Chu Yang swept his gaze across the surroundings and found that most of the demons roaming around had lost all rationality. Though their auras were powerful, they were extremely unstable.
It was obvious that in order to deal with him, Kibutsuji Muzan had paid an enormous price to forcibly nurture these temporary creations.
But even as temporary products, judging purely by the strength of their auras, these demons were already frighteningly close to Muzan himself—powerful enough to utterly crush Doma and Akaza, both of whom had fought Chu Yang before.
As for who would actually be stronger in real combat, that was another matter entirely.
"One, two, three, four." Chu Yang counted the demons casually, his tone dripping with disdain as he sneered at Kibutsuji Muzan. "You spent that much blood just to make this pile of trash?"
Chu Yang's arrogance and overwhelming presence caused Kibutsuji Muzan to once again recall that familiar sense of suffocating pressure.
It was as if Yoriichi Tsugikuni were standing before him, speaking in that exact same tone.
"I am no longer the Kibutsuji Muzan of hundreds of years ago. And he is not Yoriichi Tsugikuni. I have no reason to fear."
Muzan clenched his fists, veins bulging as his gaze grew colder. The humiliation he had suffered at Yoriichi's hands centuries ago—he would repay it all today, in full, upon Chu Yang.
The four demons circling Chu Yang sensed Muzan's will. Their expressions twisted into savage grotesquery as they roared at Chu Yang, saliva dripping from the corners of their mouths.
"So you really enjoy a brain ruled entirely by animal instinct," Chu Yang mocked with amusement. "Is this what you call evolution? I have to say, your taste is really—"
"Hmph!"
Before Chu Yang could finish, Kibutsuji Muzan snorted coldly, and the four demons attacked simultaneously.
Compared to any demon Chu Yang had seen before, these four temporary creations were far more deformed and hideous.
They had lost all semblance of human form, resembling grotesque animal chimeras instead.
Blood-red fur covered their bodies. Their limbs were like those of apes, their heads like starving wolves, with wings sprouting from their backs. From their spines, bones extended outward from the tailbone, forming long, hooked, whip-like tails.
Those bizarre tails shot toward Chu Yang like venomous snakes.
Facing their encirclement, Chu Yang relied on Observation Haki to prepare in advance. He stepped back deliberately, first blocking the rear monster's attack with his massive nodachi, then swinging it in a wide horizontal arc.
Wrapped in blazing flames, the nodachi precisely struck every tail lunging at him, severing the hooked barbs in a single slash.
The flames clung like bone-eating parasites, racing up the wounded tails. As the fire burned, the monsters' flesh charred and blistered, and they let out shrill, agonized shrieks.
The roaring flames made fear flash through Kibutsuji Muzan's eyes. He knew all too well that this was the power of Sun Breathing—the power he had feared the most in the past.
What reassured him slightly, however, was that the monsters were not killed by Chu Yang's single strike. Instead, they slowly stood back up.
At this moment, Chu Yang also grasped their defining traits. Not only were their strength and speed at the highest level, they also possessed regenerative abilities rivaling Kibutsuji Muzan himself.
Like Muzan, they had multiple hearts and brains—just far less refined.
"If these toys you made are all you've got, that's pretty disappointing," Chu Yang said, planting his nodachi into the ground and grinning. "Just a friendly reminder—your time is running out."
Kibutsuji Muzan took a deep breath. His face gradually flushed, whether from rage or surging blood was unclear. He wore a sickly smile. "Of course it doesn't end here. Next, enjoy this—treatment even Yoriichi Tsugikuni never received!"
The Infinity Castle began to shake violently. Numerous sealed rooms opened, and countless monsters flickered in and out of the darkness.
Spreading his arms wide, Kibutsuji Muzan laughed hysterically. "This is the blood I've accumulated over a thousand years! Even if Yoriichi Tsugikuni were reborn, he would still die here today!"
As he spoke, Kibutsuji Muzan's body began to change.
In the blink of an eye, crimson fur covered him, and vicious barbed whips burst from his arms.
The gentleman in a tailored suit transformed into a blood-devouring monster.
"From this day forward, there will be no Demon Slayer Corps left in this world!"
Kibutsuji Muzan vented his madness as he charged at Chu Yang alongside innumerable monsters. The overwhelming black tide surged forward, as if it would drown the entire world.
