Every creation has a countermeasure. The Priest Clan, the instigators who had created the demon Muzan Kibutsuji, certainly possessed powerful means to control their own monster.
However, Priest Jubei had never expected that after a millennium of evolution, powerful demons had mutated to an unimaginable degree. Their Blood Demon Arts were one such development. These bizarre and unpredictable techniques were so potent that some could even affect the very priests who had started it all. Jubei had always been confident that his own strong bloodline, combined with his clan's advanced methods, made him superior to any demon, so he never took Tsukihiko and his followers seriously.
But now, the situation had been completely reversed.
Crack!
Suddenly, Jubei's vision fractured. Countless overlapping spaces twisted and intersected before him, like worlds being born and destroyed in an instant. What was worse, he could feel his own body being pulled apart and reassembled across these different dimensions. A series of sharp, cracking sounds echoed from his bones, followed by a wave of indescribable, intense pain that seized his entire being.
"Damn it! This is a Blood Demon Art," he realized, his mind reeling from the shock. "But it isn't Muzan's own... Could it be that he already knew about our clan?"
Countless thoughts surged through his mind. "If that's true, did the leak come from within the Priest Clan itself, or... from the Ubuyashiki family?"
The Priest Clan had guarded its greatest secret for centuries: they were the ones who had created the demon progenitor, Muzan. It was a truth they kept hidden even from the Ubuyashiki family, their supposed allies who led the Demon Slayer Corps. If the Ubuyashiki ever discovered this secret, their alliance would instantly shatter and turn into a bitter rivalry. After all, the curse that shortened the lifespan of every Ubuyashiki heir was a direct result of Muzan's existence—a monster his clan had unleashed upon the world.
As these thoughts raced through Jubei's mind, the chaotic space around him solidified. He found himself standing before a colossal platform. Upon it sat a throne woven from blood and fire, and lounging on it was Tsukihiko. The demon's form seemed to shift and flicker, his aura a storm of unpredictable changes, but his face remained perfectly calm.
"I've suspected a hidden connection between the Ubuyashiki and your clan for some time," Tsukihiko said, a faint, chilling smile on his lips. "But to learn that you priests are the true creators of demonkind... now, that was a genuine surprise."
Hearing his clan's greatest secret spoken aloud, Jubei's face turned grim. The incantations used by the priests were a top-tier weapon against demons, even more potent than the bloodline abilities of the demon king himself. Moments ago, Jubei had been confident that Tsukihiko and Kokushibo were trapped, and he hadn't minded letting them know the truth before they died. He never expected that Tsukihiko had never intended to fight him directly.
Damn it! The feeling of being so thoroughly outsmarted made Jubei's face twist with fury.
"Kibutsuji Muzan!" he snarled, trying to regain some leverage. "This transformation you're undergoing... only I can stop it!"
But before he could finish his threat, the throne room dissolved. The scene shifted again, and Jubei found himself in a vast, empty room. A cold wind swept through the space. As his eyes adjusted, he saw them—hundreds of modern firearms, mounted on every wall, all aimed directly at him.
A calm voice echoed through the air. "My patience is wearing thin, priest. I'm also quite curious to see if your clan is truly as immortal as you believe."
Cold sweat drenched Jubei's robes. He never dreamed that Tsukihiko would have a squad armed with modern Japanese weaponry hidden within his Blood Demon Art, the Infinity Castle. For all their heaven-defying abilities, the priests' methods were designed to fight demons. Against such weapons, their bodies were merely flesh and blood. A deep, helpless terror seized him, causing his body to tremble uncontrollably. This wasn't a tremble of excitement, but one of pure shock.
Meanwhile, watching Jubei's every move through the eyes of his Infinity Castle, Tsukihiko remained perfectly calm. The appearance of the Priest Clan didn't entirely surprise him. He knew that dispatching the Twelve Kizuki all at once and escalating the demon incidents would eventually force their hand. After all, the Ubuyashiki family, the public face of the Demon Slayer Corps, was just a front pushed forward by the priests. With their puppets on the verge of being destroyed, the Priest Clan had no choice but to intervene.
In the original timeline, the priests had remained observers because all the necessary pieces for Muzan's defeat were already in place. There was Kamado Tanjiro, the chosen one who inherited Sun Breathing, driven by an unyielding will to turn his demon sister back into a human. He was supported by the new generation of Hashira and the head of the Ubuyashiki family. All the conditions had been met.
However, Tsukihiko's intervention, particularly the destruction of Fujikasane Mountain and Mount Sagiri, had completely twisted that trajectory of fate. Under these new circumstances, the Priest Clan had no choice but to step out from behind the scenes.
"The Priest Clan, the true masterminds, have finally surfaced," Tsukihiko thought while suppressing the chaotic Qi still surging within his body. "Now, we can use the power of the Cabinet against them." A small smile touched his lips. "I just hope the Hashira can awaken their Marks soon. Otherwise, this kind of one-sided battle is truly uninteresting."
At that very moment, far away at three different train locations, it was as if the remaining six Hashira heard his silent wish. Pushed to their absolute limits while under siege by powerful demons, they all let out furious roars.
ROAR! ROAR! ROAR!
In an instant, an indescribable power filled their limbs and bones. A long-lost strength permeated their entire bodies, pushing them beyond what they thought possible.
Snap! Snap! Snap!
Accompanied by snapping sounds, the demons they were fighting—including the one that was once the former Water Hashira, Sakonji Urokodaki—were instantly obliterated, their bodies exploding from the sheer force of the Hashira's newfound power.
Then, a peculiar, flame-like Mark appeared simultaneously on the faces of all six Hashira.
"Retreat!"
"Retreat!"
"Retreat!"
Immediately after, as if guided by a shared understanding, they all broke off their engagements. Without a word, their bodies turned and fled, disappearing in the opposite direction with the speed of lightning.
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