"Can we enter the Infinity Castle on our own initiative?"
The Flame Hashira asked, full of vigor.
Kurosaki Rei shook his head. "Unless Muzan himself—or whoever controls that castle—opens the door, we can't get in. And it's extremely difficult to locate."
He knew very well that the Infinity Castle was created based on an Edo-period tenshukaku. In the original story, the Serpent Hashira and Wind Hashira had once encountered large numbers of demons there and briefly glimpsed the interior.
But under Nakime's control, the Infinity Castle could constantly relocate, opening doors all across the country. Muzan's most common method of summoning the Twelve Kizuki was precisely to have Nakime open the gates and pull them into the Infinity Castle.
Once the meeting was over, the small doors would open again, and the Upper Moons would be sent right back to wherever they had originally been. It was incredibly bizarre.
To be honest, this kind of spatial ability already felt far beyond the difficulty ceiling of this world—but reality was that Muzan possessed such a convenient fortress, and they had to find a way to break it.
"In that case, perhaps we could lure the snake out of its hole,"
the Serpent Hashira analyzed.
"Use bait?"
Shinobu Kocho pondered. "Muzan should also want to kill the Hashira. If we move alone in the open, would he open the Infinity Castle and send demons to surround and kill us?"
Most of the time, the Hashira's movements were highly confidential. Only the upper echelons of the Demon Slayer Corps knew their whereabouts. On top of that, demons were restricted by sunlight and couldn't gather intelligence during the day. So unless a Hashira actively sought them out, it was actually quite difficult for demons to hunt Hashira deliberately.
But if they openly exposed their identities and movements, it would almost certainly draw the Upper Moons.
"It's not that simple. Forgive my bluntness,"
Kurosaki Rei said without mincing words,
"but among everyone here, aside from Himejima-san, if any of you go out and expose your whereabouts, it's a dead end."
"And to kill all of you present, any of the remaining Upper Four would suffice. Muzan wouldn't even need the Infinity Castle."
This wasn't random trash talk. Even accounting for the possibility that a Hashira might break through and awaken a Mark mid-battle, aside from the Stone Hashira, none of the others could reliably defeat an Upper Rank Four one-on-one.
And now, Muzan's faction also had a number of powerful Explorers. They definitely wouldn't let an Upper Rank act alone.
"You bastard—aren't you being way too arrogant!?"
The Wind Hashira, already displeased with Kurosaki Rei's earlier behavior, stood up in fury.
"You think you're the only one who can kill an Upper—"
He didn't even get the last word out.
Because with a violent rush of wind, Kurosaki Rei's hand—formed like a blade—was already resting on the back of his neck.
Kurosaki Rei was standing behind him.
And he hadn't seen how Kurosaki Rei got there at all.
"If I wanted to kill you, you'd already be dead,"
Kurosaki Rei withdrew his hand, his tone calm.
"I grew up listening to legends about the Hashira. But seeing you in person, most of you are… too weak."
Only then did the Wind Hashira snap back to reality. In that instant of "exchange," his back was already drenched in cold sweat. When he looked at Kurosaki Rei again, there was now a trace of awe in his eyes.
In terms of strength, aside from the Stone Hashira, he had never truly acknowledged anyone else. But today, he had seen another humanoid monster.
At the very least, in terms of speed, Kurosaki Rei far surpassed him.
"I believe everyone understands now. This is simply the reality,"
Kurosaki Rei walked to the side and stood still.
"I could easily kill everyone here except Himejima-san. But even for me, killing an Upper Rank isn't easy. Upper One, Two, Three, and Four will only be stronger than the two I've already killed."
"Thunder Hashira, what exactly are you trying to say?"
The Serpent Hashira asked in a low voice, emotion unreadable.
Under the gazes of all the Hashira, Kurosaki Rei nodded frankly.
"That's exactly my point. This is the premise. Only once everyone understands this can I continue."
Being told to one's face that they were weak was naturally unpleasant. But the Hashira weren't ordinary people. Their mental fortitude was strong, and strength itself wasn't what they cared about most.
Each of them carried a heart devoted to slaying demons and saving lives.
So no one interrupted him. They waited for Kurosaki Rei to continue.
"What comes next is today's third agenda item—and the conclusion that the Master and I reached after discussion."
