Time flew by like a loosed arrow as I oversaw the training of my Tsuguko, Amano, and continued the hunt for Demons. In the blink of an eye, three years had passed.
I am now seventeen years of age, and my stature has surged to a towering 190 centimeters.
To think I grew twenty centimeters in a mere three years! For reasons I cannot fathom, every time Uzui saw me hitting another growth spurt, she would simply let out a heavy sigh.
'The process of growth is, by nature, an unsightly thing.'
'Nobody said you were unsightly, madam.'
Aha.
In any case, reaching the rank of Hashira didn‘t change much of my daily life.
I had free access to as much wealth as I desired, but truthfully, in the Sengoku period, there are no games to play, no real entertainment to indulge in... not even much in the way of gourmet delicacies...
Indeed, there is simply nowhere to spend the money. At this rate, hunting Demons feels like the only amusement available.
Over the last three years, no prototypes of the Twelve Kizuki bearing the mark of the "New Moon" (朔) appeared. We only encountered three of those marked with the "Full Moon" (望).
I personally dispatched one of them, and that particular Demon was incomparably weaker than the "New Moon" prototype I had fought before. Though, to an ordinary Slayer, it would still have been a walking catastrophe.
It seems there is a clear hierarchy of strength depending on the kanji engraved in their eyes.
Including the first two prototypes that appeared, Muzan has only produced a total of five prototypes in three years. Contrary to my expectations, the true Twelve Kizuki have yet to manifest.
I no longer have any idea what Muzan is thinking. Is he having trouble with the creation process, or did he simply scrap the project?
One thing is certain: while they aren't on the level of the prototypes, more powerful Demons have begun appearing with increasing frequency.
That bastard Muzan... he‘s really screwed up the game balance. And we haven't even seen the official Twelve Kizuki update yet?
After three years, Amano Ruka finally reached the rank of Hashira.
She didn‘t meet the standard requirement of fifty kills; rather, she was promoted for being the one to successfully subjugate one of the three "Full Moon" prototypes.
As a practitioner of Mist Breathing, her seat would be that of the Mist Hashira. In a sense, she had inherited the position from old man Banda.
Of course, even if the one she killed was a "Full Moon"—weaker than the "New Moon"—her growth was remarkable compared to three years ago when she could do nothing but survive the enemy's onslaught.
Naturally, this meant I had to endure the triple-combo of Banda‘s drunken boasting about his student and his overbearing gratitude.
Amano herself seemed dissatisfied with reaching the rank of Hashira in this manner, her expression tinged with uncertainty. Although the Demon was indeed a prototype, she felt its physical abilities and combat sense were lacking—its Blood Demon Art was its only trick. She didn't feel she had truly attained the strength of a Pillar just by slaying that one creature.
The reason that Demon's Blood Demon Art was considered troublesome was its ability to corrode iron—the absolute worst matchup for those of us who must slay Demons with a Nichirin Blade.
If you managed to kill that, I‘d say you‘re definitely at the level of a Hashira, though...?
Regardless, a problem had arisen.
"The sword is completely trashed."
"...Yes."
During the battle with that prototype, her Nichirin Blade had been destroyed. Corroded beyond repair, the edge was ruined, and half the blade had simply vanished.
"It would be better to forge a new one at this point."
Just as I was about to use the Kakushi to send Amano's blade to the Swordsmith Village...
"Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, Oh-My! Moving on to San-mai, it's Ni-mai-ya Ou-etsu! The trendiest smith in the Demon Slayer Corps!"
Ni-mai-ya Ou-etsu, who had finished servicing my Nichirin Blade as requested, made his entrance.
"You want us to go to the Swordsmith Village?"
"That is right, young man. A Nichirin Blade damaged to this degree will take quite some ti-Me. Since she'll be forced off the front lines for a while anyway, it's better to visit the Swordsmith Village direct-Ly!"
Ni-mai-ya Ou-etsu handed me my polished blade and, after examining Amano‘s sword, made the sudden suggestion.
The Swordsmith Village.
It is where the smiths who produce the Nichirin Blades reside, making it one of the most vital locations for the Demon Slayer Corps. Because of this, it is built in a remote mountainous area that no one knows the location of.
Even as a Hashira, I didn't know its exact location, and the method of reaching it was exceedingly complex. One had to obtain the Master's permission, wear a blindfold, and be carried by the Kakushi. These Kakushi would move in a relay system, swapping out until you finally reached the village.
I heard that in the old days, before the Kakushi existed, the process was even more convoluted.
"Well, the village where our smiths reside is famous for its hot springs! You can think of it as taking a vaca-Tion!"
Hot springs... wait, there was a place like that? Why didn't Uzui ever tell me about something this good?
"Furthermore, an envoy from our village has a request for you, young man. They insisted that I bring you a-Long."
"A smith has a request for me? Is it a guard detail or something?"
"No, no. The person making the request isn't a smith, Yo."
Not a smith?
"The person requesting you is our village‘s master puppeteer, Da!"
After receiving a free pass of approval from Master Ubuyashiki, Amano and I arrived at the Swordsmith Village, blindfolded and carried by the Kakushi.
I had asked to bring Yoriichi and Uta along, and Master Ubuyashiki coolly gave his permission.
Amano followed her designated smith, while Yoriichi and Uta headed for the hot springs under the village chief's guidance.
Yoriichi became a local celebrity the moment he arrived. Apparently, the smiths had never seen a 'Child of Bright Red' with such deep crimson markings before.
However...
"Why are you still here, Uzui?"
Unlike the other Kakushi members, Uzui hadn't left.
"I am on vacation."
Ha! Excuse me? Vacation?
"While your employer was working herself to the bone for three years, you were enjoying this incredible resort all by yourself?"
"Hmph. My employer is no longer Michikatsu-sama; it is now Master Ubuyashiki."
Look at this woman. Look at her.
Uzui, how could you do this to me?
Where is the friendship we built over seventeen years?!
"You've arrived, young man."
With a series of mechanical clicks and clacks, Ni-mai-ya Ou-etsu approached, accompanied by someone else.
It was a woman wearing a Hyottoko mask, much like him... likely the puppeteer who had requested me.
More than that, however, what caught my eye were...
"Prosthetic arms?"
Multiple prosthetic arms were attached to her back. The clacking sound from before clearly came from them.
Perhaps she couldn't move her natural arms, for six prosthetic limbs were mounted on her back. I had no idea what mechanism powered them, but those six arms moved as freely as real ones.
Technology!
Forget 'German science is the best in the world,' what on earth is this in the Sengoku period...?
I felt my common sense evaporating entirely.
"Allow me to introduce He-Er! Our Swordsmith Village's number one puppet master! Dai-jiku-su!"
"I am known as Shutara Senjumaru. A pleasure to meet you, Moon Hashira."
The woman‘s low, steady tone seemed to flatten Ni-mai-ya‘s high-pitched energy.
She pulled a ruler and various tools from a wooden box, her prosthetic arms whirring into motion as she began taking my body measurements.
The mechanical arms moved at an incredible speed, clattering as they worked.
Who exactly is she?
Between the Demons and the Breathing Styles, I suppose it's far too late to start questioning the realism of this world.
But more importantly...
"So, what is the request you have for me?"
Surely she didn't call me all the way here just because she needed my measurements.
At my words, the clacking of the prosthetic arms stopped. She tucked the ruler back into the wooden box and stared straight at me.
"What I desire..."
She raised one finger of a prosthetic hand and pointed toward me.
"Is the body of the Grandmaster of Breathing—your body."
What the hell is that supposed to mean?