Chapter 68 Taking Action
Okutama County, Mt. Ōtake.
A bright moon hung in the sky, stars twinkled like silk, and a gentle breeze rustled the leaves.
Shh shh.
Accompanied by light footsteps, a group arrived at the foot of the mountain.
The leader, dressed in a dark blue uniform with a butterfly-patterned haori, was tall and elegant, exuding a gentle, water-like aura.
"Are you sure this is the place?"
Kanae Kochō's gentle voice carried a hint of seriousness.
The "Hidden" member respectfully replied, "Yes, Lady Flower Pillar, we have found the followers of the Eternal Bliss Cult. Through them, we confirmed that the cult's leader is a young man with white oak hair and seven-colored eyes."
"Upper Moon Two, Doma!"
Kanae Kochō silently recited in her mind; she remembered this image very clearly.
Heaven rewards the diligent.
More than three months had passed since receiving the information from Mr. Aomura, and they had finally found him.
Kanae Kochō did not rashly climb the mountain.
She knew better than anyone how terrifying Doma's strength was.
On her own, she couldn't even protect herself, let alone kill Doma. She
had to wait for reinforcements! A series of hurried footsteps sounded, and soon, a young man wearing a two-tone haori, his face expressionless, landed lightly beside her. "Mr. Giyu, you've arrived!" Kanae Kochō breathed a slight sigh of relief. The two of them could at least hold Doma off for a while. Even if something unexpected happened, they wouldn't be completely helpless. "You're here too?" A hint of surprise flashed in Giyu Tomioka's eyes: "Is the target this time the Upper Moon?" Kanae Kochō said succinctly, "Upper Moon Two, Doma!" "Upper Moon Two!" Giyu Tomioka's eyes narrowed slightly: "Is anyone else coming?"
After sparring with Mr. Aomura, the Pillars realized that it would be difficult to defeat an Upper Moon by oneself.
Facing Upper Moon Two, even if he and Kanae Kochō joined forces, it would be difficult to win.
He was not afraid of danger or difficulties, but he was worried about wasting this precious opportunity.
"Yes!" Kanae Kochō nodded: "Mr. Aomura will also be coming."
Mr. Aomura?
Then there's no problem.
Giyu Tomioka asked: "When will Mr. Aomura arrive?"
"I've already arrived!"
As soon as he finished speaking, a familiar male voice sounded beside him.
Everyone looked in the direction of the voice.
The ground that had been empty just moments before now had a tall and imposing figure. A
captivating golden vertical pupils swept over him, and Aoki's expression showed slight surprise: "Miss Kanae, Mr. Giyu, you two are here too, hmm... that means the target this time is likely an Upper Moon, could it be Doma?"
The logic behind this judgment was simple: Doma was the Upper Moon they were most likely to find at the moment.
Kanae Kochō said, "Mr. Aomura is right. According to 'Hidden's' investigation, the Eternal Bliss Cult is on this mountain!"
"Finally found it!"
A flash of excitement appeared in Aoki's eyes.
What a big fish!
It arrived just in time.
He was worried about the experience needed to reach level 15.
Giyu Tomioka looked at Aoki: "Mr. Aomura, we also have news about the boy you're looking for named Tanjiro Kamado. His home is on Mount Kumotori, northwest of here."
"Double good news!"
Aoki smiled. "Let's go. Let's deal with Doma first, then find Tanjiro!"
He led the way, followed closely by Kanae Kochō and Giyu Tomioka.
The members of "Yakuza" also stayed, keeping a distance behind the three, ready to provide support at any moment.
They traversed the rugged mountain path and dense forest, until a magnificent temple appeared before them.
Lanterns hung from the temple eaves, each bearing the inscription "Paradise."
"Looks like we've found the right place," Aoki murmured, gazing at the temple from afar. Mount Ōtake stood
a thousand meters high, covering a vast area.
Although many families lived there, and there were villages at its foot, Mount Ōtake, like other remote regions of this era, was isolated and underdeveloped, with very little interaction with the outside world.
Doma and the Eternal Bliss Cult were hidden within Mount Ōtake, like a grain of sand on the yellow earth, inconspicuous.
No wonder it took the Demon Slayer Corps over three months.
If he were on his own, it might take him three to five years to find this place.
Creak!
The grand temple doors opened, and a middle-aged man carrying a lantern emerged. He paused slightly upon seeing the three.
"I didn't expect anyone to come so late. You want to join the cult, right? Come with me, I'll take you to see the founder."
Aoki and the others didn't move, but Kanae Kochō and Giyu Tomioka's expressions turned serious.
The middle-aged man beckoned to them: "Come quickly! Our founder of the Eternal Bliss Cult is a divine son favored by the gods. He doesn't need rest; he can receive believers even at night."
Aoki said, "No need. Your founder has come to greet us personally."
The middle-aged man hesitated, then looked up abruptly.
A young man with white-orange hair and rainbow-colored eyes sat cross-legged on the temple roof, his hand supporting his chin, a gentle smile on his face.
"I didn't expect you to find this place. I'm truly surprised!"
Giyu Tomioka's hand subtly gripped the hilt of his sword, his already expressionless face becoming even more stern.
"Is this Upper Moon Two? Such a terrifying aura. No wonder Kanae wasn't his match, but…"
He glanced at Aoki beside him.
"It doesn't feel as powerful as Mr. Aomura."
He sensed an immense threat from Upper Moon Two, but facing Mr. Aomura felt like facing an insurmountable mountain.
"Finding you was indeed not easy."
Aoki paused, "And I've been looking forward to this day for a long time."
Ever since defeating Gyutaro and Daki, he had been searching for Doma.
More than half a year had passed.
Doma tilted his head, looking at Kanae, his smile growing even brighter as he waved his fan.
"Miss Flower Pillar, it's great to see you again!"
He covered his mouth with his fan and added, "I regretted not being able to eat you last time, but I won't miss this opportunity."
Kanae Kochō said earnestly, "Me too, I won't let you escape this time!" Doma
smiled, his gaze sweeping over the three of them: "So the Demon Slayer Corps really did cooperate with the defectors. You've caused quite a bit of trouble lately, and Lord Muzan is very angry!"
Aoki said, "Tell him to take it easy, the real anger is yet to come! If he dies of anger, I won't have the chance to personally take his head!"
Doma's smile faded slightly.
"You really are annoying!"
Aoki's expression was slightly strange.
Being called annoying by someone everyone finds annoying.
Speaking of which, Giyu the Pillar and Doma the Demon are together—this is a scene that didn't even happen in the original story.
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(End of Chapter)