Chapter 83: Before Dawn

Chapter 83

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Three hours into the dense forest, the party had already traversed a lush, tangled jungle, emerging now onto open plains.

Adjusting his pace to match the others, Ace turned to the Tengen wives. "You shouldn't have joined the main party in the attack," he remarked.

Suma looked at him with an appreciative gaze. "Thank you, Ace-sama, for worrying about us. But we have no choice but to participate."

"It's the only way we can get revenge for Tengen-sama and give him peace," Makio added, her tone slightly exhausted.

Ace shook his head. "Perhaps he'd find more peace knowing his wives were preserving their lives instead of risking them for revenge?"

"It's for our own peace. We have to do this. Otherwise, it'll be a thorn in our hearts and we'll never be able to move on," Hinatsuru said, her usual cheerful demeanor now solemn.

Observing their determination, Ace smirked and cautioned, "Then be extra careful. The Upper Moon One is not someone you can afford even a moment's carelessness around." With that, he returned to his position, his expression empty. He did not admit it before the wives, but he knew that mere carefulness might not be enough to save them.

"Are you sure you know where his hiding place is?" Ace asked, rapping his knuckles against the wooden box at his back.

Daki sighed, her voice tinged with slight annoyance. "While I was connected to Muzan through blood, I could instinctively sense his location. But since you disrupted that connection, I've lost it completely. I can no longer sense where his castle is."

Ace frowned, shaking the box. "And? Don't tell me that's all you have to say."

"Wait, let me finish," Daki interjected. "While I admit I can't sense it anymore, I know the physical location. I'm certain of it."

"Pray that he hasn't changed it," Ace said.

"If I remember correctly, it's very difficult to change the castle's location," Daki explained. "The castle is essentially Nakime's Domain, and establishing that domain in a new place requires a large amount of time and effort."

"I see," Ace nodded.

As night fell, five more hours had passed, and they had covered at least half the journey.

In another position, Shinobu, Yuki, and Mitsuri were right next to each other. Suddenly turning to Yuki, Shinobu asked, "Are you nervous, Yuki?"

Yuki paused for a moment, thinking about it. "...I am, somewhat. After all, we are going to fight a demon lord who has existed for millennia in his own lair."

"And you, Mitsuri?" Shinobu turned her attention to the confident Hashira.

"Hmm? No. In fact, I am going to kick his thousand-year-old ass back to oblivion. Hmph!" Mitsuri declared boldly, punctuating her words with a flex of her biceps.

Yuki couldn't help but chuckle at Mitsuri's words, feeling some of her nervousness dissipate.

"That's just like you, Mitsuri," Shinobu remarked, smiling at her enthusiasm.

"Do you know how long until we reach his den?" Yuki asked.

"A little less than five more hours before we reach," came a voice from their side. It was Tamayo, who was out of her box now that night had fallen.

"And you all should rest a little to recover your stamina. With that included, we'll reach it just half an hour before dawn," Tamayo said.

"That would be great. The sun would make the fight very easy for us," Mitsuri exclaimed optimistically.

"I don't think you guys should rely on the sun too much," Tamayo cautioned. "It's best if you approach the fight carefully."

"But won't the sun just kill him easily?" Mitsuri asked.

"In a normal scenario, yes. But we don't know the exact situation with him. It's best not to rely on something uncertain and risk getting killed in the process. I think you should have more trust in Ace's weapon than the sun. That thing gives me a feeling of death even more than the sun does," Tamayo advised, her tone serious.

"Do you think he's already immune to the sun?" Shinobu inquired.

"I don't think he's completely immune yet. Otherwise, he would have attacked us long ago. The fact that he hasn't done anything, and has remained silent for months, even with demon attacks decreasing significantly, aside from the recent massacre, indicates that whatever he's doing hasn't been completed yet," Tamayo reasoned.

"And from what I know about him, the moment he becomes immune to the sun, he'll do everything to eradicate Demon Slayers," Tamayo added, her voice tinged with concern.

"I see," Shinobu nodded with a serious expression.

