Kibutsuji Muzan glanced at the torn corner of his suit lying on the ground.
It had been many years since anyone had gotten this close to him.
The last time that happened… when was it?
"Young man," Muzan said coldly, "what is your name? I may consider leaving you an intact corpse."
Aoyama swung his blade.
Total Concentration!
Light Breathing!
First Form—Flash!
His blood surged, his body temperature rising instantly.
Against Muzan, his speed had to match—or surpass—his opponent's. Only then could he land a lethal strike.
On the ground, the woman finally snapped out of her shock. Her eyes fell on a thick wooden stick nearby. Gritting her teeth, she grabbed it and charged forward.
Hachi and the big guy were dead.
No matter what—she would avenge them.
Aoyama frowned deeply.
He had thrown that dagger earlier so she could run.
He hadn't expected this.
Slash—
Blood erupted from her carotid artery.
In less than a blink, Muzan's sharp nails had taken her life.
"H-How… you're not… hu—"
The final word never left her lips.
Her body collapsed.
Aoyama instinctively reached out, catching her arm as she fell. He glanced back at Muzan warily, guarding against a sneak attack.
Muzan raised his blood-stained right hand and smiled faintly.
"Young man. We'll meet again."
With a single leap, he shot into the night sky and vanished.
"Hey!"
Aoyama tried to give chase—but it was too late.
The woman in his grasp had already gone cold.
Muzan had escaped.
The woman had died.
There was nothing left to do.
Aoyama left the alley and returned to the udon stall.
Nezuko was still there.
Meanwhile, Tanjiro had been entangled by police officers. Just when things became critical, a strange fragrance filled the air. Flower petals drifted through the scene, obscuring vision.
Lady Tamayo and Yushiro had appeared.
Thanks to them, Tanjiro managed to escape. The woman who had been bitten by her husband was taken away for treatment.
By the time Tanjiro returned to the udon stand—
Nezuko was sleeping peacefully, her head resting on Aoyama's thigh.
Before Tanjiro could ask about what happened, the stall owner—Mr. Toyo—stormed up to him furiously.
"Listen carefully! I'm not talking about the money!"
"What I can't forgive is that your udon got cold and you didn't come back to eat it!!!"
Tanjiro blinked in confusion.
His eyes slowly shifted toward his senior brother.
When Aoyama came back earlier…
Had his bowl gone cold?
"Don't look at me," Aoyama said lazily. "When I got back, mine was perfect. Not hot, not cold. Just right."
Tanjiro sighed.
So it was his fault.
Hands pressed together apologetically, he bowed.
"I'm very sorry! Please make me another bowl! No—make that two bowls!"
Aoyama stroked Nezuko's hair and clicked his tongue.
Such an honest fool.
Those bowls were huge. Two more would burst his stomach.
Elsewhere, hidden in darkness—
Kibutsuji Muzan sank into unpleasant memories.
Hanafuda earrings.
The man who had once driven him to the brink also wore those earrings.
Identical to the ones worn by that boy tonight.
Snap.
With a crisp snap of his fingers, two shadows appeared behind him, kneeling—a man and a woman, both demons.
Without turning around, Muzan gave his order coldly.
"Bring me the head of the Demon Slayer wearing hanafuda earrings."
His crimson eyes flicked slightly over his shoulder.
"And the boy with him—the one who injured me. Bring his head as well."
Neither of them should continue to exist.
"Understood."
"As you command."
The two demons vanished into the darkness.
Those earrings…
Even now, they lingered in Muzan's nightmares.
Back at the udon stall, Tanjiro finished two bowls in a whirlwind.
Mr. Toyo stared in astonishment—but also delight. Few appreciated his cooking this much.
"Thank you for the meal! It was delicious!"
Mr. Toyo nodded enthusiastically. "You understand! You truly understand!"
Their conversation woke Nezuko.
Still riding the high of praise, Mr. Toyo insisted on making her a bowl too.
Aoyama immediately raised a hand to stop him.
"Make another one if you like. Tanjiro loves udon. He can eat another bowl, no problem."
"R-Really? You can still eat more?" Mr. Toyo's eyes sparkled as he turned to Tanjiro.
Tanjiro clutched his round, stuffed stomach.
He absolutely could not eat another bite.
"Senior Brother!!! You set me up again!!!"
Aoyama looked utterly innocent.
He was just showing brotherly care.
How was that a trap?
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