Okarun stood in the center of the quiet shrine, his hand clutching his stomach as the last of the Wagyu and ramen processed through his devil hyper-metabolism.
He could feel the Phase-engine in his chest—a literal knot of spatial energy—cooling down.
The violet marks on his skin, remnants of the Sukuna and Eternity powers, pulsed with a renewed, steady light.
"The tank is only enough for a small jump,"
Okarun whispered, his voice vibrating with a new frequency.
"However, we can't stay in this world. The energy I can get from eating is not enough..."
He extended his palm, and the Golden Path manifested. It was no longer a flat map; it was a three-dimensional highway of light.
One branch, cold and sharp as a katana, thrummed with the sound of clashing steel and heavy, rhythmic breathing.
"That's the one I can jump right now,"
Okarun said.
"It is The Demon Slayer world."
Okarun explained about the world to Momo and Makima.
Makima adjusted her suit jacket, her yellow-ringed eyes reflecting the golden light.
"A world defined by the struggle between life and consumption. It will be much more... nourishing than this one."
Momo grabbed Okarun's hand, her pink psychokinetic aura flaring to shield them from the friction of the jump.
"Whatever happens, don't let go of me this time!"
Okarun nodded and initiated the thruster.
BOOM.
They didn't land on a mountain or a road. They landed on a wooden platform that was suspended in a gravity-defying void.
The sound of a single Biwa string echoed through the space—Pling!—and the room around them flipped ninety degrees.
"What the—?!"
Momo screamed, using her powers to anchor her feet to the ceiling-turned-floor.
They were in the Infinity Castle. Doors were opening in the floor, staircases were moving like snakes, and the air was thick with the scent of Muzan Kibutsuji's ancient, oppressive blood.
As they stabilized, a blur of pink and white landed on a platform ten yards away.
It was Akaza, Upper Moon Three. He didn't attack immediately; he stared at Okarun, his "Compass Needle" technique reacting violently to the massive, strange energy radiating from the boy.
"You aren't Slayers,"
Akaza said, his eyes widening as he sensed Okarun's fighting spirit.
"You aren't even human or demon."
Okarun stepped forward, his Phase-Step Mirror creating four flickering afterimages of himself.
"We're just passing through. But I need the energy in your blood."
Okarun's eyes glowing.
"Okarun-kun,"
Makima whispered, stepping beside him.
Her "Love" contract was still active, but in this world of demons and fear, her Control aura was beginning to resurface like a shark in dark water.
"This creature is made of concentrated regenerative cells. If you consume his essence, your engine might evolve."
7/10