Horitake's Thunder Slash: One Hundred and Eight Flashes had overwhelmed Akaza. The final strike of this relentless barrage carved deep into Akaza's neck!
Akaza's defeat was certain! Yet, he refused to accept death so easily!
His eyes widened, teeth clenched, as he summoned every ounce of his battle aura, condensing it around his neck to shield against Horitake's blade.
Horitake gripped Radiance, his sword aglow with violet lightning, its edge honed to unparalleled sharpness. With absolute ferocity, he aimed to sever Akaza's head! So tough!
Akaza's final aura defense was truly tough! Horitake roared, channeling even more lightning, pouring every bit of strength into his strike!
Crack! Akaza's aura shield shattered!
Radiance sliced smoothly into Akaza's neck!
In that moment, Akaza felt the chilling grip of death, a sensation he'd never been so close to before.
In desperation, Akaza tensed his neck muscles, straining to delay the inevitable severing of his head.
Unwilling to fall, Akaza bellowed: "No…!"
Miles away, in the heart of Infinity Castle, Muzan Kibutsuji was engrossed in an experiment, a book in one hand, surrounded by vials and flasks.
Suddenly, Akaza's defiant cry echoed in his mind.
The test tube in Muzan's hand shattered under his unconscious grip.
Through his blood curse and cellular connection, Muzan instantly linked with Akaza, miles away, grasping the dire situation and Akaza's reckless actions.
Rage consumed him. Muzan was furious!
He swept the laboratory table aside, whirling to face Narutake with seething command: "Narutake! Bring Akaza back to me now!"
To Muzan, Narutake was merely a tool.
Narutake didn't know what had befallen Akaza, nor did she need to. Her role was to obey Muzan's orders.
With a pluck of her biwa, she activated her Blood Demon Art, preparing to summon Akaza through space into Infinity Castle.
Meanwhile, Horitake's Radiance had already bitten deep into Akaza's neck! Just one final push, and Horitake was certain he could cleave Akaza's head clean off.
But sometimes, victory hinges on that last ounce of effort.
A sharp twang of the biwa rang out, and a square of black void appeared beneath Akaza's feet—a portal-like rift! The moment it materialized, Akaza was sucked inside, whisked away from Horitake's blade. Horitake could neither stop nor pursue him.
His sword swung through empty air, and Horitake's rage blazed hotter than ever!
As expected, Muzan wouldn't abandon his most loyal subordinate. Akaza had indeed been summoned away by Narutake's Blood Demon Art.
What would happen next?
Horitake began to strategize.
Most likely, after Muzan retrieved and reprimanded Akaza, the enraged demon lord would step through that black square portal to face Horitake himself, intent on killing him!
Muzan would never let this opportunity slip. Akaza had mentioned before: Muzan had issued a kill order on Horitake, and he wouldn't hesitate to personally eliminate him.
The system had even confirmed Horitake's suspicions.
Was he doomed to watch Muzan emerge from that black portal? Forced to confront him prematurely? Destined to die by Muzan's hand? Then, Horitake remembered the substitute doll tucked close to his chest.
With it, he could revive completely, fearless of facing Muzan.
But that would mean playing into the system's hands, following its predetermined path.
Horitake refused to comply.
From the start, he had his own plan.
Even if it failed, he had the substitute doll as a fallback—a chance to die and rise again!
Now was the time to execute that plan.
In an instant, Horitake activated his Spirit Vision.
Through it, he peered into the black square portal, glimpsing the scene on the other side.
As he suspected, the portal's far end led to Infinity Castle.
There, Muzan stood, coldly staring at the black square portal before him.
Thud! Akaza tumbled out of the portal, rolling several times before stopping at Muzan's feet.
Muzan looked down at Akaza, his gaze icy and unforgiving.
Akaza's body was riddled with wounds, black-red blood pooling on the floor, staining the opulent Infinity Castle with rare traces of gore.
Seeing Akaza in such a pitiful state, Muzan's fury intensified.
On the other side of the portal, at Demon Slayer Corps headquarters, Horitake sprang into action.
Facing the black square portal, his Spirit Vision locked onto Infinity Castle. He unleashed his Thunder Breathing: "Thunder Breathing, Third Form: Thunder of Ten Thousand Forces!"
A deafening roar of violet lightning erupted around Horitake, cloaking him like a god of thunder descended.
With a mighty swing at the portal, Horitake unleashed the full might of Thunder of Ten Thousand Forces. Five terrifying bolts of violet lightning surged forth, tearing into the black square portal!
On the other side, Muzan was berating Akaza: "Akaza, you're pathetic.
You, of all beings, look this wretched. You actually—"
His words were cut short as the black square portal crackled with the sound of thunder!
Muzan's eyes snapped up in shock.
Five fearsome violet thunderbolts burst from the portal! One bolt streaked toward Akaza's back, another aimed straight for Muzan's face!
As the five bolts erupted, the black square portal flickered, unable to withstand the onslaught, and vanished.
Muzan's brow furrowed, a cold sneer escaping him. He slapped at the bolt hurtling toward him.
Boom! The thunderbolt exploded! The violet lightning detonated against Muzan's hand!
Muzan had underestimated the violet thunder. The blast forced him back two steps.
On the floor, Akaza struggled to rise, only to take a direct hit to his back from the second thunderbolt.
He spat a mouthful of blood and collapsed, his fate uncertain.
But what of the other three bolts? Here lay Horitake's true strategy—a feint to conceal his real target.
The Thunder of Ten Thousand Forces seemed aimed at Muzan and Akaza, but its true mark was Narutake! The remaining three bolts struck her directly!
Narutake was hit by the three terrifying violet thunderbolts. Her biwa shattered into fragments, and she was blasted backward, thrown through the air!
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