Bang.
With a flick of his right hand, Daniel Davis flung the pierced Upper Moon Four, Hantengu, aside. He was not one to take pleasure in torturing others. The reason for tormenting Upper Moon Four was purely out of anger towards his twisted ideas. After a while, he lost interest.
"You demon."
"If I hear your voice again, I will kill you immediately." When Hantengu, as usual, trembled and started to shout, Daniel's cold gaze swept over him. The look, filled with indifference and killing intent, made Hantengu cover his mouth with his hand, not daring to make a sound.
"This Muzan guy still hasn't come out. He sure has some patience," Daniel thought as he walked towards Upper Moon One, Kokushibo.
"Annihilation Technique."
"Blood Demon Art: Mist Ice, Sleeping Lotus Bodhisattva."
"Blood Demon Art: Array Killing Fish Scales."
At this moment, Upper Moon Three Akaza, Upper Moon Two Doma, and Upper Moon Five all prepared to attack Daniel. Unlike the cowardly Upper Moon Four and the new Upper Moon Six, these three demons were not afraid of death.
Upper Moon Five, Gyokko, had transformed into his final form, becoming a monster with a snake-like lower body. In this form, Gyokko could use his most powerful ability, the God Hand.
The God Hand could turn anything his fist touched into fish. Coupled with his transformation, he could use the smooth scales on his body to increase his speed and change his movement trajectory. His complete form made him several times stronger than before.
While Akaza launched a high attack on Daniel, Gyokko used his special ability to move quickly around Daniel, looking for an opportunity to land a punch. With the God Hand's ability, hitting Daniel's vital points could turn the tables.
Doma, on the other hand, used his strongest Blood Demon Art, creating a massive ice giant in front of him. The giant, shaped like a sitting Bodhisattva with hands clasped, not only possessed immense strength but could continuously release poisonous ice mist.
This poison was not very effective against demons but was deadly to humans. However, it was very exhausting. Doma had been silent, preparing this Blood Demon Art. In his view, no matter how strong Daniel was, he would eventually succumb to the poison.
"Couldn't you have just stayed quiet?" The coordinated attack of the three demons was impressive, but the disparity in strength was too great. Akaza was once again reduced to a limbless state and kicked away by Daniel. Upper Moon Five, Gyokko, was sliced into pieces and turned into a salted fish again. Doma, like Akaza, was turned into a limbless figure.
Daniel had wanted to avenge Shinobu Kocho by torturing Doma, but this guy was devoid of emotions and indifferent to pain. In fact, Doma had a casual attitude towards death. Daniel had no good way to torture someone like him.
This discovery made Daniel very frustrated. He wasn't using other abilities and was relying on physical techniques to fight the demons, not to bully the weak but to strike at the demons' psychology. He wanted these demons, who considered themselves superior to humans, to witness human strength.
Whether it was Muzan Kibutsuji, the demon king, or Upper Moon One and the other Upper Moon demons, Daniel was confident he could deeply impact them. But Upper Moon Two Doma was an exception. If he were born in the Marvel world, he would be a natural anti-human figure, a villainous boss-level character.
Being human but against humanity, it's not unusual. After all, in the Marvel world, there are people who eat others not out of extreme hunger but as a hobby. If Muzan were in the Marvel world, he would definitely have a large group of fans. At that point, Hydra might be full of demons.
"Now there's no one to interfere with us, Tsugikuni Michikatsu." After dealing with the three demons, Daniel stood in front of Kokushibo, looking at him calmly.
The name Tsugikuni Michikatsu caused Kokushibo to tremble. It had been many years since anyone called him by that name, and he had almost forgotten it himself.
"Let me see your power as a swordsman who became a demon. I hope you don't disappoint me," Daniel said, raising his Nichirin Blade.
Kokushibo took a few deep breaths and drew his own Nichirin Blade, which looked disgusting to Daniel with all the eyes on it. This was the mutated Nichirin Blade after his transformation into a demon.
"Breath of the Moon, First Form: Dark Moon, Evening Palace."
Kokushibo's draw speed was like a flash. In the trajectory of his slash, numerous tiny crescent moon blades appeared. These blades were so subtle they could hardly be seen unless observed closely.
"Breath of Water, First Form." Facing Kokushibo's attack, Daniel also unleashed his sword technique.
Crack.
Despite only using Breath of Water, Kokushibo was no match. His mutated Nichirin Blade was shattered into pieces, and both his arms were cut off simultaneously.
"So weak." Daniel, standing behind Kokushibo, turned around and softly said, watching the six eyes on Kokushibo's face filled with disbelief.
