After Nezuko Kamado proved she could completely restrain her desire to eat humans, although Sanemi Shinazugawa's expression was still frighteningly dark, he raised no further objections, tacitly accepting Master Kagaya Ubuyashiki's decision.
Two members of the Kakushi escorted the Kamado siblings to the Butterfly Mansion for treatment, and only then did the Hashira Meeting officially begin.
"First, let the survivor from Mount Natagumo explain the details of the battle."
A side door slid open, and two Kakushi members entered carrying a stretcher. Lying on it was someone Suzuki Makoto recognized.
"Murata?"
"Mr. Suzuki?"
"You were in the battle at Mount Natagumo too? How come I didn't see you on the way back?"
"I was poisoned and completely wrapped up..."
Murata gave a wry smile, but he quickly realized he had been brought to the Hashira Meeting to give a report—
Huh? This man, who didn't even have a Nichirin Blade when we first met, is a Hashira now?!
"My apologies! I will now report the details of the battle to you all!"
Suppressing the chaotic thoughts in his mind, Murata reported everything he had seen. As the Hashira listened, their brows furrowed ever more tightly.
After he finished his report, Murata was carried away, and only then did Sanemi Shinazugawa speak.
"Judging from this battle, the rate at which the quality of our Corps members is declining is simply unbelievable. There are even some who see demon slaying as a status symbol. It seems the Cultivators have become too lax!"
"The most pressing issue should be combat ability, shouldn't it? A demon that Tanjiro Kamado could fight with ease, yet an entire team failed to realize they were being manipulated, let alone fight back. And keep in mind, there were many mid-to-high-ranking Demon Slayer Corps members among them, yet they were still so helpless."
The Flame Hashira added.
"The more people there are, the harder they are to manage. We can't conduct large-scale professional training to maintain secrecy. Although we are already selecting Tsuguko, for the numerous ordinary Corps members, they can only rely on figuring out how to fight demons through their own battle experience."
Shinobu Kocho stated the unfortunate truth.
"The core members of the Demon Slayer Corps are basically those who have a deep-seated hatred for demons due to personal tragedy, or come from families of demon slayers with a long lineage. Besides them, for others to be willing to fight demons at all is already a great feat. We can't ask any more of them."
The Stone Hashira concluded with a sigh.
Listening to the other Hashira's reports, Suzuki Makoto couldn't help but feel a question forming in his mind. He raised his hand, and the others immediately stopped their discussion to look at him.
"May I ask Miss Kocho a question?"
"Please do, Mr. Suzuki."
"Wisteria flowers are harmless to humans in small doses, but they should be highly toxic to demons, right? Even for stronger demons, they should have a controlling and weakening effect, shouldn't they?"
"Yes. That's why the main ingredient in most of the poisons I use is wisteria."
Shinobu Kocho confirmed Suzuki Makoto's statement.
"Then why don't we equip all Corps members with poison made from wisteria? We could also install a mechanism inside their scabbards that automatically coats the blade with wisteria poison when drawn. That way, there's no risk of harming people, and it would give them an advantage in fights against demons."
Suzuki Makoto voiced his confusion.
"The predicament for most Demon Slayer Corps members when fighting demons is that their stamina and strength don't allow them to find and seize the opportunity to sever the demon's head. But with the help of wisteria poison, even just striking the demon's body would affect its functions. The more openings the demon reveals, the greater the chance of cutting off its neck, wouldn't you agree?"
"Moreover, on my recent trip, I noticed that small and medium-sized firearms are already quite advanced. Demons below the rank of the Twelve Kizuki aren't capable of reacting to a surprise gunshot at close range. Therefore, we could have Corps members carry pistols loaded with poisoned bullets. They could lure the enemy close and launch a surprise attack to gain the upper hand. I'm sure this would significantly increase their chances of winning."
Suzuki Makoto laid out all his ideas. Things like righteous enchantments and righteous poison-tipped throwing knives—how could no one have thought of these tactics, which were so deeply ingrained in his own fundamental logic, after all this time?
It's not like we're in the Sengoku period, facing a Demon King dozens of meters tall, where you truly can't rely on anything but the sword in your hand.
A dead silence fell. The Hashira stared at Suzuki Makoto, dumbfounded. Even Kagaya Ubuyashiki looked at him with some surprise. It was clear that everyone present was completely caught off guard by the measures he had proposed.
"Mr. Suzuki, you can't use that surprise gunshot trick when you spar with me, okay?"
Muichiro Tokito said in a low voice.
"I would never use such tactics when sparring with a friend!"
His righteous declaration held a faint trace of guilt.
But Kagaya Ubuyashiki had no time to worry about that. His main concern was whether this course of action was feasible.
"Shinobu, can the wisteria poison be mass-produced and remain effective for a period of time?"
"Yes, it can. And I can add certain ingredients to further enhance the wisteria's lethality against demons."
Shinobu Kocho answered immediately.
Often, some things are like a riddle; all it takes is someone with experience to point the way, and everything becomes clear to everyone.
"Then I'll be counting on you, Shinobu. As for the mechanism in the scabbards, I'll have the artisans at the Swordsmith Village figure something out. Regarding the pistols, I'll have the Kakushi start acquiring them. Once the first batch of poison is ready, we'll begin equipping everyone in the Demon Slayer Corps."
No one cared about such nonsense as a samurai's honor. When facing man-eating demons, using any means or traps against them was an act of absolute justice.
Kagaya Ubuyashiki was clearly very excited. He had even, quite rarely, spoken a long string of sentences at once and was now panting slightly.
"Thank you, Mr. Suzuki. Without your suggestion, I don't know when we would have ever thought of these methods."
After catching his breath, Ubuyashiki immediately bowed to Suzuki Makoto.
"You're welcome, Master Ubuyashiki. It's just that I've seen such tactics far too often in my time, so they've left a lasting impression."
After Suzuki Makoto's proposal was approved by everyone, the Hashira Meeting came to a close. The Hashira rose one by one, preparing to head to their respective battlefields.
However, Suzuki Makoto still had one more thing to do.
"Master Kyojuro Rengoku."
"Mr. Suzuki! Is there something I can help you with?"
The Flame Hashira responded enthusiastically to Suzuki Makoto's call.
Although they had taken different stances earlier due to a disagreement, Kyojuro Rengoku was not the kind of man to hold a grudge over such a small matter.
_____
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