Shinobu Kocho froze in place, the smile on her face turning stiff. She slowly turned toward Sol Mirek, disbelief clear in her eyes.
"Then... can you replicate the poison as well?"
Sol lowered his hand and the faint purple glow around his fingertips disappeared.
"No," he replied calmly. "Poison doesn't interest me. I only wanted to reproduce your attack method."
Sanemi Shinazugawa clicked his tongue in frustration.
"This guy is a monster. It took us years to master our Breathing Styles, and he copied them after seeing them once."
Mitsuri Kanroji clasped her hands to her cheeks, her eyes sparkling.
"Sol is incredible! He can even perform Shinobu's Insect Breathing!"
Uzui Tengen rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
"A flashy display. But Sol, can you really use Insect Breathing properly without poison?"
Sol did not answer.
Instead, he raised his hand again. His fingertips began vibrating at a speed too fast for the eye to follow. A faint humming sound filled the air.
In the next instant, a wooden stake at the edge of the training ground silently split in two. The cut was perfectly smooth, like polished glass.
"Breathing Styles are not my main method of fighting," Sol said casually. "I'm just interested in their unique mechanics."
Giyu Tomioka stood quietly to the side, his expression unreadable. As one of the first to witness Sol's strength, he understood far better than the others how terrifying this man truly was.
Shinobu stepped closer to the broken stake, curiosity replacing her surprise. She reached out and ran her slender fingers along the cut surface.
It felt perfectly smooth.
"What a precise strike," she murmured. "Such a clean cut."
Kagaya Ubuyashiki slowly approached, supported by his daughter. A relieved smile rested on his face.
"Sol, you have now learned the Breathing Styles of all nine Hashira. This is truly an extraordinary accomplishment."
Sol lowered his hand and looked at the group calmly.
"Breathing Styles are interesting, but to me they are just an added bonus."
Sanemi frowned.
"Then how strong are you really?"
Sol smiled faintly.
"When you meet Muzan, you'll find out."
Kagaya Ubuyashiki nodded gently as his gaze moved across the gathered Hashira.
"You all understand now why I have such confidence in Sol's plan."
Sanemi clenched his fists, the scars across his face reddening slightly with excitement.
"If Sol is here, that bastard Muzan won't escape."
Shinobu sheathed her Nichirin blade and returned to her usual gentle smile.
"Oh my, it seems the Demon Slayer Corps has finally reached a turning point."
Mitsuri jumped with excitement.
"That's wonderful! We might finally defeat Muzan completely!"
Uzui Tengen stroked his chin as the decorations on his headpiece glittered in the sunlight.
"So what's the next step? Do we continue spreading rumors about the Blue Spider Lily?"
Kagaya raised a hand, signaling everyone to quiet down.
"According to Sol's strategy, we have already begun spreading information about the Blue Spider Lily. The next step is simply to wait for Muzan to take the bait."
He turned toward Sol.
"Do you believe Muzan will appear personally?"
Sol crossed his arms, his expression thoughtful.
"Based on his personality, he will likely send an Upper Rank demon first to investigate."
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"But that works for us. As long as an Upper Rank appears, I can track them back to his hiding place."
Sanemi's eyes lit up.
"So we might get to fight an Upper Rank soon?"
"Don't get too excited," Shinobu said with a soft laugh. "Upper Rank demons are not easy opponents."
Mitsuri clenched her fists eagerly.
"With Sol here, what do we have to worry about?"
Sol shook his head.
"I won't directly fight the Upper Rank demons."
The statement stunned everyone present.
Uzui blinked.
"Why? With your strength, defeating them should be easy."
Sol spoke calmly.
"If I reveal my power too early, Muzan might retreat even deeper into hiding. We need him to believe this is nothing more than a routine operation by the Demon Slayer Corps."
Giyu nodded slightly.
"Muzan is extremely suspicious by nature."
Sol looked around at the gathered Hashira.
"So when an Upper Rank appears, you will handle the fight. I will remain hidden and track their movements."
Kagaya nodded in agreement.
"Sol has considered every possibility. Everyone must be ready to respond to an Upper Rank demon at any moment."
---
Over the next few days, the Demon Slayer Corps entered a state of high alert.
The training grounds felt far more serious than before. Sol stood at the center while the nine Hashira gathered around him, waiting for the next instructions.
"The plan is simple," Sol said calmly.
"The Demon Slayer Corps will continue spreading information about the Blue Spider Lily, but the rumors must only circulate in carefully selected locations."
Kagaya nodded.
"We have already arranged that. False information has been spread through several towns in the northwest."
"Good," Sol replied.
"Next, several Hashira will disguise themselves as ordinary swordsmen and patrol those areas. You must act as if you stumbled upon the information naturally. It cannot look like a trap."
Sanemi frowned.
"Why make things so complicated? Why not just hunt them down directly?"
Shinobu gently waved her fan.
"Sanemi, Sol is fishing. If you're too impatient, the fish will swim away."
Sol ignored their exchange and continued.
"I will remain hidden. When an Upper Rank demon appears, you will keep them occupied while I track their location."
After the meeting ended, everyone went to prepare.
Sol remained alone in the courtyard, quietly watching the sun slowly sink toward the horizon.
"Sol," Kagaya said as he approached, supported by his daughter. "There is something I have wanted to ask you."
"Go ahead."
"You once said you needed something from Muzan."
Kagaya's voice was gentle.
"What exactly do you want?"
Sol turned to face him. In the fading twilight, his dark eyes looked unusually deep.
"His blood."
Kagaya paused in surprise.
"His blood?"
"More specifically," Sol explained, "the power contained within it."
"Muzan can grant power to others through his blood. That ability is worth studying."
Kagaya considered this quietly.
"I understand. Then what will happen to Muzan himself?"
Sol answered calmly.
"If you wish to personally end the thousand year grudge, then once I am finished with him, I can leave him to you."