"Wave Burst."
Phaethon softly uttered those two words.
BZZZZT!!!
An invisible yet immensely powerful ripple of energy surged outward from his palm, expanding in a fan-shaped wave.
It spread outwards like ripples on water, extending toward the mass of cultists charging forward with fanatical devotion.
And in the next instant—
"Thud! Thud! Thud!"
The two hundred or so crazed followers, who had been charging like rabid beasts, suddenly halted.
It was as if an invisible, titanic hand had slammed into them.
They didn't even have time to scream.
Their bodies were hurled backward like ragdolls, limbs flailing lifelessly through the air.
Even before they hit the ground, the light had vanished from their eyes.
The fanaticism and madness in their expressions froze, locked in their final moments.
One by one, they crashed heavily onto the temple grounds, forming a morbid pile of lifeless bodies.
Not a single one moved.
Not a single one breathed.
In an instant, more than two hundred lives were wiped out.
It was as if their very existence had been erased by that invisible shockwave.
"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Behind Phaethon, Miko stared wide-eyed at the scene before her, her brain seemingly short-circuited.
She... she didn't even see what he did!
It felt like Phaethon hadn't even moved—he merely raised his hand and spoke a few words.
And then... and then those two hundred raging cultists...
They... they all just collapsed?! They all died?!
What kind of power... is this?
Miko turned to look at Phaethon, her eyes filled with a mix of awe and fear.
Phaethon seemed to notice her reaction, and he turned his head with a gentle smile.
He reached out and patted her slightly cool forehead, his expression as calm as ever.
"Do not fear, Miko. This is merely one way to wield power.
In time, when you grow stronger and level up, you too will be able to wield abilities like this."
This was Phaethon's guess, based on what he had observed.
Since Kanae had been able to level up and transition into a Sword Sovereign,
it stood to reason that Miko would also have a chance to acquire a powerful class upon leveling up.
"I... I will do my best, Lord Phaethon!"
Phaethon's smile and calm words were like a warm sunbeam, evaporating the chill in Miko's heart.
What was left behind was only shock and a budding hope for the future.
With all obstacles cleared away, Kanae wasted no more time.
She tightened her grip on her Nichirin Blade, which still shimmered with faint embers,
and walked step by step toward Doma's disembodied head.
Doma's head lay on the icy ground, his rainbow-colored eyes glaring at Kanae with venomous hatred.
The usual smugness and amusement were nowhere to be found.
All that remained was malice and desperation.
"Cough... cough..."
He spat out mouthfuls of blood, struggling to force out his final words.
"Y-You... you killed me... you killed the god in my heart...
Lord Muzan... he will avenge me!
You... all of you in the Demon Slayer Corps... you will die!
You will all become Lord Muzan's food! Hahaha..."
Even at death's door, his reverence and belief in Muzan did not waver in the slightest.
Hearing the words "Lord Muzan," "god," and "vengeance,"
Kanae's expression shifted—not with fear, but with utter disdain.
She shook her head, her voice filled with raw conviction and scorn.
"A god? Are you seriously calling Kibutsuji Muzan—a wretched creature who has been hiding and scheming for over a thousand years,
doing nothing but spreading misery and fear—a god?"
Her gaze flickered back to Phaethon, who stood calmly in the temple hall.
Not a trace of effort marked his face, as if annihilating two hundred cultists was as simple as swatting a fly.
Kanae's eyes shone with unyielding faith and admiration.
"You don't understand," she continued, her tone resolute and unyielding.
"You don't know what a true god is."
Her gaze grew even sharper, filled with reverence.
"The one I follow, the one I devote my heart and soul to... that is a true god.
A god who walks this earth, a god whose power transcends all imagination.
Phaethon... is the only real god."
Having spoken her piece, Kanae wasted no more words.
She raised her flaming Nichirin Blade high, the flames flickering more intensely as if in response to her resolve.
With a clean, decisive strike—
"Slash!"
The flaming blade cut through Doma's head, splitting it cleanly in half.
This time, there was no regenerating, no coming back.
The flames of the sword, imbued with divine power, completely burned away the remnants of his cells.
The core of his life force, shattered by the burning steel, left him no path to revival.
His expression froze with shock and disbelief, and the rainbow hues of his eyes faded into lifeless gray.
Then, Doma's dismembered body—along with his severed head—
crumbled to ash under the burning flames.
The ashes scattered across the cold temple floor, swirling briefly before disappearing into the night breeze.
Upper Moon Two, Doma—the monster who had created countless tragedies and had nearly killed Kanae—
was finally vanquished.
As she watched Doma disintegrate, Kanae's tense body finally relaxed.
She slowly sheathed her blade, her eyes lifting to gaze upon the full, cold moon in the sky.
A breath escaped her lips, long and steady.
The weight she had carried for days, the shadows of doubt and despair, seemed to melt away with Doma's demise.
To slay him was not just revenge for their last encounter—
it was proof that fate is not unchangeable.
With the help of her god, Phaethon, she had taken the first critical step
towards shattering the chains of destiny that had once seemed inescapable.
Next would be the hunt for Kibutsuji Muzan, the root of all this suffering.
And after that, she would protect her sister—
she would carve out a path to a future where Shinobu could live in peace.
Beneath the moonlight, her figure, though slight, stood tall and unyielding.
Her back was straight, her eyes alight with a new brilliance—
the fire of hope, of redemption, and of unwavering resolve.