A razor-sharp fingertip tore through the back of Emperor Taisho's robes, and blood began to gush from the wound. In just a few seconds, the Emperor's already sickly face turned a terrifying, pale white.
"Oh my god, what… what's happening?!" "Was the Crown Prince traumatized when he was kidnapped? Why would he do this?!"
The horrifying scene sent the surrounding guards and Onmyoji into a state of extreme shock. This shouldn't have been possible. Both the Emperor and the Crown Prince were protected by various blessings and spells. As members of the Japanese Imperial Family, their unique bloodline and fortune were supposed to automatically shield them from all kinds of demonic and divine curses.
But what they never expected was to see both Crown Prince Showa and Emperor Taisho fall victim to such a vicious attack, right in the heart of the palace. It was terrifying. The enemy who had done this possessed unimaginable power.
"Quickly…" Emperor Taisho stammered, finally regaining his senses for a moment.
But before he could finish his sentence, Crown Prince Showa, who was still in his father's arms, moved again. He struck again and again. In a matter of seconds, the splattering blood had completely stained the Emperor's pristine white robe red. With a final, heavy thud, Emperor Taisho fell to the ground, dead.
What did it matter if he was the Emperor of Japan? He was still a mortal man. No matter how noble his status, everyone is equal in the face of death.
"Emperor Taisho is dead."
Crown Prince Showa slowly stood up. Though he was just a ten-year-old boy, he was covered in blood, and his eyes burned with a sharp killing intent. A terrifying, unstoppable aura radiated from his small frame.
"You… Who are you?" "You can't be Crown Prince Showa! He would never kill his own father without even flinching…"
The entire hall fell silent. Immediately, the highest-ranking Onmyoji surrounded the boy. The current head of Shinto, Abbot Abe, stared at the Crown Prince as if he were looking at a demon.
"Hehe… Who am I?" Showa asked. As he spoke, countless dark shadows swirled up from behind him, and the entire Imperial Palace was plunged into darkness.
"I am the King of Japan!" Showa's voice boomed with unnatural power. "Every inch of this land belongs to me. I am Emperor Showa! Why do you not kneel when you see your Emperor?"
The moment he finished speaking, a monstrous wave of energy erupted from him, washing over everyone in the room.
"Damn it… The Crown Prince is being controlled by a demon!" "We have to restrain him now, or the consequences will be unimaginable!" "Not only that, His Majesty Emperor Taisho is dead… All the other princes have died, which means Crown Prince Showa is the only heir to the throne…" "But is he even human anymore?!"
…
As the Japanese Imperial Family descended into chaos, other major cities across Japan, including Osaka, Hokkaido, and Tokyo, also erupted in violence. The armies and rebel forces that Tsukihiko had been secretly controlling through the Lower Moons of the Twelve Kizuki all rose up at once.
For Tsukihiko, it didn't matter if this war caused Japan's economy to collapse. What he truly cared about was the new order that would rise from the chaos. The old order had to be broken before a new one could be built. It was a complete reset. Besides, the moment he took control of the Imperial Family through Showa, he effectively controlled all of Japan.
More importantly, Tsukihiko had never cared how many Japanese people died. In his eyes, the entire world of the Demon Slayers was nothing more than a passing dream—a dream where he could do whatever he wanted.
…
Meanwhile, back at the Ubuyashiki Ancestral Home, the battle raged on. As the Priest Clan, the Guardian Priests, Tsukihiko's Six Demon Servants, and the Twelve Kizuki all clashed, the scene descended into extreme chaos.
Although the Priest Clan had spent centuries developing methods to fight demons, their techniques were designed for ordinary demons. But the Six Demon Servants and the Twelve Kizuki were elite demons, personally enhanced by Tsukihiko himself. The powerful Blood Demon Arts they had awakened were overwhelming, and they quickly suppressed the Priests' attacks.
Away from the chaotic battle, Kagaya Ubuyashiki and his wife, Amane, had fallen into complete despair. For Kagaya, his entire life's purpose and the generations of struggle his family had endured had vanished in an instant. He had been fighting against nothing, serving as a tool for the very people who created his enemy. Even his wife, whom he believed he loved, was just a pawn sent by the Priest Clan. With his children already dead at Fujikasane Mountain, he truly had nothing left.
As for Amane, her pain was even greater. The beliefs and faith that had been ingrained in her since childhood had completely collapsed, and her entire life instantly lost all meaning. She discovered that the choices she thought she had made were all just part of someone else's secret plan. The people she was taught to hate were actually victims, and the true enemy was the family she had once worshipped like gods.
There was nothing more ironic, or more painful, in the entire world.
…
"This… why? Why did it turn out like this?" "It's just… unimaginable. And the leader of the Priest Clan… she just admitted it!"
At that moment, the remaining members of the Demon Slayer Corps, including Shinobu Kocho and the younger slayers like Tanjiro, were filled with an indescribable anger. In an instant, a portion of the hatred they felt for demons was redirected toward the Priest Clan.
If it weren't for them, Kibutsuji Muzan would never have been created. Their parents and relatives would never have died. All the tragedies they had ever faced would never have happened. The source of all evil was this damn Priest Clan.
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