[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-from-thunder-breathing-to-the-multiverse":3,"chapter-from-thunder-breathing-to-the-multiverse-from-thunder-breathing-to-the-multiverse-chapter-35":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","From Thunder Breathing to the Multiverse",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1676069,2141,"Chapter 35 35: The Second Demon King","from-thunder-breathing-to-the-multiverse-chapter-35",35,"\u003Cp>\"Could someone… bring me a glass of water?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tachibana Kyūjō's voice was hoarse as he looked around at the familiar faces gathered beside his bed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>— — —\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Late at night, in a secluded noble estate deep in Kanagawa Prefecture, a man with golden hair stood silently—his eyes glinting with something twisted as he stared into the darkness ahead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No one knew exactly when he had dyed his hair gold.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Akaza knelt on one knee, his demeanor sharp, respectful, and serious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I've done as you asked, Kokushibō-dono. I've gathered successors from the finest martial arts schools across the country.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"There are kenjutsu schools like Yagyū Shinkage-ryū, Tennen Rishin-ryū, Shindō Munen-ryū, Shindō Isshin-ryū, Enmei-ryū—Niten Ichi-ryū, Tamiya Shinken-ryū, and others.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Plus, skilled practitioners of iaidō, jūdō, karate... a total of seventy-two warriors in all.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The figure standing in the shadows slowly stepped forward, turning to face Akaza.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was Kokushibō—once known as Upper Moon One, the highest-ranked demon of the Twelve Kizuki.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But now… his appearance had changed dramatically.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The flowing crimson hair that once framed his face had darkened to a deep violet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The six eerie eyes that once overwhelmed others with fear were now gone—replaced by a single pair of human-looking eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the surface, he looked no different from a man.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But to Akaza, his aura hadn't diminished in the slightest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The overwhelming presence that once radiated from Kibutsuji Muzan… was now pouring from Kokushibō—purified, undiluted, even more suffocating.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That alone was enough for Akaza to accept the blood of this new king and abandon the bloodline of the previous ruler.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But that wasn't the only reason he chose to follow the new Demon King.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Akaza wasn't like most demons. Even after turning, he still clung to the honor of a warrior.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He never truly got along with Muzan, but betrayal had never crossed his mind—until the weight of discontent grew too heavy to bear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Find a mythical flower that doesn't exist?\" Enough already.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not once was he shown proper respect. Muzan treated him like a disposable pawn, despite Akaza being Upper Moon Three—his so-called right-hand man.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Kokushibō… had something Akaza had yearned for, for centuries.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The truth behind martial strength.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he could learn directly from a swordsman as transcendent as Kokushibō, then perhaps—just perhaps—he, too, could reach that final realm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A peak far beyond what he'd ever touched, even after centuries as a demon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And more than anything—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kokushibō promised to form something new.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A group of warriors.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A gathering of pure fighters who devoted themselves wholly to the path of martial arts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That alone had sealed Akaza's loyalty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now that he had gathered seventy-two successors from across the land, Akaza couldn't wait to see them transformed into demons—and to test them one by one in battle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No one was allowed to leave until he was done.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...And of course, the most important reason Akaza left Muzan's side?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There's no Dōma here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That smug, creepy bastard with his fake smile and obnoxious laughter—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Akaza could live a thousand years and still never stomach him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>— — —\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kokushibō, now fully resembling a human, gave Akaza a calm nod.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Seventy-two, huh... I wonder how many will survive my blood.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Well done, Akaza. Truly.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Come. Let's go meet them.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This is how you treat loyal subordinates, Akaza thought, feeling just a bit smug—and very pleased.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He rose to his feet and led the new Demon King toward the outer hall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>— — —\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One month later.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Most of Kyūjō's external wounds had healed, but his internal injuries… were another story.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He could feel it every time he moved.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His right lung—pierced straight through by Kokushibō's blade—was permanently damaged.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Using Breathing Techniques again? Completely impossible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And worse, the Mark he had awakened… the Soul Burning technique he invoked to break his limits—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They had pushed his body far past the point of no return.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>According to Tamayo's diagnosis, Kyūjō wouldn't live past twenty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was sixteen now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even walking for too long left him breathless, like his lungs were caving in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It reminded him of the final days of his old life—when cancer had eaten away his body back on Earth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Looking down at his fragile form, Kyūjō chuckled bitterly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So much for living strong and healthy in this new world…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, he didn't regret it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because he remembered—clear as day—that morning when the sun rose behind him, and his blade severed Kokushibō's neck.