It took a full half-month in Swordsmith Village before Haganezuka Hotaru finally came down from the mountain with Haruto's new nichirin blade.
Well, the muscular man, holding a nichirin blade in one hand and his self-forged cleaver in the other, looked quite intimidating as he threatened, "If you dare to again…"
"I understand, Mr. Haganezuka!"
Haruto smilingly stuffed the leftover mitarashi dango, pilfered from the village kitchen, into his hand, successfully acquiring the new nichirin blade.
If this were a game, a line of text like this would probably pop up above his head:
"Obtained nichirin blade * 1"
After equipping the nichirin blade, Sora, who was circling in the sky as usual, brought news of a mission.
"Ambush, ambush!" Sora's voice tore through the tranquil sky of Swordsmith Village: "A Butterfly Mansion rescue team was attacked by a Twelve Kizuki while en route to the Suzuki region!"
Haruto frowned, went back to his room to bid farewell to Godou River, donned his haori, and patted Kotetsu's shoulder: "Kotetsu, let's talk about developing the mechanical doll later."
Kotetsu nodded vigorously: "Haruto, you must bravely slay demons!"
"That's right, use the nichirin blade I forged to cut off many demon heads!" Haganezuka Hotaru stuffed the last mochi rice ball into his mouth: "If you dare to mistreat the weapon I crafted, I will chase you to the ends of the earth!"
"Uh…" Haruto's face fell.
Why am I getting a debuff right before I leave? Thinking about the nichirin blade will probably make the fight harder.
Watching the white-haired swordsman's figure disappear at the village entrance, Haganezuka Hotaru clapped his hands, stood up, and turned his strange Fire Man mask towards Kotetsu.
"What mechanical doll were you talking about just now?"
...Half an hour ago
Kochou Shinobu walked at the back of the group, nichirin blade in hand, looking at the rescue team from Butterfly Mansion behind her, feeling a sense of unease.
Although it was daytime, the clouds today were very heavy, completely obscuring the sun. The forest along the way was also very dense, and she was worried that something might go wrong.
But they had to go.
Several Demon Slayer Swordsmen in the Suzuki region had been ambushed, and their lives were currently unknown.
After In learned of the news, he hastily contacted Butterfly Mansion. Since the direct distance was not far, Kanae decided that Kochou Shinobu, an Second-ranked swordsman, would be responsible for protecting several Butterfly Mansion successors and a team of In on their way to Suzuki.
Genya, who had been studying pharmacology at Butterfly Mansion during this time, also volunteered to go along, although he was not yet an official Demon Slayer Corps member.
"What are you looking at, Miss Shinobu?" Genya looked behind him but found nothing unusual.
"I just feel that the atmosphere is a bit strange…" Kochou Shinobu looked up at the lush tree canopy: "For a forest with such dense vegetation, don't you think it's too quiet here?"
Although Genya was young, having been with Haruto for so long, he had grown into a reliable young adult.
This was also why Kanae agreed to let him come along.
Genya tilted his head and listened for a while. Indeed, apart from the faint footsteps and low conversations of the Demon Slayer Corps members, the entire forest was unusually quiet; not even the chirping of insects and birds, which should have been present, could be heard.
"It is indeed a bit strange."
Shinobu looked back, and Kuwano Masachika from the In team also narrowed his eyes and nodded at her.
"Then… let's quicken our pace and get through this forest as soon as possible!"
Kochou Shinobu said loudly. Before her words had fully faded, a soft chuckle reached her ears: "So I was detected."
It's… a demon!
Kochou Shinobu was startled and looked up at the tree canopy.
There!
Sitting in the dense tree canopy was a graceful young woman wearing a white fallen leaf kimono.
The snow-white figure lightly floated down in front of the team and smiled gently.
"Nice to meet you, please take care. My name is Mei Jing."
Her smile was truly gentle, and her smooth black hair cascaded down to her waist like a waterfall.
Her hands were tucked into the sleeves of her kimono, she wore thick-soled geta on her feet, and a string of bells hung at her waist, making a crisp "ding-a-ling" sound when she moved.
If one were to ignore the clear "Lower Three" characters in her light brown eyes, she might indeed charm a group of inexperienced youths.
A Twelve Kizuki?!
The standoff between the two sides lasted no more than three seconds before the Demon Slayer Corps team sprang into action.
Kochou Shinobu quickly moved forward to Mei Jing's front, and together with several successors who had passed the selection, they isolated Mei Jing from In.
Genya trailed behind, gripping his double-barreled shotgun with one hand and reaching into his pocket with the other, clutching the Tamayo pills he had brought just in case.
The In team immediately scattered like birds and beasts, dispersing into the forest.
Kuwano Masachika looked back, hesitated for a moment, but continued without stopping, diving into the bushes.
The entire team's dispersal took no more than five seconds, but if they truly encountered a vicious demon, even five seconds would be enough for it to kill and return.
However, this Lower Three, Mei Jing, did not care about In's escape. She merely looked gently at the Butterfly Mansion girls carrying medicine boxes.
"Are you doctors? It's an honor; I was once a doctor too. The difference is, you heal bones and skin, while I treat…" She took down the bells from her waist and gently shook them twice: "...the heart."
Blood Demon Art: Heart Resonance.
Kochou Shinobu clutched her head, suddenly feeling a sense of dread towards the female demon in front of her.
All sorts of chaotic emotions overflowed from her mind, making her so flustered that she could barely hold her nichirin blade.
Wait! Kochou Shinobu!
Why are you afraid of a demon?!
She forcibly stabilized her wavering mind, realizing that this must be the demon's Blood Demon Art at work!
She snorted coldly, the fear in her heart gradually disappearing, replaced by a surge of anger.
Fear?
No!
From the moment my parents died before my eyes!
I only have boundless anger towards demons!
"Oh?"
Mei Jing looked at the swordsmen in front of her with surprise.
Why was there no fear in their hearts?
Even the boy with the rooster-comb hairstyle had fire spewing from his eyes, as if the fear generated in that instant of the bell-ringing would shame him for the rest of his life.
"I have always only had boundless anger towards demons…" She parted her crimson lips slightly, raising her watery gaze, and looked gently at Kochou Shinobu: "Why deceive yourself like that?"
She can read my mind...?
Kochou Shinobu's heart trembled, and she bit her lower lip, forcing herself to clear her mind of distractions.
"Compared to the true thoughts of demons, which are mixed with various strange desires and emotions, a human's heart can be seen through at a glance."
Mei Jing chuckled, as gentle as a true psychologist.
She turned her head slightly to look at Genya, opening her hands to him: "Ask me your questions, and I will answer them one by one, helping you escape the sea of troubles and cross the Sanzu River in your dreams."
Genya glared at her fiercely, his fingers gripping the gun handle so hard they turned white.
"So your first question is…"
"This damned thing that crawled out of a pile of maggots, would it be cleaner if its head was blown off, or would that little toy it uses to lull babies to sleep be shattered and defeated faster…"
Mei Jing's smile gradually faded until she looked at Genya expressionlessly.
"...Patient, is that your question?"
"That's right…" The rooster-comb-haired boy lifted his head high, revealing a furious and wild smile, and raised the double-barreled shotgun in his hand at her.
"That's your Big Brother Genya's question!"