"Watch out! Muzan is going to self-destruct! He's trying to escape!"
Tamayo, watching from atop the high wall, immediately shouted her warning. She had been at Muzan's side back then and had personally witnessed how he had escaped through self-destruction.
"Wishful thinking."
Luke sneered and flashed forward. Before he had even made his first strike, he had already finished chanting a Binding Spell. He extended his left hand and unleashed [Six Rods Light Prison].
Six golden beams bound Muzan, suppressing both his movements and his self-destruction. Then Luke's blade arrived.
Like dense lightning flashing at impossible frequency, countless streaks of sword light flickered through Muzan's screams, manually carving him into millions upon millions of pieces.
As Luke pulverized Muzan's final brain, Prison Demon let out a joyous cry, as if thrilled by the sweetness of a soul.
"Is... is it over?"
The Love Hashira stared at the fragments of Muzan scattered across the ground. The flesh was utterly still. There was no movement left.
The nine Hashira, Tanjiro, and the others remained intensely vigilant. Their eyes stayed on the scattered meat while constantly sweeping the surroundings, afraid that a piece of flesh might slip away through a blind spot under cover of darkness.
Standing before the pile of Muzan's remains, Luke stopped swinging his sword and flicked the blood from its edge. He let out a long breath as the demonic markings on his face slowly faded. "It's over. Everyone can relax. I'm certain of it. Muzan Kibutsuji has been killed."
Because of Luke's authority, everyone present finally breathed a sigh of relief. Several Hashira, worn down by their severe injuries and the backlash of [Demon God], collapsed onto the ground the moment their tightly wound nerves relaxed.
Then came the joy of victory. Not a single Demon Slayer Corps member had fallen in this battle, yet they had ended the thousand-year reign of the Demon King. It was a victory that felt almost unreal.
Their earlier unease had mostly come from the fact that nearly every Hashira had prepared to fight to the death. This victory had seemed to come a little too easily.
But Luke knew it was only natural. He alone had carried most of Muzan's faction's combat strength.
The nine Hashira had all learned [Demon God], their combat power had been enhanced, and every one of them had entered the battle in peak condition. If they still could not suppress and hold back a Muzan whom Luke had already wounded, there would have been nothing more Luke could do.
By the time Luke reached the battlefield, Muzan had already been greatly weakened by Tamayo's and Shinobu Kocho's poisons. After a prolonged battle, both his stamina and strength were far below their peak.
Under such circumstances, Luke could completely suppress Muzan head-on and carve that worthless boss, who possessed little actual combat skill, into a pile of minced flesh.
After all, compared to Kokushibo, Muzan held no obvious advantage in raw strength. His Constitution was simply higher, and his survivability was vastly greater.
Luke had already cut down Kokushibo, who possessed superior combat skill. Muzan was naturally no match for him.
To prevent Muzan from self-destructing the instant he realized the battle had turned against him, Luke had silently completed the chant for the Binding Spell while Muzan was talking to the nine Hashira. He had done it to ensure Muzan's death.
Binding Spells from Bleach could interfere with reality and affect the physical body, but their greater purpose was binding the soul. That was why Muzan had been unable to self-destruct. His self-destruction required him to divide his soul into fragments and attach them to every piece of flesh in order to escape. Once his soul was restrained, he could no longer use that method.
Likewise, [Six Rods Light Prison] had locked Muzan in place and fixed him as one complete soul. When Luke then cut him with Prison Demon, his Zanpakuto, every strike dealt true damage. The instant Muzan's body was cut apart, his soul was effectively cut apart as well. His death had been inevitable.
Luke could guarantee to the nine Hashira that Muzan was dead because he had already completed this world's main quest and received Endspace's notification.
[Main Quest: Final Phase complete. Does the Pioneer wish to return?]
Endspace's inquiry arrived, and Luke chose no.
Explorers originally had three months of permitted stay in this world. Luke believed that applied equally to both the Demon Slayer Corps faction and Muzan's faction. Completing the main quest had granted him the right to return, but that did not mean he had to leave immediately.
His physical condition was still fine, and he had no injuries that required immediate treatment. He could make use of the remaining three weeks in this world to train and see what the Demon Slayer Corps members planned to do afterward.
"Godfather! You're amazing, Godfather!"
Little Camellia rushed out of the courtyard, shouting excitedly. Nezuko ran out as well and joyfully embraced Tanjiro.
Once the nine Hashira realized Muzan truly seemed dead, tears flowed from their eyes—some from excitement, some from the grief they had carried for so long.
At that moment, Kagaya Ubuyashiki emerged, supported by Amane Ubuyashiki. The sight made the nine Hashira stop their ecstatic celebration and look toward him in concern.
"Master, how can you be out of bed in your condition?"
But Kagaya merely weakly waved his hand. Then he solemnly bowed to them all. "Thank you for fighting so hard."
He was too weak to say much more. Supported by his wife, he walked toward Muzan's pile of flesh. After confirming there was truly no movement left, he released a long breath.
"At last, we have fulfilled the wish of our ancestors and destroyed you, devil."
Strangely, after Kagaya said those words, the nine Hashira saw that the scars caused by his strange illness seemed to have lightened, as if some curse were being lifted.
Luke found it strange as well. He had examined Kagaya before and even tried treating him with Kaidō, but there had been little result.
Kaidō could heal injuries, but it was difficult for it to eliminate illness. In the end, Luke had only used a restorative item to improve Kagaya's condition slightly.
