Chapter Forty-Five
Upon learning that Doma was reading her mind, Chinatsu began to secretly question him.
"What should I do? Muzan won't let me get close at all now." Chika's thoughts were filled with anxiety.
"Oh my? What did you do to scare him like this?" Doma's response was tinged with amusement.
Chika thought for a moment and replied, "It's nothing, I just... made a slight, probing attack, and then he tried to take a bite."
"Try it, take a bite?" Douma looked Chinatsu up and down, covered in blood and looking utterly disheveled. "Are you sure you want to try it, and not kill her?"
Qianxia glared at him angrily: "I didn't, I don't have that much capital..."
Before the words in his mind had even finished, Muzan's writhing mass of flesh began to retreat quietly, as if he were ready to flee the battlefield at any moment.
Chika's lips twitched almost imperceptibly. "He's too cowardly..."
"Eh—" Douma drawled, his smile radiant, an unfathomable light gleaming in his narrowed eyes. "Indeed~"
Even though he didn't say anything, Chika keenly sensed an unusual excitement emanating from him.
The feeling was as if some kind of disguise had been completely torn off, and that deeply hidden, wicked nature was being revealed without any restraint.
"Stop laughing like that! It's so annoying." Qianxia nudged him with her elbow, then anxiously looked around.
The situation is far from optimistic.
On the demon side, besides Muzan, who had been reduced to a shapeless mass of flesh, Upper Moon One, Four, Five, and Six were all present, along with countless miscellaneous demon soldiers who swarmed in like a tide.
With their terrifying ability to regenerate infinitely, they held back the Demon Slayer Corps' progress, which was truly distressing.
On the Demon Slayer Corps side, despite undergoing rigorous dream training, physical exhaustion and mental fear were still inevitable in real bloody battles.
what to do?
Chika was so anxious that she couldn't help but bite her nails.
"Huh~" Douma suddenly exclaimed in confusion, "Where has Lord Akaza gone~?"
In his next sentence, he answered himself, "Ah~ he actually went to see his wife~ how outrageous."
"Who?" Chika looked at him in confusion. "He has a wife?"
“It’s Upper Moon Three,” Douma explained with a smile. “You could say he’s the one I’m closest to.”
"Of course, I get along well with the others too~ Ah, but Lord Akaza is definitely the most special one. Besides him, there's also..."
In that instant, Chika suddenly sensed a chilling killing intent coming from behind her.
Chinatsu instinctively turned to fight back, but Doma's hand pressed down on her shoulder first.
He tilted his head, blinked, and a sly smile curved his lips as he telepathically conveyed his unfinished message: "And Lord Kokushibo~"
At the same time, a near-mad plan flashed into her consciousness.
"Whoosh—"
The sharp blade pierced the air, and two heads rolled off with a thud.
This sudden turn of events plunged the entire battlefield into a deathly silence.
Everyone, including the demons, stared in horror at the two heads that had rolled to Muzan's feet, their faces filled with astonishment.
Time seemed to freeze at that moment.
Even Muzan's constantly writhing flesh suddenly stopped, staring in disbelief at the two heads that had rolled to his feet, still bearing expressions of astonishment.
Then, he burst into extremely arrogant laughter: "Hahahaha—! Well done! Well done!"
"Chika!!" Shinazugawa Sanemi's eyes were bloodshot, and his roar was filled with heart-wrenching pain.
He charged towards Chinatsu and Doma like a whirlwind, his blade whistling and his killing intent palpable.
Kokushibo swung his sword to meet the attack, his killing intent spreading like a tangible force, and shouted sharply, "Anyone who comes near—die!"
The wind blades and the demonic sword collided violently, and the shockwave swept in all directions, cracking the ground inch by inch. The surrounding ruins were completely annihilated and collapsed under this violent force.
Hantengu, the Upper Moon 4 who was fighting against the Love Pillar Mitsuri Kanroji, paused in his movements and was almost hit by the soft sword. He hurriedly summoned his [Rage] clone to stabilize himself.
