The images in the memory were very clear.
Those three humans had exhausted all their trump cards just to barely stall for time. If it hadn't been for daybreak, Akaza would have absolutely ground them into meat paste.
This showed that while the strength of the Demon Slayer Corps had improved, it was only to this extent. No monster like Tsugikuni Yoriichi, capable of unilaterally crushing an Upper Rank, had appeared among them.
As for that black-haired young man using lightning, in Muzan's view, he was nothing more than a nimble-footed clown.
Despite having killed Rui at Mount Natagumo, his true strength couldn't even break Akaza's defense head-on. He could only rely on harassment tactics to survive. From this perspective, he was not worth worrying about at all.
Muzan's suspicion was perfectly soothed by the false memories Yamada had meticulously woven. He didn't sense anything unusual because this memory was too logical—humans exploding with potential in a desperate situation and narrowly surviving thanks to the protection of the sun. This was the most common trick used by Demon Slayers for hundreds of years.
"Useless trash."
Muzan looked at Akaza kneeling on the floor, his gaze icy.
With a thought, the Muzan blood inside Akaza's body instantly went berserk.
"Gah—"
Akaza suddenly spat out a large mouthful of blood. The blood vessels all over his body felt like they were about to explode. The intense pain made him curl up on the floor, cold sweat soaking his clothes, yet he didn't even dare to let out a scream.
"Unable to even finish off a few dying humans, you've tarnished the reputation of the Upper Ranks. Akaza, you have disappointed me greatly."
Muzan stood up from his chair, walked over to Akaza, and looked down at him from above.
"Get out. Continue the mission to find the blue spider lily. As for those Demon Slayers..."
Since the Demon Slayer Corps liked to huddle together for warmth, and even marked swordsmen had appeared, they shouldn't be allowed to grow any further.
"Tell the other Upper Ranks to pay more attention to the movements of the Demon Slayer Corps' strongholds lately. Since the Demon Slayers are starting to gather, we will use even greater force to pull them out by the roots."
"Begone."
"Yes... I obey your will."
Akaza endured the agonizing pain of his cells being torn apart, managed a difficult kowtow, and then disappeared.
Quiet returned to the study.
The young boy walked to the window, pulled back the heavy velvet curtains, and looked at the prosperous night view of Chiyoda Ward.
"As long as I find the blue spider lily... this world under the sun will belong entirely to me."
...
The next morning.
At the Demon Slayer Corps headquarters, the Butterfly Mansion, hundreds of kilometers away from Tokyo.
When Yamada entered the gate with Tanjiro, Zenitsu, and Inosuke, the sun had just risen.
Kyojuro had separated from them halfway, as he needed to report the situation of the Mugen Train to Kagaya in person.
Just as they entered the courtyard, they saw Shinobu standing on the veranda. She was holding a small tray with several cups of freshly brewed hot tea on it.
Seeing Yamada walk in safe and sound, without even a tear in his clothes, Shinobu visibly breathed a sigh of relief. Her originally tense shoulders relaxed, and the corners of her lips couldn't help but curl upward.
"Didn't sleep all night?" Yamada walked to the edge of the veranda and asked, noticing the faint dark circles under her eyes.
"Don't flatter yourself. I was just researching a new pharmacological formula." Shinobu said, expertly averting her gaze as she handed him a cup of tea.
"How was it? You didn't run into any troublesome problems, did you?"
Yamada took the tea cup and pulled last night's parcel from his robe. "Here, your rice balls. Last night I was too busy beating people up and forgot to eat them."
Shinobu looked at the untouched parcel, her brow furrowing slightly. "They're stone cold. I'll take them to Aoi to throw away or feed to the dogs in the backyard."
As she spoke, she reached out to take them, but Yamada dodged her.
"Who says you can't eat them cold?"
Yamada opened the parcel and picked up a freezing rice ball. A faint spark of reddish Chakra flashed at his fingertips;. The high temperature of Fire Release was precisely controlled to avoid burning the food. In just a few seconds, the cold rice ball began to emit steam.
He took a large bite, chewed twice, and commented, "A bit too much salt, but the plum flavor is quite strong."
Watching Yamada finish the remaining rice balls in a few bites right in front of her, Shinobu's cheeks flushed a faint red again.
"You... you really are quite crude." She muttered in a low voice, but the smile in her eyes could not be hidden.
"Fishing is physical labor. Of course I have to replenish some energy." Yamada brushed the rice ball crumbs off his hands, savoring the taste.
"Fishing?" Shinobu looked at him with some confusion.
"Yeah, I cast a very, very long line."
Yamada looked up at the blue sky, the memory he had forcibly implanted into Akaza surfacing in his mind.
If nothing unexpected happened, that cowardly piece-of-trash boss hiding in the shadows should have taken the bait by now.
Not killing Akaza on the spot did mean missing out on a few thousand points. But in exchange, it would be a VIP home-delivery service of the entire Twelve Kizuki coming to deliver their heads one by one.
"Next, we just wait for the prey to come knocking on the door."
Yamada turned his head and looked at Tanjiro and the other two still fooling around in the courtyard.
He said casually, "Let these three boys rest for a day. Starting tomorrow, double their training volume. The real trouble is coming soon."