Inside a pharmaceutical factory, the rampaging Muzan Kibutsuji slaughtered every single human.
Corpses were scattered throughout the factory, including those of his adoptive parents.
Muzan felt humiliated beyond words. Because of the Demon Slayer Corps wielding Breathing Techniques, and because Yosuke had been slaying demons across the world, his search for the Blue Spider Lily had slowed to a crawl. In his fury, he intended to use threats to force Yosuke's hand.
But never in his wildest imagination did Muzan think that he—who should have been overwhelmingly suppressing Yosuke—had nearly been dragged into mutual destruction.
Now, with countless demons kneeling before him, Muzan's rage boiled over. Even his own underlings were not spared: a massive number of demons were devoured by his own blood, their bodies bursting apart from within.
"You useless trash! Worthless! You can't even defeat mere humans who've mastered special breathing techniques. What use do I have for any of you!?"
The surviving demons quivered in fear, none daring to make a sound.
In that moment, Muzan conceived a new ambition—to create a powerful demon army under his complete control, one strong enough to rival the Demon Slayer Corps.
Meanwhile, in a valley where he hid from the sun, Yosuke heard the familiar chime of the system.
Ding. The host encountered Muzan and forced him to retreat. Reward: one lottery draw.
Lottery activated!
Ding. Congratulations, host. You have obtained Blood Demon Art: Dark Binding.
Testing out his new ability, Yosuke discovered that it allowed him to weave his blood into ropes that bound enemies tightly, boasting both elasticity and toughness—making escape nearly impossible.
That night, leaving the valley, Yosuke encountered Tamayo's pet, "Chachamaru."
Chachamaru was a calico cat with golden pupils. When Tamayo first found her, Chachamaru had been on the brink of death.
Following Yosuke's method of creating Demon Crows, Tamayo infused her blood into Chachamaru, turning the cat into a demon.
"Chachamaru? What are you doing here?"
Yosuke scooped the cat up lovingly. A devoted cat-lover, he spoiled Chachamaru as much as possible.
Chachamaru meowed softly, extending her paw to tap the small satchel strapped to her back.
Yosuke opened it and found a letter inside.
It was from Tamayo.
Yosuke, I have made contact with Yoriichi Tsugikuni and the head of the Ubuyashiki family, Kagaya Ubuyashiki. When you have the time, come to Ise. I will introduce you to them.
Destroying the letter, Yosuke smiled faintly.
"Well done, Tamayo. Finally… the creator of the original Breathing Style, the Breath of the Sun, Muzan's natural enemy—Yoriichi Tsugikuni!"
After cuddling Chachamaru for a while, he set her down. With a farewell meow, the cat vanished into the night, leaving Yosuke's sight.
And so Yosuke set out for Ise.
After a month of arduous travel, he finally reached the region.
The Demon Slayer Corps headquarters was hidden deep within the mountains of Ise.
As Yosuke stepped into a bamboo grove, a man suddenly appeared before him.
He had black hair tinged red at the tips, tied back in a high ponytail. His irises glowed red. Draped in a crimson haori over yellow clothing, he carried a katana at his waist.
Yosuke immediately noticed the man's earrings. Even beneath the night sky, his presence radiated like the sun itself. Yosuke's heart sank—he instantly recognized him.
"Yoriichi Tsugikuni!"
The moment Yoriichi laid eyes on Yosuke, sensing the demonic aura within him, he understood: his very existence was meant to oppose this man.
Yoriichi drew his Nichirin Blade. His aura erupted, and in the next heartbeat, he was about to strike.
"Wait!" Yosuke shouted hastily.
But Yoriichi would hear none of it. His voice was cold, filled with judgment:
"What do you take life for?!"
He charged.
"Breath of the Sun, First Form: Dance!"
Flames whirled around the crescent slash that tore through the air toward Yosuke.
Yosuke twisted aside at the last moment, the blade missing by a hair's breadth—but even so, his skin burned under the heat of the flames.
Seizing a brief opening, he cried out:
"Matte matte! Hold on! I'm not that bastard Muzan—I'm his brother! Yes, I'm a demon, but I cherish life! I haven't even killed a chicken!"
But Yoriichi was unmoved.
"Demon. Do you think I would believe your lies? Breath of the Sun, Tenth Form: Fire Wheel!"
Leaping high, Yoriichi's blade spiraled downward, wrapped in flames like the blazing sun itself. The strike was aimed directly at Yosuke.
Yosuke's instincts screamed—this one, he couldn't dodge.
"Blood Demon Art: Dark Binding!"
Blood coiled into countless ropes, lashing toward Yoriichi.
But the instant they touched his flames, they were incinerated.
Yosuke was shaken to the core. He had run through countless scenarios of facing Yoriichi in his mind, but confronting him in reality was utterly beyond comprehension.
Who the hell is the demon here—him or me?!
No longer daring to hold back, Yosuke played his trump card.
"Blood Demon Art: Blood Body Replacement!"
Yoriichi's fiery slash cleaved him apart—yet his body burst like a balloon, scattering blood in all directions. The real Yosuke instantly reappeared behind, unharmed.
This was a survival technique he had acquired after countless battles with demons: the ability to instantly create a decoy body from blood and teleport his true form away.
He had originally prepared this technique as a last resort against Muzan, planning to bind him and let the sun finish the job while he escaped using this very art. But Muzan's own hidden trump cards had prevented that plan.
Now, to his shock, just two forms of Yoriichi's Breath of the Sun had already forced him to reveal it.
Yet Yoriichi pressed forward relentlessly, denying him even a moment to breathe.
"Breath of the Sun, Seventh Form: Beneficent Radiance!"
At that dire instant, Tamayo's voice rang across the battlefield.
"Yoriichi-sama, please wait! Yosuke is telling the truth—he has never killed a single human! Instead, he has slain countless demons!"
The Nichirin Blade froze inches from Yosuke's face. Yoriichi turned toward Tamayo in confusion.
She explained:
"This is the one I told you about before—Yosuke Ubuyashiki. Though he carries the same title as that man, the Demon King, he has preserved his human heart."
Tamayo then shot Yosuke a sly, teasing glance.
"My apologies, Yosuke. I wanted to witness Yoriichi'-sama's strength, so I didn't intervene right away. I never imagined you'd be so utterly outmatched by him~"
Cunning as ever, Tamayo had long wished to see Yosuke embarrassed. Today, at last, the opportunity had arrived. And indeed, she also genuinely wanted to witness Yoriichi's power for herself. She hadn't expected him to be this overwhelming, effortlessly suppressing Yosuke. Her eyes gleamed with hope.
At last, Yosuke's claims proved true—if Yoriichi fought alongside them, Muzan's death was no longer a fantasy.
Yosuke shot her a fierce glare and muttered stubbornly:
"Tch! I was holding back. I've still got plenty of tricks left. Who says I'd lose for sure?"
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