Before Asuka could even take a sip of tea to calm himself, he had barely stepped into the estate when a Kakushi member rushed up to him, looking extremely anxious.
"Storm Hashira-sama! The Master has issued an urgent summons. An emergency Hashira meeting is being held in the inner residence!"
Ubuyashiki Estate, meeting chamber.
The atmosphere here was even heavier than before Asuka had left, so oppressive that it felt difficult to breathe.
When Asuka pushed the door open and entered, every Hashira present turned their gaze toward him.
Besides the familiar faces he knew, seated beside Gyomei Himejima was a masked man with an aura as steady as bedrock. That was Sakonji Urokodaki, the teacher of Giyu Tomioka and Tanjiro.
Even the former Water Hashira has been summoned? Asuka quietly took his seat without showing any emotion.
"What happened to your face?"
The moment he sat down, Obanai Iguro curiously examined the slightly swollen corner of Asuka's mouth, suspicion in his eyes.
"How come you went to Mount Momoyama and the old Thunder Hashira ended up committing suicide? What exactly were you doing at the time?"
"...I did what I had to do."
Asuka's brief answer was impossible to read, but that topic was not the focus of today's meeting.
At the head seat, Ubuyashiki Kagaya himself was absent. Presiding over the meeting were his two children, Kiriya and Kanata, their expressions more serious than ever before.
"My lords, please look here."
Kiriya unfolded a map covered in red dots.
"In the few days since Storm Hashira-sama went to Mount Momoyama, Kakushi units across the country have reported extremely unusual intelligence."
The red dots were densely packed, scattered across Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, and even the remote regions of Kyushu.
"The demons are no longer hiding in the shadows and committing isolated attacks as they used to. They have begun causing large-scale, indiscriminate disturbances."
"In just a few days, ten villages have been massacred. Local security forces have been almost completely wiped out, and the incidents have already alarmed the Cabinet..."
"That bastard..."
Sanemi Shinazugawa's fist clenched so tightly that his knuckles cracked. He could already imagine the horrific scenes.
"Has that scum Kibutsuji Muzan finally lost his patience?"
"What a terrifying disaster..."
Gyomei Himejima frowned deeply, even the prayer beads in his hands pausing.
"I believe he is deliberately using the lives of ordinary people to force the Demon Slayer Corps into action. Amid the chaos of battle, he intends to track our movements and search for the location of our headquarters."
Sakonji Urokodaki added at the right moment,
"Demons have also appeared near my home at Mount Sagiri. Muzan possesses far more intelligence than we anticipated, and his methods are unpredictable. We must not allow anger to cloud our judgment."
"As cruel as it may sound, the tragedies happening in those villages should be set aside for now. Our top priority must be concentrating our forces and defeating Muzan."
Obanai Iguro's voice was cold, but realistic.
Kiriya nodded, his voice far calmer than one would expect from a child his age.
"...That is correct."
"With the help of two special allies, Father has obtained important intelligence regarding Muzan. Muzan himself and the Twelve Kizuki under his command are hiding inside a special space called [Infinity Castle]."
"It is a separate dimension controlled by a demon named Nakime. Even if we spent our entire lives searching, we might never find a way inside. Yet the chaos outside continues."
"Since Muzan seeks a final battle..."
"To grant him that opportunity, Father has made a decision."
"He will publicly reveal the location of the Ubuyashiki Estate and use himself as bait to lure Kibutsuji Muzan into making the first move, preventing further slaughter and destruction across the country!"
"What kind of joke is this?!"
Sanemi Shinazugawa abruptly stood up, the wooden floorboards creaking beneath his stomp.
"You're going to let that bastard charge straight in here? Then the Master will—!!"
"Shinazugawa-sama, please allow me to finish."
Facing the murderous aura of the Wind Hashira, Kiriya forced himself to remain calm.
"This is merely a trap. Through special channels, we will release false information, making Muzan believe that several Hashira are away for training and that Father's illness has left this place poorly defended."
"But in reality, we will set up the strongest defenses and ambush around the estate. This is all a performance to lure him into showing himself."
"The moment he enters the encirclement, we will ignite enough explosives to destroy an entire street."
"Combined with a specially prepared toxin designed to suppress Blood Demon Arts, we will severely weaken Muzan and his followers!"
Kiriya spoke with conviction, but the doubts in the room did not fade.
"Is it really... false information?"
Mitsuri Kanroji asked cautiously.
"Yes. Please rest assured."
Kiriya bowed deeply to everyone present.
"Father still has many wishes left unfulfilled. He would never easily abandon his life... Please continue training according to the original plan and pretend that nothing has happened."
"In this battle, we absolutely cannot lose."
The meeting ended under a heavy and suffocating resolution.
The Hashira accepted their orders and departed. Each of them resolved to use every remaining moment to awaken their Demon Slayer Marks and forge Crimson Nichirin Blades, preparing to unleash their full power in the coming final battle.
Just as Asuka was about to leave with the others, the silent Kanata gently tugged at the corner of his sleeve.
"Storm Hashira-sama... Father would like to see you alone."
Asuka glanced at the silent Kiriya, a sense of unease rising in his heart.
Kiriya's performance earlier had been too perfect.
So perfect that it felt like he had been reciting a carefully rehearsed script.
Passing through the deep corridors, the fragrance of wisteria flowers mingled with a strong smell of decay.
When Asuka slid open the paper door, even someone as indifferent as him could not help but feel moved by what he saw.
Ubuyashiki Kagaya lay on the tatami mat.
Half of his body had already been consumed by purple curse marks, and his skin had begun to rot.
He had become little more than a skeleton, and even breathing seemed painfully difficult.
Only a few days had passed since they last met, yet Kagaya's condition had worsened to such an extent that Asuka could hardly believe it.
"You came, Asuka..."
Kagaya's voice was extremely faint, like the last withered leaf trembling in the autumn wind.
"Master."
Asuka sat down beside the doorway.
"Your body..."
"It's alright. I will soon be freed from this suffering."
Kagaya's sightless eyes slowly turned toward Asuka.
Though he knew the man could not see, Asuka always felt as though Kagaya's gaze was upon him.
"Was what Kiriya said earlier the truth?"
Asuka asked directly.
Kagaya revealed a weak yet gentle smile.
"...Only if they believe I am safe can they train without restraint and achieve their final breakthroughs..."
"So this really is a sacrifice."
"Yes."
Kagaya spoke calmly, as if using his own life as bait were nothing extraordinary.
"Muzan is an extremely cowardly and suspicious creature... If he does not truly see that I am near death, if he does not truly believe that the Hashira are absent, he will never step into this cage."
"My wife, my life, and even... my children... have all prepared themselves to turn to ashes."
Such a decision was unbearably cruel.
Putting himself in that position, if it were Asuka, he could never treat Tetsushin Arisaki, Rika, or even Shinobu Kocho as sacrifices.
"Why tell me this alone?"
The question was somewhat sharp, causing Kagaya's frail body to tremble slightly.
His lips opened and closed several times, as if hesitating whether to speak.
But in the end, he made up his mind.
"Asuka... you are not human, are you..."