MHGA Chapter 20 – Shinobu’s Poisoned Blood! Let's Start with Two Barrels!!!

"!"

Dōma's severed head, now rolling on the ground, stared wide-eyed in disbelief—he couldn't accept that he had been decapitated under such circumstances by someone who'd been hiding all this time.

That head on the floor still tried desperately to regenerate its body, but having never overcome the weakness of the neck, Dōma's efforts were futile.

He could only feel his very existence slowly disintegrating and turning to dust.

He even saw that the body he had left behind was now collapsing into ash.

"Ahahahaha! It is I, Kazuma-sama—the Gathering Hub's strongest trap hunter!" Kazuma proudly lifted his nose in triumph after claiming the first kill of an Upper Rank demon.

"Damn it! That's the infamous Kazuma the Lucky Bastard for you!"

Kairo Retsu, pulling his arm free from Dōma's disintegrating corpse, muttered in resignation. "You actually managed to steal the final blow…"

Then he glanced at Dōma's fading head and said, "I told you—you'd die in a ridiculous way."

"Dōma… is really dead?"

Shinobu looked at the disintegrating Dōma in disbelief. "He's actually… gone just like that?"

She glanced around.

Her, Kanao, Giyu Tomioka, Inosuke—

And for support, Kairo Retsu and Kazuma Satou. Not a single person had paid the ultimate price… even the injuries they had sustained during the battle had fully healed.

They had defeated Upper Rank Two without a single casualty? Shinobu hadn't even needed to execute her self-sacrifice plan—it had ended just like that?

Not only Shinobu—every member of the Demon Slayer Corps present seemed to share the same thought. Inosuke, still fuming about his mother, stomped over and crushed Dōma's half-disintegrated head underfoot, venting his emotions now that the demon was dead.

On the other side, Kanao clung to Shinobu's sleeve, her teary eyes on the verge of crying.

"Tanjiro's side…"

Giyu Tomioka, still mentally worn from the fierce battle, was eager to rush off in support, though clearly fatigued.

"No rush. Don't underestimate the Joseph duo and Tanjiro."

Kairo stopped Giyu in his tracks and addressed everyone. "Let's take a few minutes to regroup. And… I have something to say to you all."

He first approached Inosuke, who was still crying and stomping Dōma's ashes.

"Inosuke, hold off on crying. We didn't have time to talk during the fight, but about your mother—here."

Kairo handed him a few printed pages from a manga that depicted the story of Inosuke's mother. Inosuke took them and walked off to the side, still crying.

Then Kairo turned formally to Shinobu.

"Now then, Miss Shinobu. Since we've encountered a reliable Hashira—it's time for an official discussion."

His words confused Shinobu.

Wasn't he here with Giyu Tomioka? So he's not a Hashira… Oh, he's the unreliable one.

She glanced at Giyu, whose expression remained unchanged, and then turned back to Kairo. Her expression shifted several times before she finally asked:

"So, Mr. Guildmaster, can you explain exactly what's going on?"

As she spoke, a messenger crow—previously unable to approach due to the battle—flew in.

Before Kairo could reply, the crow delivered the news Shinobu had yet to receive.

"Kaa—Kaa—External reinforcements have entered the Infinity Castle! A tall foreign man, a youth wielding a shield, a boy in a green cloak, and a hunter chief wielding a long staff! Additionally… Kagaya Ubuyashiki—alive!"

The crow's message stunned Shinobu. Joy mixed with surprise filled her heart at the survival of their Master. Her eyes turned once more to Kairo, filled with questions.

"Long story short," Kairo said breezily, shaking his Wiggler Head layered helmet. "Let's speedrun Infinity Castle together."

"I know it might trample over your past struggles and sorrows, but our goal is to ensure as many people survive as possible—and to bring down Muzan."

Kairo said this with conviction. "So…"

In the next two minutes, he explained the conversation he'd had with Kagaya Ubuyashiki and laid out the current situation.

Shinobu, though it felt like a dream, slowly came to accept the reality—especially after confirming that they had defeated Dōma without suffering any losses.

"I understand."

She gave Kairo a respectful nod. "Guildmaster, thank you. With your and your comrades' assistance… I can't even imagine how many more members will survive thanks to you."

Shinobu knew full well: if that restoration ability was applied across the Demon Slayer Corps, then countless members might survive this hellish battle.

"Well then, enough talk."

Kairo smiled brightly beneath his Wiggler Head. "Miss Shinobu, would you mind slitting your wrist?"

"Uhh… huh?"

Shinobu blinked in confusion.

Kanao nervously grabbed Shinobu's hand, her eyes filled with fear as she looked at Kairo in his absurd helmet.

"Hey! You weirdo with the freaky headgear!!"

Inosuke ran over at the sound of the commotion, standing between Shinobu and Kairo. "Why do you want her to slit her wrist?!"

"That's the exact reaction I was hoping for. Those faces right there…"

Kairo grinned as he looked between Kanao and Inosuke. "Yes! That's the power of love and bonds!!"

"HEY!!!!!! Don't say crap that's so misleading!!!"

Kazuma flew in with a kick, launching Kairo from Shinobu's path. "It's for the Wisteria Poisoned Blood, alright!!"

Hearing Kazuma's explanation, Shinobu immediately understood.

"Slitting my wrist to extract a large amount of Wisteria poison… Got it."

"Kanao, pass me my blade."

Without hesitation, Shinobu prepared to cut her wrist.

She already understood—her slender frame left her with limited offensive ability in direct combat. Otherwise, she wouldn't have filled her body with Wisteria poison and planned to sacrifice herself.

Now, it was merely a matter of bleeding. It felt strange to help in this way… but if it helped bring down Muzan—

"How decisive! That's a true Hashira!"

Kairo—recently kicked away by Kazuma—shook his Wiggler Head as he stood up again.

"Well then… before we head out to assist Joseph and Tanjiro!"

"Let's fill up two barrels of poison blood first!!!"