Chapter 248: Delayed

The detailed strategy for the final battle was laid out during this discussion. However, this did not mean the end of the Pillar Meeting—it was just the beginning.

In preparation for the upcoming final battle, the Pillars would gather here for collective training. The most crucial aspect was fostering a sense of teamwork among everyone.

—In the past, the Pillars had mostly fought alone. As the Demon Slayer Corps' top combatants, sending two Pillars on a single mission was considered a luxury. Unless they were facing an Upper Moon-level enemy.

But the Upper Moons had remained unchanged for over a century, and it was only in recent years that some had fallen. For the Pillars, Lower Moons were merely a slightly tougher challenge.

Almost any Pillar could kill a Lower Moon, which explained why the Upper Moons rarely changed, while the Lower Moons were replaced frequently.

Under such circumstances, sending two Pillars on a mission was seen as a waste of combat power.

There were very few missions that required two Pillars to act together.

With so few opportunities, training was essential.

Li Mo, however, was an exception.

He not only needed to fight alone but was also capable of doing so.

After the summary and before the training began, Li Mo had one more thing to do: completely defeat Sanemi Shinazugawa.

This was a battle witnessed by all the Pillars. Even the Corps Leader, Kagaya Ubuyashiki, sat and watched.

"Corps Leader, won't you go and rest?"

"No need. With Li's help, I've temporarily escaped the erosion of the curse."

Yin-Yang arts.

During his brief self-introduction, Li Mo mentioned that he had studied Yin-Yang arts.

Gyomei Himejima began to wonder just how strong Li Mo had become.

Did Yin-Yang arts enhance direct combat power?

In legends, Yin-Yang masters were often depicted as exorcists and demon hunters. It seemed they had little to do with human-to-human combat.

But then again, those were just stories. Before studying Yin-Yang arts, Li Mo had been a swordsman—an exceptional one at that.

Soon, Gyomei understood why Lady Tamayo had said that Li Mo could take on the task of killing Muzan Kibutsuji.

Sanemi Shinazugawa challenged Li Mo three times in a row.

He lost all three times.

The first time, after several exchanges, Sanemi blocked a strike, but two cuts appeared on his clothes. None of the onlookers could see how Li Mo had moved. What had happened in that instant?

The second time was a different kind of battle. Li Mo didn't engage in a direct sword fight. Instead, his movements were like a swimming dragon, with illusions and real bodies coexisting, making it impossible to tell which was the real one. Pure energy attacks followed, which Li Mo later explained were simply concentrated energy. Illusions, flames, and mist were all used effortlessly.

Sanemi Shinazugawa felt utterly frustrated during the fight. His combat skills were useless. He couldn't even touch Li Mo.

It was pure humiliation.

The third time was the most devastating for Sanemi. Li Mo went in empty-handed, using reinforcement magecraft to enhance his body. He withstood a blade strike barehanded, disarmed Sanemi, and even demonstrated rapid healing.

"If only you had come back earlier..." After the fight, Sanemi's resentment vanished. If three years had made Li Mo this much stronger, what could he even say?

"I'm sorry about Masachika."

"You don't need to apologize. That was my mistake!" Sanemi roared.

Then he retreated to a corner to think.

Sanemi didn't know why he had disliked Li Mo so much.

Was it because Masachika Kumeno had mentioned his name on his deathbed?

Or was it because Li Mo had stood so casually in front of the Corps Leader?

These were negative emotions.

But there were positive ones too. Lady Tamayo had said Li Mo could defeat Muzan Kibutsuji, and Sanemi didn't think she would lie.

The mix of emotions left Sanemi feeling suffocated. But after the fights, he finally understood.

Everything was for the sake of killing Muzan Kibutsuji.

The Wind Pillar's thoughts and reflections had nothing to do with Li Mo.

Li Mo was now answering Kagaya Ubuyashiki's questions.

"Are all Yin-Yang masters this strong?"

Li Mo had introduced himself as a Yin-Yang master. For modern Japanese, the concept of magecraft was still unfamiliar. Was Abe no Seimei's Yin-Yang arts truly Yin-Yang arts, while Kanna Kamui's were not?

"Corps Leader, not all Yin-Yang masters are this strong. It's just that I am this strong. Normal Yin-Yang masters don't train their bodies. Their reaction speeds aren't slow, but their movement speed is lacking. If it were Sanemi Shinazugawa, most Yin-Yang masters would be beheaded instantly."

Traditional mages in the Type-Moon universe didn't train in combat skills. Someone like Emiya Shirou, who could use projection magecraft to fight Servants in close combat, was an outlier among outliers.

Someone like Waver Velvet, with a frail body, was the norm.

"I see. I won't take up any more of your time. It seems Makomo has something to discuss with you. So, we'll start the group training later. Gyomei, accompany me for a walk."

Kagaya Ubuyashiki left with Gyomei Himejima. Suddenly, Li Mo found himself alone with Makomo, as the others had subtly distanced themselves. Even Kanae Kocho, one of the culprits, was standing at a distance.

When she noticed Li Mo's gaze, she tilted her head and smiled, as if to say she was powerless.

"Don't look at her, junior. I've already talked to Kanae. She's told me everything."

Kanae, you betrayed me!

Li Mo's mind was in turmoil, but his expression remained calm. "What? Told you what?"

"Hmm? You killed Upper Moon Six, right?"

"Upper Moon Six had two bodies. You needed to cut off both necks to kill him. So, Kanae and I each took half," Li Mo said.

He was telling the truth, but only half of it. Gyutaro and Daki shared one health bar, but Gyutaro was significantly stronger than Daki. In a one-on-one fight, many Pillars could defeat Gyutaro, but dealing with both siblings at once was a nightmare.

"Is that so? Then let's change the subject. You and Kanae have already crossed that line, haven't you?"

Makomo's expression was icy cold, not just calm but frigid like the depths of winter.

Li Mo played dumb, laughing awkwardly. "Hehe..."

Then, the girl stomped on his foot and walked straight toward Kanae Kocho without looking back.

Li Mo breathed a sigh of relief, only to see Sabito and Giyu Tomioka approaching with questions. He couldn't help but feel relieved.

He had made it through.

On Kanae's side, Makomo stood before her, looking up.

"You stole a march on me, Kanae."

"Oh, did you figure it out so quickly, Makomo?" Kanae said.

Makomo replied, "We'll discuss this in detail after the final battle!"

"Sure."

Kanae Kocho responded with ease.