"Drag Muzan Kibutsuji out of his rat hole and crush him to death under the sun."
As Sasuke finished speaking, Kagaya Ubuyashiki froze for a moment, then burst into hearty laughter and violent coughing, his laughter brimming with relief and ecstasy.
"Cough, cough... Good. 'Crush him to death'-well said! I entrust the future of the Demon Slayer Corps to you, Commander-in-Chief!"
As Sasuke left the Ubuyashiki Estate, moonlight spilled over him. The wooden plaque in his hand seemed to retain the lingering warmth of that man's burning life.
Commander-in-Chief... huh? Fine, then. I'll command this war my way.
At dawn the next day, all the Hashira of the Demon Slayer Corps were urgently summoned to the most spacious training ground.
The Flame Hashira, Kyojuro Rengoku, had fully recovered from his injuries and was brimming with energy, his flame-patterned haori snapping in the morning breeze. The Sound Hashira, Tengen Uzui, who had been fitted with a specially made prosthetic after losing his arm, still had the same flamboyant, unrestrained look in his eyes. The other Hashira wore solemn expressions as well. They all felt the urgency of the approaching war.
Sasuke stood before them, toying with the commander's wooden plaque as his Rinnegan swept calmly over each of them.
"Starting today, I'm taking over your training," he said without preamble. "You're strong, but not strong enough. Your limits are far too low."
Sanemi Shinazugawa, who had the most explosive temper, immediately frowned. He was just about to speak when Sasuke's next words made him swallow his retort.
"Kokushibo, Upper Rank One-even with all of you together, you couldn't beat him."
His words shocked everyone present.
Gyomei Himejima pressed his palms together, tears streaming down his face. "Amitabha... Is he truly that powerful?"
"So before Muzan comes out, you need to become