"The smell of cosmetics in the Yoshiwara Entertainment District is too strong. The wisteria here is much better."
The offhand remark struck straight into the softest part of Shinobu's heart.
This man had clearly gone through a battle beyond what ordinary people could imagine, yet he spoke of slaying an Upper Rank—something that would force even a Hashira to risk their life—as if it were nothing at all.
In that moment, all of Shinobu's teasing sharpness and calculated composure faded away.
Her cheeks flushed, and she stopped resisting.
She rose slightly onto her toes, her slender arms wrapping gently around Rin's back. She patted him lightly, as if comforting an exhausted child.
"You've worked hard. The hot water is ready. Go take a bath, then get some rest." Her voice was softer than ever.
"Will there be food when I wake up?"
"Yes. I'll make whatever you want."
"Then I want to eat…" Rin tilted his head, his lips brushing lightly against her earlobe, his warm breath making Shinobu tremble. "…you."
"Rin San!"
The Insect Hashira, who had been gentle just a moment ago, instantly turned into an enraged lioness.
She shoved Rin away, face flushed, drawing the short blade at her waist as she glared at him in embarrassment and anger.
"Get to the bath right now! Or I'll fill the water with a high concentration of paralytic poison!"
Watching Rin retreat in a hurry, Shinobu remained where she stood, stomping her foot in frustration.
But soon, she couldn't help covering her mouth as a bright smile spread across her face.
That man—so full of nonsense, arrogant, and overbearing.
It was good… that he came back safely.
...
Somewhere in an underground abyss hundreds of kilometers from Tokyo..
The Infinity Castle.
Intricate wooden structures hung suspended upside down, as if gravity itself did not exist.
A clear note from a biwa echoed through the vast hall.
Nakime plucked the strings.
TING~!
As space twisted and warped with the sound, several figures radiating terrifying pressure were forcibly summoned into this eerie domain.
"Oh my, it's been quite some time, everyone."
A young man with long platinum-blond hair, his head stained as if splashed with blood, broke the silence with a smile, casually fanning himself with a golden iron fan.
His rainbow-colored eyes curved into crescents, his tone light and relaxed, as though greeting old friends at a gathering.
Upper Rank Two, Doma.
He glanced around before fixing his gaze on a pink-haired young man nearby, stepping closer with feigned familiarity.
"Isn't this Akaza? I heard that during your last mission, you were made to look rather miserable by a few Demon Slayers. You even had to flee after losing an arm. Truly pitiful. If you had asked me, I would have gladly helped you devour those humans who bullied you."
Doma's words dripped with false concern, yet to Akaza, they were sharper than any mockery.
Akaza's head snapped around, undisguised killing intent blazing from his golden eyes.
The humiliating memory of being forced back by the Flame Hashira and a lightning-wielding swordsman at the cost of their lives instantly ignited the rage in his heart.
Bang!
Without warning, Akaza's fist slammed into Doma's face, the impact tearing through the air.
The sheer force shattered the lower half of Doma's face, sending flesh and bone fragments scattering.
"Shut your stinking mouth, Doma. Say one more word, and I'll crush your head along with it," Akaza said coldly, withdrawing his fist.
Doma's mangled face wriggled as it rapidly regenerated.
Far from angered, he kept smiling, covering half his face with his fan. "Oh my, Akaza's temper is still as explosive as ever, even though I was only worried about you…"
"Enough."
A low, dignified voice, like metal grinding against stone, echoed from the highest pavilion.
It was not loud, yet every Upper Rank present felt their bodies tremble.
A man stood quietly in the shadows, wearing a purple, snake-patterned kimono with a katana at his waist.
Six eerily arranged eyes gazed down coldly at the scene below.
Upper Rank One, Kokushibo.
"Akaza… you have overstepped. If you are dissatisfied, you may request a Blood Battle to challenge your rank. Do not commit such an unsightly act here."