The situation seemed completely reversed, yet Chu Yang remained calm and composed, standing still with both hands crossed atop the hilt of his nodachi.
"You don't actually think this has to be your home turf, do you?"
After saying this, Chu Yang made a series of actions that left Kibutsuji Muzan utterly confused. In Muzan's eyes, Chu Yang's fingers moved in irregular patterns.
They were neither sword techniques nor a new form of breathing.
They seemed meaningless—yet for some reason, an inexplicable sense of dread suddenly welled up in Muzan's heart.
Just as the black tide of monsters was about to reach Chu Yang—
The ground of the Infinity Castle suddenly cracked open.
Countless lush green trees burst forth from the earth, flinging the monsters high into the air.
In an instant, the eerie Infinity Castle transformed into a vibrant, flourishing forest.
Thick vines and massive roots coiled across the ground like colossal anacondas. Any monster that tried to approach Chu Yang was seized, wrapped up, and crushed one by one.
The entire forest seemed alive, silently guarding Chu Yang.
Kibutsuji Muzan stared blankly at the earth-shattering transformation before him, his face filled with disbelief.
Where did my Infinity Castle go?Am I dreaming?
Only when warm blood flowed to his feet did he snap back to reality.
In front of him lay piles upon piles of monster corpses.
Kibutsuji Muzan looked up at Chu Yang, doubt inevitably rising in his heart.
"Is he still human? Or… is he the true god?"
...
Outside the Infinity Castle — Demon Slayer Corps Headquarters
The peace and tranquility of the past had long been buried beneath raging flames. Every inch of the headquarters was now a battlefield, carpeted with blood and severed limbs.
Fortunately, with Kibutsuji Muzan absent from the battlefield, and with Doma and Akaza already gone, the remaining Upper Moons were unable to gain the upper hand against the Hashira—now all awakened to the Demon Slayer Mark.
The second-oldest among the Hashira, Tengen Uzui, was responsible for facing Upper Rank Six, the sibling demons Gyutaro and Daki.
Before awakening the Mark, Tengen Uzui had struggled mightily against them—something the original course of events had already proven. But after awakening the Mark, the situation was entirely different.
With just a single exchange, Daki was instantly killed by Tengen, utterly unable to fight back. Even when Gyutaro joined the fray, he was still no match for Tengen's vastly increased speed and power.
Even working together, the siblings could only barely hold on.
Strictly speaking, Gyutaro was the true Upper Rank Six. Daki's strength was heavily inflated, making her an obvious weak point—and a breakthrough for Tengen.
Upper Rank Five, Gyokko, was handled by Obanai Iguro and Mitsuri Kanroji. The battle was evenly matched. Though Mitsuri was still young, her abnormal physical strength, amplified by the Mark, gave her astonishing destructive power, making her the primary offensive force.
Upper Rank Four, Hantengu, faced Shinazugawa Sanemi and Kanae Kocho.
For Kanae and Sanemi, this was an extremely troublesome opponent. Hantengu's ability to create clones rendered numerical advantage meaningless. As the number of clones increased, the two were even pushed into a disadvantage at one point—the only battlefield currently showing signs of weakness.
Meanwhile, Upper Rank One, Kokushibo—the strongest demon beneath Kibutsuji Muzan—was so powerful that the Demon Slayer Corps had no choice but to send three Hashira to face him.
Gyomei Himejima, Kyojuro Rengoku, and Giyu Tomioka fought Kokushibo together.
Even under these circumstances, Kokushibo was still able to fight all three evenly, showing no sign of being overwhelmed.
This left Ubuyashiki Kagaya, overseeing the rear, deeply shaken.
He found it hard to imagine how this battle could have continued had the Demon Slayer Corps not mastered the Demon Slayer Mark in advance.
At Ubuyashiki Kagaya's side stood the former Water Hashira, Sakonji Urokodaki, and the former Thunder Hashira, Jigoro Kuwajima. Behind them were Shinobu Kocho and Makomo, responsible for medical support.
They did not know that Nakime—the demon maid originally tasked with assassinating Ubuyashiki Kagaya, wielding a spatial Blood Demon Art—had been forced to return to the Infinity Castle due to the catastrophic changes occurring there, in order to stabilize its space for Kibutsuji Muzan.
