Chapter 28 - Pre-Battle Assessment

Six days later, at night, at the Butterfly Mansion.

Aomori, with his eyes slightly closed, stood quietly in the courtyard, holding two swords in his hands. One sword was purplish-black, and the other was a pristine, shining silver. Near the hilts of both swords were inscriptions that read "Demon Slayer."

These were the two Sun Breathing swords tailor-made for Aomori by the blacksmiths of the Swordsmith Village.

[One-Sword Shura]! Aomori's aura suddenly surged as power erupted from every cell, coursing through every muscle in his body. He could clearly sense the dense network of capillaries, constantly breaking and repairing.

After reaching attributes of 30 in both mental and physical aspects, Aomori's control over these two aspects had greatly improved, resulting in a significant increase in his strength.

Maintaining the [One Sword Shura] state, Aomori began to practice the sword techniques he had newly mastered.

He used [Breath of Thunder] with his left hand and [Breath of Light], an adaptation of the [Breath of Sun], with his right hand.

The purple and white sword glimmers flickered in the air, and the fleeting brilliance made it impossible to follow the swords' trajectories.

In less than two seconds, Aomori knelt down on the ground, spitting out a mouthful of blood.

"Is it really impossible?"

Under normal circumstances, Aomori could barely use both breathing techniques simultaneously, performing a true dual-wielding style, though it wasn't sustainable for long. However, even in the [One Sword Shura] state, he couldn't last two seconds using both techniques simultaneously.

This indicated that after activating [One Sword Shura], Aomori could only use one of the breathing techniques against his foes.

"Too bad. I wanted to give Muzan a surprise."

One minute later, Aomori deactivated the [One Sword Shura] state, his aura subsiding as he entered a weakened state.

For the next five minutes, Aomori forced himself to focus and used several [Healing Spells] to regain some basic self-defense capabilities.

"Weakness lasts for about five minutes?"

With Absol and Pidgeot present, a five-minute period of vulnerability was manageable.

At this point, Aomori had a clearer understanding of his own strength. He estimated that he had a fifty-fifty chance against Muzan in the [One Sword Shura] state.

Tomorrow would be the day to test the Pillars' strength, and Aomori wondered how much their abilities had improved with the mastery of the Second Breath Styles.

The next day, the nine Pillars assembled at Training Ground No. 1 at headquarters.

Over the past few days, Aomori, with his exceptional strength and personal charisma, had become the de facto leader among the Pillars.

Aomori was not one for small talk. He got straight to the point, saying, "Today, our assessment task is simple: use any means necessary to defeat me."

"A word of friendly advice: don't hold back. You'll regret it if you do. This assessment will determine the selection of personnel for the assault on Muzan's main stronghold. Winners get to join the battle; losers miss out!"

As he said this, the Pillars' determination surged, for no one wanted to miss out on the chance to confront Muzan.

"If you're ready, come at me."

Aomori stood calmly in the center of the training ground, waiting for the Pillars' assault.

After exchanging glances, the first to attack was not Sanemi Shinazugawa, but the eldest, Gyomei Himejima.

His Sun Breathing sword was different from the others; it was a massive axe connected to a long chain with a meteor hammer at the end, incredibly heavy yet easily controlled by Gyomei.

Using the chain's control, the massive axe and meteor hammer attacked Aomori from different angles.

"Good strength, but it's useless if you can't hit your target."

Aomori drew both swords, expertly deflecting the massive axe and meteor hammer with minimal effort. He used the secret technique of [Flowing Rock Crushing Fist] in his swordsmanship!

Flower Breathing - Third Form: Falling Blossoms!

Mist Breathing - Fifth Form: Sea of Mist and Clouds!

Kanae and Muichiro Tokito simultaneously attacked, though Aomori repelled them. However, the visual effects created by their sword techniques persisted, with petals and clouds still swirling around Aomori.

"What made you think these illusions that confuse me?"

Aomori easily dodged Gyomei attempt to ensnare him with his chain, dismantling the coordinated assault of the Pillars. Faced with Aomori's flawless defense, the Pillars felt helpless.

"Hmph, I told you, these tricks won't work." Sanemi pointed his sword at Aomori. "Let's all use our full strength. If we hit him hard, that should be enough. I refuse to believe he has three heads and six arms!"

The Pillars' determination remained unbroken, and Aomori responded with a sly smile.

Pillars who were accustomed to solo combat found it challenging to coordinate their attacks effectively. Aomori capitalized on their weaknesses, teaching them harsh lessons.

On the first day, the empowered Eight Pillars were defeated.

On the second day, the assessment continued. As time passed, more and more Pillars realized the importance of teamwork. Finally, they launched a coordinated counterattack that posed a real threat to Aomori. The result was that Aomori's Demon Slayer Corps outfit was tattered and torn.

On the third day, the Pillars, now working together with great cohesion, finally pressed Aomori's Sun Breathing sword against his neck.

"You've passed this assessment."

There were no cheers or shouts of joy because they were all too exhausted to celebrate.

The next day, the Pillar Meeting was held again, with the notable absence of Ubuyashiki.

"Today, my main goal is to share information with all of you and assign the upcoming tasks.

We won't discuss the Lower Moons, as they're not worth mentioning. If you encounter Upper Moons, be cautious. It will take at least two Pillars working together to defeat them; if you're alone, retreat immediately. The characteristics and abilities of the six Upper Moons are as follows...

"Currently, the one who has a clear hiding place is Upper moon 6 Daki, It's is the the entertainment district. . It is up to the three of you, Muichiro, Tengen and Sanemi, to solve it.

The upper moon 2 is the leader of the Eternal Paradise Faith. Send people to search for their base. After finding it, sent one or two smart male team members to confirm his existence and monitor him. Remember, evacuate as soon as night approaches and replace them  the next day.

The other Pillars will lead squads to systematically clear out areas where demons have been spotted recently. Remember, be bold!

This operation plan is codenamed 'Startle the Snake in the Grass.' Any questions?"

Aomori sipped his tea and looked around, asking.

The Pillars shook their heads in a daze.

"If any unexpected situations arise, I'll use my crows to inform everyone. Barring unforeseen circumstances, we'll gather in Tokyo Prefecture in seven days. Hopefully, we'll see everyone intact."

"Yes!"

"Namu Amitabha..."

After the others had left, Kanae suddenly asked, "Are you also going to eliminate demons with us?"

"No, I have some doubts that I need to clarify with someone."

"Well, then, see you in seven days."

"Yeah, see you in seven days."

With her team, including her sister, Shinobu, Kanea headed towards Mt. Natagumo, where there were reports of many demons.

That night, Aomori, carrying his crow "Kaito," left the Demon Slayer Corps headquarters alone.

At this moment, with only ten days remaining until the end of the mission, the battle against Muzan had only just begun.

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