Chapter 212: 212 must win!
Outside Infinite City, the Swordsmith Village.
As the red moon in the night sky grew brighter and brighter, a man lying in bed, utterly paralyzed, suddenly sat up in a room of a mansion.
He struggled to drape a garment over himself, trembling as he moved to the corridor connected to the courtyard, coughing all the while as he gazed at the bright moon—even though the majority of his body had rotted away, he insisted on sitting there, refusing to lie down again.
"Lord Kagaya!"
Ubuyashiki Kagaya’s wife, Ubuyashiki Amane, had just come in with medicine and hurried to his side to support him upon seeing this.
"You must not, Lord Kagaya, you cannot get out of bed now!"
Panic and concern tinged Ubuyashiki Amane’s voice.
However, Ubuyashiki Kagaya patted his wife’s hand with a voice as gentle as ever, saying, "Don’t worry about me, it will all be over soon."
Ubuyashiki Amane could discern the meaning behind his words.
"I can feel it, Kibutsuji Muzan is in battle."
Like the last burst of light before the end, Ubuyashiki Kagaya’s voice became clear again, no longer filled with struggle, no longer with pain, but with an indescribable calm and gentleness.
"Surely, he has found Kibutsuji Muzan and has started the battle, right?"
The outcome of this battle, Ubuyashiki Kagaya did not know.
But Ubuyashiki Kagaya knew, this was the last time he would be sitting here like this.
If Reiger defeated Kibutsuji Muzan, the Ubuyashiki family’s curse would vanish, and he might be able to overcome his serious illness and become a normal person again.
If Reiger failed to defeat Kibutsuji Muzan, and the demon achieved ultimate victory, then with Ubuyashiki Kagaya’s current physical condition, he would likely die immediately.
Even if Kibutsuji Muzan was defeated yet managed to escape and the curse was not lifted, this would still be the last time Ubuyashiki Kagaya was sitting here.
Thus, he had a feeling that if Kibutsuji Muzan was not subdued by dawn, his time would probably end here.
In that case, during these last moments, instead of lying in bed, he would rather keep watch like this, over the bright moon, until it was replaced by tomorrow’s sun.
"It really is regrettable at this time," Ubuyashiki Kagaya said to himself: "I can’t take up the sword and fight like the children can, I can only sit here quietly waiting for the outcome, the Ubuyashiki, cursed in all regards."
"...Please try not to worry too much." Ubuyashiki Amane said, supporting her husband, "Thanks to Lord Tsukiguni, everyone is different now, if it’s them today, those upper-rank demons can surely be defeated by battle."
"Yes, I believe this too," Ubuyashiki Kagaya said with a gentle expression, "They will surely defeat the demons, overcome this millennium of tragedy, and set everything back on its proper course."
"Tsukiguni Yoriichi, his arrival is a sign, a proof."
"Whether it’s the one from the Warring States period or this one from our Taisho era, it’s the same."
Saying this, Ubuyashiki Kagaya turned towards his wife.
"These past years, you have endured much hardship."
Upon hearing these words, Ubuyashiki Amane almost let her tears escape for a moment.
But she held them back.
"Do not worry, Lord Kagaya," Ubuyashiki Amane said, "The curse will definitely be broken in our generation, whether it’s us or the children, none shall suffer from it any longer."
"I believe," Ubuyashiki Kagaya smiled serenely, "I’ve always believed."
The couple huddled together, sitting under the full moon, looking up at the night sky, quietly awaiting the final outcome.
Before long, their children also came in, gathering around their parents, clinging to them, silently waiting.
......
It wasn’t just the Ubuyashiki family, everyone who was paying attention to this battle was doing the same, waiting in their own way for the final outcome.
This included the members of the Demon Slayer Corps who were fighting in Infinite City.
"We must win!"
Himejima Gyoumei and Kochou Shinobu, who were battling against Upper Rank Two Douma, prayed silently in their hearts.
"We must win!"
Rengoku Kyoujurou, engaged in a fierce battle with Upper Rank Three Akaza, shouted out to the sky.
"We must win!"
Shinazugawa Sanemi and Tomioka Giyuu, entangled with the avatars of Upper Rank Four’s Hantengu and searching for his real body, shouted in their hearts as they swung their swords.
"We must win!"
Iguro Obanai and Uzui Tengen, trapped by Upper Rank Five Nakime’s Blood Demon Art and tormented by the constantly changing terrain as they ran back and forth, also held expectations.
"We must win!"
Kanroji Mitsuri and Tokitou Muichirou, who had already decapitated countless fierce tiger heads, pushing Upper Rank Six Gyokko close to desperation, pleaded to the heavens even more.
"We must win!"
And Zenitsu and Inosuke, already covered in wounds, yet defiantly getting up from the ground to continue charging at Upper Rank Seven Kaigaku, roared out loud.
"Boom!"
