"Why! Li Xing! You are the same as me, a perfect being! Why stand with Ubuyashiki, why not become the ultimate being with me?"
At this moment, Muzan used his persuasive skills on Li Xing, trying to win him over. If the two demon kings joined forces, no one in this world could stop them.
"Don't think too highly of yourself, you are just an incompetent species, not worthy of being compared to me!"
Li Xing never intended to become a demon since he knew this was the world of Kimetsu no Yaiba. If possible, Li Xing would rather go to a peaceful anime world. Since he was already here, he would embark on a journey for the perfect ending in his heart, and for that, Muzan must die!
"You scoundrel! Go to hell!" Sanemi Shinazugawa slashed from behind Muzan, his face contorted with a sinister smile.
"Wind Breathing, Fourth Form: Rising Dust Storm!"
"Serpent Breathing, Fourth Form: Slithering Serpent!"
Obanai Iguro attacked in coordination with Sanemi Shinazugawa, showing no fear towards the monstrous Muzan.
"Brother Li Xing! Thank you for your hard work, let's have a magnificent battle together!" Tengen Uzui instantly appeared beside Li Xing, a natural smile on his face.
Just moments ago, with the help of Tamayo and Yushiro, all the Hashira had woken up. Although not fully recovered, they could at least continue fighting.
"Brother Tengen, you are already quite magnificent," Li Xing was speechless at Tengen Uzui's constant flamboyant nature, still thinking about such things in the midst of battle.
"Of course, I am the god of magnificence and festivals!" Tengen Uzui boastfully brushed his hair.
"Then let's begin! A magnificent battle!"
Tengen Uzui then swung his Nichirin blade towards Li Xing, which Li Xing easily blocked. Tengen Uzui's Nichirin blade quickly turned red.
"You discovered the way to activate the Red Blade so quickly? As expected of the Hashira, none of them are weak," Li Xing silently admired the Hashira in his heart.
"Sound Breathing, Fifth Form: String Tremor!"
After turning his Nichirin blade into a Red Blade, Tengen Uzui joined the fray. Everyone else present understood how to activate the Red Blade and began to do so through repeated sword strikes.
Only Kyojuro Rengoku, through his sheer grip strength, forcefully turned his Nichirin blade into a Red Blade, a testament to the man with a burning flame in his heart.
At this moment, Shinobu Kocho and Mitsuri Kanroji arrived beside Li Xing, and Li Xing smiled at them.
"I'm sorry, Mitsuri, Miss Shinobu, for making you worry."
"No... no, I believed that you, Xing-kun, would definitely not die. Just, please don't leave me behind anymore. I will always be with you, Xing-kun." Mitsuri spoke reassuringly, but the tears streaming down her eyes betrayed her.
Li Xing gently touched Mitsuri's face. "Okay, I won't leave you. I promise."
Shinobu Kocho was relieved to see Li Xing unharmed. She had spotted him when she first arrived on the battlefield but couldn't do anything at the time, and she felt guilty for not saving him sooner.
"Let's fight together!" Li Xing said little else. He knew it was impossible to stop the Hashira from fighting, so they had to fight together.
"Yes."
Following this, Li Xing and the Hashira fought together. The other members of the Demon Slayer Corps had already been taken to a safe distance for treatment by Kanao and Tamayo, leaving only the ten Hashira and Muzan on the battlefield.
"Annoying bugs!" Muzan roared again, evolving the thorns on his body into bone whips that whipped around him at supersonic speeds.
Everyone was instantly sent flying, their freshly healed wounds reopening. The Hashira struggled to stand up.
"How can this be? How can Muzan be so powerful? Can't so many people defeat Muzan?" Gyomei Himejima, the oldest and strongest of the Hashira, was filled with despair. The power of Muzan was worlds apart from that of Upper Rank One.
Seeing that no damage could be inflicted on Muzan, and continuing the fight would only lead to more casualties, Li Xing sighed.
