bioinnovel Chapter 378 [3 Chapters Combined] Muzan's Strictest Father
Chapter 378 [3 Chapters Combined] Muzan's Strictest Father
Deep within the Infinite City, the rules of space twist and groan.
A gigantic cocoon of flesh, composed of countless strands of blood, pale limbs, and distorted faces, floated in the viscous darkness, emitting a low, rhythmic "thump...thump..." sound, much like the heart of some blasphemous alien.
Each contraction and expansion caused the surrounding space to tremble slightly, and the viscous, energy-rich dark red liquid slid down the vein-like vessels, dripping and adding to the eerie atmosphere.
"Useless...a bunch of useless trash—!!!!!"
Just then, a roar filled with endless resentment and violence suddenly exploded from the core of the flesh cocoon, like a thunderclap from a clear sky, instantly tearing apart the deathly silence of this area.
As the roar was heard, the previously regular pulsation of the flesh cocoon suddenly went out of control, becoming wild and rapid, as if it would burst completely at any moment.
The surface of the fleshy cocoon undulated and stretched violently, protruding into hideous outlines, before quickly collapsing back into place.
The energy flow hidden inside, which was originally maintained in a delicate balance under the suppression of drugs and Muzan's will, is now more like a branding iron thrown into an extremely cold abyss, enduring the extreme torment of ice and fire, and suddenly becomes violent, chaotic and completely out of control!
A killing intent far more intense and violent than ever before erupted from the core of the flesh cocoon, like a ferocious beast that had been imprisoned for thousands of years breaking free of its last shackles!
The killing intent was almost tangible, carrying the scorching heat of sulfur and the cloying sweetness of blood, scorching and distorting the surrounding cold, ghostly aura until it evaporated.
"Crack... Crack... Boom—!!!"
Finally, accompanied by a series of strange noises...
First came a continuous, terrifying tearing sound, as if thousands of bones were being crushed and broken at the same time.
Immediately following was a deafening explosion!
The enormous, suffocating cocoon could no longer contain the hysterical, destructive energy within, which was eager to break free. Like an overinflated bladder, it was torn apart, burst open, and exploded into countless fragments from the inside out by an extremely tyrannical force from its weakest point!
The thick, foul-smelling, dark red liquid, mixed with fragmented human tissue remains that had not yet been fully absorbed and dissolved—broken finger bones, twisted organs, and strands of hair stuck to the scalp—splashed wildly in all directions like a torrential downpour that desecrated life.
The ground was instantly stained a filthy, almost blackish-purple color, with severed limbs and broken pieces covering every inch of the ground within sight. The air was filled with a nauseating stench, a mixture of rust, rotting entrails, and some strange medicinal smell.
At the heart of this bloody, hellish scene, a naked figure staggers, its contorted posture a desperate attempt to break free of its restraints, appearing on the shattered cocoon-like base.
He had a handsome, almost otherworldly face, as if it had been meticulously sculpted by the most skilled craftsman.
However, at this moment, his face appeared particularly distorted and ferocious due to extreme anger.
Every muscle line was taut like a bowstring about to break, filled with violence and rage.
Thick blood plasma trickled down his pale, bloodless skin, outlining his strong, yet inhumanly beautiful, muscle contours.
Filled with overwhelming resentment and extreme displeasure at being interrupted in his evolution and forced to awaken prematurely, he exerted only a little force and leaped high into the air, forcefully breaking free from the still twitching and writhing fragments of the fleshy cocoon!
Muzan Kibutsuji, the progenitor of demons who had lurked in the shadows for many years, was forced to prematurely end the process of breaking down the drugs that had invaded his body and the crucial period of recuperation. Far from being at his peak, and in a state that could even be described as extremely unstable, he brazenly reappeared in the world!
His signature crimson pupils, like poisoned gemstones, had long lost their usual haughtiness and indifference towards all life.
Instead, there were two raging, almost overflowing balls of hellfire.
Deep within the flames, horror, rage, and a hint of... were clearly reflected.
A primal fear that he himself was ashamed to admit, yet like a persistent, intractable disease, that he could not shake off.
Just now, in those brief, almost negligible few minutes...
The sharpest teeth he had planted at various key passes in the Infinite City to strangle the demon hunters were shattered one by one, mercilessly!
Upper Moon Two, Doma. That ice demon who sees humans as food and manipulates emotions and beliefs, his unique and powerful aura, like a bubble exposed to direct sunlight, silently bursts and dissipates.
This only made him feel displeased and annoyed.
But then, almost without a break—Upper Moon One, Kokushibo!
