“Whoosh… Whoosh…”
Several figures rushed in from the distance. When they saw the devastated scene, their expressions grew grim.
“Mitsuri, are you okay?”
Shinobu Kocho scanned the surroundings and approached Tang An and Mitsuri, who were resting.
All the Hashira had arrived:
- Water Hashira: Giyu Tomioka
- Insect Hashira: Shinobu Kocho
- Flame Hashira: Kyojuro Rengoku
- Sound Hashira: Tengen Uzui
- Love Hashira: Mitsuri Kanroji
- Mist Hashira: Muichiro Tokito
- Serpent Hashira: Obanai Iguro
- Stone Hashira: Gyomei Himejima
Tang An had only met Kyojuro and Shinobu before; the rest of the Hashira were new to him.
“I’m fine! But Tang An is seriously injured,” Mitsuri said, shaking her head and looking worriedly at the pale Tang An.
“Wasn’t Muzan Kibutsuji supposed to be here?” Tengen Uzui asked, surveying the chaotic scene, which only had craters and ruins but no sign of Muzan.
“He has already escaped,” Mitsuri responded.
“Did you two drive Muzan away?” Gyomei Himejima asked, tears streaming down his face, somewhat surprised. Despite Mitsuri’s strength, Muzan was not an ordinary demon. Given Mitsuri’s capabilities, she seemed unlikely to drive him away alone.
The others had overlooked Tang An. They knew Mitsuri had a Tsuguko, the current wielder of Thunder Breathing. Sanemi had scolded him before, but he was considered somewhat capable.
“Yes,” Mitsuri nodded, remembering Tang An’s instructions to claim they both fought Muzan and that she was the primary force while he assisted. Although she didn’t understand why, she agreed.
“Let’s discuss the details back at headquarters. Lord Ubuyashiki should still be waiting,” Shinobu suggested, glancing at Tang An with suspicion. Mitsuri didn’t seem like she had fought, whereas Tang An looked battered. Additionally, Shinobu noticed Mitsuri’s habit of twirling her fingers when lying.
Four Kakushi members carried Tang An back to the Love Manor a few minutes later. Initially, they would take him to the Butterfly Mansion, which is equipped with medical facilities for treating injured Demon Slayers under Shinobu’s management. However, Tang An refused.
Kakushi members are part of the post-battle cleanup crew in the Demon Slayer Corps. They are composed of individuals without swordsmanship skills and are responsible for post-battle cleanups and assistance.
Lying on the stretcher, Tang An sighed. His injuries seemed severe but could heal in a minute if he wished. The primary issue was his depleted energy. He sighed because he knew Mitsuri would likely recount the entire battle truthfully, as she wasn’t good at lying. This was within Tang An’s expectations.
Regardless, no one would suspect him of killing Sanemi in the short term. The only uncertainty was Muzan Kibutsuji, who knew Tang An killed Sanemi. Tang An had to be prepared for unexpected events.
Moreover, Muzan was stronger than Tang An had imagined. Defeating him wouldn’t be easy, especially considering Muzan’s near-immortality. Finding Muzan just before sunrise could be an option, but his close aide, Nakime, could transport Muzan to the Infinity Castle, where sunlight couldn’t reach, and Muzan could wear him down.
Getting the four types of medicine from Tamayo was another option, though they might not have been developed yet. Simultaneously, piercing Muzan’s five brains and seven hearts was also difficult unless he could chop Muzan into pieces in an instant.
Wait, there seemed to be several ways to deal with Muzan:
- Sunlight
- Tamayo’s four types of medicine
- Piercing Muzan’s five brains and seven hearts simultaneously
- Sun Breathing
- Upgrading the Nichiren Blade to a Crimson Red Blade
The first three options were challenging or not yet feasible. Sun Breathing aligns with the Hinokami Kagura practised by Tanjiro, the destined child. As for the fifth option, upgrading the Nichiren Blade to a Crimson Red Blade could suppress Muzan’s regenerative abilities, similar to the wounds inflicted by Yoriichi Tsugikuni, which had never healed.
But how to achieve a Crimson Red Blade seemed to involve concentrating all one’s power through breathing to heat the blade until it reached the required temperature. Tang An recalled the first demon he killed, which he essentially burned alive, indicating that demons feared high temperatures.
The power system in the Demon Slayer world was complex. For the Demon Slayer Corps, there were four levels of power:
- Mastering a Breathing Technique
- Achieving Total Concentration Breathing: Constant, often leading to becoming a Hashira
- Awakening the Demon Slayer Mark, which greatly enhanced physical abilities but shortened lifespan to 25 years
- The Transparent World, allowing one to see through living beings, enhancing prediction and evasion abilities
Muzan had reached a state called “transcending limits,” making him nearly unkillable, even with a beheading by a Nichirin Blade.
Tang An’s goal was to kill Muzan and consume him. The best method was upgrading the Nichiren Blade to a Crimson Red Blade, which many fans speculated required achieving the Demon Slayer Mark or the Transparent World.
While Tang An had mastered Thunder Breathing: Constant, he hadn’t achieved either the Demon Slayer Mark or the Transparent World.
As Tang An leisurely returned to the Love Manor, Muzan appeared in a dark alley, consuming a few people to recover. However, his expression was still grim. That guy was just a human, but managed to hold his own against him with bare hands.
Even Yoriichi Tsugikuni needed Sun Breathing and a Crimson Red Blade to harm him, making Tang An even more dangerous if he mastered these techniques.
Feeling a sense of mortal danger, Muzan closed his eyes. When he reopened them, he was in the Infinity Castle.
“Summon the Twelve Kizuki.”
Name, kneeling nearby, plucked her biwa, and figures began to appear before Muzan:
- Upper Rank One: Kokushibo
- Upper Rank Two: Doma
- Upper Rank Three: Akaza
- Upper Rank Four: Hantengu
- Upper Rank Five: Gyokko
- Upper Rank Six: Daki
- Lower Rank One: Enmu
- Lower Rank Two: Rokuro
- Lower Rank Three: Kyogai
- Lower Rank Four: Mukago
- Lower Rank Six: Kamanue
Feeling satisfied, I added over a hundred words. One word: Awesome!
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