The Boys: Ultimate Multiversal Lifeform

"Um.. Pardon me for asking, but is Mr. Ivan.. human, or a demon?"

Obanai Iguro, who had been lying on a thick tree branch, flipped down in one smooth motion and landed lightly on the ground without making a sound.

"Does it matter?" Ivan suddenly opened his eyes. A series of deep, heavy thuds immediately came from inside his body.

Boom! Boom boom!!

The sound was like war drums, pounding straight into everyone's chest.

"That's the sound of his heartbeat when his blood is rushing so violently it leaks outside his body… unbelievable…"

Gyomei Himejima pressed his palms together, tears streaming down his face as he spoke with awe.

"Interesting. Really interesting." Sanemi Shinazugawa stared at Ivan with a new, almost hungry look in his eyes. "Your breathing is getting heavier. It's pulling the air around you straight into your lungs to feed your heart. Hard to believe you're using Water Breathing. This is way stronger than anything Giyu can pull off."

Giyu Tomioka stayed silent, but his expression grew serious.

As the heartbeat sounds grew louder, his own heart started beating in sync. One wrong move and the entire rhythm would break, ruining his breathing technique completely.

This ability was a direct counter to the Demon Slayer Corps.

The other Hashira noticed the change too. Sanemi's brows furrowed in discomfort.

"Heart resonance… your ability is quite special. But please, stop it now."

Because he was blind, Gyomei's hearing was extremely sharp, so the effect hit him the hardest.

At one point he even heard seven slightly different heartbeats coming from inside Ivan. Just as he was about to focus and count them, the sounds cut off abruptly.

Right then, two clear voices rang out.

"The Master has arrived."x2

A figure in a white haori slowly stepped out from the dimly lit room. Once he fully emerged, Ivan could finally see his face clearly.

Pale purple scars covered the upper half of his face. His light purple eyes were slightly clouded, almost matching Gyomei's blindness.

The moment he appeared, every Hashira immediately dropped to one knee and bowed their heads. Even the usually arrogant Sanemi showed proper respect.

"It makes me happy to see all of you, my beloved swordsmen." Kagaya Ubuyashiki's voice was calm and gentle, carrying a warmth that instantly lifted the mood.

"The weather is lovely today. And not a single familiar face is missing."

He glanced up at the clear blue sky and smiled.

"Seeing the Master in good health is always a relief," Kyojuro Rengoku said loudly, his voice full of energy.

"Thank you for your concern. You must be the Ivan that Master Urokodaki mentioned in his letter. It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Ivan." Kagaya turned his gaze toward Ivan. Those pale purple eyes made it hard to tell if he could actually see.

"I am the 79th head of the Demon Slayer Corps, Kagaya Ubuyashiki. You can just call me Kagaya."

Kagaya smiled and gave Ivan a small nod.

"Good morning, Kagaya," Ivan replied.

"Let me introduce our two honored guests today — Mr. Ivan and Lady Tamayo. Although they haven't joined the Corps, they share the same goal as us. I'm sure you've already heard about Mr. Ivan's strength…"

Suddenly, urgent footsteps came running from outside the courtyard.

"Report! Master, urgent news from Tokyo!"

"Report! Master, urgent news from Osaka!"

"Report…"

As more and more messengers arrived, a heavy, ominous feeling quickly spread through the entire courtyard.

"One at a time. No need to rush." Kagaya Ubuyashiki wasn't annoyed by the interruption. His calm voice helped ease the panic on the messengers' faces.

A report came from the Tokyo branch: demons have been spreading blood all over the city. One hundred and seventy-six people are already dead, and twenty-three have turned into demons.

"Is Muzan completely insane?" Sanemi Shinazugawa snarled, his face twisting in rage.

"It's not Muzan Kibutsuji. According to the survivors, the demon spreading the blood came out of a colorful vase. It had the kanji for Upper Rank Five carved in its eye."

"Gyokko," Obanai Iguro muttered.

"The situation in Osaka is similar to Tokyo, but the casualties are far worse. The local government is treating it as an official plague outbreak and has sent soldiers to exterminate the demons, but it's barely making a dent. The demons that appeared there wield dual sickles and have Upper Rank Six carved in their eyes."

Before long, reports confirmed that nearly every Upper Rank — except Upper Rank Four and the Lower Ranks that had already been killed — had shown up.

The Lower Ranks weren't spreading blood or creating new demons. Their only purpose seemed to be causing chaos and panic.

"Oh, and one more thing, Master. Before disappearing, a six-eyed demon carved the words 'blue spider lily' on the wall of a house. When the government found out, they sent people to question us. They want to know what the blue spider lily is, why it's driving the demons into a frenzy, and they're demanding we return it to the demons as soon as possible."

The moment the messenger finished speaking, Sanemi Shinazugawa exploded. He yanked out his light-green Nichirin Blade, veins bulging on the hand gripping the hilt. The scars on his face looked even more vicious.

"That fucking Muzan! Is he threatening the Demon Slayer Corps now?!"

"I'm going to cut his goddamn head off and make him pay for every single death!"

"Calm down, Sanemi."

Gyomei Himejima rolled his prayer beads between his fingers, tears streaming down his face as he quietly recited sutras for the dead. The tears kept falling from his chin onto the ground.

"Calm down? How the hell am I supposed to calm down?! Muzan has completely lost his mind. Who knows how many more people he's planning to drag down with him?!" Sanemi's eyes were bloodshot. He looked ready to charge out right now and slaughter every demon in sight.

"For now, we should focus on how to handle this situation," Kagaya said. Even he, who could normally see the future, hadn't predicted things would spiral this far out of control. Ivan's sudden appearance had completely thrown off his foresight.

"Handle it how? By handing over the blue spider lily? Master, if Muzan gets his hands on it, he'll become even harder to kill."

"Besides, we don't even know where the damn thing is. How are we supposed to give it to him?"

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Read 12 Advance Chapters—P@t- Captain69