On the other side, Upper Moon Rikudaki also urgently summoned her brother Gyutaro to jointly confront the increasingly fierce attacks of the Sound Hashira, Uzui Tengen.
Upper Moon 5 was also constantly dodging the attacks of the Mist Hashira, Muichiro Tokito, feeling like his entire demon life was going to end.
However, none of this mattered to Muzan. Chika's death gave him unprecedented confidence and arrogance.
"Ha ha ha ha!"
He laughed wildly, manipulating the arms formed from flesh and blood, raising the two heads high as if displaying the most glorious trophies, showing them off to all the Demon Slayer Corps members.
"Do you see that? This is what happens when you oppose me! Foolish! This is the end result of your foolish resistance! Today, none of you will leave here alive!"
Despair, like an icy tide, instantly overwhelmed the hearts of the Demon Slayer Corps members.
"what to do?"
"what to do?"
"We will die, we will all die."
They stood frozen in place, their pupils trembling, unable to believe that Chika, who brought hope and was so powerful, had fallen so easily...
“Miss Chika…”
Tears welled up in Tanjiro Kamado's eyes, and overwhelmed with grief and anger, the aura around him began to surge and rise uncontrollably!
Immediately afterwards, Zenitsu Agatsuma and Inosuke Hashibira also seemed to be ignited by this emotion, and powerful "ki" erupted from their bodies like flames!
Don't give up!
Genya Shinazugawa's roar was like a thunderclap, exploding across the deathly silent battlefield. His eyes were bloodshot, and tears mixed with blood streamed down his face.
"Don't give up! We...we've fought this far, how can we fall here! Haven't we practiced this countless times in our dreams?! Is Miss Chika's sacrifice going to be wasted?!"
His roar, like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, stirred up a storm in the hearts of all the team members.
The thought of retreat began to crumble and dissipate little by little in the face of unwavering will. In its place, a rekindled, even more intense and resolute fighting spirit was ignited.
"A mayfly trying to shake a tree! A bunch of reckless insects!"
Muzan laughed maniacally, attempting to accelerate his physical recovery so as to deliver the final destruction to these humans.
However, no matter how much he exerted his power, the speed of flesh regeneration was unusually slow, and it even became more difficult.
The poison in his body did not seem to dissipate with Chika's death; instead, it seemed to have gained its own life force, devouring his vitality even more frantically.
"This is impossible..." Muzan roared inwardly, "Blood Demon Art should cease to function upon the death of the caster!"
In that instant, he discovered a terrifying detail.
The two heads he was holding showed no sign of turning to ashes. Logically, this shouldn't be the case. Unless....
Just as he realized something was wrong, the two heads suddenly raised, all four eyes locking onto him, and a strange smile spread across their lips.
"Surprise~"
"Sizzle—!!!"
As soon as the words left his mouth, blinding blue-white lightning suddenly erupted from the two heads. The powerful current spread chaotically, weaving into a deadly net of lightning that precisely wrapped around Muzan, who was standing almost within reach.
Then--
"Bang--!"
Under the intense energy impact, a portion of Muzan's massive chunk of flesh was blasted apart, and numbness and excruciating pain enveloped his entire body, causing him to let out a roar of shock and rage.
"Attack! Take down Muzan!"
A loud shout came from the distant rooftop, and it was Chika, whose head had just been removed.
She stood there, dressed in a long robe stained with blood, holding a silver longbow, her long hair fluttering in the wind, her eyes filled with murderous intent.
At the same time, Hantengu also let out a sharp scream. It was Douma who helped Kanroji Mitsuri and Iguro Obanai subdue him.
Meanwhile, Doma's clone also assisted the Mist Hashira, Muichiro Tokito, in placing the sword steadily on the neck of Upper Moon Five.
"Ohhhhhhh!!!!"
This astonishing reversal was like throwing a wildfire into the ashes of a dead land.
"Everyone—!"