Kokushibo spoke slowly, yet the sword intent emanating from him made Akaza's entire body tense instinctively.
Akaza snorted, ignored Doma, and turned away.
Just then, the sound of the biwa rang out once more.
The surrounding wooden structures shifted and rearranged at high speed, eventually forming a wide walkway before them.
At the end of the path stood a man in a black kimono, his face pale as paper, hands clasped behind his back.
The air temperature dropped sharply, as if freezing.
The Upper Ranks, who had each been lost in their own thoughts, immediately fell to one knee in unison at the sight of that figure, bowing their heads deeply.
"Lord Kibutsuji Muzan."
Kibutsuji Muzan did not turn.
His voice seemed to rise from the depths of hell, carrying an overwhelming, suffocating pressure.
"Daki and Gyutaro are dead."
The moment those words fell, the demons kneeling below reacted in different ways.
"Eek! How terrifying! An Upper Rank was actually killed! Will I be next? It's too terrifying!"
An old man with horns protruding from his forehead and a frail, skeletal body collapsed to the ground, trembling violently, tears and snot streaming across the floor.
Upper Rank Four, Hantengu.
Beside him, a grotesque creature emerging from a porcelain pot twisted its body in disbelief. "How is that possible? That Gyutaro may have had poor taste, but his strength was real. How could he be killed by those lowly humans?"
Upper Rank Five, Gyokko.
Doma tapped his forehead with his iron fan, even squeezing out two tears from the corners of his eyes. "Wuwuwu, how pitiful. Those two children worked so hard. Who could be so cruel as to kill them?"
"Silence."
Kibutsuji Muzan slowly turned around, his plum-red slit pupils sweeping coldly across those present.
"One hundred and thirteen years. This is the first time a vacancy has appeared among the Upper Ranks of the Twelve Kizuki."
Kibutsuji Muzan's tone was steeped in extreme displeasure and tyranny. "You worthless trash. Have you grown so comfortable that you've forgotten your duties? Failing to find the Blue Spider Lily is one thing, but now you can't even deal with those insects from the Demon Slayer Corps!"
None of the Upper Ranks dared to even breathe.
Muzan's gaze finally settled on Akaza.
"Akaza. Based on the information you brought back last time, the Hashira of the Demon Slayer Corps appear to have mastered a technique that allows them to temporarily overdraw their vitality in exchange for increased combat power."
The technique Muzan referred to was naturally the Demon Slayer Mark that had appeared on Kyojuro Rengoku's face, which he had seen within Akaza's memories—memories that had been tampered with by Rin.
In Muzan's reasoning, while Upper Rank Six was not weak, it was far from top-tier.
Since the Flame Hashira could unleash that level of strength, if the Demon Slayer Corps had dispatched two or three Hashira to work together, combined with that life-consuming fighting style, it would indeed be possible to wear down the careless Gyutaro and his sister.
He would never have imagined that the one who killed Upper Rank Six was a monster who didn't even need to draw a Nichirin Blade, and who could casually reduce Gyutaro to ashes with black flames.
(Amaterasu had burned them too thoroughly, leaving Muzan unable to read Gyutaro and Daki's memories through their cells before death.)
Rin's strategy of playing the long game to reel in a bigger catch had worked perfectly on this suspicious and arrogant Demon King.
"The Demon Slayer Mark… that accursed thing has appeared once again."
A trace of barely perceptible gloom flickered deep within Kibutsuji Muzan's eyes—lingering trauma left by Tsugikuni Yoriichi centuries ago.
He would not tolerate the existence of anything that could threaten his life.
Even the slightest spark had to be extinguished completely.
"Since the Demon Slayers have begun operating in groups, there is no longer any need for you to hunt alone."
Muzan stepped forward, issuing new orders.
"Gyokko, you mentioned earlier that you had discovered clues regarding the Demon Slayer Corps' Swordsmith Village?"
____
12 Advance chapters:Patreon/slept01