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Page 38

"Oh?" Akaza looked at the three uninvited guests with interest. He released his arm that was piercing the Flame Pillar, leaped back, and assumed a defensive stance. He could sense that these three people had no "battle aura" whatsoever; in his eyes, they were no different from weaklings.

Heh, how amusing. Kyojuro's life is about to end, and yet three more fools have shown up, oblivious to their own mortality. Are they planning to die with him? Perfect timing, I'm getting a little hungry too.

"Who are you?!" he asked with a sneer, his tone full of mockery, like a cat toying with a mouse.

"You scum, don't look at Gu Chuan with your filthy eyes!"

The first to launch an attack was Rin Tohsaka.

Seeing Akaza's murderous gaze fixed on Gu Chuan, her displeasure and jealousy instantly erupted. She didn't even give Gu Chuan a chance to give the order before launching her attack.

"watch out!"

Rin snorted coldly, and in an instant, she hurled several rubies that shimmered with an eerie light under the moonlight. The gems traced mysterious trajectories in the air, forming a magnificent and intricate magical array in the blink of an eye!

"—Gandr!"

With a delicate shout, crimson magical energy bullets poured out from the magic circle like a torrential rain! After being enhanced by her, these bullets were far more powerful than before, each one carrying precise guidance, chasing after Akaza's figure and exploding on his body!

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

A series of explosions rang out, and Akaza's figure was engulfed in flames and smoke. Although he managed to mitigate most of the damage with his astonishing speed and destructive fighting spirit, his body was still blasted into a bloody mess, making him look utterly wretched.

What kind of attack is this?! Akaza was terrified. It wasn't Blood Demon Art! What... what is this woman?!

However, this dazzling magic show appears utterly ridiculous to another person.

"A fancy trick."

Esdeath watched Rin's eagerness to prove herself, a disdainful smile playing on her lips. She felt a slight annoyance at Rin's preemptive attack, as if her prey had been pecked by a noisy sparrow.

She didn't even look at Akaza, but casually raised her slender, fair right hand as if shooing away a fly.

In that instant, the whole world seemed to have been muted.

An extreme, indescribable coldness erupted from Esdeath!

The air condensed, creating a large blanket.

That chill wasn't just a simple drop in temperature; it was a higher-level "freezing" effect, acting on the level of laws. It ignored Akaza's proud fighting spirit and his rapidly regenerating body.

Akaza's anger froze instantly, replaced by an incomprehensible horror and fear emanating from the depths of his soul. He tried to move, but found that every cell in his body was completely imprisoned by that absolute chill.

"Click——"

The crisp sound of ice forming was the last sound he heard in this world.

Under the blank, thoughtless gazes of Rengoku Kyojuro, Tanjiro, and the others, the powerful Upper Moon Three Akaza, along with the ground beneath his feet and the surrounding air, was instantly frozen into a giant, crystal-clear, and lifelike ice sculpture.

His punching stance, the look of astonishment and terror on his face, were perfectly and eternally frozen in that moment, like a work of art full of dark humor.

The whole world was deathly silent.

This can't be real... Tanjiro's nose had completely shut down; his mind had completely ceased functioning due to the surreal scene before him. That... incredibly powerful Upper Moon demon... just like that...

"Is it over?" Rin looked at the huge ice sculpture, pursed her lips, and cursed inwardly, "Damn it, this violent woman stole the spotlight again."

"No, not even close."

Gu Chuan's calm voice rang out.

He slowly walked forward, stood in front of the huge ice sculpture, and held up one finger.

He didn't use any force; he simply touched the core of the ice sculpture as if it were an ordinary object.

next second.

"Wow--"

The seemingly indestructible giant ice sculpture, along with the once invincible Upper Moon Three inside, shattered like a phantom illuminated by sunlight with a crisp, melodious sound, turning into countless shimmering, mesmerizing ice shards that danced in the air.

With a gust of wind, it completely dissipated into the air, as if it had never existed.

Kyojuro Rengoku stared blankly at the scene. His burning heart and unwavering belief were shattered at this moment by a power called "Absolute".

Tanjiro opened his mouth wide, but no sound came out. Inosuke forgot to breathe. Zenitsu had already fainted from fright.

They gazed at the three figures who descended from the sky with an air of nonchalance, as if looking up at true gods walking among mortals.

The world's common sense was completely overturned on this night.

……

Meanwhile, in Infinite City.

Deep within this dimensional fortress, a building composed of spatially distorted and logically broken structures, a man in a suit, with a face so handsome it's almost otherworldly, elegantly holds a glass of red wine stained with blood, listening to his subordinates' monotonous and tedious reports about searching for the Blue Spider Lily.

He is the progenitor of all demons, Muzan Kibutsuji.

Suddenly, his movements froze, and a tearing pain from the depths of his soul struck him without warning! It was not physical pain, but a deeper pain, stemming from the rupture of the invisible link between him and the "work" he had created!

"Ugh—!"

A suppressed groan escaped his throat. Immediately afterward, a vision that wasn't his own, filled with utter horror and despair, flooded his mind like a burst dam!

