Treacherous Hearts, So-Called Teammates

In the deathly silence, Himejima Gyomei was the first to move. The strongest man of the current Demon Slayer Corps was completely blind, yet he could still sense that terrifying aura.

"Muzan escaped?"

Facing Bai Cangshu, he spoke.

Bai Cangshu turned around, his gaze sweeping over the Reincarnators like blades. Their reactions varied.

Elizabeth’s face was pale, while Liu Qi and the Professor remained remarkably composed.

"Yes, Muzan escaped. One of us betrayed us and sided with Kibutsuji Muzan."

As Bai Cangshu spoke, Elizabeth’s lips moved twice, but in the end, she said nothing in rebuttal.

She was not stupid. From Vincent’s previously mysterious movements to the sudden attack by "Mercenary Tao" tonight, it was obvious that he was not the honest, simple-minded defender she had imagined him to be.

And now she realized that, as a Reincarnator from the same batch as her, perhaps even one who had undergone more missions than she had, Vincent had relied on firearms in battle ever since displaying a Constitution above 10.

He had never demonstrated any particular specialization or ability.

Even she had a powerful trump card. How could a Reincarnator who had survived alone possibly have no special abilities at all?

Not to mention that trial missions were the worlds where one could most easily obtain their first ability.

Liu Qi and the Professor both possessed unique sensory abilities. They had immediately realized that if Bai Cangshu truly wanted to kill them over the exposure of his identity as a Special Reincarnator, he would never have used such a spectacular ability.

So… Vincent had a problem!

Himejima Gyomei frowned. Kocho Kanae, however, was the first to step beside Bai Cangshu. At that moment, the demon fox dissipated in the wind like a dream, as though it had never existed.

Only the enormous crater in the ground and the row of completely collapsed houses bore witness to the tragedy that had just occurred.

"Mr. Mercenary Tao, your injuries from the earlier battle have not yet healed. How could you fight Muzan alone?"

Kocho Kanae was kind-hearted, radiating an innocent air of wanting to save everyone.

Bai Cangshu put away the Demon Source Blood and delivered the worst news to everyone.

"Not only did Muzan escape, he will most likely obtain the Blue Spider Lily from Vincent and overcome his final weakness—sunlight."

"Therefore… give up, Demon Slayer Corps."

Bai Cangshu’s expression was cold, but Kocho Kanae’s entire body shook. Even Himejima Gyomei froze mid-step as he came forward.

The Professor’s expression changed. He understood the implications hidden within that news.

Kibutsuji Muzan would likely become an Ultimate Lifeform in some sense. With only a few Paper-grade Reincarnators, it would be almost impossible to kill such a Kibutsuji Muzan.

Therefore, the Reincarnators had to raise the Main Mission completion rate as quickly as possible, then settle the mission and leave.

After his expression shifted several times, the Professor immediately turned and left. He needed to find those Shrine Masters and clan heads, have the major families declare their cooperation with the Ubuyashiki Family, and curb the Man-eating Demon scourge in Japan from the upper levels.

That would raise the completion rate.

Himejima Gyomei, Kocho Kanae, and the others were still reeling from the shock.

Their belief had always been to kill Kibutsuji Muzan and thereby eliminate all demons.

But today, this powerful Martial Artist, who had personally killed multiple Upper Rank Demon Moons, was telling them that Kibutsuji Muzan could no longer be killed. How could they accept that?

Bai Cangshu walked toward the Reincarnators. Liu Qi pressed a hand to his sword, his expression wary.

Liu Qi was a rather "classical" Reincarnator. In other words, he was the type who valued loyalty and righteousness, who placed the team above personal gain.

He believed that after a series of battles, the team had built a certain level of trust with Elizabeth and the Professor. He would not stand by and watch Bai Cangshu kill them.

"Elizabeth, I want Vincent’s information. All of it."

Bai Cangshu stopped before the green-haired woman, who stood nearly 1.8 meters tall. The distance between them had become extremely dangerous. Elizabeth could even feel Mercenary Tao’s blood-scented breath.

This guy was like a genuine beast.

And at this moment, there was no doubt that Vincent had angered that beast in some way.

