Suddenly losing his connection to Doma, Muzan felt an inexplicable chill engulf him. A strong sense of unease made it impossible for him to remain calm.

The demons in this world were all created by him, using his own blood to transform humans! Under the binding curse of his blood, he could directly perceive the thoughts and locations of every demon, control their actions, and even kill them instantly using the power of the curse.

Distance would only weaken his perception but could never completely sever the connection. Losing the connection to a demon meant one of two things: Either that demon had betrayed him, like that wretched Tamayo, and escaped his control. Or... they were dead!

Upper Rank Two, dead?!

For over a hundred years, no Upper Ranks had ever died!

When he later confirmed the situation through his subordinates, he learned that Doma had perished after battling the Flower Hashira from the Demon Slayer Corps. Muzan's already uneasy heart became even more restless.

Without hesitation, he began summoning the remaining Twelve Kizuki.

The Demon Slayer Corps had gained the power to slay an Upper Rank!

He absolutely could not allow them to continue growing stronger!

---

After rushing back to headquarters, Kanae stood before Ubuyashiki Kagaya. Gathered alongside him were the Stone Hashira, the Sound Hashira, Uzui Tengen, and the Wind Hashira, Shinazugawa Sanemi. She then recounted her encounter.

The young Kagaya, who was not yet as calm and insightful as he would be in the future when facing life and death, reached out with reverence and touched the small divine idol.

The moment he did, he felt his body become noticeably lighter, filling him with indescribable joy! This sacred, warm, and pure energy seemed to cleanse all impurities.

It was definitely not a power derived from Blood Demon Arts. That meant... everything Kanae had said was true!

Unlike Gyomei, who no longer believed in gods and merely treated prayers as a form of spiritual discipline, or Tengen and Sanemi, who remained skeptical, Kagaya firmly believed that gods truly existed.

After all, no matter how hard the Ubuyashiki Family struggled, none of them could live past thirty. This was the divine punishment for their deep blood ties with Muzan.

"Did the great deity bestow a divine revelation?" Suppressing his excitement, Kagaya asked Kanae, who was holding the small divine idol.

"No. I wanted to spread faith in the deity and sing hymns in their name, but the great deity refused. They only told me to use this power well, to focus on improving my strength. Also, Miroku, the priestess, told me that the great deity prefers strong and self-reliant humans."

Kanae's eyes showed a hint of confusion. She had received the blessing of a deity, gaining the power to fulfill her dreams. But how was she supposed to repay the deity?

"What kind of power did the deity bestow upon you?" Gyomei clasped his hands together, gazing intently at the small idol.

He did not disbelieve Kanae.

Rather… When he had once faced despair, confusion, fear, and helplessness, his prayers had never received any response from the gods!

Did gods truly exist?

"Hmm… the power of repentance, a profound sword technique I cannot comprehend, and seeds of natural energy. Would you like to experience it, Gyomei-san?"

Kanae slightly rephrased the explanation of the Fourfold Break in One Second technique.

She had immense respect and gratitude for Gyomei, who had saved her and her sister, guided them, and ultimately became a member of the Demon Slayer Corps.

"Amitabha. If I can experience it personally, that would be best." Gyomei recited the Buddhist prayer.

Kanae walked up to him, placed her hand on his back, closed her eyes, and slowly channeled a sliver of the natural energy she had absorbed into his body.

Buzz—

A powerful energy wave spread outward.

The veins on Gyomei's body bulged, his hair stood on end, and his entire aura surged to new heights!

"Ugh!" A muffled groan of pain escaped his lips.

He felt a terrifying power filling his body, as if it would tear him apart at any moment. His muscles and pathways felt as though they were being ripped apart.

His eyes widened in shock and joy!

This power!

Could it be that the deity... Was finally going to show mercy to the humans who had suffered under the demons for thousands of years?

"Hah… Gyomei-san, according to the knowledge the great deity has bestowed upon me, our world has seven fundamental energies: water, fire, earth, wind, lightning, yin, and yang. Natural energy is the fusion of these forces…"

Kanae stopped transmitting the power. Looking at Gyomei, who was already drenched in cold sweat and grimacing in pain, she softly explained the principles of this energy.

According to the knowledge in her mind, as long as one could withstand the baptism of natural energy, fully open their pathways, and circulate energy along the same paths as she did, they would be able to absorb the elemental energy that best matched their body's nature.

In other words, before long, Gyomei would possess the power of an element. With elemental energy and Breathing Style combined, the strength of the Demon Slayer Corps would undoubtedly reach a whole new level!

