Chapter 130: Chapter 130: Shinobu: "Did I just gain a brother-in-law?"
Upper Moon Two—Doma.
And now, he was being dragged along like a dead dog, completely unable to resist. Seeing this, the Kochou sisters were utterly dumbfounded.
This was one of the Twelve Kizuki, the most powerful demons under Muzan Kibutsuji.
For hundreds of years, the Demon Slayer Corps had never managed to kill even one of the Upper Moons.
And yet, here was one, captured alive without a sound.
They hadn't even heard the battle.
Haruto, however, wasn't surprised.
The Crimson-3 armor could make even Muzan kneel after taking a couple of punches.
Not to mention that the one wearing the bio-mechanical exoskeleton was Captain Levi.
Truth be told, with his Ackerman lineage and monstrous battle talent, Levi could probably solo Doma even without the armor if he learned Breathing Techniques.
The reason why Doma was still lingering in the area without leaving—
It was likely because Kanae had traveled across worlds and suddenly disappeared, preventing Doma from killing and devouring her. Thus, Doma temporarily hid in the shadows, attempting to locate Kanae .
Once the Hashira of the Demon Slayer Corps arrived, he could retreat at any time while remaining hidden.
Unfortunately for him, the one who arrived was Haruto.
Before being transported to the Demon Slayer world, Haruto had already ordered the Mobile Task Force to conduct a thorough search of the area immediately.
The biological detection system of the Crimson-3 armor swept the surroundings, exposing Doma within mere seconds.
Thinking of escaping now was nothing more than a fool's dream.
With the mobility of Crimson-3, forget about running, Doma wouldn't even have time to flee in a supersonic jet.
Haruto crouched down and locked eyes with Doma.
Doma's irises were rainbow-colored.
Yet, from that dazzling spectrum, Haruto could see absolutely no emotion.
An inexplicable sense of revulsion arose within him.
"Hey, do you know where Muzan is?"
Haruto asked directly.
Despite having every joint, muscle, and bone in his body locked in place by kagune, Doma continued to smile.
"You're asking about Lord Muzan? How unfortunate, I have no idea where Lord Muzan is."
Doma responded with a smile, wriggling his body in an attempt to break free.
However, the kagune generated by Crimson-3 had embedded itself into every inch of his flesh.
The regenerative abilities demons prided themselves on were rendered useless, as the wounds were being corroded by RC cells.
In truth, demons possessed a unique ability known as Blood Demon Arts.
Doma's Blood Demon Art allowed him to transform his blood into ice crystals, which he could control with extreme precision. At this moment, a mist-like white frost began spreading outward. Yet, even though Haruto was right in front of him, it had absolutely no effect.
After hearing Doma's answer, Haruto nodded without much surprise.
That old schemer Muzan only maintained one-way communication with his subordinates.
When he needed them, he would summon them into a special space known as the Infinity Castle.
The rest of the time, he would simply hide like a rat.
"In that case, I'm going to execute you next. Any last words?"
Haruto asked matter-of-factly.
Even upon hearing that he was about to be executed, Doma continued to smile.
His greatest flaw was his inability to feel any emotions. Even in the face of death, he felt no fear, the smile on his face was nothing more than a facade.
"Doesn't seem like there's anything to say..."
Doma replied.
Haruto nodded and pressed a finger against Doma's forehead.
The Blacklight Virus immediately invaded his body. This time, Haruto did not exert any control over it.
In an instant, Doma's body began to swell and twist.
The Blacklight Virus within Haruto had already evolved to a certain extent after devouring the genes of grotesque insects and ghouls.
So-called "demons" were nothing more than weak, inferior creatures.
In mere moments, the Blacklight Virus had completely devoured Doma.
The next moment, Doma's grotesquely bloated body suddenly burst apart, dissolving into a cloud of blood mist that coalesced back into Haruto's hand.
Even after consuming an Upper Rank Two demon, the Blacklight Virus showed only minimal evolutionary progress.
Just as Haruto had previously stated, these so-called demons were nothing more than inferior lifeforms.
The demons Muzan had created weren't even worth capturing for research.
Shinobu watched the scene in horror, instinctively pulling her sister behind her and warily staring at Haruto.
Meanwhile, Levi stood to the side and rolled his eyes.
The captain had a severe cleanliness obsession.
Even though the blood mist hadn't dispersed in the slightest, it still made his cleanliness-focused mind uncomfortable.
Haruto stood up again and looked at Shinobu with slight confusion.
"The demon has been killed, there's no need to be so cautious."
For a moment, Shinobu was at a loss for words.
She was being cautious of you, okay?!
"Shinobu, don't be like that. Haruto is a good person."
Kanae said.
Although the method he had used was indeed terrifying, Kanae didn't see anything particularly wrong with it.
Hearing her sister scold her, Shinobu suddenly felt a bit deflated. She also recalled the scene earlier, when her sister had held hands with this boy.
A strange suspicion suddenly formed in Shinobu's mind.
