Yuki returned to Headquarters and met Kagaya again.
Though only a few days had passed, Yuki noticed that the purple scars on Kagaya's face had spread further. At this rate, it wouldn't be long before he lost sight in his other eye permanently.
Yuki couldn't help but sigh.
The will of this world was truly a bully, preying on the weak and cowering before the strong.
When a monstrous anomaly like Muzan, who defied the natural order, emerged from the Ubuyashiki Clan, the heavens dared not directly target Muzan himself. Instead, they cursed the entire clan.
What kind of justice was this?
Cowering before Muzan while striking down the Ubuyashiki Clan with full force?
Sensing Yuki's gaze, Kagaya waved his hand dismissively and said calmly, "Don't worry about my condition. I've already received reports from Kyojuro and Sanemi. You killed Lower Moon Three and Lower Sixth Rank in Tokyo Prefecture—truly a splendid achievement!"
Kagaya then turned his gaze back to Yuki, paused for a moment, and asked, "What was the outcome of that matter you mentioned?"
Yuki recounted everything: Muzan's unexpected appearance in a different location and how Kokushibo had nearly lost his head.
Kagaya's emotions immediately surged with excitement.
"Yuki, you've truly done it!"
"This is an absolute miracle for me and the Demon Slayer Corps!"
"You've repelled Upper Moon One! In the Corps' entire century-long history, we've never achieved such a monumental feat!"
Yuki smiled and shook his head.
"The real miracle isn't just repelling Upper Moon One."
Facing Kagaya, Yuki didn't need to maintain the same tense composure he had with Kokushibo. He could freely draw upon his usual banter:
"Let me explain what I mean by 'miracle'."
"The miracle is that Muzan has been terrified once again. He won't dare show his face for quite some time."
"The frequency of demon attacks on humans will drastically decrease."
"Muzan's focus will now shift entirely to overcoming sunlight and enhancing his power."
"Meanwhile, the Demon Slayer Corps' missions should significantly reduce, temporarily freeing the Pillars from their demon-hunting duties."
Kagaya blinked thoughtfully.
"By then,Yuki, your strength will undoubtedly have grown even further."
Yuki's expression turned slightly awkward.
Dealing with such perceptive individuals was always troublesome; they could see right through his secrets.
Ubuyashiki was right. This was indeed Yuki's plan.
Since his initial arrival in this world, his Restoration Rate had been a mere 10%.
Having just defeated Kokushibo, Yuki's Restoration Rate had already reached 49%.
At this rate, he estimated it wouldn't take long to maximize his Restoration Rate.
At that point, the remaining challenges would be finding Kibutsuji Muzan and preventing him from splitting into over 1,800 pieces to escape again.
Yuki already had some ideas about how to locate Muzan.
As for preventing Muzan's escape, that was something he needed to discuss with Kagaya:
"I have a plan, but I'll need your cooperation."
Kagaya's expression shifted:
"Does this involve the Swordsmith Village? I can arrange that immediately."
Yuki replied gravely:
"Going to the Swordsmith Village is part of the plan."
"In fact, all the Pillars may need to go there."
Kagaya's face clouded with confusion:
"You mean all the Pillars need to go to the Swordsmith Village?"
"Wouldn't that imply their weapons are damaged and require maintenance...?"
Kagaya suddenly paused.
Earlier, Yuki had mentioned temporarily relieving the Demon Slayer Corps' Pillars from their demon-slaying duties. Now, he was suggesting they might all travel to the Swordsmith Village together.
Though he had already sensed Yuki's next plan, a wave of surprise still washed over him.
As expected, Yuki smiled and said, "The Demon Slayer Corps has lost some of its traditions over the years, and I happen to have some knowledge of these things."
"Therefore, I plan to conduct training sessions for all the Pillars."
As previously mentioned, Yuki was not one to hoard knowledge. Moreover, many of his skills originated from Yoriichi, rather than his own training.
Yoriichi himself had been a man who never kept secrets, meticulously guiding every swordsman he encountered.
Yuki recalled that the original work had mentioned this explicitly.
Regardless of the individual, Yoriichi would impart his sword techniques and Breathing Techniques without reservation.
In fact, the very existence of derivative Breathing Techniques stemmed from Yoriichi's guidance, encouraging swordsmen to adapt the techniques to their own strengths.
By sharing these skills with the Demon Slayer Corps once more, Yuki believed that Yoriichi, were he present, would have made the same choice.
As this thought crossed his mind, Yuki felt a sudden surge of energy.
He checked his Restoration Rate and found it had jumped to 50% with just this single thought.
Kagaya couldn't help but press further, "So, what exactly do you plan to teach them?"
Yuki had considered this issue long ago.
Breathing Techniques, Transparent World, Demon Slayer Mark, and Crimson Blade were collectively known as the four essential tools for Demon Slayers in the Demon Slayer World.
Among these, the Crimson Blade was relatively easy to master and could rapidly enhance combat power.
In the original work, there were theoretically four methods to activate the Crimson Blade: mastering Sun Breathing, Nezuko's Blood Demon Art, grip strength, and weapon collisions.
Because of Yuki's intervention, the Kamado family had survived, allowing him to immediately rule out Nezuko's Blood Demon Art.
While some claimed that activating the Crimson Blade through grip strength or weapon collisions required first awakening the Demon Slayer Mark, Yuki believed they could attempt these methods even before the Pillars manifested their Marks.
If they successfully activated the Crimson Blade, it would be a great boon.
Even if they failed, Yuki had a backup plan:
He would first retrieve Yoriichi's katana, fuse it with his own weapon to obtain the complete Crimson Blade effect.
Then, after activating the Crimson Blade himself using Sun Breathing, he would use a "fire-transfer" method, colliding his weapon with each Pillar's in turn.
This way, he could achieve "Crimson Blades for all"!
With a resolute tone, Yuki declared:
"I will teach them the Crimson Blade."
After explaining, Yuki detailed the Crimson Blade's capabilities to Kagaya.
Kagaya instinctively held his breath.
He finally understood just how astonishing this "surprise" truly was.
Kagaya instinctively wanted to thank him, but Yuki suddenly raised a hand to stop him.
"Enough, there's no need for thanks."
Kagaya took a deep breath, slowly suppressing his excitement.
He seamlessly shifted the conversation, following Yuki's lead:
"Speaking of which, aren't you planning to visit the Kamado family at Butterfly Mansion?"