Chapter 260: The Last Demon

"Yes, I didn't resist. Why do you think that is? Do you think I'm just that arrogant?"

At this moment, only Li Mo's two tails were visible outside his body. The rest of him was completely engulfed by flesh and blood. To an outsider, this would undoubtedly be a sanity-shattering sight.

The scene of flesh and blood flying everywhere was something most people couldn't handle. And with the charred exterior of the flesh, the horror was taken to another level.

But Li Mo didn't care.

Because he couldn't see it anyway.

Kibutsuji Muzan remained silent. The fact that it had taken on this fetal-like state of flesh and blood proved that it had been pushed to its most desperate moment, forced to resort to such measures for self-preservation. But this final act of self-preservation wasn't for survival—it was for death.

It intended to offer itself to the yokai before it. While being burned by the flames, it realized there was no escape. The flames contained the power of the "sun," and the searing pain felt like the first time Kibutsuji Muzan had been exposed to sunlight. This person was someone it couldn't defeat.

Was this heaven's retribution? Kibutsuji Muzan felt a deep sense of powerlessness. Its beast-like pupils seemed to hold a glimpse of the future.

And so, it chose this path.

Half of its flesh had already merged into its opponent's body. Even if it regretted it now, it was too late. And... it was hard to say whether the other party was deceiving it.

Kibutsuji Muzan didn't respond.

Because the next battle would take place in the mental realm. By then, everything that belonged to the Demon King would be inherited by its opponent.

That was its plan.

But the world rarely follows plans.

—The devouring began.

Before coming to this world, Li Mo had gone through all the information in the manga. Over the past few days in this world, he had integrated all the knowledge he possessed.

Among his contingency plans was one for this exact situation.

Even though its five brains and seven hearts had been destroyed, Kibutsuji Muzan still clung to life like rotting flesh. After a brief respite, it could still counterattack.

Li Mo's Bright Red Blade wasn't as powerful as Yoriichi Tsugikuni's, and the "sun" concept created through magic was merely an imitation. It would take considerable time to deal with Kibutsuji Muzan.

Now, with Kibutsuji Muzan actively trying to assimilate him, it had given him an opportunity.

Assimilation and devouring weren't so different. Moreover, Kibutsuji Muzan was already in a weakened state. The secret techniques of Tamamo-no-Mae activated, and the spiritual foundation began to devour the demon blood Kibutsuji Muzan had injected.

Looking back at this battle, it felt almost farcical. Kibutsuji Muzan had come with great momentum, but its combat awareness didn't match its power. The moment it called out to Kokushibo in its last shred of will, its fear had robbed it of the ability to discern and judge.

"You had a chance to turn the tables. If only you hadn't lost your will to fight."

To be fair, Li Mo's raw power wasn't significantly stronger than Kibutsuji Muzan's. Perhaps it was the fear of the unknown magic, combined with the panic of being unable to split and escape.

But Kibutsuji Muzan couldn't hear these words anymore. Its body had been completely devoured by Li Mo. The existence of the progenitor demon, like the embodiment of all evil, had become nourishment for Li Mo.

As for the disturbances from Kibutsuji Muzan's soul, Li Mo, well-versed in necromancy, chose to silently block them. In truth, he could have extracted Kibutsuji Muzan's soul and tormented it, but it was destined for hell anyway.

—Hell.

This world had a hell, but as of now, there were no gods or Buddhas, not even yokai. Only the rules of life and death continued to operate, as if someone had written a program that ran even without supervision.

The world of Demon Slayer was fascinating.

"Ah, the third tail is growing."

When he felt an itch above his tailbone, Li Mo knew his third tail was about to grow. Demons were fascinating entities, both physiologically and mystically.

But... demons that fed on humans, no matter how valuable for research, couldn't be allowed to exist.

"The ability from the third tail is... regeneration?"

By devouring Kibutsuji Muzan, Li Mo naturally gained some of its power. Just as he had gained abilities from devouring Avenger, though compared to the skills from the second tail, this one seemed lackluster. The regeneration ability from Kibutsuji Muzan was indeed powerful...

Li Mo didn't examine the skill closely. He looked around at the ruins left after the battle with Kibutsuji Muzan. As he expanded his senses, the entire city suddenly fell into an eerie silence.

The swordsmen were probably confused by the sudden end of the battle. Aside from the Hashira, the average swordsman wouldn't know that Kibutsuji Muzan's death would also mean the death of the other demons.

"Huh?"

"You're saying Kokushibo is still alive?"

However, when the Kasugai Crow landed and delivered the news, Li Mo was slightly surprised. Kibutsuji Muzan's death hadn't taken all the demons with it.

—Upper Moon One, Kokushibo, was still alive.

Had it broken free of Kibutsuji Muzan's control? How...? Wait, could it have surpassed its limits?

Li Mo stood up and left the battlefield, following the Kasugai Crow to another fight. Kokushibo's strength wasn't insignificant. Unlike Douma, who relied on his Blood Demon Art, Kokushibo's power came purely from his own abilities.

A formidable physique, honed Breathing Techniques, and masterful swordsmanship.

To be honest, in Li Mo's eyes, Kokushibo was actually more difficult to deal with than Kibutsuji Muzan. The former was a swordsman who had survived countless battles, while the latter relied on overwhelming power to fight.

In other words, in the manga, the former had the potential for explosive growth. The latter did not.

When Li Mo arrived at the battlefield, he saw Kokushibo being surrounded and attacked by a group of people. All the Hashira had survived and were now besieging the Upper Moon One. Facing so many marked swordsmen, even someone as strong as Kokushibo was at a disadvantage.

Kokushibo's defeat seemed imminent.

"It looks like I won't need to intervene... Everyone has become so powerful after unlocking their marks," Li Mo murmured.

Looking around, the Kakushi had already begun cleaning up the battlefield. But everyone kept their distance from this area, waiting for the final battle to conclude.

Li Mo paused, standing still as he observed the situation.

He didn't join the chaotic battle among the Hashira. While stealing the kill might have been satisfying, considering the potential aftermath of being lectured by Sumi and Kanae Kocho, he chose to stay on the sidelines.

He would step in if casualties started to occur.

That's what he decided.