This Demon King Was a Little Too Cautious
The next day, the Demon Slayer Corps headquarters.
Recommended by the existing nine Pillars of the Demon Slayer Corps, Kakashi and Guy, these two partners from another world, have finally joined the ranks of Pillars, gaining their own Pillar Head and status.
To become a pillar, one must rely on hard power, of course.
After a night of discussion, Kakashi was ultimately given the name "Void Hashira" based on his cool and composed leadership and wisdom, as well as the explosive power and composure he displayed when fighting demons.
"Void" – emptiness, ruthlessness, just like his composure when he understood the battle situation and manipulated the outcome of the battle with ease.
Kakashi was somewhat speechless. "Void Hashira?"
He complained softly, "Isn't it a little... empty?"
However, when asked to come up with a name himself, he couldn't say which one was better, so he had no choice but to accept the title reluctantly, following the advice of the Demon Slayer Corps.
With his pure and passionate fighting style and fearless defiance when facing the flames, "Kai" truly deserves the title of "Ember Hashira".
"Ember" symbolizes the embers left after destruction; even when severely wounded, even when consumed by flames, the original aspiration and fighting spirit remain undiminished. This perfectly aligns with Kai's unwavering commitment to youth and passion.
The arrival of the "Void Hashira" and the "Ember Hashira" greatly boosted the morale of the entire Demon Slayer Corps.
At that moment, Uchiha Yoru sent a message, and Kakashi and Guy simultaneously saw each other's affirmative images in their minds.
"Lord Yoru said... our current route is correct," Kakashi relayed calmly. "Next... is to completely expose the true form of the Demon King Muzan."
"Kill the Demon King Muzan?" Kai clenched his fist. "Would that... allow us to gain complete acceptance from this world, and let the pocket dimension within Lord Yoru fully encompass this world?" A fiery fighting spirit surged with his words.
Kakashi nodded softly. "Yes. If we do this, Lord Yoru's dimension will advance further... We've taken another big step closer to our ultimate goal."
After saying that, the two continued their mission.
As the "Void Hashira" and the "Ember Hashira," Kakashi and Guy's lives became increasingly fulfilling.
With authorization from Uchiha Yoru and a series of data and suggestions provided by Orochimaru, Kakashi compiled an "improved version of the Eight Gates Formation" suitable for use by the Demon Slayer Corps.
Through continuous practice and adjustments, Kakashi discovered that combining the "Eight Gates" with "breathing techniques" could produce a synergistic effect greater than the sum of its parts.
This conclusion greatly excited him, because at this moment, he had completely grasped the secret—by regulating the "gate" and "breath" from the inside out, the Demon Slayer Corps could unleash power beyond their own limits in battle.
Moreover, the effect is even better if Armament Haki from the One Piece world is mixed in!
Kakashi led the compilation of teaching materials and developed practice methods suitable for team members with different physical conditions.
Kai, with his fiery enthusiasm, took the lead in demonstrating to each batch of trainees how to safely advance the development of the "gate" and achieve a high degree of integration with the "breathing method".
This process is actually fraught with risks.
Most of the Demon Slayer Corps are ordinary people, and their physiques are different from those of ninjas. If they are not controlled properly, they may be injured or even have their meridians destroyed.
To this end, Kakashi devised a training system that progresses from simple to complex, allowing each person to advance their "gate" and "breathing" according to their own ability, rather than simply seeking speed.
As a result, the Demon Slayer Corps' overall combat strength steadily improved, giving them a greater chance of survival when facing demons. And this series of modifications is quietly changing the tone of the entire battle.
To ensure everyone could progress steadily, Kakashi devised a training method that progressed from simple to complex.
Kai kept encouraging the trainees, saying, "Youth is a flame that fears no challenge! As long as you dare to break through your own limitations, you will surely achieve your own glory."
Among them, Guy focused his main efforts on nurturing Tanjiro, the rising star of the Demon Slayer Corps.
In order to fully unlock the boundless potential hidden within this "rough gem," Kai devised a rigorous physical training and weight-bearing exercise program that was almost like hell.
He personally strapped heavy sandbags to Tanjiro, making him climb mountains, do push-ups, run long distances, and engage in close combat while carrying heavy loads, pushing his muscle strength to its limits again and again, and then relying on his amazing recovery ability to be reborn and break through.
"You have a spark within you, Tanjiro," Guy said earnestly. "And my mission is to ignite it completely, to let it spread like wildfire."
As training progressed, Tanjiro's physique became increasingly robust, with significant improvements in both explosive power and endurance.
This progress, earned purely through blood and sweat, greatly surprised the Demon Slayer Corps. At the same time, it made the Pillars realize that the "Hollows" and "King" brought not only an increase in combat power, but also a major transformation in the Demon Slayer Corps' ideology, from the inside out.
To everyone's great excitement, several talented Demon Slayer Corps members, once they unleashed their power, were able to easily crush ordinary demons and even completely annihilate them without breaking a sweat.
This performance, akin to "fighting demons and gods with mortal bodies," sent the Demon Slayer Corps into a frenzy. "With the Void Hashira and the Ember Hashira guarding the battlefield, and with the rising stars nurtured by the Eight Gates Formation, the Demon Slayer Corps has the potential to completely overturn the Demon King Muzan's rule over the world."
The Kakkō flickered inside. Kakashi, arms crossed, pondered, "We're one step closer to our goal."
Kai clenched his fist, "Youth never ends, the fight never stops."
Kakashi, on the other hand, was constantly investigating the Demon King's whereabouts.
To his dismay, the Demon King was hiding far too well— the Demon Slayer Corps conducted an almost exhaustive search, yet they couldn't find a single trace of him.
This demon king is a bit cautious. (Muzan: Do you even know what Yoriichi Tsugikuni's PTSD is? Answer me!!!)
On the other side--
Demon King Muzan was utterly enraged by Rui's death.
It considered all the Lower Moon demons to be useless, and then summoned the surviving Lower Moon demons to its presence, executing five of them in one go, leaving only Enmu alive.
To compensate for the lack of combat power, Muzan not only strengthened his commands to the Upper Rank Demons, but also personally ordered them to take the initiative to hunt down the Pillar-level members of the Demon Slayer Corps who posed a threat to him.
At the same time, Muzan has always maintained a high degree of caution and has never shown his true form.
In order to completely overcome the fatal weakness of sunlight, it uses wealthy humans such as "Tsukihiko" as a cover, relies on a vast business network to manipulate resources, collect clues about the "Blue Spider Lily", and advance its conspiracy step by step.
Inside a mansion shrouded in shadow, the Ghost King stood with his hands behind his back, a sinister glint in his pale, cold eyes.
Recently, demons have been repeatedly killed by the Demon Slayer Corps, whose strength has suddenly increased, making Muzan increasingly uneasy.
It murmured to itself, "There must be an exception among them."
Its crimson eyes flickered, and a strange, blood-red aura emanated from its body, causing the lights in the room to tremble.
"Enmu." It summoned softly, and Enmu, who had been kneeling in the shadows, slowly raised its head. "I need you to thoroughly investigate this matter. What caused such a strange change in the Demon Slayer Corps?"
"As you wish, Muzan," Enmu's voice was soft yet fervent, "I will certainly not disappoint you."