Some hours earlier…
In the Infinity Castle.
Jigen knelt silently before Kokushibo.
Kokushibo loomed over him, his six eyes glowing like moons through the darkness.
His voice cut through the silence like drawn steel.
"Jigen. Fulfill the order Muzan-sama gave you… without fail."
Jigen's tone was calm—serene, even. "Leave it to me… Lord Kokushibo. I will not disappoint you. But…" he raised his gaze slightly, the faintest glint in his eyes.
"…I request companions for this mission."
Kokushibo's eyes narrowed, suspicion curdling in the shadows. "Companions?"
"Lady Eliza," Jigen said flatly. "I want her to come with me."
A pause—sharp and tense.
Kokushibo's tone dropped, cold and deliberate. "You've avoided working with her before. You've said as much yourself."
Jigen didn't flinch. "That's exactly why I require one more."
He slowly stood up, eyes meeting Kokushibo's unwavering stare.
"I want Lord Akaza as well."
The silence stretched.
Then—
A voice echoed within Kokushibo's mind—Muzan. Smooth. Calculated. "Kokushibo, if he takes Akaza with him… he won't be able to betray us. Three strongest upper moons on the same mission is vague, but it's safe."
Kokushibo's eyes flicked closed for a moment, then reopened. "Alright, go ahead… then."
Jigen stands on his feet. "I understand."
And then—
He vanished.
No sound. No wind.
Muzan spoke again. "Kokushibo. Watch him closely. He may betray us yet."
Kokushibo's reply was colder than the void.
"Muzan-Sama… As long as I live, he can't. If I ever find him guilty even for a moment, I won't hesitate to kill him right there."
——————
Somewhere deep in a ruined, lifeless forest…
The sky above was painted in sickly hues—clouds unmoving, time frozen.
A lone figure sat cross-legged on the gnarled branch of a dead tree.
Eliza.
Otherworldly. Ethereal. Untouched by the rot of the world around her.
Her flowing robes barely stirred, as though the wind itself dared not disturb her. In her hands, a glowing quill danced over the pages of a divine book—its contents incomprehensible to mortals.
And just as suddenly as it appeared, the book dissolved into light.
Her voice, soft and laced with something almost musical, cut through the stillness.
"They really think that they can kill him… How foolish."
Her crystal-blue eyes shimmered with unnatural clarity.
She sits comfortably on the branch, elegantly. "I can see them. Listen to them. Understand their plans. But they don't know."
Suddenly… Two crimson lights ignited in the darkness below.
The air grew cold. Thick with dread.
From the black mist, a figure emerged. Silent. Distorted. Crawling with horror.
Jigen.
Eliza raised her hand gently. Her voice barely above a whisper:
"Erase."
In an instant—
The nightmare vanished.
Darkness unraveled into light, unveiling Jigen's true form.
Tall. Immaculate.
Long obsidian-black hair, irises like blood-red gemstones, skin pale as bone. His robes swayed like shadows in motion.
She began softly.
"Jigen-sama… I have something to—"
But before the words could land, he was already standing before her.
A blur. A breath. A blink—and he moved.
His voice was quiet. "Tell me. Why did you summon me?"
She met his gaze without fear. "From afar, I saw Kokushibo speak. He plans to kill you if he finds even a hint of betrayal. You should be more careful."
A pause.
Then—Jigen says. "Do they really think killing me is enough to make me dead?"
Her eyes slightly narrowed. "I was worried about you… but it seems like you don't care at all."
Jigen replied, unbothered, gaze distant. "Let them try… They can never catch me, only suspect. I haven't left any clue behind for them, and I'll make sure it never happens. And even if they catch me…
They can't kill me."
She let out a delicate, knowing laugh. "Quite overconfident, aren't you?"
Jigen turned slightly, lowering his gaze to the decayed ground.
Suddenly—his hand began to bleed, red dripping onto the gray soil.
His voice was curious, almost detached. "Why are there so few living creatures here?"
Eliza's expression softened into a smile. "Because I chose this place for you…
A forest you once destroyed."
Her gaze held his. "So this time, you wouldn't have to kill anything… unintentionally."
Their eyes met. Azure and crimson—like heaven and hell intertwining.
Eliza twirled the pen between her fingers, her gaze unblinking. "Tell me something… Why don't you like taking me on missions? You even chose another demon over me this time. Why?"