The deep, rock-solid voice of Himejima Gyomei resounded across the battlefield like a great bell: "The time for counterattack has come! Slay the demons!!"
Kokushibo realized something was wrong and instantly rushed towards Muzan.
"I won't let you get in their way!" Without the slightest hesitation, Shinazugawa Sanemi, his body wreathed in sharp wind blades, charged towards Kokushibo once again like a ghost!
This time, his blade was even more ferocious and resolute, carrying the will to pave the way for his comrades.
"I'll help you!"
With a roar, the Stone Pillar, Gyomei of Screaming Isle, unleashed a massive meteor hammer that crashed down, forming a pincer movement with the Wind Pillar, tightly binding the strongest Upper Moon One.
On the other side, Kanroji Mitsuri's soft sword transformed into a sky full of pink shadows, completely enveloping Hantengu and his clone, "Breath of Love - Fifth Form - Wavering Love - Chaotic Claws!"
Uzui Tengen's twin swords unleashed an explosive slash, clashing fiercely with Gyutaro's blood scythe.
"Come on, let's take you down in style!"
The battlefield situation reversed in an instant!
The demons, who had been emboldened by Chika's death, were thrown into disarray upon witnessing Muzan's injury.
Meanwhile, the Demon Slayer Corps' renewed hope in their desperate situation transformed into overwhelming fighting spirit and power.
Thunder Breathing - First Form!
Zenitsu Agatsuma's figure transformed into a golden bolt of lightning, weaving through the horde of soldiers and demons, sending heads flying wherever he went.
"Beast Breathing - Seventh Form!"
Hashibira Inosuke, like a true wild beast, wildly tore through all obstacles in his path with his twin swords.
"Water Breathing - Pick-up Form!"
Tanjiro and Giyu Tomioka responded together, their swirling sword energy like a giant waterspout, wiping out large numbers of enemies and constantly closing in on Muzan's true form!
"Xuanmi! Cooperate with me!"
Sanemi Shinazugawa roared during the fierce battle.
"Okay, brother!"
Genya Shinazugawa immediately loaded bullets, and the special Blood Demon Art bullets whistled out, interfering with Kokushibo's movements and creating a fleeting opportunity for his brother to strike.
At the same time, he quickly gathered his "qi" and swung his sword upwards, coordinating with Sanemi to launch an attack.
Muzan struggled desperately to rebuild his body while paralyzed by the lightning, but Chinatsu and Doma would not give him that chance.
Doma instantly appeared behind Muzan, his twin fans flashing as he unleashed a Blood Demon Art: Lotus Leaf Ice!
Meanwhile, Chika, in the distance, drew her bow and arrow.
This bow was specially made for her by Ubuyashiki, and the arrow shaft is made entirely of the same material as the Nichirin Blade.
Only one!
At that time, Chika secretly complained that if she shot it out, she would have to retrieve it herself. How undignified!
"Sizzle—!"
As she drew the bow to its fullest extent, arcs of electricity flashed and intertwined, enveloping Chika in blue flames.
In an instant, dark clouds gathered overhead, with blue dragons seemingly flowing within them. A fierce wind, carrying a chilling killing intent, converged on the arrowhead.
"call out--!"
The arrow left the bowstring, transforming into a blue light that tore through the sky.
Ice crystals and flames intertwined, relentlessly bombarding Muzan's writhing flesh, halting his regeneration and exacerbating his wounds.
"Damn it...damn it!!"
Muzan let out a roar like a trapped beast. The advantage he had carefully built, the situation he thought he had the upper hand, crumbled in a short moment.
......
As Muzan's final screams faded into the dawn, and as his cursed flesh turned to ash in the sunlight, an indescribable silence enveloped the devastated battlefield.
We won.
Centuries of darkness and sacrifice have finally come to an end.
This realization, like a belated tide, slowly washed over the hearts of every survivor. There was no immediate cheering, only the disorientation of surviving a catastrophe, and an ever-present, immense exhaustion.
