Chapter 37

*Ubuyashiki Residence - Headquarters of the Demon Slayer Corps*

Kagaya Ubuyashiki knelt on a cushion, placing the letter from the priest clan in front of him, frowning.

"Children, Tokyo has been captured by demons, and the Imperial Palace has fallen. The Emperor and all the royal family members have turned into demons. Even the people in the palace are in trouble. Only a few guards escaped and reported the news to the shogunate."

"Not only that, the mansions of the noble families around the Imperial Palace have also been taken, and now the central area of Tokyo has become a true ghost town."

"I have also sought the truth of the matter from Lady Yae."

"Muzan Kibutsuji knew that the blessings given to us by the gods would eventually lead us to him, so he created as many demons as possible in an attempt to escape the country while our Demon Slayer Corps was distracted."

All the Hashira were stunned at first, but now they had no choice but to believe it.

Shinobu Kocho paled, remembering what she had said the previous night while slaying an Upper Rank demon: "Is it my fault that caused the fall of Tokyo?"

Tengen Uzui frowned and said, "If we follow Miss Shinobu's reasoning, then all of us are to blame."

Everyone fell silent. They all remembered their ease and confidence after dealing with the Upper Rank demon last night.

Kagaya Ubuyashiki, noticing everyone's dejected expressions, quickly spoke up.

"Although I do not know the exact details of what happened last night, I can assure you it had nothing to do with any of you. The one responsible is Muzan Kibutsuji."

"Lady Yae has sent two divine envoys to capture Muzan Kibutsuji. Our Demon Slayer Corps must now head to Tokyo and slay the demons."

Shinjuro Rengoku stood up. "Our master is right. The culprit is Muzan Kibutsuji. We must destroy the demons and protect innocent lives."

Giyu Tomioka nodded. "Yes, even if we bear some responsibility, the true culprit is Muzan Kibutsuji."

Sanemi Shinazugawa touched the hilt of his Nichirin sword. "Then tonight, we put an end to the demons once and for all."

Iguro Obanai added, "That's right. Lady Yae has already sent divine envoys after Muzan Kibutsuji. Do you think those divine envoys will fail?"

Giyu Tomioka spoke solemnly, "Tonight, some of us may die."

Tengen Uzui scoffed, "Don't jinx it with your crow mouth. No one from the Demon Slayer Corps will die tonight."

Kanae Kocho smiled reassuringly, "Don't worry. As long as no one dies outright, I can save them."

The Ubuyashiki family began sending messages through their crows, ordering all demon slayers in the field to converge on Tokyo.

The priesthood contacted the major shrines in Tokyo to distribute talismans provided by Lady Yae.

These talismans were meant to suppress and repel monsters. Demons, being a type of monster, were affected to some extent.

…

Yae Miko had already arrived in Tokyo. She could feel the fear in the air and shook her head.

"Of course, it's impossible for me to create a barrier that covers an entire city..."

But she wasn't alone. Though she couldn't, the divine powers backing her certainly could.

If Ei were here to create such a barrier, it could likely cover the entire country. Unfortunately, Ei wasn't adept at spells or barriers.

Yae Miko spoke internally, communicating with her god. "Ei, I need to rely on your power. I can't complete this final mission on my own."

*Is it already over? It hasn't even been ten days!* came Ei's surprised voice.

"Of course. This world is so weak that even Vision holders can be considered gods here. Naturally, the influence of faith spreads quickly."

These ten days hadn't just been about leisure for Yae Miko. With the hospitality of the Kamisato clan, she had also met with priests from various Shinto shrines.

The Narukami Shrine, where she served as the Fox Envoy and where the Thunder God appeared, was effectively the head of the Shinto religion in this country.

"Now is the time for you, the God of Thunder, to appear."

As soon as Yae Miko finished speaking, divine power—several levels higher than elemental or immortal power—flowed into her body through her connection with her deity.

The Kagura bells jingled, and dark clouds began gathering in the sky, with streaks of thunder flashing within.

"The way is always magnificent, and the gods are eternal."

*Rumble, rumble...*

The beards of the high priests standing behind her bristled with excitement. They knew Lady Yae was summoning a god, but which god? The thunder in the sky was not that of Narukami, the one worshipped by all Shinto shrines.

Simultaneously, the talismans posted at shrines throughout Tokyo emitted purple lightning, shooting into the sky.

There were thousands of shrines in Tokyo, large and small, and thousands of beams of light connected to the thunder in the sky, creating a miraculous and overwhelming sight.

A massive curtain of light enveloped the entire city like an upturned bowl.

The moment the light formed, all the demons that had been attacking people were suppressed, their power diminishing rapidly.

…

*At the Same Time - Streets of Tokyo*

*Da da da da...*

The harsh sound of machine gun fire echoed through the night.

The troops stationed in Tokyo had fully mobilized to combat the demons.

Soldiers in yellow military uniforms kept firing at the demons under the searchlights, their expressions terrified. The guns had no effect.

They could only watch as demons riddled with bullets regenerated instantly, even when blown apart by grenades.

Within moments, the demons regrew their missing parts, got up, and lunged at the soldiers.

"Radio operator! Request immediate support! We need air support to drop explosives!"

The radio operator stammered in fear, "Sir, I just received a telegram—the headquarters has been overrun by demons. The patrol team and the 'Shinsengumi' have also been wiped out. The air force base is under attack as well!"

The demons wreaking havoc in Tokyo were the high-ranking nobles of the shogunate, and the military leaders had also become demons.

The entire government and military had fallen. Nothing could demoralize the soldiers more.

But in the midst of despair, nothing could be more uplifting than a miracle.

Suddenly, thunder roared in the sky, and a pillar of lightning rose from the shrine, illuminating the sky in purple.

"Ahhh, it hurts! The light, it hurts!"

The demons attacking the soldiers rolled on the ground under the purple lightning, their bodies flickering with electricity.

Although the lightning didn't kill them, it caused immense pain. They had no desire to continue attacking—they just wanted the lightning to stop.

"This is... a miracle!"

Those gripped by fear were now filled with hope, the divine power from the sky dispelling their terror.

"Look! Lady Yae has taken action!"

The demon slayers who had just arrived in Tokyo paused in awe before starting their battle to eliminate the demons.