He turned to her, expression unreadable. "Isn't it obvious? You distract me. You act impulsively… especially around me. At least if someone else is with us… you won't."
The pen dissolved into mist between her fingers. Her voice lowered, softer now, trembling with heat. "You say that like it's a bad thing… You know I'd still do those things in front of anyone—if I wanted. But I don't… only because I know you wouldn't like it."
A beat.
Then Jigen dropped to one knee before her. His voice remained calm, steady.
"Don't misunderstand. It's also true… I can't complete the mission without you, Lady Eliza. Even this time—I need you."
She drew in a breath, her smile faltering slightly. "You don't have to be so formal… not with me. Just say it, and I'll follow you anywhere."
"That's not the point," he said. "You've helped me more than anyone. It's only fair I offer you some respect—"
"Stop it," she snapped suddenly, eyes flashing. "Your compliments irritate me… I can take flattery from anyone but you."
He looked up at her, voice still even. "Flattery…? I'm not into that thing. I just merely speak the truth."
She blushed. The shift in her tone was subtle now, her voice uncertain. "But… why do you need my help? You're already complete. Omnipotent. What could someone like me possibly give you?"
He didn't look away. "You underestimate yourself. Every mission we've succeeded in—it was your power that made the difference. Mine alone isn't enough. Not this time. This isn't an order… it's a request."
Her breath caught. Something in her melted.
She inched closer, crawling across the branch. Her face was flushed now, her expression vulnerable and hungry.
Then—
Without Warning.
She lunged, fisting the cloth at his chest, her breath trembling against his neck.
He gripped her shoulders, gently pushing her back. Her body was warm—dangerously warm. His thoughts flickered.
I only wanted to complete the mission swiftly… but the queen has lost control again.
Her lips brushed his ear, her voice a heated whisper. "You were right to bring Akaza… If you hadn't, I would've done things tonight that would've made you forget the mission."
She tugged a strand of his hair, pressing closer, breath steaming against his skin. She kissed his neck—softly, then bit. A slow, burning mark formed on his pale skin.
Then—she withdrew, the mischief fading from her features, her posture once again graceful and composed.
She smiled. "Let's go fulfill our duty, shall we?"
——————
Some moments later.
In a Japanese Army base.
The air is sharp with tension. Floodlights hum. Boots crunch over gravel.
Akaza, Jigen, and Eliza stand atop a ridge overlooking the base. Below, rows of Japanese soldiers patrol.
Akaza scoffs. "What are we even supposed to do here?"
Jigen doesn't answer immediately. His crimson eyes fixate on the soldiers below. Cold. Calculating.
"You'll know soon enough..."
He glances at Eliza, his voice calm. "Lady Eliza… This entire area is cursed by my presence, and we don't have to kill everyone here. Can you erase the curse?"
Eliza, still flushed from moments earlier, huffs and crosses her arms. "Tch. Still calling me 'Lady'? After all that?" She pouts.
She extends her hand — a radiant glow blooms from her palm, like a miniature star.
"Erase!"
A soft pulse rolls through the base. The invisible veil of corruption dissolves like smoke in sunlight.
She lowers her hand, glancing back at Jigen. "There. Happy now, my Lord?"
Jigen steps forward.
"Let the carnage begin."
Inside the Base.
A soldier notices movement.
"...Huh?"
Jigen and Akaza appear like ghosts through the fog — calm, slow steps.
The nearest soldier raises his rifle—
Too late.
—SHLKT!
Jigen is already behind him.
The man's head spirals off his shoulders, eyes still wide.
In a blur—
One sliced vertically.
Second bisected diagonally.
Third sliced in half—
Blood arcs into the air like red ribbons. Screams erupt.
A fifth soldier aims—
CRUNCH!
Akaza snaps the rifle in two with a single uppercut.
The man gasps. "W-Wha—"
BOOM!
Akaza's punch caves in his chest, sending the body flying into a bunker wall like a ragdoll.
He flicks his wrist, blood slinging off like rain. "Tch… Weak."
Sirens begin to wail. Lights flash red.
Dozens of armed soldiers pour out, barking orders. Some tremble. Most don't understand what they're facing.
Jigen and Akaza stride forward side by side—like gods among mortals.
Behind them, Eliza lingers—hesitant. Her eyes scan the humans in front of her, unsure. "Should I really kill them..? They're not demon slayers. They save the nation. Should I really go that far…?"
