"Muzan Kibutsuji," a calm, weak voice cut through the tense air. It was Kagaya Ubuyashiki, his body failing but his spirit unbroken. "Do you really think such absurd and boring words can make us believe you!?"
In that brief moment, Kagaya could feel his life force draining away like sand from an hourglass. Whether he would even survive the next few minutes was a serious question. As for becoming one of Muzan's demonic servants, that was a fate he would never accept. The Demon King's long speech had been nothing more than baseless accusations from start to finish. He had offered no proof, only words designed to break their will.
Kagaya saw through the tactic. Why else would Muzan stall when victory was in his grasp? He wasn't just savoring the moment; he was using them as bait. He wanted to lure out their hidden allies, the very members of the Shrine Maiden clan he was accusing, and destroy everyone at once.
"Alas, Ubuyashiki. You're already at death's door. I merely wanted to let you die with some understanding," Tsukihiko said, a cruel smile spreading across his face as he saw the resolve in their eyes. "But it doesn't matter. We'll all know the truth soon enough."
As the last word left his lips, Tsukihiko's gaze shifted, looking past Kagaya and the others into the empty space behind them.
"Schemers of the Shrine Maiden clan," he called out, his voice echoing with cold authority. "You've been hiding in the shadows and watching for long enough. Don't you think you should come out and meet the poor souls your schemes are about to wipe out?"
His words held no emotion, yet they carried a chilling, indifferent cruelty that made everyone's blood run cold.
Almost instantly, the air began to hum with an unseen energy. The space behind the Demon Slayers shimmered as if reality itself was bending, and then countless streams of brilliant white light tore through the demonic gloom. The world was plunged into an unimaginable brightness. When the light subsided, seven figures were hovering in the air.
Six of them were dressed in ornate Onmyoji robes, standing in silent formation. In their center floated a seventh figure, clad in pure white, their face hidden behind an expressionless mask. They radiated an aura of immense, otherworldly power.
In an instant, the battlefield fell into a stunned, absolute silence.
"Oh my god," Zenitsu breathed, his voice trembling. "Are... are those gods?"
"Could this be the Shrine Maiden clan Master Ubuyashiki mentioned?" Tanjiro wondered aloud, his eyes wide with awe. "I never thought a family like that actually existed."
The sight filled them with a terrifying sense of wonder, as if they were truly witnessing the arrival of deities. Tanjiro remembered desperately praying to any god that would listen on the night his family was slaughtered. But the cold, cruel reality that followed had taught him that gods did not exist in this world. There was only a reality more brutal than any hell. And yet, here they were.
The same feeling of disbelief washed over Genya Shinazugawa and the others. The Hashira, however, watched with a growing sense of uncertainty. Though they had fiercely denied Muzan's accusations just moments before, a seed of doubt had been planted. For centuries, the Demon Slayer Corps had fought and died, sacrificing countless lives in the war against demons. If this powerful Shrine Maiden clan had existed all along, with the means to intervene, why had they remained hidden? Why hadn't they simply eliminated Muzan Kibutsuji themselves?
Could it be true? Was it possible that the first demon was a terrifying creature of their own making? If so, it would explain why they stayed in the shadows for a thousand years. After all, besides Muzan, no other demon had ever appeared with such terrifying and formidable power. The thought, once dismissed as a demon's lie, now felt chillingly plausible. With the grand arrival of the Shrine Maiden clan, Shinobu and the others felt their suspicion grow stronger.
Thump.
As one, Kagaya and Amane Ubuyashiki dropped to their knees, bowing their heads to the ground. All their questions and doubts were suppressed in an instant.
"Greetings, Divine Master!" they called out in unison.
For them, the truth no longer mattered. Not when the end was so near. Until they saw concrete evidence to the contrary, these newcomers were their only saviors. They knew they were not going to survive this day, but if the Shrine Maiden clan could defeat Muzan, then perhaps Shinobu, Tanjiro, and the others could live. Even if Muzan's story was true, if this clan had created him, then they must also possess the means to destroy him. All Kagaya could do now was hope they would act. The fate of the world was no longer in his hands.
From his throne of blood and ice, Tsukihiko watched the scene unfold, his smile growing wider. The players were all finally on the board.
"You secretive Shrine Maidens," he announced, his voice booming across the clearing. "You've finally decided to show yourselves!"
He rose to his feet, spreading his arms wide as if to embrace the chaos.
"Excellent. Then from this moment on, let all of Japan enter the era of demons!"
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