Bang! Bang! Bang!
Crisp cracking sounds rang out as several conspicuous fireworks bloomed in the sky above the Infinity Castle.
Seeing these fireworks, Kocho Shinobu, who had been diligently shaking out marbles, stopped.
"Lynn, Miss Tamayo succeeded over there."
"Yes, faster than I imagined."
Lynn also saw this scene.
To counter the biwa demon's Blood Demon Art, the Plan B he prepared was divided into two parts.
With him and the other Hashira of the Demon Slayer Corps at the core, they would exterminate the demons with full force and search for Muzan's location.
To stop Lynn and the others from advancing, the biwa demon would inevitably divert most of her attention to them, constantly activating her Blood Demon Art for teleportation.
However, what the biwa demon didn't know was that this very action of hers was also within Lynn's expectations.
A person's attention is limited.
When the biwa demon focused most of her attention on Lynn and the others, her own protection would become lax, creating openings that shouldn't exist under normal circumstances.
Seizing this opportunity, Tamayo and Yushiro, who had remained invisible and undetected, would approach the biwa demon's main body without any pressure.
"Let's go, we need to go rescue people first."
Withdrawing his gaze from the distant fireworks, Lynn led Kocho Shinobu as they ran to the left.
Without the biwa demon's teleportation interference, the two quickly arrived at the battlefield where Uzui Tengen was.
"Lynn! You're here!"
Seeing reinforcements arrive, Uzui Tengen, who was being pushed back, breathed a sigh of relief.
Although he had undergone the Demon Transformation Surgery and unlocked the Mark to enhance his physical abilities,
there was still a certain gap between his strength and Akaza's.
Having honed his skills over hundreds of years, Akaza's martial prowess had been refined to its limit.
Even the enhanced Uzui Tengen was no match for him in a one-on-one fight.
"Huh? It's you!"
Akaza also saw Lynn.
Compared to Uzui Tengen, his expression was even more excited.
Noticing this, Lynn showed a hint of curiosity on his face: "You know me?"
"I do. I saw you in the memories Lord Muzan shared."
Akaza raised his fists, his fighting spirit soaring to its peak.
As a martial arts fanatic, he was always obsessed with fighting strong opponents.
If Uzui Tengen could be rated as 80 points, then in his view, Lynn, who had captured Gyutaro alive and killed Doma, was a 100.
"Come! Sound Hashira of the Demon Slayer Corps!"
"Draw your weapon! Let us fight with all our might!"
"No problem."
Lynn placed his hand on his nichirin blade: "Since that is your request..."
Swoosh—!
Lynn sheathed his nichirin blade: "Then I shall grant it."
"Huh?"
A look of confusion appeared on Akaza's face.
The power of the Ripple flowed within his body, and Akaza's body began to rapidly crumble.
Only as he fell into death did he realize what had just happened.
His head had been cut off by Lynn.
"Instantly killed?"
Not far away, Uzui Tengen stood frozen in place.
Staring at Akaza, who had just fought him for a long time only to be instantly killed by Lynn with a single strike.
His eyes widened, an expression of disbelief and shock on his face.
"Lynn, you... you..."
"Enough with the 'you you you,' it's time to move."
This time, Lynn didn't waste time explaining.
Calling out to Uzui Tengen, he headed towards where Rengoku Kyojuro was.
"Let's go, Mr. Uzui."
Kocho Shinobu immediately followed.
Seeing this, Uzui Tengen finally snapped out of the sudden shock.
Though he didn't understand what happened, Lynn getting stronger was a good thing overall.
Putting away his dual blades, Uzui Tengen's figure flickered and vanished from the spot.
...
Deepest part of the Infinity Castle.
Muzan resided within a giant cocoon, rapidly decomposing the toxins inside his body.
Without external interference, his speed at breaking down the toxins was astonishing.
In just half an hour, he had cleared the poison inhibiting his senses from his system.
His previously restricted senses recovered, and Muzan re-established contact with his subordinates.
Then, he discovered he had no subordinates left.
Upper Moon Four, Hantengu — fallen!
Upper Moon Three, Akaza — fallen!
Upper Moon One, Kokushibo — also fucking fallen!
"What a joke!"
Muzan's eyes widened in shock.
Half an hour! Only half an hour!
Leaving aside Hantengu and Akaza, how could even Kokushibo be dead?!
Reading the memories of the three from their final moments, Muzan found the process shockingly consistent.
Lynn appears → Lynn draws his blade → Lynn sheathes his blade → Battle ends.
Looking at that figure in the memories, cutting down one after another like a god of war.
Muzan was momentarily transported back hundreds of years, to that night in the Warring States period.
In that moment, Lynn's figure overlapped with Tsugikuni Yoriichi, the nightmare of the past descending once more.
"No! I must leave here!"
Realizing how terrifying Lynn's true strength was, Muzan completely lost any desire to fight.
But just as he was about to contact the still-living biwa demon to have her open a door and send him out of the Infinity Castle, the sound of footsteps suddenly rang out.