Elizabeth frowned and retreated two steps. She raised her right hand, her gaze turning dangerous.

"Mercenary Tao, you should know that Vincent and I are teammates in a fixed team."

She forced down her anger. Even if Vincent had acted out of self-interest during this mission, being asked to hand over his private information still felt humiliating to Elizabeth.

Liu Qi felt the same. He stood shoulder to shoulder with Elizabeth, and his grip on the katana had unconsciously shifted. In the real world, he had practiced the Xinyou Blade Technique since childhood. When he entered the space, he already possessed Lv. 4 Swordsmanship Specialization.

Among Japan’s various martial arts schools, swordsmanship had long been said to be "three ranks above," or even "three times the rank." It meant that a first-rank swordsman possessed combat power equivalent to someone three ranks, or even three times as high, in schools such as karate.

In close combat, Liu Qi absolutely possessed extraordinary killing power.

The corners of Bai Cangshu’s mouth curled upward. Watching their reactions, he revealed a teasing smile. He tilted his head slightly and leaned toward Elizabeth’s chest.

This gesture was neither meant to take liberties with her nor to humiliate her.

"People always like to deceive others in order to convince themselves."

"Elizabeth, you suspect Vincent too, don’t you? Your heartbeat, your breathing, your pulse… they’re all saying so."

Bai Cangshu raised his head and watched Elizabeth’s expression and gaze change continuously, seeing through her thoughts at a glance.

At that moment, his breathing through his nose and mouth was quite rapid. Kokushibo’s battle had long shown him just what the realm known as the Transparent World could accomplish.

Step by step, Bai Cangshu forced Elizabeth’s deepest thoughts to the surface.

In Bai Cangshu’s eyes, Vincent was obviously someone who thought himself clever. Though Bai Cangshu did not know how Vincent had learned of his plan, he had never hidden it in the first place.

When the Professor saw the Blue Spider Lily, he had immediately understood as well. Liu Qi and Elizabeth had also received Bai Cangshu’s warning, but they had retained their basic rationality and did not believe they could make a deal with a vile demon as utterly without principles as Muzan.

Only Vincent, that seemingly honest and dutiful fellow, was dreaming an unrealistic dream.

And besides…

Bai Cangshu’s gaze turned amused. Elizabeth had not even shared the information about the Blue Spider Lily with him. Their team was not as solid as it appeared.

Liu Qi turned his head. He could not believe that the two people who always seemed to fight side by side, who had even formed a fixed team, could harbor misgivings toward one another.

It made Liu Qi hesitate about the team combat he had once admired.

Bai Cangshu glanced at the man wearing the tattered conical hat. His thoughts were truly that simple.

Tch. For someone like him to survive until now, he probably really did have some serious skills.

Scenes of things Vincent had done in the past that had made Elizabeth suspicious flashed through her mind, ultimately converging on the notification from the space just now.

Doppelganger. It was an ability she had never known about. Vincent had actually hidden such an ability…

Once the seed of suspicion appeared, "evidence" came flooding into her mind.

Elizabeth sagged somewhat, and even her tall figure slumped.

"I only know his number, and that his previous codename was Lu Ziyang. I’m not sure whether that was his real name. He may be from northern East Xia. Sometimes he has certain verbal habits. In the space, he…"

"I really don’t know anything else about him."

Liu Qi slowly loosened his grip on his sword. Elizabeth appeared flustered, but she laid out Vincent’s information clearly and in full detail.

Bai Cangshu nodded, memorizing every piece of information Elizabeth had provided.

Vincent, I hope you use every bit of that cleverness of yours to find a way to escape Muzan’s hands. Take my formula with you, then… wait well for me before I kill you.

Vincent’s eyes trembled, but he discovered that he could not control his body at all.

The next moment, a voice rang out.

"Insect, your parasitic ability is quite interesting, but it seems completely incapable of hindering the host’s ability to move."

Kibutsuji Muzan sat in a carriage while Hantengu drove beneath the moonlight.

Kibutsuji Muzan had once again taken on that female form, and his scarlet eyes were filled with amusement.

He looked at the blond head protruding from his shoulder, wondering how he should torment the other man to obtain that Blue Spider Lily.

Right, he would first turn him into one of his demons…