"Ahhhhhhh…"
Tianhuang clutched his head, writhing on the ground in agony, screaming miserably.
"As expected, the bloodline of the imperial family is indeed far superior to that of ordinary people. You can actually withstand such a large amount of my blood in one go. Excellent."
Muzan Kibutsuji smiled with delight. The more blood these aristocratic royals could endure, the stronger they would beco, and the greater the havoc they could wreak.
"You've never seen . From now on, you are the Demon King. Your mission is to spend tonight frantically creating others like yourself and eating humans to grow stronger."
Muzan had barely left for a few seconds when the guards, alerted by the screams, rushed into the room. Before they could even finish shouting, "Your Majesty Tianhuang!" they were knocked to the ground.
"Ahhh!"
"What's going on? You—you're His Majesty Tianhuang! What's wrong with you?"
"Ahhh!"
As Muzan walked away from the stone bridge leading out of Tianhuang's residence, he listened to the chaos and anguished screams erupting behind him, his face devoid of expression. He proceeded toward the residence of a nearby shogunate noble.
One by one, he transford the guards there into demons.
The aristocrats of this nation's shogunate largely resided in the vicinity of Tianhuang's quarters. As a result, it didn't take much ti before most of the nobles had been turned into demons.
His orders to all the newly created demons were simple: "No one has seen tonight. Spend all your effort creating more of your kind. Devour humans relentlessly to grow stronger."
Ordinary demons were incapable of sharing their blood to create others. Only demons of the Twelve Kizuki rank could do so.
By the end of the night, the blood that had been distributed had resulted in the creation of more than thirty demons of Lower Rank caliber and four demons of Upper Rank strength. These Twelve Kizuki-level demons then went on to create nurous lesser demons.
The number of demons had already exceeded one thousand, and it was still growing.
However, by now, Muzan had already boarded a sailing ship bound for the country on the other side of the Pacific Ocean.
As the ship departed from the harbor, Muzan finally exhaled in relief.
Having learned from this experience, he resolved never to make the sa mistake again. Creating more of his kind would only bring trouble, not benefits.
By this ti, Tokyo had descended into utter chaos.
Lesser demons had poured out from the city's central districts, attacking and devouring anyone they ca across, triggering widespread panic.
To a nation that was only just beginning to awaken to the age of science, the concept of "demons" was nothing more than a myth. Yet now, these creatures were brazenly revealing themselves to the public.
They attacked indiscriminately, biting anyone they encountered. Those they bit were eaten alive. On the bustling streets, now illuminated by electric lights, scenes of pure nightmare unfolded.
"Ahhh! What is that?! It's biting people! Blood! Ahhhh!"
"It's eating people! Help! Don't co near !"
"Damn it! Assistant!"
"My arm—my arm!"
At first, bystanders assud this was rely the work of a rabid person suffering from sothing akin to "rabies." But when they saw these "rabid individuals" effortlessly tearing people apart, devouring both flesh and bone, they finally realized—this wasn't an illness. These were monsters.
"Ahhh! Call the town magistrate! Quickly, contact the magistrate!"
"Help! There's another monster here! Stay away, monster!"
"Run!"
The uproar began in earnest. The crowded streets descended into pandemonium, with people trampling over one another in their desperate attempts to flee. Screams, curses, and howls of agony filled the air.
The town magistrate—the departnt responsible for maintaining city order during the shogunate era—was imdiately summoned. Occasionally, they would recruit swordsn from the civilian population to form groups like the "Shinsengumi" to help suppress fights and riots among the populace.
"What?! Man-eating monsters appearing on the streets?"
The town magistrate's telegraph machine was nearly broken from overuse, bombarded with ssages from every district in Tokyo reporting the appearance of man-eating monsters.
When soldiers from the town patrol station arrived, they found the streets littered with bloodstains. Severed limbs could be seen here and there.
A demon crouched nearby, gnawing on a corpse.
