Staring at the strangely dressed man before him, Kazuki was momentarily unsure how to respond.
Should he speak in the same manner as this man?
With that thought, Kazuki straightened his posture, put on a serious expression, and said:
"Hello. I am the swordsman Kazuki. Thank you very much, Tetsumaru-yama-san, for forging my Nichirin Blade."
With those words, Kazuki bowed deeply. However, when he lifted his head, he realized that Tetsumaru-yama wasn't looking at him at all.
Instead, Tetsumaru-yama was taking down a box wrapped in cloth from his back.
"This blade was forged using Scarlet Crimson Sand Iron and Scarlet Crimson Ore," Tetsumaru-yama said as he worked, his voice solemn.
"It was created through ten uninterrupted days of hammering by my own hands. The blade contains the power of the sun and is the only weapon capable of harming demons."
As he spoke, he untied the cloth bindings around the box.
Slowly, he opened it.
A sheathed Nichirin Blade was revealed before them.
"You have my deepest thanks," Kazuki said sincerely.
The next instant, however, the previously serious Tetsumaru-yama suddenly leaned in close, pressing his masked face right up to Kazuki's.
Kazuki had no idea what he was about to do and felt his expression stiffen awkwardly.
"If you're grateful, then hurry up and draw the blade already!!! Let me see what color your Nichirin Blade turns!!!"
Tetsumaru-yama had completely lost his earlier solemn demeanor. He shouted excitedly, and even with the mask on, his enthusiasm was unmistakable.
"Alright, alright, I get it," Kazuki replied repeatedly, helplessly raising a hand to keep the face pressing toward him at bay.
Only then did Tetsumaru-yama sit back down, though his eyes remained fixed on Kazuki as he continued urging him on.
Swordsmiths who forge Nichirin Blades are all this unpredictable, huh…?
Kazuki thought to himself as he looked at Tetsumaru-yama, then reached into the box and picked up the sheathed blade.
Shing—
A clear, pleasant sound rang out as the blade was drawn.
In the next moment, the originally colorless blade began to darken. Black spread across it, and in the blink of an eye, the entire sword had turned pitch-black.
"So it's black… That actually looks pretty good—"
Kazuki murmured in amazement at the transformation. But before he could finish speaking, he sensed something was wrong with the atmosphere in the room.
"Black… black…"
Dark fumes seemed to rise around Tetsumaru-yama as he muttered repeatedly.
Seeing this, a bead of cold sweat appeared on Kazuki's forehead.
Eh? What's going on?
Did I do something that upset him?
As Kazuki was still confused, Tetsumaru-yama suddenly raised both hands. Steam practically puffed from his head as he shouted at breakneck speed:
"I traveled all the way here from the village without resting even once because I heard you were the Flame Hashira's tsuguko and thought I'd get to see a red Nichirin Blade—aaaaaahhh!!!"
Hearing his furious rant, Kazuki froze for a moment. Then Tetsumaru-yama suddenly lunged forward, clamping his legs around Kazuki and repeatedly knocking on his head with both hands.
"Apologize! You have to apologize to me! Every Flame Breathing user gets a red blade—so why is yours black?! Hurry up and apologize!"
The blows weren't heavy. From Tetsumaru-yama's words, Kazuki finally understood why he was so angry.
"Oh, I see," Kazuki said, suddenly enlightened.
"Maybe it's because I don't only use Flame Breathing."
Tetsumaru-yama paused, tilted his head, and asked suspiciously:
"Don't only use it? You mean you know other Breathing Techniques too? Don't tell me you're bragging.
Even I know that each swordsman only uses one Breathing Technique—at most branching variations from a single style. There's no way someone can use multiple Breathing Techniques!"
"But I really do use several," Kazuki replied honestly, counting on his fingers.
"Four in total, I think. Flame Breathing, Thunder Breathing, Water Breathing, and the Breathing Technique I originally mastered myself."
Flame Breathing he had learned after watching a single demonstration.
Thunder Breathing he had picked up after seeing Zenitsu use it once during the Final Selection.
Water Breathing he learned from watching Tanjiro.
"As for the Breathing Technique I originally had," Kazuki continued with a smile,
"I named it Sun Breathing. It fits my name pretty well, I think."
As he said that, he recalled the moment he had named it.
—
The sun had just risen.
After Rengoku finished demonstrating all the sword forms of Flame Breathing, Kazuki flawlessly reproduced every single one.
"Amazing! Excellent work!" Rengoku had praised loudly.
"You've fully mastered Flame Breathing and its sword techniques! Next, you should focus on developing sword forms suited to your own Breathing Technique!"
"Yes, Rengoku-sensei!" Kazuki had replied happily, encouraged by the praise.
Then Rengoku suddenly remembered something.
"By the way, you haven't named your Breathing Technique yet, have you?"
"No, I haven't," Kazuki answered, shaking his head.
"If that's the case, now's the perfect time to give it a name!" Rengoku said enthusiastically.
Lost in thought, Kazuki pondered deeply. Just then, a ray of sunlight fell across his face. The warmth it brought made his decision instant.
"I'll call it Sun Breathing," he said firmly, gazing at the rising sun.
"The sun is the natural enemy of demons. I want to become like the sun itself—and one day, eradicate every demon."
—
Back in the present, Tetsumaru-yama stared at Kazuki's smile for a moment, then turned away with a huff.
"Hmph! Who cares what you call your Breathing Technique."
He released Kazuki, closed the box on the ground, rewrapped it in cloth, and slung it back onto his back.
"Take good care of that blade," Tetsumaru-yama said, his tone once more solemn.
"It'll be a brother that fights alongside you for a long time."
"I will. I promise," Kazuki replied just as seriously.
"Farewell. May you become an outstanding Demon Slayer swordsman," Tetsumaru-yama said as he turned to leave.
"Goodbye," Kazuki replied with a smile.
…For some reason, Tetsumaru-yama-san's voice sounded rather gentle and soft.
Watching his departing figure, Kazuki couldn't help but think that.
◇ I'll be dropping one bonus chapters for every 10 reviews. comment
◇ One bonus chapter will be released for every 100 Power Stones.
◇ You can read the ahead chapter on P@treon if you're interested:
patreon.com/c/NightTL