Chapter 94: Completely Destroy the Island Nation? Lead Humanity to a New Evolution!

Compared to these methods of proving themselves, in the Demon Slayer Corps, whether ordinary demon hunters or Pillar-level beings, all placed far greater trust in Uzumaki Akaza as their lord.

And Uzumaki Akaza, without doubt, trusted his own prophecies even more.

After all, his prophecies, to a certain extent, were effectively direct observations of the future—yet Luo Fu, himself a demon who had broken free from Muzan Kibutsuji, was foretold to become a demon king more terrifying than Muzan Kibutsuji—how could Uzumaki Akaza possibly trust him?

Not eliminating Luo Fu while he was still undeveloped would be an insult to his ability to foresee the future.

With a grim expression, Luo Fu looked at Makomo, who was full of hope, and smirked maliciously: “Are Itachi thinking that since the Demon Slayer Corps can cooperate with the World and other special demons, then Itachi and I—demons who have nearly escaped the need to feed on humans—could also cooperate with them, if we just show our stance?”

A sudden bad premonition rose in Makomo’s heart; she nervously asked: “Luo... Master Luo Fu, what do Itachi mean?”

“Don’t dream,” Luo Fu ruthlessly shattered the girl’s last hope. “Have Itachi forgotten what your lord said?”

Makomo stared at Luo Fu, confused.

One must admit that, even today, Japan remains an utterly bizarre nation—even more so than in the future.

For one thing, the lower classes in Japan rarely ever question their rulers.

And now, it’s even more extreme.

Ever since she decided to join the Demon Slayer Corps and began rigorously training in Water Breathing under the late Water Pillar Tengen Toshiro, Makomo had regarded the Corps’ lord as her future master to serve.

And like many Japanese, Makomo never entertained a single thought of doubting her master.

With a helpless sigh, Luo Fu saw that, under the slaughter of his fourteen clones, most Demon Slayer Corps members were already gone—he knew the Pillars would arrive soon.

Though he had previously escaped their encirclement, Luo Fu’s goal was never to tangle with the Demon Slayer Corps.

For him, the urgent task now was to find the Blue Higanbana—the only thing that could free him from sunlight, his greatest weakness—within the shortest time possible.

The longer he delayed, the higher the chance the Blue Higanbana’s existence would be exposed.

The Demon Slayer Corps members weren’t fools; they couldn’t help but wonder why a demon foretold to become more terrifying than Muzan Kibutsuji was so obsessed with Mount Kumo.

His intentions toward Mount Kumo would become the Corps’ primary point of suspicion.

If Muzan Kibutsuji’s attention was also drawn, Luo Fu would be in serious trouble.

After all, the current Luo Fu was merely a fusion of Uchiha Luo Fu’s physique with the knowledge of the supernatural system from the outsider Luo Fu.

Among the demons ruled by Muzan Kibutsuji, the Demon Slayer Corps, and himself, Luo Fu was the weakest.

Even his fourteen clones wouldn’t last long against full-power Pillars, let alone against demons.

He had no idea when he’d get another chance to enter the shared space—every action he took had to be swift, precise, and brutal.

He absolutely could not hesitate or drag things out; if he was delayed, his entire plan would unravel.

Especially if Muzan Kibutsuji got to the Blue Higanbana before him—the consequences would be far worse.

Though several severely wounded Demon Slayer Corps members still remained alive,

Luo Fu simply abandoned them to his clones, and with his own body, he grabbed Makomo by the nape of her neck like a cat, leaping swiftly through the forest until he vanished.

Not long after Luo Fu left, Water Pillar Tomioka Giyu, Flame Pillar Rengoku Kyojuro, Flower Pillar Kanao Tsuyuri, and Sound Pillar Uzui Tengen arrived at the scene in haste.

When they saw the corpses of so many fallen Demon Slayer Corps members, and over a dozen of Luo Fu’s clones still finishing off the wounded survivors,

these Pillar-level warriors charged forward without hesitation.

On the other side, Luo Fu, who had already escaped with Makomo, sensed several emotions boiling over with fury—and immediately recognized them as the arrival of multiple Pillars.

He glanced at Makomo, held in his grip, and said: “Lead the way.”

Though Makomo desperately wanted to ask what he meant by his earlier words, faced with his stern expression, she suppressed her curiosity, identified the direction, and pointed toward the address of the charcoal-burning family she remembered.

