Chapter 116: Crush

Gazing at the demon before him, Bingming of Beiming Island stepped forward, holding the [Dark Alloy Gatling] at the front of the formation.

The black muzzle aimed at the demons ahead, his face grim as he intoned: “Amitabha, the Buddha is compassionate—this monk shall send you all to the Pure Land!”

Click… Boom!

Taptaptaptaptap…

Bullets poured forth like a torrential downpour, like a sudden storm, firing wildly as if they cost nothing.

The demons had no time to react before their bodies were riddled with holes, like a wasp’s nest.

The others, seeing this, pulled out their weapons and rushed toward the demons from all directions like hungry tigers pouncing.

Wind Breathing. Seventh Form: Haze.

Tokitou Muichiro, wielding the [Quantum Dual Pistols], used the unique properties of his self-created Seventh Form to slip into the demon ranks and shoot them in the head before they could react.

He moved erratically, confusing his enemies—appearing as slow as a turtle, vanishing in an instant.

Every time a demon saw Tokitou Muichiro right before them, reaching to grab him, the next instant he vanished—and in his place came merciless gunshots to the skull.

Snake Breathing. Fifth Form: Winding Long Serpent.

Within the formation, Ikkyu Shobu advanced like a nimble serpent into the demon ranks, his serpentine double-bladed weapon moving as if alive, carving winding, twisting slashes that effortlessly severed the demons’ necks.

The [Quantum Shield] on his body emitted a blue energy barrier, tightly protecting him; the demons’ attempts to surround and attack him were like ants trying to topple a tree—utterly ineffective.

Flame Breathing. Ultimate Technique: Ninth Form: Inferno!

Boom!

In the midst of battle, a deafening roar echoed as Rengoku Kyojuro, his body wreathed in roaring flames, charged forward with his Nichirin Blade like a falling star—his momentum unstoppable, and every demon caught unawares was severed at the neck, reduced to ash.

After each attack, Rengoku Kyojuro immediately returned to a poised, ready stance.

The [Destroyer Mini-Drones] circling him acted like loyal guards, mercilessly shooting down any demon that dared approach.

Shhh! Boom!

Tomioka Giyu, shouldering the [Dark Alloy Missile Launcher], aimed at clusters of demons and fired—the small missiles pierced each demon and exploded with perfect precision.

Fire bloomed like fireworks, explosions thundered without end; the ground was littered with severed limbs and torn flesh, like shredded rags—and the demons’ famed regenerative power was now severely limited.

“Come on, you stinking demon vermin, HAHAHA!” Shinobu Kocho let out wild laughter, firing wildly with his [Dark Alloy Paralysis Gun] in his left hand while swinging his Nichirin Blade in relentless strikes.

The demons, paralyzed by the powerful electric current, froze in place as if petrified.

They could only watch helplessly, like lambs awaiting slaughter, as Shinobu Kocho swung his Nichirin Blade and severed their necks.

“Be blown up in glorious fashion! HAHAHA!”

Uzui Tengen, holding bombs, pulled the safety pin and hurled them into groups of demons—where they exploded like fireworks.

Watching the demons explode, Uzui Tengen’s eyes gleamed with an indescribable thrill—now, explosion had become an art.

[Dark Alloy Armor, Arm!] x3

Numbers Four, Six, and Nine, armed with their [Dark Alloy Armor], joined the battle, wielding one of the [Dark Alloy Four Styles]—first and second forms—to slash swiftly, severing demons’ necks.

The demons’ attacks felt like tickles—unable to scratch even a single defense of the armor, utterly useless.

Xiao Yue piloted the [Dark Alloy Armored Vehicle], activating its weapon systems; it charged forward like a steel behemoth, leaving rivers of blood in its wake.

The demons had believed that after being modified by Kibutsuji Muzan’s blood, they could stand against the Hashira of the Demon Slayer Corps—even if they couldn’t kill them, they could wear them down with attrition.

But now, they never imagined the scales of victory had tipped completely toward the Demon Slayer Corps—there was no offense left, let alone any chance to retaliate.

Tanjiro and the three others watched the overwhelming battle, momentarily forgetting what to do next—or rather, there was no role left for them at all.

Judging by the current situation, this was a complete annihilation.

“T-T-Tanjiro… d-do we… still need to help?” Sanemi Shinazugawa asked.

“I… I don’t know…” Tanjiro replied.

Inosuke wanted to charge into battle, but he now clearly understood that even if he joined, it would do no good—and he might get hit by friendly fire.

For the first time, he understood what it felt like to have strength but nowhere to use it.

Shinobu Genya stared at everyone’s equipment and weapons, then at his own musket, lost in thought.

This wasn’t even the same level—sky versus earth, worlds apart.

High above, the [Phoenix] deactivated its stealth mode, revealing its massive steel frame.

The demons on the ground, seeing the giant red steel bird in the sky, felt an inexplicable dread rise within them.

Inside the [Phoenix]’s control room, Bai Yun sat before the console, fiddling with the screen to locate the exact position of the Sound Hashira within the Infinite Castle.

“Found… you…” After a flurry of activity, he locked onto the Sound Hashira’s location; watching the screen’s feed, Bai Yun’s face broke into a sly smile.

“[Supernova], activate!”

Click! Click!

From beneath the [Phoenix], a massive electromagnetic cannon extended; an invisible particle energy rapidly gathered.

“Fire!”

Shhh!

The cannon fired a beam of blue energy that pierced straight down from a hundred meters above—the demons closest to the beam, unable to withstand its overwhelming power, instantly turned to ash.

Within the Infinite Castle, the Sound Hashira suddenly felt a chilling sense of impending doom; every hair on her body stood on end, as if warning her to flee at once!

Demons have no body heat, yet the Sound Hashira felt a bone-deep cold surge up to the crown of her head—her back instantly soaked in cold sweat.

Without hesitation, she grabbed her triangle ruler and plucked the strings of her lute, trying to teleport away—but it was too late.

The beam, as if guided by eyes, struck her precisely; her entire body was engulfed in the light, and before she could even scream, she vanished into ash.

Until the very moment of her death, the Sound Hashira could not comprehend what had happened—how had human attacks penetrated hundreds of meters underground to strike her?

Boom boom boom!

On the ground, a muffled tremor rolled through, accompanied by spreading cracks; streets shattered, the earth sank continuously, buildings collapsed into ruins.

“What’s happening?!”

“What is going on?! Why does it feel like something is rising from beneath the ground?!”

“Why is the shaking so intense?! Is a stronger demon appearing?!”

As the others stared in shock, a pile of buildings erupted from a nearby fissure.

The Sound Hashira’s death had caused the Infinite Castle to lose control, resulting in this chaos—now, Asakusa in Tokyo could be described only as a wasteland of broken walls and utter ruin.

…………