That person who had been with him for hundreds of years, whose strength was undoubtedly second only to him, whose swordsmanship had reached the level of ghosts and gods, should have been an absolute powerhouse who was invincible in this world!
His powerful, stable, and mountain-like aura suddenly ceased without warning and vanished completely from his perception!
Even Kaigaku, the Upper Moon Sixth, whom he casually promoted to fill the Upper Moon vacancy and who was essentially just there to make up the numbers.
Compared to the other two Upper Moons, its aura was as faint as a candle flickering in the wind, and its already unstable energy was extinguished silently with a "poof".
too fast!
It happened so fast that he didn't even have time to adjust to the drug's effects, which were still fiercely clashing within him and trying to reverse him back into a human.
His meticulously planned and perfect scheme to annihilate the Demon Slayer Corps was completely disrupted, and all his efforts were in vain!
This completely exceeded all his expectations accumulated over thousands of years through countless experiences and conspiracies, utterly overturning his perception of the strength of the Demon Slayer Corps, which he considered as insignificant as insects!
The mastermind behind the entire operation, the leader of the Demon Slayer Corps—Ubuyashiki Kagaya—has undeniably been reduced to dust in that violent explosion, along with his mansion, wife, and daughters.
Even most of the remaining main members of the Demon Slayer Corps were successfully dragged into the Infinity Castle by Nakime, a dimensional battlefield where she completely controlled the rules and had an absolute home-field advantage against demons...
According to his nearly perfect script, which he had rehearsed countless times, even if those so-called "pillars" were to manage to defeat one of his Upper Moons through sacrifice and luck, they would inevitably pay an unbearable price, losing most of their forces and becoming completely devoid of threat.
How could they... how could they... in such a short time, as if cutting melons and vegetables, completely cut down the Upper Moons, whom he had cultivated for hundreds of years and regarded as an absolute barrier?!
So much so that all his meticulous arrangements now seem like a ridiculous and absurd act, as if he had cleverly opened the city gates and let a pack of hungry, heavily armed tigers into his innermost palace!
No! This shouldn't be! This is absolutely impossible!
Based on his deep understanding of the Demon Slayer Corps, it was absolutely, absolutely impossible for them to do this on their own!
Who exactly is behind all of this?!
Could it be that, before facing his death, that damned, persistent Kagaya Ubuyashiki left behind some terrifying contingency plan that Kagaya Ubuyashiki was unaware of, a plan capable of turning the tide of the battle?!
Or perhaps... among the pitiful and detestable human race, after Yoriichi, that nightmarish monster, another being has emerged who can threaten his eternal life?
Thinking of this, the red figure, as scorching as the sun and still crystal clear even after hundreds of years, reappeared in Muzan's mind.
The psychological trauma that man suffered from Muzan during their brief encounter back then was simply too immense.
Even though Muzan knew in his heart that the other party had long since died of old age, and that even his corpse had been cut in two by Kokushibo, there was no way he could have survived to this day...
But whenever the image of that man appeared in his mind, it was enough to make Muzan's heart, which had never fluctuated violently even when he was tricked by Ubuyashiki Kagaya and suffered a violent explosion, suddenly contract and tremble uncontrollably.
But no matter what...
With all the Upper Moons dead, the barrier gone, and himself in extremely poor condition, he had no room for maneuver or testing the waters.
I have no choice but to take action myself!
We must find those damned swordsmen immediately and crush, tear them apart, and devour them one by one in the most cruel and painful way!
With their burning blood and souls brimming with life energy, they would compensate for the immense loss caused by his premature emergence from his cocoon, and...
He forcefully suppressed that damned unease and fear, which originated from the deepest part of his soul and was constantly gnawing at his reason!
However, when his crimson eyes, burning with rage and uneasy suspicion, scanned his surroundings with the bloodthirsty hunger of a apex predator, searching for "prey" to devour immediately and restore even the slightest bit of his strength, he was astonished to discover…
There was no one around.
He had expected that ordinary team members would be running around like a flock of frightened sheep through the complex corridors of the Infinite City, like a buffet where he could hunt them at will and replenish his energy. But he couldn't see a single one of them!
The faint aura of human flesh and blood that should have permeated every corner of the Infinite City was now extremely thin. Only upon careful sensing could one barely confirm that they were all concentrated in a deliberately created "temporary safe zone" at a great distance!
This is not right! This cannot be a coincidence!
Was it Nakime's negligence? Or...?
Just as Muzan was slightly shaken by this completely unexpected situation, a strong, chilling feeling of being meticulously plotted against and led into a trap, like a venomous snake, coiled around his heart.
