Chapter 18: Chapter 18 Focusing on One Point, Reaching the Peak!
Wearing a gentleman's hat and a well-fitted suit, Muzan, the mastermind behind countless evils, was now unrecognizable to anyone as the feared Demon King.
At this moment, Muzan was trembling with excitement.
"Rare blood, and it's the rarest of the rare, something that hasn't been found in a thousand years. I will turn him into the perfect demon, no, I'll absorb him directly, and then I will become the perfect demon, a creature that can walk in the sunlight!"
Rare blood referred to individuals with unique bloodlines.
For nearly a thousand years, Muzan had been searching for a way to become a perfect being capable of walking in the sunlight. There were two feasible methods: finding the legendary Blue Spider Lily or evolving again by absorbing special rare blood or demons immune to sunlight.
After waiting for nearly a millennium, his dream was now within reach. Why wouldn't Muzan be excited?
Every one of his five brains and seven hearts was trembling with joy and excitement.
"Sbarasi...." Just as he was about to make a statement before his meal, Muzan saw a familiar pair of earrings dangling in front of him.
"Muzan! Do you remember Yoriichi Tsugikuni from the bamboo forest all those years ago?"
Yoriichi Tsugikuni, a name that struck terror into his heart and left indelible scars on his body, how could Muzan ever forget?
"Yes, those earrings belong to that man. Could it be..." Muzan instantly recalled that painful encounter, and in his extreme delight, his five brains overloaded, rendering him momentarily immobile.
It was happening right now!
"One Sword Shura!"
Facing the Demon King Muzan, Aomori, who had already removed his Training Suit, didn't hesitate to use his most powerful technique.
Accompanied by excruciating pain, power surged continuously from the depths of his body. It was as though his brain had broken through a certain barrier with a loud crack, freezing the entire world in place.
"All the Holy Light energy, all the Thunder Breathing energy, concentrate for me!" Without much time to explore this state, Aomori focused all his energy on his right hand, which was gripping the Village-Improving Sword he had already used with Bare-Handed Ultimate Technique.
Boom! A tremendous force swept away the snow, shattering the earth.
This was Aomori's first time going all out.
"Focusing on one point, reaching the peak! Thunder Breathing, First Form: Thunderclap and Flash 108!" At this moment, Aomori transformed into light itself.
By the time Muzan reacted, the sword had sliced across him multiple times, and under the purification of the Holy Light, Muzan's body began to disintegrate. Just like when he had encountered Yoriichi Tsugikuni all those years ago, he once again felt the threat of death.
"What kind of light is this?! Stop it now!" Muzan screamed in agony, and his body suddenly expanded, exploding into 3,600 fragments that scattered in all directions.
The sword's light, like a reaper, chased after the fleeing fragments one by one, purifying them.
Thunder and Holy Light filled the entire forest, trees were toppled by the sword's shockwaves, and the snowy ground was plowed over and over again, revealing bare soil.
The deafening sounds shook the door of the house, making a rattling noise. Tanjiro, gazing outside at the bright scene that resembled daylight, murmured, "What a warm light."
On the other side of the mountain, someone traveling through the night seemed to sense something. They looked towards the distant source of the white light, silently accelerated their pace, and ran faster.
When the dust finally settled, Aomori stood alone on the bare ground, his right hand holding only the hilt of the Village-Improving Sword.
"What a shame."
In the final moments, the Village-Improving Sword couldn't withstand the overwhelming energy and shattered. It was a partial failure, as Muzan managed to escape with half of his fragments.
At this moment, Aomori's body was torn apart as if by claws, and he had no strength left. If Muzan had turned back, he could have killed Aomori.
Unfortunately, with only half of his fragments merged, Muzan was in a frantic escape, protecting his remaining three brains and four hearts. This time, he was genuinely terrified and didn't dare to consume humans to regain his strength, fleeing all the way back to his lair and into the Infinite Castle.
"Twelve Demon Moons, come see me!" Muzan didn't let his guard down, immediately summoning the Twelve Demon Moons to protect him.
The Twelve Demon Moons were Muzan's twelve most powerful demons, with the Upper Moons far surpassing the Lower Moons in strength. They gathered in the Infinite Castle and saw a writhing mass the size of a basketball.
"Is this Muzan-sama? Who could have injured Muzan-sama like this?" The Twelve Demon Moons were filled with fear and awe; in their eyes, Muzan was like a god.
The ball-shaped Muzan didn't answer but jumped onto one of the Lower Moons and absorbed him.
"Ah!" A piercing scream rang out as the Lower Moon was slowly melted away.
Muzan needed to reclaim the blood he had given to them to rapidly regenerate his strength.
"Muzan-sama, what are you doing?" The Lower Moons were frightened, and when they saw Muzan moving to another, two tried to escape while the other two resisted.
"Why are you trying to escape? Why are you resisting? Everything you have is a gift from me, and I'm taking it back. You should be grateful and willingly offer yourselves." Muzan consumed six Lower Moons one by one with ease.
During this time, the Upper Moons, Doma, Gyokko, and Hantengu, knelt trembling on the ground.
The Third Upper Moon, Akaza, was shaking, half-kneeling and half-squatting.
The Second Upper Moon, Doma, twirled his fan with a smile that didn't reach his eyes.
The First Upper Moon, Kokushibo, gazed deeply, his thoughts hidden.
After Muzan absorbed the Lower Moons, the writhing mass turned into a human form, and he returned in all his majesty.
"Find me all the information about this person!" Muzan transmitted Aomori's image to the Upper Moons present and added, "Avoid direct confrontation."
He didn't want to be reckless and waste his precious blood on the other side.
"Yes!" The Upper Moons had their suspicions, suspecting that this incredibly handsome man was responsible for Muzan's injuries.
After all the Upper Moons left, Muzan's body suddenly displayed countless white light-emitting scars. Besides the old wounds inflicted by Yoriichi Tsugikuni, the Holy Light from Aomori had also left indelible marks.
The scorching and sacred aura made him feel unbearably painful.
Muzan's expression gradually became uncontrollable. "Yoriichi Tsugikuni... Yoriichi Tsugikuni!"
Early in the morning, the first rays of sunlight entered the wooden house, and Tanjiro, who had not slept all night, exhaled a breath of white air.
"It's morning."
He slowly got up, first checking on his family, who were still asleep—Nezuko had stayed with him for a long time and hadn't woken up yet. He tightened his grip on the rusty hatchet in his hand, opened the door, and ran into the forest.
He passed by fallen trees and walked on the soil that was thickly covered with snow until he finally saw Aomori sitting on the ground.
Beside him, the Giant Bird and the Handsome Hound were huddled together. Sunlight bathed them, creating the most beautiful scene in the world.
Aomori slowly opened his eyes, his lips curling into a smile as he greeted Tanjiro.
"Good morning."
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