Disclaimer: Demon Slayer is not mine. This fanfic is a translation.
Enjoy Reading!
---
Michikatsu stood atop a massive boulder, his eyes lowered, meeting Akaza's gaze below.
He pushed off forcefully with his feet, sending stone chips flying from beneath him and causing the surrounding treetops to shudder violently.
Whoosh!
He vanished from the spot in a blur.
Whoosh—Bam!!
"Pugh—Gah!"
Caught off guard,
Akaza's eyes widened as a heavy blow from Michikatsu landed on his abdomen, forcing a spray of blood mixed with saliva from his mouth.
His eyes filled with shock as he slowly turned his head in disbelief.
In his pupils, the afterimage of Michikatsu's fist was reflected.
'A speed I couldn't even track!'
'His strength was completely different from their last battle!'
Instinctively, he clutched his abdomen where the fist had struck.
He had taken the blow squarely, caught completely off guard, and moreover...
His temple seemed to only now register that he had been hit, a dent slowly caving in.
"You bastard!"
As his head spun, Akaza shifted his bewildered gaze to Michikatsu standing beside him.
"Last time... you were holding back..." His voice gradually weakened as he struggled to raise his arm in accusation.
Bang! Bang! Bang!!
His raised arm was suddenly punctured with several bursting holes, the deformed limb spraying blood under the heavy impacts.
His raised arm fell limply.
"Ha..."
Bang!
Akaza's eyes rolled back, and he immediately lost consciousness, the demon collapsing face-first to the ground with a thud.
Thunk!
Michikatsu reacted swiftly, quickly flicking the test tube in his hand. It stabbed into Akaza's shoulder with a sharp sound.
Without any concern for the demon's well-being, he pressed down on the tube, pushing the liquid inside all the way through, injecting it completely.
Creak...
Akaza's unconscious hand clawed fiercely at a nearby stone, veins bulging as he forcibly cracked the rock with his grip.
"Holding back..."
Michikatsu stood before Akaza, shifting his gaze questioningly.
"Akaza... are you angry that I didn't respect you enough to consider you an opponent?"
He repeated Akaza's words in his mind and offered a comforting explanation.
"No need for resentment. I now respected you with my full strength."
"Choosing to pursue your own path... is worthy of respect."
Michikatsu paused briefly.
He let out a soft sigh.
"But if all you do is simply crave greater power..."
"Naturally, you cannot face an opponent strong enough to utterly overwhelm you."
Michikatsu crouched down and casually flipped Akaza's body over, muttering to himself.
"The pride and conviction you've held onto will be easily shattered."
In his mind, the memory of a young Yoriichi disdainfully discarding a wooden sword was vividly etched.
On this point, he understood it particularly well.
And now, looking back at his own past thoughts, Michikatsu felt only content.
It didn't seem so hard to acknowledge after all.
He was also the one who believed Akaza had potential.
After his last meeting with Tanjuro at Mount Natagumo, he had proposed this idea.
"If you ever encounter the demon named Akaza, and he shows any inclination to defect,"
"Please send word to Tamayo, and I will come to deal with him."
He knew his promise probably held little weight, but he said it nonetheless.
Tanjuro had kept his word as well. The moment he learned that Giyu had a lead on Akaza, he wrote a letter and entrusted it to his Kasugai crow.
The man and the demon had arrived at the battlefield simultaneously and had discussed their strategy beforehand.
Yep.
This battle was a trap from beginning to end, codenamed Operation Akaza Capture.
Akaza, lying unconscious on the ground, had been thoroughly outmaneuvered.
Michikatsu reached out and pried open Akaza's eyelids, confirming that the black numbers in the center of his pupils were slowly fading.
Even the tattoos on his body seemed to have faded somewhat.
"The drug is working."
Michikatsu muttered to himself, then fell into thought.
If Muzan believed he was dead, then when Akaza was still under his control earlier, did Muzan learn of his survival through Akaza?
And now that Akaza had broken free from Muzan's control, would Muzan assume... that Akaza had died at his hands?
But this thought only flickered through his mind briefly.
After all, at this moment, Muzan was of little importance.
Neither Michikatsu nor Akaza.
After confirming everything, Michikatsu slowly hoisted the unconscious Akaza onto his shoulder.
