Ch.77 Temptation of Immortality

In the never-ending drizzle, a figure dashed through the rain at breakneck speed.

Even from a distance, one could sense the panic and desperation emanating from this fleeing figure.

That figure was none other than the once confident 'Lower Moon One,' Kibutsuji Muzan, who had entered the Hidden Rain Village not long ago!

At this moment, his face was charred black, one of his eyes was nothing but a bloody hollow, and his entire left arm was missing. It seemed as if his once unparalleled regenerative abilities as a demon had failed him.

However, compared to the shock in his heart, the state of his battered body was insignificant!

"Everything was wrong! Completely wrong!"

He fled with all his might, just to escape the town shrouded in the rain behind him.

For this mission, the four Lower Moon demons had spread out across the shinobi world under the protection of their Lamp Shadows, devouring living beings and gathering chakra while gathering information on the Akatsuki organization.

In the process, they encountered shinobi from Hidden Grass Village, the Hidden Waterfall Village, and even the Hidden Cloud Village, one of the Five Great Shinobi Villages.

Among these shinobi were genin, chunin, and even top-tier jonin. But even the jonin, supposedly the pinnacle of the shinobi world, were easily devoured by the Lower Moon demons with little trouble.

In their assessment, the shinobi world was not weak, but it was far from the treacherous land they had expected.

Furthermore, as they gathered more chakra, their power swelled rapidly. This increase in strength gave them the confidence to hunt down the so-called 'Lampbearer' of the shinobi world.

However, all their plans crumbled beneath those strange, otherworldly eyes!

Muzan recalled the battle earlier and silently gave thanks.

If it weren't for the opponent holding back, wary of damaging the town, there would have been no way for him to escape.

He and the other demons weren't being countered by some special ability; they were simply being crushed by overwhelming power. If the enemy had discovered a way to exploit their weaknesses, they wouldn't have even had a chance to flee.

"Why is there such a vast difference in power between shinobis? The boss was right to be cautious. I must relay this information back. Otherwise, even if the Upper Moons come, the result won't change!"

Muzan couldn't imagine a scenario where he could defeat that man with the strange eyes.

When his terrifying regeneration—regrowing lost limbs—had been displayed, the man hadn't even blinked. His expression remained cold, as if Muzan's abilities were mere parlor tricks.

Suddenly, Muzan sensed something and whipped his head around, only to see a giant white bird flying in the sky behind him. Standing atop the bird was a figure wearing a conical hat and the signature red-cloud cloak of the Akatsuki organization.

"Damn it!"

Muzan's face went rigid.

He hadn't expected the Akatsuki to catch up to him after he had fled so far. Even more unbelievable was that the figure could control a giant bird to fly through the sky.

This was beyond his comprehension!

Quickly, he looked toward the forest ahead. "If I can just reach the forest, they won't be able to find me!"

Whoosh.

With a gust of wind, Muzan accelerated again, his body becoming a blur in the rain as he darted toward the forest.

As he entered the forest, the treetops closed in over his head, and he felt a fleeting sense of safety return.

"I made it out!"

He breathed a sigh of relief, though his feet never stopped moving. As long as the rain continued to fall, the danger remained.

Just as he passed through a patch of undergrowth, he ran straight into a massive yellow skeletal hand that clutched him tightly.

"!?"

Muzan's face twisted in shock.

On the other end of the skeletal hand, Uchiha Shinji, wearing the red-cloud Akatsuki cloak and a mask, emerged from behind a large tree. "Wow, you look like you've had a rough time!"

At that moment, Karin stepped forward and said, "Leader, I've sensed another demon's chakra heading in a different direction."

Shinji gave a quick command, "Go intercept it. I'll catch up shortly."

"Yes, sir!"

Haku and Karin both nodded and quickly set off in the direction she indicated.

Once they had left, Shinji turned his gaze back to Muzan, the 'Lower Moon One,' deep in thought.

"The Demon King has become a Lower Moon demon..."

Though Shinji had known that the world of Demon Slayer had undergone significant changes, he couldn't help but feel a bit disoriented by the sight before him.

At the same time, a thought echoed in his mind.

The cells of the demon before him promised immortality!

Lifespan alone wasn't the sole measure of an advanced life form, but a fleeting life like the blooming of a summer flower could never lead to higher existence.

Even in the shinobi world, no matter how powerful one became—even to the level of Hashirama Senju or Madara Uchiha—they couldn't escape the cycle of life and death. These two towering figures of their time hadn't even lived long enough to reach the natural limits of human lifespan.

Yet, here was a demon who had lived for at least a thousand years. If Shinji recalled correctly, in the original timeline of Demon Slayer, Muzan had aged over 9,000 years in a single moment due to a poison that targeted his cells, yet he had still retained a considerable degree of vitality.

This demon could live for 10,000 years, nearly achieving true immortality!

In the shinobi world, the only being who had reached such a level was Kaguya Otsutsuki, the progenitor of chakra. Even her son, the Sage of Six Paths, had not escaped the decay of life.

Attaining the power of Bloodline Encompassing (Kekkei Mora) in the shinobi world was nearly impossible.

In the original timeline, Madara's success in becoming the 'Sage of Six Paths' was less about his personal achievement and more about him seizing Kaguya's power.

This was evident when Kaguya easily resurrected herself through him.

After all, the Divine Tree, and the tailed beasts that were born from it, were essentially part of Kaguya's power.

Whoosh.

While Shinji was lost in thought, Deidara descended from the sky.

Seeing Shinji's Susanoo, Deidara couldn't hide his surprise as he examined the massive skeletal figure. "What kind of jutsu is this?"

Shinji replied casually, "A dojutsu technique."

"Tch, you're full of surprises! Hmm!"

Deidara grinned, admiring Shinji's Susanoo, seemingly oblivious to the fact that Muzan was still being held in its massive grip.

Deidara's interruption brought Shinji back to his senses.

If the price of immortality meant never again basking in the sunlight, living like a beast that survives only by consuming flesh and blood, then what was the point of such immortality?

Besides, Muzan had already been reduced to a Lower Moon demon. It was likely that his abilities as the Demon King had long been stripped away.

With a swift decision, Shinji, fearing he might second-guess himself, immediately released Muzan from his grip and activated Amaterasu.