"The list," Sol said, his voice calm and flat. "List everyone who needs to be eliminated. Doma is skilled at manipulating hearts, let him handle those who can still be useful."
He paused, his gaze sharpening slightly.
"Do not recommend anyone useless for promotion. You already know the consequences."
"Yes," the Emperor replied quickly, bowing his head, not daring to meet Sol's eyes.
"You may leave," Sol said, giving a casual wave.
"Ancestor, please rest well." The Emperor bowed once more before turning and leaving the chamber.
As the door closed behind him, the distant hoot of an owl echoed through the night. The Emperor paused briefly, a strange realization settling in his chest.
By tomorrow, the nation would be reshaped.
---
The next morning, an unusual tension gripped the streets of Tokyo.
A security cordon surrounded the Prime Minister's Official Residence. Police officers stood guard, their faces pale and stiff. Citizens passed by in hushed silence, whispering among themselves, careful not to draw attention.
"I heard Lord Matsumoto's entire family was killed," a newspaper vendor muttered.
"Their heads were displayed at the entrance, but the bodies were gone."
"Quiet!" the fishmonger beside him hissed, glancing around nervously. "People are being arrested for spreading rumors."
Not far from them, Shinobu Kocho stood beneath a purple parasol, her appearance that of a refined noblewoman. Her elegant kimono concealed a Nichirin blade, while a small porcelain vial of wisteria poison rested securely in her obi.
"Lady Shinobu," a Kakushi member appeared silently behind her, "something is wrong."
She did not turn, her gaze steady.
"Since last night, high-ranking officials have been murdered one after another. And..." He hesitated. "There is no trace of a demon scent at any of the scenes."
Shinobu's expression remained calm, though her eyes sharpened slightly.
Ever since Sol vanished months ago, demon activity had nearly disappeared. No signs of Muzan. No trace of the Upper Ranks.
The Demon Slayer Corps had come to believe that Sol had already left this world, and that Muzan and his strongest demons had fallen by his hand.
A quiet regret lingered among them.
A thousand years of hatred, yet they had not been the ones to end it.
---
A thin mist drifted through Kyoto as morning settled over the city.
Shinobu now stood on the second floor of a teahouse across from the Prime Minister's residence. She had closed her parasol, her attention fixed on the uneasy guards below.
"Lady Shinobu," the Kakushi member whispered, handing her a document, "this is the third incident today."
She accepted it without a word.
"Last night, the Army Minister and the Interior Minister were killed. Now even the Prime Minister's entire household has been wiped out."
Her eyes scanned the list.
Over a dozen names.
All high-ranking officials.
At the bottom, a single note repeated in red ink: heads cleanly severed, bodies missing.
"Are you certain this was not a demon?" she asked quietly.
"There was no scent," the Kakushi member replied. "It is possible that after Muzan's death, some remnants changed in ways we do not understand."
Shinobu's fingers brushed lightly over the paper.
"No scent, yet such precise cruelty..." she murmured.
For a brief moment, uncertainty clouded her thoughts.
"Lady Shinobu," the Kakushi continued, "the Emperor has called an emergency Imperial Conference. All remaining cabinet members have been summoned."
Her eyes narrowed.
"The Emperor…" she repeated softly.
Then, her pupils contracted.
"If Muzan is truly gone, then the restraints on any hidden demon would also be gone. If the Emperor himself has changed…" she paused, her voice lowering, "then this gathering may be a purge."
It was the only explanation that made sense.
"Inform the Master immediately," she said. "This may be the final operation. Once the remnants are gone, the Demon Slayer Corps may finally fade into history."
---
Deep within the Imperial Palace, Emperor Yoshihito stood before a bronze mirror, adjusting his robes.
The reflection staring back at him was no longer that of a timid, aging ruler.
His skin was smooth. His eyes were sharp.
Young.
Alive.
He lifted a hand, slowly tracing his cheek, a twisted smile forming.
"Your Majesty, it is time," an elderly attendant called gently from outside.
In the next instant, Yoshihito appeared at the doorway.
The old man stumbled back in shock.
Only then did he notice the Emperor's fingernails, long and sharp, gleaming faintly like blades.
"Why are you afraid?" Yoshihito asked, his voice laced with cold amusement.
The attendant trembled violently. "F-Forgive me, Your Majesty... I only..."
Yoshihito's hand shot forward, gripping his throat and lifting him effortlessly into the air.
"Only what?" he asked.
"Mercy!" the old man gasped, his legs kicking helplessly.
For a moment, something cruel flickered in Yoshihito's eyes.
Then he paused.
Sol's warning echoed in his mind.
Do not eat people carelessly.
With visible reluctance, he released his grip.
The attendant collapsed to the floor, choking for air.
"Leave," Yoshihito said, adjusting his sleeves as if nothing had happened. "Tell them I will arrive shortly."
The old man scrambled away without looking back.
Yoshihito turned once more to the mirror, carefully examining his appearance. Satisfied that nothing inhuman remained visible, he stepped out toward the council chamber.
---
Inside, more than a dozen ministers waited in tense silence.
Most had already heard of the killings.
Fear lingered in every glance.
"His Majesty arrives!"
The doors opened.
Yoshihito entered with steady steps.
The ministers immediately knelt.
Though none dared to speak, they all noticed it.
Something about him had changed.
"All of you, rise," Yoshihito said, his voice firm, carrying an authority they had never heard before.
He took his seat, observing them closely.
Sweat beaded on the Foreign Minister's forehead. The Vice Prime Minister's hand trembled slightly.
The sight pleased him.
These same men had once looked down on him.
Now, they feared him.
"An unfortunate event occurred last night," Yoshihito began, his voice echoing through the chamber. "I am deeply saddened."
He paused briefly.
"Let us observe three seconds of silence."
The room fell quiet.
Afterward, the Finance Minister stepped forward cautiously.
"Your Majesty, regarding the murder of Prime Minister Matsumoto's family... what is your position on this matter?"
Yoshihito's expression did not change.
"Matsumoto was colluding with foreign powers," he said calmly, producing a stack of documents and tossing them onto the floor. "He intended to betray the Empire. The evidence is undeniable."
The ministers exchanged uneasy glances.
No one moved to pick them up.
No one wished to defend a dead man.
Yoshihito let out a faint, mocking chuckle.
Then he clapped his hands.
The doors opened once more.
A tall man in a black suit entered slowly, a golden folding fan moving lazily in his hand.
"This," Yoshihito said, "is my new advisor, Mr. Doma. He will assist me with... special matters."
Doma bowed gracefully, his ice-blue eyes glinting with something dangerous.
"Greetings, gentlemen," he said with a soft smile.
===
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