章節 76: The End and New Beginning

"You're the real demon, Nature Hashira, Ryou! You monster..." Muzan's final words echoed as his last remains crumbled to dust. The strongest demon in existence has finally fallen, marking the end of demons.

Following Muzan's death, every demon that had been under his control collapsed and turned to dust, including Upper Moon One, Kokushibo.

It's over. The battle was finally over.

For a few moments, the Demon Slayers stood in silence, not knowing how to react. But then, slowly, the atmosphere broke. Cheers of victory filled the air, followed by soft laughter and tears of joy. They had won.

"It's finally over," Tamayo whispered, her voice trembling as tears flowed freely down her cheeks. Years of grief were avenged. Yushiro who stood beside Tamayo, looked helpless, unsure of how to comfort her.

The celebration turned more festive with Kakushi joining in the fun. Despite the fatigue from battle with the demons, the Demon Slayers seemed to draw energy from their victory.

"We killed Muzan!" Tanjiro, Zenitsu, and Inosuke embraced, tears of joy streaming down their faces.

Giyu stood apart, gazing up at the night sky. "Sabito... Makomo..." he murmured, the names of his fallen friends.

Shinobu, overwhelmed with emotion, clung to Kanae and Kanao. "Sister, Ryou-san really did it," she sobbed, her voice filled with relief. "I don't have to worry about losing you anymore. There will be no more demons!"

For the first time in years, the threat of losing her loved ones to the demons was gone.

Kanae wrapped her arms around Shinobu and Kanao, gently comforting her sister Shinobu. As she held them, she raised her gaze and looked at Ryou. At that very moment, Ryou also turned his head, their eyes meeting across the battlefield.

Both of them shared a quiet smile.

After a moment, the other Hashira gathered around. None of them had lost their lives, though many bore injuries.

The night buzzed with celebration, joy, and relief, knowing they didn't have to fight any more demons. The era of demons had finally ended, and a new life awaited them.

---

The following day, the Hashira gathered at the Ubuyashiki Mansion, sitting together for what would be their final meeting. Kiriya Ubuyashiki, accompanied by his two sisters, sat before them.

"Today marks the Final Hashira Meeting," Kiriya began, his young voice steady but emotional. "From this moment on, the Demon Slayer Corps is officially disbanded."

A silence filled the room as his words sank in. For centuries, the Corps had fought an unending war against the demons. Now, that war was over.

The Ubuyashiki siblings bowed deeply before the Hashira, their expressions filled with gratitude. Kiriya fought to hold back his emotions as he fulfilled his father's last wish: to kill Muzan and end the era of demons.

"We thank you for your service," Kiriya said, his voice quivering slightly. He turned to Ryou and added, "Thank you, Mr. Ryou, for killing Muzan. Without your strength and presence, we could have lost countless lives."

Ryou shook his head and said, "It was my responsibility as a human to eliminate Muzan. But the Corps wouldn't have survived without the Ubuyashikis. You led us and held everyone together. We should be thanking you."

The other Hashira also rose to protest, voices overlapping in their refusal to accept thanks.

Gyomei, always thoughtful, stepped forward and knelt before Kiriya. "You were an exceptional leader, Kiriya-sama. Your father and ancestors would be proud." His words brought tears to Kiriya's eyes, and he nodded in silent appreciation.

The Hashira looked at one another with smiles, as the room filled with quiet emotion and chatter. They reminisced about their journey, reflecting on the hardships and losses they had endured to defeat Muzan.

Now, their purpose as Hashira had come to an end. Ryou scanned the room with a smile on his lips as he sensed the flood of emotions swirling around everyone.

---

Nature Manor,

Ryou and Kanae sat together in the courtyard, gazing at the star-filled night sky above. "What a beautiful night. My mind is finally at peace, without any demons," Kanae said softly.

"Yes," Ryou replied, slightly distracted.

"What's next, Ryou?" Kanae asked, "Are you going to leave?"