Now it seemed that this really was not a hereditary disease, but a curse from heaven. The instant Muzan died, Kagaya Ubuyashiki's condition eased. Before this, he had been completely unable to leave his bed.
The other Demon Slayer Corps members gradually gathered around the estate. News of Muzan's death spread quickly, and the Demon Slayers who heard it wept with excitement, feeling the release of finally avenging their loved ones.
The Kasugai Crows also began carrying the news to Demon Slayers across the country. In truth, even without receiving word, some Demon Slayers had already noticed something was wrong.
They had been fighting Demons when, in the middle of combat, the Demons suddenly crumbled into ash. That meant the one who had turned them—Muzan Kibutsuji—had died.
"Lady Tamayo!"
Yushiro looked anxiously at Tamayo. He could see that she was rapidly aging, as though she were about to die.
Luke frowned and walked over.
"Don't worry. I probably won't die. It's merely a side effect of this half-human, half-Demon body."
Tamayo's face had aged until she resembled a kind old grandmother.
She had expected this. Surviving at all was already a great blessing. By her estimate, she would likely live another century or so—more than enough time for her to conduct plenty of medical research.
"Lady Tamayo is just as beautiful in my eyes now!"
Seeing that her life was not in danger, Yushiro finally relaxed and praised her.
Tamayo did not answer. She only smiled. Though aging was difficult for any woman to accept, the joy brought by Muzan's death was enough to wash away every worry.
Everyone in the Demon Slayer Corps cheered in celebration. Zenitsu, meanwhile, had already begun pestering Tanjiro and Nezuko, insisting on calling Tanjiro his brother-in-law.
Shinobu's disciple, Sakura Tsuyuri, quietly approached Tanjiro, tugged on his sleeve, and whispered something that left him staring blankly.
Relaxing at last, Luke smiled knowingly at the scene. He moved aside and sat on the steps outside the courtyard gate.
This battle had truly consumed a great deal of energy. High-level Kidō placed immense demands on Soul Source. Even though he had replenished it with restorative items midway through the fight, it was now nearly empty, leaving his head slightly dizzy.
At that point, the Demon Slayer Corps' Kakushi support unit arrived and began treating the wounded fighters. Luke waved them away.
"Just let me sleep."
He had no obvious external wounds. Under the concerned gazes of the others, Luke headed to his room, took out the large bed he had bought from the sailor-uniform girl, and lay down on it.
…………
Summer heat blazed overhead. A hot breeze stirred the bell beneath the eaves, producing a clear, crisp chime.
Luke sat along the wooden corridor, eating a slice of chilled watermelon and greeting the Hashira as they arrived one after another.
After finishing the last piece, Luke washed his hands and entered the inner room. All ten Hashira of the Demon Slayer Corps had gathered.
Sitting at the front, facing the Hashira, was Kagaya Ubuyashiki. Several weeks had passed, and he had changed day by day. The horrific scars on his face had now miraculously vanished, revealing a handsome face beneath.
He smiled. "This will be the final Hashira Meeting."
As he spoke, he sat formally on his knees, bent toward them, and pressed his forehead to the floor.
"Thank you all for your tireless efforts. Without your support, this frail body of mine could have accomplished nothing."
The Hashira present all deeply respected Kagaya. They hurriedly returned the bow, repeatedly saying that he had worked hard as well.
After rising, Kagaya spoke in a gentle voice. "Starting today, the Demon Slayer Corps is officially disbanded. I hope every one of you will have a wonderful and happy future."
The Hashira all smiled brightly. In truth, after Muzan's death, many Demon Slayers had already returned home. Apart from recovering from their injuries, the nine Hashira had spent this period enjoying themselves and resting, waiting for Kagaya's final command.
Of course, there were exceptions. Even after Muzan's fall, some people continued training without pause. Luke was one of them. He kept up his daily physical training and occasionally sparred with the Stone Hashira.
"I realize that after spending so many years slaying Demons, many of you may not possess practical skills beyond combat. Therefore, the Ubuyashiki family will provide positions for everyone. If you do not yet have a clear goal, you may continue working together under our family."
Kagaya explained that every generation of the Ubuyashiki family head had been exceptionally intelligent, allowing their family to accumulate immense wealth and sustain the Demon Slayer Corps.
Now that the Corps was disbanding, he also had to consider the employment of its members. Poverty could sometimes be more terrifying than Demons.
"Even though I still dislike her, I'll continue conducting medical research with Lady Tamayo."
Shinobu said with a smile. There was light in her eyes now, and she was clearly in excellent spirits.
Luke had fulfilled his promise. He had not only killed Doma but brought Doma's head back to her. She had no perverse interest in tormenting a corpse, however, so she had simply thrown it into the sunlight and brought that grudge to an end.
"I'll probably return home and inherit the family business. My father said that even without Demons, there are still many people in this world who need help. I want to keep living to protect others."
The Flame Hashira wore his usual bright smile. The Rengoku family was also an ancient and prosperous family, so money was no concern.
One by one, the Hashira stated their intentions. In the end, other than the Insect Hashira, Shinobu Kocho, no one intended to keep working under the Ubuyashiki family's businesses.
Kagaya did not try to persuade them. He knew the Hashira were all people with strong convictions, and they had likely already planned their own futures. He had merely offered them a path.
Still, he looked curiously toward Luke, who had yet to answer. "Luke, what do you plan to do next?"
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