Chapter 22: Natsuya, Your Supreme Grade Sword
No one expected Natsuya's proficiency in Water Breathing to skyrocket as if he had experienced a divine epiphany.
In just a single night, he leaped from a novice who hadn't even touched the threshold to a level almost ready for graduation.
Natsuya's current Water Breathing was already on par with Tomioka Giyu's.
This was the conclusion Urokodaki Sakonji reached after personally testing him. It forced the old man to admit that Kazami Koichi hadn't misjudged the boy.
In just ten days, Natsuya had mastered a completely different Breathing Style on top of his already proficient Wind Breathing.
The boy was an undeniable genius.
Beyond their shock, Sabito and Giyu were genuinely happy for Natsuya. Over the past few days, although they had been beaten black and blue during training, they had also felt their own strength growing rapidly. Plus, living together day and night had forged a sincere bond between them.
However, after the initial joy, the two boys quickly realized that their time together was coming to an end. Natsuya had come here to learn Water Breathing. Now that he had achieved his goal, it was only natural for him to leave.
But after Urokodaki sent his Kasugai Crow to inform Kazami, Natsuya didn't rush to say goodbye. Instead, he made two requests to Urokodaki.
First, he hoped to stay a while longer until his first mission from the Corps arrived. Not for Breathing Styles, but to practice Life Skills.
Natsuya had noticed that Urokodaki wasn't just a Cultivator; he had a hidden class: [Artisan]. Whether it was carpentry or sewing, the old man was highly skilled. Compared to him, Natsuya's "Cheap Master" Kazami was just a rough brute who only knew how to eat and train.
Naturally, Natsuya wanted to stay and grind these Life Skills. With an experienced mentor, his proficiency gain rate would skyrocket.
Although Urokodaki didn't quite understand why Natsuya suddenly wanted to stop training his combat skills, Natsuya convinced him with a surprisingly philosophical line:
"I wish to polish the trivialities of daily life with the heart of a craftsman, shedding the vanity of achievement to settle my own soul."
Faced with such a reason, what could Urokodaki say? He could only praise Natsuya's "pure heart" and agree. Of course, the two children raised both hands in approval.
Natsuya's second request was to have a serious spar with Urokodaki himself.
The old man tried to decline due to his age, but he couldn't resist the burning fighting spirit in the boy's eyes and eventually agreed.
The match ended in Natsuya's "narrow defeat."
He knew perfectly well that Urokodaki, the former Water Hashira, had held back. His power, speed, and breathing rhythm were all intentionally capped. Even so, Natsuya gave it his all, pouring every ounce of his new Water Breathing and Wind Breathing skills into the fight. Yet, he still couldn't break through the old man's defense, which was as calm and deep as a mountain lake.
And this was the result against a retired, aged Hashira who was going easy on him.
So, against the current Nine Hashira in their prime, or the Upper Moons who surpassed them...
With his current level and skills, Natsuya probably wouldn't even have a chance to touch them.
As expected. Thinking I could challenge the Final Boss right after leaving the Tutorial Village was a bit delusional.
However, unlike Natsuya's sober assessment of his own strength, Sabito and Giyu, who watched from the sidelines, were internally screaming.
We couldn't... even see their movements.
The daily sparring had given them the illusion that the gap between them and Natsuya wasn't that huge. Maybe he was just a bit faster, a bit stronger...
They thought they were in the same tier. That if they trained harder or fought him 2-on-1, they might win.
Only after watching him fight Urokodaki did they realize how wrong they were.
It wasn't a matter of being "slightly better." If they met him on a battlefield in a life-or-death fight...
Sabito and Giyu saw the same answer in each other's eyes: We wouldn't even survive the first strike.
"Sabito, you are much weaker than him. (And I am even weaker than you, so don't even mention me)," Giyu whispered, his voice incredibly clear in the silence.
Sabito didn't deny it. He shook off his shock, and a quiet, burning light gathered in his eyes.
"Yes. Senior is much stronger than we are now."
He turned to Giyu.
"That's why we have to work harder. We have to chase him with everything we have. Only then can we stand beside him in the future, instead of just staring at his back."
Giyu stared at his best friend. This pink-haired boy, always serious, always gentle and cheerful, was like a warm, unshakeable rock by his side. He chased away the confusion and gave Giyu the courage to step forward.
Even facing such a massive gap in strength, Sabito wasn't discouraged. To him, every difficulty was just another step to climb.
I can't imagine what my world would look like if Sabito wasn't here one day.