Given the current stalemate, if Nakime had appeared and successfully assassinated Ubuyashiki Kagaya, it would have dealt a devastating blow to the morale of the Demon Slayer Corps.
Fortunately, that never happened.
Unknowingly, Chu Yang had once again neutralized a critical crisis for the Corps.
Yet looking at the overall situation, the Demon Slayer Corps was still at a disadvantage. Aside from the Upper Moons, the Lower Moons were leading vast numbers of demons in a slaughter of swordsmen with overwhelming force.
Ubuyashiki Kagaya was anxious beyond measure. Before the battle, he had been full of confidence, believing they would surely win this war for humanity's fate. But ever since Chu Yang vanished without a sound, that confidence had steadily crumbled.
Only now did he realize that victory had always hinged on Chu Yang alone—just as he had seen in that vision of the future.
"Don't stay here guarding me. Go stop the Lower Moons," Ubuyashiki Kagaya turned to Sakonji Urokodaki and Jigoro Kuwajima. "Only you can save those swordsmen now."
Urokodaki hesitated. "But if something happens to you—"
Ubuyashiki Kagaya shook his head and said, "Whether I live or die won't affect the overall situation. You should have joined the battle from the very beginning. Even now, it's not too late—you can still save many lives."
Urokodaki Sakonji and Kuwajima Jigoro hesitated. They knew very well that their lord was deliberately saying this to save those swordsmen.
"Do you really want me to take my own life here before you're willing to act?" Ubuyashiki Kagaya snapped for the first time at his subordinates. As he spoke, he accidentally bit his lip, and blood slowly trickled down from the corner of his mouth.
Seeing this, the two men no longer hesitated. They vanished from Ubuyashiki Kagaya's side at the same time, choosing to join the battlefield and jointly confront the six Lower Moons.
Only then did the critical situation begin to ease.
"Please rest assured, my lord. I am also a swordsman—I will protect you with my life!" Shinobu said firmly.
"So will I," Makomo's voice followed.
"Thank you," Ubuyashiki Kagaya said with a gentle smile, then tightly grasped his wife Amane's hand.
The couple silently prayed in perfect unison, hoping for a turning point to arrive sooner, so that more of those precious lives could survive.
It was as if the heavens heard their prayers. The entire Demon Slayer headquarters suddenly began to tremble violently.
The pitch-black night sky was torn open by a massive rift, followed by more and more black holes appearing.
From the depths of the darkness, countless trees stretched outward, surging forth as if trying to force the spatial restraints apart.
Such a terrifying sight made both sides momentarily forget about fighting.
Through one of the spatial fissures, Kokushibo caught a glimpse of a corner of the Infinity Castle. His entire body shook as he exclaimed in shock, "What is Nakime doing? Why is she letting the Infinity Castle descend here? Could it be… that Lord Muzan has already won?!"
Kokushibo's voice echoed across the entire battlefield. After a brief silence, thunderous cheers erupted.
Daki jumped with excitement, not forgetting to mock Tengen Uzui, who had utterly suppressed her and her brother. "What now? Looks like you're about to lose. Once Lord Muzan arrives, everyone here will die!"
Gyutaro licked the corner of his mouth, staring coldly at Tengen Uzui.
Tengen said nothing. In his heart, he resolved that no matter the cost, he would kill the siblings in front of him.
Gyokko hid inside his sturdy pot, wobbling back and forth, mocking Iguro Obanai and Kanroji Mitsuri with almost the same words.
Hantengu, on the other hand, did not mock Kanae and the others. Instead, he reverted to his cowardly old-man form and said in relief, "Thank goodness Lord Muzan has arrived. Otherwise, I might really have died here today."
He was the only Upper Moon who had actually held the advantage, yet he spoke in such a tone—it only made the situation feel even more ironic.
Kokushibo remained silent, the oppressive aura radiating from him making it hard to breathe.
Gyomei Himejima clasped his hands together, already prepared to perish together with Kokushibo. As long as he could take down the strongest Upper Moon, the others would have a much better chance against Kibutsuji Muzan.
Kyojuro Rengoku shared the same resolve.
On the Demon Slayer side, faces were deathly pale. Many looked dazed, only a step away from abandoning the will to live.
The terrifying scene overhead gradually settled, and the entire space began to stabilize.