Kurosaki Rei said,
"For the next two months, all Hashira will suspend demon-hunting missions and undergo centralized special training."
He had arrived at the Master's estate the night before and spoken with him at length, also explaining the importance of Lady Tamayo.
As for the current situation, it wasn't difficult to explain. The Master was a smart man—once he understood the overwhelming strength of the Upper Moons and the fact that Muzan had expanded his forces, he immediately grasped that the balance of offense and defense had already shifted.
The Hashira were no longer the hunters. They had become the hunted by the Twelve Kizuki.
With the enemy possessing a strong intelligence network, letting the Hashira continue to operate scattered was no different from feeding themselves to the wolves.
Thus, after their discussion, they decided that aside from Kurosaki Rei and the Stone Hashira, all other Hashira would enter training.
Well—"training" was the nicer term. The main purpose was to protect them, to prevent them from being hunted down before the final battle.
Of course, if their strength improved during training, all the better. It would only increase their chances in the decisive battle.
As for external operations, they wouldn't stop completely. Kurosaki Rei and the Stone Hashira would handle particularly dangerous demons as needed, in addition to sparring with and teaching the others.
"Special training… that sounds incredibly exciting!"
The Flame Hashira said loudly.
"It'll definitely make us stronger, so we can protect even more people!"
Kurosaki Rei nodded.
"The Master will arrange concealed locations for the training. During this time, the Demon Slayer Corps will continue normal operations. Strong demons will be handled by Himejima-san and me."
"Continue normal operations? Won't the other members participate in training?"
The Serpent Hashira asked, puzzled.
"Each Hashira can select a few subordinates or Tsuguko they favor to join the training. Everyone else will continue their missions as usual. Training more people than that would be pointless."
Kurosaki Rei explained. In truth, the original story also had a full-scale training arc before the final battle, but Kurosaki Rei felt that approach was too extreme and largely meaningless.
Most members of the Demon Slayer Corps were just ordinary people without exceptional talent. Even with high-intensity elite training, their strength wouldn't increase much. It was better for them to continue regular missions.
As for danger—precisely because they were ordinary Corps members, they were relatively safer. Hundreds of them scattered across the country made for very small targets. Explorers wouldn't go out of their way to hunt down common foot soldiers.
And those ordinary members could still slay weaker demons and protect local communities.
On this land, both demons and Demon Slayers were rare. Despite how powerful the Hashira were, their actual day-to-day function wasn't that different from ordinary slayers—hearing of demon sightings, rushing to the scene, killing demons.
The difference was simply that there were demons ordinary slayers couldn't defeat, while Hashira could.
"I see. That does sound like a reasonable decision,"
The Stone Hashira said tearfully.
"Still, without us carrying out missions, more people may fall victim to demons… how pitiful."
"That brings us back to the Infinity Castle problem,"
the Serpent Hashira said.
"How exactly are we supposed to get inside?"
"By using the bait you mentioned earlier,"
Kurosaki Rei replied.
"But not disposable bait. It needs to be heavy enough—something that can fight back, stall for time, and give all the Hashira a chance to enter the Infinity Castle."
"Sounds like none of us are heavy enough to serve as bait,"
the Wind Hashira said bitterly.
Kurosaki Rei nodded.
"Considering mobility, the most suitable bait at present is me."
In truth, after discussing with the Master, they had devised two possible plans. Using Kurosaki Rei as bait wasn't particularly reliable.
Even if he were surrounded and attacked while outside, Muzan might not open the Infinity Castle. And even if he did, Muzan could very well pull Kurosaki Rei in alone in an instant, leaving no opportunity for the other Hashira to follow.
The best bait would have to be even more significant—important enough that Muzan would personally take action.
That meant using the Master himself as bait.
Once Muzan personally entered the fray and came under pressure, he would likely open the gates. At that point, everyone could charge in together.
But since that plan would almost certainly result in the Master's death, the Hashira would vehemently oppose it. Kurosaki Rei himself wasn't fond of it either.
He had already entered this world and stood on the side of the Demon Slayer Corps. If victory required sacrificing the Master as bait, that would be pathetic.
So regarding the bait plan, Kurosaki Rei still had his own ideas.
For now, however, the priority was internal reorganization—getting the Hashira to settle down and begin training.
