In the flickering maze of the Infinity Castle, Douma reclined on a throne sculpted from ice and bones, his laughter echoing through the ever-shifting corridors.
"Haha…! Just as I thought. That Lower Moon was nothing more than bait," he said, twirling a lotus-shaped ice crystal between his fingers. "Now I've seen how fast little Nezuko heals, how fiercely she fights… and more importantly—how protective Sanemi is."
He grinned like a serpent. "I do love watching people struggle in vain."
Not far from his lair, within the deeper, stiller halls of the castle, Muzan Kibutsuji stood in an ethereal silence, his back turned to the void. His presence pulsed like the heartbeat of death.
Kokushibo stood before him, head lowered in stoic obedience.
"Nezuko... is growing stronger. And now Shinazugawa dares to defend her," Muzan's voice trembled with disgust. "Too many of my plans have been disturbed."
From the shadows, Nakime plucked a string on her biwa, a soft tone echoing through the darkness. "Shinobu Kocho is currently in the Higanbana Forest, alone… She was last seen collecting wisteria for antidotes."
Muzan turned toward Kokushibo, his eyes burning red with cold fury. "End her. She is a threat not because of her sword, but because of her mind. I want no trace of her remaining."
Kokushibo raised his head slightly. "Understood."
Without another word, he vanished—leaving behind only the flicker of his six-eyed gaze and the cold tension of impending death.
**
In the Higanbana Forest, a serene wind danced through the crimson spider lilies. Shinobu Kocho knelt by a tree, carefully extracting a rare herb. Her expression was calm, her eyes light and warm, though the world around her had grown eerily still.
Then… the temperature dropped.
The birds ceased singing.
She slowly rose, her grip tightening on her sword, and looked toward the darkening trees.
From the gloom, Kokushibo emerged—his towering figure wrapped in his moon-patterned kimono, his blade already half unsheathed.
The forest trembled in silence.
Shinobu whispered to herself, "So… you came personally, Upper Moon One."
And Kokushibo responded, "You will die here, Insect Hashira."
The duel of night and venom was about to begin.