Chapter 5 The Progenitor of Demons

Yan Sheng never expected to encounter the Demon King so suddenly. Alarm bells rang wildly in his mind, his body instinctively assumed a defensive posture, and his eyes were fixed on Muzan.

"Oh? You're from the Demon Slayer Corps. Do you know Breathing Techniques?"

Muzan Kibutsuji looked at the wary man before him and couldn't help but find it particularly amusing. He suddenly remembered the information his subordinates had given him earlier, and a brilliant idea flashed into his mind.

"You're that so-called warrior who can breathe fire? No, you seem different. Are you brothers?"

Yan Sheng did not answer. He silently recited the command in his mind, and a transparent blue panel appeared, showing a new task.

Prerequisite Quest 2: Become a Ghost

With a tsk, Iwakatsu drew his Nichirin Blade. The bright moonlight shone on him, blurring his features like a white veil.

"Breath of the Moon, Second Form: Pearl Flower Playing with the Moon".

As soon as Iwakatsu finished speaking, a series of dark blue curved blades, like crescent moons, hurtled towards Muzan Kibutsuji. The range was so vast that it sliced ​​the surrounding trees in half.

Unfortunately, this was not a fatal wound for Muzan. The severed flesh regenerated at an extremely fast speed. He didn't care at all whether the woman behind him would be implicated. He only focused on resisting the attacks that Kokushibo came after him, and his eyes grew brighter and brighter.

"Fourth Form: Flashing Shadow and Rippling Moon".

"Land Form - Long Night Lonely Moon - No End".

Kokushi was panting heavily, the continuous attacks constantly draining his stamina, leaving many small wounds on his body. Seeing Muzan surrounded by attacks from both sides, Kokushi rushed forward without hesitation, aiming straight for his neck.

"Type One: Dark Moon: Palace of the Night".

A powerful, crescent-shaped slash severed Muzan's head. Simultaneously, a bone spike pierced through Kokushiro's abdomen. The woman behind him remained motionless, watching in shock, about to say something.

"Hahahaha, you're different from those people. You're very strong, and I admire you, especially your eyes. I'll remember you."

Kibutsuji Muzan laughed maniacally on the ground with his severed head still attached, and with a swift movement, he shoved Iwakatsu away. Iwakatsu's back slammed violently against a tree behind him, and he spat out a mouthful of blood.

Kibutsuji Muzan picked up the head from the ground, and his flesh gradually returned to normal. He looked at Iwakatsu, who was sliding down the tree, and a satisfied expression appeared on his face.

"We will meet again."

After saying that, he left without looking back. The woman behind him bit her lower lip, but eventually followed Muzan Kibutsuji away.

"As expected, he can't be killed."

Iwakatsu knew perfectly well that the Breath of the Moon couldn't kill Muzan, especially since he was only a half-baked practitioner who had only been familiar with it for a few days. Looking at the panel before him, the second prerequisite quest had changed to "completed," but the color was very faint. This unusual situation made Iwakatsu frown.

"Sixth grade."

"I'm here, honey."

"What's going on with this mission?"

Upon hearing 1008's response, Yan Sheng immediately asked the question. He was clutching his pierced abdomen, oblivious to the fact that the blood was slowly decreasing.

"Honey, didn't you notice that the Ghost King left a piece of flesh and bone inside your body?"

"?!"

Iwakatsu looked in shock at his abdomen, which he was clutching, and could only see his tattered white haori stained with blood. He couldn't see anything, but Iwakatsu felt a deep unease about it.

"Brother!"

Yoriichi arrived swiftly, his expression one of deep frustration upon seeing the blood-soaked Oki. Oki was in a terrible state, covered in dozens of wounds of varying sizes, the most glaring being the patches of blood on his white haori. Yoriichi's clear vision allowed him to see the penetrating wounds, but perhaps in his haste, he mistook the broken bones for Oki's shattered ribs.

"I'll take you back!"

Yoriichi tried to pick up Iwakatsu, but Iwakatsu pushed him away. The sudden movement caused Iwakatsu to vomit blood again.

"Ghost King, I've encountered him... Go after him quickly... I'm alright, someone will be on their way."

Iwakatsu gestured for Yoriichi to look at the fleeing Kasugai crow, urging him to continue with the main storyline. He absolutely couldn't be brought back to the Demon Slayer Corps; he was practically a half-demon now, and being discovered would mean certain death.

"But, elder brother..."

Yoriichi Tsugikuni was also in a dilemma; the Demon King was elusive and difficult to encounter. However, he was very worried about his brother, which put him in a difficult position.

"I'm fine... You can see it too, right? Hurry up, who knows when the next opportunity will come."

Yan Sheng said irritably, "If we delay any longer, I won't have much time left. I'm not sure about my current physical condition, so it would be best to find a safe place before sunrise."

"Then brother, please be careful. Yoriichi will be there as soon as possible."

After seeing that Iwakatsu was clearly telling him to get lost, Yoriichi Tsugikuni, once he confirmed that there was no fatal danger, turned around and chased after Muzan Kibutsuji in the direction he had left.

Yan Sheng looked up as the fiery red figure gradually disappeared into the foliage. His tense nerves relaxed instantly, and he stood up to think.

Finally, Iwakatsu took off his tattered haori, tore it open, and used clean strips of cloth to bandage his injured abdomen. Ignoring the mess on the ground, he quickly left.

On the other side

Yoriichi Tsugikuni moved swiftly, the surrounding obstacles posing no threat from his perspective. For some reason, he had a peculiar feeling, as if someone was guiding him.

Go ahead, he's there.

The moon hung high in the sky, its light the only illuminating the pitch-black night. Yoriichi stopped on the pebbly path surrounded by bamboo groves, his expression indifferent as he looked at the demon opposite him.

The moment Yoriichi Tsugikuni met the progenitor of demons, he understood. He was born to kill the man before him.

Looking at the person before him, Muzan Kibutsuji felt a chill run down his spine. He stared at Yoriichi's face and spoke with interest.

“I’m no longer interested in swordsmen who can use breathing techniques. However, you do look very familiar.”

Kibutsuji Muzan paused for a moment as if thinking, then revealed a very wicked smile.

"He looks exactly like that handsome swordsman. I quite like him, but unfortunately I didn't hold back."

Muzan Kibutsuji himself didn't know why, just like how he inexplicably felt a good impression of Kokushibo at first sight, while he felt intense disgust towards Yoriichi Tsugikuni at first glance.

"..."

Yoriichi Tsugikuni gripped the sword even tighter, his face grim as he drew it, aiming it at Muzan Kibutsuji.

Muzan launched the first attack, hurtling straight at Yoriichi with a powerful whoosh, his speed absurd. Yoriichi dodged the attack, but a whole swathe of bamboo behind him was snapped in half, the area being terrifyingly large.

Yoriichi Tsugikuni felt the attack graz him and realized that Muzan hadn't actually killed his brother. The sheer magnitude of the attack sent chills down Yoriichi's spine; it felt as if even a mere scratch could be fatal.

In Yoriichi's clear-sighted perspective, Muzan Kibutsuji has seven hearts and five brains. And the opponent's violent aura sweeps through Yoriichi's senses with every attack.

Yoriichi Tsugikuni dodged the attacks, his heart pounding faster and faster as his sword strikes grew ever faster. In that instant, he unleashed twelve consecutive strikes with incredible speed, culminating in a thirteenth form, as if in a cycle of reincarnation. The crimson blade, imbued with a new sword style, sliced ​​through Muzan's body like a blazing sun.

"Why can't it be restored?"