Chapter 343

This matter was completely beyond its expectations.

Something extraordinary must have occurred.

After nearly being killed by Jinpachi Ena, the cautious Oni no Muzan's first reaction now was to leave this place.

"Narukami."

Oni no Muzan called out.

Inside the Infinite Castle, Narukami, the current Upper Moon Three who cradled a biwa, heard his voice and immediately understood what to do.

She played the biwa; with a single strum, Oni no Muzan vanished from the room.

On a street not far from that house, Luo En stood between Tengai Yuki and Ju Sei, clad in black, hands behind his back, a faint smile on his lips.

"The show is about to begin."

49, Muzan's terror

Within the Infinite Castle, where spatial layers twisted unnaturally.

Oni no Muzan appeared beside Narukami.

Narukami was about to ask what had happened, but seeing Oni no Muzan's grim expression, she instantly dropped the thought.

"Bring Kuroshibou."

Oni no Muzan spoke in a cold voice.

Narukami answered "Yes," then played the biwa.

Soon.

Before Oni no Muzan and Narukami appeared Kuroshibou, the six-eyed swordsman with long black sideburns tied in a high ponytail, wearing a purple snake-patterned kimono and black horse-riding hakama, the strongest Upper Moon, the Sword Oni.

"My lord Muzan."

Kuroshibou bowed low to the child-form of Oni no Muzan.

"What is your command?"

Oni no Muzan glanced at him, then revealed that Douma, Hantengu, and Gyokko—all Upper Moons—had been killed simultaneously that night.

Kuroshibou and Narukami were both greatly shocked.

"All killed at the same time… besides my lord Muzan, who else could have done this…?"

Kuroshibou murmured in stunned disbelief.

"That's precisely what I want to know."

Oni no Muzan's face darkened with fury, its mood at its lowest ebb.

It was not mourning Douma and the others—mere Upper Moons; it could recreate them anytime it wished.

What troubled it was how suddenly this had happened, the feeling that events had slipped beyond its control.

Just like four hundred years ago, when it encountered that person…

The image of that figure flashed in Oni no Muzan's mind; it clenched its fists, veins bulging on its face.

Could another being like that one have appeared in this age?!

No, that's impossible!

That being, his family, and their Breathing Techniques should all have been buried by me three hundred years ago…

"M-Muzan… my lord…"

Hearing Narukami's anxious voice, Oni no Muzan snapped back to awareness.

When it saw the sudden distortion of space before it, Oni no Muzan's eyes narrowed.

What is this…?

At that moment.

A foot stepped from a vortex portal, one man's height tall, into the Infinite Castle.

Immediately, a tall, slender figure appeared before Muzan and the others.

"So this is the inside of the Infinite Castle. Indeed strange and peculiar."

Kuroshibou stared blankly at the human who had suddenly appeared in the Infinite Castle.

He was a young man clad in black, wearing a blue haori over it, a crimson ancient sword at his waist, his hair tied in a high ponytail, his features strikingly handsome.

With his hands behind his back, he smiled warmly at Muzan and the other two:

"Good evening."

…………

【Detecting host's current location—Infinite Castle. Sign-in available. Sign in?】

"Sign in."

【Sign-in successful. Reward obtained: Vitality +10, Mental Strength +10.】

【Reward obtained: Infinite Castle.】

Hearing the reward, Luo En's eyes flickered slightly; when he saw the attributes of the "Infinite Castle," his smile deepened as he gazed at Muzan and the others.

Infinite Castle…

This is quite an extraordinary gift.

"A human?"

Narukami, the Castle Oni and controller of the Infinite Castle, stared at the man, her heart filled with deep unease.

"Why? Why can a human enter here?! I didn't pull him in… how is he inside the Infinite Castle?!"

Hearing her anxious, furious words,

Luo En looked at her and smiled:

"Spaces like this are like locked rooms—if you can 'see' where the door is, you don't even need a key to open it easily."

Luo En smiled and pointed to his own azure eyes.

"Fortunately, these eyes of mine can see very clearly."

Shuuu!

Kage's figure instantly appeared before him, delivering a swift, invisible-to-the-naked-eye single slash with his crescent-bladed katana in the stance of Kyūketsu.

Moon Breathing, First Form: Dark Moon — Shō no Miya.

Luo En vanished from his original spot in an instant.

A hand landed on its shoulder, and the young man's voice, laced with amusement, echoed behind it.

"Really want to fight me?"

Kage's eyes sharply contracted.

The next moment.

Its entire sword aura erupted; though it did not draw its blade, a massive vortex of razor-edged wind spun around it, hurling countless crescent-shaped slashes in every direction.

Moon Breathing, Fifth Form: Moon Soul Catastrophic Vortex.

Luo En gazed at the massive blade wind rushing toward him, waved his arm casually, as if swatting away a fly, and effortlessly shattered the incoming slashes.

"!"

Kage's heart trembled violently.

Meiyo widened its single eye.

Both stared at the young man standing calmly, spotless, smiling, hands behind his back — and both felt the same question rise in their minds.

Is this guy… really human?

Gyutaro's crimson eyes also locked tightly onto the unexpected guest.

"Still want to fight?"

Luo En smiled at Kage and asked, "To be honest, your sword doesn't even qualify to make me draw mine."

At those words, Kage's six eyes snapped shut in sudden contraction.

Killing intent and fury ignited.

He unleashed his full aura, rising like a storm of sword qi; his demon blade elongated and split into multiple blades as he fully liberated his power.

"Die!"

Kage's killing intent boiled over, his six eyes glowing red as he spun violently and swung his evolved demon blade in a massive horizontal slash.

Moon Breathing, Eighth Form: Moon Dragon Wheel Tail!

"Weak sword technique."

Luo En smiled and threw a punch forward; the air before him shattered like glass, then erupted into an unstoppable shockwave that tore through Kage's full-power slash.