"Bastard, you son of a bitch!"
Sanemi Shinazugawa gritted his teeth, unable to stop himself from following.
"Alright, Sanemi, Giyu, come back for now."
Kagaya Ubuyashiki coughed twice more.
Giyu Tomioka and Sanemi Shinazugawa listened to his words.
"Yes, Master."
The two of them sat back down cross-legged.
Kagaya Ubuyashiki then continued, "Shimizu, Mitsuri, according to custom, you will be named the Ripple Pillar and Love Pillar, respectively, after your breathing styles. Afterward, you may go to the Swordsmith Village to reforge a Nichirin Blade engraved with the words 'Destroy Demons,' or engrave it on your current blade to signify your status."
Shimizu nodded slightly.
"Good, my blade has quite a few nicks, so I can exchange it for a more durable one."
Mitsuri Kanroji also responded.
With the successful development of her Love Breathing, she also needed to replace her specially made Nichirin Blade to unleash even greater power.
…
…
In the Infinity Castle, the lights were bright.
Wearing a white suit and a hat, Muzan sat on a chair with a gloomy expression, looking at the three Lower Rank demons kneeling below.
Lower Rank One, Enmu, Lower Rank Two, Rokuro, and Lower Rank Four, Mukago.
Lower Rank Five, Rui, stood next to him, looking blank, while the six Upper Rank demons stood on the platform not far away, watching this scene with various postures.
"You have disappointed me greatly. Within just one year, you have successively lost three Lower Rank demons. Am I to understand this as a provocation from the Demon Slayer Corps?
Do you really think I have the time to waste, slowly selecting new Lower Rank demons one after another? In less than ten years, the Lower Rank positions have changed five times.
I can't help but wonder if establishing the Lower Rank positions was a mistake, because I have given you power and status that other demons don't have, yet you can only waste my time and cannot do anything for me."
"Doma, you're overstepping. Did Muzan-sama allow you to interrupt?"
A hand with a blue-gray demon crest pressed down on Doma's shoulder, crushing it to pieces.
Akaza said coldly to Doma.
"Akaza, you're also overstepping. Doma is your superior. If there's a punishment, it should be me and Muzan-sama who take action, not you."
Kokushibo, who had been standing in the distance, opened his six eyes and looked at Akaza, almost instantly moving in front of him and saying.
Akaza's eyes shook, and he looked down at his arms, which had been cut off but were quickly regenerating, his eyes firm.
His ability to sense fighting spirit was useless against Kokushibo.
This was the highest realm of being able to conceal one's aura completely, anticipate the enemy's moves, and sense everything!
One day, he would also step into this realm, then defeat Doma and Kokushibo, and become the strongest demon under Muzan!
"This time, I will punish you. If you have any objections, you can initiate a positional blood battle."
Kokushibo said indifferently.
Hantengu looked terrified, hiding on the stairs and crying, while Gyokko poked half of his head out of his pot, and Daki watched this scene with great interest.
Muzan's eyes were cold as he turned to look at the Upper Rank demons.
"And you, hundreds of years have passed, and the Ubuyashiki family is still provoking me, and the Blue Spider Lily is nowhere to be found. Are you... really considered capable?"
This time, even Kokushibo had nothing to say.
"The next time the Twelve Kizuki meeting is held, if you still want to continue living, there are only two choices."
Muzan turned around, his back to the demons, and walked forward.
"First, find the Blue Spider Lily, and I will give you more of my blood as a reward."
"Second, each of you bring me the head of a Pillar, and annihilate the Ubuyashiki family and the Demon Slayer Corps within two years, and beg for my forgiveness."
Muzan's cold and indifferent voice faded away, as his figure disappeared into the many doors of the Infinity Castle.
"One Pillar's head per person... what if there aren't enough Pillars to go around?"
Daki propped her smooth chin with her hand, frowning her beautiful eyebrows.
"If you can't get one, you die."
Kokushibo reached out and pushed open the door, looking at Nakime.
With a twang of the biwa, the tall figure wielding a sword disappeared without a trace.
"It seems like this time, we have to make a big commotion and lure the Pillars here as soon as possible."
Akaza sighed and then jumped off the platform, disappearing in the sound of Nakime's biwa.
The Lower Rank demons exchanged glances, and except for Enmu, the mentally deranged Lower Rank One, the others were somewhat uneasy.
According to past experience, Pillars were rarely a match for Upper Rank demons, but it was hard to say for Lower Rank demons.
After all, many Pillars had been promoted by killing Lower Rank demons.
With some worries about the future, these Lower Rank demons and Hantengu and Daki all quickly left.
Doma sat on the ground, waving goodbye to everyone who left with a grin.
The number of Pillars was limited. According to past experience, there were at most nine Pillars in the same era, so at least one person wouldn't have enough to go around.
In the end, only Doma, who was so emotionally detached that he didn't care much about his own life and death, and Gyokko, who had nothing to fear, were left on the scene.
"Gyokko-senpai, aren't you leaving yet?"
Doma tilted his head and asked Gyokko.
"Hehe, I have information that will definitely lure the Pillars here, so of course I'm not worried!"
Gyokko rolled on the ground, chuckling.
"Ah, is it something fun? Can you share it with me?"
"No problem, I've been hiding this information for several years, just to bring it out at such a critical time to make Muzan-sama happy. As long as we play a little slower, we'll definitely be able to lure more than one Pillar here."
Gyokko shook his deformed head and said in a greasy tone.
"Is that so! Thank you for being willing to let me play with you, Gyokko-senpai!"
Doma raised Gyokko's pot high, making a cheerful appearance.
