Demon Slayer : The Silent Journey

[3rd POV]

*BOOOOOOM!!!*

Muzan Kibutsuji swung his arm around the infinity castle, breaking hundreds of rooms while thousands were created. The sound of destruction echoed in the dimension.

His body was filled with veins, and his blood boiled in anger. His heart felt like dynamite in his chest, exploding in on itself.

It was a frightening display of anger and wrath, but you couldn't ignore what it actually was at its core.

A child throwing a tantrum.

It was a pathetic display of frustration from a coward who ran. His arms returned to human hands when he was satisfied with destroying the room around him. His own fingers dug into his face and he tore it off in a show of bloody gore.

His injuries healed in one second and he tore it off again. Like that, Muzan kept tearing at himself until blood pooled below his feet.

It was his way of dealing with his own shape. He wanted to rip off his skin and change his identity in some way.

But he was met with a cold reality, he could never change who he was.

'You coward,'

Seiji's voice rang in his mind, doubling his shame each time he thought it was going to end. He couldn't escape the voices in his head.

He continued his actions for a long time until eventually, he stopped and became unmoving like a statue.

It was akin to taking a cold shower for him. His mind felt a little clearer after the outburst and he could think over the situation again.

"...."

"They all have to die," Muzan said to himself, determining that that was the only way to erase the shame he felt in his heart.

He could not fool himself as he said 'They all have to die,' and not 'I will kill them all,'

"Nakime," Muzan said in anger, turning his blood-red eyes to the woman who had been observing his unsightly display with a stoic face.

He could not help but take out his frustration on the first victim that he saw, someone he knew for certain could not go against him.

Muzan cruelly raised his hand and curled his fingers into a fist. At his gesture, Nakime's eyes widen, the first emotion on her face since Muzan came into the infinity castle.

"AHHHHHHHH!!!!" It was a scream of pure agony that was ripped out of her. The sound was oddly familiar to Muzan as it was the same scream he had released a few hours ago.

A sickening grin spread his lips as he enjoyed inflicting pain on another entity. It was a therapy for his twisted mind. The act of having someone's life in the palm of his hand soothes his broken ego.

Muzan allowed her to scream more, and that's what she did.

Nakime felt every cell of her body burning in pain. Her nerves seem to go haywire, their main purpose shifts from control to inflicting her the most amount of pain. The pain was intense enough to make her wish she was dead.

She wouldn't die though, her ability was too useful for Muzan to lose so he wouldn't allow her to die.

"Tell me, Nakime? How did you not know Seiji Shigan was with the family? Are you so incompetent or did you want me to die there?" Muzan asked, putting the blame on her while justifying his own sadistic actions.

"Did you betray me?"

...

"!!!!!" Muzan's eyes snapped wide open like a saucer and after a beat of silence, his hand fell off from his wrist. It was a cut so clean that blood did not spill and his own body did not realize until he flinched.

With that, Nakime's torture came to an end as she collapsed on the ground. She curled into a tiny ball, her size that of a young child.

"Lord Muzan,"

*BOOOM*

It was a single step but it felt like an explosion.

*BOOOM*

*BOOOM*

*BOOOM*

"I think your mind is not in the best state, perhaps the battle took a toll on you," the voice did not ask. It was blunt and it fed its intent on Muzan like a command.

The Demon King felt his previous anger come back tenfold as he side-eyed the demon who stood beside him. They both faced the opposite direction yet they did not face each other.

And yet, even with the infinite anger brewing inside him, Muzan did not make a move. The fact that he did not see the attack stopped him from retaliating.

No, not only did he not see the attack coming, but he did not even feel it. There was absolutely no intent, no sound, and there was no pain from the attack.

Dying in agony was scary, but to die unaware was chilling in its own right.

"What do you think you are doing? Kokushibo,"

"I am stopping my master from doing something irrational while he is in no state to make a decision," Kokushibo stated himself, there was no double, no hesitance.

Although Kokushibo was a subordinate of the Demon King, it was only on paper. In reality, their relationship was that of a business partner rather than a master-servant.

This was due to the simple fact that Kokushibo was stronger than Muzan himself. If they were equal in strength, Muzan would be able to retain his position as a master since he had control over his cell.

But Kokushibo was stronger, even Muzan himself did not know by how much. The gap was enough for Muzan to fear that Kokushibo would be able to end him regardless of control.

He did not doubt that if Tamayo could escape his grasp, Kokushibo would be able to escape his control and kill him if he crossed him.

Luckily for the Demon King, Kokushibo held his samurai tradition to a certain extent. A samurai obeys his lord regardless of strength.

In the end, Muzan calmed down his nerves and moved away from the demon.

"Then I guess you have my gratitude," Muzan admitted.

Kokushibo, too moved away from his place and went beside Nakime. He carefully helped the demon girl rise up to her feet. With how gentle he was being with her, you would think that she was a human girl made of glass.

"Are you okay?" he asked, no emotion in his voice except a tinge of real concern that spread across his six eyes.

"Y-Yes, I'm fine," Nakime quickly gathered back her wit. Her single eye shook, not knowing which eyes she should stare back at.

"Thank you Lord Kokushibo," she bowed deeply and he accepted his thanks with a noble nod.

'Feelings?' Muzan thought to himself while narrowing his eyes at the two demons before him.

It would make sense to develop at least a feeling of kinship considering they had been living together in the castle for more than a century.

Nevertheless, he made a mental note in his mind that Kokushibo cared a little for the demon girl.

..

/////////////////

"It is surprising that the Demon Slayers of this generation have become strong enough to pose a threat to you, Lord Muzan," Kokushibo said. He was sitting on his own feet a few meters away from Muzan.

The tension had completely disappeared between them. They had mutual respect for each other to a certain degree, Muzan respected his strength while Kokushibo respected his own promise of serving Muzan.

Right now, they were discussing about what just transpired a few hours ago. The Hashira were strong enough to fight back against Muzan.

Kokushibo had thought that their generation was the first and last to be able to do that. His interest was slightly peaked after hundreds of years.

"They are remarkable for humans but they are not the main threat," Muzan said and made a curious pause.

..

..

"A Sun Breathing user lives,"

Kokushibo literally stilled in his spot when he heard that statement. He carefully judged how to process the sentence and when he was done, his still body became undone.

And when that happened, immense lust for battle oozed out from the stoic demon. It was a hunger for battle that was never completed.

Many countries ago, Kokushibo had challenged his own brother but that ended in his defeat and his opponent dying of old age after the battle. After that day, a part of Kokushibo died as well.

The reason why he became a demon was so that he could surpass his brother in the first place so after his death, life became meaningless for Kokushibo.

But with the news of a new Sun Breathing user, he thought that it could be a chance to feel alive once more. A chance to finish the incomplete battle.

It would not be the same as defeating Yoriichi, but defeating his successor was something Kokushibo would love to do.

Muzan smirked when he saw his reaction.

Why risk his life to kill someone when he could send someone else?

..

..

..

[IMAGE]

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Author : When you can cut off the hand of Muzan Kibutsuji and make him thank you for it, then you are the first Upper Moon Kokushibo

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