"Onii-chan! Thank goodness… really… thank goodness…"
Nezuko threw her arms around Tanjiro, tears streaming uncontrollably down her face. She had so much she wanted to say, yet in the end, she could only repeat those simple words over and over. Thank goodness.
Takeo also had countless things he wanted to say, but he only stood to the side, his voice choked as he wiped his tears again and again.
"You really know how to cause trouble…" Hiru let out a sigh of relief, then quickly broke into a grin. "Not bad! Now there's nothing holding us back!"
Tanjiro gently patted Nezuko's back, but his thoughts drifted to what he had just seen.
"Um, Hiru-san… I just saw Muzan."
The moment those words left his mouth, the surrounding Hashira all perked up.
Hiru's brows, which had just relaxed, furrowed again.
"You saw Muzan? You really do have a knack for the worst possible talents… So? What happened next?"
Tanjiro recounted everything he had seen truthfully. When he mentioned that the Infinity Castle was covered in sword marks, the Hashira couldn't help but glance at Yoriichi, who stood quietly nearby.
Yoriichi gave a slight nod.
"Yes. That was my doing. Unfortunately, I was never able to break in."
"Muzan must be focusing all his attention on tracking down Tanjiro," Hiru scoffed. "Otherwise, a Blood Demon Art like the Infinity Castle shouldn't be beyond repair. If he could actually sense Tanjiro turning back into a human, that would be amusing… Watching him fail again and again. Just thinking about it is funny."
"There's something else," Tanjiro added, worry flickering in his eyes. "I saw a demon with rainbow-colored eyes standing before Muzan. From what they said, Muzan seemed to care more about the paintings his subordinates collected than the ones who were killed. I…"
"No need to worry about that," Hiru waved it off. "The only reason Muzan collects those paintings is to use them against me. As long as he dies before that happens, and you all stay away from me, it won't be a problem… Anything else?"
Tanjiro shook his head, then suddenly sneezed. He hugged his arms, shivering.
"…It's so cold. Was it always this cold this season?"
Hiru sighed, taking off his haori and draping it over Tanjiro's shoulders.
"Of course it is. Even though I dress with the seasons, unless the temperature gets extreme, a demon's body doesn't feel it at all. And demons don't get sick from the cold… You'd better be careful from now on. Humans are fragile."
"I understand… Sorry for the trouble…"
"Now that your issue is settled, it's time to think about how to lure Muzan out…" Hiru's gaze lingered on Tanjiro for a moment before shifting away. "The Demon Slayer Corps Headquarters would make a perfect bait."
"So you've finally shown your true colors!" Obanai's hand went straight to his sword, his expression fierce. "I've said it before. Demons can't be trusted! No matter how good they were as humans, a demon is still a demon!"
"Wait, Iguro. Calm down." Uzui placed a hand on his shoulder, only looking toward Hiru once he felt the tension ease slightly. His expression carried clear disapproval. "You're planning to use Oyakata-sama as bait?"
"No. To be precise, it's Oyakata-sama's identity." Hiru didn't seem bothered in the slightest, a faint smile on his lips. "Hasn't Muzan already sent out plenty of spies while searching for Tanjiro?
If, during that process, they just so happen to discover the Demon Slayer Corps Headquarters. An organization formed by his own kind that has harassed him for over a thousand years. No matter how cautious he is, wouldn't he want to crush it personally?
So why not play along? I still have the crystals I extracted while treating the Oyakata-sama's illness. When the time comes, I…"
"I disagree."
Yoriichi, who had remained silent until now, finally spoke.
"Hiru, I will never agree to this plan."
Hiru was about to argue, but when his gaze fell on Yoriichi's tightly clenched hand around his sword hilt, he swallowed his words. What came out instead was something else.
"That's why you should let me finish, Brother. I never said I'd be the one acting as bait."
This time, Yoriichi was momentarily stunned, but he quickly nodded.
"Good. Then I will cooperate as best as I can."
"You won't be able to help with this one, Brother," Hiru said, waving a hand with a sigh. "Anyway, let me continue…
I plan to have the craftsmen I brought earlier create a puppet modeled after the Oyakata-sama. We'll place it in the current Demon Slayer Corps Headquarters, then use the crystals I left behind to alter its aura, disguising it as the master to lure Muzan in.
We should also modify the building. For example, mechanisms that release Wisteria poison, or launch nichirin. Even though my brother can handle Muzan, that demon with Spatial Blood Demon Art is still troublesome. There's no guarantee he'll find Muzan immediately, so we can't miss any chance to weaken him."
"In that case… gunpowder would work too," Uzui said, stroking his chin. "Didn't you say that if a demon takes massive damage in a short time, its regeneration slows down? Then let's add explosives. With enough of it, blowing the entire building apart won't matter… Heh. Just imagining that explosion is dazzling."
"Gunpowder…" Hiru frowned. "I'm not familiar with that. Wouldn't Wisteria poison and Nichirin Blades be better? Tamayo and I can try to make the poison odorless."
"Hmm, but poison is hard to use unless it enters the body!" Rengoku added. "As the Demon King, Muzan's reflexes must be extraordinary! Attacks that fail to connect are meaningless!
We should forge more weapons from Scarlet Crimson Iron Sand and install mechanisms! Coat the blades with poison, like Shinobu's sword. Release it the moment the blade pierces the target!"
Though still displeased,Obanai had to admit that Hiru's plan would minimize casualties. Suppressing his irritation, he spoke.
"Is Muzan really that foolish? After living so long, can't he tell the difference between a real person and a puppet? How do you guarantee he'll fall for it?"
"Hmm… that is a problem," Hiru admitted, crossing his arms. "Those puppets can look real enough, but they can't speak or move… Muzan isn't that stupid. And I haven't studied that area, so I don't have a solution."
"For the voice, we can use a phonograph or a telephone," Uzui said with a grin. "The God of Festivals recently got a very flashy little phonograph. It's a shame it'll be destroyed before I can enjoy it, but if it's for defeating Muzan, then at least it'll go out in style!"
"So that takes care of the voice… What about movement? A string puppet would look too fake…" Hiru tapped his fingers irritably. "I should've put more effort into this before."
Just as everyone was deep in discussion, Yoriichi suddenly spoke.
"As for movement… I may have a way."