Drawing on his prior experience carrying the puppet, he stood up with practiced ease.
His brow furrowed slightly as he glanced at his arm. "What is it..."
There was a faint itching sensation on his arm, like a mosquito bite.
But could demons be bitten by mosquitoes?
In a place his vision couldn't perceive,
"Hakuji-dono!"
Koyuki's eyes were rimmed with red. She strained, grabbing Michikatsu's arm with both hands, leaning back, her legs desperately trying to reach the ground.
"Let him go!"
She struck at him in frustration but soon realized with sorrow that Michikatsu seemed completely unable to see her.
And because she wasn't tall enough,
She could only barely dangle from his arm.
Michikatsu glanced at his arm a couple of times, and after noticing nothing unusual, looked away.
He raised his hand, pulled a firework from his sleeve, and yanked hard toward the sky.
Whoosh—Bang!
A white light trailed exhaust as it shot rapidly upward, exploding into a brilliant display of color in the pitch-black night sky.
The treetops were illuminated by the firework's glow.
Michikatsu looked down, oriented himself toward Tamayo's residence, and began running at a high, steady pace.
"Ahhh!"
Koyuki dangled from his arm, swaying back and forth with Michikatsu's movement as he walked.
"Hakuji!"
Koyuki's faint voice echoed through the forest, quickly fading into the distance.
Her gaze was faintly drawn to the dissipating firework overhead.
'If only time had stopped at that fireworks display...
...that would have been nice.'
---
Tanjuro stood atop a roof, gazing into the distance.
After seeing the firework ascend, signaling [Plan Successful] with its burst of light, the tension he held eased slightly.
Though it was a bit disappointing not to gain any Life Return power this time.
Gyomei sat behind him in silence.
His mind vaguely recalled the information the former leader had mentioned before. that Upper Rank One was suspected of defecting.
"Let's go."
Tanjuro turned back, his gaze sweeping over the three behind him.
---
-Location: Butterfly Mansion
The next day.
Whoosh—!!
Aoi lifted a bucket of water, raising it sharply and dumping it over the bald cultist's head.
"Huff—!" The bald cultist held his breath. A wire was attached to his wrist, a device used to detect if he was lying.
Aoi gave him a stiff look.
She had already poured so much water, yet Shinobu-sama still hadn't signaled for her to stop.
Aoi looked behind her. "Shinobu-sama, should I continue...?" Her voice gradually wavered.
"Kocho, what you mean is..."
Shinazugawa Sanemi, with his sharply spiked white hair, white open-chest haori, and a face covered in scars, was twitching his brow, barely suppressing his fury as he stared at Shinobu.
"That bastard Tomioka... sent letters for help to every Hashira except me and Obanai."
Sanemi looked utterly incredulous, feeling his temples throb violently.
"Is that it?!"
"Yes, it seems that's the case." Shinobu's tone was calm and measured, a smile gracing her lips as she nodded.
She looked like she was enjoying the spectacle.
"Damn it!"
Sanemi felt his anger surge beyond control.
He quickly turned away.
He clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white as they trembled violently.
His eyes were wide and bloodshot, his scarred face even more terrifying, his neck seeming to thicken with rage. "You... dead... fish... mf..."
"Any fool with a brain knows that if there's news of an Upper Moon, there's no way we wouldn't go to help!?" He ground out the words through gritted teeth.
Sanemi gritted his teeth so hard he looked ready to tear Giyu to pieces.
Is this guy really a member of the Demon Slayer Corps?!
If Tanjuro hadn't written to them before leaving, telling them that Butterfly Mansion had information on an Upper Rank (referring to Doma), they would have been completely left in the dark by Giyu!
And they would have stupidly believed they just had bad luck encountering Upper Moons!
"Indeed."
"I used to think he just had a facial problem, but it turns out it's a brain problem."
Iguro Obanai was also scowling. He and Sanemi stood together, nodding darkly, his tone laced with sarcasm.
"How nice. How enviable. Having an Upper Moon to kill!"
"That bastard is probably already drunk on his own arrogance."
In Obanai's mind, he pictured a smug, miniature Giyu, gleefully holding up the head of an Upper Moon.
Aoi, who had been watching them, froze.
