CHAPTER 297: CHAPTER 48: GO TO HELL!

"You’re the demon who killed my sister... go to hell!"

With an icy glare and a voice brimming with killing intent, Shinobu slammed her foot down with force—bam!—and vanished in an instant.

Insect Breathing: Centipede Dance – Hundred-Legged Zigzag!

Her blade pierced clean through Doma’s chest, nailing him against the wall with explosive precision.

"Kuh..."

Doma coughed up a mouthful of blood.

The damage was twofold—one from Shinobu’s devastating thrust, and the other from the deadly poison flowing through his body.

But it still wasn’t enough to finish him.

With a carefree, almost innocent smile, he looked down at the blade impaling him. "Ah... now I remember. There was a woman a long time ago. Wore a haori just like yours... used Flower Breathing too."

A flicker of rage sparked in Shinobu’s eyes.

Doma casually swung his golden fans once more and unleashed another technique.

Blood Demon Art: Frozen Haze.

A chilling mist of glittering ice crystals surged toward Shinobu, trying to engulf her like a creeping blizzard.

"Back!" Kyojuro Rengoku barked.

He grabbed Shinobu by the collar and yanked her out of the freezing cloud just in time, then followed up with a flaming slash that scorched the air and completely vaporized the icy mist.

From the sides, Inosuke and Kanao once again launched a coordinated pincer attack.

Blood Demon Art: Crystal Children!

Doma summoned five ice clones that looked exactly like himself to intercept them. Meanwhile, he focused all his energy on one task—breaking down the poison raging inside him.

"This ends now."

Kyojuro’s blade swept toward him like a streak of blazing judgment.

Sensing the killing intent and danger radiating from him, Doma’s expression darkened for the first time. "You... really are annoying."

No sooner had he spoken than the ground began to tremble.

Behind him, a massive ice construct burst upward from the earth—its shape resembled a seated Buddha with palms pressed together in prayer. It shattered the roof above as it rose.

Doma’s ultimate technique—

Blood Demon Art: Misty Ice – Lotus Buddha!

The entire building shook violently, on the verge of total collapse.

The cultists of the Eternal Bliss Sect stared in horror.

"S-something’s coming out of the Founder’s house!"

"Wha—what is that huge thing?!"

The colossal ice Buddha swatted Kyojuro like a fly, sending him crashing through multiple buildings with a boom.

"Rengoku!" Inosuke shouted instinctively.

The house Doma had been hiding in crumbled completely, revealing everyone under the open night sky.

Doma stood there—his body slashed and punctured, blood dripping from his lips—but still regenerating at an unnatural pace. He looked more like a demonic specter than a man.

The cultists could only stare, wide-eyed, unable to believe what they were seeing.

"Th-that’s the Founder?!"

"No way... this has to be a nightmare! Our Founder is... a monster?!"

Many of the worshipers fell into stunned silence, their eyes devoid of light as their faith crumbled before their very eyes.

Bam!

From the rubble of a destroyed house—

Kyojuro Rengoku rose to his feet, blood trickling down his forehead, his crimson blade still clutched firmly in his hand.

When Shinobu, Inosuke, and the others saw him emerge, a wave of relief washed over them.

With his booming voice, Kyojuro turned toward the frightened cultists.

"This place is dangerous! All of you—run! Get out of here now!"

His commanding shout jolted them out of their stupor, and the crowd scrambled, fleeing in all directions.

With the bystanders gone, Rengoku turned back to the real threat.

Gripping his Nichirin Blade tightly with both hands, he locked eyes with Doma standing beneath the massive ice Buddha.

And then... a strange, fiery pattern began to emerge on Rengoku’s forehead.

"Demon... let me show you the strongest sword strike I’ve honed all this time, to kill Muzan Kibutsuji!"

In that moment—

The blazing battle spirit surging from Kyojuro Rengoku burned brighter than ever before. He stood like a sun in the middle of the night, radiant and roaring.

With one foot stepping into the Transparent World, and his Flame Mark now awakened, Rengoku, gripping his crimson blade, unleashed the mightiest slash of his entire life.

Flame Breathing: Ultimate Art – Rengoku!

Wreathed in searing flames, he exploded forward with the roar of an inferno, his figure like a meteor hurtling through the dark.

He tore through several buildings between him and Doma—boom!—each one reduced to rubble in his path.

The massive hand of the ice Buddha came crashing down to intercept him—but it shattered instantly. Even the surrounding toxic frost mist was incinerated before it could come close.

In Doma’s widened pupils—

The blazing Rengoku blazed past him like a falling star, and the crimson blade in his hands cleaved clean through Doma’s body, slicing him in half at the waist.

And in the very next second—

Shinobu appeared behind him. Her thin, razor-sharp Nichirin blade sliced toward his neck without the slightest hesitation.

Clang!

The sound that rang out was like steel striking steel—her blade had hit Doma’s neck, but hadn’t cut through.

Doma sneered, "You’re too small. You don’t have the strength to sever my neck."

"No," Shinobu replied calmly. "On my own, I couldn’t. But what if... I had help?"

Doma’s smirk froze.

An instant later—

Inosuke and Kanao appeared beside Shinobu. Without hesitation, they swung their blades downward—striking not Doma, but the back of Shinobu’s sword.

With a resounding clang, and the combined force of all three...

Shinobu’s blade cut clean through Doma’s neck.

His head flew into the air.

"Eh?"

His eyes spun as the world turned upside down. He hadn’t even realized what had just happened.

Shinobu looked at him, still smiling with the same gentle expression she always wore, and said—

"Go to hell, you piece of trash."

...

At the same time—

Hantengu was slain by Sanemi Shinazugawa.

Gyokko’s head was taken clean off by Muichiro Tokito.

And elsewhere, Tanjiro Kamado, using Hinokami Kagura, joined forces with Tengen Uzui, and together, they decapitated both Daki and Gyutaro.

Upper Moon Two. Upper Moon Four. Upper Moon Five. Upper Moon Six.

Wiped out—completely.

...

Crash!

A small glass vial slipped from Muzan Kibutsuji’s hand and shattered on the ground with a crisp crack.

In his boyish form, his crimson slit pupils quivered violently, and for once... his face showed something rare—shock and rage.

"Upper Moon Two, Four, Five, and Six... all of them... killed at the same time?!"

"What in the hell is going on?!"

For the first time in centuries, Muzan completely lost his composure.

This was not part of the plan.

Something had happened—something completely outside of his expectations.

Ever since he was nearly killed by Yoriichi Tsugikuni, Muzan had become the embodiment of caution. And now, his first instinct was clear:

Get out. Now.

"Nakime."

He called out her name.

Inside the Infinity Castle, Nakime—the new Upper Moon Three—sat cross-legged with her biwa in hand. At the sound of Muzan’s voice, she knew exactly what to do.

She strummed the strings.

With a single plong, Muzan disappeared from the room instantly.

...

Not far from that very room, standing in the middle of a quiet street...

Dressed in black and standing calmly between Giyu Tomioka and Tamayo—

Ron’s lips curled into a small smile.

"The real show’s just about to begin."