From the watchtower, a soldier shouts, "FIRE!!"
Gunfire erupts—
Rapid, deafening. A storm of bullets hurtles toward them.
Jigen steps in front of Eliza in a single, silent motion.
The bullets freeze.
Time itself seems to hold its breath. Dozens of metal shells hover mid-air—suspended inches from Jigen's body.
Then—
Clink. Clink. Clink.
The bullets drop harmlessly to the ground like dead insects.
Akaza doesn't flinch. He lets the bullets bounce off his body like raindrops. Not even his skin is pierced.
Jigen turns slightly toward Eliza. His voice is calm, cold. "Don't forget what you are. You're not human anymore. They fired at you without hesitation. Will you still hesitate to fight back?"
Her eyes widen, her chest tightens. But she remains still.
But Akaza—he's already moving.
He blurs into the crowd of soldiers—
A bullet whizzes past him—he ducks, slides, and uppercuts a soldier, sending him crashing into the air.
A sweep-kick knocks down three more, then his elbow shatters the jaw of another before twisting midair to crush a soldier's chest with a spinning heel kick.
"Too slow," Akaza snarls, grabbing one by the throat and slamming him into the concrete so hard it cracks.
Blood sprays. Screams erupt.
But it's over in seconds.
The entire troop lies broken, twisted, and mangled across the field.
Far off in the mountains, a squad of elite snipers lay prone, hidden under camouflaged netting. Fingers on triggers. Eyes locked in their scopes.
One of them squints through the lens—his sight centered on Eliza.
"W-What the hell… Are they even human?" he whispers, sweat rolling down his temple. "And this girl... I've never seen anyone like her…"
But he swallows his hesitation and pulls the trigger.
CRACK!!
The bullet shatters the sound barrier, slicing through the air toward her skull with lethal precision—
Just as it's about to hit—
She turns—unnervingly fast—
And catches the bullet mid-flight between two fingers.
Her azure eyes glint with quiet fury.
"W-What...?!" the sniper stammers. "How did she stop it…?"
Without a word, Eliza flicks her fingers—
SNAP!
The same bullet rips back across the mountain like lightning—
BOOM!
It blasts through his skull, splattering blood and bone into the rocks.
The other snipers freeze, terror rippling through them.
One gasps, "What kind of monster…?"
From the base of the mountain, Eliza lifts her hand and narrows her eyes. "Guns and bullets are too inferior. Perhaps atomic bombs stand a slight chance to harm us."
Suddenly—
Their sniper rifles begin bending, twisting—metal groaning—
CRACK! SNAP!
In seconds, the rifles collapse into useless heaps.
Then—
Their bodies vanish. Erased. Dissolved into particles of nothingness. Not even bones remain.
At the base, fresh troops charge onto the field.
One soldier tears forward with a grenade clutched in hand—hurling it at Jigen and Eliza.
Before the grenade hits the ground—
WHAM!
Eliza sidekicks it mid-air, redirecting it in a blazing arc—
BOOOOOM!!!
A hellish explosion rocks the battlefield, fire swallowing half a squad.
Limbs scatter. Screams echo.
Eliza walks through the smoke—Hair rising with the heat, ash swirling around her like a dark halo.
Elegant. Untouched. Terrifying.
Panicked soldiers scream and open fire.
RATATATATATA—!!
But Eliza manifests a spectral staff, glowing with celestial sigils.
She spins it gracefully—swirling it in a blur, deflecting every bullet with fluid, effortless motion.
The sound of bullets bouncing off her staff rings like clashing swords.
At her side, Jigen stands still.
Suddenly—
Hundreds of voodoo dolls materialize in the air above the battlefield.
He joins his palms—calmly. Quietly. Then begins rotating them.
Their heads turn…
SNAP
Then— BOOM!! BOOM!! BOOM!!
The soldiers' heads twist violently—then explode. Blood rains across the field.
Now, Akaza steps forward. His fists tighten. His voice rises like a war drum.
">———BLOOD DEMON TECHNIQUE: CRUSHING TYPE — TEN THOUSAND LEAVES FLASHING WILLOW———<"
Akaza slams his fists into the ground.
KA-KOOM!!!
The earth quakes, rupturing outward in all directions.
A titanic shockwave erupts, hurtling toward the incoming soldiers like a tsunami made of stone and pressure.