She watched the Snake and Wind Hashiras huddled together, emanating a dark, brooding aura as they whispered, and slowly swallowed.
A flicker of fear appeared in her eyes.
Too Terrifying!
Aoi quickly looked over at Shinobu.
Shinobu was lightly covering her mouth, smiling as she watched the two grumbling Hashiras.
She seemed quite amused.
"Tomioka-san, this is really something I can't help you with." Shinobu murmured softly to herself.
Having been on the verge of explosive rage for days after hearing about Doma, she felt some of that tension ease.
Perhaps noticing Aoi's uneasy gaze,
"Oh... I almost forgot about you." Shinobu snapped back to attention. She glanced at the bald cultist, who was already soaked through.
"So, do you know where the cult leader is now?"
Her tone was gentle, but her expression suddenly darkened. "Hage-san." (Mr. Baldy)
"Blurgh! Hic!" The bald cultist let out a wet burp, water spilling from his lips as he shrank back in fear.
These people's interrogation methods had completely changed!
Ever since that pig-headed man had choked him during interrogation a few days ago,
They were subjecting him to all sorts of torturous experiments!
"I know... blegh!"
The bald cultist looked fearfully at Shinobu. Just as he was about to speak, he couldn't stop himself from vomiting water.
"Kocho, what's the deal with this guy?"
Sanemi noticed the situation and, after venting some anger, tried to ask in a relatively calm tone. "He's... human, right?"
"That's correct, Shinazugawa-san." Shinobu turned back, smiling.
"This cultist has been confirmed to be a follower of the cult controlled by Upper Moon One."
"He seems to have done quite a few bad things."
She slowly opened her eyes, which had been narrowed in a smile, revealing deep purple irises devoid of any light.
"We were simply asking him about the whereabouts of the demon."
Sanemi's eyes widened as he caught the key word.
His pupils contracted sharply, and he fixed his gaze on the bald cultist with intense focus.
He stared directly at the cultist, nodding to himself as if he had found some rare treasure. "I see, that explains it. Upper Moon One, huh..."
Obanai beside him also cast a dark, menacing look at the cultist.
"Blegh!!" The cultist felt a chill run down his spine from their stares. He tried to scream in panic but could only keep vomiting water.
Shinobu, Sanemi, and Obanai slowly approached.
"Leave the interrogation to me."
Sanemi's eyes were fixed intently as he took off his haori and rolled up his sleeves.
Click.
"I'm good at it too." Obanai drew his curved, twisted Nichirin blade.
Their menacing smiles loomed over the terrified cultist.
He struggled to crawl backward, but the tree he was tied to was right behind him, leaving him no room to move.
"Blegh—!!"
The bald cultist's screams echoed over Butterfly Mansion, a harrowing sound.
...
...
The ropes binding the bald cultist were roughly torn away. He lay on the ground, eyes vacant.
Beneath him were large puddles of water, and not entirely pure, either.
"Alright, we've found the location of the cult leader's main church."
Sanemi casually wiped the water from his hands with a cloth, turning to look at Obanai beside him. "No time to waste. Let's head out now."
Crack!
He clenched his fist, a ferocious grin spreading across his face.
"Huff! Wait!"
The bald cultist struggled to sit up, his face worried as he looked at Sanemi.
After Sanemi turned and glared at him, making him flinch and shrink back, he spoke in a subdued, warning tone.
"The leader... he never appears at the church during the day. He only sees his followers at night."
"I swear!"
"I'm not trying to trick you. I'm just afraid you'll go there, not find him, and come back to interrogate me again..." He quickly raised his hands to shield himself and explained cautiously.
Remembering the torture he had just endured, he quickly shook his head.
Sanemi looked hesitantly at Obanai.
"And also..."
The cultist continued explaining in a low tone, his eyes darting nervously between Sanemi and Obanai. "...Things are different lately. It's the time of the monthly ritual."
"The leader only accepts female followers."
"Even someone like me, with a high rank in the faith, can only communicate with him through a door."
His voice wavered.
"So..."
He glanced timidly at Sanemi.
"For men with such fierce appearances like you, forget about meeting the leader..."
"You probably wouldn't even get through the gates of the Eternal Paradise Faith."