Soon after Luo Fu arrived, Kamado Tanjiro, who was cleaning dishes, immediately noticed Luo Fu and Makomo.

Seeing their clothing, identical to that of Demon Slayer Corps members,

Kamado Tanjiro naturally assumed Luo Fu and Makomo were members of the Corps.

After all, in Tanjiro’s mind, Demon Slayer Corps members were the financial lifeline of his family.

But before Tanjiro could speak, Luo Fu’s gaze was drawn to the vegetable scraps stuck to the plate in Tanjiro’s hand.

In the instant he saw the blue stem, Luo Fu recognized it instantly—it was the Blue Higanbana that Muzan Kibutsuji had sought for a thousand years and never found.

Who would have thought that the Blue Higanbana, considered a treasure by demons and doubted by many to even exist, had been eaten as a wild vegetable by a Demon Slayer Corps member before Luo Fu ever laid eyes on it?

Luo Fu retracted his gaze and instinctively reached for Kamado Tanjiro to demand the location of the Blue Higanbana.

But he quickly dismissed the thought.

Don’t forget—the Blue Higanbana only works if harvested precisely at noon.

More crucially, since the Kamado family had turned the Blue Higanbana into a vegetable and even served it to Demon Slayer Corps members,

it meant they undoubtedly knew where it grew.

If Luo Fu wanted a blooming Blue Higanbana, his best option was to use the Kamado family.

In an instant, countless thoughts flashed through Luo Fu’s mind; he suddenly smiled warmly and asked: “Itachi’re Kamado Tanjiro?”

“Yes. Are Itachi...?” Tanjiro bowed respectfully—after all, in his mind, Luo Fu and Makomo were also his family’s benefactors.

Yet Tanjiro felt a strange unease—Luo Fu and Makomo carried a strong stench of blood.

To others, the smell was too faint to notice—but Tanjiro was no ordinary person; he could detect the scent of human emotions.

Tanjiro’s unnaturally sharp sense of smell could discern the odor of emotions.

And Luo Fu’s ability was even more direct—he could manipulate emotions.

At this moment, Tanjiro’s suspicion and wariness were unmistakable to Luo Fu.

Luo Fu smiled slightly and explained: “Don’t worry—we just ran into a little trouble, but the Pillars have already handled it.”

Without suspicion, and sensing no lie in Luo Fu’s scent, Tanjiro quickly believed him.

Normally, a child raised to manage a household like Tanjiro wouldn’t trust strangers so easily.

But the Demon Slayer Corps had already planted the seeds of trust in him.

Luo Fu was simply reaping the benefits of their prior influence.

After gaining Tanjiro’s trust, Luo Fu changed the subject: “By the way, Lady Kanao Tsuyuri was extremely pleased with the wild vegetables Itachi sent. Oh, I almost forgot—Itachi know who Lady Kanao Tsuyuri is, right?”

Tanjiro nodded silently.

The name Kanao Tsuyuri clearly suited a woman, and among the four people everyone called “Lady,” only one was female.

Just thinking about it, Tanjiro immediately identified her identity.

“Since Itachi know who Lady Kanao Tsuyuri is, good,” Luo Fu said with a hint of apology. “She loves the wild vegetables Itachi sent, but she loves this flower even more. Could Itachi possibly pick some blooming specimens and send them to her?”

“Blooming ones?” Tanjiro frowned slightly, then smiled confidently. “Don’t worry—this vegetable blooms for only a short time, and these days happen to be its blooming season. But...”

He scratched his head awkwardly. “Only my mother and younger siblings know where it grows. And it only blooms at noon. Since Lady Kanao Tsuyuri likes it, we’ll do our best to gather some. I’ll bring them to her myself tomorrow afternoon.”

Luo Fu had no doubt about Tanjiro’s explanation.

Given the Kamado family’s poverty, Tanjiro, as the main provider, spent his days either making charcoal or selling it—he had no time for gathering wild vegetables or gardening.

Such light work naturally fell to his mother, Kamado Kie, and his younger siblings.

The Blue Higanbana’s growing conditions are already harsh, and its blooming window is brief—it’s no surprise Tanjiro didn’t know or care about its location.

