"Waaah, it hurts! It hurts so bad! I swear my legs are about to shatter!"
A yellow blur burst out of the rubble, wailing as he sprinted straight toward Tanjiro.
"I woke up and my whole body just started screaming in pain! What even happened?!"
"Who hit me?! I'm dying here, I'm too scared to even look!"
Tanjiro finally let out the breath he'd been holding.
"Thank goodness, Zenitsu. You're okay."
"How am I okay?! Did you not hear a word I just said?! My legs are about to snap!"
Tanjiro gave a helpless smile and patted him gently, trying to calm him down.
"Yeah… you really did have it rough."
Meanwhile, Tengen Uzui lay sprawled on the ground.
The poison had been purged, but his muscles had been eaten away so badly that his condition was at rock bottom.
And right now, a bandage-wrapped man was standing over him, running his mouth nonstop.
"Not bad. You actually took down an Upper Rank. Even if it was Six."
"But still, not bad. You even survived. Even if it was surviving against Six."
"Six. The weakest Six."
Tengen's eye twitched.
He had a whole MMP ready to fire, but he wasn't sure if it was worth the effort.
The man soothed the small white snake draped over his shoulders, then blinked his mismatched eyes and looked down at Tengen like he was granting charity.
"Even if it was the weakest Six, I'll praise you a little, okay?"
"Who needs your praise?!"
Suma snapped back immediately.
"You showed up way too late, you know that?!"
Makio crossed her arms, just as sharp.
"Yeah. You arrive late and still act like… like that. You may as well not have come."
"Hiss…"
The little white snake lifted its head and flicked its tongue at them.
"Aaah!"
Suma and Makio screamed and clamped themselves around Tengen's neck like frightened koalas.
Tengen groaned, voice strained.
"Could you… maybe be gentler? You're going to kill me for real…"
The bandaged man didn't care at all.
"Your external injuries don't look too bad, but why are your muscles corroded into this mess?"
"And the aftereffects from forcing your heart to stop. I can feel it. Your heart is so weak it's like an eighty-year-old grandmother's."
"You got injured this badly just from fighting Upper Rank Six. Do you have any idea how long it takes the Demon Slayer Corps to patch the hole you leave behind?"
He spoke without mercy.
This was Obanai Iguro.
Tengen shut his eyes, resigned, and spoke quietly.
"I'll retire. Looking at me… I can't fight anymore. The Master will understand."
"What a joke!"
Obanai's eyes widened.
"I won't allow it! The new generation isn't fully trained yet. We're losing too many too fast. Rengoku just returned to headquarters and he's injured badly too. He'll need a long time to recover."
"Dying in battle is better than leaving that position empty."
Hearing Obanai's sharp words, Tengen didn't get angry.
Instead, a faint smile crept onto his face.
"No. The young ones… they've grown more than you think."
He shoved Suma away as she tried to cling to him again, then spoke with sudden energy.
"And it's the kind of young man you hate the most."
Suma wailed, rubbing her head. "Stop pushing! My head's going to fall off! Be gentle, be gentle!"
Obanai froze.
After a long moment, his voice came out low.
"He survived?"
"Kamado Tanjiro… survived this battle?"
Tengen nodded and pointed toward the distance.
Tanjiro was over there, hugging Inosuke and Zenitsu so tightly he looked like he might crush them, practically shaking with joy.
"And," Tengen added, his tone turning serious, "I found someone even stronger than a Hashira."
"At least… much stronger than me."
He flicked his eyes subtly, guiding Obanai's gaze.
Obanai's expression shifted as he followed the look.
Not far from the three idiots crying and celebrating, Vincent Fox stood quietly with Nezuko perched on him.
Tengen's voice dropped.
"He was the real main force of this battle. Without him, my injuries wouldn't be this light."
"I might've died."
"That man…"
Obanai stared at Vincent's back, his voice heavy.
"If I remember correctly, Upper Rank Three also died to him and Rengoku… together with those brats."
"I always thought Rengoku was the main pillar of that fight…"
"Looks like I was wrong."
At the same time, inside the Ubuyashiki Estate.
Kagaya Ubuyashiki, the one the Demon Slayer Corps called their Master, forced himself upright with one trembling hand, eyes blazing with emotion.
"Upper Rank Three… and now Upper Rank Six!"
"Well done, my children. The scales of history have finally tipped toward us. A century of humiliation… is finally being washed away!"
Blood slid from the corner of Kagaya's mouth, yet his spirit was fierce.
"Muzan Kibutsuji… the Ubuyashiki family's disgrace for a hundred years."
"This time… we will cleanse you from this world."
A woman stepped forward and wiped the blood from his lips with a handkerchief.
Kagaya waved it off lightly and looked at his wife.
"Amane… do you understand? This is an omen."
"It will stir massive waves across this world, dragging everyone into it… and in the end, it will reach him."
He spoke with meaning.
Amane understood and nodded.
The "him" he spoke of was the one stain that haunted the Ubuyashiki name.
Muzan Kibutsuji.
"Cough, cough!"
Kagaya suddenly began coughing violently. His body sagged, blood seeping from his lips.
"Quickly," someone shouted. "Boil water! Bring clean cloths and medicine, now!"
Elsewhere, inside the Infinity Castle.
The remaining Upper Ranks gathered.
"Aaah, what a beautiful pot," Douma said with a relaxed smile. "Is it for holding flowers?"
He didn't know why Muzan had suddenly summoned them, but he was always like this.
With a soft whoosh, a figure emerged from the pot.
"Lord Douma…"
Upper Rank Five, Gyokko.
"This jar isn't meant for that… but your suggestion is quite interesting. I might try it sometime."
Douma waved at him cheerfully.
"Then I'm honored. Oh, Gyokko, do you want to come visit my place next time?"
"No, thank you."
Gyokko's voice dripped with polite rejection.
"I've heard that Lord Akaza refused your invitations repeatedly back when he was still alive."
Douma made an exaggeratedly sorrowful face.
"Yes… poor Akaza."
"He died at the hands of demon slayers before he ever got to visit my home."
"It truly breaks my heart."
Gyokko watched him, unimpressed.
It was all an act. Douma only mimicked human emotion.
Back in previous Upper Rank meetings, whenever Douma got overly friendly and slung an arm around Akaza's shoulders, Akaza would respond by blowing Douma's head clean off without hesitation.
What "close relationship"?
Please.
----------------------------------------------------
The deeper he goes, the more the truth unravels. Don't wait read ahead and witness Vincent's rise before the world catches up!
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