He "saw" it! Through Akaza's last fragments of consciousness before he dissipated, he saw that nightmarish scene.

He saw the golden portal tearing through the night sky, a blood demon technique unlike any in this world, filled with an aura of holiness and majesty, as if a higher dimension were making a ruthless declaration to this world.

He saw the gems, gleaming with an eerie light, thrown by the blonde girl. The array they formed, the torrent of energy they unleashed—their destructive principles were completely beyond his comprehension. It wasn't a breathing technique, nor was it a blood demon art; it was a meticulously constructed, logically consistent, entirely new power system!

He saw that absolute, chilling cold, enough to freeze the soul. Through Akaza's senses, he could clearly "feel" how that chill ignored his resilient flesh and surging battle aura, directly affecting the very source of his existence, completely sealing off every cell and every wisp of consciousness. It was a power of law representing "end" and "stillness," the most fundamental enemy of beings like him who survived through constant evolution and mutation!

He also saw the black-haired, black-eyed boy who, with a casual flick of his finger, completely erased one of his most prized and strongest pawns from existence! It wasn't destruction, it wasn't killing, it was "elimination." The blood pact between Akaza and him, which had lasted for hundreds of years, wasn't severed, but simply vanished into thin air, as if it had never been formed!

"boom!"

The wine glass in his hand shattered with a crash, the bright red liquid mixed with shards of glass cutting his palm, but he didn't even notice. This insignificant wound was utterly negligible compared to the excruciating pain in his mind that felt as if his soul were being torn apart.

For the first time in a thousand years, his heart, which had long been frozen and numb, viewing all things as ants, pounded wildly with such intensity and pure terror! This terror was so unfamiliar, yet so clear, like a cold hand gripping his soul tightly.

That is not a power.

There are three types!

Three completely different, terrifying forces that he could not comprehend at all, and that posed a deadly threat to him! Their very existence was the ultimate mockery of his thousand-year reign!

"Ah ah ah ah ah ah ah--!!!"

Muzan let out a shrill, distorted roar, his handsome face contorted with extreme fear and rage, and the entire Infinity Castle trembled violently from his out-of-control aura. The floor beneath his feet cracked silently, and spiderweb-like fissures appeared on the surrounding walls.

He had always seen himself as the perfect being, the ultimate form standing at the pinnacle of evolution. But today, he was horrified to discover that he was nothing more than a pathetic creature with a limited perspective!

"Nekome!!" he roared hysterically, his voice trembling with fear, all traces of his usual elegance and composure gone. "Immediately! Right now! Summon all the Upper Moons! All of them! To the Infinity Castle!!"

He needed to see them, to confirm that his strongest pieces were still under his control, and to use them to fill the huge void in his heart that had suddenly appeared, a void called "the unknown."

"Find out the origins of those three monsters at all costs!!"

A thousand years of peace and arrogance were crushed and vanished in this moment.

For the first time, the shadow of "Doomsday" loomed over the King of Demons with such realism and undeniable force.

67 Shocking Flame Pillars

Time seemed to freeze at that moment.

The swirling ice shards, reflecting a dreamlike brilliance under the moonlight, were like a divine baptism, completely erasing all traces of Upper Moon Three's existence.

Kyojuro Rengoku knelt on the spot, his consciousness fading. His proudest secret technique, which was enough to burn out his life force, seemed so powerless in front of his enemy; and that powerful enemy, whom even he could not shake, was crushed like an ant in front of the other three.

This revolutionary realization caused him even more pain and bewilderment than the fatal penetrating wound in his chest. His heart, which had burned for twenty years with unwavering belief in the "power of humanity," seemed to have been plunged into an endless abyss, its last flame about to be extinguished.

So... this is what true... power is?

His gaze vaguely fell on the black-haired boy. The other boy had been standing quietly the whole time. In his indifferent eyes, there was no joy in defeating a powerful enemy, no pity in saving the weak, only a bottomless calm, as if everything he had just done was nothing more than brushing away the dust from his clothes.

"Mr. Purgatory!!"

Tanjiro Kamado finally snapped out of his shock at the miraculous sight. He scrambled to Kyojuro's side and, seeing the bottomless hole in his chest, burst into tears.

"Cheer up! Mr. Purgatory! Your injuries..."

Tanjiro's voice choked with emotion. He knew that such injuries meant certain death for a human. The hope that had just risen within him, extinguished by a powerful enemy, was instantly overwhelmed by even deeper despair.

"Don't... cry, Kamado boy..." Kyojuro Rengoku used his last bit of strength to force a grim smile, "As a Pillar... dying in battle... is my honor..."

"I'm so glad you're all alright..."

He was prepared to face death. However, just as his consciousness was about to sink into eternal darkness, a calm voice rang in his ears.

"Dying here doesn't count as fulfilling one's duty."

Kyojuro Rengoku slowly raised his head and saw that the black-haired boy was now standing in front of him. Behind him, a woman with long, ice-blue hair and a girl with blonde twin tails were scrutinizing him with a critical gaze.