Ryou sensed Kanae's emotions were heavy from her tone. She was too smart and perceptive. He noticed her usual smile had faded, and her lips trembled slightly.

Her eyes glassy with unshed tears, fighting to keep her emotions in check. They had finally killed Muzan, yet Kanae couldn't feel the joy and relief that surrounded others; her instincts told her that she was going to miss Ryou.

With a swift move, Ryou wrapped his arms around Kanae's waist and lifted her onto his lap. Looking into her eyes, he spoke gently.

"It's time you know some things, Kanae. I'm not from this world. You may find it hard to believe…"

"I believe!" she interjected, trusting him fully.

Ryou smiled softly, continuing, "There's a vast and exciting universe beyond this world. If possible, I want to stay here and spend my life with you, but there are things I must do.

But don't worry. I will come back for you. When I am strong enough, I'll come and take you with me."

Hearing his words, a smile returned to her face. Ryou, unable to suppress his impulse, leaned forward and kissed Kanae gently on the lips, which she returned shyly.

Wrapping his arms tighter around her waist, Ryou pulled Kanae closer, deepening the kiss and exploring her mouth.

When he finally pulled away, his heart melted at the sight of Kanae chasing after his lips, her own glistening from their kiss. God, she looked so beautiful.

"You're a wonderful kisser, Kanae," Ryou said softly. Kanae didn't respond; instead, she buried her face in his chest, trying to hide her blush.

Without wasting a moment, Ryou lifted her and carried her into his bedroom, placing her gently on the futon before continuing their kiss.

Within moments, their souls intertwined, free from clothing and filled with desire. Kissing, hugging, caressing, and soft moans filled the air as they embraced one another completely.

Next morning,

When Ryou woke up, Kanae was still asleep, curled up beside him with her arm draped over him, her naked body covered by the bedsheet. Her peaceful sleeping posture made her look even more beautiful in the soft morning light.

Ryou quietly got out of bed, put his clothes back on, and sat cross-legged on the floor, observing her for a moment. After a few seconds, he called his system.

[~ Congratulations on completing the Primary Objective: Kill Muzan Kibutsuji

Reward: 100 Demon Points + System Level Up ~]

'The system has already leveled up. Once you're ready, I can initiate the transmigration process to the next world.'

"Not yet... wait," Ryou responded, then opened his status panel.

[~ Name: Ryou

Physique: Nature [Advanced - 43%]

Skill: Nature Breathing - Proficient [1/500], Tekkai [Max], Sharingan [Not upgradeable], Transparent World.

Demon Points: 540 ~]

After defeating Muzan and the other demons, his total Demon Points had reached 540. Without hesitation, Ryou added the points to Nature Breathing and maxed it out.

The panel changed: Nature Breathing [Max].

Ryou had some questions, so he asked. "System, I have some doubts."

"Yes, Host?"

"Will I travel with my current physical body, or will it be like before—just my soul crossing over?"

"With the current system level, physical body travel isn't possible. However, once the system is upgraded to Level 3, it will be possible."

"Got it. What about the time flow in this world?" Ryou asked.

The System responded. "You don't have to worry about that, Host. The Demon Slayer World is already under my control. I can adjust the time flow here to be incredibly slow—so slow that only a few days will pass, even if tens of years go by in other worlds."

Ryou eased upon hearing this. "That's exactly what I wanted to hear," he muttered, gazing again at Kanae. "I'll make sure she doesn't have to wait long for me, no matter how many worlds I travel through."

"You just have to upgrade the system to Lv-3, and then it will be possible to summon her to the world you travel to," the system explained as if seeing through his thoughts.

Ryou's lips curved into a small smile as his worries were completely gone. He wasn't in a hurry to travel to the next world. He plans to spend another day with Kanae before initiating the transmigration process.

Author's Note: It's a festive week at home, I'll be offline for the next few days and will resume updates from November 1, Friday. Meanwhile, I'll also be editing the released chapters to remove the 'Earth human' concepts. Sorry for the break! Thanks for your patience.

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