Chapter 247: Deployment

Kagaya Ubuyashiki had always harbored a thought: the final battle, the ultimate confrontation between the Demon Slayer Corps and the demons.

This idea was born after his collaboration with Lady Tamayo. From her, he learned the specifics of the curse and binding Muzan Kibutsuji had placed on all demons.

"One cannot speak my name."

"No demon may survive my death."

Knowing these two rules was enough for Kagaya to understand, from a certain perspective, what kind of existence Muzan Kibutsuji was. It also made one thing clear: if Muzan Kibutsuji were killed, everything would end.

How many demons had the Demon Slayer Corps killed over the generations? Countless. As long as Muzan Kibutsuji existed, demons would continue to emerge. Previous generations of the Ubuyashiki family had realized this problem. But their approach had always been to kill Muzan Kibutsuji as a milestone victory, then spend countless years exterminating the remaining demons.

Now, Muzan Kibutsuji's death was equated with final victory.

The only shortcoming was that Lady Tamayo had clearly pointed out that the Demon Slayer Corps, in its current state, was not strong enough to kill Muzan Kibutsuji.

When Li Mo returned, Kagaya Ubuyashiki knew that the final piece of the puzzle had been found. Especially after Lady Tamayo confirmed his strength, this thought clung to his mind like a nightmare.

Every night, it seemed as if the ancestors of the Ubuyashiki family and the swordsmen of the Demon Slayer Corps were whispering in his ear.

The final battle.

The final battle!

Kagaya Ubuyashiki's eyes were like a calm lake, serene and still. His wife had once said that she loved his eyes the most because they were like deep mountains.

He was not an emotional person. Having taken up the banner of the Demon Slayer Corps in his childhood, he didn't have the luxury to be.

Kagaya Ubuyashiki took a deep breath.

He began his deployment.

The main combatant would be Li Mo.

This was beyond doubt. The other Pillars were also crucial, as they would form the encirclement.

The strategy of "surrounding three sides and leaving one open" wouldn't work against Muzan Kibutsuji. That tactic was meant to avoid a fight to the death, but the Demon Slayer Corps and Muzan Kibutsuji were already locked in a life-and-death struggle.

Kagaya Ubuyashiki's plan was for the other Pillars to lead their teams and hide at a distance, waiting for the signal before charging in.

Yes, even though it was a few years earlier, Kagaya's approach hadn't changed much. He still intended to use explosives combined with Lady Tamayo's poison to severely injure Muzan Kibutsuji first, then go for the kill.

But the bait had changed. Instead of Kagaya Ubuyashiki himself, it would now be the "Blue Spider Lily."

"Corps Leader, I have a question."

"Kanae, please go ahead."

"Will the Blue Spider Lily alone be enough to lure Muzan Kibutsuji? When he enters and sees no one, won't he become suspicious?" Kanae Kocho asked.

Kagaya Ubuyashiki: "In fact, when we release the information, he will already know it's a trap. But he will come, because this is the only obsession he has left in this world."

Li Mo added: "Also, at that time, I will leave a remotely controlled puppet here, while I myself will be in the nearest position."

This was the only point on which Li Mo and Kagaya Ubuyashiki had disagreed.

Because their perceptions of Muzan Kibutsuji were different. In Kagaya's eyes, Muzan Kibutsuji was arrogant, cold, and never looked at people directly. In Li Mo's eyes, Muzan Kibutsuji was a coward. After losing to Yoriichi Tsugikuni, he hid completely, waiting for Yoriichi to die of old age. Would such a cautious person still walk into a trap?

In the end, Li Mo was convinced.

On one hand, he acknowledged that the Blue Spider Lily, preserved in the ice cellar of the estate, held a fatal attraction for Muzan Kibutsuji.

On the other hand, in the original story, Muzan Kibutsuji had boldly met Kagaya Ubuyashiki one last time.

In reality, Li Mo had the ability to survive the explosion. But he wasn't confident he could do so without injury. So, he adopted this compromise.

"Ah." Kanae Kocho nodded, indicating she understood.

Essentially, Kagaya Ubuyashiki had laid out his entire plan. Of course, he had originally intended to stay behind as bait alongside the Blue Spider Lily.

But Li Mo stopped him. The current Kagaya Ubuyashiki was not yet terminally ill, and his sacrifice wasn't necessary. Once Muzan Kibutsuji was dead, the curse of the bloodline would disappear, and his lifespan would extend.

Thus, this arrangement was made.

"Everyone, do you have any more questions?"

"It's not that I doubt you, Corps Leader. But can this person really bear the heavy responsibility of the assault? Can Yin-Yang arts truly be used against demons?"

Having witnessed Li Mo's elusive techniques, Sanemi Shinazugawa still had doubts. A demon's regenerative abilities set them apart from other creatures.

"It's fine. Li has mastered the Sun Breathing technique, the origin of all Breathing Styles. Its lethality against demons surpasses any other Breathing Style. Most importantly, he has been acknowledged by Lady Tamayo."

Tamayo.

In just a few years, this demon doctor had earned the recognition of the Pillars. The intelligence she provided had filled in the gaps for the Demon Slayer Corps.

Even Sanemi Shinazugawa, after offering his rare blood to Lady Tamayo, had acknowledged her identity.

He had even considered donating some of his blood unconditionally to Lady Tamayo, but she had refused.

"I understand."

"If you don't mind, Sanemi, you can spar with me later. Actions speak louder than words," Li Mo offered.

The combination of Swallow Return and the Thirteenth Form of Sun Breathing had made no progress so far.

Without a sparring partner, Li Mo estimated he wouldn't master it by the time of the final battle. Now that he had a sandbag, maybe he could make a breakthrough?

Sanemi Shinazugawa silently agreed to the proposal.

Words were no match for actual combat.

"Next, please feel free to speak your minds."

After Kagaya Ubuyashiki finished explaining his plan, the discussion turned to questions about the final battle.

Miscellaneous questions, such as where the Ubuyashiki family would go if their estate was used as bait, were wisely set aside as everyone focused on the final battle.

One important question came from Gyomei Himejima.

"Is there a risk in using the real Blue Spider Lily to lure Muzan Kibutsuji? What if he obtains it before the explosion?"

This was almost implying that Li Mo might not be able to protect the Blue Spider Lily.

Li Mo wasn't angered by this assumption. The future was unpredictable; who knew what might happen?

So, he answered by using Projection Magecraft to create a Blue Spider Lily so lifelike that it was indistinguishable from the real thing in appearance and texture.

But when the mana was withdrawn, the Blue Spider Lily disappeared.

Gyomei Himejima's question was answered.