They continued their conversation to kill boredom. Sometimes the topics were light, sometimes they were heavy, but it kept them entertained and, more importantly, diverted their apprehension for what was to come.

Just like that, time passed, and they were getting closer and closer to their destination.

Six Hours Later

After hours of traveling and a bit of rest, they found themselves gathered around an old, decrepit well. Muddy all around with pus-like fluid bubbling and dripping down various cracks on its dilapidated wall. It was ghastly, to say the least.

"So, this is the entrance?" Sanemi remarked.

"According to the demon, it is," Obanai confirmed.

"It looks quite generic, if you ask me," Muichiro commented, eyeing the well with indifference.

"Guys, I think it fits the description perfectly. It's disgusting and dark," Mitsuri observed, her voice tinged with a hint of apprehension.

"We are in the right place. The stench of the demon is very strong here," Tamayo said.

"You are in luck it seems," Ace said, leaning into Daki's ear, which tingled her a bit but she ignored it.

"Hmph, don't attribute my usefulness to my luck," Daki retorted, huffing.

Clap!

Suddenly, Gyomei clapped hard, getting everyone's attention. "Save your talks for after we kill Muzan. We shouldn't waste time now."

"Gyomei-san! Don't clap suddenly, it'll alert the demons," Mitsuri exclaimed, flustered by the unexpected noise.

Ace patted her shoulder reassuringly. "Don't worry, they are going to wake up soon anyway." With that, he directed dozens of other Demon Slayer workers to come to the front.

Each of them was carrying large wooden boxes on their backs. As for what was inside…

It was bombs. Big flashy explosive bombs.

It was something he had especially asked Ubuyashiki to arrange, and with his connections, it wasn't difficult to acquire. So now, he had the best types of bomb shells available in the current year of history.

"Are you sure it will be able to destroy his base, Ace?" Mitsuri asked, her concern evident in her voice.

Ace merely gave a sidelong glance to Daki, who understood his silent request for her to explain it. She did, not wanting to defy him here. "Normally, it would have been almost impossible to damage his base, as it is controlled by Nakime, whose domain is nearly endless. No amount of explosives can completely destroy it, unless Nakime herself gets caught up in the explosion and somehow dies."

"And although her domain essentially gives her control over an almost endless amount of space, it has one very significant weakness," Daki elaborated.

"It is very weak against any attacks from outside and can easily be broken down. That is the reason Muzan had to hide his lair in the unknown jungle," she continued.

Everyone was surprised. Even as Hashira, they couldn't help but feel relieved that they hadn't killed Daki off, because they didn't think their mission would have been possible without her information.

However, Sanemi still couldn't help but feel a little irked at the demon's smug look as she explained, so he asked, "But how will we even get this much explosives to the lair without alerting anyone? Just the weight of the explosives will require at least a dozen people carrying and jumping into that well, then crawling into an unknown area. If what you're saying is correct, I'm sure he would not have put the entrance right at the bottom of the well with demons waiting with warm towels for hospitality."

"As frustrating as it is, you are right. The well leads to an ant nest-like maze filled with traps and demons," Daki admitted.

"So how do you think we'll even be able to transport the bombs right in front of the domain?" Sanemi pressed.

Hearing this, Daki smirked confidently. "Oh, that. You don't have to worry about it, because my baby will take care of it."

With a gesture, a bluish-black sash started coming out from her forearm, looking like a living being with two black eyes with no pupils. It snaked around Daki protectively before eyeing everyone.

Daki then gestured to the explosives, and it immediately moved toward the five tons of TNT, which was already assembled by the demon slayers. The sash wrapped around each bomb, forming a large snake-like creature with explosives tied to its body.

"My baby will easily be able to lift the weight, pass the maze, and transport the bombs directly to the entrance of the Infinity Castle. As for any guards, they will be too weak to pose a threat," Daki explained.

'She is useful,' Giyu, Rengoku, and Gyomei all thought simultaneously. If before they had considered her merely a source of information, now they realized that without her, the mission would have been doubly difficult.