A faint, yet incredibly smug and deeply mocking laugh came clearly from his chest.
That was Tamayo, who had not yet been completely devoured and digested by him, still had most of her body remaining, and was still stubbornly alive and maintaining a clear sense of self!
"Heh heh... Heh ha ha... Muzan... Can you feel it?"
Having lost a great deal of flesh and blood, Tamayo's voice, though weakened and strained, carried a chilling, vengeful joy and malice—a joy born from centuries of suppressed desire, finally seeing the dawn of revenge.
"Your Upper Moon... your claws and fangs, which you relied on for hundreds of years... have all been wiped out... not a single one left...! And you, you can't even find the 'food' to restore your power..."
"Look at you, in such a pathetic state... like a cornered, starving wild dog with nowhere to find food... only able to rage helplessly here..."
"You're finished, Muzan... Your death... is today! Right here in this Infinity Castle, which you thought you controlled everything!"
In her words, Tamayo's voice was like an ice needle coated with deadly poison, piercing Muzan's nerves, which were already stretched to the limit due to the situation being completely out of control.
"Shut up! You bitch—!!!"
This is why Muzan, like a camel broken by the last straw, broke down on the spot and let out a hysterical, almost inhuman roar.
He felt that his dignity as the progenitor of demons and the absolute ruler was being trampled and crushed!
He could even clearly feel that the drug from Tamayo, which was like a leech clinging to his bones, was accelerating its onset and penetration due to the intense fluctuations in his emotions.
That eerie force that was trying to turn him back into a fragile human was now eroding and disintegrating his demonic core even more frantically!
Shame and indignation! Rage! And a trace of... an indescribable fear of the situation that was completely out of control and of the unknown threat!
He needs to vent!
The most brutal killings were needed immediately to quell the boiling rage that was threatening to engulf him.
We need fresh and powerful flesh and blood energy to stabilize this damned body that is constantly being weakened and reversed!
"Nakome—!!!"
Muzan suddenly raised his head and, relying on the connection of his bloodline genes, issued a sharp and twisted command to the only surviving Upper Moon.
"Teleport me to where those damned bugs are swarming! Now! Immediately!!"
He will descend in person and, with absolute power, utterly crush those hiding rats, along with their ridiculous "safe zones," into a bloody pulp!
He wanted to make that bitch Tamayo watch with her own eyes how her so-called "hope" and "scheming" would turn into the most desperate bubble under his power!
He wants the world to know that even in his worst condition, Muzan Kibutsuji is not someone anyone can mess with!
"Zheng—!"
A clear, hollow sound from a pipa string answered his call and suddenly echoed throughout the Infinite City.
But Muzan, in his rage, clearly failed to notice that hidden within the sound of the pipa was an indescribable, strange feeling, as if it were struggling.
The next second, a portal appeared out of thin air beneath Muzan's feet.
As his body fell naturally, Muzan revealed a cruel and ferocious smile on his face, his fangs gleaming coldly in the dim light.
He couldn't wait to see the expressions of terror, despair, and disbelief on the faces of those demon hunters!
He swore that the moment he saw them, he would kill them...!
However, as Muzan passed through the portal and landed smoothly, the surrounding scenery became clear again.
The cruel, bloodthirsty smile on Muzan's face froze instantly.
Then, like a shattered mask, it peeled away, transforming into unbelievable astonishment and an even more intense rage, like the prelude to a volcanic eruption!
The reason is simple...
At this moment, what appeared before Muzan was not the group of ordinary Demon Slayer Corps members who had panicked and acted like lambs to the slaughter after seeing him, as he had expected!
The place where he appeared was a relatively open, seemingly carefully selected palace area, large enough to host a hunt.
The surrounding area is enveloped by the unique, twisted, upward-facing wooden structures of the Infinite City, like the ribs of a giant beast.
At this moment, around this area, figures, like calm and deadly hunters who had been waiting for a long time, surrounded him tightly and impenetrably!
What nearly caused Muzan's heart to stop and his blood to flow backward was...
Each of the figures surrounding him had a face that he had been etched in his memory and feared for hundreds of years!
That face had sharp, cold lines, and eyes that were like unyielding ice, yet contained a heat capable of burning everything.
On his forehead were deep red flame-like markings, like leaping flames of karma.
His long black hair was tied back, and his figure was as upright as a pine tree.
More importantly, the swordsman's aura, which seemed to be innate and superior to all living beings, pressed down on us as if it were a physical force, even from a distance!
