Chapter 43: What Do You Take Life For?

[Giant Dark Alloy Combat Mecha] is about to appear; if you don’t know how to draw it, use Gundam as a model—if you don’t like it, I’ll redraw it later.

Zero, fallen inside the Infinite City, looked around at the labyrinthine, upside-down houses, filled with confusion.

It was his first time seeing such a strange domain; he activated [Analytical Glasses] to scan the area.

[Scan Initiated]

[Scanning… Scan Successful]

[Location: Infinite City]

[Kibutsuji Muzan’s Stronghold]

[Note 1: Target too large—cannot scan all data. Move your position to collect complete data!]

[Note 2: The Infinite City can relocate to any position or teleport targets anywhere—precise positioning is impossible!]

“So this is the Infinite City—Muzan’s den… No wonder the Demon Slayer Corps never found it all these years… Heh…”

Just as Zero was sighing, Kibutsuji Muzan’s voice came from behind.

“Finally, we meet again, White-Haired Demon Hunter! This time, I wonder where you’ll run to?!”

“Indeed, it’s been a long time, Kibutsuji Muzan! Seems you still haven’t learned your lesson!”

He turned, his gaze locking onto Muzan atop the platform, eyes brimming with mockery.

Even so, Zero’s eyes fixed on another female demon beside him—he could clearly sense this demon was no ordinary one.

Her skin was gray-white; long black hair covered her eyes, leaving only the lower half of her face visible.

Seeing this look, Muzan recalled events from a year ago, and his anger flared again.

But remembering that Zero’s fate now lay in his hands, he suppressed the rage and sneered: “Heh, you’re just blowing smoke. Soon, you’ll become a demon under my control.”

“Heh… Hahaha… Muzan, I’m curious—what gave you the courage to say that to me?”

While speaking to Muzan, Zero used [Analytical Glasses] to scan and quickly review the female demon’s data.

[Scanning… Scan Successful]

[Name: Mukuro]

[Identity: Biwa Player, City Demon]

[Superior: Kibutsuji Muzan]

[Blood Demon Art: Structural Alteration, Teleportation, Eye Clone]

[Note: As Muzan’s personal attendant, Mukuro frequently resides within the Infinite City, aiding him. She can alter the city’s spatial layout and teleport objects within it using her Blood Demon Art.]

With this information, Zero understood—it was Mukuro who played the koto that saved Douma the first time he tried to kill him.

It was this woman manipulating space.

And the time Muzan escaped from Cloud Snow Mountain—that was her too.

Realizing the truth confirmed his earlier suspicion, the corners of his mouth curled slightly: “Heh… Interesting little brat…”

Seeing Zero remain unmoved after all that talk, Muzan felt utterly disrespected—his unnamed rage surged again.

“Mukuro!!”

Ting!

Mukuro plucked her biwa—five Upper Moon demons instantly appeared from every corner.

Upper Moon Two, Three, Four, Six—all gathered here within the Infinite City, including Upper Moon One, who had just fought Zero.

They materialized nearby, forming a tight circle, their gazes fixed on Zero below the platform, radiating overwhelming pressure.

Such a lineup would crush even all the Demon Slayer Corps’ Hashira standing together.

Yet to Zero, it seemed utterly ordinary.

He had fought for thousands of years—beasts he faced had exerted far greater pressure.

Besides, these were merely slightly older children.

Still, Zero’s battle instincts warned him: no complacency allowed!

One demon, upon seeing Zero, grinned with disbelief and blazing combat intent.

He was Upper Moon Three—Akaza.

In his eyes, Zero’s crimson battle aura had solidified into a thick, tangible force.

He sensed this aura had been forged in countless battles; only someone who had endured extraordinary warfare could manifest such overwhelming power.

“A strong one! Hahahaha… Amazing! Truly amazing! A powerful warrior—I must turn him into a demon so we can fight forever!” Akaza spoke loudly enough for all to hear.

Zero scanned the surroundings, using [Analytical Glasses] to record every demon present.

Analysis would take time—he had to stall while rapidly processing data, formulating a counterstrategy.

