Infinity Castle
[Demonization Countdown: 04:59]
When the system prompt sounded, Inosuke chose to continue demonization.
He needed to leave a good impression in front of this not-so-bright boss.
Muzan noticed nothing amiss—on the contrary, the satisfaction in his eyes deepened.
With a casual wave of his hand, he said,
"Now that you've been promoted, go back. Continue lying low within the Demon Slayer Corps and await my orders."
"Please wait, Lord Muzan."
Inosuke did not rise. Instead, he lifted his head.
"This subordinate requests… permission to return to the Eternal Paradise Cult first."
Muzan frowned slightly.
"The Eternal Paradise Cult? Why?"
Inosuke took a deep breath and began his performance.
"Because my infiltration plan requires the full cooperation of my cheap old man, Akaza, and the Daki siblings."
"…Huh?"
Muzan froze.
For the first time, genuine confusion appeared on that perpetually cold face.
"What does that have to do with them?"
"My lord, you are unaware,"
Inosuke stood up, raised one finger, and began speaking utter nonsense with absolute seriousness.
"The Demon Slayer Corps may be foolish, but their instincts are sharp—especially the two brats who stick close to me. One has an absurdly sharp nose, the other absurdly sharp hearing."
"My demonic aura, my origins—trying to hide them is like hiding a firefly in the dark. Impossible."
He paused, his eyes turning fervent and sinister.
"So concealment is useless. The best disguise is not hiding—
it's misdirection."
"I want them to believe that it's not just me—
but Doma, Akaza, Daki… our entire 'family'—who are anomalies."
"We'll put on a play. A play where, although we are demons, we are kind-hearted.
Although we eat people, we have our hardships."
"Only when they believe we are good demons will they truly let down their guard—
treat us as allies…"
"And even… hand their backs over to us."
Inosuke clenched his fist, a cruel smile curling at his lips.
"And on the day of the final battle, when they turn their backs—"
"—shhk!"
Dead silence filled the hall.
Muzan's plum-red pupils shook violently.
He stared at Inosuke as if gazing upon a masterwork of art.
"Genius!"
"This is nothing short of genius!"
"Exploiting humanity's excessive sympathy to carry out the deepest infiltration—and the most vicious betrayal!"
Muzan slammed the armrest, realization dawning on him.
"So that's it! No wonder Doma was playing house in the Eternal Paradise Cult!"
"No wonder Doma and Akaza were so furious in the ruins just now!"
"They weren't playing at all—they were cooperating with your plan!"
"Sasaki, that idiot, almost ruined this perfect setup—that's why they lost control!"
The anger in Muzan's eyes vanished instantly.
"But those worthless fools… why didn't they report this to me earlier?!"
"If I'd known it was such a grand scheme, how could I have sent Sasaki to interfere?!"
"It's all their fault! A bunch of idiots who don't know how to communicate!"
Muzan clapped his hands, clearly delighted.
"Very good, Inosuke. I approve your plan."
"Go. Tell Doma and Akaza to cooperate with you fully."
"This time… I will not tolerate any more mistakes."
Zheng!
The sound of a biwa rang out.
Inosuke's figure vanished from Infinity Castle.
After sending Inosuke away, Muzan reclined back on his throne.
He closed his eyes, the corner of his lips lifting slightly.
"Heh… so that useless Hantengu died too?"
There was barely any emotional fluctuation.
"Dead is dead. Inosuke has already filled the position of Upper Rank Five."
"But…"
Muzan opened his eyes, sweeping his gaze over the rows of empty sliding doors below.
"The position of Upper Rank Four is vacant. A new piece is needed."
His eyes first fell upon Nakime, who was responsible for the biwa.
"Nakime's ability is useful, but she lacks combat power."
Then, suddenly, a scene surfaced in Muzan's mind—
one he had seen through Hantengu's eyes.
A blond boy on the battlefield, crying with snot and tears everywhere—
yet the moment he learned of Inosuke's death, he erupted in golden lightning and obliterated Aizetsu with a single strike.
