back under the covers, feeling the gazes from both sides, and pulled the blanket up a bit higher.
"Let's sleep."
It was as if a keyword had been triggered. The children decisively abandoned their previous doubts, lay back down, and soon, the sound of calm breathing arose.
Mizuki: Which side here is really the demon? She couldn't tell!
The demons in Demon Slayer were completely different from what she understood as 'demons.'
Compared to calling Muzan a demon, Mizuki preferred terms like monster or youkai.
Because in her understanding, demons should be those eerie, cold, intangible things.
Compared to Muzan's side, which had a more straightforward lineup—at worst, they were just ugly-looking.
These children of the Ubuyashiki family, although good-looking, were inexplicably eerie.
...
The night passed without incident.
Mizuki spent the night expressionlessly staring at the ceiling.
Early the next morning, she energetically sought out Ubuyashiki Kagaya.
Mizuki said bluntly, "Muzan came last night."
Being a demon had its benefits; not sleeping didn't affect her energy levels.
You know, even Yoriichi lost to her in an all-nighter competition back then, lasting only a month before conceding defeat.
That had made her quite happy at the time.
When Mizuki found Ubuyashiki Kagaya, he had already regained some basic mobility and was sitting at a desk handling affairs.
Previously, most of these matters were handled by his wife, Amane Ubuyashiki. Only certain more serious matters would be read to him by Amane or the children for his judgment.
Now that he had finally recovered, he needed to help share the burden.
Hearing Mizuki's words, Ubuyashiki Kagaya couldn't help but look up. His magnetic and gentle voice carried a sense of reassurance: "It seems there is no time left for us."
Having been forewarned about the existence of the eyeball monster, Ubuyashiki Kagaya didn't seem surprised.
Mizuki nodded slightly: "Yes, probably within these two days, most likely tonight."
Muzan was not a man skilled at waiting.
It was just that the impression Yoriichi left on him was so profound that it gave people the feeling he was timid as a mouse.
In fact, Muzan was a man lacking patience.
No, it should be said... a thousand years of longing—even the most patient person couldn't remain calm.
Therefore.
Ubuyashiki Kagaya stated with certainty: "He will definitely come tonight. I have this premonition."
Mizuki: "...Premonition."
Is the premonition of your Ubuyashiki Clan Heaven-Defying?
Running a business relies on feeling, and fighting Muzan still relies on this?
Mizuki inwardly complained a couple of times and said, "Before tonight, you all should evacuate the residence."
Ubuyashiki Kagaya cast a gentle look her way: "Regarding this point, I hope you can understand, Miss Mizuki."
"I have words I wish to say to Muzan."
Mizuki's mouth twitched: "I think you have a death wish."
Ubuyashiki Kagaya smiled, lowered his head to look at his own hand holding the pen, and sighed with emotion: "If it were before, I would indeed have had such thoughts."
"But now, I want more... to see my wife and children."
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