"Stop right there, or I'll shoot!" A patrol soldier raised his gun, his hands trembling.
"Ahhh…"
The demon, still devouring its victim, turned its head and lunged toward him, its blood-red eyes glaring with feral hunger. The inferior demon was completely consud by the desire to "eat."
"Eat! I must eat! I must grow stronger! Eat more people!"
"Open fire!"
Gunshots rang out, and the demon's body was riddled with bloody holes of various sizes.
The soldiers, thinking they had subdued the creature, were horrified to discover that the wounds on the demon's body were quickly regenerating.
"A monster! It's a monster!"
"I rember now—my grandmother told stories when I was little! Demons! Those undying creatures that eat people—they're demons! Ahhh!"
"Food! So much human flesh! Find more human flesh! I'm starving!"
In the despair-filled eyes of the patrol team, more demons erged from the dark alleys, rushing toward them.
"R-run…"
Before the word "run" could leave his lips, the patrol captain was tackled to the ground by a demon.
Under the flickering glow of lanterns and streetlights, the shadows cast on the walls twisted and writhed in ti with the screams.
As the administrative center of this nation, Tokyo housed not only countless aristocrats but also foreign embassies and journalists from newspapers around the world.
The news of man-eating monsters appearing on Tokyo's streets spread instantly to these institutions.
Telegraphs from various embassies began flooding the Tokyo shogunate, demanding explanations. At the sa ti, reporters from major newspapers sprang into action, racing to cover the story.
Mount Raiden, Narukami Shrine
"Lady Fox Spirit! News has arrived from the shrines in Tokyo. They say, they say…"
A mber of the priestly clan ca rushing into Narukami Shrine, clutching a telegram in his hand. He was so out of breath he could hardly finish a sentence.
"That Tokyo has been overrun with demons, and the entire city has beco their playground, correct?"
Yae Miko held the sacred Kagura Bell in her hand and shook it lightly as she spoke in a asured, unhurried tone.
"Yes—yes! As expected of Lady Fox Spirit, your foresight is unparalleled. The entire city of Tokyo has already fallen. Even the military has been deployed, but they can't kill the demons!" The priest's voice trembled with fear.
"There are simply too many demons! Not only that, but even the imperial palace, the shogunate general, and the hos of all the nobles have been overrun by demons. Everyone else is likely dood."
Yae Miko responded with calm indifference: "So, you're saying I need to intervene."
Hearing this, the mber of the priestly clan dropped to his knees and bowed deeply, pressing his forehead to the ground. "We humbly beg for the rcy of Lady Fox Spirit and the gods!"
Yae Miko sighed softly. "Fine. After all, we descended to this world for the sole purpose of eradicating demons. With things having spiraled to this point, I have no choice but to act."
She had already received a ssage from Lord Noah yesterday and had long been aware of what was about to happen.
Originally, she had thought her task here would be nothing more than to play the role of a fox spirit, living idly and enjoying herself.
She hadn't expected that, in the end, she would still need to take action.
However, she now understood sothing else as well. For soone to foresee every detail of what would happen the next day, Lord Noah must undoubtedly be the God of Ti.
Ti… such a formidable power.
At the sa ti, Kamisato Ayato and Kamisato Ayaka, who had been ordered by Yae Miko to lie in wait aboard the sailing ship, began their operation.
Muzan Kibutsuji, standing on the departing ship, let out a breath of relief and adjusted the brim of his hat.
"The first ti I've ever left this land."
No sooner had he spoken than a voice, soft as a spring breeze, sounded behind him.
"If you're so reluctant to leave, then why not stay, sir?"
Muzan turned around to see who was addressing him. In an instant, his crimson eyes narrowed sharply in alarm.
At this mont—
In the Ubuyashiki estate, headquarters of the Demon Slayer Corps, Kagaya Ubuyashiki sat kneeling on a cushion. He placed the letter delivered by the priestly clan in front of him, his brows furrowed tightly.
