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"Uoooohhh!"
The cheers rang out across countless worlds.
"They did it! Tanjiro and the others actually won!"
"The Demon Slayers took down an Upper Moon!"
"This time it's different from the Mugen Train!"
"Sure, Sound Hashira and Inosuke's 'back from the dead' moment was a little ridiculous, but who cares?"
"What matters is that this time—it's a massive victory for the heroes!"
"Well done, Demon Slayer Corps!"
Hope can be cruel. The greater it is, the deeper the despair when it's crushed.
On the Mugen Train, when Rengoku Kyojuro first appeared, his strength and spirit had given people boundless faith. But in the end, he fell to Akaza, Upper Moon Three. That loss had countless watchers in every world sighing with grief.
So this time, when the Sound Hashira and the three rookies faced demons in the Entertainment District, no one dared expect too much. Surviving would have been enough.
And yet—they pulled off the impossible. A desperate counterattack, a miraculous victory. The outcome sent a surge of encouragement across every world that saw it.
Because none of them knew this was unfolding in another universe. Most assumed this was happening somewhere in their own. And after such a crushing defeat, to see such a triumphant win—it hit all the harder.
"Hahaha! What incredible human kids! With people like that around, how could I possibly ignore demons ravaging the world?"In the Seven Deadly Sins world, Meliodas, the short blond with the cowlick, muttered with admiration.
"Victory celebrations are fine, but post-battle analysis matters more. In the ninja world, intel is everything. If you gather the right information beforehand, you can minimize casualties."In the Naruto world, Tsunade lectured Sakura sternly.
"This fight was a razor-thin win. Beyond the demons' arrogance, the real turning point was that charcoal-seller boy exploding with strength at the brink of death. He couldn't so much as nick an Upper Moon's neck before, but in the end, with a broken body, he managed to sever it. That burst of power…"In the One Piece world, Benn Beckman of the Red-Hair Pirates analyzed seriously.
"Marks!"
Shanks suddenly spoke up.
"What marks?"The crew looked puzzled.
"Look at Tanjiro's forehead. That burn scar—at the final moment it transformed into a mysterious mark, just like the one Yoriichi Tsugikuni bore, the samurai who nearly killed Muzan himself."
"Fufufufu… lucky bastards. But really, the Demon Slayers only won because those demons were too stupid. If they'd gone for the kill right away, it'd have been over."In Dressrosa, Doflamingo laughed darkly.
"Wororororo! What kind of demons can't even kill a single person? Next time, remember—cut the head clean off, or don't bother."On Onigashima, a drunken Kaido lectured like a teacher giving life advice.
…
Dragon Raja world.In Japan, Takamagahara.
"The Entertainment District fight perfectly showed why villains who talk too much always lose. And seriously—if Daki hadn't been so dumb and obsessed with showing off, if she'd just hidden away somewhere quiet, then Gyutaro would've been unstoppable."Lu Mingfei stuffed fruit into his mouth as he rambled on, earning side-eyes from Chu Zihang and Caesar.
"What? Why are you both looking at me like that?" he asked.
"At the start you were scared out of your wits. What, not afraid of demons anymore?" Caesar raised a brow.
"Hehehe, afraid? Of course I'm afraid! But when they're stuck behind a screen and can't reach me? Nothing scary about that!" Mingfei smirked.
"What do you mean?" Chu Zihang frowned.
"I just realized something. We always thought this light screen was some Dragon King-level language spirit, and Muzan was a descendant of the White King. But we were wrong from the start." Mingfei spoke like he'd known it all along.
"'The multiverse'—as a webnovel veteran, that's the most familiar phrase in the world to me. I was too shocked before to notice, but now I can say for sure: this Demon Slayer battle isn't happening in our world. It's another world entirely."
…
Demon Slayer world.Demon Slayer Corps Headquarters.
"Uoooohhh!""Banzai! Banzai!"
Zenitsu and Inosuke tossed Tanjiro up into the air, celebrating their brush with death.
"Well done, boys!"Rengoku Kyojuro beamed, nodding with approval.
"Tanjiro-kun, you really are amazing!"The Love Hashira, Mitsuri Kanroji, sighed with heartfelt admiration.
"And Uzui-san, too—you were incredible. If it had been me, I probably would've lost already."
"Hahaha! I just happen to have some resistance to poison, that's all. In the end, even after going all out, I couldn't land the finishing blow. It was all thanks to them."The flamboyant Tengen Uzui admitted with a grin.
"The only regret," murmured Shinobu, the Insect Hashira, "is that this hasn't actually happened yet—it's still the future."
"There's no need for regret, Shinobu. Everything is destiny. This is a sign—the wheels of fate are turning. This ripple will spread until it reaches that man, Kibutsuji Muzan. And in our generation, we will defeat him."Kagaya Ubuyashiki smiled gently.
"If we can kill one Upper Moon, we can kill a second. With the experience of the first, the second will be even easier."Sanemi, the Wind Hashira, said confidently.
…
Infinity Castle.The demons' stronghold.
The air was suffocating.
For a hundred years, no Upper Moon had ever fallen to a Demon Slayer. Only the Hashira had died. But now—it was reversed. For the first time in a century, an Upper Moon had been slain.
Muzan's rage boiled nearly to the breaking point, held back only by sheer control. Not even Daki dared say a word. She lowered her head, trembling, waiting for punishment.
But the expected slaughter never came.
"It doesn't matter anymore. I never had high expectations of you. What I want now… is to see just how far this generation of Demon Slayers can push me."Muzan's voice was cold, merciless.
At that moment, the images on the heavenly screen shifted again.
Because Tanjiro had broken so many Nichirin swords, he was sent to the mysterious Swordsmith Village to face the wrath of Hotaru Haganezuka.
The Swordsmith Village Arc had officially begun.
And it opened with a bang—
A sudden splash of color filled the multiverse's vision.
There she was: the Corps' adorable, bubbly sweetheart, the Love Hashira Mitsuri Kanroji—charging forward like a wrecking ball.
"..."
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