Muzan Kibutsuji sneered.
"You really are as obstinate as ever. But I suppose that's to be expected — otherwise, you wouldn't have spent a thousand years hounding me like a mad dog.
If you had suddenly agreed to join me, I'd have been the one who didn't understand."
Yosuke gave a dry, self-mocking laugh.
"A mad dog, huh?
That's actually… a pretty fitting description."
He drew in a deep breath and asked sharply,
"Enough talk. Muzan Kibutsuji — where's Inosuke?"
"Nakime."
At Muzan's call, a biwa note resounded, and a door appeared out of thin air.
From it stepped a man — and beside him, Inosuke, frozen solid in ice.
The man greeted Yosuke with unsettling familiarity, despite it being their first meeting.
"A pleasure to finally meet you, Ubuyashiki Yosuke.
I believe you already know who I am."
Yosuke looked at him carefully, immediately realizing who stood before him — the mysterious High Priest, the leader of the shrine priests' clan.
"How ironic," Yosuke said coldly.
"I once thought the High Priest of the shrine clan stood with humanity — and yet, here you are, standing beside a demon."
The High Priest smiled faintly, unfazed.
"Such is the way of the world — impermanent and unpredictable.
Had you never existed, perhaps none of this would have come to pass."
"So what you're saying," Yosuke replied dryly, "is that all of this happened because of me?
Guess I'm more important than I thought."
The High Priest's voice took on an enigmatic tone.
"You're far more important than you realize.
And that importance… extends beyond yourself."
"Beyond myself?" Yosuke frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?
You shrine priests really do love speaking in riddles."
Even Muzan, who had been silent, gave a derisive snort.
He clearly shared Yosuke's irritation — the High Priest's cryptic manner annoyed even him.
The High Priest, however, remained calm.
"Rather than wasting words to explain it to you now…
wouldn't it be better to let you experience it for yourself?"
Yosuke narrowed his eyes.
"If I'm already here, then how about releasing Inosuke?
He shouldn't have any use to you anymore."
Muzan chuckled darkly.
"Release him? So you can run away the moment he's free?
Do you really take me for that much of a fool?"
The High Priest suddenly interjected, his tone serious.
"No, Muzan Kibutsuji. He's not lying — he's serious."
Muzan frowned deeply.
"What? That's impossible."
"I've seen it," the High Priest replied. "The future.
If I hadn't appeared here, Yosuke's plan was to rescue Inosuke and retreat.
But the moment he saw me, he abandoned that plan.
His goal is no longer you, Muzan Kibutsuji… but me.
He intends to kill me here, no matter the cost."
The High Priest began to clap slowly, almost in admiration.
"Truly remarkable, Ubuyashiki Yosuke.
You, who know so much — I admire your resolve.
You wish to slay me here and now, because if I die, the greatest anomaly will vanish.
And fate will proceed as you foresee — ending with Muzan Kibutsuji's destruction."
Yosuke sighed inwardly.
So he can see the future… that makes him troublesome indeed.
"In that case," Yosuke said aloud, "can you at least release Inosuke?"
The High Priest gave an apologetic shrug.
"I'd like to… but I can't.
Surely, you've already guessed the flaw in my power."
Seeing his frankness, Yosuke didn't hesitate to state his deduction.
"Your foresight has split — you now see two possible futures.
One where you never appeared… and one where you did."
The High Priest nodded gravely.
"Exactly. Fate has become unstable.
My power of foresight is clouded with uncertainty.
Inosuke serves as my anchor — my tool of stability.
As long as he remains, the future I see will not waver."
At those words, Yosuke's aura flared violently.
His hair bled crimson, spilling wildly across his shoulders;
his eyes turned the color of blood — the Demon King form awakened.
"So negotiations have failed," Yosuke said coldly.
"Then there's no more need for words.
Blood Demon Art — Shadow Wolves!"
Countless shadowy wolves erupted from the ground, snarling and baring their fangs, lunging simultaneously toward Muzan and the High Priest.
Yosuke himself had only one target — Inosuke.
Muzan, to Yosuke, was nothing more than a known quantity — his strength was familiar, predictable.
But the High Priest was an enigma.
For someone to stand as an equal beside a being like Muzan — a creature who worshiped strength — meant his power could not be underestimated.
Muzan effortlessly obliterated the shadow wolves that lunged his way.
But to Yosuke's surprise, several of the beasts managed to bite into the High Priest's body.
Inosuke was within arm's reach —
yet at the very moment Yosuke stretched out his hand to touch him—
"Kotodama — Shield!"
The High Priest's voice rang out.
Instantly, the shadow wolves biting into him vanished,and a transparent barrier materialized around Inosuke, blocking Yosuke's advance.
"Blood Demon Art — Blood Domain!"
A scarlet field expanded beneath Yosuke's feet,and in his hand formed a blade forged from his own blood.
"Blood Breathing — Third Form: Tempest Blood Flame Blade!"
The burning blood blade slashed against the transparent barrier —but not even a ripple appeared. The shield held firm, perfectly intact.
Before Yosuke could react, Muzan's assault followed like a storm.
From his back, nine whip-like tubes lashed forward,aiming for every vital point of Yosuke's body.
Yosuke was forced to abandon his attempt to reach Inosuke,raising his blade just in time to block.
The impact was immense — he was thrown backward, sent crashing through the air.
He twisted midair, landing heavily but regaining his footing,his expression grim as he assessed the situation.
Now, Muzan loomed before him, ready to strike again,while the High Priest stood protectively beside Inosuke,
clearly intent on keeping Yosuke away.
And around Inosuke shimmered that indestructible energy barrier —to save him, Yosuke would first have to find a way to destroy it.
Muzan's eyes gleamed with bloodlust.
"I can hardly wait to see you torn apart, Yosuke!
This is the power I've just obtained — Kotodama: Strike!"
Every hair on Yosuke's body stood on end.
He felt an invisible attack rushing straight toward him.
He unfurled the blood wings from his back, soaring into the air —and a heartbeat later, the ground where he'd stood exploded into a massive crater.
Muzan looked up, sneering.
"Flying, are you?
Kotodama — Gravity!"
A crushing force enveloped Yosuke midair.
He plummeted like a meteor, slamming into the ground.
The weight intensified, pinning him down — even standing became a struggle.
Muzan gave him no chance to breathe.
From his legs, eight whip-tubes shot forward at supersonic speed,
their movement cracking the air as they struck toward the grounded Yosuke.
"Blood Breathing — First Form: Crimson Decay!"
A giant, blood-red flower bloomed around Yosuke,
its petals wrapping around him completely.
The tubes pierced the flower,but without Yosuke in sight, they missed their mark.
Within the cocoon of blood,Yosuke contracted his Blood Domain,adding another layer of defense as he hid inside,his mind racing to devise a counterattack.