"We...won?" Zenitsu Agatsuma murmured, leaning on his sword, his body swaying precariously, yet still unable to believe it.
"Of course we won! We're the strongest!"
Hashibira Inosuke brandished his twin swords and howled, but the howling quickly turned into gasps for breath that aggravated his wounds. Yet he continued to laugh, thoroughly enjoying himself.
That howl was like a key, instantly unlocking the floodgates of emotion.
"We won! We really won!"
"We survived...everyone survived!"
In an instant, everyone erupted in deafening cheers, mixed with cries and shouts.
The ecstasy of surviving the ordeal spread like wildfire. The survivors, disregarding their injuries, embraced each other, patted each other's shoulders, and tears mixed with blood and sweat flowed freely.
Even the most composed Himejima Gyomei raised his head, letting tears stream down his resolute face, and softly chanted the Rebirth Mantra.
Tanjiro, Zenitsu, and Inosuke stumbled and fell together, laughing and crying at the same time.
Sanemi Shinazugawa was held tightly by his younger brother Genya. Although he clicked his tongue impatiently, he did not push him away.
Shinobu Kocho, who arrived late, watched this scene with a smile and slowly breathed a sigh of relief.
In the midst of this chaotic and enthusiastic celebration, at the moment when everyone's emotions were at their peak and their attention was most scattered.
Chika felt her fingertips being gently hooked.
She turned her head and met Doma's gaze.
His usually insincere, multicolored eyes now held an indescribable calmness, along with a hint of inquiry.
He didn't speak, but simply tilted his head slightly, his gaze fixed on the morning light shimmering in the undamaged woods at the edge of the battlefield.
Chika understood instantly.
She glanced at Tanjiro, Zenitsu, and Inosuke, who were embracing and celebrating beside her, then at Giyu, who was being bandaged by members of the Hidden Force, and then at each of these comrades she had fought alongside and who she was willing to entrust her life to.
A pang of reluctance swept through my heart, but more than anything, I felt a sense of relief.
She gently squeezed Douma's fingers and nodded almost imperceptibly.
The next moment, the two figures quietly retreated, using the ruins as cover, and in a few leaps, they escaped the center of the cheers.
There were no spatial fluctuations, no energy ripples, just like a drop of water flowing into a river, so natural that it left no trace.
As Tanjiro wiped away his tears of joy and instinctively tried to find his comrade who had saved the day to share his happiness, all he could see were empty ruins slowly enveloped by the morning light.
"Miss Chinatsu? Mr. Douma?" he called out softly, puzzled.
His voice was drowned out by the cheers of the crowd.
No one knows when they left, nor where they went.
It was as if they had come only to end this thousand-year-old feud, and once the feud was over, they would leave without a trace.
It left behind only a faint, strange aura, a mixture of ice lotus and blood flames, which was quickly and gently dispersed by the morning breeze.
......
"Alright, where should we go next?"
Doma, holding Chinatsu's hand, sprinted quickly through the dark shadows, his tone relaxed.
"Whatever, I'll go wherever I end up." Qianxia said nonchalantly. "Maybe we should go see the sea? I've never seen what the sea looks like here before. But we'll have to wait until it gets dark."
"The sea... I've heard it's very salty, and full of fish," Douma mused. "I could freeze them all into ice sculptures; that would be magnificent!"
"Don't freeze anything from the sea! And don't talk like Uzui Tengen, always using 'gorgeous,' 'gorgeous.'" Chika warned immediately.
Douma grinned, "Hey~ Chinatsu's so fierce~"
He likes it very much.
The two ran side by side for a while, and then Douma suddenly asked softly, "Chinatsu, now that you've left the Demon Slayer Corps, do you... ever feel bored?"
Chinatsu turned her head. "Really? I don't know. So far, the time I've spent with Doma is different from all the time I've spent in the past."
She pointed to her heart: "It doesn't feel empty here anymore. This feeling is quite novel."