"How is this possible?" Kokushibo couldn't feel the pain in his body; his heart was filled with confusion. Daniel's strike reminded him of many past events.
After becoming a demon and fearing his brother Tsugikuni Yoriichi's pursuit, Kokushibo, like Muzan, hid for many years. Even when he guessed that Yoriichi might have died due to the demon mark's curse, he still didn't dare to come out.
Decades later, Kokushibo dared to return to his hometown, only to find Yoriichi still alive. The curse of the demon mark at twenty-five had no effect on him.
This discovery made Kokushibo furious and resentful. He decided to kill Yoriichi to prove his worth, having trained hard even as a demon to surpass his brother. Unfortunately, the battle's result was brutal. Against the aged Yoriichi, Kokushibo couldn't even draw his sword before almost having his head cut off.
Years of training were meaningless. His only advantage was his demonic physique, which allowed him to survive Yoriichi's attack and claim victory. If Yoriichi could strike twice, Kokushibo would have been dead, regardless of his ability to regenerate from decapitation.
Even with the power to regenerate from decapitation, Yoriichi's attack would have been fatal. Seeing Daniel now, Kokushibo was reminded of his brother Yoriichi. The same youth, the same astonishing talent.
Kokushibo recalled a conversation he once had with Yoriichi about the Breath of the Sun. Yoriichi had said that the Breath of the Sun would not be lost because the world would always produce someone with greater talent.
Kokushibo hadn't believed it then. He didn't think anyone could surpass Yoriichi. But Daniel's appearance made him reconsider that belief.
"You were right," Kokushibo murmured to himself.
At this moment, Kokushibo's fighting spirit was completely gone. Defeated in one strike, his four centuries of training felt like a joke. He had become a demon to escape the curse of the demon mark and gain more time to train, trying to prove he wasn't inferior to his brother.
For both Kokushibo and Akaza, being a demon meant endless training. Daniel would scoff at their thoughts. Even gods have limits; the ceiling applies to all beings. In the world of One Piece, the Four Emperors are the ceiling. In the world of Harry Potter, the ceiling is Voldemort, Dumbledore, and Grindelwald.
"Muzan is hiding in the mirror dimension." After a moment, Daniel decided not to pursue Muzan immediately. He would first turn the Upper Moon demons into Philosopher's Stones.
"Goodbye, everyone." Putting away his Nichirin Blade, Daniel took out golden chains, binding the Upper Moon demons together, and threw them into a transmutation circle.
"What are you doing?" The strange patterns and chains made the cowardly Upper Moon demons scream, but it was too late.
"Your turn." He left Kokushibo for last because he needed the Breath of the Sun.
Facing the somewhat lost Kokushibo, Daniel easily hypnotized him, obtaining the complete training method for the Breath of the Sun.
"So, the Breath of Water and other styles were also improved by Yoriichi." As a contemporary of Yoriichi, Kokushibo knew the history. It was a glorious era for swordsmen, with nearly thirty marked swordsmen, who hunted down the demons, causing their downfall.
Four hundred years ago, Muzan wasn't so cowardly. He created many demons during that time, making it the darkest period where demons reigned.
Yoriichi's emergence and the numerous marked swordsmen killed the Twelve Kizuki, severely injuring Muzan, who took a century to recover.
This is why the current Twelve Kizuki, except for Kokushibo, were less than two hundred years old. Demons became legends because Yoriichi's generation nearly exterminated them.
"This training threshold is too high. No wonder no one in this world can master it." The Breath of the Sun required innate clarity, which was very difficult to achieve. Even with Observation Haki, it would be challenging for Daniel to master it.
"Indeed, the most suitable is the best." Daniel wasn't too disappointed. Though powerful, the Breath of the Sun was just another technique in this world.
Then Daniel realized something. "Muzan took a century to recover from his injuries. He's the demon king; how could it take him that long to heal?" Daniel wondered. He had seen firsthand the recovery abilities of demons, and it was inconceivable that Muzan, the demon king, would be slower to heal than his subordinates.
"If it's not Muzan's fault, then it must be something to do with Yoriichi," Daniel thought. "I've underestimated Yoriichi."
He decided to find Muzan and ask him directly. "Muzan, you managed to hide even in the mirror dimension," Daniel muttered as he made his way to Muzan's hideout.
"Found you, Muzan Kibutsuji," Daniel said as he entered the room where Muzan was hiding.
"Die!" Muzan, in a fit of rage, attacked immediately. From his back, eight long tentacles shot out, aiming at Daniel.