"Amitabha… How should I praise the name of the deity?" Gyomei thought of finally being able to completely eradicate the demons and, overwhelmed with emotion, instinctively began to chant "Amitabha." Halfway through his chant, he realized something was off.

"I know that the great divine being does not seem to care about such things. I only know that the great divine being denies all unreasonable fates, whether of mortals or gods, illuminated by divine light, refuting all unjust destinies." Kanae tilted her head slightly, repeating the information that had come to her mind through the Demon God's Proxy Contract.

"To reject unreasonable fate? What a merciful and compassionate existence." Tears streamed down Gyomei's face.

The Buddha he prayed to taught him to believe in reincarnation, karma, and retribution. He believed that all calamities were the result of past-life sins, that he must accept his own guilt, atone for past lives, and accumulate virtue for the next. But this was the first time he had heard of a deity who sought to refute unreasonable fate.

O Great Divine Being, do you need a divine attendant? I am highly experienced!

"You both saw the process, it was quite painful." Kanae looked at Tengen and Sanemi, who were already struggling to contain themselves.

"The power of the divine being, as dazzling as the stars... Even if the process is painful, I am willing to become the sharp blade that severs the darkness!" Tengen did not hesitate at all. He immediately sat cross-legged on the wooden veranda, waiting for Kanae's divine power to cleanse him.

"Earlier you mentioned that the power granted to you by the divine being was repentance, for whom? Us? Or the demons?" Sanemi's fierce expression carried a hint of hidden ruthlessness.

That ruthlessness was not directed at Kanae but stemmed from his own experience, demons could neither be trusted nor forgiven!

"Actually, my description may not be entirely accurate because that power is more like a spiritual attack. While it doesn't directly cause death, it's not particularly friendly… whether to humans or demons." Kanae pursed her lips, unsure of how to explain it.

"Let me try it!" Sanemi, upon hearing that it didn't cause death, immediately volunteered to test it on himself.

Five minutes later.

"Gyomei, are you sure Sanemi isn't actually your long-lost son? I've only ever seen such well-developed tear glands in you..." Tengen grimaced in pain.

Unlike Gyomei, he lacked the same level of physical endurance. The divine cleansing nearly cost him half his life! Most of his muscles were torn, and his internal organs were in agonizing distress. And on top of that, he had to endure Sanemi's utterly ungraceful, earsplitting wails of sorrow!

Dear God!

Please, someone drag him away, I can't take it anymore…

"Hello~ Onee-san~ Onee-san~"

Outside the courtyard of Kagaya's residence, Shinobu carefully called out to her sister in a hushed voice. Her large violet eyes were filled with anticipation and longing.

"Shinobu? Come in."

Kagaya smiled and waved his inside. Before the meeting started, Shinobu had already arrived, but the fact that she had waited this long before calling out to her sister was somewhat surprising to him.

"I greet Oyakata-sama."

The 14-year-old Shinobu jogged into the courtyard, bowing respectfully before Kagaya. Then, she gleefully turned to look at Sanemi, who was still sobbing uncontrollably and pounding the ground.

As a frequent visitor to the Butterfly Mansion, Sanemi was not someone she would show any kindness to. When her sister glanced at her, Shinobu quickly ran up to her, lowered her voice, and spoke excitedly. "Onee-san! I've decided! I want to become a miko like you!"

"A miko must dedicate both body and soul to serving the divine being wholeheartedly. They are strictly forbidden from engaging in romance or marriage. Are you prepared for that, Shinobu?" With a gentle smile, Kanae reached out to tuck a stray lock of Shinobu's hair behind her ear.

As an expert in Insect Breathing, Shinobu was exceptionally skilled at detecting the slightest movements. She had been standing outside the courtyard wall earlier. Knowing her personality, there was no way she could have resisted eavesdropping using her Insect Breathing skills.

"...Is the divine being handsome?" Shinobu tilted her head, pondered for a moment, and then softly asked her question.

Thud!

"That's such a disrespectful question!" Kanae flicked her sister's forehead.

She could already guess what Shinobu was thinking, if she couldn't marry anyone else, then maybe she'd just marry the divine being instead! Even if she really did become a miko, she shouldn't have such blasphemous thoughts!

"Hmph!" Shinobu pouted, letting out a small, displeased huff. But her gaze kept drifting toward the divine idol on her sister's chest, trying to determine the divine being's appearance from its carving.

Her sister was being unfair! She didn't even say it outright, she only asked about his looks. How was that disrespectful?

And besides, the divine being never said it was forbidden, did he~?