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had changed something in this world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And that alone… was enough for him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He believed it: in the final battle ahead, the Demon Slayer Corps would never again have to face that monster.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>— — —\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the truth was far crueler.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After that final strike, Kyūjō had fallen unconscious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn't know that Kokushibō hadn't truly died—that his head had been retrieved by Akaza and taken away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even Ubuyashiki Kagaya had trouble accepting what happened next.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That's why he chose to hide the truth from Kyūjō.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because for a boy who had given everything—who had burned his life away to kill that demon—this truth was simply too cruel to bear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>— — —\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, Kagaya sat quietly in his office, surrounded by intelligence reports and recent updates.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>News from the shadows was spreading.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The one now calling himself the Martial Demon King—Kokushibō—was on the move.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And he wasn't hiding his presence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He believed in one thing only: his own strength, and the sword in his hand—the blade known as Kyokokukamusari.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was now a demon unbound by Muzan's blood, free from the chains of the former king.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And in his eyes, no one—not even Muzan—was a threat anymore.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sun was the only thing he feared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To Kokushibō, Muzan was a coward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"He had the strength to change the world… yet cowered in the shadows, hiding behind humans.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"A man like that isn't fit to lead me.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(—Kokushibō: \"A true man who walks beneath the heavens should never serve beneath another for long.\")\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>— — —\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meanwhile, the Demon Slayer Corps, which had stood for centuries, had already noticed the change in the demons' behavior.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their numbers were growing—quickly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And now, these demons referred to themselves as Martial Demons.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They no longer followed Muzan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They followed Kokushibō.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To Kagaya, that could only mean one thing—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After Kyūjō's blade struck his neck, Kokushibō didn't die.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He evolved.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He surpassed his limits.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had become a second Demon King.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And what was worse…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These Martial Demons—though still few in number—were all frighteningly skilled in combat. Every single one of them wielded some form of martial discipline or swordsmanship.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>According to the latest reports, not a single one was weaker than a Lower Moon Demon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fortunately, they didn't seem to be actively hunting humans.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At most, they came out once a week to feed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The rest of the time?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They trained in seclusion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They polished their techniques.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They followed the path of battle in the darkness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were solitary demons—fighters lost in their obsession with strength.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>— — —\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kagaya rubbed his temples with both hands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every time he thought about it, a sharp ache pierced his mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This war… this endless struggle between humans and demons—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was far too heavy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tachibana Kyūjō, the greatest swordsman of his generation, had given everything.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He came within a breath of death itself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And yet, instead of ending the era of demons…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had given rise to something even more terrifying.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What a cruel, bitter irony.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even now…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kagaya couldn't bring himself to tell Kyūjō the truth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>— — —\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Two Demon Kings... Two Demon Kings…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kagaya whispered the words over and over as he stared blankly ahead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And then—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>something flickered in his eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As if a thread of light had pierced through the dark.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As if… he'd just found a new possibility.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>📚 Want to read more chapters or get early access?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Join my Patreon here:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>🔗 patreon.com\u002FFaaanzKun\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>✅ Enjoy 35+ chapters ahead of WebNovel\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>✅ Get 2 new chapters every day exclusively on Patreon\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Join now and dive deeper into the story—weeks ahead of public release!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thank you for your amazing support 💖\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>— — —\u003C\u002Fp>",1367,"2026-06-06T13:14:23.720Z",1,"novelbin.me","2888237ca9763fdf4166e7ae7511f919c17008d113e50d91c496840541aa4de3","from-thunder-breathing-to-the-multiverse-chapter-36","from-thunder-breathing-to-the-multiverse-chapter-34",389,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Ffrom-thunder-breathing-to-the-multiverse-cover.jpg"]