"Children, Tokyo has been overrun by demons. Even the Imperial Residence, the Kōkyū, has fallen. Tianhuang and all mbers of the royal family have been turned into demons. It is likely that even the palace servants have t a grim fate. Only a small number of guards managed to escape and report the situation to the shogunate."
"Not only that, but the mansions of the noble families surrounding the Kōkyū have also been overrun. At this point, the central area of Tokyo has truly beco a city of demons in every sense of the word."
"I have already sought confirmation of this calamity's authenticity from Lady Fox Spirit herself."
"Muzan Kibutsuji, knowing that the blessings the gods bestowed upon us will eventually lead us to him, has been frantically creating demons in an attempt to escape this country while throwing the Demon Slayer Corps into chaos."
The Hashira initially thought they had misheard him. However, the gravity of the situation made disbelief impossible.
Shinobu Kocho's face turned pale as she recalled the words spoken by the demon she slew the previous night—Lower Rank Six. "Could this have happened because of ? Am I the reason for Tokyo's downfall?"
Tengen Uzui frowned and said, "If what Miss Shinobu says is true, then we're all to bla. I, too, said sothing yesterday."
Silence fell over the group. The events of the previous night—the casual conversation after they effortlessly defeated Lower Rank Six—left none of them without guilt.
Seeing the gloomy and dejected expressions of the group, Kagaya Ubuyashiki quickly spoke.
"While I do not know exactly what happened last night, I can assure you that this has little to do with you, children. The one who started all of this is Muzan Kibutsuji."
"Lady Fox Spirit has already sent two divine emissaries to apprehend Muzan Kibutsuji. For now, the Demon Slayer Corps must head to Tokyo to eradicate the evil demons."
Kyojuro Rengoku rose to his feet. "Oyakata-sama is absolutely correct. The true culprit behind all of this is Muzan Kibutsuji. What we must do is slay the demons and protect the innocent."
Giyu Tomioka added, "Exactly. Even if there is so slight connection to us, the true mastermind behind this is undoubtedly Muzan Kibutsuji."
Sanemi Shinazugawa touched the Nichirin Blade at his waist and said, "So, tonight will be the final battle to end the demons, won't it?"
Obanai Iguro nodded. "Indeed. Besides, Lady Fox Spirit has already sent two divine emissaries to capture Muzan Kibutsuji. Do you really think those two emissaries will fail to catch him?"
Giyu Tomioka said, "Tonight, so of us may die."
Tengen Uzui imdiately responded, "Keep your ominous crow-mouth shut. Not a single mber of the Demon Slayer Corps will die tonight."
Kanae Kocho smiled softly. "Don't worry. As long as they haven't died yet, I'll make sure to bring them back."
The Ubuyashiki family began sending ssages via the Kasugai Crows, summoning all demon slayers stationed outside the city to converge on Tokyo.
anwhile, the priestly clan coordinated with the major shrines in Tokyo to distribute the talismans provided by Lady Fox Spirit.
These talismans were designed to suppress supernatural creatures. Since demons were a type of supernatural entity, the talismans would have at least so effect on them.
Yae Miko had already arrived in Tokyo. Sensing the palpable fear in the air, she shook her head.
"It's impossible for to set up a barrier large enough to cover an entire city…"
However, she was a fox with strong backing. While she couldn't manage it, the one behind her—no, the god behind her—certainly could.
If Ei were to create such a barrier, she could envelop the entire country with ease.
Unfortunately, Ei was not particularly skilled at talismans or barriers.
Yae Miko closed her eyes and communicated with her god in her heart.
"Ei, I need to borrow your strength. This closing act is far too much for a little fox like to handle alone."
"Has it already reached the end? And in less than ten days!" Ei's surprised voice resounded.
"Of course," Yae Miko replied casually. "This world is so fragile that even soone with a Vision would be revered as a transcendent being here. With such levels of faith and influence, naturally, things progressed quickly."
