As Raiden took control of the Infinity Castle, Nakime felt her authority being stripped away.
She frantically plucked at her biwa, trying to regain control, but it was already too late. Her hand suddenly froze. A sharp snapping sound echoed as the strings broke, and the Infinity Castle slipped from her grasp.
Cracks began to spread across her body, dense and intricate, like shattered porcelain. Her skin fractured like a broken mirror, the fissures expanding across her form. Each crack brought a tearing pain, weakening her structure bit by bit.
Her expression twisted in struggle as her body started to collapse, fragments breaking off piece by piece. Her fingers remained stiff on the broken strings as the last of her strength faded.
At last, her eye rolled out from her fractured skull.
The lone eyeball, marked with its number, hit the ground with a dull sound. It rolled briefly before coming to rest in a pool of blood.
Elsewhere within the Infinity Castle, a vastly different space existed.
A massive vertical passage stretched endlessly, like a deep chimney plunging through the structure. Strange patterns and runes lined its inner walls, glowing faintly and casting an eerie atmosphere.
Suspended in the middle of this space floated a grotesque, enormous mass of flesh.
The tumor-like form pulsed slowly, pale and swollen, connected to the walls by thick tendrils. Each movement made the surrounding air tremble slightly, as if it were breathing.
Suddenly, it stopped.
A voice emerged from within, laced with disbelief.
"Nakime is dead?"
This mass was Muzan Kibutsuji, who had transformed his body to digest the poison within him.
Confusion flickered in his voice. Nakime's death was not something he had anticipated.
Her combat ability might not rival Kokushibo or Akaza, but within the Infinity Castle, she was far more troublesome than either of them. Her control over the shifting space made her nearly untouchable.
So why had she died first?
Muzan's perception, though weakened, remained sharp. The moment he sensed her death, doubt filled his mind.
"If Nakime is dead, why does the Infinity Castle still remain?"
His brows tightened.
By all logic, her death should have caused the entire structure to collapse. Yet not only did it remain, it felt even more stable than before.
That abnormality unsettled him.
He extended his senses through the castle, probing its changes. What he felt made his unease deepen.
The familiar presence was gone.
In its place was something stronger, more domineering.
"This power…" Muzan muttered.
"Raiden?"
The name surfaced in his mind, and the tumor began to pulse faster.
More than half the poison in his body had been neutralized, but enough remained to limit him. Facing Raiden alone might still be manageable, but if the Hashira joined in, the situation would shift completely.
Even if they could not kill him outright, stalling until sunrise would be enough.
Sunlight remained his greatest weakness.
"Damn it."
His voice echoed sharply through the passage.
If Kokushibo or Akaza had fallen, he would not have reacted this way. Their deaths alone would not threaten him.
But Nakime was different.
She was his escape, his shield against the sun.
Now that control of the Infinity Castle had passed to Raiden, his position had worsened instantly.
"I need to accelerate the digestion."
Muzan suppressed his frustration. Kokushibo and Akaza were still alive. If they could buy him time, even a little, it would be enough.
Once he fully recovered, the Demon Slayer Corps would be wiped out completely.
Meanwhile, Raiden stood calmly within the Infinity Castle, feeling the change in his strength.
Absorbing Nakime's blood had enhanced him far beyond his expectations.
At this point, any breathing technique combined with a Blood Demon Art would be enough for him to level up.
There were no enemies around him now, no demons in sight.
But that did not matter.
Muzan was still weakened. Kokushibo and Akaza were being held back by the Hashira.
Whether he broke through further or not was irrelevant.
He would deal with them one by one.
Even in Muzan's current state, Raiden was not fully confident in killing him without the sun. So he would start elsewhere.
Closing his eyes, Raiden extended his awareness across the entire Infinity Castle.
He quickly located Kokushibo and Akaza.
Then he opened his eyes.
Snap. Snap.
The sharp sound echoed through the castle, reverberating through every corner. Space itself seemed to twist violently, as if being pulled apart.
In an instant, Raiden's surroundings shifted.
Kokushibo and Akaza appeared, followed by the Hashira who had been fighting them.
Everyone tensed immediately, their eyes scanning their new surroundings.
Kokushibo and Akaza were visibly confused.
Nakime controlled the Infinity Castle. She was on their side.
So why had they been brought here?
"Zing!"
A blade was drawn.
Instinctively, Kokushibo and Akaza tilted their heads aside.
"Tsk. That almost worked."
A voice filled with mild regret sounded above them.
They looked up.
Raiden stood there, one hand resting on his sword, gazing down at them.