Chapter 133 - Infiltration in Disguise into the Paradise Faith.

Just now.

In the forest.

Tsugikuni Michikatsu stood on a massive rock, his eyes downcast, locking gazes with Akaza below.

With a forceful push of his feet, dust rose from the ground, and the surrounding trees shook violently.

Whoosh!

He vanished from his spot, leaving only an afterimage.

Below the rock.

Akaza saw Tsugikuni Michikatsu suddenly disappear, and he was taken aback.

The next moment.

Whoosh, bang!!

"Cough--Ah!"

He caught off guard.

Akaza's eyes widened as his abdomen was struck by Tsugikuni Michikatsu's heavy punch, and he spat out a mouthful of blood mixed with saliva.

His eyes were shocked, and he slowly turned his head in surprise.

In his pupils, the afterimage of Tsugikuni Michikatsu's fist was reflected.

--A speed that couldn't be seen clearly!

--Completely different from the strength shown during the last positional battle!

He subconsciously covered his abdomen, which had been hit by the fist.

Caught off guard, he took a solid hit, and...

His temple seemed to have just reacted to the fact that he had been punched, and only then did a pit slowly sink in.

"You bastard...!"

In the moment when Akaza's head was dizzy, he moved his pupils in astonishment and looked at Tsugikuni Michikatsu standing beside him:

"Last time... you actually went easy..."

His tone gradually weakened, and he struggled to raise his arm to question.

Bang, bang, bang!!

Several blooming holes appeared in the raised arm, and the deformed arm splattered with blood under the heavy blow.

After speaking.

The raised arm fell weakly.

"Heh..."

Bang!

Akaza's eyes rolled white, and he lost consciousness instantly, and his body fell forward onto the ground.

Taking this opportunity.

Puchi!

Tsugikuni Michikatsu was quick and swiftly swung the potion in his hand, and it stabbed into Akaza's shoulder with a whoosh.

And without any regard for the other's life or death, he pressed down on the potion, directly pushing all the liquid inside, and injecting it all.

With the injection of the liquid.

Creak...

Akaza's unconscious hand forcefully gripped a nearby rock, and under the bulging veins, he actually made a crack in the rock.

"Going easy..."

Tsugikuni Michikatsu stood in front of Akaza, turned his gaze in confusion.

"Akaza... are you angry because I don't respect you as an opponent..."

He repeated Akaza's words in his heart, explaining comfortingly:

"There's no need to be angry, just now I was respecting you with all my might..."

"You who chose to pursue your own path... are worthy of respect..."

Tsugikuni Michikatsu's tone paused for a moment.

He sighed softly:

"But, if it's just a simple desire to become stronger..."

"Naturally, you can't face an opponent who is so strong that they can completely crush you..."

Tsugikuni Michikatsu squatted down and casually turned Akaza's body over, muttering in his mouth:

"The self-esteem and beliefs that have been persisted in will be easily destroyed..."

In his mind, the image of a young Yoriichi disdainfully throwing away his bamboo sword was vivid.

As someone who has been there, he understands this particularly well.

And now, looking back at his own thoughts and ideas, Tsugikuni Michikatsu only feels--

--It seems, it's not that hard to accept.

The person who thinks Akaza has potential is also him.

After meeting Tanjuro on Spider Mountain last time, he immediately proposed this idea.

"If one day you encounter a demon named Akaza, and he has thoughts of rebellion"

"Please send a letter to Tamayo, I will come to clean him up"

He knew that his promise probably had no value, but he still said so.

Tanjuro also kept his promise, and as soon as he learned that Tomioka Giyu had clues about Akaza, he wrote a letter and gave it to the crow.

A man and a demon arrived at the battlefield at the same time, and they had already discussed the strategy in advance.

That's right.

This battle, from beginning to end, was a trap that had been planned long ago, called the "Akaza Capture Operation".

Akaza, who was lying on the ground, was clearly being plotted by Tanjuro.

He opened Akaza's eyelids, confirming that the black numbers in the middle of his pupils were slowly fading away.

Even the tattoos on his body were faintly fading a bit.

"The medicine... it's working..."

Tsugikuni Michikatsu muttered to himself, suddenly lost in thought.

Since Muzan believed he was dead...

Did Muzan learn through Akaza, who was not yet free from his control, that he was still alive...

And now, with Akaza free from Muzan's control, would Muzan think... that Akaza died at his own hands...

However, this thought only flashed by for a moment.

After all, at this moment, Muzan, whether for Tsugikuni Michikatsu...

Or for Akaza...

Was not important.

After finishing everything.

Tsugikuni Michikatsu slowly picking up the unconscious Akaza onto his shoulder.

