"I'm not dead…"
Tong Mo, founder of the Eternal Bliss Sect, knelt in the dirt, his body trembling. He stared toward Big Thunder Mountain, where the vast red torii shimmered faintly in the night sky.
He knew exactly what it meant.
A torii was not just wood and paint. It marked the boundary between the divine realm and the human world. To pass beneath one was to step into sacred ground. It was the doorway of gods, a reminder that visitors must show reverence—or face punishment.
"God?" Tong Mo whispered, his colorful eyes wide with fear. "Impossible. How can gods exist in this world? Only Lord Muzan is the true god!"
And yet… his soul felt crushed beneath the torii's glow. It was as if the mountain itself were glaring at him, as if a natural enemy had awakened.
---
Far away, deep within the Infinite Castle, Kibutsuji Muzan stood in a laboratory, glass tubes of blood arranged neatly before him. He wore a waiter's suit, his posture calm, his expression patient as he tested a new mixture of blood.
Then—
CRACK!
Blood vessels bulged across his face. His crimson eyes trembled violently. A test tube shattered in his hand, spilling his own blood across the floor.
Through the bond of blood, Muzan had seen everything Tong Mo had witnessed:
The pillar of light falling from the heavens.
The lightning that could destroy even an Upper Moon demon's immortal body.
The phantom of a torii hovering above the mountain after the light had faded.
His lips peeled back in a snarl. "A beam from the heavens… thunder that kills demons… and a torii after it. What is happening?!"
For the first time in centuries, fear pierced Muzan's heart.
"What is that power? What can kill a demon besides the Slayer's Nichirin blades?" His voice shook, then hardened. "Could it be a god? No! Impossible! For a thousand years, I have ruled this land and never once faced divine punishment. If gods existed, why would they let me live?"
Crash! Crash! Crash!
Every glass container on his table exploded, shards raining across the floor as his aura surged.
Still, the thought haunted him. His knowledge spanned twelve hundred years, and not once had he seen proof of gods. The so-called Onmyoji clans were charlatans, their rituals mere parlor tricks. If gods truly walked the earth, he should have been struck down long ago.
But that torii… that thunder…
"We must know what it is," Muzan whispered. His voice turned cold and sharp. "Send word. Let Tong Mo and the others investigate. If I lose a few of the Twelve Kizuki, so be it. We will uncover this secret."
---
On Big Thunder Mountain, the miracle faded, but the shrine ground was forever changed. The ancient, abandoned Thunder God Shrine now stood beneath a glowing torii that hissed faint sparks of violet lightning.
The first to arrive were the Butterfly Sisters. They climbed the slope carefully, hearts pounding. Both had seen the beam. Both had felt the thunder in their bones.
"It looks exactly like the torii we saw in the sky, Sister!" the younger one said, eyes shining with awe.
"Shinobu," whispered Kanae, gripping her sister's arm tightly. "Do not be reckless. This is the divine realm. Show respect."
When Shinobu stepped forward, Kanae pulled her back down to her knees. Together they pressed their foreheads to the earth, trembling with reverence.
"Forgive us, Lord God," Kanae prayed aloud. "We did not mean to intrude. We only wished to honor your shrine."
Neither dared to pass under the torii. Hearts racing, they bowed once more, then hurried back down the mountain. Their duty was clear: they had to tell their leader.
If the Demon Slayer Corps could truly win the favor of the gods, centuries of disadvantage against demons would end. Perhaps even the cursed illness of their master could be lifted.
---
At the headquarters of the Demon Slayer Corps, Ubuyashiki Kagaya sat listening as his wife Amane read letters aloud. Her voice was steady, but her eyes betrayed awe.
Reports poured in from every corner:
The Butterfly Sisters.
Hashira like Kyojuro Rengoku, who had glimpsed the miracle while on patrol.
Hidden agents who served as the Corps' shadowy eyes and ears.
All described the same thing: a beam of thunder, the death of demons beneath it, and a torii that crowned the ruined shrine.
Kagaya's frail hands trembled. His pale lips stretched into a smile. "Truly? After more than a thousand years, the heavens have looked upon us again? The gods have not abandoned this land."
He rose from his seat, Amane hurrying to steady him. His weak body could hardly bear the weight of his joy.
"Tend to me, Amane. We must go to Big Thunder Mountain. The shrine must be rebuilt at once, made ready for the god's arrival. The priest families must be summoned to perform proper rites. We will welcome this god with honor."
"Yes," she said softly, her eyes gleaming. "God will surely bless you."
Her family were shrine priests, guardians of rituals and keepers of dreams. For generations, they had believed in gods. The prophetic dreams that guided the Ubuyashiki clan came from somewhere—and now she saw the proof.
---
That night, all Japan stirred with noise and awe. Demon Slayers, demons, noble houses, even the shogunate itself—everyone whispered of the miracle on Big Thunder Mountain. Some prepared prayers. Some prepared armies.
The shrine priest families moved quickly. They blocked the roads up the mountain, preventing ordinary citizens from recklessly climbing to worship. This was no common shrine. This was Takamagahara's gate. Worship given wrongly could offend the very gods who had descended.
Still, the people gathered at the base of the mountain, heads bowed, voices lifted in prayer.
---
Far away in Teyvat, atop the steps of Narukami Grand Shrine, the Raiden Shogun stood tall with her blade resting at her side. Beside her were Ayato and Ayaka Kamisato, summoned for a task greater than anything their family had ever borne.
"Ayato. Ayaka. I have an important duty for you both," the Shogun said. Her eyes shone with the reflection of the still-glowing World Gate behind her.
The siblings bowed deeply. "We await your command, Lord General."
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