Horitake approached the paralyzed snake demoness, grabbing her hair and yanking her head up, lifting her upper body off the ground.
If not for her serpentine lower half, his rough handling and her tearful expression might've painted him as a heartless brute to passersby. Normally, Horitake might've cared, but his mood was foul, and his treatment of her reflected it.
Squatting to meet her gaze, he saw terror beyond words in her eyes. "Your lightning… it stops my healing! Are you… the enemy our leader warned us about? The one to eliminate first?!"
Horitake smirked coldly. "So Muzan Kibutsuji sees me as a threat. Flattered. But I'm not here to chat about that. Tell me, what are those red-black orbs the kids scattered in Kusatsu? What do they do?"
The demoness sneered, her face twisting with malice and glee. "You'll get nothing from me! Just know Kusatsu's doomed!"
Horitake shook his head, expressionless. "I gave you a chance. You blew it."
His patience gone, he resorted to torture—electric torture. Gripping her head like an eagle clutching prey, he unleashed purple lightning into her brain. She screamed, convulsing, as the current surged through her.
After weeks of practice, Horitake's control over his lightning was precise, targeting nerves to keep her conscious yet in agony.
The children, watching, paled and whispered among themselves:
"He's… terrifying! Worse than a demon!"
"He took her down so easily, and now this brutal interrogation."
"If we hadn't cooperated, would he have…?"
"No way… we're human, kids even. He wouldn't… right?"
"Maybe… who knows?"
Their fear of Horitake solidified, ensuring their obedience.
After a full minute of electrocution, the demoness was a wreck—eyes rolled back, drooling, her snake tail leaking some fluid despite her paralyzed state. Reflex, perhaps?
Horitake, unfazed, held her head, voice low. "Talk, or we keep going."
Gasping, she begged, "Mercy! I'll talk! Everything!"
"Tch. Thought you were tougher. Spill—what are those orbs?"
Trembling, she whispered, "They're… our leader's blood demon art."
"Expected as much. Details—what do they do?"
"I don't know everything. They're fragments he split from his body over time."
Horitake's patience frayed. "Cut to the point, or you get another shock. What do they do?"
Terrified, she shouted, "Plague! Each orb is a plague source! Our leader wants to unleash a plague on Kusatsu!"
Horitake froze. Mitsuri's heart skipped. The children gasped in horror.
Plague. The orbs were plague vectors.
Horitake had feared poison gas or bombs, but plague was worse—far worse. Kusatsu's bustling tourism, with travelers from across Japan, meant an outbreak could spread nationwide in days, spiraling out of control.
The devastation could rival Muzan himself.
Cold sweat ran down Horitake's back. This was beyond him, beyond even the Demon Slayer Corps. The children had spent all day scattering the orbs—hours of potential infection. Who knew how many were already exposed, symptoms yet to show?
Worse, the children, carrying the orbs all day, were likely carriers. Even he and Mitsuri might be infected. His lightning could purge his body, but Mitsuri? Kusatsu?
Horitake felt the situation slipping from his grasp.
What now?
Forcing calm, he sought the best move. Notify Corps headquarters immediately, urge the master to alert the Japanese government, and seal off Kusatsu.
As for the demoness…
Horitake's gaze turned icy, lethal. He'd destroy her brain, let her die in agony.
Sensing his killing intent, she screamed, "They haven't activated! The orbs haven't activated!"
That stopped him, offering a glimmer of hope. He grabbed her head, snarling, "Explain!"
Sobbing, she spilled, "The orbs are plague sources, but they're dormant, sealed by our leader. Unless pierced, they won't release the disease. He planned to come to Kusatsu tonight, activate them, and let them burst to spread the plague. It hasn't started yet! Spare me, please!"
Horitake's tension eased slightly, but he couldn't fully trust her. He'd interrogate further, thoroughly.
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