Chapter 56: Kibutsuji Muzan
"Is that so? Then Chihiro, you're really a hero for a just cause."
Nishikino Maki said in surprise.
Today, she had a new understanding of her deskmate.
"I just happened to run into it."
Izumi Chihiro replied.
"At least you helped that girl."
She said slowly, her tone changing.
She actually faced a similar situation, but unlike that girl, although she was isolated, it was only to the extent of being ignored.
She herself wasn't very interested in talking to other people, so she didn't feel lonely.
But if she just tried to imagine herself in the other person's shoes, she would also feel a sense of shared indignation, just like her deskmate.
"Let's not talk about this anymore, the matter is resolved anyway."
Izumi Chihiro waved his hand.
Nishikino Maki looked at him again before retracting her gaze.
...
After resolving this incidental trouble, Izumi Chihiro once again immersed himself in his own life.
A few days later, a call came in.
"Teacher Izumi, regarding your update progress, I told the editor-in-chief, and he asked me to ask if you want to slow down a bit and not finish so quickly?"
Machida Sonoko expressed her concerns.
Currently, "demon slayer" is definitely making money, and it hasn't become like other works that run out of steam and need to be quickly concluded. So, from the publisher's perspective, they naturally want as many volumes as possible.
For some very successful works, they would rather they never end.
"Hmm..."
Izumi Chihiro pondered for a moment, then thought, "It's not impossible, but there isn't much content left from the original plan, so at most, it can only last for three more volumes."
Originally, in his creation, he had always omitted some non-critical content to improve the continuity of the plot, otherwise, the content of a single volume could actually be more problematic.
However, since there was a request, he could agree to it. After all, it was just one extra volume.
"Then let's do that."
Machida Sonoko was very satisfied with this answer.
Adding a little more showed that Izumi was much more mature in his dealings with people than his peers, but not adding too much was because he knew how to stick to his principles and refuse temptations.
Maintaining individuality and independence is also very important for a creator.
Many authors, precisely because they lost their individuality, later created works solely for money, dragging them out repeatedly, eventually losing their soul and gradually becoming shoddy.
…
Izumi Chihiro had thought more simply before. According to his original estimate, he could finish the remaining plot in two volumes, but now it seemed a bit too compact.
If he added one more volume, it would indeed cut off the climax, causing a little dissatisfaction among readers, but for the overall division of the plot, it would be entirely beneficial and harmless.
That's why he agreed.
A month passed quickly, and Izumi Chihiro wrote the fifth volume of "demon slayer." This part of the story included the process of the Demon Slayer Corps and others gathering to train for the final battle, as well as entering the Infinity Castle and engaging in a fierce battle with Akaza, currently at a disadvantage.
Although it felt a bit abrupt, it certainly whetted the appetite and could arouse strong curiosity among readers.
But the price might be the readers' deep-seated complaints online.
As expected, on the day "demon slayer" Volume 5 was released, similar comments appeared online.
["Damn it, why did it stop here! Izumi, you've learned bad habits, haven't you? This cliffhanger is too frustrating!"]
["Ah, ah, ah, what did Tanjiro think of to turn the tide? I really want to know! Could it be the supreme martial arts realm that Akaza has always pursued?"]
["Update quickly! Update quickly! If you don't update, I'll send you razor blades!"]
["Heh heh, actually, it's fine as long as it's not discontinued. As long as it's not like a certain author who made the protagonist of his book keep raining for several years!"]
["Speaking of which, isn't anyone worried? Kocho Shinobu encountered Upper Rank Two, how will she fight? Logically, she shouldn't be able to win, after all, the Upper Ranks' rankings are very real. Upper Rank Three was fought by two Water Breathing brothers, so there should be more people fighting Upper Rank Two!"]
["Tsk tsk, the comparison between the Master and Kibutsuji Muzan as leaders is too stark, isn't it?"]
…
The first half of this volume had no major plot twists. It mainly served to supplement some information, such as the setting of the demon slayer Mark, Kibutsuji Muzan's transformation into a demon, and his pursuit of the Blue Spider Lily.
Besides that, it was to further enhance the combat power of the protagonist's side.
During this process, the Stone Pillar and Water Pillar's emotional knots were resolved, leaving no regrets, allowing readers to truly realize the arrival of this final battle.
As for the second half, it first showed Tanjiro's growth, and then once again vividly demonstrated the power of Akaza. Even the enhancement of the demon slayer Mark was difficult to compensate for…
This created a strong sense of urgency.
Readers felt their blood pressure also rising.
In this volume's content, besides the ending of the final battle, which was intriguing, everyone also relished the flashback revealing Kibutsuji Muzan's transformation into a demon.
Because this image perfectly aligned with their feelings while following the story.
["Hahaha, I knew it! Boss Scumbag has no charisma at all. He was just a medical dispute patient… and he even killed Lower Ranks to boost the Demon Slayer Corps' performance. Simply low-class!"]
["Boss Scumbag truly deserves it! No wonder he couldn't find the Blue Spider Lily for so many years!"]
["Is this the boss of the final arc? How can this villain be so much like a villain? It's been a long time since I've seen such a purely evil person."]
Everyone's teasing of Boss Scumbag had reached an all-time high.
In previous instances, Kibutsuji Muzan's pathetic image was more subtly portrayed, only making everyone somewhat dislike this villain. But after understanding the cause and effect, everyone suddenly realized and began to persecute the character of Kibutsuji Muzan on another level.
…
A month had passed. Besides one afternoon when the Silver-haired Girl waited for him after school to thank him, Izumi Chihiro had not seen her again.
At first, he didn't think much of it, because if he wasn't specifically looking for her, it would be difficult to meet her by chance.
Then, one afternoon, from a first-year girl who happened to pass by, he heard some news that made him frown slightly.
"She's been on leave for a week already?"