Chapter 261: After the War

In reality, up until now, there hasn't been a need for Li Mo to intervene. The marked swordsmen's coordination was flawless. Everyone was accustomed to dealing with opponents with exceptional swordsmanship.

All thanks to my training.

Li Mo recalled the early days of special training when he had handled them with ease, but as time went on, it became more challenging. And then, the training just... stopped.

When Kokushibo, like the other demons, finally vanished, the black Kasugai Crows began to fly across the city. The war within Infinity City had come to an end.

The black Kasugai Crows traveled throughout the city, spreading good news.

Yes, good news.

Tonight might be the best night since Kibutsuji Muzan's birth during the Heian period.

"Sun Pillar, sir."

"Hmm? You're Goto, right? It's been a while. I didn't expect you to still be alive." Li Mo looked at the member of the Hidden Ones standing beside him. They often covered their faces with masks, leaving only their eyes visible.

This made it difficult to recognize who they were.

"Yes, Sun Pillar, sir. I'm Goto. I've been lucky to survive this long. Um... I have a question for you, sir. Is the fight... really over?"

Goto was a Hidden One member Li Mo had encountered before, more than once. They had interacted quite a bit.

Li Mo paused, sensing the unease in Goto's tone. The Demon Slayer Corps' centuries-long wish had finally been fulfilled.

"It's over. It's truly over."

Yes, it was truly over.

Li Mo personally confirmed it.

Kibutsuji Muzan was permanently dead. Now was the time to celebrate the victory. When the leader's order for all the Hashira to assemble was delivered by the Kasugai Crows, the current Hashira left the battlefield, leaving the overjoyed Hidden Ones to handle the aftermath.

"Senior brother!!!"

Li Mo wasn't moving particularly fast. If he wanted, he could have reached the leader's side in a speed invisible to others. But he chose not to. As a result, Sabito caught up to him with a strange tone in his voice.

He looked resentful.

"Did something happen?" Li Mo glanced at Sabito briefly. He didn't seem to have any major injuries, which showed how effortlessly he had handled the previous battle.

—Hantengu and Gyokko had each moved up a rank, but their strength likely hadn't increased. They were a tier below Kokushibo and Douma.

With Sabito and Giyu Tomioka's mutual understanding, it would have been strange if they had failed.

"Senior brother, do you know what happened? I was just about to catch Hantengu's main body when he suddenly exploded. How do you even count that?"

"Looks like you had to crawl through a lot of tight spaces." Li Mo examined Sabito more closely. Earlier, he had only checked Sabito's health bar, which had been nearly full. Now, looking at him...

He looked disheveled. His haori was covered in dust. Considering Hantengu's main body was tiny, probably the size of a thumb? In any case, it was very small.

Being small meant it could hide in many places. So Sabito must have crawled through some tight spots...

"Senior brother, are you laughing at me?"

"What? Would your senior brother do something like that?"

"During training, you targeted me the most!"

"That was love, the gentle guidance of an elder to a junior, understand?" Li Mo would never admit that during training, he had often targeted Sabito because he found him too cocky.

"Tch." Sabito clicked his tongue, clearly not taking Li Mo's words seriously. He slowed down and went to find Makomo.

Who knows what the little guy and Makomo talked about. Soon, Makomo and Kanae Kocho caught up to Li Mo. He even noticed the others deliberately keeping their distance, choosing to stay away from this group.

What's going on?

Li Mo blinked, and then Makomo and Kanae Kocho arrived.

Kanae Kocho spoke first: "What a shame, Mo-chan. I was just about to cut Douma's neck when he suddenly cried out, 'Lord Muzan!' and then exploded."

"Kanae-san... please don't talk like that, it's scary."

A healer's heart, a healer's heart! Kanae.

In Li Mo's memory, Kanae Kocho was someone who saw demons as beings filled with pain and sorrow. She had gone to great lengths to find a way to turn demons back into humans. But now, why was she regretting not killing Douma?

"Huh? Mo-chan, that expression... are you doubting my resolve to kill demons? That's too much." Kanae Kocho puffed out her cheeks, clearly dissatisfied. She seemed angry that Li Mo didn't believe her.

Li Mo spoke: "No, I just want to know what Upper Moon Two did... Also, what's with the name?"

"Fine. I just think Upper Moon Two, Douma, isn't human."

"?"

When I have a question mark, it's not because I have a problem, but because you do.

"Upper Moon Two was always smiling, but I couldn't see any emotion in his eyes. Compared to a living being, he was more like a delicate doll."

Kanae Kocho had a very poor impression of Douma. In her eyes, the world was colorful, and even demons had their own emotions. But Upper Moon Two's cold eyes proved he was an emotionless existence.

Incompatible personalities. Li Mo roughly understood why. He turned to Makomo, "So, senior sister, what did you want to talk to me about?"

"Stop bullying Sabito."

"Got it, got it." Li Mo's response was perfunctory.

"I know, but I just won't change." Kanae Kocho voiced Li Mo's true feelings nearby.

Makomo spoke: "Also, Kanae just lied. She wasn't actually closing in on Douma. Both of us were just buying time."

There was no need to mention the dangers. If it weren't for the disaster-warding masks Li Mo had prepared, they might have already lost. Douma later realized this and shifted his focus to attacking the masks.

Fortunately, spirits appeared to deliver spare masks.

Li Mo nodded: "I know."

He had sent out his three shikigami early on, and they had participated in the battle against Douma. The Upper Moon didn't know how to deal with spirits like shikigami, and was delayed by the barrier set up by the three shikigami for quite some time.

Kanae Kocho: "Makomo-chan, that's too much."

"Oh. Actually, junior brother already knew, right? You must have some strange connection with your shikigami."

"Who knows?"

Li Mo smiled and responded, then ended the conversation with the two.

Because they had arrived at the leader's location.