Inosuke and Zenitsu did not wake until lunchtime.
The moment they saw Tanjiro lying in bed looking as though he had narrowly escaped death, both of them froze in shock. Zenitsu immediately burst into tears, throwing himself beside Tanjiro's futon.
"Tanjiro!!! I can't believe you're still alive… Don't worry! If anything happens to you, I'll take good care of Nezuko!!"
Before the pair could begin preparing Tanjiro's "funeral," Shinobu Kocho calmly walked over and, with a smile that carried no warmth whatsoever, drove them out of the room.
Were these two really his closest friends?
At lunchtime, everyone gathered in the dining hall of the Butterfly Mansion.
Tanjiro sat stiffly, nervously watching Hotaru Haganezuka, whose terrifying aura still hadn't diminished in the slightest.
Trying to repair their relationship, Tanjiro hurriedly picked up a bowl of freshly steamed rice and respectfully placed it before Haganezuka.
Standing behind the swordsmith, Kozo Kanamori finally let out a relieved sigh.
Good… Maybe this crisis is finally over…
Unfortunately…
Tanjiro's next sentence immediately buried that hope.
"Mr. Haganezuka, you must've had a hard time chasing me all morning. You haven't eaten yet, have you?"
Silence.
Everyone at the table froze.
Every pair of chopsticks stopped halfway to someone's mouth.
Zenitsu's face instantly turned pale.
Only the completely oblivious master-and-disciple pair, Kyojuro Rengoku and Mitsuri Kanroji, continued eating enthusiastically.
"Delicious!"
"Very delicious!"
The veins bulged beneath Haganezuka's mask.
His murderous aura exploded once more.
"Brat…"
"…Are you mocking me?"
The next instant, he grabbed a nearby kitchen knife and lunged straight at Tanjiro.
Startled, Tanjiro dropped his bowl with a loud crash before scrambling away in panic.
"Mr. Haganezuka! You've misunderstood!!"
The chase resumed.
"I wasn't mocking you!"
"I meant you hadn't had the chance to eat yet!"
Unfortunately…
That explanation only made things worse.
"So now you're saying I neglected my own meals because of you?!"
"I'll make you pay for what happened to my sword!!"
Tanjiro fled across the Butterfly Mansion once again with Haganezuka hot on his heels.
Zenitsu and Inosuke wanted to help…
At least, that was the plan.
But the moment they saw Haganezuka's murderous aura, both of them quietly stopped moving.
Inosuke wasn't afraid of challenging Upper Rank demons.
He had even dared yell insults at Kokushibo himself.
Yet…
For some reason…
The enraged swordsmith terrified him far more.
After all, during their previous encounter, he had nearly cried from fright.
He had only managed to calm himself by hiding behind Tanjiro and clutching his sleeve while secretly watching Haganezuka leave.
Thus…
The two "loyal companions" silently chose self-preservation.
The pursuit continued from noon until sunset.
Only after every Hashira currently staying at the Butterfly Mansion personally stepped in to persuade Haganezuka did the furious swordsmith finally calm down.
Well…
At least enough to stop chasing Tanjiro.
Meanwhile…
Within the Imperial Palace, Kokushibo met privately with Saito Arashi.
Standing beside him were Akaza, Susamaru, and Yahaba.
Since the two demons had now joined Kokushibo's faction, they naturally needed to understand his objectives moving forward.
"My lord."
Saito Arashi respectfully knelt.
"I've discovered a lead regarding the investigation you ordered."
Kokushibo looked at him.
"Speak."
"There truly was once a massive civilian organization operating throughout the country."
"However…"
"It mysteriously vanished shortly after Kibutsuji Muzan first appeared."
Since Saito Arashi had been transformed directly by Kokushibo, he possessed no instinctive reverence toward Muzan whatsoever.
He simply referred to him by name.
That alone left Susamaru and Yahaba utterly stunned.
"So cool…"
"Our lord actually dares call the Demon King by his name…"
Kokushibo, however, wasn't pleased.
Instead, he frowned.
According to every pattern he'd seen throughout history, organizations capable of surviving for generations rarely disappeared completely.
More often than not…
They simply retreated into the shadows.
"So…"
"They're still alive."
"They're merely hiding."
"If humanity, demons, and those Manjushiro continue exhausting one another…"
"They'll eventually emerge and claim victory over everyone."
