Chat group, become my wings!

Even though only three of the women had joined him this time neither Izumi nor Brunhilde participated Kevin Cross didn't feel the least bit disappointed. After all, there was no need to rush anything. They were all in the chat group now; no one was going anywhere.

Spring was in the air, and his stride couldn't be more confident.

After a bout of enthusiastic morning exercise, Kevin finally met up with everyone again for breakfast.

Shinobu Kocho's cheeks were flushed pink, and she kept her gaze lowered, unable to look anyone in the eye. To say she was a little embarrassed would be an understatement.

She had already come to terms with the fact that she would one day belong to Kevin Cross. She'd made up her mind: once she defeated Doma and killed Muzan Kibutsuji, she would leave the Demon Slayer Corps behind and devote herself to him. She just hadn't expected her "first time" to happen quite so abruptly.

All thanks to that cursed alcohol.

Once tipsy, she found Kevin even more irresistible. Her inhibitions dulled, she boldly acted on a heated impulse and tried to seduce him in her drunken haze.

Everything had been going according to her plan until Uchiha Izumi joined in. And then, as if fate had a wicked sense of humor, Saeko Busujima showed up too.

Luckily, their presence eased the intensity. Otherwise, given Kevin's energy and passion, she doubted she'd have been able to walk the next day.

Still, the shame lingered. She couldn't stop thinking about it. Four people. At once. How was she ever supposed to show her face again?

"Shinobu, are you okay? Are you feeling feverish? Your face is so red! Oh no, I forgot to bring my Heavenly Fragrance Balm and Bear Gall Pills I was going to give them to you…" Izumi blinked at her, wide-eyed with concern.

"I-I'm fine. Really. I'm a doctor too, I know my own condition." Shinobu's face burned even hotter as she tried to explain.

"Really?" Izumi beamed.

"Yes."

"She's not sick. She's just loves" Brunhilde caught herself and abruptly shut her mouth. She couldn't let the group's harmony be ruined over a joke.

...

"You all brought your xenon lamps, right?" Kevin reminded them.

"Relax. We've got front-facing ones, back-ups, back-up's back-ups, and even back-up's back-up's backups," Kumoko replied, rolling her eight eyes though no one could actually see her do it.

"Remember, if you see a demon, shine the xenon light on them immediately. Especially you, Izumi. If the demon moves too fast for you to see, just throw them in all directions. Light up the whole area if you have to."

Izumi, the gentlest and least experienced among them, nodded seriously. "Got it. I will."

"Alright then. Let's move."

When Kevin and his party arrived at the Demon Slayer Corps' headquarters, no one paid much attention to Saeko or the others. But Kumoko… she drew stares.

If she hadn't already proven she could walk in the sun unscathed, they might have suspected she was a demon herself.

Kumoko, of course, tried to protest, but all she could do was chirp and squeak. The Pillars couldn't understand her at all. She stomped around in frustration.

Thankfully, the chat group had a built-in translator. Otherwise, even her allies would be lost.

Kumoko never learned to speak. She couldn't afford the skill points it was too costly. She had maxed out her combat skills instead. Who had the luxury to invest in speech anyway?

And besides, most of them weren't even from the same world. Some spoke ancient Chinese, some Japanese, some fantasy languages without the translator, communication would've been a nightmare.

Kagaya Ubuyashiki, his face disfigured yet smiling, radiated a strange serenity. His appearance should have been terrifying, yet he inspired peace. Saeko and the others all found him odd, but oddly reassuring.

Brunhilde studied the curse on his body but quickly concluded it was beyond her skill. She wasn't a cursebreaker. Her job was to kill Muzan.

"First of all, we must thank Mr. Kevin Cross for supplying us with the xenon lamps. With them, we finally have a weapon that can truly destroy Muzan Kibutsuji and bring an end to the thousand-year reign of demons," Kagaya spoke with gentle gravity. "Secondly, I thank you all for being here today to stand with us in this final battle."

His voice, soft and composed, calmed the room. His words sounded like the kind of long-winded speeches people gave at schools or corporate functions 'I'll just say a few words' and yet no one felt irritated. Instead, everyone listened.

"Lastly, I've leaked information about the Blue Spider Lily and the fact that Tanjiro's sister, Nezuko, can walk in sunlight. Muzan has likely seen it by now. He'll come. And when he does, I entrust him to you all."

He bowed deeply, touching his forehead to the floor.

The Pillars immediately returned the gesture. Kevin and the others merely nodded slightly they weren't part of the Corps but no one took offense. After all, they were allies, not subordinates.

The sky darkened. The sun, reluctant and grumbling, finally sank below the horizon, as though forced to return home to its terrifying wife.

Night fell.

And with it came the demons.

At last, they revealed themselves at the very doorstep of the Demon Slayer Corps, a location hidden for so long it was practically mythical.

Their coordinates were now exposed.

One by one, the Twelve Kizuki emerged.

But Muzan Kibutsuji himself? Nowhere in sight.

It didn't surprise anyone. Not even the Pillars. He was, after all, a coward at heart.

Without Muzan, the xenon lamps were useless for now. The Pillars gripped their Nichirin Blades and charged into battle against the elite demons.

Fortunately, Kevin and his powerful companions were there too. Without them, there was a real chance several Pillars might have fallen before Muzan even arrived.

____________________

NEXT CHAPTER :The Twelve Moons

(The final war begins as the Twelve Kizuki descend, and the Demon Slayer Corps faces them head-on with no tricks, no sacrifices, only power versus power. Shinobu, once the weakest Pillar, has transformed both in body and strength after a fateful night with Kevin Cross. Fueled by rage and grief, she strikes first piercing Doma's eye with a crimson Nichirin Blade, finally making him feel pain. Meanwhile, Izumi Uchiha confronts the terrifying Kokushibo, her Sharingan blazing, ready to test if even demons can withstand a shattered mind. The strongest clash has begun and the real battle is only just starting.)

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