"That yellow-haired brat…"
Muzan narrowed his eyes, fingers tapping lightly on the armrest.
"That kind of explosive power… that destructive impulse born from despair…"
"Interesting."
"If he were to learn that Inosuke isn't dead—
but has become a demon…"
"Would that brat be willing to fall into darkness… just to follow Inosuke?"
A playful smile crept onto Muzan's face.
"It seems this game of chess is becoming more and more interesting."
Eternal Paradise Cult
The cult was devoid of its usual laughter and cheer.
Even the believers who constantly cried out for salvation had all been driven away.
The atmosphere was suffocating.
Kaigaku worked in silence, wiping the floors over and over, tears dripping down.
"Wuu… liars… all liars…"
Daki curled up in a corner, clutching a piece of clothing Inosuke had once worn.
She cried until her makeup was ruined, her beautiful eyes swollen like walnuts.
"He even called me big sister…
how could he just be gone?"
"Without that little brat… this place feels so empty…"
Gyutaro squatted beside her, wanting to comfort his sister—but not knowing how.
All he could do was scrape the floor again and again with his bone sickle, producing a grating screech.
Outside the courtyard
Boom! Boom! Boom!
A massive ancient tree, thick enough for two men to embrace, was being subjected to devastating blows.
Akaza was venting his rage on it again.
Like a madman, he punched the trunk over and over.
No aura. No technique.
Just pure physical force.
His knuckles regenerated, were smashed to pulp, then regenerated again—over and over.
"Useless… I'm useless…"
"I failed again… again…"
In Akaza's mind, Inosuke's arrogant grin overlapped with the blurred image of a girl from his sealed memories.
"Komaji-san, will you protect me?"
"Striped Basketball Uncle, take this!"
"AAAAAAH!!"
With a roar, Akaza shattered the ancient tree with a final punch.
That helplessness—
that despair of having power yet still losing everything—
drove him mad.
The Cult Leader's Chamber
Doma sat high upon his throne.
His expression was strange.
That habitual, compassionate fake smile still hung on his lips,
yet tears streamed down endlessly like broken beads.
Thump, thump, thump…
Doma clutched his chest.
So fast.
His heart was beating so fast.
This feeling… what was it?
When believers died before, he had only felt bored.
But now, whenever he closed his eyes, all he saw was that little brat sleeping on his knees, snatching his fan, stepping on his shoulders.
"So this is… sadness?"
"So this is… pain?"
Doma caught a tear with his fingertip and tasted it.
"So bitter…"
"Bitterer than bile."
He had just coaxed Kotoha to sleep.
He lied to her—said Inosuke had been sent far away on a secret mission, and might not return for a long time.
Kotoha said nothing.
She simply cried quietly, then turned her back to him.
She didn't believe it.
As a mother, how could she not feel the oppressive gloom hanging in the air?
How could she fail to see through such clumsy lies?
"What should I do…?"
Doma hugged his knees, curling into his oversized cult leader robes like an abandoned child.
The hall echoed with sobbing so violent it sounded like coughing up blood.
Time passed, little by little.
The Eternal Paradise Cult sank into ashen despair.
Until just before dawn—
BANG!!!
A thunderous crash.
The heavy gates of the Eternal Paradise Cult
were kicked open—violently, unreasonably.
Cold wind rushed into the hall, scattering the stagnant gloom.
All crying stopped.
Daki froze.
Akaza halted his fist.
Doma lifted his head from the throne—
his tear-streaked face still had a snot bubble hanging from his nose.
Outside the gate, dust settled.
A familiar figure stood there, backlit by the dawn, hands on hips, radiating outrageous arrogance.
His clothes were tattered. His face smudged with grime.
But that overwhelming, shameless aura—
no one else could imitate it.
The boy shook his black-and-blue long hair, his multicolored eyes sweeping across the hall filled with sobbing Upper Moons.
Finally, his gaze landed on the disheveled Doma atop the dais.
He grinned, revealing his signature little fangs.
"What're you crying for, you idiot old man?"
Silence.
One second.
Two seconds.
The next moment—
The entire Eternal Paradise Cult exploded.
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