CHAPTER 99: CHAPTER 99: THE SOUND PILLAR

Sosuke’s words left Kanae unable to argue, and she frowned in concern.

Battles against the Twelve Kizuki were extremely dangerous, and logically, Sosuke should never be allowed to stay.

However, given the current circumstances, they had no other choice.

The two immediately returned to Jigoro’s house. Kaigaku and Zenitsu were resting in their room. The pair explained the situation to Jigoro.

Jigoro glanced at Sosuke, instantly understanding the gravity of the situation.

Jigoro nodded. "If we can execute this properly, it could deal a severe blow to the Twelve Kizuki."

Kanae didn’t argue, giving a soft nod in agreement.

Sosuke suggested, "Shouldn’t you take them away from here first?"

"That won’t work," Jigoro shook his head. "Based on your descriptions, that Lower Moon Demon seems extremely cautious. Even the slightest change might make it abandon its attack. Everything here must remain exactly as it is, to lull them into thinking we’ve grown complacent. Only then will they recklessly step into our trap."

He glanced at the doorway behind him and lowered his voice. "Even my two disciples can’t know about this. Otherwise, they might easily give us away."

Jigoro believed Kaigaku’s mental fortitude was likely still sound.

But Zenitsu would undoubtedly panic and expose their plan.

Kanae had already shaken off her initial worry and said earnestly, "I’ll use the Kasugai Crow to send a message immediately. We must summon the Pillars as quickly as possible. We don’t have much time left!"

Without another word, Kanae used the Kasugai Crow to send a concise message, summoning the Pillars.

Under the cloak of night, Sosuke gazed out the window, his fighting spirit burning fiercely.

He didn’t know what role he would play in the upcoming battle, but facing such a challenge head-on would undoubtedly sharpen his combat skills.

Kanae approached him from behind and wrapped her arms around him.

Sensing her unease, Sosuke couldn’t help but chuckle softly. "You’re worried about me?"

Kanae nodded silently.

"We prepared ourselves to face danger together, but now that the moment has arrived, I still can’t shake off this anxiety, this lingering worry."

Kanae sighed softly. "I feel like I’m becoming increasingly useless."

Sosuke turned and pulled her into his arms. "Thank you," he murmured.

The girl in his arms looked up at him. Sosuke smiled. "Worry clouds judgment. Think about it—while my current strength might be slightly lacking for outright killing, my agility makes me a difficult target. Besides, I have you, and other Pillars will arrive to assist us. Once prey steps into our trap, annihilating them completely will be easy, as long as we remain cautious."

"You’re just too concerned about me, which makes you overlook our overwhelming advantage and focus solely on my safety."

Tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, Sosuke chuckled softly. "So, thank you."

Kanae pressed her lips together briefly, then nodded, taking a deep breath. "You’re right! We hold the initiative now, but we can’t let our guard down. Caution, vigilance, and concentrated force—we’ll crush every Demon that dares to invade!"

"Mm."

Sosuke nodded deeply.

The night passed without incident, and the next day arrived in the blink of an eye.

Everything proceeded as usual. The Kakushi arrived on schedule, setting up the forge and sword-casting shed. This time, however, the shed proved particularly difficult to construct, taking two full days to complete.

On the third night, someone appeared outside Sosuke and Kanae’s room, gently tapping on the window.

Pushing open the window, they found a flamboyantly dressed woman standing there, greeting them with a flourish: "Yo! As magnificent as ever, I’m right on time!"

It was difficult to describe his attire.

He wore two pure gold armlets, his hair was adorned with jewels, and his face was painted with bizarre makeup. Despite being draped in gold and silver, he exuded no nouveau riche vulgarity, instead radiating an overwhelming aura of ’Seductive —a term that captured his bewitching, almost demonic allure.

This distinctive figure, once seen, could never be forgotten.

This was the man most of the Demon Slayer Corps envied:

The Sound Pillar—Uzui Tengen!

A man with three wives.

When Kanae’s message was received, he was the first to arrive.

Greeting them as he leaped into the room, he glanced around the small space and, without waiting for Sosuke or Kanae to respond, declared, "Understood. Hiding under the bed isn’t exactly dignified, but it won’t diminish my flamboyance in the slightest. And rest assured, I won’t interrupt your late-night activities."

With that, he tried to crawl under the bed.

Sosuke quickly grabbed him. "Stop fooling around!"

Tengen looked at Sosuke, showing no anger at being abruptly pulled back...

In truth, most of the current Pillars rarely got angry with Sosuke.

After all, as a craftsman with unique skills, he was always treated with a certain degree of respect.

"Your accommodations have been arranged," Sosuke said, leading Tengen out the window and around to the sword-forging shed. Sosuke pointed to a wooden table nestled against the wall, beneath which a hidden panel opened to reveal a crude underground tunnel.

The tunnel was pitch-black, utterly devoid of light.

Tengen’s face lost all its usual flamboyance. "Are you trying to bury me alive? That’s so un-flamboyant!"

"It’ll be super flamboyant!" Sosuke reassured him. "Just imagine—in a few days, when the demons attack, you’ll suddenly burst forth, dual blades flashing, slicing through the air, demon heads flying! How flamboyant is that?"

"...Why do I get the feeling you’re just trying to trick me?" Tengen glared at Sosuke.

Sosuke sighed. "Just bear with it. The attack could come any moment. We can’t light any lamps here—the light would give us away. But there’s food and water inside, and even provisions for... well, you know. This place will be buried after the battle anyway, so it won’t matter much."

"You really were planning to bury me alive!" Tengen protested vehemently, but his arguments ultimately proved no match for the allure of slaying Demons. Resigned to his fate, he obediently waited underground.