Roy took the papers handed to him by the two girls and skimmed through them at a glance, forming a general assessment in his mind.
Daphne was not bad. Her Dexterity and Agility had both reached Rank A. Cassandra, however, only had Rank A in Magic, while several of her other abilities were Rank G—her growth was severely unbalanced.
Still, Cassandra's Skill and Magic were rather luxurious, far more practical than Daphne's.
Roy's gaze focused on Cassandra's only Skill. He couldn't read it clearly—only a blurred line of text—but he knew its true name: "Princess Who Sings of a Tragic World."
This Skill was a true miracle.
An indecipherable special Skill—even its name could not be properly displayed in divine text.
Through dreams, she could foresee the future. The content was absolutely accurate, and within the dream were revelations on how to avoid tragic outcomes. However, the messages were often extremely abstract and difficult to interpret.
Moreover, due to its "curse," none would believe her prophetic dreams—not even the gods.
When Roy and Ryuu fought against the Apollo Familia, Cassandra had foreseen it in a dream and warned Apollo and Hyakinthos. Unfortunately, neither of them believed her.
In this world, those who doubted this great prophet rarely met a good end.
Roy had no intention of becoming the next example.
He smiled at Cassandra. "How have you been sleeping lately? Any dreams?"
Cassandra froze for a moment, then shook her head.
Roy looked disappointed and patted her slender shoulder. "Make sure you sleep more. You can ask Lady Astraea for money—buy the best bed and pillows."
"O-Okay… ah—he touched me…"
Cassandra stared at the large hand resting on her shoulder. The heat from his palm seemed to seep through her clothes. It was physical contact again. Steam practically rose from the top of her head.
Daphne felt a twinge of jealousy. She needed attention too.
After training the newcomers, it was time for Roy's own dungeon run. His great feat had long since been achieved. Now he would push his ability values to their absolute limit and advance to Lv. 3.
Name: Demon Slayer
Difficulty: Lv.2–Lv.4
Description: For a thousand years, demons have roamed the night. The targets are the Demon King, Muzan Kibutsuji, and his Twelve Kizuki.
[Defeat Muzan Kibutsuji: Reward 1000 ability points + Silver Treasure Chest!]
[Upper Rank One, Kokushibo: Reward 650 ability points!]
[Upper Rank Three, Akaza: Reward 200 ability points!]
Roy and Ryuu appeared outside a mansion, directly teleporting before their target—extremely convenient.
Otherwise, Roy had no idea how he would find Muzan Kibutsuji. Ever since being terrified by Yoriichi Tsugikuni over four hundred years ago, Muzan's cowardice had reached unparalleled heights.
The instant the two appeared, Muzan sensed them. A young boy stood by a second-floor window, coldly observing the pair.
"Yo. Good evening!"
Roy greeted him with a smile. To an outsider, they might have looked like friends.
"Who are you?"
Muzan Kibutsuji could alter his appearance, living under countless identities. To develop a medicine capable of overcoming sunlight, he had assumed the name Toshikuni and infiltrated a pharmaceutical family as their adopted son.
He did not know how he had been exposed.
But it was obvious these two had come for him.
Bathed in pale moonlight, Muzan saw their faces clearly. His pupils shrank. "I see. The ones who killed Doma… were you."
All Upper Rank demons carried his blood and shared vision with him. Through the final images Doma saw before his death, Muzan had already recognized Roy and Ryuu.
"Move!"
Roy and Ryuu acted simultaneously, charging forward like a violent gale.
Muzan spoke indifferently. "Nakime."
Clang!
Just as they closed within thirty meters of the mansion, a crisp biwa note echoed in Roy and Ryuu's ears. The ground beneath them vanished, and their footing disappeared.
They began falling.
What met their eyes was a bizarre space—dimly lit, with buildings inverted and suspended upside down. The disorienting architecture made one dizzy.
Roy had already briefed Ryuu about the intelligence. Neither was surprised, nor did they panic. Still, they could not help but marvel at the craftsmanship.
Muzan possessed an alternate dimension—the Infinity Castle—controlled by the demon Nakime.
This place was the demons' headquarters. Countless waves of malice surged toward Roy and Ryuu. Looking carefully, they saw over a hundred demons lurking within cracks and shadows.
Ordinary demons were not qualified to enter. Only the Twelve Kizuki—and their candidates—were allowed inside.
Dense clusters of crimson or green-glowing eyes stared at Roy and Ryuu. Muzan had already ordered them: kill these two.
—
"Forest canopy long departed,
Infinite stars adorning the boundless night sky!
Answer the voice of one as foolish as I,
Grant me once more the protection of starlight.
Bestow light and mercy upon those you abandon!"
Surrounded by demons, Roy and Ryuu remained calm. Even as they fell, they had already begun chanting. The demons that lunged at them were effortlessly cut down by Ryuu.
—
"Come forth, wandering wind!
Traveler adrift, soar the heavens, race across the wilderness,
Run with a speed surpassing all things!
With the radiance of the stars, conquer the enemy—
Wind of Light!"
Roy and Ryuu chanted in unison, drawing upon their Mind to manipulate magical energy. Around them appeared countless emerald spheres of light, illuminating the entire Infinity Castle.
The spheres spread outward and bombarded everything.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The wooden structures of the Infinity Castle were utterly incapable of resisting. The explosions drowned every demon, and the dimension turned into a sea of fire.
As for the demons—there was no trace left of them.
Upper Rank Two, Doma, had been annihilated by a single emerald sphere. These demons were inferior even to him—mere grazes were enough to erase them.
The demons Muzan had cultivated over centuries were wiped out in an instant. Even the Upper Ranks were no exception—they perished one after another.
One emerald sphere pierced through a wooden building and killed Nakime, who had been hiding behind the scenes.
With her death, the Infinity Castle lost control. Violent tremors shook the dimension. Signs of collapse were unmistakable.
Only two demons remained before Roy and Ryuu:
Muzan Kibutsuji.
Upper Rank One, Kokushibo.
"???"
The two demons stared blankly at the devastation.
Muzan's face twisted grotesquely. It wasn't that he cared about the lives of those demons—but just who were these two?
"Messengers of the gods?" Kokushibo's six golden eyes fixed upon Roy and Ryuu. He could think of no other beings possessing such overwhelming might.
Roy said, "Miss Ryuu, I'll take the one with six eyes. You handle Muzan Kibutsuji."
"I understand."
Ryuu's sky-blue eyes locked onto Muzan. His body trembled involuntarily under her gaze.
"Impossible… impossible… impossible… impossible—!"
Muzan roared inwardly. His breathing grew ragged. The danger he sensed from the blonde girl was no less than what he had felt over four hundred years ago… when facing Yoriichi Tsugikuni.
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