Yoriichi Tsugikuni!
A total of eleven "Tsugikuni Yoriichi"!
They stood there silently, their crimson pupils coldly fixed on him in the center, like eleven judges from hell.
"No...impossible...this is absolutely impossible!!!"
At this moment, Muzan's mind was completely thrown into chaos and extreme fear.
Having even one Yoriichi Tsugikuni is already a nightmare...
How could eleven of them appear at the same time?!
Is it a legendary clone technique that only the highest-ranking ninjas can master?
Or perhaps, he was hallucinating due to the effects of Tamayo's drugs?
still is……
With his thoughts racing, Muzan's trembling gaze swept quickly across every face of Yoriichi Tsugikuni, trying to find a flaw.
But that familiar face, that oppressive feeling etched into the deepest part of his soul, made it almost impossible for him to think.
escape!
We must escape immediately!
Escape at all costs!
Even if it splits into 1,800 pieces again... no, into ten times, a hundred times the number!
Even if it means sacrificing most of my strength, I must escape!
Ultimately, Yoriichi Tsugikuni alone nearly killed him on the spot hundreds of years ago, prematurely ending Muzan's sinful life.
Now there are eleven of them...
This is a sure-kill situation!
No wonder the Upper Moons were defeated so quickly...
Is this Ubuyashiki's backup plan?
Are you kidding me?! This is practically divine punishment!
Deep within her genes, the fear of that man overwhelmed everything, including anger and pride.
Without the slightest hesitation, almost before his brain could even process it, Muzan's body instinctively began to tremble violently. The flesh on his body instantly began to writhe and swell unnaturally, on the verge of executing his most proficient and last resort for survival—to split his body apart and scatter to escape!
However, the next second, his ferocious expression froze completely.
The moment he attempted to unleash the Blood Demon Art to split his body, the drug that Tamayo had injected into Muzan's body, which had been like a quagmire hindering his power, now transformed into invisible, incredibly tough shackles, firmly locking his core consciousness and body, which he was trying to separate, within this shell!
The process of division had just begun to emerge when it was forcibly interrupted and nipped in the bud!
"Ughh ...
The backlash from the failed split, the despair of having no hope of escape, and the extreme terror of being forced to face the combined attack of eleven Yoriichi members from Tsugikuni caused Muzan to let out a painful and desperate howl.
He sensed it; it was Tamayo's medicine!
It was that bitch who, after witnessing firsthand how he used this technique to narrowly escape from Yoriichi Tsugikuni, deliberately added an inhibitor to the injected drug to suppress his splitting ability!
"Tamayo! You bitch, how long are you going to stop getting in my way?!"
Just as he lost his composure due to this sudden predicament, his panic reached its peak, and he began to grab Tamayo's neck, which was tightly connected to his chest, and roared in impotent rage.
One of the eleven "Yoichi Tsugikuni" surrounding him finally trembled and could no longer hold back his laughter.
"Hahaha! Scared to death, aren't you, you ugly freak! Look at you, you cowardly creature, you're probably about to wet your pants! You're hilarious! Hahahaha!"
He slapped his thigh on the spot and laughed so hard he bent over backwards.
The sheer magnitude of his movements created an absurd contrast with the icy, aloof expression on Yoriichi Tsugikuni's face.
The voice that reached Muzan's ears was a completely different one from "Yoriichi Tsugikuni," a loud, gruff, and untamed voice that mocked Muzan in front of everyone, utterly devoid of any decorum.
That voice... that tone... that rude behavior that's almost unbearable to watch...
He was completely different from the taciturn Yoriichi Tsugikuni he remembered, whose every move exuded the majesty of the heavens, leaving him with no confidence to resist.
It was this extremely discordant scene, like cold water mixed with ice shards, that was poured over Muzan's head, causing his mind, which had been almost frozen by fear, to suddenly jolt back from the brink of hysteria, and to regain most of his rationality and judgment.
"No...this feeling...is wrong!"
When he forcibly suppressed the conditioned reflex of fear deep within his soul towards the face of "Yoichi Tsugikuni," his crimson pupils, like the most precise instruments, quickly scanned the figures of everyone present again, and upon careful observation, he unsurprisingly discovered...
The "Yoriichi Tsugikuni"s surrounding him at this moment, in terms of appearance, clothing, and even the powerful sense of oppression emanating from their bodies that was deeply ingrained in their cells and enough to make Muzan feel suffocated, were all exactly the same as Yoriichi Tsugikuni himself, who had left him with an unforgettable psychological trauma hundreds of years ago...