"That's right."
Asuramaru gave a faint nod, his crimson eyes calm as he acknowledged Kagaya's conclusion.
But before the plan could move any further, Tanjiro suddenly rose to his feet.
"No."
His voice was firm.
Sanemi's eyes narrowed.
Tanjiro clenched his hands at his sides, his expression filled with anguish, but his stance did not waver.
"If we do that, innocent mbers of the Corps may die because of . I can't accept that."
The room fell quiet.
His concern was not childish. It was not aningless compassion thrown around without thought. If the Demon Slayer Corps created false trails using its own swordsn, then those swordsn might beco targets. Muzan might send demons after them. Upper Ranks might appear.
People could die.
Because of him.
That was sothing Tanjiro could not bear.
Sanemi, however, was not the kind of man who would indulge sentint in a war room.
He glared at Tanjiro, his scarred face harsh under the candlelight.
"Even without you, plenty of swordsn die hunting demons every day," he snapped. "This isn't the ti for you to act spoiled."
Tanjiro stiffened.
Sanemi's words were brutal, but they were not spoken from cruelty alone.
Every mber of the Demon Slayer Corps lived with death beside them. From the lowest Mizunoto to the Hashira themselves, none were safe. Sacrifice had never been a possibility in this war.
It had always been the price.
Kagaya Ubuyashiki did not imdiately reject the plan either.
For a thousand years, the Ubuyashiki family and the Demon Slayer Corps had fought Muzan Kibutsuji. Generations of swordsn had fallen before ever seeing the dawn they fought for. If the sacrifice of a few could bring an end to that endless night, then Kagaya would consider it.
If necessary, he would gladly offer his own life first.
But Asuramaru had already expected Tanjiro's objection.
He had prepared for this.
His gaze swept over the three people in the room before settling on Tanjiro.
"Don't worry," he said. "No one needs to be sacrificed. As long as you follow my thod, casualties can be avoided."
Tanjiro's tense shoulders eased at once.
"If you say so, then…" He exhaled in relief. "I believe you."
Sanemi's fierce expression also softened, if only slightly.
He could accept sacrifice if it was necessary.
But if it could be avoided, no one here would choose death lightly.
Kagaya cared even more deeply for his swordsn. The mont he heard that lives did not need to be thrown away, his gaze beca gentler.
"Please tell us, Mr. Asuramaru."
Asuramaru wasted no ti.
"There is no need to have large numbers of swordsn wear earrings and imitate Tanjiro. That would only draw unnecessary danger. Instead, select several swordsn who have mastered Water Breathing. Give them masks and Hanafuda earrings."
Tanjiro listened carefully.
Sanemi's eyes sharpened.
Kagaya lowered his gaze in thought.
"Send those swordsn to different cities across the country," Asuramaru continued. "Every so often, have one of them slay a demon, then imdiately hide and leave the area."
His tone remained calm, but each word landed with precision.
"A few days later, have another swordsman in a distant city hunt a demon in a more noticeable way. Create the impression that Tanjiro has moved."
Kagaya's eyes brightened slightly.
Asuramaru continued, "I am only giving you the general idea. How to execute it properly is sothing you, as the Master of the Demon Slayer Corps, must decide."
The room went silent again.
This ti, however, it was not hesitation.
It was calculation.
Kagaya imdiately understood the value of the plan.
If handled well, it could lead Muzan in circles without exposing the real Tanjiro. While the Demon Slayer Corps created visible trails in one direction, Tanjiro and Asuramaru could move quietly elsewhere, hunting ordinary demons that Muzan would not pay close attention to.
Even if Muzan desperately wanted Tanjiro dead, he would not know where to strike.
The false targets would not need to fight prolonged battles. They only needed to appear, kill, vanish, and let rumors do the rest.
A moving shadow.
A false fire.
A ghost Muzan could chase but never catch.
Kagaya looked at Asuramaru with newfound admiration.
He had not expected the Sword Spirit to propose such a practical strategy.
After a mont, Kagaya spoke.
"This plan can reduce the danger to our swordsn as much as possible. However, the safety of you and Tanjiro remains our highest priority."
He paused, then made his decision.
"I would like to assign three Hashira to accompany you."
Sanemi did not object.
Three Hashira.
That was not a small number.
