The moon hung bright, stars scattered across the sky.
This should have been the most bustling time in Yoshiwara's red-light district.
But tonight, it was a scene unlike any other.
Everyone fled desperately, faces etched with terror, confusion, and shock.
Two young men in brown uniforms, the large character "Destroy" emblazoned on their backs, stood outside Yoshiwara, watching the chaos in bewilderment.
They were Demon Slayer Corps members, returning from a hunt, and had planned to visit the famed pleasure district.
But the situation was far from what they expected.
Suddenly, a woman stumbled, about to fall.
One of the young men, with short hair, swiftly caught her.
"Are you alright, miss?"
"Thank you."
The woman, still shaken, wore a beautiful kimono and elaborate makeup. Mature and alluring, she remained captivating despite her disheveled state.
The short-haired youth blushed, flustered.
The other, older and with longer hair, sighed inwardly and asked, "Miss, what happened inside? Why is everyone running?"
Terror flickered across the woman's face.
"I don't know! I just saw something fighting, ribbons everywhere, even the buildings are being destroyed."
Her words were frantic, but the two slayers understood the gist, their expressions hardening.
Ordinary fights couldn't destroy buildings.
Only...
"Miss, please leave immediately!"
After the warning, they rushed into Yoshiwara.
They soon found the battlefield.
No need to ask; the immense commotion was audible from afar.
"Who's fighting a demon? With this much destruction, could it be a Pillar?"
They didn't approach recklessly.
As "Tsuchinoe" and "Kanoe" ranked members, they couldn't interfere in a Pillar-level fight. They could only observe from the periphery and offer support if possible.
Climbing onto a rooftop, they cautiously peered ahead.
The next moment, shock registered on their faces.
Not two, but three figures were battling.
And...
The short-haired youth, after a moment, asked uncertainly, "Senior, if I'm not mistaken, aren't they all demons?"
The long-haired youth nodded slowly, his face grim. "Correct. All three are demons!"
"What do we do now?" the younger slayer asked, lost.
He hadn't encountered demons fighting each other before.
Especially three so terrifyingly powerful.
The senior slayer considered briefly, then decided, "These demons are incredibly strong. We can't ignore this!
You, go report this immediately. I'll keep watch. Remember to note in the report that the demons in conflict are suspected Upper Moons!"
The short-haired youth paused, stunned. "Upper... Moons?"
Lower Moons were already insurmountable foes.
Upper Moons?
"Yes, at least two Upper Moons!"
The senior slayer's expression was grave.
He'd witnessed a Lower Moon's power before, and it paled in comparison to this.
The younger slayer didn't question further and hurried away.
Moments later, a Kasugai Crow flapped its wings, soaring into the night sky and disappearing swiftly.
...
Aoki glanced at the rapidly receding black crow and the two figures on the distant rooftop.
"Looks like I need to speed things up."
"Why can't I regenerate?"
Gyutaro stared at his sister's wounds, his pupils shrinking to pinpricks.
"Did I cut off too little flesh? No!"
He looked at the other wounds on her body.
Unhealed! None of them were healing!
Even the shallowest cuts.
"Regeneration... completely collapsed!"
Gyutaro understood, his gaze snapping to Aoki, a mix of fear and hatred in his eyes.
"Brother, brother, what's happening? Why isn't my body regenerating?" Daki's beautiful face was filled with panic.
In her centuries as a demon, she'd never experienced this.
The threat of death flooded her mind, making her tremble uncontrollably.
Gyutaro's gaze darkened.
The traitor's abilities were far stronger than Muzan-sama's intel suggested.
Worse, this was a completely unfair fight.
He had no means to harm the traitor. Neither slashes nor poison had any effect.
But the traitor's attacks were lethal, each strike a death blow.
He finally understood how humans felt fighting him.
Frustrating!
So frustrating!
"Why? We're both demons, why are you doing this to us?" Daki screamed at Aoki.
Aoki said, "Demons are strong, beautiful, can do anything, isn't that your view?
I'm stronger than you. Killing you is only natural. Do I need a reason?"
Daki was speechless.
Gyutaro spun, scooped up Daki, and hurled her in the opposite direction.
"You, get away first. Find somewhere to hide, and wait for me... No!"
Aoki appeared above Daki in a flash.
Behind them, Gyutaro's eyes widened in horror.
Below, Daki's face was a mask of terror.
"No! Don't! I don't want to die, brother, think of something!"
"If there's a next life, be a good person. Aoki Style, Funeral Rites!" Aoki said.
Daki's expression froze. Red lines appeared across her body. She crashed to the ground, torn to pieces.
"I'll kill you!"
Gyutaro roared, leaping above Aoki, his blood sickles crashing down.
But just before impact, Aoki vanished.
"Is this the ability Muzan-sama mentioned, the one that can instantly cross space?"
Gyutaro's expression was manic. Searching for the traitor, he glanced at his sister.
Thankfully, though her regeneration was gone, she was only unconscious, not dead.
If he could defeat the enemy, she might recover.
But...
Gyutaro's eyes narrowed, focusing on a rooftop in the distance.
Aoki materialized, watching him.
"I'll give you one last chance. Is there a demon you truly hate? Tell me his location, and I'll send him to hell to join you!"
Gyutaro's eyes were wild. Without a word, he launched himself at Aoki, the ground exploding beneath his feet.
"Blood Demon Art, Circular Slashes, Flying Blood Sickles!"
He spread his arms, blood sickles spinning around his wrists, forming a razor-sharp whirlwind of blood, a deadly meat grinder, crashing down on Aoki.
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