Chapter Twenty-Two

silence.

A deathly silence.

The people who were originally terrified, angry, or struggling were now lying scattered on the ground, their eyes closed and their breathing steady and long, as if they had fallen into a deep sleep.

Sanemi, Genya, Shinobu, Giyu, Obanai, Kanroji... all the members of the Demon Slayer Corps fell into a deep sleep.

The only exception was a strange young man standing in the center of the field.

The boy looked quite young, with uneven bangs hanging down his sides, the ends of which were dyed a touch of crimson. He was quietly watching Qianxia with a strange, almost satiated smile on his face, which seemed out of place for his age.

Anyone could see something was wrong. Qianxia took a half step back, crossed her arms in front of her, and a faint lake-blue aura emanated from her body, a sign that "qi" was beginning to circulate.

Who are you?

"Oh dear, there's still one awake? How interesting... What might be in your dreams?"

Nightmare tilted her head, blinked slightly, and then—

"Go to sleep."

Chika jolted awake, her head feeling heavy. An invisible force tried to invade her mind, like a gentle tide, tempting her to sink.

An alarm bell rang in her mind. Realizing the danger, she quickly activated her "qi," forming a natural barrier around her body that firmly blocked out the hypnotic power.

When she opened her eyes again, her eyes were clear again.

The Lower Moon One—Nightmare—raised an eyebrow in slight surprise.

"No wonder... 'that person' is interested in you."

That sir?

Upon hearing this title, Chika immediately thought of the big boss, Muzan.

interested?

Could it be that Muzan found out about her affair with Doma, and that's why he's sending demons to kill her?

In the pause of thought, Nightmare chuckled softly, his figure vanishing like a ghost, only to reappear instantly beside her, his fingertip pointing towards her temple.

He poked the girl's cheek with his fingertip, and their eyes met.

The moment they met, Nightmare was stunned; his Blood Demon Art seemed to be blocked by a tough barrier.

"Oh!!" His smile faded slightly. "Truly impressive..."

"Bang!"

A handsome little face was hit squarely, and the tiny body spun and leaped, flying far away.

"It's so annoying how you keep nagging."

Chika stopped punching and stood still, her whole body bursting with a lake-blue light.

Nightmare got up from the ground, blood seeping from the corner of his mouth, his smile completely gone. He stared at the lake-blue aura surrounding Qianxia, ​​his gaze grave.

"You were able to completely withstand my Blood Demon Art... Could you be a Pillar?"

As he finished speaking, he opened his arms, revealing his tiny lips, tongue, and eyes.

Her lips and tongue made soft smacking sounds, while her eyes were fixed on Chika.

Nightmare was ready and about to launch an attack when the girl's expression suddenly changed drastically. She slipped and fell to the ground with a thud.

“er~Zzzzzzz~”

Looking at Chika, who was fast asleep on the ground, Enmu blinked, looking completely bewildered.

How come the person who was able to withstand the Blood Demon Art just now is suddenly asleep?

Just then—

"Die—!"

A suppressed roar of rage exploded like thunder. Sanemi, lying on the ground, managed to break free from the hypnotic control of the demon, driven by his deep-seated hatred for evil spirits.

Veins bulged on his forehead, his eyes were bloodshot, and he stared intently at Nightmare, his knuckles turning white from gripping the Nichirin Blade in his hand.

The next second, pale green air currents began to swirl around him, cutting the ground like sharp blades and leaving fine scratches.

Almost simultaneously, Obanai Iguro was also awakened by the bite from the kaburumaru on his neck. The intense pain made him groan as he regained consciousness.

He propped himself up, his serpentine eyes as cold as frost, quickly locking onto Nightmare, clearly ready to attack at any moment.

On the other side, Shinobu Kocho had somehow acquired a silver antidote from her fingertips, which she had already inserted into her arm.

As the pale purple liquid was injected into her body, a trace of color returned to her pale cheeks. She slowly opened her eyes, her butterfly hair ornament trembling slightly, and a few wisps of pale pink energy swirling around her fingertips.

Pillar-level members are gradually breaking free from the control of the Blood Demon Art through their perseverance and skills!

As the Pillars gradually awakened, Enmu smiled and tilted his head. He knew that he had no chance of winning against multiple awakened Pillars at the same time.

