From Demon Slayer to the Strongest Demonic Blade! Chapter 46

Sanemi Shinazugawa stared over with fierce eyes and asked with some confusion.

Tanjiro was already prepared for this question and immediately explained everything in detail.

"It's like this. Ashura Maru says I've more or less mastered my Breathing Style, and she wants me to leave headquarters to go out and hunt demons."

Hearing this explanation, Sanemi Shinazugawa was fairly supportive. After all, with his strength, there shouldn't be any problems out there.

"Wait here, I'll go report to Master directly!" With that, he turned around and walked straight into the residence.

Tanjiro waited quietly outside, but still couldn't help asking, "Ashura Maru, do you think Master will agree?"

"He'll definitely agree."

Ashura Maru inside the blade immediately gave her reply, though she then changed the subject. "Also, please stop asking me every little question!"

Tanjiro rubbed his head awkwardly.

Before long.

Sanemi Shinazugawa reappeared in his field of vision and beckoned with a solemn expression. "Come with me, Master wants to see you."

"Okay."

At those words, Tanjiro hurried forward with a light jog.

He followed right behind, once more stepping into that courtyard, though this time they only passed through it and went all the way into the residence.

Then, stopping in front of a brightly lit wooden door, Sanemi Shinazugawa spoke respectfully, "Master, Tanjiro has been brought here!"

"Come in."

Kagaya Ubuyashiki's gentle and reliable voice came from inside, though it carried even more strength than before when he was gravely ill!

Sanemi Shinazugawa pushed open the wooden door in front of him.

The two entered one after the other, and what met their eyes was a brightly lit room. Right in the center, before a screen, Kagaya Ubuyashiki sat in casual clothes.

He smiled kindly.

"Tanjiro, Shinazugawa, please take a seat."

The two knelt on the tatami mats, three pairs of eyes meeting.

Kagaya Ubuyashiki looked into Tanjiro's eyes, then looked at Ashura Maru at his waist, and asked calmly.

"Have you really thought this through about going out to hunt demons? Recently, demons harming people have become increasingly frequent. It's very likely a bait released by Muzan Kibutsuji, and his goal is to find you.

"Then kill you, and perhaps more than one Upper Rank will appear." Kagaya Ubuyashiki voiced his suspicions as well.

He wanted to make the severity clear to him. Even with the strength of a Hashira, there was still the risk of death!

Yet Tanjiro replied with extreme firmness.

"Master, I believe in Ashura Maru's judgment!"

However, Sanemi Shinazugawa beside him could not sit still any longer. He immediately stepped out and interrupted, "If it's as Master says, then you absolutely cannot leave the Demon Slayer Corps headquarters!

"We can hardly bear the cost of losing you!"

Compared to Sanemi's hardline attitude, Kagaya Ubuyashiki handled this matter much more perfectly. He looked toward Tanjiro before him and suggested,

"Why don't we try asking for the opinion of Miss Ashura Maru first? I wonder if she might come out to meet us?"

As soon as those words fell.

The blade at Tanjiro's waist sprang open, and pitch-black smoke surged forth to condense into a stunningly beautiful figure.

Faced with the gazes of the three people present,

Ashura Maru already had a countermeasure in mind. At this moment, she was merely voicing her thoughts, stepping down naturally onto her toes.

Her crimson eyes looked toward Kagaya Ubuyashiki before her, and then she explained calmly.

"If Tanjiro wants to grow stronger now, relying purely on training is far too slow. Only through continuous fierce battles and the slaughter of demons can he rapidly rise to prominence."

Everyone present understood this point.

Yet what they truly cared about was Tanjiro's safety, and to this, Ashura Maru also provided a reasonable explanation.

"As far as I know, Muzan cannot monitor every single demon at all times. Furthermore, most demons actually don't know what Tanjiro looks like.

"They probably only know a few features, such as those rather conspicuous hanafuda earrings..."

Hearing this, Kagaya Ubuyashiki already understood. "You mean to create a diversion—as long as there are enough false messages,

"Then it will be difficult for Muzan to truly know Tanjiro's actual location!"

Chapter 61 Tanjiro, Where Are You?!

"That's right."

Ashura Maru also nodded calmly and slightly, considering it her endorsement of this statement.

Yet Tanjiro at the side stood up at this moment and retorted, "But won't a lot of innocent members die because of me?!"

His tone this time appeared exceptionally forceful.

He simply could not accept the idea of these members dying because of him!

And this statement was not without reason.

However, Sanemi Shinazugawa was not going to coddle him. He stared straight at Tanjiro with fierce eyes and rebuked sternly,

"Even without you, the number of swordsmen who die from hunting demons is hardly small. This is not the time for you to be self-willed!"

Even Kagaya Ubuyashiki did not immediately reject this proposal. In his view, sacrifice was inevitable, and for a millennium,

Just how many swordsmen of the Demon Slayer Corps had died at the hands of demons? If the sacrifice of a small number of people could thoroughly end all of this, then it was worth it!

Even he, Kagaya Ubuyashiki, could willingly offer his own life for this cause!

For this situation, Ashura Maru had likewise anticipated it long ago and had already prepared a countermeasure. Now was the exact time to voice it.

Her crimson eyes swept across the three people present, then locked onto Tanjiro, her lips parting slightly as she stated calmly.

"Rest assured, no one needs to be sacrificed. You just have to do as I say and you'll be fine!"

