Demon Slayer: The Ultimate Defense System

At that moment, on the demon's side—

Kibutsuji Muzan was utterly furious.

The instant Susamaru and Yahaba died, he received the message through the blood link. And he immediately knew who was responsible.

"Tamayo… and Yohan."

"Damn them. Damn them both!"

The names spilled from Muzan's lips like venom. From the blood memories left behind, he'd clearly seen Tamayo—his former subordinate, his traitor—and the mysterious man named Yohan, the one who had battled Akaza to a standstill.

He had already been prepared to witness Tamayo's terrified, broken expression when she was dragged back before him in chains. He had envisioned exactly how he would show her the true consequences of betraying him.

And yet, before his agents could even touch her, their heads had been obliterated by that man—Yohan.

"Useless trash! A bunch of worthless failures!"

Muzan didn't mourn the loss of Susamaru and Yahaba. They weren't even Upper Moons. What enraged him wasn't their deaths, but the fact that someone had dared defy him.

That Tamayo had escaped his grasp again. That someone had dared stand in his way.

"Send demons to Asakusa. I want them found," he snarled at Nakime beside him, every word laced with venom. "And once they're located, dispatch the Upper Moons. Kill every last one of them."

"Yes, Lord Muzan," Nakime bowed slightly before vanishing into the shadows.

Muzan stood amidst the ruins of his shattered chamber, destroyed in his rage.

"Yohan, is it…?"

"I'll remember you."

For the first time, Kibutsuji Muzan had truly taken notice of Yohan.

…

While Muzan's demons began converging on Asakusa, acting on their master's orders,

Yohan, Mitsuri, Tamayo, and Yushiro had already departed the area, heading straight for the Demon Slayer Corps headquarters.

Yohan, of course, had no idea where the headquarters actually was. The original story had never given a precise location.

However, before leaving, Kanae Kocho had given him detailed instructions.

All he needed to do was find the nearest Demon Slayer base—they would handle the rest.

That night, the group visited the local Demon Slayer base in Asakusa. The stationed slayers, upon seeing the token Yohan presented, immediately made arrangements.

Without hesitation, they prepared a carriage and escorts to transport Yohan and his companions to headquarters.

Everything moved quickly and efficiently—it was clear that Kocho Kanae had already paved the way for them.

And because Tamayo and Yushiro couldn't travel by daylight, Yohan specifically requested they travel only at night.

"Then, Lord Yohan, please follow us."

The Demon Slayer Corps didn't hesitate. They offered him everything he needed without question.

As the carriage disappeared into the dark, echoing hoofbeats fading into the night, the commander of the Asakusa base turned to his aide and said,

"Send word to Lord Ubuyashiki immediately. Inform him that Lord Yohan is en route to headquarters."

It seemed that not only had Kanae made preparations, but Kagaya Ubuyashiki—the head of the Demon Slayer Corps—had already taken steps as well.

That night, a Kasugai crow took flight, soaring through the moonlit sky.

In the shadows of the mountains, dozens of demons moved with sinister purpose—drawn toward Asakusa by Muzan's will.

Meanwhile, the carriage carrying Yohan and his group thundered steadily through the night.

Thus, the Asakusa arc came to a temporary close.

…

As Yohan and the others made their way to headquarters,

At the heart of the Demon Slayer Corps' hidden stronghold,

Kagaya Ubuyashiki had already received word of their impending arrival.

Seated calmly in a room facing a quiet courtyard, the pale and frail-looking leader read the report brought to him.

He closed it silently and gave a single command.

"Ensure that Yohan and his companions are treated with the utmost respect. And when they arrive, inform me immediately."

Even after giving the order, Ubuyashiki remained seated in contemplation, his expression calm but thoughtful.

Then suddenly, he spoke again.

"Summon all the Hashira who can make it in time. I'm calling a Hashira Meeting."

"Yes, Master!"

The Hashira Meeting—a rare, high-level council attended by all current Pillars and presided over by Ubuyashiki himself.

Only matters of the greatest urgency warranted such a gathering.

The nearby Demon Slayer messengers understood immediately: something monumental was coming. Urgent messages were sent out to every Hashira.

"Yohan and Tamayo…"

"A man and a demon… walking side by side."

Ubuyashiki murmured the words as he stared out into the moonlit garden.

Though Yohan had refused to join the Demon Slayer Corps formally, every slayer who'd encountered him had spoken of him with deep respect.

Ubuyashiki had long wished to meet the man himself.

And now, that wish was coming true.

Though the reason for Yohan's visit remained unclear, the fact that he was bringing Tamayo—along with the strange iron fragments he had delivered through Kanae—spoke volumes.

Ubuyashiki could sense it.

Change was coming.

Big change.

Whether that change would bring salvation or disaster, he could not yet say.

And that uncertainty was precisely why he had summoned the Pillars.

As the head of the Demon Slayer Corps, Kagaya Ubuyashiki not only bore the burden of destroying Kibutsuji Muzan—he also carried the responsibility of protecting every member of the Corps.

He gazed into the night wind rustling through the courtyard.

"It's begun… the wind has truly begun to stir."

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