The ground rips apart beneath their feet—they don't even have time to scream before their bodies are crushed, folded, and buried in the roaring aftermath.
The battlefield falls silent—burning, broken, and soaked in crimson.
Military tanks thunder in, fighter jets roar overhead.
The battlefield quakes under their arrival. The earth trembles.
Jigen stands still, his expression unreadable. "I can't use my powers properly… I need more information about the military. This nation."
From beneath his feet, inky darkness hisses upward, wrapping around him like smoke. Then—white light flashes.
His form begins to shift.
The demonic silhouette vanishes.
In its place stands a young man cloaked in black robes, long obsidian hair cascading behind him, pale skin glowing like the moon. His face hidden beneath a bone-white, jagged mask, elegant yet terrifying.
He blinks once—and vanishes.
A sonic boom follows.
A blur rips across the battlefield—
Jigen reappears within the ranks.
One soldier doesn't even react before Jigen's fingers stab through his bulletproof vest, sinking deep into his abdomen.
SHRRK—
His fingers twist inside. A sickening sound follows.
With a calm, surgical motion, Jigen rips out the man's intestine and yanks it free—blood splattering like a geyser.
The soldier chokes, then collapses.
Jigen leaps—his figure slicing through the sky like a spear—and uses the intestine like a whip, coiling it around the tail of a nearby fighter jet.
With supernatural force, he spins the jet around like a lasso—
> CRACK—WHIRL—BOOM!! <
He flings it toward the ground.
The plane slams into a crowd of soldiers and explodes.
The shockwave levels the field, flames roaring skyward. Screams erupt.
Jigen lands gracefully on the carnage, blood mist trailing his cloak.
A sword begins to grow from his palm—not forged, but formed—a grotesque, living crimson blade twisting out from his flesh.
He moves—faster than sight—
SLASH—!
In one blink, bodies split apart. Soldiers disintegrate into clouds of blood.
Meanwhile—
A massive tank suddenly halts, gears screeching. It rises slowly.
"Why isn't it moving?! W-What's happening?!"
Eliza raises one delicate arm—and the tank is floating effortlessly in her hand.
Her long hair flows as her eyes narrow.
With a subtle smirk, she spins the 70-ton tank around her finger like a toy—
FWUMP—CRASH!!
She hurls it skyward. It smashes into an incoming fighter jet mid-air—
KRA-KOOM!!
Eliza leaps upward, her staff glowing blindingly bright.
Fighter planes swarm toward her from all directions—
She twirls in midair, her magical staff glowing brighter—
"Begone."
With a swift motion—
> ZHMMM—ZHMMM—ZHMMM!! <
Beams of light lance outward, cutting through the planes—
BOOM—BOOM—BOOM!!
Explosions fill the air. Flaming wreckage rains down like hellfire.
Eliza floats, untouched—a goddess in a storm of ash.
Below, soldiers stagger backward.
"What kind of monsters are they?"
"W-We're no match for demons."
Above them—
Akaza rockets into the sky like a comet, his body glowing red-hot.
He spots a gathering of tanks and troops, desperately retreating.
He slams both fists together—
">——— BLOOD DEMON TECHNIQUE: ANNIHILATION TYPE ——<"
His body glows.
Energy floods his arms, cracking the earth below from sheer pressure.
Then—
> BOOOOOOM!!! <
He punches the ground.
A colossal shockwave detonates across the battlefield—obliterating tanks, soldiers, towers—everything.
A massive crater replaces the land where they stood. Dust clouds rise into the atmosphere.
A Few Hours Ago
The battlefield is painted red.
Burning metal litters the land. Broken tanks, shattered guns, smoldering wreckage—and corpses. Thousands of them. Torn limbs.
Amidst the carnage, three figures stand motionless.
Jigen, Akaza, and Eliza—demons wreathed in blood and fire.
Soldiers still charge forward in desperate waves, but none of the demons move.
Jigen speaks first, his tone eerily composed, as if the massacre never happened. "Our mission is complete. There's no need to kill further."
Akaza rolls his shoulders, his fists still faintly glowing with the residual heat of his technique.
"I've killed 654 soldiers. That's a new personal record. Never thought I'd be bathing in this much blood today."
Eliza twirls her staff casually, letting the warm wind dry the crimson stains on her hands. She softly smiles. "Oh, I only got 567… I really need to catch up next time."