"What a group of crafty old foxes."
After pondering for a moment, Kokushibo gave another order.
"Continue investigating."
"No matter how insignificant the clue may seem, report it to me immediately."
"Understood."
Saito Arashi bowed deeply before departing.
After leaving the palace, Akaza walked quietly beside Kokushibo.
After a long silence, he finally asked,
"Exactly how many plans have you prepared?"
Kokushibo merely waved a hand modestly.
"Not that many."
Then he glanced toward Susamaru and Yahaba.
"Take those two back to Mito."
"I'm heading to the Infinity Castle."
Akaza nodded without objection.
Upon arriving inside the Infinity Castle, Kokushibo quickly noticed something unusual.
Muzan wasn't there.
He looked toward Nakime.
"Has Lord Muzan gone out?"
Nakime nodded calmly.
"He entered the human world."
"He said he intended to continue expanding his influence."
Kokushibo maintained his usual indifferent expression.
Internally, however…
He was delighted.
Excellent.
So he's personally involving himself with that company.
I've already instructed Saito Arashi to investigate it.
Once the evidence is complete…
We'll shut the entire operation down.
He almost wanted to laugh.
"So…"
"Still trying to evade taxes?"
"We'll see how long that lasts."
Having nothing else to do, Kokushibo wandered through the Infinity Castle.
After walking for some time, he stopped before several unfamiliar buildings.
He looked toward Nakime.
"What are these?"
"Oh."
"They're simply some of Lord Muzan's private residences."
Nakime answered as though such an extravagant explanation were perfectly ordinary.
Kokushibo nodded and continued walking.
Eventually…
He arrived at the familiar haunted house.
At this point, it had practically become the official gathering place for the Lower Rank demons to relax.
Even Rokuro, who normally kept entirely to himself, was sitting inside.
The room had become remarkably quiet.
Every Lower Rank demon held a novel in their hands.
Originally, Rokuro had refused to participate.
However, after Kyogai and Nakime repeatedly encouraged him, he reluctantly decided to give one a chance.
Unlike the others, he skipped Kyogai's more unusual romance stories.
Instead, he chose an ordinary romance between a man and a woman.
Much to everyone's surprise…
He became completely absorbed.
Hours later, after finally reaching the final page
He stared blankly at the ending.
The hero and heroine had grown old together.
They had lived long, peaceful lives.
Then…
He slowly looked toward Kyogai and Nakime, who sat happily beside one another.
Silence.
For some inexplicable reason…
He felt as though he could hear dogs barking somewhere far away.
A moment later…
He lowered his head.
Being single…
Really was painful.
After all, most of the other Lower Rank demons had been transformed while still teenagers.
Mentally, they remained much the same.
Rokuro, however…
Had been turned into a demon as a lonely middle-aged man.
The emotional damage was immeasurable.
Seeing Kyogai writing with increasing enthusiasm, Kokushibo couldn't help asking,
"So you've completely abandoned practicing your Blood Demon Art?"
Kyogai immediately shook his head.
"Not at all, Lord Kokushibo."
"I usually practice in the empty buildings throughout the Infinity Castle whenever I have free time."
"Besides…"
"The breathing method you taught me has greatly improved my rhythm and control."
"My music flows much more naturally now."
Satisfied, Kokushibo nodded.
Kyogai then respectfully handed him another manuscript.
"Lord Kokushibo."
"This is a novel Daki requested."
"Please deliver it to her for me."
Kokushibo accepted it before instinctively glancing toward Nakime.
For some reason…
Her expression had become rather strange.
Immediately, Kokushibo felt as though the manuscript in his hands had suddenly become alarmingly dangerous.
Surely not…
Has Kyogai written another one of those stories?
Without hesitation, he looked at the title.
The Promise Beneath the Snow.
Kokushibo quietly let out a sigh of relief.
Thankfully…
This one sounded perfectly normal.
What he didn't know, however…
Was that Kyogai had absolutely no experience writing wholesome family stories.
So whether it truly was "normal" remained highly questionable.
After thinking for a while, Kokushibo suddenly realized something.
Since becoming a demon…
He had never once visited Yoshiwara.
Curiosity stirred within him.
Turning toward Nakime, he spoke calmly.
"Take me to Yoshiwara."
With a gentle strum of her biwa, the space around them folded.
The Infinity Castle shifted…
And the two vanished into the night.
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