"It seems that tonight's lullaby will have to end here."

He sighed regretfully, and his figure began to fade, as if to blend into the night.

"We'll meet again, special girl... Next time, please let me see your dream..."

As soon as he finished speaking, his figure became transparent and was about to disappear.

"Don't even think about escaping!"

Sanemi suddenly stood up, his pale green Breath of Wind surging violently. He followed the path of the wind, chasing after the direction where Nightmare had disappeared. His Nichirin Blade drew a sharp arc, slashing straight at Nightmare's afterimage.

Nightmare naturally wouldn't stay put; he manipulated the sleeping humans to launch an attack on Sanemi.

Dozens of ordinary people, like marionettes, swayed and blocked his way. If Sanemi continued his attack, the humans would inevitably be injured.

Sanemi is ruthless when facing evil spirits, but when faced with innocent humans, his sword paused abruptly, his movements clearly hesitant.

However, this phenomenon wasn't limited to Sanemi. Giyu, Kanroji, and Shinobu, who had just awakened, were also blocked in their tracks by the surrounding humans.

Chika sighed, stopped pretending to be asleep, and quietly took a few steps forward, her target the telephone pole ahead.

Her idea was simple: use some high-voltage electricity to knock everyone around her to the ground.

That way, they can't cause trouble.

But as soon as she took a step, she felt a light tap on the top of her head, and Obanai Iguro's cold voice was right next to her.

"Where do you think you're going with that butt sticking out? This is a Crescent Moon Ghost, don't wander around."

Chinatsu stopped abruptly, staring at Obanai Iguro with disbelief: What do you mean by "sticking out your butt"? Can't this person speak more politely?

Obanai Iguro had no intention of arguing with her, and reached out to shove her under the light bulb next to him, saying, "Stay here and don't move!"

His movements were impatient, but his words carried a hint of protectiveness.

After saying that, he turned around and charged at Nightmare again.

This time, the pillars have found a way to deal with it.

Sanemi took the lead in activating the first form of Wind Breathing, Dust Whirlwind Slash.

The pale green wind blades, like spinning tops, dodged the humans while slashing viciously at Nightmare's arm.

Kanroji Mitsuri wielded her Nichirin Blade, and her pink Breath of Love transformed into a soft yet resilient stream of air, gently lifting the humans who surrounded her and carrying them to safety.

Giyu stood at the back of the crowd, his deep blue Water Breath slowly unfolding. The water flowed like gentle silk, catching the human that Sanemi had sliced ​​away and placing him gently on the ground without even the slightest bump.

Shinobu Kocho, using the cover of Water Breathing, moved like a butterfly through the crowd. Her pale pink Insect Breathing transformed into tiny blades, stabbing directly at Enmu's vital points, forcing him to retreat repeatedly.

Driven to the brink, Nightmare let out a shrill scream, yet still tried to manipulate humans to stand in front of her.

This time, however, Kanroji's Breath of Love had already sent all humans far away, and the Pillars no longer had any scruples.

"Wind Breathing Fourth Form Ascends into the Sandstorm!"

Sanemi's voice rang out, and pale green wind blades swirled up like a tornado, trapping Nightmare in the center.

"The fifth form of Water Breathing, the merciful rain of the dry heavens!"

Giyuu's Nichirin Blade traced a graceful yet deadly arc, the deep blue water enveloping the blade as it precisely pierced Nightmare.

With a "thud," Nightmare's head was severed, flying high into the air. The bloodied head tumbled in the air before landing with a thud at Qianxia's feet.

Warm blood splattered onto Chinatsu's trouser leg, but she didn't frown as she usually did. Instead, she stared intently at the Pillars as they sheathed their swords.

Sanemi's Breath of Wind gradually subsided, and the pale green aura disappeared into the air; Giyuu's Breath of Water also subsided, and the deep blue color around him gradually faded.

Chika leaned against the telephone pole, slowly lowering her arms from her chest, her gaze gradually becoming focused, even showing a hint of shock.

This was the first time she had seen the Pillar and Crescent Moon Demon fight up close.