Her eyes drift toward Jigen, whose black robes are drenched, his masked face painted with streaks of crimson. "And what about you?"
Silence.
Then, with the same emotionless chill as always, Jigen replies:
"60,247"
The words hit harder than any explosion.
Akaza steps back, eyes wide. "W-What?! Even Muzan-sama's highest kill count was barely two thousand in a day!"
Eliza lets out a breathy, stunned laugh. "I've seen it before… Once, his curse slaughtered an entire city. It went over a million. I tried to stop him that day. It didn't end well."
She continues, "But Jigen-sama… why didn't you stop after the objective was done?"
Jigen's voice remains flat. "I just wanted to collect some information. That's it."
"That wasn't a part of our mission. Muzan-Sama will be mad at us."
Eliza says nonchalantly. "I could've stopped him. But I don't get paid enough to do so."
Silence settles. Wind rustles through charred banners and smoking ruins.
Then—
Akaza tenses. His senses flare. "Wait…"
He scans the piles of corpses. Among the shattered bodies… one heart still beats. Weak. Fragile. But alive.
He steps toward it.
A bloodied soldier—barely breathing, his eyes still defiant through the agony. Half his body is crushed, but his will hasn't broken.
Akaza whispers. "How… is he still alive after that?"
Jigen doesn't even look. "Somehow, that soldier survived in your destructive attack. That soldier is no ordinary. He fought in both world wars one and two, and he survived both.
He has the potential to even become an upper moon."
Akaza's eyes narrowed. "I see…"
Akaza approaches the soldier.
Jigen stands still, silent.
Eliza strolls over to Jigen, playfully nudging his arm. "Aren't you going to inspect him yourself?"
Jigen's voice is distant. "…I already have."
Eliza chuckles and leans in close. On her toes, she whispers into his ear—her breath warm, her voice like velvet.
"After this mission… meet me where we left off."
He doesn't turn to her. But after a long silence, he replies. "…We'll see."
She smiles, satisfied.
Then, with a playful spin of her staff, she skips toward the fallen soldier.
Jigen stands still, unfazed.
Akaza and Eliza observe the fallen soldier—barely breathing, blood seeping from the corners of his mouth. His limbs twitch in broken rhythm, but his eyes… still burn with a strange defiance.
Akaza mutters, "His will to live is strong… but he'll be dead in minutes. Can a man this close to death even handle our blood?"
A void-like presence pulses behind them. Jigen appears, silently.
"He can," he says, voice low and echoing.
Without hesitation, Jigen materializes his long, jagged crimson blade—a sword that looks almost alive, like it's breathing faintly.
He lifts it and slashes across his own wrist, but not in a clean or surgical way—the cut is raw, uneven, grinding into nerves and bone. The blood that flows is thick, blackish-red.
Eliza watches the blade rip through his flesh, her smile faint. "You could've cut your palm. Or your forearm. Why the wrist? That's painful, isn't it?"
He answers without a blink. "It does… but pain is for weaklings. Mortals. I've seen way more painful ways, and this one is just a scratch."
Akaza crosses his arms. "He's not lying. I haven't felt physical pain since I transcended humanity."
"Yeah yeah," Eliza replies lazily. "We get it. You're invincible, transcended the very concept of injury, blah blah..."
The soldier's lips part, instinctively accepting the blood that drips from Jigen's wound.
The moment it hits his tongue—
Something goes wrong.
The soldier's back arches unnaturally, bones cracking, twisting in directions they were never meant to go. His skin begins to ripple, bubbling, expanding as though something inside is clawing its way out.
Then—
A shriek. Not human. Not animal. A cosmic, reality-bending howl that sends a ripple through the air. The earth trembles beneath their feet.
A tornado of blood bursts upward from the corpse, spiraling into the sky like a scarlet vortex connecting Hell to the heavens. The sky above darkens—clouds spiral, and a black sun momentarily eclipses the world.
The soldier's body stretches, mutates—his flesh tearing and reshaping. His veins glow faint red, then black.
He stands now—towering. Silent. Breathing slowly. His jaw unhinged like a serpent's, then clenched. The air around him warps subtly, as if even reality is uneasy near his presence.
Jigen doesn't flinch.
In that same calm, frigid tone, he declares:
"From this moment onward… he is the new Upper Moon Six."