"Do you people from the Demon Slayer Corps have a problem? Killing a few people is no big deal, yet you keep coming after me for centuries. Why can't you just live your lives peacefully?" Muzan yelled as he attacked.
Daniel dodged Muzan's attacks effortlessly. "Peacefully? You call slaughtering innocent people living peacefully? Your twisted sense of peace ends here."
The fight between Daniel and Muzan was intense. Muzan's tentacles lashed out with incredible speed, but Daniel anticipated every move, countering with precision.
"Your reign of terror is over, Muzan," Daniel declared, his voice calm but resolute. He moved with such speed that Muzan could barely keep up, each strike pushing the demon king closer to his limit.
"You think you can defeat me? I am the progenitor of all demons!" Muzan roared, but there was a hint of desperation in his voice.
"You will fall, Muzan. Not because of what you've done to me, but because of what you've done to countless innocent lives," Daniel replied, his resolve unwavering.
With a final, powerful strike, Daniel severed Muzan's tentacles and brought him to his knees. Muzan, weakened and defeated, looked up at Daniel with a mix of fear and rage.
"It's over," Daniel said, raising his sword for the final blow.
Muzan's eyes widened as he realized his end was near. "No... this can't be happening... I am immortal!"
"Even immortals fall," Daniel replied, and with one swift motion, he struck Muzan down, ending his reign of terror once and for all.
The room fell silent as Muzan's body disintegrated, leaving behind nothing but ashes. Daniel stood there, taking a moment to catch his breath. The battle was over, and the world was free from the threat of Muzan Kibutsuji.
Daniel looked around at the fallen Upper Moon demons, now nothing more than remnants of a dark past. "Rest in peace," he whispered, knowing that their souls could finally find peace.
With Muzan defeated and the Upper Moon demons vanquished, the world could finally heal. Daniel knew that the fight against evil would continue, but for now, there was a moment of calm, a moment to remember those who had fallen and to honor their sacrifice.
As Daniel walked out of the hideout, he felt a sense of closure. The journey had been long and arduous, but it was worth every step. He had upheld the legacy of the Demon Slayer Corps, and the world was a safer place because of it.
Looking up at the sky, Daniel whispered, "For you, Shinobu. For all of you." And with that, he disappeared into the horizon, ready to face whatever new challenges awaited him.
___________________
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"Revenge, revenge, every year so many people die from earthquakes, fires, or wild animal attacks. Why don't you avenge them? All you ever do is focus on demons. Aren't you tired of it? Why can't you just see those deaths as natural disasters?" Muzan yelled as he frantically attacked Daniel Davis, his face contorted with a mix of anger and despair.
Daniel blocked Muzan's attack with his Nichirin Blade, completely speechless at Muzan's shameless, yet somehow self-righteous, reasoning. How twisted did one's logic have to be to equate demons eating people with natural disasters?
If you only looked at Muzan's face, filled with righteous indignation, you might think Daniel was the villain and Muzan the hero.
Daniel knew he wasn't a saint. A true saint wouldn't kill, nor would they use the Philosopher's Stone transmutation circle. The Elric brothers from "Fullmetal Alchemist" refused to use the Philosopher's Stone to restore their bodies, even if it wasn't made by them. But even Daniel couldn't spout such shameless words as Muzan did. In all the villains Daniel had encountered, Muzan was the most shameless. Muzan Kibutsuji's name was actually wrong; it should be Muzan No-Shame.
"How ridiculous. According to your logic, eating people is right," Daniel said, no longer just defending. He swung his Nichirin Blade swiftly, cutting Muzan's eight tentacles into pieces. In an instant, he appeared in front of Muzan and sliced him in half.
"Ah!" Muzan screamed in pain as his body split in two. Tendrils sprouted from his severed body, shooting towards Daniel.
As the Demon King, Muzan could manipulate his body at will, splitting and reassembling it. His regeneration was astonishing, instantly healing his body after being cut.
If the Demon Slayer Corps' pillars faced Muzan, they wouldn't stand a chance even with their marks activated. But Daniel was much stronger than the legendary Yoriichi Tsugikuni.
Muzan's tendrils were all cut off again, and his body was sliced into pieces by Daniel. The dismembered parts quickly reassembled.
"What's this?" Daniel was shocked to see several severe scars on Muzan's body, revealed as his clothes fell apart. These scars would be normal on a regular person, like the Wind Pillar covered in scars, but not on Muzan, the Demon King. Even Upper Moon demons wouldn't have lasting injuries unless they died, let alone Muzan.
"Your body?" Daniel asked, unable to hide his surprise.