"Hey, Chinatsu, is this love?" Douma suddenly leaned closer, his seven-colored eyes sparkling in the moonlight, full of curiosity.
Chika's face flushed slightly, and she pushed his face away, which was too close to hers: "Idiot! Don't ask such questions! Just feel it for yourself!"
"Sigh~ But I really can't tell the difference..."
The night breeze swept by, carrying away the sounds of laughter and chatter.
Their future is long, enough for these two emotionless devils to slowly learn what true human warmth is.
......
No one knows what kind of connections and methods the Ubuyashiki family used to accurately find their traces in this vast sea of people.
But the current head of the family has done it.
He not only found them, but also sent them a thick stack of letters, as well as several boxes of jewelry and gold.
At that time, Chinatsu and Doma were playing by the sea, one freezing fish and the other electrofishing, doing nothing but having a great time.
Chinatsu's eyes lit up dramatically when she saw the dazzling jewels and gold ingots inside the box.
She first politely thanked the messenger who had come to her, then cheered and almost pounced on him to carefully put away the treasure. She grabbed the stack of letters and rushed to Doma's side, stuffing them into his hand.
"Quick! Read it to me!" she urged, her eyes sparkling with excitement, carrying the eagerness unique to illiterate people—a mixture of expectation and a little embarrassment.
Tongmo held the paper, his gaze falling on the neat, messy, or forceful handwriting.
He stared at her for a long time, until the excitement on Qianxia's face gradually turned into doubt and a hint of unease.
"What's wrong? Is there something particularly important or difficult to understand written inside?" She couldn't help but lean closer, tilting her head to try and see something from the back of the paper.
"Hmm..." Douma raised his eyes, his seven-colored eyes curving into a pleasant arc, his tone light, "It's probably something like, thank you very much, thank you for everything you've done, please accept these gifts..."
Chika's eyes widened, clearly disbelieving. She pointed to one of the letters, the handwriting particularly clumsy and forceful, almost tearing the paper: "Are you sure? This one... it looks like it was written by Genya? Was his thank-you note also this formal?"
Doma blinked, looking at the letter in his hand, filled with heart-wrenching words: "Centa, come back soon," "Don't stay with that dangerous guy," "Shinobu's research has made great progress," "Nezuko has become human," "We all miss you," and a brilliant yet slightly wicked smile slowly spread across his lips.
"Yes, it's also a thank you message. It was written by someone named Shinazugawa Genya. He said that he and his brother are very happy now and that you don't need to worry. A girl named Kanae has woken up and is now in frequent contact with Sanemi... something like that."
He downplayed those anxious calls and important information, turning them into a calm and ordinary daily report.
"Huh?? Really?"
Chika tilted her head, a hint of doubt still on her face, but her attention was quickly drawn to the other letters.
Like a curious cat, she quickly pulled out a sheet of paper with sharp, forceful strokes and shoved it in front of Doma.
"Well, whatever, I'll go back next time I have the chance. Anyway, I haven't claimed my 'Pillar' title yet! Oh right, was that mentioned in the letter? What title is it?"
Douma skimmed through the letter; it did indeed mention her permanent recognition, but the specific title… A sly glint flashed in his eyes.
"Yes, it's a title for lifelong 'Pillar'!"
"Really? Really?" Chinatsu's eyes lit up like stars, and she practically clung to Doma's arm, grabbing his wrist to look. "What title is it? Tell me! What is it~"
Although she couldn't understand the words at all, the anticipation and sense of honor made her extremely excited.
Douma, however, did not so please her. With a flick of his wrist, his golden iron fan deftly separated the two, while he simultaneously raised the letter high, turned, and ran off, his voice trailing off with a mocking tone:
"I won't tell you~~~"
"Ah—! Doma! You've gone too far!" Chinatsu's scream mixed with exasperated laughter as she chased after him without thinking. "Give it back to me! Give me back the letter!"
A gentle night breeze blew as two figures chased and laughed, startling a raven that was dozing under a rock.
......
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