"Such tenacious vitality. He's clearly a cripple, yet his fighting spirit hasn't completely dissipated." Esdeath's lips curled into a cruel, almost cruel, smile—the pure curiosity a strong person displays towards a weak person struggling in their death throes. "Gu Chuan, do you need me to help him find release? I can freeze him into an even more perfect work of art."

"Shut up! You're not allowed to be rude to Mr. Rengoku!" Tanjiro roared angrily at her, even though his whole body was trembling with fear.

"Oh? Is a weak insect lecturing me?" Esdeath's icy blue eyes narrowed slightly, and a terrifying killing intent instantly enveloped Tanjiro, making him feel as if he had fallen into an ice cellar, and even his breathing stopped.

“Esdeath,” Gu Chuan said calmly, without turning around, “be quiet.”

With just three words, the killing intent that could freeze a soul vanished instantly. Esdeath snorted unhappily, but actually shut her mouth, though her cold eyes still scanned Rengoku Kyojuro and Tanjiro without any attempt to hide it.

"Hey, you," Rin Tohsaka said to Gu Chuan, arms crossed, looking down at him, "this guy's about to die, what are you planning to do? We're not here for charity, the mission objective is just to take care of that ugly freak, right?"

Even so, her gaze involuntarily drifted to Rengoku Kyojuro's horrific wounds, a hint of pity flashing in her azure eyes. As a magician, she knew better than anyone that this level of physical injury far exceeded the scope of "healing."

Gu Chuan did not answer them, but squatted down, stretched out his hand, and hovered it above Lian Er 1 Yi Wu Qi Jiu Lu San Wo Yu Xing Shou Lang's chest.

"What... are you going to do?" Rengoku Kyojuro asked warily, every cell in his body instinctively resisting. The power contained within the boy before him was an unknown entity completely beyond his comprehension.

“I’ll give you a choice,” Gu Chuan said calmly. “Whether you die gloriously here as the Flame Pillar of the Demon Slayer Corps, leaving your descendants to carry on with the weight of your death and helplessness; or accept my blessing, live on, and witness the end of this world.”

"A blessing?" Rengoku Kyojuro's pupils suddenly contracted.

He saw a soft, golden light, seemingly containing the secrets of the origin of life, slowly gathering in Gu Chuan's palm. The light was so warm, so sacred, that just looking at it made Rengoku Kyojuro feel a warm current flowing into his crumbling body.

Without the slightest hesitation.

"I... choose to live!" Kyojuro Rengoku roared out his answer with all his might.

He wasn't afraid of death. It was because he knew he had an unfinished mission. He wanted to protect these younger generations, he wanted to pass on his will, and he wanted to witness the day Muzan Kibutsuji was defeated! If he could live, he was willing to pay any price!

"Wise choice."

A barely perceptible smile finally appeared on Gu Chuan's lips.

He gently pressed that ball of golden light onto Rengoku Kyojuro's chest.

"Om-"

A miracle beyond words has occurred.

Under the horrified gazes of Tanjiro, Inosuke, and the newly awakened Zenitsu, the terrifying blood hole in Rengoku Kyojuro's chest, large enough to fit a fist, began to heal at a visible speed!

Broken bones are rebuilding, torn internal organs are regenerating, and necrotic flesh and blood are being replaced by new tissue... The body, which had begun to grow cold, is being infused with vigorous vitality again!

This is no longer "treatment," but "creation"! It is the divine power to reverse life and death and overturn the laws of nature!

In just a few breaths, all of Rengoku Kyojuro's wounds, including those on his forehead and cheeks, disappeared without a trace, leaving his skin smooth as before, as if the fierce battle before him had been nothing but an illusion.

"This...how is this possible..." Tanjiro muttered to himself, his mind completely giving up on thinking. He sniffed hard, but could only smell the warm, sun-like life force emanating from Mr. Rengoku, more vibrant than ever before.

"...My body..." Rengoku Kyojuro slowly stood up, feeling the unprecedented and abundant power within him, and was completely shocked. Not only were his injuries healed, but he also felt that his physical condition was several times better than in his prime!

He suddenly looked up, his gaze filled with a complex mix of awe, gratitude, and utter confusion as he looked at Gu Chuan.

"Your Excellency... who exactly are you...?"

He wanted to address the other party as "god," but felt that even this word seemed somewhat inadequate.

“We are observers,” Gu Chuan stood up, brushed off non-existent dust from his hands, and said in a matter-of-fact tone, “We have been entrusted to correct this world.”

An impending tragedy.

“Observer…correcting tragedy…” Rengoku Kyojuro chewed on these words whose meaning was unclear.

"Alright, now that the mission is complete, we should go." Rin Tohsaka urged impatiently, not wanting to stay in this backward world for even a second longer.

Gu Chuan nodded, saying nothing more. For the people of this world (Li Wang Zhao), knowing too much is not a good thing. He had already given Rengoku Kyojuro the "possibility" to continue fighting; as for the future, that was for them to forge themselves.

A golden portal slowly unfolded behind the three of them once again.

"Please wait a moment before shaking!"