Inside the mansion, Muzan Kibutsuji stood in the courtyard in the form of a young man. His posture was relaxed, yet his rose-red eyes scanned everything with quiet authority.
"This hiding place is quite unusual. No wonder Nakime took her time," he murmured.
His gaze shifted toward the interior, landing on the frail figure lying on a tatami mat.
"You have finally come before me… Kibutsuji Muzan… Our Ubuyashiki family has pursued you for a thousand years."
Kagaya Ubuyashiki tried to turn his head, but his body was too weak to obey. The effort alone drained him.
"Amane… what does Kibutsuji Muzan look like?" he asked softly.
Amane Ubuyashiki gently held his hand and replied, "He appears to be in his late twenties. His eyes are plum-red, with pupils like a cat's."
"I see… so that is how you look, Muzan. I knew you would come."
A faint breath escaped Kagaya.
"You must despise me and the Ubuyashiki family. After all, we have opposed you for nearly a thousand years."
"I have no interest in you," Muzan replied coldly. "You are nothing more than a minor nuisance to be dealt with."
His voice carried absolute disdain.
If not for Raiden's rapid growth becoming a threat, he would never have bothered coming here. Compared to this dying organization, finding the Blue Spider Lily or a demon who could conquer the sun mattered far more.
"You overestimate yourself," Muzan continued. "The head of a clan that has opposed me for centuries now lies here, rotting. Your appearance is pitiful. You already smell like a corpse."
Disgust flickered in his eyes.
"Yes…" Kagaya whispered, suddenly forcing strength into his failing body as he struggled to sit upright. "Half a year ago, I was told I had only days left to live. And yet… I have endured until now."
Blood slipped from the corner of his mouth, but his gaze remained steady.
"All for one reason. To defeat you, Kibutsuji Muzan."
Muzan's expression did not change.
"Your empty dream ends tonight," he said. "You will die by my hand."
Kagaya did not react. He simply continued, his breathing uneven.
"You may not know this… but we share the same bloodline. You were born a thousand years ago, so our blood has long since diverged…"
Muzan frowned, irritation creeping in.
"So what? Do you expect mercy?" he interrupted. "Get to the point."
"I have no need for your mercy," Kagaya replied, his tone sharpening.
"Because of you, our family was cursed. Every child was born weak, dying soon after. When our bloodline was on the verge of extinction, we received guidance."
"As long as we devoted ourselves to defeating you, our lineage would continue. For generations, we married into priestly families to preserve it. Even so, none of us have lived past thirty."
Muzan scoffed.
"Pathetic delusions. Has your illness eaten away your mind? I have slaughtered countless people and received no punishment. There are no gods, no Buddhas, no fate that binds me."
"I see…" Kagaya coughed, his body trembling. "Even so… I have my own belief."
He paused, then asked quietly,
"Muzan… what is your dream? What have you been chasing all this time?"
Muzan said nothing, but a faint unease stirred within him as he watched Kagaya's expression grow more intense.
Something felt wrong.
Standing before the leader of the Demon Slayer Corps, he felt neither hatred nor satisfaction. Instead, a strange sense of familiarity lingered, and it irritated him.
Kagaya continued.
"Let me guess. You are chasing an eternal, flawless dream."
"You are correct," Muzan replied. "And once I achieve it, I will remove every obstacle. Including you… and that brat Raiden."
Kagaya smiled faintly.
"Your dream will never come true."
Muzan's eyes sharpened.
"Raiden is not here?" he muttered. "No matter. Destroying the Demon Slayer Corps is still worthwhile. That boy can hide for a day, but not forever."
"You misunderstand," Kagaya said softly. "I know what eternity truly is."
"Eternity is the will of humanity."
"For a thousand years, the Demon Slayer Corps has endured. Many have died, yet we have never vanished."
"You, Muzan, have provoked that will again and again. You have awakened those who will never stop hunting you."
"Even if I die, it changes nothing."
"I am not important. This organization exists because of people, because of their will. That is something you will never understand."
A pause.
"And when you die… every demon will perish with you."
Muzan narrowed his eyes.
Something in Kagaya's words unsettled him.
"You seem shaken," Kagaya said faintly. "Did I strike the truth?"
"Silence!" Muzan snapped.
Outside, beneath a blooming cherry tree, the wind carried soft pink petals through the air. They drifted gently to the ground, forming a quiet, beautiful carpet across the courtyard.
Two young girls in kimonos played beneath the tree, their laughter light and carefree.
The contrast was unsettling.
Inside, the air was heavy with killing intent.
Yet those children laughed as if nothing was wrong.
Muzan's gaze slowly shifted toward them.
They showed no fear.
No awareness.
It was as if they existed in a separate world entirely.
A subtle tension crept into his expression.
Something about this scene was wrong.
The head of the Demon Slayer Corps stood defenseless, with no guards in sight. Two children played nearby, unaware of death approaching.
It was unnatural.
Muzan watched them carefully, unease growing within him.
Did they truly not realize…
that they were about to die?