Journey to the Swordsmith Village (Part One)

Starting from the mansion of the Water Hashira, the journey to the legendary village of swordsmiths that doesn't exist on any map is quite wondrous.

First, you have to be carried on someone's back.

Secondly, you have to be blindfolded.

Finally, you'll have to put up with those guys who call themselves the Kakushi Division, constantly babbling incoherently in your ear.

For example

"For the safety of the village, please be patient."

There's also a lot of empty platitudes like, "Lord Water Hashira, please rest assured, we will definitely take good care of your family."

"Family... family?!"

When Giyu Tomioka heard that word, he stumbled and almost knocked the hidden member who was leading the way flying.

On the other side, Shinobu Kocho's reaction upon hearing this word was much more intense.

"Hey! You sneaky bunch, where are you taking us?!"

The girl's voice was clear and loud, but it was filled with obvious displeasure.

"And who are his family members?! I warn you, if you dare do anything strange to us, I have a hundred ways to poison you to death silently!"

"..."

The member of the hidden team with Shinobu Kocho froze instantly, cold sweat pouring down his face.

He felt that what followed him was not a petite and lovely young girl, but a whole box of extremely Wisteria Poison.

"Um... Miss Shinobu, please calm down..."

"This is an age-old rule of the Demon Slayer Corps. To protect the location of the Swordsmith Village from being revealed, all visitors who are not swordsmiths must..."

"I won't listen! Rules are rules, but people are flexible!"

Just as the situation was about to spiral out of control, a gentle voice, as soft as a spring breeze, rang out.

"Shinobu, be a good girl."

Kanae Kocho was quietly following behind a member of the hidden team, her tone carrying a hint of helpless laughter:

"This is to protect the craftsmen who forge Nichirin Blade for us; we should abide by it."

Hearing her sister speak, Shinobu Kocho reluctantly let out a "humph" and quieted down, but she was still muttering to herself:

"I'm so bored."

"Boring."

"The first thing I'll do when I become a pillar is abolish this ridiculous rule."

"..."

Just then, Giyu Tomioka, who had been silent all along, finally spoke.

His voice was as calm and cool as ever, yet it carried an undeniable weight.

"Stop."

The Kakushi Division members, as if they had received a royal decree, stopped in their tracks instantly in perfect unison.

Giyu Tomioka walked up to Kanae and Shinobu, extended his hand, and spoke in an uncompromising tone to the member of the Shadow Team who was nearly having a heart attack from fright:

"They're with me, so they don't need to be blindfolded."

"Huh?!"

"But... but, Lord Water Hashira! This isn't the proper way..."

The two hidden team members in charge looked at each other, their faces full of difficulty.

One of the bolder ones wanted to struggle a little longer.

However, Giyu Tomioka merely glanced at him indifferently.

Just that one glance.

There was no murderous intent, no oppressive aura, just a calm and ordinary glance.

The hidden team member who wanted to say something felt his soul frozen in an instant.

A fear stemming from the "absolute strongman" made every hair on his body stand on end!

"Yes!!"

"I obey Lord Water Hashira's command!!"

After saying that, the unlucky guy who had previously tried to follow the rules scrambled to the side, the whole process flowing smoothly and full of a survival instinct.

Shinobu Kocho:...

Kanae Kocho:...

The two sisters stared in disbelief at the surreal scene before them, momentarily forgetting how to react.

Is this the privilege of a "pillar"?

No, perhaps it should be said that it is a privilege belonging to the monster Giyu Tomioka.

Shinobu Kocho secretly glanced at the man standing in front of her, his back still aloof and upright, and the expression on her small face became incredibly complicated.

There was shock, curiosity, and a hint of something she herself didn't even realize... called "admiration."

Just how strong is this guy?

Kanae Kocho simply gazed at Giyu Tomioka's retreating figure, her gentle, cherry-pink eyes gleaming with an overwhelming light, brimming with pride and an intense, unyielding love.

Look.

This is the man I chose.

When the three of them finally arrived at the legendary village of swordsmiths, even the well-traveled Kocho Sisters were utterly shocked by the sight before them.

This place is like another world.

The air was filled with a unique smell, a mixture of burning coal and scorching steel. It wasn't unpleasant; on the contrary, it carried a powerful, fiery, and masculine aura.

Looking around, the entire village was shrouded in a thick haze of black and white smoke billowing from countless chimneys.

"Ding! Ding! Clang! Clang!"

The crisp, rhythmic hammering sounds came from all directions, converging into a symphony unique to steel.

In the village, you can see strong, muscular men everywhere.

Without exception, they all wore comical Hyottoko Masks painted with red patterns, were shirtless, and were sweating profusely in their respective workshops.

The entire village is like a giant, never-ending steel heart, filled with a primal, rugged, and awe-inspiring power.

"Wow..."

Shinobu Kocho couldn't help but let out a small gasp of surprise.

Just then, an extremely short but remarkably vigorous old man, leaning on a cane and surrounded by a group of knife makers, walked over, his steps unsteady.

His eyes, which were originally a bit cloudy, suddenly gleamed with a sharp light when he saw the two stunningly beautiful girls behind Giyu Tomioka!

