Chapter 183 Entering the Infinite City
"it's over…"
Seeing Akaza completely disappear, Tanjiro breathed a sigh of relief. Before he could finish speaking, he stumbled and fell to the ground. The loud noise caught Giyu's attention. He tried to get up but felt dizzy and collapsed onto someone.
"Anjuro?"
Giyuu was helped down to the ground, his voice weak and indistinct, his vision blurred but he could make out the other person. Kyojuro was looking down at Tanjiro, his deep eyes filled with concern. Kyojuro realized Tanjiro was mainly exhausted and turned to comfort Giyuu, saying, "It's alright, he needs to rest. Are you alright?"
"It's alright...you just need to rest and get treatment, your hand."
As Giyu spoke, his gaze involuntarily fell on Kyojuro's right hand, which was hanging by his side. Kyojuro seemed to realize something and subconsciously touched it, his smile as warm as ever: "I'm fine!"
"real……"
Before Giyu could finish speaking, he fainted, leaving only Kyojuro conscious. His right arm, gripping it tightly, was numb, yet he felt an unprecedented peace within him. He looked up at the swooping crows and murmured, "Just being alive is enough."
——
At this moment, Iwakatsu was sitting silently in the moonlight, facing Yoriichi opposite him, with black and white chess pieces placed on the stone table.
A subtle, indescribable atmosphere filled the air, as if even time itself had slowed down. Yan Sheng felt a little awkward; after all, every time he sat alone face-to-face with Yoriichi, he felt an invisible pressure and a sense of unease.
The awkwardness was quickly replaced by a sudden feeling, a subtle sensation from the depths of his heart, which made him involuntarily furrow his brows. Nakime, who had been reporting the situation to him, remained silent for a long time before speaking.
"Lord Kokushibo, Lord Akaza is dead."
"!"
Iwakatsu's heart skipped a beat, and Yoriichi, sitting opposite him, stopped what he was doing, his eyes fixed on him. Iwakatsu felt the other's gaze, glanced at him impassively, and then met those fiery red eyes, his expression completely blank.
"Brother, what has happened?"
Looking at his serious expression, Yan Sheng sensed that something was amiss; this was too strange. Yoriichi Tsugikuni had an inexplicable obsession with killing Muzan; in his mind, it was his mission.
"Why...did you suddenly find this place?" Iwakatsu asked calmly, causing Yoriichi to fall silent. Just as Yoriichi was about to say something, Iwakatsu's golden eyes looked over, his voice icy cold. "Don't change the subject."
Iwakatsu's heart was filled with doubt and vigilance. It was all too coincidental. Even the information revealed by the scoundrel Muzan Kibutsuji couldn't possibly have such precise knowledge of Yoriichi's movements. It was as if it had been orchestrated; every detail was perfectly timed, making one suspicious. The image of that face, tightly wrapped in bandages and covered in scars—the Demon Slayer Corps' lord, Kagaya Ubuyashiki—involuntarily surfaced in his mind.
"It was Lord Kagaya who told me."
Yoriichi's answer confirmed Kokusatsu's guess. Kokusatsu lowered his eyes, his brows furrowing slightly. It was indeed the Demon Slayer Corps Master's arrangement. It seemed he knew who Yoriichi was; after all, there were records of it.
Iwakatsu could guess what the other party was planning. Tamayo must have been involved in the arrangement, since she knew that as long as Yoriichi Tsugikuni was there, Muzan would not appear. So, they deliberately gave him an opportunity. They must have noticed some of Muzan's actions, so they deliberately let Yoriichi Tsugikuni leave in order to lure Muzan into their trap.
What happened after that? Did the other side completely abandon Yoriichi as a fighting force?
Iwakatsu pondered, and for some reason, he suddenly thought of the lord he had only met twice before killing him. The people of Ubuyashiki were all very intelligent and possessed the ability to foresee the future, so the other party must have seen something.
"Brother?"
Yoriichi found it strange; after Yoriichi answered, Kokushibo fell silent, his brows furrowing even deeper. Kokushibo didn't hear him; his thoughts raced wildly through his mind like a runaway horse, as he pondered the other's next move. However, just then, a hand silently rubbed his brow, the warm touch startling Kokushibo.
"What are you doing?"
Iwakatsu's voice carried a hint of displeasure. He frowned and slapped away Yoriichi's hand that was reaching for his shoulder. He turned to look at Yoriichi, who had somehow appeared beside him, his fiery red eyes calm and gazing at him silently.
Yoriichi seemed unconcerned by Iwakatsu's cold reaction and continued to ask, "Brother, what are you thinking about?"
"nothing."
Iwakatsu shifted his gaze from Yoriichi, looking into the distance, and answered calmly. He didn't say much, guessing that Yoriichi was unaware that the Demon Slayer Corps was fighting. Yoriichi, seeing Iwakatsu's reaction, didn't press the matter further, but instead looked up at the sky.
Just then, a wooden door that both Iwakatsu and Yoriichi were very familiar with suddenly appeared in front of them. The door was open, and they could see the ever-changing architecture inside.
Yoriichi: ...
Yan Sheng: ? What the heck?
Yan Sheng thought he was seeing things. What was Nakime doing?! The more inexplicable things were, the calmer he became. He calmly ignored Yoriichi's gaze, frantically calling for Nakime in his mind, only able to hear her intermittent voice.
Yan Sheng sensed something was wrong. Seeing that the wooden door seemed unstable and unreliable, he got up and went closer to see what was going on.
"Wait, elder brother, please don't..."
Yoriichi watched as Iwakatsu stepped forward, instinctively assuming he was about to go inside again. He could sense Iwakatsu was struggling with something, which made him a little flustered when he saw the wooden door. Just as he reached out to touch Iwakatsu, the latter suddenly turned around, lost his footing, and fell towards the doorway.
Iwakatsu, who had instinctively dodged, watched helplessly as Yoriichi followed him through the wooden door. The instant Yoriichi stepped inside, the scene before Iwakatsu changed, and his body plummeted as if falling from a great height. Iwakatsu didn't panic. Watching the ground getting closer and closer, he controlled his body and reversed his position, landing steadily on the ground in a few quick movements.
He and Yoriichi separated; whether it was a good thing or a bad thing is unknown.
Yan Sheng didn't dwell on it for long. Infinite City was so big; unless Boss Zha was unlucky, it would probably take some time to find it. With that thought, he put it out of his mind, looked around, and noticed that this wasn't where he usually practiced.
The space here is vast, after all, his techniques have a wide range and require ample space. Yan Sheng could see the surrounding buildings constantly changing, and his frantic beeping of Nakime received no response.
"boom--."
A sudden crashing sound rang out, and Iwakatsu saw a lithe figure burst through the wall of a building, landing steadily not far from him. Iwakatsu stared at the figure, unsure what expression to make. He hadn't expected to encounter this, and for the exact same reason as in the original story.
He noticed Muichiro staring at him, his eyes filled with wariness as he looked at Iwakatsu, and a tense atmosphere gradually rose in the air. Iwakatsu could see that the other man's hand was on the hilt of his sword, trembling slightly. Beads of sweat slid down his forehead.
Is this plot twisted?
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