Tanjirou had become a blaze of flames, yet these flames were not as destructive as before but were like the sun, radiating high heat and a red glow, as if they could purify everything.
In that moment, Tanjirou finally released the Sun’s Fire—Sun Breathing God Dance, passed down through generations in the Kamado family, inherited from Tsukiguni Yoriichi.
"We must win!"
Tanjirou’s voice rode on the Sun’s Fire, spreading skywards.
......
"Boom!"
A deafening roar resounded, causing the entire cliff-like structure to tremble; at the summit, a shockwave exploded, sweeping around like a storm, seemingly capable of annihilating heaven and earth.
Upon the throne, Reiger and Kibutsuji Muzan, one enshrouded in flames, the other wildly swinging his whips, charged towards each other without hesitation, collided, and set off this astonishing shockwave.
The ground instantly fractured, causing rock and rubble to fly about incessantly.
"Lady Tamayo!"
Yushirou, while protecting Tamayo, strained against the shockwave and raging winds, shouting with difficulty.
"It’s too dangerous here! We need to take cover!"
Saying this, Yushirou took hold of Tamayo, ready to retreat.
But Tamayo shook off Yushirou’s hand, struggling against the violent storm and shouted thus.
"No! I must watch it here!"
How could one leave?
Kibutsuji Muzan, this tyrannical monster who had altered her life and brought unforgettable sorrow to herself and others, was now being subjugated.
He had killed too many people.
He had buried too many lives.
He had caused too many tragedies.
His very existence was the world’s greatest mistake.
Now, the man bearing the name "Tsukiguni Yoriichi" was ready to defeat him, vanquish him, kill him, and purge this evil demon. How could Tamayo leave at this time?
She had dreamt of this moment every second.
Believe it, every person fighting here tonight, and everyone who knew about this and watched this battle, awaited the death of Kibutsuji Muzan.
And as the one closest to this event, how could she leave this place, miss all of this?
"I must bear witness!"
Tamayo clenched her fist, allowing her nails to pierce her palm’s flesh, indifferent to her skin splitting open, blood streaming down.
"I want to see with my own eyes that man die here, die before me!"
This was a right and honor only she could possess.
Centuries ago, she personally witnessed Tsukiguni Yoriichi nearly slay Kibutsuji Muzan.
Centuries later, she would also be here, to witness everything with her own eyes.
With this thought, Tamayo was unwilling to retreat even a step, bracing against the howling winds, letting her body be exposed to the onslaught, even if struck on the forehead by flying stones, or her thigh sliced open by rubble, drenched in blood, she refused to step back.
"Lady Tamayo..."
Yushirou, looking at Tamayo gritting her teeth and enduring everything, felt a tremor in his heart, held back his persuasion, and instead stood with Tamayo against the howling wind, silently persevering.
"Boom!"
Suddenly, another roar erupted, unleashing an even more ferocious shockwave that blew the two struggling figures away.
In the midst of the shockwave, the figures of Reiger and Kibutsuji Muzan suddenly appeared.
"Die!"
Kibutsuji Muzan shouted so as he directed the wildly swinging whips on his body all at Reiger.
Kibutsuji Muzan’s main methods of attack were divided into two types.
One was to mutate his own body, transforming his arms into offensive and defensive weapons—flexible, rock-solid spiked whips.
The range of the spiked whip was extremely wide, its spikes could change position and shape at will, swinging at incredible speeds that were difficult to react to even for those who had awakened to the Transparent World; their destructive power was astonishing, capable of destroying a house with a single blow.
Such attack power and speed had made even a prime Tsukiguni Yoriichi feel a chill down his spine the first time he encountered them, which evidenced the might of these spiked whips.
Moreover, the whips carried Kibutsuji Muzan’s blood, which could utterly destroy an opponent’s cells according to his will. Theoretically, as long as one was hit by these whips, no matter who, they would die, not to mention the countless "mouths" on the whips. During the attack, they generated a huge suction force, creating a vortex in midair to slow the movements of those around them and tear apart everything.
Therefore, Kibutsuji Muzan’s arms were the most dreadful weapons, a flesh-and-blood human would never want to be hit by them, not even a grazing blow.
In comparison, Kibutsuji Muzan’s second main method of attack was equally formidable.
It was the very tube-like whips that were now dancing madly.
These whips too had speeds nearly undetectable to the Transparent World, and they also carried Kibutsuji Muzan’s blood, so a single hit would destroy cells and result in death.
There were in total seventeen of these whips on Kibutsuji Muzan; Nine on the upper body, eight on the lower. The latter had speeds even surpassing those of the nine upper whips and both arm spikes, creating sonic booms that could crack the earth when attacking—their power was incredibly fearsome.
Now, Kibutsuji Muzan controlled these seventeen whips, attacking Reiger without distinction.
Instantly, Reiger’s body was caught by the spontaneously formed vortex and sonic booms, his movements slowed, he was subjected to a full-on assault.
"Boom!"
The roaring sound, once again, rose.