With the experience of carrying dolls before, he now stood up very skillfully.

At this moment...

He frowned slightly, looking at his own arm:

"What is this..."

On his arm, there was a faintly itchy sensation, like being bitten by a mosquito.

But—would a demon be bitten by a mosquito?

Beside him...

In a place that was out of his field of vision.

"Let go of Hakuji-san...!"

Koyuki's eyes were red, she tried hard to grab Tsugikuni Michikatsu's arm with both hands, tilted her head back, and stretched her legs hard on the ground:

"...let go...!"

She slapped his arm angrily, but soon grieved to find that Tsugikuni Michikatsu seemed to not see her at all.

Due to her short stature,

She could only barely hang on Tsugikuni Michikatsu's arm.

Tsugikuni Michikatsu glanced at his arm a few times, and after not finding anything unusual, he withdrew his gaze.

He raised his hand, pulled out the fireworks from his sleeve, and yanked it hard towards the sky.

Whoosh—Bang!

The white light dot with a trailing tail quickly rose into the sky, exploding a brilliant light in the pitch-black night sky.

The treetops were illuminated by the light of the fireworks.

Tsugikuni Michikatsu lowered his head, discerned the direction of Tamayo's residence, and started running at a high speed and steady pace.

"Ah ah ah..."

Koyuki hung on his arm, swaying back and forth with the forward movement of Tsugikuni Michikatsu.

"Hakuji-san..."

Koyuki's faint voice echoed faintly in the forest, quickly receding.

Her gaze was faintly attracted by the gradually dispersing fireworks above her head.

—If only, time could stop at that fireworks festival...

That would be nice.

...

...

In the town.

Tanjuro was standing on the roof, looking into the distance.

Seeing the fireworks that rose into the sky, indicating [Plan Successful], his tense mood slightly relaxed.

—The plan was successful.

Although, this time he didn't gain a bit of resurrection power, it was a bit regrettable.

Himejima sat behind him, not speaking.

Just vaguely remembering in his mind, the news of the suspected betrayal of Upper Rank One mentioned by Oyakata-sama before.

"Let's go."

Tanjuro turned his head, his gaze swept over Himejima, Tomioka, and Kyojuro behind him. 

...

...

The next day.

Butterfly Mansion.

Splash——!!

Kanzaki Aoi held up a bucket of water, lifted it up, and poured it down on the bald believer's head.

"Huh——!" The bald believer held his breath, his wrist was tied with a string—this was a tool to detect if he was lying.

Kanzaki Aoi, holding the empty bucket, stiffly looked at him.

She had already poured so much water, and Shinobu-sama still didn't seem to want her to stop.

Kanzaki Aoi turned her head, looking back:

"...Shinobu-sama, shall we continue...?"

Her voice gradually became hesitant.

Behind her.

Not far away.

"Kocho, what you mean is..."

With his sharp, exploded white hair, wearing a white open-chest feather weave, and a face full of horizontal scars, Shinazugawa Sanemi was frowning, forcibly suppressing his anger and looking at Kocho Shinobu:

"That bastard Tomioka... to all Hashira except me and Obanai--"

Shinazugawa looked incredulous, he only felt his temples throb:

"Did he send a request for help?!"

"Mm, it seems so now." Kocho Shinobu's tone was calm and slow, she nodded with a smile.

She looked like she was enjoying the show.

After getting affirmation.

"Damn it!"

Shinazugawa Sanemi noticed his uncontrollable anger.

He quickly turned around.

Creak--!

He clenched his fists, shaking forcefully until they turned white.

His eyes were wide open, the whites of his eyes were full of bloodshot, his face with crisscross scars was even more terrifying, and his neck became unusually thick due to anger:

"...Damn it~!!."

He almost squeezed out the words one by one from the corner of his mouth:

"With the news of Upper Rank, anyone with a brain would know, how could we possibly not go to help...!?"

Shinazugawa gritted his teeth hard, so angry that he wanted to smash Tomioka Giyu into pieces.

--Is this guy really a member of the Demon Slayer Corps?!

If it weren't for Tanjuro writing them a letter before he set off, saying that Butterfly Mansion had news of Upper Rank (referring to Doma).

The two of them might have been fooled by Tomioka!

They were stupid enough to think that they really couldn't meet Upper Rank!

Beside him.

"That's right."

"I just thought he had a problem with his facial nerves, I didn't expect it to be a problem with his brain nerves."

Iguro Obanai also had a dark face, he and Shinazugawa huddled together, nodding gloomily, with a strange tone:

"It's really good, I'm really envious, there's an Upper Rank to kill."

"This guy must be complacent now..."