The airflow trajectory when Sanemi swung his sword, the way Giyuu's water flow moved, and Shinobu's extremely precise breathing rhythm... one image after another flashed through her mind.

Their breathing technique is very strong, but it's like a flood that hasn't been properly guided; it seems surging, but in reality, it's wasting energy and even consuming life.

She looked down at the head of Nightmare at her feet, then looked up at the slightly tired but still upright backs of the pillars, and a thought quietly popped into her head.

If this continues, they will die.

......

Genmi felt like he had a dream, a very strange dream.

In his dream, he didn't meet Chinatsu. Instead, he continued to join the Demon Slayer Corps as a demon, where he encountered a man named Tanjiro and Nezuko, who had already become a demon. Nezuko was a demon, but she fought for humanity and fought alongside everyone to kill demons.

Later, he, along with his brother and many other Pillars, defeated Muzan. Many Pillars died: the Sound Pillar retired, Shinobu Kocho died, the Flame Pillar died, the Love Pillar and the Serpent Pillar died, and he... also died.

In the end of the dream, his beloved older brother, alone in the empty house, also died not long after.

"Smack—"

He was slapped hard on the forehead, his dream was interrupted, and he opened his eyes abruptly.

The blinding light burned my eyelids, and tears welled up in the corners of my eyes without my noticing.

He stared blankly at the person in front of him.

The people who died tragically in his dream were now standing perfectly fine in front of him, looking at him with puzzled expressions.

They all had some injuries, but to the naked eye, none of them seemed to be seriously injured.

Not far away, a demon dressed in a tuxedo was turning into wisps of green smoke and dissipating. His head lay in a corner not far away, and his eyes, which reflected the number one lower moon, were also dimming.

Is this... the Lower Moon One?

Oh my god! What happened?

How did I suddenly encounter the Crescent Moon Demon?

"Oh, she's awake!"

Obanai Iguro, battered and bruised, crossed her arms and looked down at him.

"Hey hey hey, are you alright? What number is this?"

Chika squatted down in front of him, waved her hand, and then extended a finger.

Xuanmi blinked. "One."

Seeing this, Kanroji Mitsuri breathed a sigh of relief, "Ah~~ I was so scared, so scared, I'm so glad you're alright, I'm so glad you're alright."

Xuanmi was completely bewildered.

What? What's going on? It's like something terrible has happened.

"Hey, are you alright?" Sanemi reached out his hand to him. "Did you have a stupid dream? Why are you looking so silly?"

Genya reached out and grabbed Sanemi's hand, using it to help him stand up. He glanced at the demon ashes scattered by the wind.

"Brother, I think I just had a really bad dream."

He scratched his head. The images in his dream were fading, and what followed was a clear memory of what had just happened.

Suddenly I remembered that he had gone out shopping and then inexplicably fell asleep.

So, everything that just happened was a dream?

"Pshaw, just a dream."

Sanemi scoffed, turned and strode forward, "The Lower Moon demons are getting more and more arrogant these days, daring to come in front of the five Pillars, tsk tsk. They don't have much skill, but they've got a lot of guts."

"Let's go buy some good snacks for Qianxia, ​​otherwise she'll keep yelling."

Shinobu Kocho chuckled to herself, "That's what you call a nightmare."

"Aaaaaah! What?! I would never call that... You're slandering me!"

Chinatsu jumped up and reached out to hit Sanemi.

Sanemi tapped her forehead with his hand, looking at Chika with disdain as she used both hands and feet, completely oblivious to her own appearance.

Listening to everyone's laughter, Xuanmi, whose mind was in a daze, felt that he had forgotten something, but he couldn't remember exactly what he had forgotten.

It was probably a dream.

Once you wake up, you forget it.

......

As night deepened, Shinobu returned to the Butterfly Mansion.

The room was dimly lit, but she was not hindered at all because she was already familiar with everything there.

My fingertips traced the familiar grain of the wooden door, and I gently pushed it open, walked through the quiet corridor, stepped into the backyard, and then around the ivy-covered cloister.

She stopped in front of an exceptionally quiet courtyard. The wooden door creaked softly as it opened and closed, stirring up a gentle breeze.

She opened and closed the door, picked up the firewood on the table, and with a "whoosh," she ran it across the fire before lighting the oil lamp on the table.

