Kibutsuji Muzan brought Kokushibo to the vicinity of a remote mountain village before dawn. The area was sparsely populated with scarce supplies, so it would surely take the Demon Slayer Corps some time to track them down to such a secluded ravine.
The two demons settled in. Kibutsuji Muzan informed Kokushibo that, apart from Kokushibo himself, all other demons had broken free from Muzan's control.
"I remember there are twenty-seven of them. Kill them whenever you run into them from now on."
Kibutsuji Muzan issued the order to Kokushibo. He had never looked kindly upon these traitors who had broken away from him.
"Kokushibo, I trust you. Do not disappoint me."
*Slash—!*
Muzan sliced an opening across his own palm, and crimson blood welled up drop by drop, emitting a scent of extreme allure to demons. Kokushibo instantly understood that Lord Muzan was performing a Blood Granting upon him, and he hurriedly knelt, cupping his hands together to catch the precious blood.
After bestowing a certain amount of blood upon Kokushibo, Muzan left him to absorb the power.
Watching Kokushibo still kneeling motionless on the ground, Muzan once again marveled at the other's willpower. Although receiving a Blood Granting could grant far greater power, it also came with agonizing pain and torment. The amount of blood Muzan had given this time was not insignificant; he had already prepared himself to see Kokushibo's face twist in agony. Instead... the man merely had bulging veins and absorbed the blood without a sound, stubbornly refusing to show even a shred of pain or suffering in front of Muzan.
*Sasuga Upper Rank One, truly powerful.*
Muzan approved of Kokushibo, gaining an even clearer understanding of this character who had previously only existed in two-dimensional fiction.
"Kokushibo, remember: do not stir up trouble lightly, nor are you permitted to kill at random."
Muzan gave his commands to Kokushibo, who was still absorbing the blood.
"You may consider turning those with potential into demons, but you are not allowed to recklessly and forcefully turn people into demons. You may kill evildoers, and when you encounter the Demon Slayer Corps, avoid conflicts whenever possible."
"I give you my blood and grant you the right to turn ordinary mortals into demons. From this moment on, we are no longer in a superior-subordinate relationship. I allow you—and I trust you—to become my partner."
"Do you understand, Kokushibo?"
Are you kidding? Muzan definitely did not want to continue accumulating his own *evil*. Even though the Demon Slayer Corps stood opposite him and humans were merely *food*, Muzan still preferred not to kill indiscriminately or pick fights with the Demon Slayer Corps.
Call it human nature, ambition, or perhaps a *transmigrator wanting to protect the characters*.
He wanted to change.
Himself, or perhaps others.
"...Understood, Lord Muzan."
Kokushibo's slightly restrained and trembling voice came through. Though he had no idea why the Demon King would suddenly issue such orders, he chose to accept them nonetheless.
.....
After bidding farewell to Kokushibo, Muzan pondered what to do next.
He sat inside a dilapidated, long-abandoned wooden hut, gazing blankly at the sun hanging high in the sky outside the window.
Ah, is it noon now...
He sighed.
Once Muzan had adapted to his body, he naturally understood that the current Muzan was not the later *Muzan*. His weaknesses remained identical to those of ordinary demons: Nichirin Blades, the sun, and wisteria.
Yet, after all, he was the Demon King, possessing power and a physique unmatched by ordinary demons. His regenerative ability was formidable; unless faced with a powerhouse like Yoriichi Tsugikuni, even if a Nichirin Blade cleaved into his flesh, it would heal instantly. The scent of wisteria was merely repulsive and slightly repellent to Muzan, not enough to keep him from approaching it, and as for wisteria poison... provided he didn't swallow a lethal dose meant for a whole person, he could basically digest it.
The one thing that truly restrained Muzan above all else was probably nothing other than the sun.
Oh, and Yoriichi Tsugikuni (*heh*).
"Tch, how annoying."
Muzan frowned. As he pondered where he could truly hide from Yoriichi Tsugikuni's pursuit, several auras approached from afar, moving toward his location.
Hmm? Humans?
Muzan raised his head, walked over to the window, and looked out at a group of people a hundred meters away.
