The silence of Yoshiwara's entertainment district was shattered.
One figure after another emerged from the darkness in the distance, each with a hideous face, crimson eyes, and a bloodthirsty aura.
Demons, who usually acted alone and rarely gathered in groups, were now closing in from every direction.
Their target was every Demon Slayer Corps swordsman in the area.
Of course, that also included every living human nearby.
This was probably a situation the Demon Slayer Corps had almost never encountered before.
Very few swordsmen had ever faced something like this.
Or rather, none of them had.
"They're here." Soma raised his eyes and looked at the scene before him, somewhat surprised.
He had known that Muzan Kibutsuji would never simply watch as his strongest subordinate, Kokushibo, was dragged into the sunlight and burned to death. He had even considered the possibility that Muzan would personally make a move.
But clearly, with Muzan Kibutsuji's cautious nature, he would not show himself so easily. He would not casually place himself in danger.
Or perhaps, among this swarm of demons, Muzan Kibutsuji was hiding inside some unremarkable demon, waiting for an opportunity to deliver a fatal strike.
There was no need for Soma to warn them. Everyone had already sensed the situation around them.
"So many demons…"
The Stone Hashira, Gyomei Himejima, pressed his palms together. Through his Mind's Eye, he could sense several powerful presences among them, likely demons who belonged to the Twelve Kizuki.
By now, many of the Twelve Kizuki had already been slain, leaving only a few remaining. Unless a replacement was chosen through a Blood Battle or directly promoted by Muzan Kibutsuji with his blood, vacancies within the Twelve Kizuki could not be filled so quickly.
As the demons surged forward, the first to encounter them were the swordsmen standing guard on the perimeter. In almost an instant, the two sides collided, and a brutal battle erupted.
For many swordsmen, this was probably the first time they had faced so many demons at once. Although they had prepared themselves to die on the path of demon hunting from the moment they became demon slayers, facing the tide of demons rushing toward them still filled them with fear.
No matter how firm their resolve was, swordsmen were still human.
Even those unafraid of sacrifice were no exception.
Yet despite the fear in their hearts, not a single swordsman took a step back. No one knew who roared first, but accompanied by the sound of Breathing Styles, the swordsmen immediately raised their blades and charged forward.
The battle erupted in an instant.
The swordsmen fought without fear of death, while the demons were almost impossible to kill unless their heads were severed. The moment the two sides clashed, flesh and blood flew everywhere, and severed limbs scattered across the ground.
"Purge the demons! Protect humanity!"
A swordsman roared, only for a demon to pounce on him in the next instant. His throat was bitten through, and he was devoured on the spot like food.
The demons surged forward, almost impossible to stop. In a short time, they had already swallowed up the perimeter swordsmen.
"Namu Amida Butsu…"
Sensing the casualties among the swordsmen, Gyomei Himejima pressed his palms together as tears streamed from his eyes. His hand gripped the chain, and the hand axe and spiked flail linked to both ends moved with it.
"Stone Breathing, First Form: Serpentinite Bipolar!"
In an instant, he hurled both the spiked flail and hand axe at the same time, sending them crashing into the demons with tremendous force. Against Kokushibo, such an attack had only been enough to flatten his body. But against these ordinary demons, nothing could stand in its path. Any demon touched by it shattered, and any demon that tried to block it was crushed into pulp.
"Flame Breathing, First Form: Unknowing Fire!"
Kyojuro Rengoku moved as well. His entire body charged into the demons with the force of bursting flame, and the fire-lit arc of his blade fell upon them, severing heads and sending blood spilling across the ground.
...
Gyomei Himejima, Kyojuro Rengoku, and Sanemi Shinazugawa charged into the swarm of demons. Their Nichirin Blades flashed repeatedly, and with nearly every swing, a demon's head was sent flying.
Gyomei Himejima in particular, with his immense physique, was like a living meat grinder amidst the horde.
With the Hashira joining the battle, the surging tide of demons was forcibly halted.
Even so, there were simply too many demons.
Slaughter unfolded with every passing moment.
Lives were lost with every passing moment.
Battle and death consumed nearly every street of the Yoshiwara Entertainment District.
"Is there truly no ambush?"
Somewhere in the darkness, Muzan Kibutsuji watched everything unfold through the eyes of the demons.
With the deaths of Doma, Akaza, Hantengu, and Gyutaro of the Twelve Kizuki, very few demons now possessed the high-level combat strength needed to withstand Hashira such as Gyomei Himejima, Kyojuro Rengoku, and Sanemi Shinazugawa.
Muzan Kibutsuji did not care about those Hashira.
Although they were strong, and Gyomei Himejima in particular had strength comparable to the top three Upper Ranks, they did not matter much to Muzan Kibutsuji. If he made a move himself, these people had only one path left.
Death.
What Muzan Kibutsuji truly cared about was whether an ambush had been prepared here.
Ever since Kagaya Ubuyashiki had used himself as bait and detonated explosives, Muzan Kibutsuji had remained deeply wary. Even now, he feared the same thing might happen again.
"No need to rush. Let us continue watching."
Muzan Kibutsuji spoke in a low voice.
Among the surging demon horde, the Hashira led by Gyomei Himejima and Kyojuro Rengoku had blocked most of the demons. Every second, demons died beneath their blades.
But it was meaningless.
This time, he had brought enough demons.
Enough to slowly wear them down.
Under such intense fighting, it did not take long before even a Hashira like Gyomei Himejima began to breathe heavily.
Muzan Kibutsuji's gaze swept past Gyomei Himejima and the others before finally landing on Soma, who had also charged into the demon swarm.
Swish, swish, swish!
Cold flashes of blade light flickered through the darkness. Soma said nothing, only swung his blade. With every strike, a demon's head fell to the ground.
Muzan Kibutsuji watched and saw that Soma's efficiency in killing demons was not inferior to Gyomei Himejima's at all. He simply did not draw as much attention.
But as a demon, Soma's advantage over Gyomei Himejima and the others was far too obvious. Even if he was injured, his wounds would quickly heal. Injuries fatal to humans meant nothing to Soma.
More importantly, as a demon, he hardly knew fatigue.
No matter how many demons there were, it meant nothing to Soma. They could not wear down his stamina.
Muzan Kibutsuji understood this too. He knew that sending more demons to attack Soma was essentially meaningless.
But he needed to observe.
He needed to observe the condition of this demon.
So far, from what Muzan Kibutsuji had seen, Soma was no weaker than Gyomei Himejima.
That strength was indeed impressive.
But compared with him, it was still far from enough.
Should I make my move now?
Desire surged within Muzan Kibutsuji's heart.
For the ability to bathe beneath the sun, Muzan Kibutsuji yearned more than anything.
It was what he had pursued for more than a thousand years.
And now, it was right before his eyes.
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