"That's enough. I have already said everything I needed to say."
Muzan Kibutsuji's patience finally snapped. Veins stood out across his face as irritation twisted into anger. He could not accept that a dying man had seen through him so clearly.
He stepped into the house, moving toward Kagaya Ubuyashiki one step at a time.
Kagaya showed no fear. Beside him, Amane Ubuyashiki remained calm as ever.
Looking up at Muzan, Kagaya's lips curled slightly.
"There is one last thing I wish to say. I am fortunate to have earned the admiration of the Demon Slayer Corps, especially that child, Raiden. In him, I see the hope of your defeat."
"Their admiration ensures my death will not be meaningless. When I die, their resolve will rise to unprecedented heights."
Muzan's expression shifted slightly.
"Are you threatening me? You talk too much. I know Raiden's strength. He is growing quickly, but he is still far from reaching me."
"Does that make you despair?"
He stared directly into Kagaya's eyes, expecting fear.
Instead, he found mockery.
"Despair?" Kagaya laughed weakly. "No. I feel none. What I see instead… is your panic."
"If you truly did not fear Raiden, why did you come here the moment I revealed this place?"
"Silence!" Muzan snapped, his anger finally erupting.
He reached forward, intending to crush Kagaya's head with a single motion.
"To think you would listen to me for so long," Kagaya said quietly. "Thank you, Muzan."
He sat slumped against the tatami, his blood-soaked bandages unable to hide the calm presence surrounding him. A gentle smile rested on his face, untouched by the approaching death.
Muzan's hand shot forward, his fingers sharp as blades, carrying overwhelming killing intent.
At that moment, Kagaya slowly closed his eyes, as if drifting into sleep.
He showed no fear.
No hesitation.
Only unwavering resolve.
Just as Muzan's hand was about to reach him, a blinding flash erupted.
An instant later, a deafening explosion tore through the mansion.
Flames surged in every direction, swallowing the courtyard in an overwhelming inferno. Fire roared like a living beast, devouring everything in its path.
Muzan's figure flickered within the flames, his expression warped by fury and shock.
Kagaya's body disappeared into the blaze, yet his presence remained serene, as if he had already transcended life and death.
Heat waves rolled outward, the air thick with smoke and burning ash.
Not far beyond the courtyard, Raiden stood and witnessed it all.
The explosion thundered in his ears as flames rose into the night sky like raging dragons.
For a moment, his throat tightened.
He felt it again, that same suffocating helplessness from when he first entered this world.
Despite how strong he had become, people were still sacrificing themselves before his eyes.
The weight of it pressed against his chest, tightening like an invisible grip.
Raiden drew a slow breath.
Now was not the time to hesitate.
Kagaya's sacrifice could not be wasted.
The blazing inferno before him only hardened his resolve. The fire reflected in his eyes, igniting something deeper within him.
His figure vanished.
In the next instant, he appeared within the smoke and debris, moving with explosive speed, like lightning tearing through the battlefield.
Only one thought filled his mind.
This sacrifice must mean something.
From within the flames came a furious roar.
"Ubuyashiki!"
Muzan's voice shook the air itself.
Raiden's eyes turned cold as he accelerated again.
Muzan's body had been torn apart by the explosion. Flesh struggled to regenerate, writhing as it attempted to recover.
But this was no ordinary blast.
Embedded within it were specially crafted spikes, laced with poison that slowed his regeneration.
Muzan gritted his teeth, rage boiling within him, yet his mind remained sharp.
Kagaya would not rely on a single move.
There had to be more.
At that very moment, a brilliant flash of lightning cut through the smoke.
It surged forward with unstoppable force.
"Thunder Breathing, First Form, Thunderclap and Flash, Godspeed."
The lightning tore through the darkness, striking before Muzan could react.
In an instant, his head was obliterated.
The impact rang out like thunder across the night.
His body convulsed violently, regeneration further suppressed by the lingering poison and the overwhelming force of the attack.
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