If all else failed… he’d fight. Survival or death—now it was up to fate.

Besides, his [Nanospace] still held one unplayed card.

[Analyzing…]

[Estimated Time: 15 Minutes]

“Fifteen minutes… Must proceed cautiously—drag it out as long as possible…” Zero thought.

He looked at Muzan, a sly smirk on his lips: “Kibutsuji Muzan… you’re truly a pitiful worm… hehehe…”

“What did you say?! Say it again if you dare!” Muzan felt his rage boiling over—he wanted nothing more than to kill this hunter.

“Heh, what’s there to fear? A pitiful worm, calling himself the perfect ultimate being—how laughable, you little brat!”

“Ultimate being? Hah—yourself, a mere child who’s lived a thousand years? Do you dare call yourself ultimate? If you are, then I, who’ve lived two thousand five hundred years—what am I? A god? Or your ancestor?”

Every demon present was stunned.

Especially Kokushibo—his mind was violently shaken.

“Can humans really live that long?” This was his only thought.

If humans could live so long… then perhaps he wouldn’t have…

A scene from centuries ago flashed in his mind—the moment he met his younger brother…

He shook his head, crushing those thoughts as impossible—yet his intuition whispered: it was true.

“Stop spouting nonsense! Humans can’t live that long! Even if they could, only demons could!” Muzan snapped back.

Yet deep inside, he secretly hoped—if humans could live so long, might he too one day achieve such longevity?

“Heh… Whether you believe or not is your business—none of mine.”

“Kibutsuji Muzan, I’ll ask you this: what do you consider life to be?”

Boom!

The moment he spoke, every demon’s mind exploded.

Their bodies trembled slightly; a hazy figure surfaced in their memories—resembling Kokushibo.

Without waiting for their thoughts, Zero continued: “You call yourself ultimate, yet your actions disgust me!”

“How many families have you shattered by turning humans into demons? You not only refuse to repent—you revel in it!”

“Life is already hard enough for humans—you disregard their lives, toy with them, feast on their flesh and blood—do you find this funny?!”

“You don’t understand how fragile life is—birth, aging, sickness, death—just surviving is hard enough. Yet you order your subordinates to create disasters and destroy lives!”

“Every demon was once human—have you forgotten you were human too?! Why does a trash like you still walk this world?!”

“Kibutsuji Muzan, I ask you again: what do you consider life to be?!”

Each of Zero’s words struck their nerves—each one forced them to see a terrifying figure in their minds, speaking the same words.

“Enough! Shut up, you damned hunter! Stop talking!” Muzan roared, unable to bear the torment.

“Hehehe… Hahaha… Kibutsuji Muzan!!”

“What’s funny?”

“What’s amusing?”

“Why don’t you understand?”

“Why do you forget?”

“What do you consider life to be?!”

Each word struck like a hammer on their hearts—fear etched into their DNA, surging forth again.

Muzan, beyond his patience, waved his hand: “Kill him!!”

Instantly, all Upper Moon demons attacked—activating Blood Demon Arts or techniques toward Zero.

Technique Unleashed. Destruction Art. Luo Zhen!

Akaza activated his technique first—a twelve-pointed snowflake pattern bloomed beneath his feet.

His body vanished—rushing straight at Zero.

“Perfect timing—try this!”

Shhh! Shhh! Shhh!…

Boom! Boom! Boom!…

Unseen, Zero pulled out his [Dark Alloy Missile Launcher] and fired ten small missiles—beginning a relentless bombardment.

He was grateful he’d stocked these weapons with [Energy Crystals] during equipment prep.

Never expected they’d be useful again.

Muzan had already witnessed this weapon’s power—he dodged sideways instantly, barely avoiding another explosion.

Kokushibo, in his Transparent World state, tracked the missile trajectories and slashed downward with his blade.

But his weapon shattered—he was blown apart at the torso, the burned wounds slowing his regeneration.

Meanwhile, Akaza, moving too fast to react, punched a missile head-on—half his body vaporized, his regeneration also suppressed by the burns.

