Muzan spent a full day and night in this cave digesting all the information.
He understood that he could never go back, and as the villain of the story, he was bound to meet a very grim end. But none of that was a big deal; as a transmigrator, he was certainly not going to sit around and wait for death.
Over the course of the day, Muzan adapted to and accepted this body remarkably well. He could use his Blood Demon Art and feel his Control over his subordinates. Although many demons, taking advantage of Muzan's weakness, had already broken free of his control and dissolved into drifting wisps of thread like dust...
Yet...
While nearly all the demons had broken away from Muzan's control, there was still one person who remained standing—
Kokushibo.
"Wuwuwu, I knew my good older brother wouldn't abandon me QAQ!"
The sky gradually darkened, and a new night quietly descended.
Muzan stood up from the stone, just preparing to leave the cave to look for a new shelter, when a presence rapidly approached his direction. Yet Muzan did not panic or strike a combat pose; he merely stopped and looked outside the cave.
*Clack—*
It was the sound of wooden geta touching the ground.
"Lord Muzan."
Mature, steady, and low, the heavy presence swept past with a gentle breeze, carrying a hint of oppression.
Kokushibo knelt on one knee, showing no obvious injuries on his body. Evidently, Kokushibo had not died under Yoriichi Tsugikuni's blade. Whether he had managed to escape or Yoriichi had shown mercy, none of that mattered now.
After all, upon seeing Kokushibo safe and sound, Muzan let out a heavy sigh of relief.
"My Lord... your subordinate is incompetent, failing to kill Yoriichi Tsugikuni."
Kokushibo's head remained bowed, as if he had prepared himself to be punished by Muzan.
Time ticked by second by second. Kokushibo felt Kibutsuji Muzan move, walking toward him step by step—and he closed his eyes, awaiting his lord's punishment.
Yet...
What followed was neither the agony of having his head cut off nor the pain of being pierced through. Instead, it was a cold yet entirely harmless presence and an embrace.
"!!"
Kokushibo abruptly snapped open all six of his eyes, looking toward his lord in sheer disbelief.
And Kibutsuji Muzan, the Demon King who had created man-eating demons, the man sitting at the absolute pinnacle of power and might, was actually squatting right in front of him at this very moment, resting his head against his shoulder!
What an absurd and mind-blowing sight!
"..."
"Lord Muzan, you...—"
"..Kokushibo."
Muzan interrupted Kokushibo's words. His muffled voice traveled through the fabric of Kokushibo's haori; the tone was calm, yet enough to make the other man snap his mouth shut.
"Ahhhhh, Big Bro, it's so great you're okay!! What would I do without you—"
This was the churning inner turmoil beneath Muzan's calm exterior.
"Killing that monster doesn't matter anymore; there is simply no way to deal with this guy Yoriichi Tsugikuni other than waiting for him to die of old age, ugh."
It was a good thing Kokushibo had no way of knowing what Kibutsuji Muzan was thinking inside, or the Demon King's image probably would have completely shattered right then and there...
"...Wait, am I acting a bit out of character?"
Muzan leaned on Kokushibo's shoulder for a moment longer before pulling back to look once more into Kokushibo's six eyes.
Whatever. At least for now, I'm the one in control of this body.
"Kokushibo, you've already done very well. That fellow Yoriichi Tsugikuni far exceeded my expectations. It seems... I need to reevaluate the Demon Slayers of this era."
Muzan said these words in a calm, magnetic voice, but to Kokushibo's ears, they carried an entirely different meaning:
*You still haven't done enough.*
It seemed he would have to try much harder.
He knew all too well just how vast the gap was between Yoriichi Tsugikuni and himself. During the clash on that previous night, if Yoriichi hadn't persistently tried to persuade him to stop his absurd actions, he would have already been decapitated by that terrifying Breathing Style and died by his younger brother's blade.
Why?
Clearly he had turned into a demon, possessing endless time and power... yet he still couldn't surpass his younger brother.
At this thought, hatred filled Kokushibo's eyes once more.
Kibutsuji Muzan did not deliberately read Kokushibo's inner thoughts; he merely stood up, brushed the dust from the hem of his garment, and then motioned for Kokushibo to follow him out of the cave.
Ah, at this timeline, Muzan hadn't found Nakime yet, nor could he enter the Infinity Castle as a perfect stronghold.
What a hassle, what a huge hassle. He would actually have to rely on his own two legs to walk across this vast land...
Muzan sighed inwardly, yet he was also grateful to be a transmigrator; knowing some of the plot at least kept him from acting blindly and arrogantly rushing into reckless actions.
........
Yoriichi Tsugikuni returned to the Demon Slayer Corps, honestly and word for word recounting his encounter with the Demon King Muzan, and also revealing that the former Moon Hashira, Michikatsu Tsugikuni, had turned into an evil demon. He further confessed his incompetence in failing to kill either of them, and that he had even let a female demon named Tamayo escape.
Upon hearing these words from Yoriichi, the rest of the Hashira were nearly beside themselves with rage. They felt that Yoriichi lacked the awareness and responsibility befitting a Hashira, and that this was nothing short of a "betrayal of the organization."
"Hey, hey! If you ask me, a guy like you should just commit seppuku to atone for this!"
A volatile voice rang out—it was the Wind Hashira of the current era.
The others murmured among themselves; some expressed anger matching the Wind Hashira's, while others remained cold and silent. But overall, there was widespread dissatisfaction regarding Yoriichi letting the evil demons go.
"Shh, quiet down."
The leader of the Demon Slayer Corps called out softly, and the previously noisy atmosphere instantly fell silent. He looked toward the silent Yoriichi and asked for his personal stance:
"I will step down from the Demon Slayer Corps, and spend my entire life hunting down the Demon King and my bro... the Moon Hashira who became a demon. Once I kill them, I will commit seppuku to atone."
He raised his gaze, his dark red eyes, burning like embers, devoid of any emotion, yet his tone and aura made it clear that his mind was completely made up.
Once Yoriichi spoke, all the questioning voices vanished. Although they were displeased with Yoriichi, they were well aware of his strength; his words were no empty boast.
"Is that so..."
Ubuyashiki pondered for a moment, then nodded.
"Then, would you mind sharing the information you have on the Demon King and Michikatsu Tsugikuni who turned into a demon, Lord Yoriichi?"
"Naturally."
"........"
As Ubuyashiki listened to the intelligence reported by Yoriichi, a sudden surge of heat rushed to his head, and a familiar sensation welled up from within—
He had caught a glimpse of the future once more.
Yet...
That future, already hazy to begin with, seemed to shift at this moment.
A flash of scarlet emerged, then vanished as swiftly as if it had never existed at all.
Kibutsuji Muzan.....
We will sink our teeth into you and hold on tight, no matter the cost.
That is the very meaning of our existence as the Demon Slayer Corps.