These ten days had not been spent in re idle enjoynt.
With the devotion of the Kannushi Clan, Yae Miko had also t with the priests from various major Shinto shrines. Now, thanks to her presence as the Fox Spirit and her manifestations on behalf of the Raiden Shogun, Narukami Shrine had essentially beco the central authority of Shintoism in this country.
"Now is the mont for you, the great Narukami no Mikoto, to reveal your divine presence."
As soon as Yae Miko finished speaking, a surge of divine power—several magnitudes higher than elental energy, immortal energy, or any other force—poured into her through the connection she shared with her patron deity.
The sacred Kagura Bell in her hand jingled softly. Instantly, the sky above darkened as dense storm clouds gathered, and streaks of lightning crackled and surged through them.
Boom! Rumble!
Behind her, the great chief priest stood reverently, so excited that his beard bristled.
He knew that Lady Fox Spirit was summoning a god. And which god? The thunder that filled the heavens left no doubt—it was none other than Narukami no Mikoto, whom all the great shrines of Shintoism worshipped.
Simultaneously, the talismans pasted across shrines throughout Tokyo erupted with brilliant purple lightning that shot straight into the sky.
There were thousands of shrines in Tokyo, and now, thousands of beams of light surged upward, connecting with the thunder roaring in the heavens. The resulting display was nothing short of miraculous, shaking all who witnessed it to their core.
A massive do of light, like an overturned bowl, descended and enveloped the entire city of Tokyo.
In the mont the barrier ford, all the demons who had been rampaging and devouring people were instantly subdued. The power of the demons plumted rapidly.
At the sa ti, fierce battles raged across the streets of Tokyo.
Rat-tat-tat-tat…
The deafening sound of machine-gun fire echoed through the night.
The stationed military forces in Tokyo had fully mobilized and were engaging the demons.
Under the harsh glare of searchlights, soldiers clad in yellow uniforms fired machine guns relentlessly at the man-eating demons. Their faces were contorted with terror.
Yet the firearms in their hands were completely ineffective against the demons.
They could only watch helplessly as the demons, riddled with bullets and reduced to shredded flesh, regenerated within monts. Even when grenades blew the creatures into chunks, the demons quickly regrew their missing parts and rose from the ground to charge again, sinking their teeth into the soldiers.
"Telegraph operator! Request reinforcents from headquarters imdiately! Call for the air force to drop explosives!"
The telegraph operator, pale with fear, stamred, "S-sir… We've just received word. Headquarters has already been attacked by demons and has completely fallen. The patrol units and even the town magistrate's Shinsengumi have been overrun!"
"And now, the demons are attacking the air force base! Those demons… they were once the shogunate nobles!"
The demons ravaging Tokyo were none other than the shogunate's top-ranking aristocrats. Even the upper echelons of the military had been turned into demons.
The entire governntal and military infrastructure of the shogunate had fallen.
For the soldiers, no news could be more despairing than this.
And in the depths of despair, nothing could bring more hope than a divine miracle.
The sky suddenly erupted with the deafening roar of thunder. Lightning pillars rose from the shrines, illuminating the entire heavens, which turned a radiant shade of purple.
"Ahhh! It hurts! This light—it burns!"
The demons fighting the soldiers scread in agony, writhing on the ground beneath the purple lightning that flickered across their bodies.
While the lightning wasn't powerful enough to kill them, it caused unbearable pain. The demons no longer had any desire to eat; all they wanted was to extinguish the crackling electricity covering their bodies.
"This is… a miracle!"
The people, who had been cowering in fear of the demons, were awestruck by the overwhelming divine display. The terror in their hearts was dispelled by the thunderous proclamation of the heavens.
"It's Lady Fox Spirit! She has intervened!"
At the sa ti, the mbers of the Demon Slayer Corps, who had just arrived in Tokyo, froze for a brief mont as they beheld the scene. Then, without wasting another second, they sprang into action, launching their attacks and slaying the demons.
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