"Sigh! I didn't want to reveal myself, but I have no choice now. I don't have Yoriichi Tsugikuni's strength, so I have to use other means."
Li Xing turned to Shinobu Kocho. "Miss Shinobu. Do you remember what I told you? You have already fulfilled your sister's dream, the wish for humans and demons to coexist peacefully."
Immediately, a powerful demonic aura emanated from Li Xing, the terrifying aura making it difficult for those around him to breathe. His eyes turned the same blue as before in Yoshiwara.
Everyone present was incredulous. A demon had become a Hashira of the Demon Slayer Corps, and they, the Hashira themselves, hadn't even noticed.
Only Tengen Uzui realized that Li Xing at this moment bore a striking resemblance to the demon he had encountered before. Aside from his face, everything else was almost identical. In that instant, he understood why that demon had saved him then.
Mitsuri felt a pang of sadness, but then she thought of Nezuko. This was also approved by the Master. There was no rule that demons must be evil. Xing-kun must be a good demon, and she had promised Xing-kun she would always be with him.
Kanao, in the distance, also witnessed this. Kanao didn't know what to do. Just as she was about to flip a coin to decide, she suddenly remembered everything she had been through with Li Xing. They had promised to watch the cherry blossoms together. She absolutely could not break her promise, nor could she draw her sword against Li Xing.
Suddenly, Kanao started to laugh, softly saying, "Big brother Li Xing, I can make my own decisions now, aren't I amazing!"
Li Xing smiled slightly at Shinobu Kocho, then leaped forward, appearing beside Muzan and thrusting his hand into Muzan's chest.
At that moment, Shinobu Kocho seemed to see the shadow of her sister Kanae. He smiled so gently, without any trace of a demon's nature. He was not a demon, but a human.
Shinobu Kocho covered her mouth with both hands, tears welling up in her eyes. "Sister, have I truly succeeded?"
...
"Li Xing! You've been exposed. The Demon Slayer Corps will not tolerate you. How about becoming the ultimate being with me? It's not too late to make a decision now." Muzan once again resorted to his persuasive tactics, desperately needing a demon to stall the Demon Slayer Corps and buy himself time to get rid of the drugs in his system.
"Stop spewing nonsense. You just need to die. As for my affairs, you don't need to worry about them." With that, Li Xing yanked hard, pulling out one of Muzan's hearts and crushing it casually.
"Stubborn fool, then you shall all die!" Muzan's body rapidly grew larger, and the large mouth on his chest opened, attempting to swallow Li Xing.
In an instant, Muzan could no longer sense Li Xing's presence, as if he had never existed in this world.
"Falling Cherry Blossoms!"
With a flash of black light, Muzan's body was instantly shredded. Everyone present didn't understand what had happened.
"It's nothing. After you pierced my head, I felt I hadn't reached the peak of humanity. Breathing techniques are not the only path, so I decided to abandon breathing, and even the ability to live. I unexpectedly found this path suited me well. I can clearly sense heaven and earth, feel the warmth and cold of this world. I believe this is what it means to have integrated with the Heavenly Dao!"
"You can't sense my presence simply because I have merged with this world. Although it's temporary, it's enough to completely kill you."
Li Xing explained everything to Muzan in his final moments, letting him die with understanding. Muzan's eyes were filled with disbelief. This man was even more terrifying than Yoriichi Tsugikuni of the past. It was truly infuriating.
"I lost. You are the true Demon King. I hope you can inherit my will and become the Demon King in the true sense." In his final moments, Muzan poured all the remaining power within him into Li Xing. As Ubuyashiki had said, only will is eternal.
Sensing a surge of vital energy within him, Li Xing assimilated the blood without a second thought. Li Xing instantly reached his peak state, his blood boiling, as if he had inexhaustible strength.
"The same ending as the original work? Muzan, how boring. I was never afraid of the sun from the beginning. I am just a lover of anime who can copy the Heavenly Dao."