It was a band of four or five burly men whose appearance and demeanor suggested they were no good. At the tail end of the group were several dirt-covered women being driven forward.
Muzan understood at a glance that this group consisted of mountain bandits, specializing in robbing such impoverished villages of people and money while playing the role of local tyrants to satisfy their own sense of superiority.
Not very nice people, then...
Muzan's face darkened.
"Boss, the wenches we snatched this time really have fine looks," a man holding a short blade said with a fawning grin as he followed close to the burly bandit leader.
"Of course, our boss has the best eye for these things," another man chimed in, elbowing the short-bladed man and immediately laying on the flattery. The leading bandit seemed to thoroughly enjoy the flattery; he laughed heartily and clapped the man on the shoulder.
"Very good. I'll let you be the second to enjoy them today!"
"Oh! Thank you, Boss~!"
"Hahahaha!"
"....."
The men's laughter echoed from the front, while the women at the rear of the procession trembled, tears streaming down their faces. They were all women who had been snatched from this village, and such atrocities had occurred more than once. Outawed by the bandits' might, the villagers had no choice but to let them be.
"What should we do, Shoji-neesan? I don't want to be violated by people like this..."
A younger girl looked tearfully at Shoji beside her, while Shoji, the eldest among this group of women, was equally at a loss. She had no idea what to do. Including herself, all four of her sisters had been abducted; running was impossible, and fighting back was out of the question. It felt as though everything was just a cruel joke played by the heavens.
Just then, another girl collapsed to the ground from exhaustion, causing the entire procession to halt.
"It hurts... I can't stand up."
Tears welled in the girl's eyes as she felt her strength drain away; her feet were swollen, and clearly she could no longer continue the journey.
But the bandits cared nothing for such things.
"Hey, get up, you stinking bitch!"
The man with the short blade kicked the woman squarely in the stomach, completely devoid of any gentleness or pity.
"Stop it!"
Seeing her sister treated this way, Shoji cried out and threw herself over the woman to block the short-bladed man's brutal assault. But this action only displeased the man, who began beating Shoji right along with her.
Cries of pain and pleas for help rang out in waves, yet no one could answer them.
"Enough, don't kick her to death."
The bandit leader put a stop to his subordinate's brutality. Gazing at the fragile yet unyielding Shoji, a brilliant idea suddenly struck him. A lewd grin spread across his face as he reached out, hoisted Shoji up by her clothes, and strode toward the wooden hut a few dozen meters ahead.
"Though it's still a bit early, it doesn't matter."
"What?! No! No!!"
Shoji naturally understood what he intended to do. She struggled desperately, attempting to break free from the bandit leader's grip, but all her efforts were in vain.
"Oho~ the boss can't wait anymore!"
The other subordinates laughed in unison at their leader's actions, then exchanged knowing, filthy glances as they turned their gaze back toward the three remaining women.
.....
The dozen-meter distance was quickly covered as the bandit quickened his pace. Gazing at the approaching dilapidated wooden hut, Shoji knew she was doomed.
She closed her eyes and let hot tears fall, resigning herself to her fate and ceasing her struggles.
Her husband had been murdered by these very bandits today, and now she was about to be violated by these damnable wretches. She didn't want this, but she knew she had no other choice.
At worst... she would just kill herself afterward.
Her dim, lifeless eyes stared blankly at the wooden door inches away.
"If there are gods... please, save us......"
*Creak—*
The old wooden door was pushed open.
Just as the bandit leader intended to deal with Shoji right there, he suddenly caught sight of a pair of rose-red eyes within the pitch-black interior of the hut.
They were pupils slit vertically like a cat's, and those rose-red eyes fixed upon him like a venomous snake.
Indifferent, dangerous, beautiful.
Before the bandit leader could say another word, he suddenly saw the world spinning upside down, and then he caught sight of his own headless body and the look of utter shock on the woman's face over his shoulder.
"Who gave you permission to enter?"
"Trash."
*Thud.*
It was the sound of a head hitting the ground, followed by the dull thud of a corpse collapsing.
"......"