Muzan, realizing Daniel's attention, stopped fighting and started shouting.
"They call me a monster, but that guy is the real monster. The wounds he left on me four hundred years ago never healed. Every moment, my body feels like it's burning, tormenting me constantly," Muzan's voice was filled with rage, fear, and a hint of helplessness.
No one would have guessed that Muzan, the Demon King, had been suffering from wounds left by Yoriichi Tsugikuni for four hundred years, causing him constant pain.
"Could it be sword intent?" Muzan's words and his ordeal made Daniel consider a possibility that made his heart race. Since arriving in the One Piece world, he was familiar with the concept of sword intent. The great swordsmen of the sea all mastered this skill.
Sword intent was what allowed swordsmen to cut iron, steel, and even diamonds. It was what set swordsmen apart from those who wielded other weapons.
Sword intent had effects similar to Armament Haki and Conqueror's Haki, enhancing attacks. Unique sword intents could even create special effects, like Vista's cherry blossom petals.
If it were just sword intent, Daniel wouldn't be so alarmed. Sword intent varied in strength, just as not everyone with Armament Haki was invincible. The key was the incredible endurance of Yoriichi's sword intent, still affecting Muzan four hundred years later.
This meant Yoriichi's sword intent was terrifyingly powerful, stronger than even the world's greatest swordsman, Dracule Mihawk, could achieve. Mihawk couldn't leave sword intent in a target for four hundred years despite all efforts to dispel it.
If Yoriichi could travel across worlds like Daniel, Mihawk's title might not be secure.
"No wonder Muzan fears Yoriichi so much. This is indeed terrifying," Daniel thought, understanding why Muzan was so cowardly. Anyone tormented for four hundred years by wounds that nearly killed them would be terrified.
Compared to Moria, who became depressed after being defeated by Kaido, Muzan had suffered far more. He had been tormented for four centuries.
This title of the most cowardly boss in history wasn't entirely Muzan's fault.
"Yoriichi Tsugikuni, you were truly a child of destiny," Daniel thought, considering Yoriichi's life. He had obtained the Breath of the Sun and knew its difficulty. Despite being much stronger than Yoriichi, Daniel found it hard to master.
Perhaps the Breath of the Sun was meant for this chosen one. Tanjiro, who also learned it, couldn't match Yoriichi's power.
No wonder Muzan called Yoriichi a monster.
"Regardless of what you say, the conflict between the Demon Slayer Corps and demons ends today," Daniel declared, raising his Nichirin Blade to decapitate Muzan. Muzan, caught off guard, looked shocked as his head was severed.
As his head fell, Muzan's body began to disintegrate. Even the Demon King shared the demons' weakness of dying from decapitation.
"Don't disappoint me now," Daniel said, wanting to see if Muzan could overcome this weakness. If he did, Daniel would use the transmutation circle.
Daniel had discovered that Akaza's Philosopher's Stone was of the highest quality after he overcame decapitation. Knowing this, Daniel regretted killing Kokushibo too quickly.
True to his nature, Muzan's strong will to survive stopped his body from disintegrating. A new head slowly grew from his neck.
"Hahaha!" Muzan laughed maniacally. "I did it!" He was ecstatic, having overcome one of the two major weaknesses of demons, and his power had increased.
With his enhanced power, Muzan attacked Daniel again, now with ten tendrils moving twice as fast.
"Room, Slaughterhouse," Daniel activated his Ope Ope no Mi power. He had initially wanted to torment Muzan, but knowing he had been suffering from Yoriichi's sword intent for centuries made him lose interest.
It was time to end this and resolve the demon problem once and for all.
"You..." Muzan's dismembered head showed confusion. This power, similar to a Blood Demon Art, stunned him.
In Muzan's mind, Daniel's Ope Ope no Mi power was like a Blood Demon Art.
"Who are you?"
"Who am I? Do you remember the doctor who treated you long ago? That was me. I wanted to see how far my experiment could go, but one Yoriichi made you hide for so long. How disappointing."
"Impossible, I killed him."
"Killed me? That's just what you thought. Do you think an ordinary doctor could create someone like you? Thanks to you, my experiment succeeded. Like you, I couldn't face the sun, but my research over the years broke that limitation. Now, if I kill you, the Demon King, I can live like a normal person. You shielded me from Yoriichi back then, nearly dying at his hands."
"Alright, you know everything now. Thanks to me, you lived an extra thousand years. Be satisfied."
Daniel sealed Muzan's mouth, not giving him a chance to die peacefully.