The candlelight cast a long shadow of Shinobu Kocho, illuminating the room.

The room wasn't big; it contained a table, a chair, a bed, a cabinet, and a girl trapped in an endless nightmare.

Shinobu Kocho slowly approached, holding an oil lamp, and gently placed the lamp base on the bedside table.

She leaned close to the edge of the bed, her fingertips lightly brushing the sleeping girl's hair, her voice as soft as a sigh.

"Sister, you've been asleep for a very long time. What were your dreams like?"

"Today we took down a Lower Moon demon together, and it was Lower Moon One!"

"I heard he has a name, Nightmare. How ridiculous, a demon actually has a name."

"Sister, I think I dreamed about clues to your killer today."

"Unfortunately, it was just a dream."

The night wind blew in through the window, extinguishing the only light source and plunging the room into darkness.

In the darkness, Shinobu's whispers were exceptionally clear.

"But perhaps, it's not a dream."

......

Nightmare is dead.

He died under the siege of five pillars.

When the news reached Infinite City, the candlelight in the dark room flickered slightly, making Muzan's pale face appear even more gloomy.

"A mere waning crescent moon dares to challenge five pillars? Who gave it the guts?"

Muzan's voice carried little anger, yet it felt like an ice pick piercing the heart. He lightly tapped the armrest with his fingertips, his gaze sweeping over the Upper Moons kneeling below, filled with undisguised contempt.

Upper Moon One, Kokushibo, knelt at the front, his dark robes trailing on the ground. He didn't even raise his head, only a long sword leaning against his side. He was as silent as a stone statue, yet the pressure emanating from him made the air seem to freeze.

Doma smiled sweetly, his hands folded on his knees, his long silver hair hanging over his shoulders, and even his voice was soft.

"Nightmare was trained by me; he's a wonderful kid."

These words made the atmosphere in the dark room even quieter.

Akaza frowned, his jawline taut, and his gaze toward Doma was icy, filled with undisguised disgust, as if even hearing him speak was grating.

Upper Moon Four-Hantengu huddled behind a pillar, only daring to peek out with one round eye, glancing furtively at Doma before quickly lowering his head, afraid of being noticed by everyone.

Which eye of yours saw that he was "great"?

Muzan finally lost his temper, his voice suddenly rose, and the tapping of his fingertips became rapid.

He was being sarcastic, but Doma's feigned ignorance was clearly an attempt to provoke him.

Faced with Muzan's rage, Doma's smile deepened, and even the corners of his eyes curved upwards.

“He is indeed very good. Under his attack, I have seen through all the moves of the five pillars; I have also memorized their weaknesses.”

Muzan's anger subsided considerably in an instant, his brows furrowed tightly, and his tone became more inquisitive.

"Hmm? Techniques? Weaknesses??"

Douma finally dropped his playful demeanor, his seven-colored eyes slowly opening a slit as he looked directly at Muzan on the high throne, his voice becoming deep and somber.

“I can see everything clearly in their dreams: their fighting styles, their cherished families, and even... the Demon Slayer Corps' base.”

Where?

Muzan suddenly leaned forward, his eyes widening instantly, and even his breathing quickened.

Finding a base would allow him to wipe out the Demon Slayer Corps, something he had been hoping for for hundreds of years.

"I don't know~"

Douma smiled and said in a lighthearted tone, as if he were joking, "They all covered their faces when they went there, so I didn't see the specific route."

Muzan's face darkened. "So, you're speaking with your lungs?"

He was so angry he almost laughed; this Douma was clearly playing a trick on him!

"Haha, you're so funny, sir!"

Doma laughed so hard he almost fell over, his long silver hair swaying, completely oblivious to Muzan's expression.

"Don't worry, sir."

Just as Muzan was about to explode, Doma spoke up again.

"For your sake, and for my girl's sake, I will definitely find the Demon Slayer Corps' base and wipe them all out."

Muzan's brows furrowed even more, his eyes filled with confusion.

Girl? What girl?

Why couldn't he read Douma's mind?

The candlelight in the dark room flickered again, but Douma didn't explain further. He simply lowered his head again, a meaningful smile playing on his lips.

The "girl's" secret was quietly hidden in his eyes.