Had they really lost?
Ubuyashiki Kagaya stared fixedly at the cracks in the sky, his eyes bloodshot. This was not the future he had foreseen!
He did not believe it—nor did Kanae.
"He will never lose!"
At last, the rifts completely vanished, replaced by rampant growth of trees that had unknowingly occupied over half the battlefield.
Among them stood one enormous tree, its trunk so thick it would take dozens of people to encircle it with their arms. At the very top of the tree, a figure gradually became clear beneath the moonlight.
He carried something resembling a coffin on his shoulder and held a human head in his other hand.
The head's face was dominated by a massive eye, filled with terror.
The once-smug Daki recognized the identity of that head. Her expression changed drastically as she screamed, "Nakime!"
"Oh? You recognize her? Then I'll give her to you!"
The next moment, Nakime's head was tossed outward.
Daki instinctively reached out to catch it—but the head turned to ash midair.
Kokushibo raised his head with a grim expression, yet he did not see the familiar figure.
That wasn't Kibutsuji Muzan!
The battle inside the Infinity Castle was over.
Nakime was dead.
And yet, the one who emerged was not Kibutsuji Muzan.
What this meant was something every demon present understood clearly.
They had lost. Completely.
From this day forward, there might no longer be demons left in the world.
"Hahahahaha!!!"
Ubuyashiki Kagaya slammed the railing he leaned against, laughing with unrestrained abandon. If one listened closely, there was even a hint of sobbing mixed into it.
This laughter released the resentment the Demon Slayer Corps had carried for a thousand years.
Ubuyashiki Kagaya's laughter echoed across the battlefield, forming a stark contrast to the earlier, arrogant laughter of the Upper Moons.
"Don't laugh! Don't laugh! You damned human—lowly maggot!" Daki completely lost control, spewing venomous curses nonstop. If she could, she wanted to tear that man's mouth apart right now.
But in the next instant, Tengen Uzui's Nichirin Blade traced a brilliant silver arc through the night, cleanly severing her head. Daki's curses came to an abrupt halt.
She didn't die—but she was terrified into silence.
Unless both siblings were beheaded simultaneously, one of them would endlessly regenerate. If not for that, Daki would have died under Tengen's blade hundreds of times already.
Next to collapse emotionally was the inherently cowardly Hantengu.
His Blood Demon Art spiraled out of control and went completely berserk.
The four emotional clones fused together, and the final composite descended—
Zohakuten!
At the same time, the coward demon's true body began to change. His size swelled dramatically, his expression twisted from fear into ferocity, his eyes blood-red, with the faint character for "hatred" engraved on his tongue.
This was Hantengu's final emotional manifestation—Hatred itself—and his last safeguard.
Driven by pure survival instinct, Hantengu unleashed his full power without reservation.
The pressure on Shinazugawa Sanemi and Kanae suddenly skyrocketed.
Whether it was Zohakuten or the Hatred Demon, they could both use all the Blood Demon Arts of the previous emotional clones. In other words, Sanemi and Kanae were each fighting the equivalent of four opponents at once.
Each of them was now one against four.
Just as the situation became extremely dire, Gyomei Himejima, Kyojuro Rengoku, and Giyu Tomioka all joined the battlefield simultaneously.
They no longer needed to face Kokushibo.
Because the one who dealt with Kokushibo had already returned.
And at this moment, Kokushibo's attention was no longer on those three.
Consumed by boundless rage, the six eyes on his face stared unblinkingly at the wooden coffin slung over Chu Yang's shoulder.
He had a powerful premonition—Kibutsuji Muzan was inside it.
Kokushibo believed he hadn't lost yet.
As long as he defeated the man carrying the coffin and freed Kibutsuji Muzan, victory would still belong to them.
Thus, Kokushibo charged straight at Chu Yang with overwhelming ferocity.
It wasn't that Chu Yang wanted to keep Kibutsuji Muzan alive—he simply had no way to kill a monster with five brains and seven hearts.
The Kibutsuji Muzan of hundreds of years ago was different from the one of today. At the very least, his regenerative ability had evolved to the point where it could greatly withstand the effects of Sun Breathing.
No matter how many times Chu Yang tried to kill him inside the Infinity Castle, that terrifying high-speed regeneration would always bring him back at the final moment. This was precisely why Kibutsuji Muzan had managed to stall Chu Yang for so long.