Luo Fu exhaled in relief. “No need to go through all that trouble. Lady Kanao Tsuyuri loves this vegetable so much—how about this? Myself and Makomo will accompany Itachi back. Tomorrow, when Itachi harvest the blooming specimens, we’ll take them directly to her. How’s that?”

“Really?” Tanjiro hesitated only a moment, then nodded eagerly.

In rigidly hierarchical Japan, when a person of high status gives a casual order, subordinates rush to fulfill it—Tanjiro had seen this countless times and never imagined any other possibility.

Though Tanjiro was young, his father had been frail since childhood, and his maturity far exceeded his years.

After gaining Tanjiro’s approval, Luo Fu and Makomo followed him back to their new home.

Soon after Luo Fu and Makomo left,

the Demon Slayer Corps members, having slain all of Luo Fu’s clones, returned one by one with grim expressions.

In just this brief battle, dozens of Corps members had died—including several Kōji hunters who were only one step away from becoming Pillars—killed by Luo Fu’s clones.

Such heavy losses naturally left them somber upon return.

“Damn it!” As soon as he returned to the hut, Rengoku Kyojuro slammed a fist onto the table Tanjiro had tidied.

“That bastard—I won’t let him live. I’ll fulfill the Rengoku family’s legacy and utterly exterminate Luo Fu, this damned demon.”

“Luo Fu is still on the mountain,” Tomioka Giyu said flatly. “Should we send someone to check on the Kamado family?”

“Judging from the room’s condition, this boy Tanjiro must have cleaned up before leaving. Dawn is near, and Luo Fu just attacked us—he won’t strike the Kamado family so soon,” Uzui Tengen analyzed. “At the very least, he’ll avoid daylight—so the Kamado family should be safe.”

“That makes sense,” Kanao Tsuyuri agreed, yawning. “It’s late. Let’s rest. We’ll resume searching for Luo Fu at dawn.”

At this moment, the Demon Slayer Corps had no idea that their lack of information had caused them to miss their final chance to stop Luo Fu.

After returning with Tanjiro to their new home, Luo Fu and Makomo were assigned to the guest room.

The guest room had once been the sickbed of Kamado Tanjirou’s father; after his death, it stood empty.

Now, it served as lodging for Luo Fu and Makomo.

After settling them in, Tanjiro didn’t stay—he left a note for his mother and returned into the mountains.

He still had charcoal-making work to complete.

It was the family’s livelihood; even though the Demon Slayer Corps had brought them unexpected wealth, Tanjiro hadn’t abandoned his labor.

The next day.

Kamado Kie woke up and found the note left by her eldest son.

She was overjoyed to learn that the wild vegetables she and her children had gathered had pleased those esteemed figures.

After waking the children and eating breakfast, eager not to miss the Blue Higanbana’s bloom, she hurriedly took Mitsuri, Takeo, Hanako, Shigeru, and the newly weaned Rokuta to the place where the Blue Higanbana grew.

The Blue Higanbana blooms only at noon.

And it can only grow in places directly exposed to sunlight—with not even a shadow nearby.

When Luo Fu noticed the entire Kamado family setting out, he waited.

As noon drew nearer, even Luo Fu’s composure began to waver.

After all, the Kamado family’s land was the only place Luo Fu knew where the Blue Higanbana grew—and more crucially, it bloomed for only a few days each year; if they missed it, they’d have to wait another year.

Even if it were only a few days, countless variables could arise—let alone an entire year.

At the very least, in Luo Fu’s mind, even though the story’s beginning was still years away, he could not wait any longer.

Even if he had to wait, it should only be after he obtained the Blue Higanbana and completely rid himself of the Sun’s overwhelming weakness.

As noon passed, Luo Fu’s mood grew increasingly agitated, so much so that even Jinmu beside him noticed the unusual shift in his emotions.

“Master Luo Fu, Itachi… Itachi seem nervous?” Jinmu summoned her courage and said, “Would Itachi like me to keep Itachi company and chat?”

Luo Fu gave Jinmu a cold glance—truthfully, to him, she now held little value.

After all, in Luo Fu’s mind, Jinmu’s sole purpose had been to help him locate Mount Kumo and make contact with the Kamado family. And now, her maximum utility had already been fulfilled.

He gave Jinmu a look tinged with both irritation and amusement and said, “Itachi’re wondering why we can’t be like Yuze, aren’t Itachi?”

