Haganezuka slowly unwrapped the Nichirin Blade covered in white cloth and drew the sword.
It was a pitch-black color.
The Black Katana.
Haganezuka raised the blade, looked up at the body of the sword, and after staring for a moment, he lowered the Nichirin Blade and turned to look at Mizuki.
Although his expression beneath the fire man mask was unreadable, the atmosphere somehow became strangely tense. Tanjirou couldn't help but swallow.
"Aaaahhh~" Haganezuka suddenly let out a bizarre howl and lunged toward Mizuki.
Mizuki's eyelids trembled slightly. As she leaned back slightly, she extended one foot.
"Ngh..." It landed squarely on Haganezuka's abdomen as he lunged forward, kicking him into a crouched position, bent like a shrimp.
"Yikes!" Tanjirou's eyes widened in fright.
Haganezuka was unfazed. He even trembled as he stretched his hands toward Mizuki, saying with difficulty, "Please... please tell me the swordsmith of this blade... Ngh..."
After speaking, he seemed to have used up all his strength, lowered his head, and collapsed onto the floor.
Urokodaki Sakonji sipped his tea elegantly and said faintly, "Ignore him. He's always been like this..."
No sooner had he finished speaking than Haganezuka began to creep darkly across the floor, wriggling his body until he reached Mizuki's feet and grabbed her ankle.
Mizuki looked down.
Haganezuka raised his head, dark energy seemingly swirling around him.
"Tell me..."
Mizuki lifted her foot and pressed down, stepping on him.
"Ngh..."
Seeing the white wisps of air floating out of Haganezuka, Tanjirou looked horrified: "Something is coming out!"
Nezuko, who had retreated into the futon for privacy, frowned and covered her ears, rolling the blanket up high... Haganezuka, his fingers wrapped in bandages, sat at the table, admiring the pitch-black Nichirin Blade placed before him with a solemn expression.
"Unbelievable, this level of forging technique... No, not just the forging technique, but the user as well..."
He muttered under his breath, not speaking to the group, but talking to himself.
Mizuki's mouth twitched slightly. This guy... he's definitely a bit abnormal.
Haganezuka suddenly turned his head: "Please, you must..."
Mizuki interrupted him, annoyed: "No. I already told you the swordsmith passed away a long time ago."
He's been dead for several hundred years. Did he want her to dig up his grave?
Tanjirou was also intently observing the style of the Nichirin Blade.
He had only glanced at it when Mizuki first demonstrated the Sun Breathing Sword Form, but hadn't looked closely.
Two years ago, as a charcoal burner, he didn't understand the quality of blades, but just seeing this sword made Tanjirou feel a sense of heaviness.
He felt like it was an incredible sword.
Tanjirou pointed to the character on the blade and asked, "What is this character 'Destroy'?"
Mizuki explained, "It means Destroying Evil Demons."
"Destroying Evil Demons?" Tanjirou murmured, his eyes lighting up. "So cool!"
"Don't even think about it." Haganezuka suddenly poured cold water on his enthusiasm.
"Huh?"
"Only the Hashira, who stand at the pinnacle of the Demon Slayer Corps Rank System, are allowed to have 'Destroying Evil Demons' engraved on their blades."
Tanjirou's eyes widened: "Huh? The Hashira?!"
Having passed the Final Selection, Tanjirou naturally knew the Demon Slayer Corps Rank System.
Kinoe, Kinoto, Hinoto, Tsuchinoto, Kanoe, Kanoto, Mizunoe, Mizunoto.
Above Kinoe are the Hashira.
And he was currently only the lowest rank, Mizunoto.
Although he had long suspected that Miss Mizuki had ties to the Demon Slayer Corps, such a powerful blade proved just how amazing she was.
"This sword has a history of at least three or four hundred years. For a blade to be forged to this extent, besides the swordsmith's superb craftsmanship, the previous owners were certainly not ordinary people."
Haganezuka wore the fire man mask, and beneath the comical mask, his voice was steady.
When this guy got serious, he actually seemed like a person.
That's what Mizuki thought.
"So amazing!" Tanjirou looked longingly at the Nichirin Blade on the table.
Wait, three or four hundred years?
Miss Mizuki is three or four hundred years old?!
Mizuki was unaware of his wild thoughts and smiled, saying, "Tanjirou, how about I give you this sword once you completely master Sun Breathing?"
"...Huh?" Tanjirou was stunned, completely unable to follow Mizuki's train of thought.
Before he could say anything, Haganezuka stood up and jumped around, shouting, "Ha? Give it to this kid?!"
"Does this kid even deserve to use a sword like that?" Haganezuka approached Tanjirou and mercilessly poked his cheek with his finger.
"Ow, ow..."
As expected, she was training Tanjirou as her successor.
Urokodaki Sakonji looked at Mizuki and peacefully raised his teacup.
Yes, a peaceful atmosphere.
"Stare..."
"Stare..."
Tanjirou sat restlessly, beside him was Haganezuka, radiating a terrifying dark aura.
"This kid won't do." Haganezuka withdrew his dark aura and said faintly, "That sword will only be buried if he uses it."
Tanjirou didn't feel angry. He readily agreed with Mizuki: "That's right, Miss Mizuki. Look, I already have my own sword."
He said this while waving the blade in his hand.
Tanjirou was not the type to demand something just because someone else had something good.
He knew very well that he couldn't utilize such a precious sword excellently.
Mizuki looked up: "That sword won't do."
Tanjirou froze for a moment, cold sweat breaking out.
Mr. Haganezuka... He cautiously looked at Haganezuka, expecting to see him furious, but instead saw that he had run to the corner at some point and was drawing circles with his back to them.
"How mean... I put my heart into forging it too..."
Tanjirou sweatdropped: "..."
He had unexpectedly given in.
Mizuki's mouth twitched, and she rubbed her brow: "It's not that your sword is bad, Mr. Haganezuka's forging technique is excellent."
"But this sword was specifically forged for a Sun Breathing swordsman, so it will be more compatible with Tanjirou."
Hearing this, Haganezuka silently returned from the corner.
Tanjirou worriedly asked, "But if I take this sword, what will Miss Mizuki use?"
"I am not proficient in Sun Breathing; the sword would be buried if it stayed with me," Mizuki shook her head. "Besides, I'm not giving it to you right away."
"You must at least fully master the Breathing Technique and reach the level of Constant Concentration."
This was what Mizuki had decided from the beginning.
She kept the sword not because it was powerful, but because it was a memento of Yoriichi, nothing more.
Giving it to Tanjirou was the best choice.
He would make this dusty blade shine again.
Seeing Mizuki's serious demeanor, Tanjirou couldn't bring himself to refuse, and besides... the sword looked genuinely amazing!
He was full of motivation: "I will definitely work hard!"
After speaking, he cautiously glanced at Haganezuka, who had recovered and was now hunched over the table studying the blade again.
Before Tanjirou could relax, a Kasugai Crow circled outside the house.
"Kamado Tanjiro! Go quickly to the Northwest Town!"
"Go slay demons quickly!"
"This is your first mission, keep it in mind!"
Mizuki silently picked up the Nichirin Blade from the table and sheathed it.
"Eh? No!!!"
Haganezuka shrieked, tremblingly reaching for Mizuki's waist.
Mizuki casually slapped his hand away, giving him a cold, sidelong glance that scared Haganezuka off.
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