Kurosaki Rei didn't expect the Hashira to provide overwhelming assistance in the final battle. But he didn't want to see these tragic figures—who had devoted their entire lives to slaying demons—die meaningless deaths.
They deserved better endings.
After saving the Sound Hashira, Kurosaki Rei had also received a hidden quest.
[Hidden Quest: Perfect Ending]
Objective:
After killing Kibutsuji Muzan, ensure that as many of the current nine Hashira as possible survive. Rewards are determined by the number of surviving Hashira.
5 survivors: +3 free attribute points6 survivors: +4 free attribute points7 survivors: +5 free attribute points8 survivors: +6 free attribute pointsAll survive: +10 free attribute points
Failure Penalty: None
The rewards were extremely generous. Achieving a perfect ending would grant a full 10 free attribute points, rivaling the rewards from a complete world-clear.
So whether for personal reasons or for the quest, Kurosaki Rei wanted all nine Hashira—besides himself—to survive.
"Going alone as bait is still too dangerous,"
the Stone Hashira said.
"When you go out, allow me to accompany you."
He acknowledged Kurosaki Rei's mobility but didn't believe Kurosaki Rei alone could handle being attacked by multiple Upper Ranks.
Moreover, with the two of them together, the bait would be even more tempting—perhaps enough to draw Muzan himself.
"I appreciate your concern, Himejima-san,"
Kurosaki Rei said with a smile.
"But let's set that aside for now. First, let's talk about the training."
He continued,
"Since I proposed special training to the Master, naturally I have a reliable method to strengthen everyone."
At his words, curiosity stirred among the Hashira. Who didn't want to grow stronger—especially at a time like this, when Muzan had finally been found?
Sensing their eagerness, the Master also spoke.
"Lu, stop keeping them in suspense. Show them."
Kurosaki Rei nodded. Without further words, his aura surged.
To the Hashira's astonishment, dark patterns began to spread across his body.
"This is—!?"
The Flame Hashira, Rengoku Kyojuro, cried out.
His family lineage included notes left by the first generation of Breathing swordsmen. The strange markings on Kurosaki Rei reminded him of an ability mentioned in those records.
"A Mark?!"
The other Hashira latched onto the term, clearly hearing it for the first time.
Regardless of what ability Kurosaki Rei was displaying, it immediately captured their interest. Every Hashira could feel that this wasn't Breathing—it was a different secret art, one that caused Kurosaki Rei's physical strength to skyrocket.
If they could master such a technique and combine it with Breathing Styles, their power would increase exponentially.
"Because I failed to master Breathing for many years in the past, I once explored other ways to fight demons,"
Kurosaki Rei said.
"That led me to develop this secret art, one that maximizes the release of human potential."
"After using it, strength, speed, dynamic vision, and more all increase dramatically. I call it Oni-God. Are you interested in learning it?"
A Mark?
That thing—even dogs wouldn't activate it.
Kurosaki Rei intended to teach the Hashira Oni-God, a state far safer than the Mark, more controllable, and usable at will. In terms of power amplification, it was absolutely no weaker than a Mark.
Simply put, the Mark was a crude, reckless method of overdrawing potential. Hashira who awakened it later in life paid for it with drastically shortened lifespans—those over twenty-five could even die outright.
Oni-God, on the other hand, differed greatly. While the degree of amplification varied depending on one's constitution, its side effects were far smaller, and its boost to neural reflexes was something the Mark couldn't compare to.
Overall, Oni-God was like a fusion of the Mark and the Transparent World—enhancing both raw power and perception, as well as combat analysis.
As for whether the nine Hashira could learn it—the answer was yes.
Kurosaki Rei had personally created the technique and understood it thoroughly. His teaching skills might not be exceptional, but he could clearly explain its principles. He had taught Lei'an Armament Haki before, after all.
Compared to Armament Haki, Oni-God was even easier to learn. There was no reason the prodigies among the Hashira wouldn't master it. Someone like Tokito Muichiro, who went from picking up a sword to becoming a Hashira in just two months, would find learning Oni-God laughably easy.
Kurosaki Rei was completely confident that within two months, he could give the Demon Slayer Corps' Hashira a massive upgrade.
And when the final battle came, their chances of victory would skyrocket.
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