The Hashira each had countless missions. Demons were appearing more frequently, and every region needed protection. To dispatch three of them for one mission was already a trendous burden on the Demon Slayer Corps.
Yet Kagaya still chose it.
Tanjiro's safety was worth that much.
Asuramaru rejected it without hesitation.
"No need."
Kagaya looked at him quietly.
Asuramaru said, "The more people there are, the easier it is to expose Tanjiro's location. One Hashira guarding from the shadows is enough."
He glanced toward Kagaya.
"Have the other Hashira secretly follow the decoys instead. Their presence will make the false trails far more convincing."
Kagaya did not imdiately answer.
His original intention had been clear. Three Hashira protecting Tanjiro would provide the highest chance of survival if an Upper Rank appeared. Even if the plan made sense, he was reluctant to gamble with Tanjiro's life.
But Asuramaru's attitude was firm.
So Kagaya turned his gaze to Tanjiro.
It was a gentle look, but it carried weight.
Tanjiro glanced at Asuramaru, then faced Kagaya directly.
"Oyakata-sama," he said, "I trust Asuramaru's judgnt."
That settled it.
Kagaya knew further persuasion would not change anything. And perhaps, with Asuramaru's power, Tanjiro did not need as much protection as he feared.
He sighed softly.
"In that case, I will believe in you."
Then his expression beca serious.
"Now we must decide which Hashira will undertake this mission."
Before Kagaya could continue, Sanemi stepped forward.
His fierce gaze swept over Tanjiro and Asuramaru. Then he turned toward Kagaya, bowed his head, and spoke with rare solemnity.
"Master, please assign this mission to ."
The room stilled.
Tanjiro looked at him in surprise.
Kagaya t Sanemi's gaze.
He could feel the determination there.
Originally, Kagaya had considered assigning the Sound Hashira, Tengen Uzui. Tengen's mobility, stealth, and experience made him an excellent choice for a covert escort.
But Sanemi's resolve was unmistakable.
After a mont, Kagaya smiled.
"Then I will leave it to you, Sanemi."
Sanemi dropped to one knee.
"I will not fail your expectations."
Asuramaru said nothing more.
His figure dissolved into black mist, the smoke curling back into the sword at Tanjiro's waist. In a breath, the room returned to stillness.
Kagaya looked at the two swordsn before him, his smile warm beneath the candlelight.
"Be careful on your journey."
Tanjiro bowed deeply.
"Yes."
Sanemi said nothing, but the sharpness in his eyes was answer enough.
The two left the room together.
When the door slid shut behind them, Kagaya remained kneeling in the quiet room. His gaze drifted toward the flickering candle beside him.
For the first ti in many years, the fla did not look fragile.
It looked like the beginning of a dawn.
"Muzan Kibutsuji," Kagaya murmured, his gentle voice carrying a resolve as hard as steel, "it seems the tide has turned against you."
At the sa ti—
Within the twisting impossible space of the Infinity Castle, Muzan Kibutsuji's patience was wearing thin.
Since the day he summoned the Upper Ranks, he had been using the demons scattered across the country as his eyes and ears. Through his blood, he passed along Tanjiro's characteristics to every demon he could command.
The Hanafuda earrings.
The black sword.
The demon sister.
The strange power that would not die.
The Upper Ranks had also begun searching for clues, following the information transmitted through Muzan's blood. Once Tanjiro was found, they were to destroy him completely.
But several days had passed.
No confird sighting.
No reliable trace.
No corpse.
No proof.
The longer the silence dragged on, the more restless Muzan beca.
His fingers curled against the armrest.
His eyes, cold and blood-red, trembled with rage that bordered on unease.
"Why hasn't that wretched boy appeared yet?"
His voice echoed through the empty chamber.
"The Upper Ranks have found nothing. None of the demons have sent back anything useful."
The veins at his temples pulsed.
"Where are you?"
His face twisted, the fear buried deep within his fury beginning to leak through.
"Don't think you can survive by hiding."
The Infinity Castle creaked around him, doors and corridors shifting in the dark like the inside of so vast living beast.
Muzan's gaze sharpened to a murderous point.
"Tanjiro Kamado…"
His voice dropped into a venomous whisper.
"Where are you?!"
.....
[If you don't want to wait for the next update, read 50 chapters ahead on P@treon.]
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