Zheng~
The solitary, clear note of a biwa echoed and died, leaving the dimly lit Infinity Castle in absolute, unnerving silence.
In this impossible dimension, woven from Blood Demon Art, the laws of physics were a forgotten dream.
Corridors twisted into möbius strips, bridges connected nothing to nowhere, and upside-down doors opened into rooms that drifted like islands in a dark sea.
The entire space shifted slowly, manipulated by an invisible, omnipotent hand.
At the very center of this architectural nightmare, a figure sat quietly on an ornate wooden chair, radiating an aura of supreme, suffocating pressure.
Suddenly, Muzan Kibutsuji's eyes snapped open.
His scarlet, slit-pupiled gaze burned with raw impatience and festering irritability.
A wave of cold, anxious killing intent rolled off him, so potent that the very fabric of the Infinity Castle seemed to tremble in fear.
"Perhaps it is time I reconsidered the value of my useless trash," Muzan's murmur was a low thunder that rumbled through the twisted space.
"For a thousand years, not a single trace of the Blue Spider Lily. The Demon Slayer Corps continues to breed like insects, yet my demons can't even locate their nest. What use are they to me?!"
In the void below him, the biwa demon, Nakime, knelt with her head bowed low, her body trembling under the weight of her master's displeasure.
She was the only other demon present, and the full force of Muzan's ambient rage washed over her.
Her fingers, poised over the strings of her biwa, were frozen stiff, paralyzed by his aura.
Muzan's patience, a notoriously finite resource, was gone.
His all-consuming thirst for the Blue Spider Lily, his obsession with conquering the sun and achieving true perfection, had eroded any semblance of his usual cold composure.
The continued incompetence of his subordinates had stoked the fires of his rage to a breaking point.
Just then, Nakime's hand twitched, and a string was plucked by reflex.
Zheng~
The space before Muzan rippled.
From a writhing mass of shadows, an unassuming, gray-skinned figure emerged.
He wore a humble smile, and his golden eyes were filled with an unnerving, placid respect.
It was the Upper Moon Six, Kamaro.
"Muzan-sama," Kamaro said with a slight bow, his voice gentle and pleasant, a jarring contrast to the oppressive atmosphere.
Muzan's cold gaze locked onto him, and the pressure in the room intensified, becoming a physical force.
"Kamaro. You had better be bringing me the good news I desire." His voice was an undisguised threat.
A single word of failure, and he would tear this subordinate to shreds.
The smile on Kamaro's face didn't falter.
"Muzan-sama, I have acquired two pieces of information through my human networks. I believe you will find them… interesting."
"Speak!" Muzan snarled, the sharp black claws that had erupted from his fingertips glinting menacingly.
Kamaro bowed his head slightly.
"My lord, according to sources within several of Japan's ancient families, the current head of the Ubuyashiki clan—and the leader of the Demon Slayer Corps—Kagaya Ubuyashiki, is on his deathbed. His family's curse is rapidly consuming him. He does not have long."
"Oh?" A flicker of cruel amusement lit Muzan's scarlet eyes.
"Ubuyashiki… that pathetic, gutter-dwelling clan that commands the rats… is their line finally about to be extinguished? Haha… what… pleasant news."
While it didn't advance his primary goal, the imminent demise of his ancient nemesis was a welcome balm to his frayed nerves.
"The second piece of information," Kamaro continued, his voice dropping with a hint of dramatic mystery, "may be of more immediate use. Through our corrupted officials, combined with an analysis of unusual supply shipments, we have pinpointed the location of the Demon Slayer Corps headquarters. It is a secluded estate near Tokyo, owned by the Moriki Group."
BOOM!
The aura around Muzan exploded.
A terrifying, tsunami-like wave of pressure slammed through the Infinity Castle.
"What did you say? You've found their headquarters? Are you certain?!" Muzan shot up from his chair, a terrifying gleam in his crimson eyes.
For centuries, he had hunted for the Demon Slayers' hidden lair, the nest where the Ubuyashiki rats hid. To finally have it within his grasp…
"I am 90% certain, Master Muzan," Kamaro replied, maintaining his respectful bow.
"My intelligence indicates the Moriki Group has been a primary benefactor to the Corps for some time. The manor in question is heavily guarded, strategically located, and has seen a recent influx of individuals matching the description of slayers. All evidence points to this location."
"Good! Very good!" A wide, predatory smile stretched across Muzan's face, filled with malice and murder.
"Kagaya Ubuyashiki… there is nowhere left for your precious Corps to run. How fitting that I shall personally send you off in your final moments! And while I'm there… I will exterminate every last one of you annoying rats in a single night!"
He looked down at Kamaro, and for the first time, his gaze held a flicker of genuine approval.
"You have done well."
"It is my honor to serve you, my lord." Kamaro's head dipped lower, his perfect smile concealing everything.
"Summon all the Upper Moons!" Muzan commanded, his voice now a booming decree that shook the dimension to its core.
"Right now! Gather them here!"
Clang! Buzz!
With violent distortions of space and discordant strums of the biwa, a series of overwhelmingly powerful figures appeared in the void, answering the call of their absolute master.
First came Kokushibo, Upper Moon One.
Dressed as a samurai of a bygone era, his six cold eyes slowly swept the chamber before settling on Muzan.
He gave a slight, silent nod, as immovable as a mountain.
Next, space rippled and Douma, Upper Moon Two, emerged in a shower of ice lotuses, the same serene, sympathetic smile fixed on his face.
His rainbow-colored eyes scanned the room with placid curiosity, lingering on Kamaro for a moment.
"My, my! A new friend? Long time no see, everyone! Though I do still miss adorable Daki and Gyutaro."
Then came Akaza, Upper Moon Three.
The martial arts demon radiated a furious fighting spirit, his gaze immediately finding Douma and filling with undisguised disgust.
He was followed by Maito, Upper Moon Four.
Built like an iron tower, his aura was that of a stoic warrior, a quiet contrast to Akaza's explosive energy.
His golden, slit-pupiled eyes were downcast, and he stood in silent deference.
Appearing after him was Lee, Upper Moon Five, a figure of indeterminate shape, hidden completely beneath a wide, gray cloak that seemed to swallow the light.
Counting the ever-smiling Kamaro, the Upper Moon Six, the entire demonic leadership was now assembled.
The final war was about to begin.
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