Chu Yang realized that he couldn't deal with this guy outright.
To truly kill Kibutsuji Muzan, he would have to wait until sunrise and let the sunlight burn him to death.
To prevent Kibutsuji Muzan from repeating his old trick from centuries ago and escaping right under his nose, Chu Yang had no choice but to seal him inside a wooden coffin.
The results, at least for now, were quite satisfactory.
Kokushibo raced up the tree trunk with swift, powerful steps, charging straight toward Chu Yang.
He was a peculiar existence—despite becoming a demon, he still fought as a swordsman. He was the only member of the Twelve Kizuki who used Breathing Techniques in combat.
If one ignored Kibutsuji Muzan's outrageous regenerative ability, and judged purely by destructive power, Kokushibo was in no way inferior to Muzan.
Kokushibo could even fight in a Marked state.
Even for a Hashira, facing Kokushibo or facing Kibutsuji Muzan led to nearly the same outcome.
But unfortunately for him, Kokushibo's opponent this time was Chu Yang. No matter how terrifying his killing power was, it could not break through Chu Yang's Armament Haki.
The moment Kokushibo reached the top of the massive tree, the Nichirin Blade in his hand—Kokushin—underwent a drastic transformation.
The blade writhed like living flesh, growing longer and sprouting countless razor-sharp edges.
As a weapon forged from Kokushibo's own flesh and bones, Kokushin had finally revealed its true form.
Only now did Gyomei and the others realize—
That when Kokushibo fought the three of them earlier, he had still been holding back.
With his full power unleashed, Kokushibo radiated an aura so suffocating that even from a great distance, it filled everyone present with dread.
Chu Yang rolled his shoulders, a trace of pleasure flashing in his eyes. Compared to Kibutsuji Muzan—a shameless monster with infinite regeneration—he much preferred fighting a berserker-type opponent like Kokushibo.
"Hoo—"
Chu Yang exhaled softly. His long breath instantly transformed into brilliant golden flames. In the blink of an eye, they wrapped around his entire body, lifting him up like a blazing sun that had descended upon the mortal world.
The light radiating from Chu Yang was so dazzling that, on the battlefield below, many demons mistakenly thought dawn had arrived. Panic-stricken, they scattered in all directions, only to be cut down one by one by the Demon Slayer swordsmen led by Urokodaki Sakonji.
Even the Lower Moons suffered casualties.
Faced with such an enemy, Kokushibo did not retreat. Instead, he charged at Chu Yang with even greater determination.
The greatest regret of Kokushibo's life was that he had lived forever in the shadow of Yoriichi Tsugikuni. Even after becoming a demon and breaking free from the curse of the Mark, he still ultimately lost to Yoriichi in his twilight years.
To lose to a dying old man—how bitterly ironic that was.
Kokushibo had degraded himself into this grotesque form solely to surpass Yoriichi. Yet Yoriichi departed this world carrying his final victory with him, condemning Kokushibo to a lifetime where this defeat could never be erased, never truly overcome.
Now, standing before him, was Chu Yang—also a practitioner of Sun Breathing. That blinding radiance was unbearably familiar. Killing Chu Yang would be no different from defeating Yoriichi himself.
At this moment, Chu Yang was the only thing reflected in Kokushibo's eyes. Even the wooden coffin sealing Kibutsuji Muzan gradually faded from his perception.
Time and space slowed in Kokushibo's vision. He saw Chu Yang's massive blade engulfed in layers of flame, cleaving straight toward his neck.
Kokushibo raised his blade to meet it, aiming just as precisely for Chu Yang's vital point.
The two blades did not collide.
They missed each other by a hair's breadth—and simultaneously struck their targets, each slashing at the other's neck.
Kokushin clashed violently against Armament Haki. The flames on Chu Yang's body tangled and tore into the living flesh of the blade. In the end, the flesh collapsed, and Kokushin snapped apart.
At the same time—
Chu Yang's blade severed Kokushibo's neck. His head, frozen in shock, soared high into the air.
Why hadn't Kokushin been able to cut through his opponent's neck?
He was clearly human, wasn't he?
Kokushibo couldn't understand it.
If Doma and Akaza were still alive, perhaps they could have told him why.
Kokushibo realized that he had lost again.