But Sabito is so strong. If anyone encounters an accident, it would probably be me—the weaker, awkward 'little brother'.
Giyu's gaze drifted to Natsuya, who was preparing dinner nearby. The firelight outlined the boy's focused profile as he chopped vegetables with crisp efficiency.
Keep up with Senior Natsuya's pace...
Giyu couldn't help but imagine the three of them fighting side-by-side against powerful demons in the future. He lowered his head, and the corners of his mouth curved up very slightly where no one could see.
The future... doesn't look so gray anymore.
Several days later.
Just as Natsuya's [Sewing] skill hit LV.1, a Kakushi arrived at Mt. Sagiri amidst the noisy cawing of a crow.
He brought Natsuya's uniform and his first mission orders.
"ROKU! ROKUSHA NATSUYA! GO TO THE SOUTHEAST! RAIN VILLAGE! CAW!"
"HUNT THE DEMON! THIS IS YOUR FIRST JOB! CAW!"
It was the black bird that called itself "Shiro" (White).
The Kakushi below sighed helplessly. "Shiro-chan, can you wait until I finish explaining things?"
"CAW! HURRY UP! HURRY UP!"
Amidst a flurry of feathers, the Kakushi bowed to the group and took two items out of his pack.
The black, high-collared Demon Slayer uniform. And a Nichirin Sword that had yet to be drawn.
Natsuya frowned. "I gambled that rock for a pair of Katars or Gauntlets. Why are you giving me a katana?"
The Kakushi explained quickly, "Mr. Kokonoe, your request for the weapon structure was a bit... novel. The swordsmiths are still debating how to make it."
"Since the design isn't finalized, we have to ask you to use a standard Nichirin Sword for now."
"The smiths also said that once they figure it out, they might invite you to the Swordsmith Village for a consultation."
Custom weapons are such a hassle.
Disappointed, Natsuya picked up the sword. He drew the blade, looking at the brand-new steel.
Hm?
"It changed color?"
Natsuya looked at the Kakushi in surprise. Is this sword defective or something?
Seeing Natsuya's confusion, Urokodaki explained for the Kakushi.
"Nichirin Swords are also known as Color Changing Katanas. This is due to the unique properties of the raw materials."
"Scarlet Crimson Iron Sand and Scarlet Crimson Ore absorb massive amounts of sunlight. Besides their demon-slaying properties, they have other magical characteristics. For example, the blade will change color based on its first owner."
So the sun-absorbing rock acts like a prism and changes into RGB colors?
The Kakushi added, "Mr. Natsuya is such a powerful swordsman, we in the Kakushi division have heard all about you. Since you use Wind Breathing, it will surely be an emerald green."
"Or perhaps a blue to match your hair..."
His words got stuck in his throat.
Natsuya's blade was currently rippling with a bizarre, psychedelic sheen.
At first, it was a pale metallic color, then quickly coated in a lake-blue. But before the blue could settle, red veins began to separate from the edges... followed by orange, golden-yellow... colors mixed and swirled like oil in water.
In just a few seconds, Natsuya's sword displayed a complex, chaotic rainbow.
It looked exactly like an oil spill on asphalt. "Iridescent Black."
Forget Natsuya—even the Kakushi and Urokodaki, who had seen countless blades, had never witnessed this.
Is this color a bit ugly? Can I return it?
Just as Natsuya was thinking this, the "Gradient Gasoline" color began to fade, eventually returning to a base tone.
"No, the color is different," Urokodaki pointed out. "It's much brighter than before."
Originally, the Nichirin Sword was a dull metallic gray with dark temper lines. Now, the blade had turned a pristine, brilliant Silver-White. The temper lines weren't hidden but shone faintly within the bright base, like stars peeking through night clouds.
"It's a white blade," the Kakushi sighed in relief.
Aside from that chaotic intro, the final look is actually quite dignified.
When Natsuya gripped it, the blade emitted a faint hum, as if responding to him.
After hesitating for a long while, Natsuya finally decided to swap it with the oldest of his three looted swords.
Then, remembering something, he asked, "By the way... is there a tradition of naming katanas?"
Urokodaki: "There is such a custom. What do you wish to call it?"
Natsuya: "Master Kang the Third."
The previous swords had been named [Jinmai-Giri] and [Uni-Maru] .
And the one being swapped out was [Master Soup-Guna].
"Demon Slayers are not Samurai," the Kakushi said without hesitation. "Since swords are tools for killing demons and can break at any time, Slayers generally don't name them."
He felt like he just heard the Nichirin Sword whisper a 'Thank You' for sparing it that name.