Kaigaku let out a long breath after severing the demon's head.
The battle had not been easy. The creature had been far more troublesome than he expected. For a moment, he had even thought he might lose an arm during the fight.
Now that the demon was dead, Kaigaku relaxed slightly. He prepared to turn around and explain to the Demon Slayer Corps members behind him that he had done everything he could.
But the moment he turned his head, the words froze on his lips.
Kaigaku stared in disbelief.
The Demon Slayer who should have been dead was still standing there, alive.
Not dead?
How was that possible?
Even if someone had taken that demon's punch directly to the head, survival would have been impossible.
Why was this man still alive?
Kaigaku frowned as he looked at the demon's arm, which was slowly turning into black smoke and dispersing in front of the slayer.
He could not understand it.
Did the demon stop on its own?
Impossible.
The dried blood on its chains and the fresh human blood on its teeth clearly proved the creature had no mercy or conscience.
Did it lose its strength after being decapitated?
No.
Kaigaku knew very well that decapitating a demon was not an instant process. The intense pain of losing its head usually caused a demon to lash out even more violently in its final moments.
"Are you alright?"
Even though he could not understand what had happened, Kaigaku still had to maintain his image.
The other two Demon Slayers nearby might not have realized what he had done, but the one who had nearly died certainly had some idea.
To avoid suspicion within the Corps, Kaigaku forced a concerned expression onto his face.
The Demon Slayer who had just walked out of death's shadow looked at Kaigaku's worried face and almost believed, for a brief moment, that Kaigaku had not done it intentionally.
But the truth was undeniable.
Kaigaku had just used him as a shield to secure the kill.
The concern he was showing now only existed because the man had survived.
"I am… fine."
The Demon Slayer forced out a weak smile in response.
He wanted to expose Kaigaku in front of the others.
He wanted to rip away that false mask.
But he was not foolish.
His strength and status were nothing compared to Kaigaku's.
If he openly accused him, the situation could easily turn against him. In the worst case, it might even put his life in danger.
For now, he could only swallow the humiliation.
Still, one question remained in his mind.
If Kaigaku had not stopped the attack, then who had?
The demon's arm had already vanished into smoke, but the memory of the small blood hole in the center of its fist remained clear in his mind.
If he was not mistaken, that hole had stopped the attack.
Could there be another Demon Slayer nearby?
The man looked around carefully.
For a moment, he thought he saw a shadow flash across the eaves of the roof.
"Did I imagine it…" he muttered quietly, disappointment creeping into his voice.
If there really had been another swordsman present, someone strong enough to stop that full-power strike, then that person's strength must surpass even the swordsman sent by headquarters.
With such a witness present, Kaigaku's actions would have clearly violated the rules of the Demon Slayer Corps. Justice might have been served.
"I'm truly sorry. My vision was blocked by the demon's iron chain earlier. I didn't realize you were behind me and almost injured you by mistake. Fortunately, you're unharmed."
Kaigaku spoke with deep concern as he helped support the Demon Slayer's body.
"If something had happened to you, I would have felt terrible."
The other two Demon Slayers approached as well, asking about his condition with worried expressions.
The injured slayer almost scoffed.
His vision had been blocked by iron chains?
Those chains had been wrapped around the demon's arm the entire time. How could they possibly block Kaigaku's sight?
He cursed silently but kept a calm expression on the surface.
Seeing the strained look on the man's face, Kaigaku understood that the other party had realized what truly happened.
But since the man remained silent, it meant he knew his place.
That saved Kaigaku the trouble of dealing with him.
Putting on a convincing act, Kaigaku supported the Demon Slayer as they slowly walked out of the courtyard.
High above them, Raiden stood quietly on the eaves.
His eyes narrowed slightly.
Kaigaku was truly despicable.
Even if the man had never betrayed the Demon Slayer Corps, Raiden still would not have spared him after witnessing him gamble with the lives of his comrades.
The demon from earlier had already been doomed. Kaigaku would have killed it eventually.
He could have deflected most of the force of that punch before finishing the demon.
But he did not.
He had chosen the faster, easier option, risking another person's life for his own achievement.
Fortunately, Raiden had been watching.
If that Demon Slayer had taken the punch directly, he would certainly be dead.
Raiden's gaze toward Kaigaku gradually turned colder.
If it were not for his plan to lure out Kokushibo through Kaigaku, Raiden would have already cut off his head for what he had just done.
Still, the situation gave Raiden an important reminder.
If he killed Kaigaku himself, he would need a proper reason.
Whether it involved betrayal of the Corps or harming fellow Demon Slayers, the matter would ultimately affect the Master of the Demon Slayer Corps.
So it would be far more convenient if Kokushibo were the one to kill him.
After all, when facing Upper Moon One, a few casualties were completely normal.
Raiden nodded slightly.
Yes, that was a perfectly reasonable explanation.
He was human, not a god.
Kokushibo was monstrously powerful. No one could expect him to guarantee everyone's safety.
While Raiden was silently refining his plan, his body suddenly trembled.
A violent chill surged through him.
It felt as if an invisible force had pierced through his defenses and struck directly into his soul.
Every nerve in his body reacted instantly.
For a moment, Raiden felt as if he had been nailed to the ground.
An extremely dangerous aura had entered his perception range without a sound.
It felt like a venomous snake slowly circling him, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
Raiden's muscles tensed immediately, hard as steel.
But he knew this reaction was nothing more than instinct.
Against this presence, the body's defenses meant almost nothing.
He could almost feel countless cold eyes watching him from behind.
The sensation crawled across his skin like a dull blade scraping slowly along his flesh.
Raiden's breathing grew heavier.
The air itself seemed thick, difficult to draw into his lungs.
His heartbeat echoed loudly in his ears, each thud like a drumbeat that drowned out every other sound.
Only two beings could create this kind of pressure.
Kokushibo.
Or Muzan.
Raiden immediately dismissed the possibility of Muzan.
He knew Muzan's scent too well, that sickening mixture of blood and decay.
But the smell filling the air now was unfamiliar.
Sharp.
Oppressive.
Suffocating.
Which meant only one thing.
Kokushibo had arrived.
Raiden's pupils shrank slightly as vigilance filled his eyes.
He took a slow breath, trying to steady himself, but the terrifying aura lingered like a shadow that refused to fade.
Every hair on his body stood on end.
A cold shiver climbed from the base of his spine to the back of his skull, as if his entire body had been buried beneath frozen earth.
Raiden slowly raised his gaze toward the courtyard entrance.
A motionless figure stood there.
Just standing there.
And yet the pressure it radiated surpassed every other Upper Moon.
Gyokko.
Doma.
None of them were on the same level as this monster.
The demon who once fought three Hashira inside the Infinity Castle, a warrior who only fell because of extraordinary circumstances, now stood alive before Raiden.
Kokushibo.
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