Even after several hours had passed, Jinmu had not forgotten the surge of hope she felt the night before, when she first realized she could now ignore the demons’ craving for human flesh—and she had not forgotten the doubt that followed when Luo Fu shattered that hope.

Jinmu nodded vigorously, then prostrated herself before Luo Fu in a deep bow. “Itachi were once a member of the Demon Slayer Corps, only corrupted by the Demon King’s blood and turned into a demon. Now that Itachi’ve broken free from the Demon King’s control, why… why…”

Before Jinmu could finish, Luo Fu reached out and pinched the soft flesh of her cheeks, squeezing them lightly. “Have Itachi truly forgotten what the Demon Slayer Corps’ lord said about me? I am destined to become a Demon King far more terrifying than Muzan Kibutsuji—so terrifying that I nearly wiped out all of humanity.”

Jinmu’s face turned instantly pale.

She could not fathom how terrifying a Demon King surpassing Muzan Kibutsuji might be.

After all, Muzan Kibutsuji had lived for a thousand years, and even now, all his demons combined amounted to barely a fraction of humanity’s total population.

And Luo Fu? The Demon Slayer Corps’ lord believed that Luo Fu, in the future, would not only surpass Muzan Kibutsuji—but destroy humanity itself?

“W-why? Master, why… why would Itachi destroy humanity?” Jinmu gazed at Luo Fu in despair.

After being turned into a demon by Luo Fu and enduring torment that made death impossible and life unbearable, Jinmu knew full well she had no chance of resisting him.

And precisely because of that, her heart was filled with utter despair.

Luo Fu stroked the girl’s hair and said, “Perhaps I truly will become stronger than Muzan Kibutsuji… but…”

He recalled the predictions made by the Pillars about Ubuyashiki Kagaya’s view of him.

Luo Fu admitted to himself that although he had no fondness for this island nation, its population alone already exceeded fifty million—and when accounting for immigrants and hidden populations, it neared sixty million.

Even if he were the most deranged monster alive, Luo Fu could never truly obliterate a nation with nearly sixty million people.

For one thing, for his own future, he could never allow himself to carry such a profound mental demon.

After all, even the memories of his past self devouring humans had left deep psychological scars.

Killing was one thing—but slaughtering the innocent was another.

To harm one’s own kind—unless Luo Fu completely severed himself from the very concept of “human,” the more he killed, the more his own nature would be corrupted.

He was confident that Ubuyashiki Kagaya’s vision of his future destroying humanity stemmed less from him actually exterminating the island’s population—or threatening the entire world—and more from…

…him discovering humanity’s evolutionary path.

To some extent, demons were a failed product of human evolution.

The primary reason for this failure was their fear of the Sun—a glaring weakness clearly incompatible with evolution.

Yet aside from this flaw, demons were clearly a superior lifeform: immortal, free of disease, capable of regenerating severed limbs…

If one removed the Sun’s limiting effect and the uncontrollable craving for human flesh, demons were nothing less than the perfect embodiment of evolved humanity.

But such evolution would inevitably split humanity into two species within a certain timeframe. If this phase lasted only briefly, it might be tolerable—but if prolonged, it would inevitably trigger competition between the two species.

Without question, the perfected demons—or evolved new humans—could never be matched by ordinary humans.

Don’t equate Muzan with all demons. Among demons, there are plenty of intelligent beings.

With lifespans long enough, intellect equal to or surpassing humans, and a vast array of Blood Demon Arts resembling divine techniques, humanity’s extinction would be inevitable.

This was the only possible way Ubuyashiki Kagaya foresaw Luo Fu destroying humanity.

Anticipating his own future actions, Luo Fu gently pulled Jinmu up from the ground. “As a demon I transformed, Itachi should know well—we have little intense craving for human flesh, and I have little interest in killing humans. The only thing I can guarantee is that what I bring to humanity is not destruction, but a new world.”

Just as Luo Fu finished speaking, Jinmu had not yet grasped what he meant by “new world.”

Kamado Kikuri, who had left early, returned home joyfully, basket in hand, accompanied by her children, including Mitsuri.

Before reaching the house, Kamado Kikuri spotted Kyojuro Shinobu, dressed in a haori, waiting at the door.

(End of Chapter)