Crossover: The Problematic Human of Arcadia — Shaper of Anime Worlds Chapter 99: Capturing Kibutsuji Muzan

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Night slowly fell.

On a secluded path leading toward Mount Fuji, a boy lay flat on the ground, his nose twitching like crazy.

Tanjiro Kamado was sniffing the earth like a bloodhound.

Kibutsuji Muzan, the one they spotted, had fled here at top speed.

Within monts, the Demon Slayer Corps had completely lost his trail.

Just as frustration and despair set in, a thread of hope appeared—brought by Tanjiro, who had arrived with Ryo.

"Giyu-san, the scent leads this way!" Tanjiro called out.

"You sure about that?" Giyu Tomioka asked, his tone cautious.

At the mont, only three people were tracking Muzan along this path—Ryo, Tanjiro Kamado, and Giyu Tomioka.

Kyojuro Rengoku and Gyoi Hijima had taken a larger squad and headed in another direction where Muzan might've fled, spreading out to cover the widest area possible.

...

Holding up a torn scrap of cloth, Tanjiro explained, "The scent on the ground matches this piece exactly."

"Perfect," Giyu muttered, allowing a small smile to appear.

He believed the cloth had co from a comrade who'd risked their life fighting Muzan.

But in truth…

The scrap in Tanjiro's hand wasn't from that fight at all. It was sothing Naki had retrieved in the Infinity Castle—clothing Muzan had actually worn.

Ryo had quietly carried it while they were traveling.

And with the Kamado family's legendary sense of sll, the scent on that cloth stood out to Tanjiro like a firefly in the dark.

As long as it hadn't been more than a few months, he could track Muzan's scent with precision.

With the trail confird, Giyu turned to Ryo and bowed slightly. "Lord Yagami."

Ryo glanced at the dense forest ahead. His spiritual sense picked up on it—Muzan's aura was definitely hiding in there.

"My own tracking confirms it—Kibutsuji Muzan is in that forest. And it seems he's been holed up there for a while," Ryo said, slightly surprised.

Wait... Had Muzan already been hiding there when he contacted Naki?

Seriously? Muzan had been playing it this safe?

Ryo raised an eyebrow. He hadn't thought Muzan would be such a coward.

At that mont, Giyu summoned a crow and tied a coded ssage to its leg. With a flap of wings, it was off.

Less than an hour later, Kyojuro and Gyoi arrived, both injured but battle-ready.

As the leader, Ryo gave them all a stern look before speaking. "Before we begin our search, I want to remind everyone—"

His voice grew heavier as he scanned the group.

"Muzan can change his appearance. Completely. If you see soone unfamiliar—or even soone you know—stay alert. It could be him or her in disguise."

"Amitabha," Gyoi said solemnly, hands clasped in prayer. "Are you saying... Muzan can even change the gender?"

Ryo nodded. "Exactly."

Right then, Giyu muttered quietly, "A... transgender?"

"Huh? What's a transgender?" Tanjiro asked, confused.

The young boy looked adorably puzzled at the unfamiliar word.

Kyojuro chid in cheerfully, "Well, a transgender is basically—"

"Kyojuro, don't corrupt the child with this evil," Gyoi cut in calmly.

Kyojuro instantly went quiet.

Ryo, watching Tanjiro's innocent curiosity, tossed him a Nichirin Blade.

"Tanjiro, take this. Stick to your family's breathing technique. We'll protect you, but you need to be able to defend yourself too."

Tanjiro quickly caught the blade and nodded earnestly.

Ryo then turned to the group. "Let's begin the search."

"Yes, sir!!"

— — —

Deep inside the forest, in a dark cave—

Muzan was still asleep when a strange, uneasy feeling jolted through his body.

In the distance, he could hear... shovels?

"..."

Then faint voices echoed.

"Below here, Tanjiro?" a cheerful voice asked.

"Yes, Kyojuro-san," a boy whispered back.

"Keep it down. We can't afford to be discovered," ca a cold, calm reply.

Then a steady voice followed: "Alright, let's move carefully. Dig it up—but be gentle."

Dig it up?

Muzan's eyes snapped open. What were they talking about? Treasure buried in this cave?

But before he could react—

SCHINK!

A shovel ramd straight into his mouth.

"Damn it! They're here for !"

Muzan gagged on dirt and the foul taste of beast droppings. Disgust turned to fury.

In that instant, four blinding beams of light hit him square in the face.

He blinked rapidly, and through the glare, saw four figures shining flashlights directly at him.

Then—Swish~

Swords slashed across his body, blood spraying everywhere. His neck took a brutal hit, almost as if soone had smashed a ping-pong ball into it.

"Damn it! My body hasn't fully recovered from hibernation yet—damn it all!!"

Muzan exploded with rage, his body unleashing a shockwave that blasted dirt and people back several ters.

He leapt from the crater, eyes still red from the light, scanning the area.

That's when he saw Ryo, standing calmly at the cave's mouth.

Ryo didn't move. He didn't raise a weapon.

He just smiled. "...Thanks for waiting ."

What the hell?

Muzan blinked in confusion.

In that one instant of hesitation, the other four were already back on their feet.

"Die, Muzan!!" Kyojuro roared, charging forward with his blade.

The air heated up with the power of the Sun Breathing style, scorching Muzan's back.

The sensation—

It was just like him. That man: Yoriichi Tsugikuni.

But... this wasn't the sa. Not even close.

Muzan sneered. "Weak. Pathetic."

He raised his arm, ready to strike them down like the bugs they were.

But—his body wouldn't move.

It felt like a mountain had fallen on top of him. So invisible force was weighing him down, crushing him completely.

And just then, sothing even stranger happened.

Tanjiro, who tried to keep a distance away from the fight, stepped forward.

Yup, Forward.

He hadn't ant to. He was trying to stay out of the way—but his feet carried him toward Muzan, almost involuntarily.

Muzan locked eyes with Tanjiro.

And then he saw it.

The earrings.

The sa earrings.

Yoriichi's earrings.

His heart stopped.

No. No. No. Nonononono...

Not now. Not here.

A man with those earrings showing up now? Was this his ghost co for ?!

While his mind reeled in panic, three swords plunged into his body, injecting him with a massive dose of Wisteria poison and powerful sedatives made by Ryo.

As his consciousness began to fade, Muzan heard distant voices, muffled and far away.

"Lord Yagami, Muzan has been successfully captured."

"Good job."

"We'll execute him tomorrow—publicly."

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