Lost again to Sun Breathing. Lost again to Yoriichi Tsugikuni.
I paid such a terrible price…
Hundreds of years as a hideous demon—how could I still lose to that man?!
If I could break past my limits… could I defeat the enemy before me?
With that question in mind, Kokushibo cast one last glance at Chu Yang.
He stood amid layers of flame, overwhelming in presence, like a god.
Even if I tried again… I still wouldn't be able to cut his neck…
Having found his answer, Kokushibo's lips curved into a bleak smile as his consciousness sank into darkness.
His body erupted in blazing flames, turning to ash in an instant.
At the moment Kokushibo fell—
The last shred of hope within the remaining demons was completely crushed.
When Chu Yang's gaze swept across them, it was as if a scorching sun was burning their very bodies.
The demons collapsed into utter chaos. They tried to flee, but the eerie forest trapped them within the battlefield, leaving them no escape.
The remaining members of the Twelve Kizuki were beheaded one by one by the combined efforts of the Hashira, amid overwhelming terror.
The war had reached its end.
On the horizon, a faint red glow bloomed, reflecting off the golden flames surrounding Chu Yang.
Dawn had come.
"Ahhhhhh!!!"
"It hurts—so much, it hurts!"
"Save me! I don't want to die!"
"I was wrong! I was wrong!"
Countless demons wailed as the sunlight burned them away, their screams echoing over the Demon Slayer headquarters. Yet not a single swordsman found the noise unbearable. Tears filled their eyes as they silently mourned fallen comrades and loved ones.
It was finally over…
This world would never see demons again.
Carrying the wooden coffin, Chu Yang walked to the center of the battlefield. Under everyone's gaze, he set it down and slowly opened it.
"Muzan, come out and enjoy the sunshine."
As soon as the words fell, a mass of darkness burst from the coffin. Warm sunlight struck it head-on, and a shrill scream rang out—strangely pleasing to hear.
Thanks to his powerful regenerative ability, Kibutsuji Muzan did not perish as quickly as other demons. Instead, it prolonged his suffering to the extreme.
Supported by his wife, Ubuyashiki Kagaya was brought closer. He watched silently as Muzan burned under the sun and spoke softly, "Does it hurt? The pain you're feeling now is the pain my family has endured for generations."
"From birth, we were cursed because of you—born in pain, dying in pain."
"And not just the Ubuyashiki family. Countless innocent people died because of you. Those who never wished to become demons, yet were forced to—how much suffering did they endure?"
"Etch this pain into your soul. Even in hell, never forget it."
Kibutsuji Muzan glared furiously at Ubuyashiki Kagaya.
Wrapped in flames, he lunged toward him.
All the Hashira stepped forward at once, forming an insurmountable barrier between Muzan and Ubuyashiki Kagaya.
In the past, these people were nothing but ants in his eyes. How could they dare block his path?
"I won't accept this!!! If I had found the Blue Spider Lily, you would all have been slaughtered long ago!!!"
At that moment, Chu Yang quietly walked up beside Kibutsuji Muzan. Unfazed by the flames engulfing him, he placed a hand on Muzan's head and whispered into his ear.
"Do you know why you could never find the Blue Spider Lily?"
"Because the Blue Spider Lily only blooms in the daytime. Demons can't see it."
"Hahaha."
Kibutsuji Muzan's pupils shrank violently. Rage exploded in his eyes as he trembled and pointed at Chu Yang.
"You… you…"
In the end, all that remained was a venomous glare before the flames consumed him completely, his ashes scattering with the wind.
...
The thousand-year war between humans and demons had finally ended.
From the next day onward, Ubuyashiki Kagaya gradually disbanded the Demon Slayer Corps.
Before leaving, every swordsman received an extremely generous severance payment—enough to live comfortably for the rest of their lives.
For the immensely wealthy Ubuyashiki family, this was nothing. If possible, Kagaya would have preferred that every single swordsman had lived to see this day and collect it.
Living out the rest of their lives in peace was the wish of most swordsmen. Kanae was among them—she had always hoped her sister Shinobu would live as a normal girl rather than a Demon Slayer.
Now, both sisters could finally live such a life—ordinary, carefree, no longer fearing death on their next mission.
