With the trial concluded, the Kakushi quickly carried the unconscious Tanjiro away. The meeting moved indoors, following the Master and his children into a secluded, dimly lit room. The Hashira, now seated formally, awaited the strategic meeting.
Kagaya nods, his voice regaining its calm strength. "The ripples have started. The stalemate is broken. Manjiro, my child, speak"
Manjiro, who had taken a seat in the corner, let out a quiet sigh, as if the request was a bit of a chore. He leaned his head back against the wall, eyes half-closed, staring at the ceiling.
"I'll be honest with you," Manjiro says, almost gently. "that you're all being wasted."
His eyes lift, meeting theirs one by one "We're not weak. We're the strongest generation in the Corps' history."
He exhales.
"And if we still can't end it…"
A faint smile.
"Then there never was a point in surviving this long."
"And that's why we are ending this. Not in a decade. Not in the next generation."
"We finish it..."
He sat up slightly, lacing his fingers and resting his chin on them, "So, here's the new plan."
Manjiro raises his hand, holding up two fingers.
"We have exactly two years. Within two years, Muzan Kibutsuji dies."
"Killing Upper Rank Five was not a victory for me. It was a warning to Muzan. Now he's desperate, paranoid, and will change his rules. What does that mean for us? More attacks, more random demons appearing, more death."
"We have been defending for a century. Now, we must attack. But to do that, that's where I come in"
"You're all so focused on fighting for a 'good death.' You want to save everyone." He scoffed, "But... You can't save everyone. You'll just die along with them. . "You call it 'noble.' I call it stupidity."
The room went cold. He wasn't just being arrogant; he was insulting their very code and honor.
He turned his head to Kagaya. "Oyakata-sama. I'm not asking. I'm telling you. To win, this is the only way. You'll grant me this authority because you, more than anyone, want this over."
"Magnificent!" Kyojuro Rengoku boomed, though his smile was strained. "A bold claim! But to ask for such control without sharing your strategy is a difficult thing to accept, even for me!"
"Hmm," Shinobu Kocho added, her smile tight. "To disrupt our entire command structure based on one person's plan... it's highly illogical, Manjiro-kun. You must know that."
Manjiro met their objections with a look of boredom. He didn't even bother to respond, merely looking back to Kagaya as if to say, 'Are you going to handle this, or should I?'
Kagaya smiled, and the tension vanished. "My children. Your concerns are valid. It is an unprecedented request. But Manjiro is correct."
He went on again, his voice was evidently hopeful. "He is the proof of our ancestors' hope. Manjiro is not just the slayer of an Upper Rank; he is the key that unlocks the past."
He took a breath and continued, "The reason you will trust him... is because he has already awakened the legendary mark of the Demon Slayer Corps, a feat unseen since the Sengoku era."
All eyes snapped back to Manjiro.
---
Manjiro sighed dramatically, He rolled his shoulder to stretch his neck and gestured to the rising dragon tattoo. "It's just the dragon tattoo on my neck. It gets hot and itchy when my heart rate exceeds more than 200 bpm and my core temperature rises."
He shrugged. Activating the Mark on command, Manjiro begun explaining, "it basically glowed white-hot, like you can see right now and... I could see the flow of the demon's blood. His entire composition. It's a physical reaction, nothing supernatural. Just a hard-limit indicator for our bodies."
Kagaya chuckled softly. "What you describe, my child, is the Mark. The Demon Slayer Mark is a pattern that appears on an individual who has met those exact physical conditions, pushing their limits far beyond human capability. It grants a power boost equivalent to that of a Hashira, often allowing the user to achieve the Transparent World and see the enemy's true composition. It is a sign of our ancestors' strength, now returned."
The room was silent as the Hashira processed this. The Mark, a legend from the Golden Age, was real. And the lazy, arrogant man in front of them had it.
"Gyomei," Kagaya said softly. "Shinobu. Kyojuro. Sanemi. Do you understand? The path has been opened. Manjiro's plan, whatever it may be, is not born from arrogance, but from a capability none of us have possessed in a century."
Gyomei Himejima bowed his head deeper, his tears slowing. "Such conviction... and such a cold, heavy burden. We follow the Master's will. The Mark... it changes everything. So be it."
"Manjiro will have the full authority to direct the Corps' movements," Kagaya stated, his voice now firm. "There will be no exceptions."
Manjiro's expression didn't change, but his gaze swept over the Hashira again. He glanced, just for a second, at Mitsuri, who was staring at him with wide, shining eyes. His personal motivation remained his own.
He turned his gaze back to the group, his voice a quiet murmur, a challenging, teasing lilt returning.
"So, tell me, Hashira. Are you ready to stop fighting for a good death... and start fighting for a guaranteed victory?"
---
Meeting prolonged for couple more hours...
For that duration of time, they discussed the increasing activity of demons and the fact that the Hashira lineup has not changed much, but the lower ranks are dying too quickly. Kagaya spoke ominously about Muzan's movements, sensing that the "gears of fate" are turning for the first time in a long while.
The meeting concluded with the Hashira renewing their vows to the Master, their gazes now fixed on a new, tangible, and shockingly near horizon: the end of demons in two years.