In the blink of an eye, all the wounds he had suffered healed completely, leaving almost no trace of injury behind.
After recovering, Muzan Kibutsuji raised his head and saw the Water Lily Bodhisattva crashing down at him again. He swung the tube whips on his body violently, tearing the air apart by force and smashing the descending ice Bodhisattva into pieces.
Ice crystals scattered across the ground.
His tall figure stood quietly amid the ruins. White hair fell around him, while his limbs and lower body were wrapped in blood and fur. Across his body, giant mouths filled with sharp teeth had grown.
At this moment, Muzan Kibutsuji looked at Soma with confusion in his eyes.
If he remembered correctly, Blood Demon Art: Rime — Water Lily Bodhisattva was the unique Blood Demon Art of his subordinate, Upper Rank Two, the Ice Demon Doma.
Why could Soma use it?
Just now, it had been precisely because this Blood Demon Art belonged uniquely to Doma that Muzan had been dazed for an instant, allowing the technique to strike him. Otherwise, it would have been impossible for it to cause him so much damage.
However, that was all.
Muzan Kibutsuji waved his tube whips and looked at Soma.
Moments ago, he had personally used those whips to break all eight arms on Soma's back. Not only that, he had hollowed out Soma's heart and even snapped his head apart with his own hands.
For a human, those wounds would mean certain death.
Yet in such a short time, the injuries Soma had suffered had almost completely healed.
Even the flesh that had been mangled by the tube whips had now recovered as though nothing had happened.
This made even Muzan Kibutsuji feel a chill in his teeth. At this moment, he even experienced what the swordsmen of the Demon Slayer Corps must feel when facing demons.
"What a perfect body. This is what a demon should be." Muzan Kibutsuji spoke in a low voice.
A demon who had overcome the weakness of sunlight was already impossible to kill. Especially with such terrifying regeneration, even Muzan felt jealous.
Muzan knew very well how long he had modified his own body to reach his current state.
Yet this demon, once nothing more than a subordinate under his control, had already surpassed him.
It truly made him jealous.
But as long as he could grasp this secret, he would certainly be able to overcome the weakness of sunlight as well and become a perfect demon.
Thinking that what he had pursued for more than a thousand years had finally appeared before his eyes, Muzan Kibutsuji's plum-red eyes filled with excitement. In an instant, he pounced forward.
Absolute suppression in speed.
Absolute suppression in strength.
This time, Muzan Kibutsuji gave Soma no chance at all.
The tube whips across his body lashed out viciously. Each powerful attack smashed apart Soma's flesh, and every strike shattered bone.
As a perfect demon, Soma's regeneration was astonishing. Almost the moment an arm was severed, it could recover in the next instant.
But once Muzan Kibutsuji controlled the rhythm of the fight, the damage he inflicted was unquestionably faster.
After seeing Soma's regenerative ability, Muzan Kibutsuji no longer insisted on causing him more injuries. Instead, he began looking for a way to fully restrain him.
Naturally, Soma would not allow Muzan to control him and resisted with all his strength.
But in the end, there was still a difference in their strength. As time passed, being restrained seemed inevitable.
And once Soma was restrained, Muzan Kibutsuji would likely take him away directly, then find some hidden place to study the secret of his perfect body.
Meanwhile, on the other side, the horde of demons continued surging forward. Even with Gyomei Himejima, Kyojuro Rengoku, and Sanemi Shinazugawa blocking them, they were only barely holding the demon tide back.
The situation was dire—for both Soma and the Demon Slayer Corps.
...
A Kasugai Crow flapped its wings and landed in a quiet, traditional Japanese-style courtyard. Wisteria trees surrounded the grounds, their purple blossoms drifting down with every breeze.
A slender young man reached out and took the message from the crow.
Kiriya Ubuyashiki read the letter. The calm expression he always wore vanished in an instant. His face lit up with excitement as he hurried into the neighboring room.
Inside, a beautiful woman sat quietly reviewing documents. When she saw Kiriya enter, she already understood.
Kiriya respectfully handed over the letter.
After reading it, Amane Ubuyashiki nodded. "Proceed according to our previous arrangement."
"Yes, Mother."
Kiriya Ubuyashiki rose excitedly and quickly left the old courtyard, heading to the camp stationed in the garden.
Inside the camp, Demon Slayer Corps swordsmen in uniform had already been waiting solemnly.
Compared with swordsmen from the past, these men carried far less killing intent. In recent events, the Demon Slayer Corps had lost many veteran swordsmen.
Most of these swordsmen had only joined recently.
However, compared with ordinary swordsmen from before, they were different in many ways. The most important difference lay in their weapons. Aside from the Nichirin Swords at their waists, each swordsman also carried a firearm.
Generally speaking, wounds caused by firearm bullets could be healed by demons almost immediately. But this time, every bullet had been specially forged from Scarlet Crimson Iron Sand. After all, Scarlet Crimson Iron Sand, which could absorb sunlight, was the very material used to forge Nichirin Swords.
Not only that, every bullet had also been coated with wisteria poison.
Both the firearms and the specially made bullets had been provided by the authorities through the Ubuyashiki family's mediation.
When Kiriya Ubuyashiki arrived, every swordsman straightened, excitement shining in their eyes.
At this moment, there were countless things Kiriya wanted to say.
But in the end, he only raised his hand high.
"The purge of demons happens tonight."
"Move out."
Blades at their waists and rifles on their backs, one swordsman after another rushed toward the Yoshiwara Entertainment District at high speed.
...
Near the Yoshiwara Entertainment District.
In a room filled with a special aura, demons occasionally hurried past from afar on their way to the battlefield. Yet they always overlooked this room, as though they had never noticed it existed.
Inside the room, a gentle woman with her hair coiled up was silently looking at the reagent in her hand.
Not far away, the petite Shinobu Kocho stood by the window, constantly lifting her head to look into the distance.
Caw, caw…
A Kasugai Crow flapped its wings and landed.
Shinobu quickly took the letter and read its contents. Almost immediately, she picked up the Nichirin Sword hanging on the wall, then turned back and looked at Tamayo.
"The day of revenge is today."
Tamayo nodded and murmured softly.
"Blood Demon Art: Concealment Charm."
Almost instantly, Tamayo's figure vanished from where she stood.
Shinobu widened her eyes.
"Let us go."
A gentle voice sounded beside her ear.
Only then did Shinobu understand that Tamayo had likely used a Blood Demon Art that hid her body. This would be the key to getting close to Muzan Kibutsuji.
Shinobu lowered her head silently and looked at the reagent in her hand.
This was the result of the research she and Tamayo had spent so long pursuing. They had begun with the idea of turning demons back into humans. Although they ultimately failed to create a medicine that could turn a demon human again, they had developed something that could completely suppress a demon's abilities.
It could suppress all Blood Demon Arts.
Suppress regeneration.
Suppress recovery.
There were two doses of this reagent in total.
Tamayo held one.
And Shinobu held the other.
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