To thank Kanae for her years of treating the wounded, Ubuyashiki Kagaya gifted the Butterfly Mansion to the sisters, allowing them to continue practicing medicine.
After a long, heartfelt conversation with her master Urokodaki Sakonji, Makomo decided to remain at the Butterfly Mansion and live alongside Kanae and Shinobu.
Urokodaki returned to the mountains to live in seclusion. Tomioka Giyu chose to stay by his master's side, though he frequently visited the Butterfly Mansion to see Makomo.
Between the two of them, an unspoken affection quietly began to grow.
Under Ubuyashiki Kagaya's guidance, Shinazugawa Sanemi finally let go of his inner demons and set off for home, determined to confess everything to his brother Genya and seek his forgiveness, so they could live together again.
What Sanemi didn't know was that Genya had already learned the truth—that their siblings were killed by their mother after she became a demon, and that Sanemi had held her off until sunrise, when she was burned to death by the sun.
After clearing their misunderstandings, the brothers would support each other as they walked forward together.
Gyomei Himejima returned to his temple to continue his training. This time, however, the temple had changed.
With Ubuyashiki Kagaya's help, children who had lost their families were brought there, turning the temple into an orphanage.
The children's laughter and noise often interrupted Gyomei's chanting, yet he showed not a hint of irritation.
There were no more tears in his eyes—only a gentle smile.
Rengoku Kyojuro returned home. Waiting for him was a father who had cast off his despair, and a younger brother who could finally put down his sword and live in peace.
"You've done well, Kyojuro," Rengoku Shinjuro said softly, placing a hand on his son's head. That flame-red hair, so like his own, filled him with pride.
Tears had long since filled Rengoku Kyojuro's eyes.
That very night, after the war ended, Obanai Iguro confessed his feelings to Mitsuri Kanroji.
After a brief moment of stunned silence, Mitsuri accepted Obanai's confession. The two of them opened a ramen shop near the Butterfly Mansion. Whether they were travelers passing through or patients coming to seek treatment, people would line up outside the shop every day—the business was thriving.
Kanae would also bring the people from the Butterfly Mansion to support them from time to time.
Not everyone chose to leave.
Tengen Uzui had no desire to return to a shinobi's life. Instead, he stayed by Ubuyashiki Kagaya's side with his three beautiful wives, shamelessly freeloading food and lodging.
As for Chu Yang—
He hadn't even had the chance to enjoy his post-war life when his consciousness was pulled back into the Soul Palace.
And this time, on the thrones that had once stood empty, there were suddenly two new figures.
"Didn't we just come in not long ago? Why are we back again?"
"The frequency of entering the Soul Palace has been a bit high lately."
"So, may I ask—which one of you guys is causing trouble this time?"
Pirate Chu Yang, Ninja Chu Yang, and Magic Chu Yang appeared in the Soul Palace with expressions full of complaint. All three of them had plenty to keep them busy—especially Magic Chu Yang, who had been practically living in the potions lab recently.
"I cleared it!" Demon Slayer Chu Yang raised his hand proudly. "Just killed Kibutsuji Muzan. All the main characters survived. How about that?"
"Not bad, congratulations." Pirate Chu Yang laughed. "Didn't expect you—the one who joined last—to be the fastest among us to clear your world!"
Ninja Chu Yang clicked his tongue, sounding sour. "What do you mean cleared or not cleared? There's no mandatory mission anyway. No need to rush it. Isn't taking it slow better?"
Demon Slayer Chu Yang grinned. "Heh, I wanted to take it slow too, but the enemies didn't give me the chance."
Pirate Chu Yang nodded. "True enough. The combat ceiling in the Demon Slayer world really is lower than ours. Killing Muzan didn't take that much effort."
Ninja Chu Yang then noticed Magic Chu Yang talking with the two newcomers and asked curiously, "Which world are the newcomers from?"
Magic Chu Yang shook his head. "No idea. Seems like an ordinary world—nothing unusual. Even after memory sharing, I couldn't find anything special."
Ninja Chu Yang widened his eyes. "That's impossible. Let me take a look!"
Pirate Chu Yang and Demon Slayer Chu Yang also overheard the conversation. Curious as well, they crowded over.
After sharing memories, they discovered that the two newcomers were both students from rural towns—one from modern-day Japan, the other from the United States.
Interestingly, both of them were about to enter high school.