At these words, Tanjiro finally heaved a sigh of relief. Since Ashura Maru said so, there was definitely no problem!

Sanemi Shinazugawa's ferocious expression also softened somewhat. Although he could accept team members dying on account of Tanjiro,

If casualties could be avoided as much as possible, that would be even better.

As for Kagaya Ubuyashiki, needless to say, no one cared more about these swordsmen of his than he did. He immediately requested respectfully,

"Please go on, Miss Ashura Maru."

As the words fell,

Ashura Maru did not keep them in suspense and directly shared the countermeasure she had pondered over for a long time with the three of them.

"There's no need for everyone to wear earrings on a large scale or imitate Tanjiro. It's enough for just a few swordsmen who have mastered Water Breathing to wear masks and earrings.

"Scatter these swordsmen into various cities across the country, and have one of them go out to slay a demon once every interval, then immediately hide and escape.

"After a few days, have another member in a more distant city go hunt demons and make it as high-profile as possible, creating the illusion for Muzan Kibutsuji that Tanjiro has relocated to another city.

"I am only giving you the strategy, but how to execute it specifically must still be decided by you, the master of the Demon Slayer Corps."

As the voice trailed off,

Upon hearing these remarks, Kagaya Ubuyashiki also seemed to be inspired. If they operated this way,

Muzan Kibutsuji was bound to be played around in circles, and provided they operated properly, casualties would also be very unlikely.

In this way, they would make a grand display upfront to attract attention, while Tanjiro and Ashura Maru hid in the dark.

They could take the opportunity to hunt down those demons that Muzan Kibutsuji ordinarily hardly paid any attention to.

This way, even if Muzan Kibutsuji desperately wanted to kill Tanjiro, it would be virtually impossible for him to find out where the person was!

Thinking of this, the look Kagaya Ubuyashiki gave Ashura Maru changed entirely. He truly hadn't expected that she could actually come up with such a strategy.

This plan was indeed viable, but Kagaya Ubuyashiki also voiced some of his own perspectives.

"This can indeed reduce casualties to the absolute minimum, but the safety of you and Tanjiro is what matters most, so I hope to dispatch three Hashira to accompany you!"

This was already the maximum assistance he could offer. One must know that the tasks of the Hashira were likewise numerous; being able to dispatch three Hashira to follow at once,

He had also made a great determination!

Yet Ashura Maru flatly rejected it.

"There's no need at all. The more people there are, the greater the risk of exposure. Having one Hashira protect you from the shadows is already enough.

"You can have the remaining Hashira follow the members disguised as Tanjiro, which can also greatly increase credibility!"

Even so, Kagaya Ubuyashiki maintained his view of dispatching three Hashira to hide and follow them, after all, not the slightest mistake could happen to Tanjiro!

However, he also knew that Ashura Maru's attitude was firm and not something he could persuade, so he could only cast a sincere and gentle gaze toward Tanjiro before him.

Yet facing Master's gaze, Tanjiro glanced at Ashura Maru beside him, turned back, and answered with exceptional firmness.

"Master, I believe in Ashura Maru's judgment!"

Things having reached this point,

Kagaya Ubuyashiki knew that further talk was useless. Still, reflecting on Ashura Maru's terrifying nature, perhaps he didn't need to worry too much.

He could only sigh helplessly, and subsequently compromise.

"Since that's the case, I can only choose to trust you. Then let us decide which Hashira will execute this mission."

As the words fell,

Sanemi Shinazugawa, who had remained taciturn all along, swept his fierce gaze over Ashura Maru and Tanjiro in turn.

Then, facing Kagaya Ubuyashiki before him solemnly, he bowed and spoke respectfully, "Master, I earnestly request to be sent to execute this mission!"

The gazes of the several people fell upon him simultaneously.

Kagaya Ubuyashiki met his gaze and could also sense his resoluteness, though his original plan had been to dispatch the Sound Hashira, Tengen Uzui, to execute it.

Yet facing that resolute gaze, he still chose to yield.

"Then I leave it to you, Shinazugawa."

At those words, Sanemi Shinazugawa knelt on one knee and replied respectfully and concisely,

"I will certainly not let down Master's expectations!"

Things having reached this point,

Ashura Maru's body dissipated into pitch-black smoke, merging back into the blade.

Meanwhile, Kagaya Ubuyashiki also faced the two people before him, smiling gently and warmly.

"Take care on your journey."

Tanjiro and the other simply nodded slightly, then left the room.

When the two departed, the wooden door closed.

Kagaya Ubuyashiki knelt alone in the room, gazing at the swaying candlelight beside him, a resolute look flashing in his eyes.

"Muzan Kibutsuji, it seems the tide has completely turned in our favor."

Meanwhile,

On the other side, within the Infinity Castle.

Ever since the meeting where he summoned the Upper Ranks that day, Muzan Kibutsuji had also been observing the demons scattered in various places, while transmitting their features to all demons in an attempt to find Tanjiro.

The Upper Ranks had also begun searching for clues based on the intelligence transmitted through Muzan's blood.

Preparing to completely obliterate Tanjiro once he was found!

Yet not finding a trace of Tanjiro for days on end also left Muzan Kibutsuji restless and anxious to the extreme!

"Why hasn't that damned fellow appeared yet?! And the Upper Ranks haven't transmitted any news back either. Where on earth is that guy?!

"Don't think you can rest easy just by hiding; you must die!"