"Rengoku-senpai."
Just as Shinjuro was racking his brain for a strategy, Kanae suddenly spoke before him.
"Do you know where Kyojuro was taken by the demons after the battle at the Infinity Castle?"
[Kyojuro? Could he still be...]
Kanae suddenly mentioning his son's name caused Shinjuro's attention to waver for an instant, and his hand slowed for a fraction of a second.
And that was exactly Kanae's intention.
As a practitioner of Flower Breathing, she understood the side effects of the Crimson Spider Lily Eyes better than anyone.
While Shinjuro was thinking about how to buy time, she was simultaneously thinking about how to end this quickly.
Fortunately, the man before her, though still physically healthy, had numerous mental weaknesses—fragile, shattering at the slightest touch.
[Now!]
Flower Breathing: Fifth Form—Peony of Futility!
Seizing that instant of Shinjuro's distraction, Kanae fiercely swung her blade, knocking aside the Nichirin Blade before him, and instantly unleashed a multi-stage continuous slash with trajectories like peony petals, striking at every part of Shinjuro's body!
Squelch!
Blood splattered in all directions. His skin and muscles tore inch by inch under the dense peach-colored slashes. Shinjuro violently spat out a mouthful of blood and fell to his knees, powerless.
[Have I... lost?]
Blood flowing everywhere, intense pain continuously stimulating his nerves, Shinjuro slowly lowered his head and looked at the Nichirin Blade in his right hand.
He tried to muster his strength to raise the blade again, but with his hand tendons severed, he could not do it no matter how hard he tried.
[I see... in the end...]
After his initial shock, Shinjuro accepted this result with remarkable calmness.
This man who had already died twenty years ago said nothing, asked nothing. He simply slowly lowered his head and closed his eyes.
The battle between the two concluded here.
From start to finish, the entire fight lasted less than ten seconds, ending very swiftly.
Her eyes already throbbing with pain, the crimson blood gradually fading from her gaze, Kanae did not look at Shinjuro kneeling beside her. She simply gripped her Nichirin Blade and walked straight toward the room where Kiriya was.
In her mind, those inexplicable thoughts surfaced once more.
Kanae, you can't do this...
Kanae, have you forgotten your duty as a Demon Slayer?
Kanae, have you forgotten the sins your clan bears?
Kanae, think well of your mother, think of what she told you with her dying breath...
"You dare bring up my mother?"
Perfectly aware of where these thoughts in her mind were coming from, Kanae's tone was ice-cold.
Veins bulging on her forehead, the Flower Hashira who had always maintained a warm smile no matter who she faced, as if she would never get angry—
At this moment, finally revealed an expression of extreme fury on her face.
"You really think I don't know how my mother died?!"
"For generations, whenever our ancestors passed away, Mitsuba would come to see them off. So why didn't she come when mother died? You really think I can't guess the reason behind that?!"
"My mother shouldn't have died at that time!"
"It was you who used up my mother and couldn't wait to eliminate her, and now... you dare bring up my mother before me?!"
"Arrogant beast! Let me tell you plainly right now—my mother was never what you thought she was!
You thought you were using her, but in reality, all of that was merely an arrangement mother made after sensing your interference!
Having me join the Demon Slayer Corps, become a Demon Slayer, and those words she spoke before her death... all of it, every single thing, was for today!"
"To completely sever these tentacles you've left in the human world!
"Did you hear that clearly?! Whether it was mother or me, we were never influenced by you!"
"So... get the hell out! Stop buzzing around in my brain!!"
In an instant, all the voices in her mind vanished.
All distracting thoughts were purged. With her mind finally quiet, Kanae took a deep breath and reached out to pull open the door before her.
"At Upper Rank Two's location, Tanjiro and Kanroji Mitsuri have already rushed over!"
"What about the Water Hashira?"
"They're still fighting Upper Rank Three! The situation is extremely critical!"
"Any sign of Mr. Kamado Tanjuro?"
"Not yet! The Kasugai Crows are still searching!"
The battle outside earlier had not affected the tense atmosphere inside the room. Kiriya and his two sisters were still fully focused on observing every movement within the Infinity Castle.
It was only when Kanae pulled open the door and entered that the three inside finally noticed her.
"Kanae? Why are you here?"
Looking up at Kanae, a trace of confusion floated in Kiriya's eyes.
But immediately after, he saw the Nichirin Blade in Kanae's hand, still dripping with blood.
And behind her, in the courtyard, Shinjuro kneeling on the ground with his head lowered, his fate unknown.
In an instant, Kiriya understood everything.
Kocho Kanae had betrayed them!
She had never gone to the Infinity Castle from the start!
She had come to kill him!!
"Kanae, you..."
"Young Master, it's time for you to depart."
Giving Kiriya no time to react, with absolutely no intention of chatting, a smile appeared on Kanae's face as she stepped forward without hesitation and swung her Nichirin Blade at the three people in the room.
Mitsuba loved to play, but she did not.
When it was time to act, she never wasted words.
"..."
The timeline shifts slightly backward.
Within the Infinity Castle, Doma sat in his lotus pond church, smiling as he watched Uzui Tengen's two wives struggling against his ice dragon.
Oh, no, he should call them widows now.
"Nee～to be honest, I don't think you two should hate me, really."
Watching the two women being toyed with by the ice dragon, Doma spoke leisurely:
"Think about it—love is about being devoted to one another, right?
Since ancient times, love has been different from friendship because it is selfish.
Truly loving someone means never thinking about sharing that feeling with others.
But that man—each of you was devoted to him, yet he loved all three of you at the same time, insisting each one was his true love?
Incredible, truly incredible～I really don't understand how that man could say such things.
After all, I can't imagine myself loving other women while loving Kotoha.
No, I should say, just thinking about it makes me want to vomit, so ashamed I'd want to commit suicide on the spot... so, you really should thank me."
Looking at the two women before him, Doma said very seriously:
"Because I helped you eliminate a hypocritical, scummy man and freed you from this vortex that is the Demon Slayer Corps!
From now on, you can pursue your new lives! Isn't that right?"