majestic voice

Chapter Twelve: "The Land of the Ten... and a First Glimpse of Hell"

I slowly opened my eyes… the light was dim.

There was no sky above me… just a slanted stone ceiling, carved with intertwined symbols.

I turned my head slowly, my temples throbbing with pain, and a warm heat pulsed in my palm. I was still holding the sword… but it felt heavier than before.

The walls around me were not solid—they moved slowly… collapsing, shifting, and reshaping themselves, as if the castle itself was responding to the sound of music.

A floor made of dark wooden planks, stained with blood that had dried centuries ago. The ceiling, or whatever resembled it, was made of layers of interwoven corridors suspended in the air, walked by distorted souls with no shadows.

Everything was twisted… the place rejected logic and welcomed delirium.

Then I heard it… a single note, a ringing from a biwa instrument.

In an instant, the walls around me flipped, the ground beneath me shifted, and I found myself standing in the heart of a vast, endless hall. Ten stone steps extended before me, and at the top stood the rest of the Upper Moons.

The Upper Moons – The Six Pillars of Hell

From the moment my feet stepped onto the land of the "Infinity Castle," I felt their presence.

Heavy air, a silence that spelled danger, and a crushing pressure that told you just how powerful they were.

Rank One: Kokushibo

Tall, with six complete eyes on his face, all radiating danger. His presence alone was enough to stop the air from moving.

Also, the one who made the Hashira hate their lives.

Rank Two: Doma

A man with a beautiful face and a cold smile, he speaks as if joking… even while killing.

He carries two ornate fans and acts like a cult leader, but his heart is like ice.

I don't know why, but it felt like this body hated him deeply.

I felt a rush of sand into my hand. I couldn't describe the feeling inside me at that moment.

Rank Four: Nakime

She has a very strange ability that even I couldn't understand.

She can change the entire shape of the place with just a single tap.

Rank Five: Gyokko

A demon with a bizarre body emerging from a giant jar.

His face was deformed, and his hands were like those of an aquatic creature.

The moment I got near him, I felt disgusted by this idiot's thoughts—did he really think what he did was art?

Rank Six: Kaigaku

The latest to earn this rank.

He was once a student of one of the great swordsmen, but betrayed them and gave himself to Muzan.

I looked at the Upper Moons with a mix of awe and excitement.

"Oh… damn, all the Upper Moons are in front of me," I muttered silently.

"What's that in your hand?" I heard a mocking voice behind me. As soon as I turned, I found the second moon.

"I asked you—what's that in your hand?"

Doma said in a calm voice, then raised his eyebrow with a tilted smile.

I looked down…

My hands were gripping a long sword stained with burns and blood from my battle with the Serpent Hashira.

I froze.

There shouldn't have been a sword.

The real Akaza… never carries a sword.

He's a fighter who relies solely on his fists, even despising those who use weapons as cowardly tools.

Doma let out a short laugh, its echo ringing in the hall like mockery itself.

"Have you matured at last?"

The moment he said that, I felt something inside me trying to burst out.

It felt like my whole body wanted to let go of the sword… but instead, I tightened my grip.

I must not surrender to a body that's already dead.

"Oh my, Akaza… have you finally grown up and decided to mature?

Or have you… forgotten who you are?" Doma tried to provoke me further, even raising his voice so everyone could hear.

Kokushibo slowly turned, all six of his eyes focusing on the sword I held.

Even Nakime stopped playing for a moment.

I felt my hand tighten around the hilt even more, while inside me, a voice screamed:

"Idiot! This is a demon's body that doesn't use swords! You've exposed yourself!"

I tried to fix the situation, speaking coldly:

"I found it on the battlefield. I just liked its weight… I didn't use it."

But Doma wasn't convinced.

He came closer and whispered:

"Akaza… since when did you care about 'weight' instead of punching?

You know… you're not as entertaining as you used to be."

Then he turned and clapped slowly, with a dramatic tone:

"We must celebrate! The third moon is carrying a sword!

Who knows? Maybe he'll wear a colorful kimono and start playing a musical instrument soon!"

"You know you've gone too far," I said coldly.

It's bad enough to insult someone, but worse to walk away as if nothing happened.

I gripped the sword in my hand and directed a quick strike toward the second Hashira's neck, but…

The sword flew into the air with force before crashing onto the ground.

"Akaza… do you even know what you've done now or not?" I heard a sharp voice before seeing Doma looking at me with cold eyes.

With just five percent of my power… what can I do? Should I try to escape? No…

I doubt I can get out of here.

Even using a sword meant he was going to die, so I assumed it was certain death

On top of that, my body was extremely tired from fighting the Serpent Hashira, so I couldn't even use two percent of my strength.

"Akaza, I've really gotten bored of you…

Do you even realize what you've just done?" Doma advanced toward me coldly.

I looked at the other moons, but none of them moved—they just watched. Even the first Hashira.

Doma continued to approach me… but then, the miracle happened.

"Stop."

The moment we heard that word, even the air in the room stopped moving.

To be continued…