Then, Douma used Blood Demon Art to create five crystal offspring that blocked the missiles, sparing him from the explosion!

As for Upper Rank Four, he appeared no larger than a palm, hiding in a corner; though not directly hit by the blast, he was struck by the shockwave and suffered minor injuries.

But because of this, he summoned four clones, each tongue inscribed with one of the four characters: Joy, Anger, Sorrow, and Pleasure, their eyes also bearing the mark “Upper Rank Four.”

As for Upper Rank Six, there were two—a man and a woman—who seemed to be siblings.

The woman looked unintelligent; she directly wrapped her belt around a missile, and the outcome was predictable…

She blew herself apart, leaving only her two legs.

The brother demon, unable to dodge in time, crossed the blood sickles on his arms to block the blast—his fate was the same as the other demons.

Blood Demon Art: Frosty White Maiden!

Douma summoned two giant ice lotuses shaped like maidens, exhaling freezing breath for wide-area attacks, mixed with countless shards of ice.

He intended to trap Zero’s movements; once the ice shards touched skin, his mobility would be restricted.

“Douma, you’re still too green!”

“!!!”

Zero had somehow retracted the launcher into his [Nanospace] and appeared behind Douma, his mechanical left hand grabbing his hair and slamming his head into the ground—his skull shattered on impact!

Blood Demon Art: Gale!

The Pleasure Demon held a fan and, as Zero attacked Douma, swung it hard to generate a powerful wind.

Yet Zero’s form flickered, evading the attack once more.

Everything the gale passed through was obliterated; Douma himself was blown flying into another corner.

“You’re nothing special!”

He snatched the fan from the Pleasure Demon’s hand, and a streak of crimson cold light flashed—the Pleasure Demon’s head severed from his body.

Then, Zero swung the fan repeatedly behind him, blasting the Sorrow Demon and Anger Demon away; they crashed through several wooden walls before stopping.

Next, he turned the fan toward the stage where Kibutsuji Muzan and Mukago stood and swung again.

But Mukago merely plucked her shamisen strings; as the gale surged toward them, she teleported herself and Kibutsuji Muzan to another stage.

Boom!

The previous stage was instantly shredded into splinters by the gale.

Moon Breathing: Sixth Form: Lone Moon of Endless Night: Infinite!

A rapid, chaotic barrage of slashes surged toward Zero, each slash accompanied by numerous small crescent blades.

It turned out that while Zero had been held off by the other Upper Rank demons, he had already regenerated—hence this attack.

But Zero did not panic; he continued swinging the fan rapidly, generating more gales that clashed with Mukuro’s blade energy.

Though most of the blade energy was neutralized, the fan itself was damaged by the residual strikes.

Kibutsuji Muzan, standing on the stage, gritted his teeth.

He never imagined that gathering five Upper Rank demons would be insufficient to easily capture this white-haired demon slayer.

Yet now, he hadn’t captured him at all—he was locked in a stalemate, merely falling slightly behind!

Though it began because of that strange weapon of his, this alone proved how terrifying this man was!

Blood Demon Art: Thunder Kill!

The Anger Demon, blown away earlier, returned with the help of the Joy Demon and used his staff to summon dense lightning that surrounded Zero.

Lightning struck Zero relentlessly, yet he made no sound.

When the lightning ceased, a trickle of blood dripped from Zero’s lips—he had been wounded.

This was his first injury since arriving in this other world.

“Heh… hahaha… This is interesting. So interesting! Hahaha!!”

Kibutsuji Muzan on the stage didn’t understand: Zero was clearly at his limit—why was he still laughing uncontrollably?

Only Zero knew why.

Over the years, slaying demons had always been too easy.

Though overly cautious, he had gathered plenty of intelligence—but it had also led him into this very situation.

Now, Zero understood one thing: beyond intelligence, what he needed most was a real battle!

A true battle from this other world!

Not like the childish squabbles he’d had years ago with Yugiri.

He wiped the blood from his lips and said: “Then, I’ll play with you properly.”

“Dark Alloy Armor: Arm!”

………