"That doesn't make sense." Magic Chu Yang rubbed his chin and frowned. "Based on past patterns, the probability of ending up in an ordinary world is extremely low. How could both of them be from normal worlds?"
"Hey, you're one to talk about science when you're playing with magic," Pirate Chu Yang couldn't help but mock. "Low probability doesn't mean zero probability."
The Japanese high schooler Chu Yang said enviously, "I'm really jealous of you guys. All your worlds are so exciting. My daily life is basically the same as before I transmigrated. I'm bored out of my mind."
The American high schooler Chu Yang sighed as well. "You have no idea how bad the infrastructure is in rural America. The signal is terrible. Whenever it rains, the TV and internet both die. Ever since I got here, it's been raining almost every day. I've barely been able to watch TV at all."
Demon Slayer Chu Yang laughed. "If you can't even watch TV, then your era isn't much different from mine."
Magic Chu Yang suddenly realized something. "No wonder there's no useful info in your memories. I remember your timeline is around 2008, right?"
The American high schooler Chu Yang nodded.
Demon Slayer Chu Yang's eyes lit up. "Buy a ticket and go home to watch the Olympics!"
That random idea stunned everyone for a moment.
Pirate Chu Yang immediately shot it down. "It's just a parallel world with a modern setting. Where would the Olympics come from?"
Everyone roasted Demon Slayer Chu Yang for quite a while before getting back to discussing the two high schooler Chu Yangs.
They concluded that whether the worlds were ordinary or not didn't really matter. Even if there were no special abilities to learn, the two high schoolers could still work logistics alongside Magic Chu Yang—doing research and sharing the workload.
All in all, the arrival of new members made everyone happy. After all, every newcomer was still "themselves," making unity effortless.
What Pirate Chu Yang and the others didn't know was that once the two high schooler Chu Yangs returned to their own worlds, their lives would soon undergo earth-shaking changes.
...
Japan, a rural island town.
The Chu Yang here lived on a small island. His relatives had all perished in a tsunami several years ago, leaving him completely alone as he continued going to school.
Due to a long-term lack of students, the island's school decided to shut down. Chu Yang's class would be the final graduating cohort. Anyone who wanted to continue studying would have to move to a city to attend high school.
Many chose to drop out and inherit their family's fishing work. Chu Yang had originally planned to do the same.
But then—
He was suddenly summoned into the Soul Palace and received this long-overdue cheat.
After returning, Chu Yang immediately decided to leave the island. This place no longer belonged to him.
He sold the house his family had left behind along with everything of value, preparing to head to a big city for school.
A week later, Chu Yang rented an apartment near the school and began his brand-new high school life.
As he entered the campus, he glanced at the stone monument by the gate.
Engraved on it were the words:
Karakura First High School
For some reason, the name felt strangely familiar—but Chu Yang didn't dwell on it and followed the other students through the gate.
Not long after—
During class introductions, Chu Yang began to feel that something was very wrong.
"Hello everyone, my name is Kurosaki Ichigo. Please take care of me from now on."
The boy with spiky orange hair said this from the podium. His expression was somewhat aloof—usually the type who seemed distant, though possibly warm on the inside.
"Haha… probably not." Chu Yang's mouth felt dry. "Maybe it's just the name and appearance that are similar."
He had only just accepted that this was a normal world and was planning to focus on college entrance exams.
"Hello everyone, my name is Inoue Orihime…"
Alright.
It looked like his high school life wasn't going to be nearly as peaceful as he had hoped.
...
United States.
Perhaps because the cheat had finally arrived, Chu Yang's luck began to improve. The endless rainy weather plaguing the town finally cleared.
Looking up at the spotless blue sky, Chu Yang happily hummed a tune and turned on the old boxy CRT television at home.
This was only the second time he'd watched TV since transmigrating.
He originally planned to find some entertainment, but after flipping through several channels, every single one was broadcasting emergency news.
"It's not like the president died. What's with all the panic?" Chu Yang muttered as he picked up a glass of water.
Just as he took a sip, the news anchor began speaking.
"According to confirmation from military officials, earlier this morning, Stark Industries CEO Tony Stark was attacked by terrorists in Afghanistan. His current whereabouts are unknown…"
Pffft!
Chu Yang sprayed water everywhere.
(End of Chapter)