"Die content? Never." Since he couldn't torment Muzan physically, he aimed to break him mentally. Pretending to be the doctor who made Muzan felt like the perfect blow to Muzan's ego.
"DNA, proteins, enzymes... his blood is amazing. If pushed to the limit, it's more terrifying than a bio-virus."
A bio-virus created mindless zombies, but Muzan's blood created intelligent, man-eating demons.
"Thank goodness demons didn't spread across this world."
A week later, Daniel finally breathed a sigh of relief, finishing his sleepless research. With the Ope Ope no Mi's help, he fully analyzed Muzan's blood, capable of creating demons or becoming the Demon King himself.
He then destroyed all of Muzan's blood. His research was for knowledge, not to create another Demon King.
"Being the Demon King for a thousand years, this Philosopher's Stone is larger than all six Upper Moons combined. How many people did this guy eat over a thousand years?"
The chain reaction of Muzan's death caused all demons under his control to die instantly.
"There shouldn't be any demons left in this world... except for two."
Daniel remembered Tamayo and Yushiro. "Should I kill them? No, I'll leave it to Kagaya Ubuyashiki. He knows Tamayo."
At the Demon Slayer Corps headquarters, the nine pillars gathered.
"What's the situation?" The Wind Pillar was anxious, while the others remained calm.
After Daniel and Muzan disappeared, Kagaya Ubuyashiki realized a flaw in his plan. Muzan's ability to vanish made it impossible for the Demon Slayer Corps to surround and kill him.
Kagaya called the nine pillars together, explaining everything. They waited at headquarters, with the intelligence team and Kasugai Crows collecting information to support Daniel.
During Daniel's week of research, the high-ranking members of the Demon Slayer Corps were anxious, each day feeling like an eternity, fearing Muzan would hide again.
"Master, we have news!" A member of the hidden squad hurriedly approached Kagaya Ubuyashiki, holding a bamboo tube in his hands.
The Wind Pillar, filled with anxiety, rushed forward and grabbed the bamboo tube, opening it without regard for protocol. Inside, he found a slip of paper, and his body went rigid as he read it.
"What is it?" Serpent Pillar immediately asked. He was deeply grateful to Daniel for solving his biggest problem and was thus very concerned about his safety.
"Muzan Kibutsuji is dead," the Wind Pillar finally managed to say, still in disbelief. His voice carried a mix of shock and regret.
"What?" The paper circulated among the nine pillars, each of them reading Daniel's message with a mixture of astonishment and skepticism.
"Master, we have an urgent message from Fujikasane Mountain," another hidden squad member arrived, holding another bamboo tube.
This time, the paper quickly made its way to Kagaya's wife, Amane.
"All the demons in Fujikasane Mountain have disappeared," Amane announced after reading the message.
"It seems we really have succeeded," Kagaya Ubuyashiki said, his voice filled with relief and a sense of closure.
The headquarters of the Demon Slayer Corps was abuzz with the news. The long struggle against the demons, which had spanned centuries, seemed to have reached a decisive conclusion.
Meanwhile, Daniel Davis finished his research and destruction of Muzan's blood. He knew that with Muzan's death, a significant chapter had closed.
"The Philosopher's Stone created from Muzan is massive," Daniel noted, holding the glowing stone. "It's a testament to how many lives he took over the centuries."
With the threat of Muzan eliminated, Daniel felt a weight lift from his shoulders. He had fulfilled his duty, not just to the Demon Slayer Corps but to all the lives affected by the demonic scourge.
However, there were still loose ends. Daniel recalled Tamayo and Yushiro, the two demons who had sought redemption. He decided it was best to leave their fate in the hands of Kagaya Ubuyashiki.
At the Demon Slayer Corps headquarters, the nine pillars and Kagaya Ubuyashiki gathered to discuss the future.
"With Muzan gone, the remaining demons should be dealt with. Tamayo and Yushiro can be exceptions, given their stance against Muzan," Kagaya said, looking around at the pillars.
The Wind Pillar, still coming to terms with the news, asked, "What about Daniel? What will happen to him now?"
Kagaya smiled gently. "Daniel has done more than enough. It's time for him to decide his own path. But first, let's ensure the safety and future of our world."
As the sun rose, a new dawn broke for the Demon Slayer Corps. The battle against the demons had been long and arduous, but they had prevailed. Daniel Davis had been a pivotal part of this victory, and his actions would be remembered for generations to come.
Daniel, having fulfilled his mission, looked towards the horizon. There were always new challenges, new worlds, and new adventures. He took a deep breath, ready for whatever came next, knowing that he had made a lasting impact in this world.
___________________
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