章 40: End of Lower Moon

"Twing!"

The sound of a biwa resonated through a vast labyrinth of twisting stairs, disorienting halls, and endless floors. Lower Moon 6, Kamanue, blinked in confusion as he found himself suddenly transported to unfamiliar surroundings.

'Where the hell is this place?' His thoughts raced as he took a look around.

He quickly noticed he wasn't alone. The other Lower Moons had also been summoned. Lower Moon 4, Mukago, stood with a sweat-filled face, while Lower Moon 3, Wakuraba, had a grim look on his face.

Lower Moon 2, Rokuro, glanced around warily, and Lower Moon 1, Enmu, walked on a floorway with an emotionless face. The only one missing was Lower Moon 5.

They were scattered throughout the area, some standing sideways, others upside down, defying the laws of gravity. The space around them was surreal, an infinite expanse of stairs, walls, hallways, rooms, and other structures stretching out in every direction—this was the Infinity Castle.

Lower Moon Six's gaze fell upon the Biwa woman sitting far away, her fingers poised over the strings of a biwa. 'Is this her Blood Demon Art?' he wondered.

"Twing!" The sound of the biwa rang out again.

In an instant, the Lower Moons were transported to a platform beneath a towering, elevated one. Atop the high platform, next to the Biwa Demon, stood an unfamiliar female demon.

The Lower Moon demons felt a sudden restlessness at the sight of her. 'What's the deal with this woman, who is she?' As they were puzzled by her identity, a voice they all knew too well sliced through the air, freezing them in place.

"Lower your heads and crouch down," the female demon commanded, her voice unmistakably that of Muzan Kibutsuji. The Lower Moon demons, recognizing the voice that held their fates, immediately prostrated themselves without hesitation.

The realization dawned on them—this unfamiliar female demon standing before them was none other than Muzan Kibutsuji in a different form.

"Please forgive us. Since you've assumed a different form and aura..." Lower Four uttered in panic.

"Who gave you permission to speak?" Muzan cut in sharply, his voice cold. "Don't presume to voice your worthless thoughts. Answer my question, and nothing else."

Muzan continued, "Rui was killed. I'm talking about Lower Moon Five. I have but one question to ask you all:

Why are you so weak? For a century, the Upper Moons have remained unchanged, effortlessly disposing of the Hashira, while you Lower Moons flee at the mere mention of their name.

How many times have you been replaced?"

"That's easy for you to say, but we..." Lower Moon Six thought but before he could finish thinking, Muzan continued:

''That's easy for you to say, but we...What? Go ahead and finish your sentence.'' Muzan's eyes narrowed.

"He can read my mind! I'm screwed!" Lower Six's thoughts spiraled into panic.

"Please forgive me, Kibutsuji-sama! Please forgive me!" Lower Six screamed in fright as Muzan's grotesque demon arm seized him. But his pleas fell on deaf ears.

Muzan's grip tightened, and in an instant, the Lower Six was crushed, his body reduced to a puddle of blood and flesh, leaving the other Lower Moons trembling in fear.

"Are you more afraid of Demon Slayers than you are of me?" Muzan's voice echoed through the chamber.

Then, just as in the original timeline, Muzan slaughtered every Lower Moon demon except for Lower Moon One, Enmu.

He infused Enmu with a substantial amount of his blood and gave him a task. "Your mission is simple: kill a Hashira and the boy with the hanafuda earrings. If you succeed, I will reward you with more of my blood. Do not fail me."

Near the outskirts of Asakusa,

The woods were quiet under the soft glow of the moon, the only sound being the rustling leaves as four Demon Slayers moved along the path.

Ryou walked beside Kanae, his eyes occasionally drifting to her, her delicate features bathed in the silvery light. Even in the dim glow, she looked beautiful.

"You know, Kanae," Ryou started with a mischievous grin, "it's really unfair that you're both strong and gorgeous. It's like you're trying to make the rest of the world look bad."

Kanae turned her head slightly, her lavender eyes sparkling with amusement. "Ryou, you should know by now that flattery won't influence me."

He chuckled, leaning in a little closer as they walked. "Who said I'm trying to influence you? I'm just stating facts. Though, I wouldn't mind if you got attracted."

Kanae shook her head with a soft laugh. "You're unbelievable, Ryou. Whenever you get a chance, you'll find a way to tease or flirt with me.

I still don't understand what it is that you see in me. With all your strength, shouldn't you be focusing on the task at hand? We're here to trace Muzan, after all—maybe put a little of that effort into the mission?"

Ryou grinned, "I can multitask, you know. Besides, who says I can't do both—track down Muzan and tease you along the way?"

Kanae laughed, covering her mouth with a hand. "Just don't let my presence distract you too much, Ryou. We're tracking Muzan's whereabouts, who knows what kind of demon might show up.

Even though Ubuyashiki-sama created a smokescreen by sending the two Hashira in another direction, it isn't easy to deceive Demon Progenitor, who has lived for over a thousand years."

"It's true. It isn't that easy to trace Muzan's whereabouts." Ryou nodded, " But don't worry, Kanae. When it comes to protecting you, I'm always at my best."

Kanae shook her head and gently tucked a strand of hair behind her left ear, a simple action that sent a fluttering wave of emotion through Ryou's heart.

'What the...?' Ryou thought, placing a hand over his heart. 'How can such a simple action look so beautiful and stir such emotions within me? Looks like I've fallen too deep in love with her.'

Noticing his reaction, Kanae turned to him with concern. "What happened? Is something wrong?"

Ryou simply replied, "Nothing." After a brief pause, he added by mimicking her actions, "Just... don't do things like this when you're with me. It drives me crazy."

Kanae's cheeks took on the faintest hint of a blush, though she kept her composure. "I will try."

A few steps behind, Tatsuya and Haruka, the two Demon Slayers who worked under Ryou, exchanged a glance, both struggling to suppress their reactions to Ryou's relentless teasing.

Tatsuya, with his stormy gray eyes narrowing in annoyance, let out a small sigh. "I didn't know Ryou-sama had this side. We're supposed to be seriously tracking down Kibutsuji Muzan..."

Haruka, walking beside him, stifled a giggle as she observed the interaction between Ryou and the Flower Hashira. Her dark blue eyes sparkled with amusement. "Come on, Tatsuya. Can't you see Ryou-sama is deeply in love with Kanae-sama? They make a nice pair."

Tatsuya nodded, albeit reluctantly. "True. But it's like watching a bad romance novel."

Haruka giggled again, nudging him playfully. "Maybe you should take notes. Who knows, you might learn something."

~ Info ~

Name: Tatsuya Arashi

Appearance: Short, spiky black hair with silver streaks running through it. His eyes are a deep, stormy gray, reflecting his determined and fierce personality. He's slightly taller than average, with a lean, muscular build that shows his rigorous training.

Personality: Intense and serious, often hyper-focused on his training and missions. He deeply respects Ryou, the Nature Hashira, for his strength.

Breathing Style: Storm Breathing

Name: Haruka Aozora

Appearance: Haruka has long, flowing hair that's a soft shade of lavender, usually tied back into a high ponytail. Her eyes are dark blue, and she is of average height with a slender, agile build. She comes from a Demon Slayer family and has a small charm of a bird, given to her by her family, hanging from her waist.

Personality: Cheerful, kind, and optimistic. She admires Ryou for his strength and practices under his guidance.

Breathing Style: Simple Version of Nature Breathing

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