"Don't underestimate Nakime. In the Infinity Castle, even you would need to put in some effort to catch her," Hongyue said, seemingly seeing through Kurozawa's thoughts.
"In the Infinity Castle, Nakime can manipulate the architecture here. Her combat ability isn't strong, but her self-preservation skills aren't weak."
Kurozawa nodded and looked away.
"Then let's begin."
It seemed the automatically separating buildings and rising platforms just now were all controlled by Nakime.
"Nakime, summon the Upper Moon meeting."
Hongyue instructed Nakime, who had been waiting silently by her side.
In Kurozawa's eyes, Nakime's appearance was very similar to the ghost woman in his memory, especially like Sadako, with a strange aura surrounding her.
After receiving Hongyue's command, Nakime remained silent, just standing there quietly, then slowly extended her pale arm and plucked the strings of the biwa.
No sound came out.
But in an instant, the void of the Infinity Castle seemed to ripple, and five spatial portals, large enough for a normal person to pass through, opened nearby.
Through these spatial portals, Kurozawa could see the scenes outside.
In a dense mountain forest, a young man with peach-colored short hair and a muscular physique was half-kneeling on the branch of a dragon cypress tree on the mountaintop. He was looking at a small town at the foot of the mountain with a nostalgic expression, then suddenly turned his head and looked over.
His golden, shattered-like eyes seemed to penetrate space, looking directly at Kurozawa.
He sensed Kurozawa's Fighting Spirit and traced its origin, extending his own Fighting Spirit in return.
Upper Moon Three, the Fighting Demon, Akaza.
His skill in using Fighting Spirit surpassed Kurozawa's, and all his abilities were based on its use.
Akaza was clearly accustomed to the Infinity Castle's portals and didn't show too much surprise. He simply sensed another Fighting Spirit observing him.
Could another Demon have also mastered Fighting Spirit? Akaza thought to himself, then stepped into the Infinity Castle.
Similar to him, the other four spatial portals each displayed the location of an Upper Moon.
Akaza, however, reacted the fastest.
Kurozawa shifted his gaze to the other portals.
On the edge of a sheer cliff, a man dressed in a fitted samurai uniform with a high ponytail sat quietly on the ground. A terrifyingly long crimson blade lay across his crossed legs. With each breath, there seemed to be a certain rhythm, clearly a Breathing Technique.
Upper Moon One, the Blade Demon, Kokushibo.
Kurozawa's Fighting Spirit only sensed him for a split second before it was blocked.
At the same time, Kokushibo suddenly opened his eyes, then stood up and walked into the portal.
Next, from a plaza where people were worshipping, a dark and dirty alley, and a room piled high with dense jars, three more Demons emerged.
One was an old acquaintance of Kurozawa's,
Upper Moon Two, the Ice Demon, Doma. It seemed he had started another cult.
The other two were the withered-faced, seemingly hundred-year-old Upper Moon Four, Hantengu, and the fish-monster-like Upper Moon Five, Gyokko.
Several Demons entered the Infinity Castle, their positions scattered, but they were quickly guided by Nakime to the platform of the building.
On the platform, the Demons looked at Hongyue, simultaneously bowing deeply, then raised their heads, their expressions varied, looking at Kurozawa beside Hongyue.
Among them, even the usually indifferent Kokushibo had a look of astonishment.
In his impression, Hongyue had always been aloof, with a cold and stern face. She had never looked at someone with such gentle eyes as she was now.
However, as Hongyue's gaze shifted, Kokushibo saw that familiar face again.
Like turning a page, Hongyue's tender expression turned into a cold, unapproachable one. Her blood-red eyes gave off immense pressure.
She just stood there quietly, and the Upper Moons couldn't help but avert their gaze, not daring to meet her eyes.
The top three Upper Moons were fine, but the other two instinctively trembled in their legs, wanting to kneel. However, as Upper Moons, they didn't want to lose face, so they endured, trying their best to straighten their bodies.
Seeing Hongyue's imposing presence, Kurozawa suddenly felt his mind wander.
In front of him, Hongyue always presented a gentle side. Her assertiveness at this moment made him feel a different kind of excitement.
"Please sit."
Hongyue spoke slowly. At the same time, simple chairs floated over under Nakime's control.
The Upper Moons finally let out a sigh of relief, pulled over chairs, and sat down.
The heavy, cold atmosphere also dissipated.
Hongyue would generally only provide seats if there were no major issues.
Upper Moon meetings were sometimes for rewards, sometimes for actual discussions, but most of the time, they were for punishment.
Among all the Upper Moons, only Kokushibo and Akaza remained expressionless.
Among them, it was Kokushibo who spoke first, taking the initiative to ask, "My Lady, this Upper Moon meeting is somewhat sudden. Have you encountered any trouble?"
His personality was indifferent, but he had always been very respectful to Hongyue, and only to Hongyue.
Hongyue didn't answer directly. Instead, she glanced at Kurozawa and said, "From now on, when you see him, treat him as you would me."
"Any command of his is also my command."
"Understood?"
Besides Doma, several of the Upper Moons looked shocked, exchanging glances.
Doma was the first to quickly nod, expressing his loyalty. "Understood! I'll be the first to carry out Lord Kurozawa's orders from now on!"
Because he had nearly had his head cut off, he knew Hongyue's relationship with Kurozawa very well. And having been personally defeated by Kurozawa, he was naturally convinced.
Hantengu and Gyokko could feel a clear sense of pressure and danger from Kurozawa, guessing that they were likely not his match. They also followed suit, saying, "Understood."
Meanwhile, Kokushibo and Akaza simultaneously showed strange expressions. They carefully sized up Kurozawa for a moment before slowly nodding.
The top three Upper Moons were clearly much stronger than the bottom three, on a different level.
Among them, Akaza felt that the density of Kurozawa's Fighting Spirit wasn't much different from his own, but the despair and terror contained within it made him somewhat wary, feeling it was best not to provoke him.
Kokushibo felt similarly, sensing a dangerous aura from Kurozawa.
However, the most important reason these two bowed their heads was Hongyue's command.
Looking at the Upper Moons below, Kurozawa got straight to the point. "In a month, we will face a war."
"The elite swordsmen of the Demon Slayer Corps, as well as the Pillar-level swordsmen, will come to Asakusa."
"I need you to take this seriously and make sure none of the swordsmen who come here leave!"
After stating his requirements concisely, Kurozawa watched the reactions of the demons.
Most of them showed disdain, likely thinking it would be very easy.
As expected, Doma couldn't help but say, "They're just a group of flies now."
"If they really dare to fight us head-on, we can easily annihilate them."
The other Upper Moons didn't comment, but their expressions suggested they felt the same way.
Indeed, in their impression, those who died at the hands of the Demon Slayer Corps weren't true demons. The true demons were the Upper Moons. Over countless years, each of them had taken the lives of many Pillars.
Kurozawa's expression remained unchanged, then he said calmly, "I'm afraid it's not as you think."
"Demon Slayer Marks, Crimson Red Blades... these swordsmen are gradually appearing. Marked Swordsmen possess physiques no weaker than demons, and under Crimson Red Blades, the demon bodies you rely on will lose their advantage."
"There might even be a new generation of Sun Breathing swordsmen appearing."
"So, put away your arrogance and disdain, and take this seriously."
-----------
Machine Translation by: https:// randomtranslator.com/
Read 777+ original & fanfic translations in English, Español, Português, Deutsch, Français, or Русский at: https:// randomtranslator.com/
Join our Discord: https:// discord.gg/NSWvfN7vua
-----------