Multiversal Chat Group: The Cultivator

The longer the Flame Hashira fought, the less he could comprehend the man before him.

Unparalleled swordsmanship.

Terrifying, almost inhuman strength.

It was as if this wasn't a technique a mere human could wield.

Every one of the Flame Hashira's attacks was intercepted, blocked effortlessly.

His opponent had not even attempted a counterattack.

The difference in strength was immense.

"Flame Breathing: Fifth Form—Flame Tiger!"

The Flame Hashira swung his sword in a massive arc, surging forward.

A roaring tiger of golden flames took shape, pouncing toward Yoriichi.

Yoriichi's wooden sword trembled slightly.

"Sun Breathing: Seventh Form—Beneficent Radiance."

With a sudden thrust, his entire body became engulfed in concentric rings of crimson fire.

In that instant, he became a streak of light.

The red flames of his thrust clashed head-on with the golden fire tiger.

The sheer force of the impact flattened everything around them.

Then, the crimson thrust tore through the golden beast, scattering its flames.

The Flame Hashira was sent flying.

Midair, he barely managed to twist his body and land, skidding backward for several meters before grinding to a stop.

"What terrifying power!"

He hadn't even noticed that his hands were trembling.

With just a single clash, he fully grasped the overwhelming difference between them.

To defeat such an opponent… he had only one choice—his ultimate technique.

Without hesitation, he raised his sword into position.

Power surged through him.

The golden flames around him roared, intensifying.

"Flame Breathing: Ninth Form—Rengoku!"

The final and most powerful form of Flame Breathing.

A technique that launched the user like a blazing meteor, unleashing a devastating barrage of deep, gouging slashes upon impact.

The next instant—

His entire body became wreathed in searing flames, roaring like an inferno.

Like a shooting star, he streaked forward, his target locked onto Yoriichi.

Yoriichi swung his sword.

"Sun Breathing: Eleventh Form—Dragon Sun Halo Head Dance."

A rapid flurry of high-speed slashes, swirling like a dragon of fire.

Each strike inflicted wounds that burned as if seared by the sun, rendering demons unable to regenerate.

The moment the technique was unleashed—

The two attacks collided.

Like two mighty dragons coiling around each other, locked in battle.

Flames erupted, swallowing everything.

But within Yoriichi's Transparent World—

No attack had any meaning.

By seeing the slightest twitch of his opponent's muscles, he could read their every move.

The outcome had been decided from the very beginning.

A blazing vortex of flames surged skyward.

"Boom!"

A loud explosion echoed.

The flames dispersed.

The Flame Hashira was sent flying once again.

The wooden sword in his hand had already snapped in two.

As he landed, he struggled to steady himself, taking deep breaths to suppress the burning sensation coursing through his body.

The battle had already been decided.

In that final strike, Yoriichi had the chance to sever the Flame Hashira's neck.

But instead, he shifted his blade slightly—choosing only to break the Hashira's sword.

A swordsman without a blade could no longer fight.

"I lost… and I accept my defeat wholeheartedly!"

The Flame Hashira admitted his loss without hesitation.

If one's skill was inferior, there was no denying it.

The Ubuyashiki Clan Head gave a gentle smile and announced the victor.

The surrounding Demon Slayer swordsmen had now witnessed firsthand just how terrifying a battle between Hashira-level warriors could be.

Afterward, the Flame Hashira approached his master.

"My apologies, my lord… I lost!"

Ubuyashiki shook his head, his expression still kind and gentle.

"It is of no consequence. You have already proven yourself."

Faced with his ever-compassionate master, the Flame Hashira made a firm resolution—he would push himself to the very limit in training once he returned.

Then, Ubuyashiki turned toward Yoriichi.

"Yoriichi-san, I know your heart does not wish for anyone to sacrifice themselves. That is why you choose to shoulder the burden of slaying demons alone, even if it means your own death. But slaying Muzan Kibutsuji is the fate and duty of the Ubuyashiki Clan."

Since there were no outsiders present, Ubuyashiki decided to reveal the secrets of his lineage.

"The boys born into the Ubuyashiki Clan rarely live long. They are frail and sickly.

This is the result of a thousand-year-old curse."

Hundreds of years ago—

A monster was born from the Ubuyashiki Clan.

That monster was none other than Muzan Kibutsuji, the Demon King himself.

Muzan had once been an ordinary young man, born into the same clan that would later lead the Demon Slayer Corps.

However, before he even reached the age of twenty, he was diagnosed with a terminal illness. Desperate to extend his life, he sought out a mysterious doctor.

This doctor would become the key to his transformation into a demon.

The doctor did everything he could, secretly developing countless elixirs to prolong Muzan's life.

But under his treatment, Muzan's condition only worsened.

Consumed by rage and despair, Muzan murdered the doctor in cold blood.

Yet, not long after—

He realized that his body had begun to change in unimaginable ways.

Muzan's muscles became stronger, and he gained the ability to regenerate, along with the unnatural power to maintain his youthful appearance forever.

However, there was one flaw—he could not walk in sunlight. Additionally, he had to consume human flesh and blood to sustain these newfound abilities.

For someone obsessed with perfection, this was unacceptable. But the key figure—the doctor who had treated him—had already been ruthlessly murdered by his own hands.

From the doctor's notes and prescriptions, Muzan discovered a clue: the Blue Spider Lily.

Thus, in his relentless pursuit of this elusive flower, he began turning humans into demons—enslaving them, spreading them across the land to search for it.

All of this, solely to fulfill his own selfish desires.

And as a result, the world was overrun with nightmarish demons.

From the moment Muzan Kibutsuji became a demon, it was as if the Ubuyashiki Clan had been cursed.

Every newborn in the family was born frail and sickly, dying soon after birth.

As generations passed and the clan neared extinction, divine guidance provided them with an answer—because a demon had emerged from their own bloodline, they had to dedicate themselves to defeating him. Only then would their family line continue.

Following this divine advice, the Ubuyashiki Clan began marrying women from shrine priest families. This practice helped their children survive longer.

However, even if a child managed to live, no one in the Ubuyashiki bloodline had ever lived past thirty.

Yoriichi already knew these things from reading Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba.

But hearing the Ubuyashiki Clan Head recount it himself—it felt completely different.

It was as if he was listening to the tragic and heroic tale of an entire lineage.

For a moment, Yoriichi hesitated. The burden carried by this man, along with his unwavering resolve to slay demons, was no lesser than his own.

At that moment, Ren Asakura descended the steps.

"Fate and destiny… A thousand-year curse… The Ubuyashiki Clan truly bears an unbearable sorrow."

Yoriichi turned to look at Ren Asakura.

"Group Leader, I still cannot guarantee that I can protect everyone during battle…"

Ren Asakura cut him off.

"Don't worry. I'll handle it."

Then, he turned to the Ubuyashiki Clan Head.

"The Demon Slayer Corps can go—but I have a small request. I hope you'll allow me to borrow your selection grounds for a while."

Meanwhile, in the group chat—

[Group Leader: Ren Asakura]: "Yoriichi-san, as long as I'm here, no one will die. I promise."

Yoriichi immediately saw the message.

The Ubuyashiki Clan Head looked at him.

With a resigned sigh, Yoriichi nodded.

Ubuyashiki then spoke, "Very well."

°°°

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