Could her sister have been tricked by this guy?!
Meanwhile, after devouring Doma, Haruto confirmed that there was indeed no information about Muzan's location in his memories.
"Anyway, let's head to the Demon Slayer Corps' headquarters first."
Haruto said casually.
Shinobu hesitated as she looked at her sister.
The headquarters of the Demon Slayer Corps—the place where the Ubuyashiki family resided, was the Corps' most guarded secret.
It was a hidden sanctuary that even demons had failed to locate for over a thousand years.
Bringing a complete outsider like Haruto there just seemed completely unreliable!
Kanae, however, did not hesitate and immediately nodded in agreement.
Since she had requested assistance from the Foundation, she had already entrusted them with her faith.
Besides, from what she had seen, the power of the Foundation was beyond anything the Demon Slayer Corps could compare to.
Even Muzan had been dismissed as an "inferior creature."
If the Foundation had any intention of doing anything to this world, they could simply act directly.
That was the judgment of the Flower Hashira.
Shinobu had taken an entire day to rush from headquarters to this location.
But the return trip to the Demon Slayer Corps' headquarters took less than two hours.
Looking at the familiar courtyard nestled in the mountains, Shinobu was stunned.
These people could fly, faster than crows, even!
The news hadn't even reached headquarters yet, but they had already arrived.
Kanae and Shinobu entered the headquarters first to explain the identities of Haruto and his group to the leader, Kagaya Ubuyashiki.
Meanwhile, Haruto poked the Crimson-3-clad Kanako beside him.
"Did you spot the target on the way? Perhaps caught a glimpse of him by accident or noticed any traces?"
Haruto placed high hopes on Kanako's extraordinary luck.
"President, I'm not some kind of god, you know..."
Kanako felt like crying.
Sure, she did have a "lucky" trait. But that didn't mean she could just make anything she wanted happen!
Haruto gave her a look that screamed, "Then what good are you?"
Then, he turned away and admired the scenery of the Demon Slayer world. Kanako was so frustrated she gritted her teeth audibly.
Did containment objects not have human rights?!
After a short while of sightseeing, the headquarters' gate was pushed open.
A man with half his face scarred and his eyes clouded white was being helped out by others.
"Haruto, this is our leader, Lord Kagaya Ubuyashiki."
Kanae introduced.
Haruto's gaze lingered on Kagaya's eyes.
He vaguely recalled that it was a hereditary curse that left him blind, frail, and with a short lifespan.
Despite this, he had still earned the respect of all the Hashira's.
Though his blind eyes could not see, he had the foresight to drive even the strongest of demons into a corner.
"Sir Haruto, you may call me Kagaya. I heard from Kanae that... you have come to save this world."
Though Kagaya Ubuyashiki could not see, his words carried a heartfelt sincerity, devoid of any self-importance.
"It's not quite about saving the world. Our goal is to contain Muzan and eliminate the anomalous entities, meaning demons."
Haruto replied.
"To us, that is indeed saving the world. Please, come in."
Kagaya stepped aside, inviting Haruto into the courtyard. The courtyard, though not simple, was far from luxurious.
As they walked, Kanae suddenly recalled something.
"Haruto, could that serum heal Lord Kagaya?"
She was referring to the Ghoul-3 Solution.
"A serum?"
Hearing this, Kagaya seemed puzzled.
Kanae quickly explained how Haruto had previously saved her by injecting her with the Ghoul-3 Solution, which had miraculously restored her body.
After listening, Kagaya immediately shook his head.
"If Kanae describes it as a miraculous medicine, then it must be extremely precious. We are already deeply grateful for Sir Haruto's assistance. How could I possibly ask for such a precious thing?"
"Besides, no matter how kind and generous Sir Haruto is, such a rare medicine should be reserved for you Hashira."
"Using it on me... would not be worth it."
His words were entirely sincere, without a trace of false humility.
This made Haruto see Kagaya in a new light.
"That's not really something rare. I happen to have plenty with me, let's give it a try now."
Haruto flipped his hand and retrieved a vial of Ghoul-3 solution from the Divine Might Space, handing it to Kanae.
The Ghoul-3 solution was now being mass-produced by the Foundation, and the cost of cultivating RC cells had significantly decreased.
It was practically dirt cheap.
"This…"
Kagaya was momentarily at a loss for words.
Kanae took the syringe and was about to bow to Haruto, however, before she could bend down, Haruto stopped her.
"There's no need for that. It was just a small effort."
Haruto said with a smile.
As Kanae was gently supported back up, she caught sight of his warm smile, causing her heartbeat to quicken inexplicably.
The Flower Hashira, known for her composure, found her fair cheeks tinged with a faint pink, as if lightly brushed with rouge.
Shinobu: !
Watching this scene, Shinobu increasingly felt that her elder sister had been deceived and led astray!
They had only been apart for a few days, and now she suddenly had a brother-in-law?!
Shinobu couldn't accept this!