Chapter Text
Upper Moons 4 and 5. Died on the same night.
Both their deaths were equally pathetic.
Gyokko, Upper 5. Killed by one hashira who was just 14 years old.
Hantengu, Upper 4. He wasn’t even beheaded by a hashira. It was that young boy with the hanafuda earrings again. The one with the strange mark. The one who looked like Yoriichi.
Oh how that made Muzan’s blood boil.
It wasn’t all for nothing though. There was one good thing that came out of the battle. The discovery of a demon who could withstand the sun, something even Muzan couldn’t do.
This changed everything. No longer did Muzan need to constantly hunt for the blue spider lily. All he needed was to consume that demon. Nezuko Kamado. Which was quite ironic. After all, Nezuko Kamado was related to the hanafuda warrior. She was his younger sister.
But there was one thing Muzan still couldn’t wrap around his head. How could she withstand the sun? It clearly wasn’t based on her sheer strength. Muzan was certain that he was still the stronger demon. Perhaps it was due to her connection to sun breathing? Or maybe she knew the location of the blue spider lily? Or maybe it was connected to the one loose end he still had since that fight with Yoriichi, 500 years ago. The one that still left him with scars and resentment. The existence of a demon named Tamayo. He should have known back then that it was a terrible idea to turn her into a demon. He couldn’t even kill her, as she had freed herself of his curse and was well hidden. Perhaps Tamayo had interfered with Nezuko. Consuming her could lead to irreversible harm.
For all these reasons and more, Muzan decided now was not the time to rush to conclusions and consume the girl. If he diverted all his resources to finding Nezuko, then the Demon Slayer Corps would unite and aim to grow stronger, even if it was a lost cause. He could absolutely not have that, especially after three of his most powerful demons had already lost to them in the span of a few months.
No, instead he would operate in the shadows. Get Nakime to track the most vital parts of the Corps, the location of Nezuko Kamado, and the Ubuyashiki clan. It was the only way he could ensure his victory. Those humans would think they improved, but really, it was all in vain. All their work for nothing. Never again would he let himself be humiliated like that day 500 years ago.
So why, even after all this work, did he find himself on the verge of defeat a year later?