In Demon Slayer With Heavenly Insight

T/L: sorry forgot to update cause I was writing a short story.

If you are interested check my short Story collection there you will find it.

What if love? By Astrid knight

Chapter 25: Blood

Kocho Shinobu looked up.

The surrounding mountains and forests suddenly disappeared, replaced by a simple wooden house standing silently in front of them.

The group moved cautiously but in unison, stepping into the house.

The scene inside immediately stunned everyone.

Thick bloodstains painted the walls and floor, and traces of a fierce battle were everywhere. Some demon corpses, though battered, hadn't completely dissipated yet.

Someone had fought here—and defeated these demons—before they arrived.

"Who could have done this? Did another Hashira come here before us?"

"This is incredible! Look at all these demons! Who could have killed so many?"

"And this pit... It's massive! The knife marks look so precise."

The team was filled with amazement, gathering around the aftermath of the battle. Their voices echoed throughout the room.

Kocho Shinobu, however, stayed silent. She carefully moved around the room, observing the carnage.

For some reason, this all felt strangely familiar to her.

Her steps halted before a corpse.

It was a headless body, and an eyeball lay nearby, faintly glowing in the dim light. Inscribed on the eyeball was a single character: "Three."

Shinobu's pupils narrowed.

A Twelve Kizuki had been slain.

Her mind raced. None of her fellow Hashira had reported being assigned to this area, and all had their own tasks to complete. So, who had killed this Twelve Kizuki?

Something caught her eye.

She noticed a strange discoloration on the bulging muscles of the corpse. The flesh had turned black and purple, with pustules covering it in irregular patterns.

"Wisteria flower poison..." Shinobu murmured, her eyes narrowing further.

She was the only one in the Demon Slayer Corps who specialized in wisteria flower poison. No one else used it on this scale.

Unless...

Ren

Just days ago, Ren had demonstrated a unique breathing technique to her—Bee Breathing, which specifically emphasized the use of poison.

Could Ren have done this?

But how? How had he climbed the mountain and killed all these demons ahead of her team?

Questions buzzed through Shinobu's mind, but she had no answers.

She scanned the room instinctively, her gaze sweeping for any sign of Ren.

He was nowhere to be found.

"Thank goodness..." Shinobu whispered to herself, allowing a small sigh of relief.

"There's blood!" a team member suddenly exclaimed, pointing at a dark stain on the floor.

Shinobu rushed over, her usual calm demeanor slipping. "Move aside! Let me see!"

The sudden intensity in her voice startled the team member, who quickly stepped back.

Shinobu crouched down to examine the blood. Her sharp eyes scanned it for details.

"It's not Ren's," she said, her voice laced with certainty.

The stain had a yellowish-brown tint, a clear sign of liver or gallbladder issues—ailments typically found in older individuals. Ren, being young and healthy, couldn't have left this behind.

Relief washed over her again.

But just as her usual smile began to return, another voice rang out from a different corner of the room.

"There's more blood here!"

In a blur, Shinobu darted to the new location. Her sharp gaze locked onto the fresh crimson stains.

This time, her expression darkened.

The blood was healthy and oxygen-rich but had started to darken—a sign of severe blood loss over time.

It was Ren's.

Shinobu's hands trembled as she inspected the blood.

"Sir Shinobu, are you alright?" a concerned team member asked hesitantly.

Shinobu straightened up, forcing a smile onto her face. "I'm fine, I'm fine~. Since the demons have been eliminated, we should head back."

Without waiting for a response, she turned and vanished in a flash, leaving the rest of the team behind.

The Demon Slayer members exchanged bewildered glances.

"That's... not like her."

Still, they obeyed and began to follow her at a slower pace.

---

Infinite Castle

Muzan Kibutsuji sat in silence, his crimson eyes glowing ominously as he surveyed the two remaining Lower Moons before him.

He closed his eyes momentarily, sifting through the memories of his fallen subordinates.

The space around him was eerily quiet, save for the rotating structures of the Infinite Castle. Towering buildings shifted and merged continuously, their rhythmic echoes filling the vast emptiness.

Kyogai, the Lower Moon Six, dared to glance up, unable to suppress a grin.

He had barely done anything, yet almost all of his competitors were dead. By default, his rank would skyrocket—straight from Six to Two!

His heart raced at the thought of such a meteoric rise.

"Why are you smiling?"

Muzan's icy voice shattered the silence.

Kyogai froze, his grin vanishing instantly.

"I asked... why are you smiling?" Muzan's voice grew colder, sending shivers down Kyogai's spine.

"I... I wasn't, my lord..." Kyogai stammered, bowing his head deeply, sweat pouring down his face.

Muzan's crimson gaze darkened. He clenched his fists, his veins bulging with rage. "The Lower Moons are useless. Second, Third, Fourth, and Fifth—all slain. Why are demons so weak?"

Kyogai's head remained pressed to the ground. His mind screamed for escape, but it was futile.

"Useless," Muzan growled, and with a snap of his fingers, Kyogai's neck twisted unnaturally, his body crumpling lifelessly to the floor.

The remaining Lower Moon, Enmu, watched the scene with wide eyes but quickly composed himself, a sly smile spreading across his face.

"Do you have anything to say?" Muzan's gaze bore into Enmu.

Enmu bowed deeply. "I am prepared to serve, my lord."

His words carried a twisted enthusiasm, earning him Muzan's approval.

"Then go," Muzan commanded. "Find this man."

A vivid image flashed before Enmu: a young man in a black robe and veil, fighting with unparalleled precision.

Enmu processed the information, nodding eagerly.

The next moment, the demons fingers danced across the strings of a biwa, and the sound echoed through the castle.

In an instant, Enmu was gone, sent on his mission to eliminate the one who had slain his comrades.