Crossover Anime: Starting with Bankai from Demon Slayer

Chapter 99 The Lord Who Used His Body as Bait

Before Fei Niao could even take a sip of tea to clear his head, he was stopped by a member of the Hidden Forces who looked anxious as he entered the mansion.

"Lord Storm Pillar! The Lord has summoned you urgently for an emergency Pillars Meeting in the inner quarters!"

The council chamber of the Ubuyashiki mansion.

The atmosphere here was even more somber than before the birds left, so oppressive that it was hard to breathe.

When Asuka pushed open the door, all the pillars' eyes were drawn to him.

Besides the few people he knew, sitting beside Gyomei Himejima was a masked man with a calm and steady demeanor, like a rock—that was Giyu Tomioka and Tanjiro Kamado's teacher, Sakonji Urokodaki.

Even the front water column has been summoned? Asuka sat down without making a sound.

"What happened to your face?" As soon as he sat down, Obanai Iguro curiously examined Flying Bird's swollen lips, looking at him suspiciously. "What happened? You went to Momoyama, and the Naruto Pillar committed suicide? What were you doing then?"

"...I did what I was supposed to do." Asuka's brief reply was puzzling, but that wasn't the focus today.

Kagaya Ubuyashiki was not present at the main seat; instead, his two children, Toshiya Ikki and Karna, presided over the ceremony with unprecedented seriousness.

"My lords, please look here." Kiriya pulled up a map covered with red dots: "In the few days that Lord Arashihashi went to Momoyama, the Hidden Branches all over the country have sent back very unusual information."

The red dots are densely packed, covering Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, and even remote Kyushu.

"The evil spirits no longer lurk in the shadows and commit crimes alone as they used to; they have begun to create disturbances on a large scale and indiscriminately."

"In just a few days, ten villages were massacred, and the local guard force was almost completely wiped out. The incident has alarmed the cabinet..."

"That bastard..." Shinazugawa Sanemi's fists clenched so tightly they cracked. He could already picture the horrific scene: "That bastard Kibutsuji Muzan, finally couldn't hold back anymore?"

"This is truly a terrible disaster..." Gyomei Himejima frowned, his hands ceasing to turn the prayer beads. "I think he deliberately used the lives of ordinary people to force the Demon Slayer Corps to move out, so that he could track us down in the chaos and find the location of headquarters."

Urokodaki Sakonji also added at the right time: "The demons have also appeared in the Sagiri Mountain where I am. Muzan has more information than we thought, and his methods are all kinds of strange. We must not lose our composure because of momentary anger."

"Although it's cruel, it's best to put aside these local tragedies and focus our efforts on defeating Muzan as the top priority." Obanai Iguro's voice was cold and realistic.

Kiriya nodded, his voice unusually calm for a child his age: "...That's right."

"With the help of two special allies, Father has learned important information about Muzan: Muzan's true form and his demon moons are hiding in a special space called the Infinity Castle."

"That's an alternate dimension controlled by a demon called Nakime. We may never find a way to enter, even if we spend our entire lives searching for it, but the chaos continues."

"Since Muzan also desires a decisive battle... to satisfy him, Father has made a decision: he will reveal the location of the Ubuyashiki mansion, using himself as bait to lure Muzan Kibutsuji into making his move! This will prevent local damage and bloodshed!"

"What a joke!" Shinazugawa Sanemi suddenly stood up, the floorboards creaking under his feet. "Let that bastard just barge in? Then what about our lord...!!"

"Lord Shinazugawa, please let me finish." Facing the Wind Pillar's murderous aura, Kiriya tried his best to remain calm: "This is just a trap. To the outside world, we will release false information through special channels, making Muzan believe that due to the Pillars being away for training and the Lord's serious illness, the defenses here are weak."

"But in reality, we will set up the strongest defenses and ambushes around the mansion! This is just a show to trick him into showing himself."

"Once he enters the encirclement, we'll immediately ignite enough gunpowder to destroy a street! Combined with a specially crafted poison that counters Blood Demon Art, we'll definitely weaken Muzan and his accomplices to the greatest extent possible!"

Although Kirito spoke with great conviction, the doubts of the crowd did not dissipate.

"Is it really... fake information?" Kanroji Mitsuri asked cautiously.

"Yes, please rest assured, everyone." Kiriya bowed deeply to the crowd. "Our father still has many unfulfilled wishes; he won't easily give up his life... Please continue training as planned, and pretend nothing has happened. We absolutely cannot lose this battle!"

The meeting ended with a subdued resolution.

The pillars obeyed the order and set off, each one putting in their best effort, determined to cherish every minute and second to break through the markings and the crimson blade, preparing to unleash their full potential in the upcoming decisive battle.

As Asuka prepared to leave with the others, Hangnai, who had been silent all along, gently tugged at his sleeve.

"Lord Lanzhu... Father requests that you come over alone."

Asuka glanced at the silent Kiriya and felt a sense of unease rise in her heart.

Kiriya's performance in front of everyone was so perfect, it was as if he was reciting a pre-rehearsed line.

As you walk through the long, dark corridor, the fragrance of wisteria blossoms is mixed with a strong smell of decay.

When Fei Niao opened the paper door, the scene that greeted him moved even someone as indifferent as him.

Kagaya Ubuyashiki lay on the tatami mat, half of his body completely covered by purple curse marks, and his skin had begun to ulcerate.

He was so thin he was practically skin and bones, and even breathing seemed extremely difficult for him.

In just a few days, Kagaya's health had deteriorated to such an extent that Asuka never expected it.

"You've come, Asuka..." Kagaya's voice was extremely soft, like the last withered leaf swaying in the autumn wind.

"My lord," Asuka said, sitting directly by the door, "your health..."

"It's alright, you'll be free soon." Kagaya's lifeless eyes tried to turn towards Asuka.

Although they knew he was blind, the birds could always sense his self-illumination.

"Was what Kiriya said just now true?" Asuka asked directly.

Kagaya gave a weak but gentle smile: "...Only when they believe I'm safe and sound can they train without any worries and make their final breakthrough..."

"So this was a real sacrifice."

"Yes," Kagaya said calmly, as if using his own life as bait was no big deal: "Muzan is an extremely cowardly and suspicious guy... If he didn't really see that I was about to die, if he didn't truly confirm that the Pillars weren't around, he would never have stepped into this cage..."

"My wife, my life, even... my children... are prepared to turn to ashes."

Such a decision is far too cruel.

Putting himself in their shoes, even Asuka couldn't bring himself to sacrifice Arashizaki Tesshin, Rika... or Kocho Shinobu.

Why tell me this in private?

The question seemed rather pointed, causing Kagaya's body to tremble slightly.

His lips parted several times, as if hesitating whether to say those words, but finally he made up his mind: "Asuka...you're not human, are you..."