In Obanai's mind, the image of a small Tomioka Giyu, holding the Upper Rank's head in a cheap and showy expression, emerged.

Not far away.

Kanzaki Aoi, who was staring at them, was stunned.

She looked at the two Hashira who were huddled together, whispering with a sky full of black resentment, and slowly swallowed her saliva.

Eh.

A trace of fear was revealed in her eyes.

--So scary!

Kanzaki Aoi quickly looked at Kocho Shinobu next to her.

Kocho Shinobu was gently covering the corner of her mouth, looking at the two people who were chattering with a smile.

She seemed very interested.

She murmured softly:

"Tomioka-san, I really can't help with this kind of thing."

These few days, because she learned of Doma's news, she has been on the edge of rage, it seems that she has also received some relief.

It seemed to notice Kanzaki Aoi's uneasy gaze.

"Ah... I almost forgot about you." Kocho Shinobu came back to her senses, she glanced at the bald believer who was already a drowned chicken:

"So, do you know where the founder is now?"

Her tone was gentle, but her face suddenly became gloomy: "Believer-san."

"Purp! Burp!" The bald believer let out a full burp, spat out a few mouthfuls of water from the corner of his mouth, and shrank back in fear.

Ever since a few days ago, when that pig head choked him for interrogation.

The way these guys interrogated completely changed!

Various torturous punishments were experimented on him one after another!

"I know... ugh!"

The bald believer looked fearfully at Kocho Shinobu, he wanted to speak, but he couldn't stop vomiting clear water.

At this moment.

"...Kocho, what's the deal with this guy?"

Shinazugawa noticed the situation here, he vented his emotions, and asked as calmly as possible: "he is... a human, right?"

"That's right, Shinazugawa-san" Kocho Shinobu turned her head, she smiled:

"This believer has been confirmed to be a follower of the church controlled by Upper Rank One."

"He seems to have done quite a few bad things."

She slowly opened her smiling eyes, her deep purple pupils had no light:

"We are asking him about the whereabouts of Upper Rank One."

Upon hearing this.

—Upper Rank...?!

Catching the key words, Shinazugawa was taken aback.

His pupils contracted, and his fierce gaze suddenly stared at the bald believer.

He stared straight at the believer, as if he had seen some rare treasure, and nodded to himself:

"I see, no wonder, Upper Rank One..."

Hearing this, Obanai next to him also cast a gloomy look at the believer.

"Ugh!!" The bald believer was stared at with goosebumps, he wanted to shout in panic, but he could only keep vomiting water.

Step, step.

Kocho Shinobu, Shinazugawa, and Obanai gradually approached.

"...Leave the interrogation to me."

Shinazugawa's gaze was straight, he took off his haori and rolled up his sleeves.

Clang!

"I'm also good at it." Obanai drew out his curved Nichirin Sword.

The shadow of a smile gradually enveloped the terrified bald believer.

He struggled to crawl backward, but there was a tree binding him behind, and he couldn't move at all.

"Ugh——!!"

The screams of the bald believer echoed in the sky above Butterfly Mansion, it was horrifying.

...

...

Soon.

The rope on the bald believer's body brutally broke, and he lay on the ground with lifeless eyes.

Underneath him were various water stains.

"Alright, we've found the location of the main church where the church leader is."

Shinazugawa casually wiped the water stains on his hand with a cloth, he turned his head to look at Obanai next to him:

"There's no time to lose, let's set off now."

Snap!

He clenched his fist fiercely, and a ferocious smile appeared on his face.

At this moment.

"Ahem! Wait!"

The bald believer struggled to sit up, he looked numbly at Shinazugawa.

After being scared to shrink his neck by a glance from the other party, he reminded weakly:

"The church leader, he never appears in the church during the day, only at night will he receive believers."

Saying this, the bald man quickly stretched out his hand to block in front of him, explaining carefully:

"Don't worry!"

"I'm not fooling you, I'm just afraid that you won't see the church leader when you go, and then come back to interrogate me..."

Thinking of the torture he had just suffered, he quickly shook his head.

Upon hearing this.

Shinazugawa looked at Obanai hesitantly.

"And..."

The bald man was still explaining in a low voice, his eyes dodging and looking at Shinazugawa and Obanai:

"...Recently, the situation is special, it's the day of monthly feeding."

"The church leader only receives female believers."

"Even a believer of my high rank can only communicate with the church leader through the door."

His voice hesitated:

"So——"

Looking at Shinazugawa somewhat timidly:

"With your fierce looks, let alone seeing the church leader..."

"You probably can't even get into the door of Eternal Paradise Faith."

(End of the chapter)

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