At the very moment Sanemi's blade tip was less than an inch from the wooden box.
Swish!
An ordinary white pebble, accompanied by a piercing air blast, slammed into the side of Sanemi's nichirin blade.
Clang!
A massive force traveled through the blade.
Sanemi felt a sharp tearing sensation in the web of his thumb. The nichirin blade actually flew out of his hand, spun several times in the air, and landed on the ground in the distance with a "clatter".
"Who is it?!" Sanemi turned around in a rage.
"Sanemi, the muscles in your body stopped cramping, didn't they? Was the electrocution the other day not enough? Do you want another beating today?"
A casual voice suddenly sounded from the long corridor at the side of the courtyard.
The gazes of all the Hashira instantly converged on that spot.
Yamada was leaning sloppily against a pillar on the corridor, tossing another pebble in his hand. The black haori was draped casually over his shoulders, and his dark eyes held a hint of playful mockery.
The moment they saw Yamada speak, the Hashira who had been shouting just now collectively lost their voices.
Especially Sanemi, who had been incredibly arrogant just a moment ago. The moment he saw Yamada, the residual numbness from the lightning deep within his body was reawakened and the corner of his eye couldn't stop twitching wildly.
"Yamada... What are you doing here?!" Sanemi gritted his teeth, but the arrogance in his tone had clearly weakened significantly.
Having just been instantly defeated in one move not long ago, who would dare to speak loudly in front of this monster today?
"As the Special Executive Officer, can't I come to watch the show?"
Yamada casually threw the pebble onto the ground, clapped his hands, and strode over to Tanjiro, kicking Sanemi aside and stepping one foot onto the wooden box.
"This kid and this demon are people I protected from Mount Natagumo. I already told Shinobu yesterday that this demon hasn't eaten anyone. If there's a problem, I'll cleave her and Tanjiro together."
Yamada looked around at the surrounding Hashira calmly, the curve of his lips becoming increasingly arrogant. "Now, does anyone else have an objection to the disposal of this demon? Step forward, I don't mind having another private training session with them."
In the entire courtyard, everyone tacitly kept their mouths shut.
Seeing this, Tanjiro, tied up on the ground, was almost moved to tears.
What is a sense of security?
This is absolute security!
As soon as Yamada appeared, these guys who were just about to kill someone didn't even dare to let out a peep.
Just then, the sliding door of the washitsu was slowly pulled open.
"Master has arrived."
Guided by two young kids, Kagaya slowly walked onto the corridor.
The Hashira quickly knelt on one knee and offered their greetings.
"Good morning, my children." Kagaya's gentle voice rang out.
Although he couldn't see, he had clearly heard the commotion just now.
"Regarding Kamado Tanjiro and his sister Nezuko, I have received a letter from Urokodaki-san. Both he and Giyu are willing to commit seppuku as a guarantee that she will not attack humans."
Kagaya turned his face toward Yamada and smiled. "Of course, what makes me feel most at ease, is Yamada-Yamas guarantee. Since even you, the Special Executive Officer, believe she poses no threat, then I announce that Kamado Tanjiro is permitted to travel with Nezuko."
With his final word and Yamada, that terrifying god of slaughter, holding down the fort, this trial assembly, which was extremely frustrating in the original story, ended so abruptly and smoothly.
"Since the matter is resolved, stop kneeling. Take this kid to the Butterfly Mansion to recover."
Yamada waved his hand disinterestedly and turned to leave.
[Ding! Detected the host's forceful intervention in the Hashira Meeting trial!]
[Deterred the Hashira with absolute force, significantly altering the humiliating plot for the protagonists Tanjiro and Nezuko!]
[Congratulations to the host for obtaining dimension points: 3500!]
The notification in his mind made Yamada's mood slightly better.
Just as Yamada was about to return to the Butterfly Mansion to scrounge a meal, Kagaya suddenly spoke solemnly, "Yamada-san, please wait."
Supported by the kids, Kagaya bowed slightly to Yamada. "According to the latest intelligence from the Kasugai Crows hidden everywhere, frequent disappearances have occurred near the Mugen Train. An Upper Moon is likely hidden there."
"Oh?"
Yamada stopped in his tracks, his lazy gaze gradually becoming dangerous.
"An Upper Moon... Finally, some decent prey."
...
"The Mugen Train... I see."
Facing the information about the Upper Moon provided by Kagaya, Yamada's reaction was surprisingly calm.
He didn't even ask a single question about the demon's specific abilities, merely waving his hand with extreme indifference.
"Have your Kasugai Crow keep a close eye on that train's movements. Notify me once the specific schedule and route are found. Going now would be a wasted trip."
Yamada yawned and turned to walk out of the courtyard. "I'm heading back to the Butterfly Mansion for dinner. If there's nothing else, I'm out."
Watching Yamada leave so brazenly, the several Hashira remaining in the courtyard looked at each other in dismay, but none dared to speak up and stop him.
In the Demon Slayer Corps, where strength is paramount, Yamada, who had instantly defeated several Hashira, already possessed absolute authority comparable to or even surpassing Kagaya.