Someone was approaching?
Almost instinctively, Muzan burst from the cocoon and dodged backward.
Swoosh—!
At almost the same time, a nichirin blade sliced the cocoon to pieces.
"Truly worthy of a thousand-year-old turtle, you dodge quite fast."
"Lynn?!"
Seeing the attacker's face clearly, Muzan hurriedly tried to manipulate his flesh to split apart and escape.
But at that moment, he Terrified to discover that the split had failed..
His flesh, which could freely change form in the past, now seemed glued together.
No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't split off a single piece of flesh.
"Daring to be distracted in front of me, it seems you've prepared yourself for the end."
At that moment, Lynn's voice sounded.
Golden arcs of electricity flickered over his body as he flashed behind Muzan.
A blade light flashed past, striking Muzan, who was trying to split his flesh, severing all four limbs.
However, just as Muzan was about to activate his regeneration ability to restore the severed limbs, an intense burning sensation spread from the wounds, suppressing his regeneration.
"Damn it! What did you do?!"
"Nothing much, just added a little Ripple to the attack."
Lynn walked up to Muzan and, with two swift slashes, opened holes in his body.
After that, he took out a new bottle of poison from his chest and poured it into the wounds.
A thick sense of weakness began to spread within his body, and Muzan realized the truth at that moment.
"The poison you applied to your weapons earlier... it can suppress my splitting ability?!"
"To be precise, it suppresses your splitting ability, recovery ability, and sensory abilities."
A reply came from not far away.
Upon seeing the figure that appeared in his line of sight, Muzan's expression instantly contorted.
"Tamayo! You did all this!"
"That's right! It was me!"
Tamayo admitted without the slightest hesitation.
Watching Muzan's face, twisted with fury, the flames of anger burned just as fiercely within her own heart.
"Muzan! Do you feel any regret now!"
"You deserve the fate that has befallen you today! It is your just deserts!"
"Damn it! You damnable bastards! Why are you singling me out like this!"
Realizing he had no retreat left, Muzan completely broke down, unleashing a torrent of roars.
"War! Earthquakes! Floods! Countless ordinary people die every year due to natural and man-made disasters!"
"I've only killed a few people! Yet you lunatics have been hounding me relentlessly!!!"
"I hate you all! I curse you..."
*THUD—!*
His words were cut short as a foot suddenly descended from the side, crushing Muzan's head.
"Miss Tamayo, the chit-chat ends here."
Lynn, holding his nichirin blade, met the gaze of Tamayo, who had been about to say something.
"If you want to exchange words with this guy, I can give you plenty of time."
"But before that, please finish the main task. Don't forget what I want."
"My apologies, I lost my composure."
Tamayo fell silent for a moment, then regained her calm.
Having communicated privately several times, she knew exactly what Lynn wanted.
As the reward for killing Muzan, she, like Ubuyashiki Kagaya, had agreed to his condition.
"Yushiro, assist me."
"Yes."
Yushiro's figure materialized out of thin air beside them.
After a sidelong glance at the black-haired youth beside him, crackling with lightning and terrifying as a deity,
he quickly walked over to Muzan's body, took out a stack of talismans from his robe, and affixed them.
Blood Demon Art: Confusion!
The characters on the talismans glowed as Yushiro activated his Blood Demon Art to interfere with Muzan's mind.
"Damn you! What are you doing!"
Since his head hadn't been attacked with the Ripple, Muzan regenerated easily.
Staring at Yushiro, who was disrupting his mind, he glared furiously and let out a series of roars.
At the same time, Tamayo stepped forward.
"It's over, Muzan."
Tamayo took a small knife and sliced her right arm. A large amount of fragrant-smelling blood flowed out.
Beguiling Blood: Fragrance of the Daylight Demon.
The Blood Demon Art, possessing a disorienting effect capable of reducing brain function, was activated.
Under Tamayo's control, the fragrance seeped into Muzan's brain, affecting his consciousness while resonating with the toxins within his body.
Two Blood Demon Arts + (Mind-Interfering Poison Seven Medicine) were activated simultaneously. Muzan, already in a weakened state, reached his limit, his eyes gradually becoming vacant.
"It succeeded, Lynn."
Tamayo looked to the side. "Muzan's consciousness has been suppressed. For the next five minutes, he will answer anything you ask."
"Then I won't stand on ceremony."
Lynn approached Muzan. After a moment's thought, he posed his first question.
"What do you think of Tsugikuni Yoriichi?"
"Monster."
"What do you think of Ubuyashiki Kagaya?"
"A damnable insect."
"Bark like a dog. Loudly."
"Woof! Woof! Woof!!!"
"Good. Very spirited."
Lynn nodded in satisfaction.
After repeated tests confirmed Muzan was truly under control, he got to the main point.
"Kibutsuji Muzan, a thousand years ago, you were aided by a kind doctor."
"He used a certain medicine at the time, which improved your constitution while turning you into a demon."
"Now, tell me the formula for that medicine, and all your research on it."
...