"Oh my! Oh my gosh--!"

The old man let out a hearty laugh.

He took three steps in two, walked up to Giyu Tomioka, and laughed loudly in a mocking tone:

"Isn't that Giyu?! What a rare guest, a truly rare guest!"

"I thought you'd spend the rest of your life clutching that knife, but who would have thought you'd bring two stunningly beautiful women with you this time!"

"Wow, this is truly a miracle! Congratulations!"

Giyu Tomioka's face darkened visibly.

He opened his mouth, wanting to explain, but the old man's next words shut him up.

"Come, come, let this old man see which family's daughter has such good taste that she would fall for a quiet, unassuming man like you!"

As he spoke, he leaned forward and scrutinized the Kocho Sisters from head to toe with an almost "investigative" gaze.

Shinobu Kocho felt a little uncomfortable under his gaze and instinctively wanted to hide behind her sister.

Kanae, however, acted with grace and poise, giving the old man a gentle smile that seemed to melt steel, and bowing slightly in greeting.

"Hello, nice to meet you. My name is Kanae Kocho."

"This is my younger sister, Shinobu Kocho."

"Oh--! I've heard so much about you! I've heard so much about you!"

The old man nodded in sudden realization, then glanced back and forth between Giyu Tomioka and Kanae with an ambiguous look that seemed to say, "I understand."

"A perfect match, a match made in heaven, a truly well-matched couple!"

Giyu Tomioka: "..."

He felt his temples throbbing wildly.

He took a deep breath, forcefully interrupting the disrespectful village elder's "family reunion" ceremony, and went straight to the point:

"Chief Tetsuchi Kawara, we've come to forge a new Nichirin Blade."

"Oh? Forging a knife?"

The village chief, known as Tecchin Tecchikawahara, then turned his attention back to the important matter at hand.

He looked at the Kocho Sisters and asked, "Tell me, what kind of knife do you want?"

Kanae stepped forward and gently and meticulously described the characteristics of Flower Breathing, as well as the requirements for the flexibility of the blade and the range of its strikes.

Shinobu Kocho, on the other hand, succinctly explained the special requirements for stabbing speed, penetrating power, and storing poison on the blade.

As Tecchin Tecchikawahara listened, he nodded repeatedly with an air of seriousness.

After they had both finished speaking, he pondered for a moment.

"Hmm... I understand completely!"

He spoke to the three of them in an extremely serious and solemn tone:

"However, to forge Nichirin Blade that perfectly matches the user's soul, it requires not only the skill of us swordsmiths, but more importantly, the wielder himself must reach a state of 'emptiness'—a state of purity and relaxation in both body and mind!"

He pointed at Giyu Tomioka, then at the Kocho Sisters.

"The three of you have just gone through a great battle and traveled all the way here. You all carry an indelible weariness and killing intent!"

"Especially you, Giyu young man, the murderous aura emanating from you is almost as strong as those man-eating demons!"

"With your body in this state, you absolutely cannot forge a good knife!"

Giyu Tomioka: "..."

Kocho Sisters: "..."

Seeing the bewildered expressions on the three faces, Tecchin Tecchikawahara revealed a mysterious smile.

He slammed his cane on the ground and announced in an unquestionable, triumphant tone:

So go!

"I have prepared for you the finest private open-air hot spring in our village!"

"Tonight, the three of you shouldn't think about anything. Just relax, take a hot bath together, and wash away all your fatigue and grime!"

"Wait until tomorrow, when your minds and bodies are in their purest state, then come back to me and we can properly discuss the matter of forging swords!"

"Together...?!?!"

Shinobu Kocho's face flushed bright red, like a ripe apple.

Even on Giyu Tomioka's usually expressionless face, a rare crack appeared.

Only Kanae Kocho, after a brief moment of surprise, had a glint of cunning, like that of a little fox, flash in her beautiful cherry-red eyes.

Led by a member of the hidden team whose gaze was filled with a complex mix of envy, jealousy, and hatred, the three soon arrived at an elegant, secluded villa.

In the courtyard, the lush bamboo grove swayed in the breeze, and the rustic stone lanterns emitted a soft, warm light, creating an exceptionally pleasant atmosphere.

At the deepest part of the villa, a huge open-air hot spring pool built of natural rock is bubbling and emitting incredibly enticing white steam.

The rising warm steam seemed like an invisible hand, extending the most passionate, yet ambiguous, invitation to the three of them.

Shinobu Kocho stood at the entrance to the hot spring, nervously twisting the hem of her clothes in her hands. Her cheeks were flushed red, and her eyes darted around, completely avoiding looking in the direction of the hot spring.

Giyu Tomioka forced himself to maintain a blank expression, but his ears, which were already burning red, mercilessly betrayed the turmoil in his heart.

Right now, all he wants to do is find a block of tofu and smash his head against it to his death.

In this awkward and delicate atmosphere, the instigator, who had remained calm and composed throughout, made his move.

Kanae Kocho slowly turned around.

She looked at the man beside her, who was almost petrified, and a meaningful, devilish, yet dangerous smile appeared on her face.

She tilted her head slightly and asked in a soft, suggestive tone:

"Then, Mr. Giyu..."

"Shall we go in?"