Even Sanemi remained silent and didn't say anything.

Observing the change in expression among everyone, Daki paused for a moment and then glanced back at Ace. 'Did he do it purposefully to make me explain and change their view?' she pondered, feeling conflicted.

Ignoring her mixed feelings for the moment, Daki commanded her "baby" to dive into the well, prompting everyone to step back.

"How long until it reaches the entrance?" Shinobu inquired.

"Two minutes if it goes smoothly, three if there are interruptions," Daki responded, her gaze fixed on the well from a distance.

"That's faster than expected," Ace noted, impressed.

"My baby is quick on crawling," Daki said with a hint of pride.

"So, we have 2 minutes to spare, right?" Shinobu said.

"That's right," Daki responded.

Shinobu smiled hearing that and then walked over to Ace, making him confused, but of course he didn't stop her and let her come to him with a small smile on her face.

"Wha—" Before he could say anything, Shinobu suddenly pulled his collar tightly, making him bend and captured his lips in a passionate kiss, her tongue invading his mouth.

But was he the type of person who would deny a lady passionately kissing him? Of course not! So he did what any man would do: he pulled her body close, holding onto her, causing her to jump up and lock her legs around his waist as they continued to kiss.

"Mmph~"

Only after 30 seconds of continuous kissing in front of everyone, leaving half of them slack-jawed at her display, did both of them finally pull away from each other.

"Aaah~ that was good," Shinobu said with a rosy, satisfied expression.

"S-Shinobu, y-you, you!? In front of everyone??" Mitsuri stammered, her face flushing at her friend's bold display.

"What? I'm not going to regret not doing it now. What if I die today? At least I won't die unsatisfied," Shinobu said, unbothered by the looks.

Ace's arrival had definitely caused several changes in Shinobu's character; audacity might be just another addition to it.

Rengoku's laughter broke the brief silence that followed Shinobu's bold move. "What a fiery display of passion, Shinobu! I didn't know you had it in you to be this daring," he exclaimed, his voice filled with both amusement and a hint of admiration.

Giyu, on the other hand, averted his eyes, feeling awkward. "Is this really necessary?"

Sanemi and Obanai shared a look, both making a dismissive 'tsch' sound, clearly unimpressed. Meanwhile, Gyomei stood unfazed like a stone.

'Are they exchanging secret messages?' Muichiro thought.

"You're absolutely right, Shinobu-san. It's better to seize the moment than live with regret," Yuki agreed, then swiftly drew Ace into another fervent kiss. Her lips met his with intensity, and her tongue danced across his teeth.

This intense moment lasted for another half minute before they parted. Yuki gazed into Ace's eyes, love evident in hers, with drops of tears rolling down and lingering on the taste left on her lips.

"Fufu, it's already been a minute and seven seconds. If there's anyone more, you should hurry, or you won't have time," Tamayo remarked teasingly, her voice laced with amusement. 'Ah~It must be good to be young,' she thought.

Not wanting to be left out, Kanao swiftly moved in, capturing Ace's lips with her own in a soft and almost chaste kiss.

Daki, witnessing the scene, spat on the ground and averted her gaze. She couldn't understand why the kiss between these humans irked her so much.

Meanwhile, Mitsuri, struck by a wave of panic, feared she might miss her chance. "Damn it, Mitsuri! You call yourself the Love Hashira, yet you're the slowest?" she mentally scolded herself.

Determined, since she had chosen him as her husband, she resolved not to feel embarrassed about kissing him in front of others.So Mitsuri readied herself to leap towards Ace as Kanao stepped away, but sadly she was interrupted.

BOOM!!!

A massive explosion shook the ground beneath them."Aaargh, couldn't you have waited just a bit longer?" Mitsuri inwardly cursed, as she fought to regain her balance.

Unbeknownst to her, had she gone for the kiss, a certain snake Hashira would have found himself facing trauma even before the battle began."Everyone, get ready!" Ace shouted, snapping them all back to the task at hand. "We're going in."

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