The Sapphire Star watched the three little ones disappear at the end of the wisteria-lined path, and the courtyard fell quiet again.
She was just about to get up and find her liaison, "Hikigusa," when an explosive, furious roar tore through the courtyard's stillness:
"Ore?! I want a sword! A Nichirin Blade I can kill demons with right now!"
The Sapphire Star's appetite for drama flared instantly, and her ears perked up to eavesdrop.
The boy's hoarse roar carried the humiliation of being slighted, accompanied by a Kakushi member's anxious attempts to stop him:
"Genya! Everyone who passes the selection has to use tamahagane to have a Nichirin Blade custom-made. Those are the rules!"
"The rules?!"
The sturdy boy with dark, spiky hair shoved aside the person blocking him and charged into the courtyard, gripping the rough tamahagane in his hand.
"You don't know how those bastards back then clearly..."
Hinaki stepped forward, her voice as steady as the water in an ancient well:
"Mr. Genya, tamahagane carries the soul of a Nichirin Blade. The Swordsmith Village forges it according to the characteristics of each swordsman's Breathing Style. This rule has stood for a hundred years. There are no exceptions."
She and Hika stood as still as wisteria branches, showing not the slightest wavering before Genya's rage. Only an authority beyond their years shone in their eyes.
Yet that calm seemed to sting Genya, and he suddenly reached for Hinaki's collar.
-Crack!
The Fatalis blade's sheath drove diagonally into a gap between the bluestone slabs like an icicle, cutting off Genya's wrist with precision! Its chill instantly froze the air.
"Hey, hey, hey! Easy, kid!"
The Sapphire Star stood with one foot on the sword's guard, her golden eyes tempered with the cold gleam of a hunter weathering wind and snow.
"Instead of taking it out on the ore, save your strength and think about how you'll use it to hunt demons."
She gave a derisive laugh.
"Or do you not even have the patience to wait for a swordsmith to swing a hammer a few times?"
Genya's pupils contracted sharply. That slash that had torn through the darkness on Mount Fujikasane was seared into his memory, and a beastlike instinct made his muscles tense.
He glared fiercely at the Sapphire Star, a low growl rolling from his throat:
"What do you know?! Without a sword, I..."
"You already passed the selection, didn't you?!"
The Sapphire Star cut him off.
"Then doesn't that prove you've earned that chunk of ore? Now-" She suddenly leaned in close to Genya.
"How about taking your spoils to get a sword forged like a warrior, instead of snapping at everything like a Jagras whose meat got stolen?"
"Genya."
Kagaya Ubuyashiki's voice fell like warm, polished jade. Supported by Lady Amane, he appeared beneath the veranda, his sickly face unable to conceal the insight in his eyes:
"Your anxiety comes from a sincere desire to slay demons. But a sword is an extension of your limbs. Your heart and soul must be in harmony with it."
His gaze passed over Genya's clenched fist, its knuckles white.
"Go have some tea and refreshments with Hinaki. Once your heart is calm, we will present you with a Nichirin Blade of your own."
Genya's shoulders trembled. His head drooped as though all strength had been drained from him, and he let Hinaki lead him away.
The Fatalis Demolisher's sheath hummed once, its chill receding.
"Good grief, that brat's got a worse temper than a Deviljho," the Sapphire Star muttered.
"My apologies for troubling you so soon after your arrival." Kagaya Ubuyashiki's voice carried a gentle apology as he approached a few steps, supported by Lady Amane.
"No worries, no worries~"
The Sapphire Star waved a hand, but her attention was drawn to a figure that had quietly appeared in a corner of the courtyard.
A slender girl knelt silently on the ground, as though she had blended into the moonlit shadows. She raised her head, her expression composed, and offered a thin roll of parchment with both hands.
"My apologies, Lady Sapphire Star. I belong to the Kakushi, code name 'Hikigusa.' On Oyakata-sama's orders, I am here to provide the information you require."
"Damn, impressive! You work fast!"
The Sapphire Star took the parchment, cool to the touch, and quickly scanned it. It contained some of the Demon Slayer Corps' information on demons, followed by simple lines and markings at the bottom:
"Southwest Asakusa Town. Something strange is posing as a human, watch out for things that glow... Demons are suspected to be near the Sunshine Mountain Ore Vein we need. The ore can't be transported out, and the Swordsmith Village says they can't forge swords..." She looked up at Hikigusa.
"The Swordsmith Village? That's where they make swords for those kids from earlier?"
"Yes!" Hikigusa's voice was soft but clear.
"Tamahagane mining has been obstructed. The forging of Nichirin Blades for future newly inducted swordsmen may be delayed."
"What a rotten thing to do!" The Sapphire Star casually stuffed the parchment into her waist pouch. "Demons stealing an ore vein?! How can we let that slide?!"
She patted the Fatalis blade on her back.
"I'll clear out the trouble at the ore vein! A perfect chance to stretch my legs!"
Before she had finished speaking, the Sapphire Star had already leaped onto the courtyard's low wall. Her figure flashed through the wisteria shadows, leaving only a sentence drifting on the wind:
"Tell all those kids waiting for swords not to worry! The ore will be here soon!"
Kagaya Ubuyashiki gazed in the direction she had vanished, a faint, relieved smile appearing on his face. Then he coughed softly a few times, and Lady Amane immediately draped an outer robe over him.
"Hikigusa-"
Kagaya Ubuyashiki gave his instructions softly.
"Inform all the Hashira of Lady Sapphire Star's circumstances and movements, as well as the details of the Final Selection on Mount Fujikasane. Emphasize that she comes from an unknown land, possesses extraordinary strength, and has already departed to resolve the trouble at the ore vein."
"As you command."
Hikigusa bowed her head in acknowledgment, then quietly withdrew as though merging into the shadows on the ground.
Soon afterward, the Kasugai Crows perched on the shoulders of the nine Hashira scattered across the land gave urgent, clear cries, conveying the essential news from headquarters:
"Caw! Announcement! Foreign warrior 'Sapphire Star'! From an unknown land! Instantly slew the Hand Demon on Mount Fujikasane! Extraordinary strength! Recognized by Oyakata-sama! Already departed for Sunshine Mountain to eliminate the demons obstructing the ore supply! Caw!"
That brief yet weighty message was like a boulder cast into a still lake, stirring very different ripples in every location.
The Water Hashira, Giyu Tomioka, was sitting quietly in front of a wooden house. His Kasugai Crow's report made him turn his gaze slightly.
"...Instantly slew the Hand Demon?" he repeated softly, remaining silent afterward. To him, whether her strength came from an unknown land or somewhere else did not matter. What mattered was what she did-she was removing obstacles and helping new swordsmen. That was enough.
The Insect Hashira, Shinobu Kocho, was smiling as she dripped a drop of wisteria essence into a test tube. Her Kasugai Crow's report brought her movements to an almost imperceptible pause.
"Oh my? An unknown land... instantly slew the Hand Demon?" Shinobu's smile remained gentle and sweet, but a sharp, inquisitive gleam flashed through her eyes, like a butterfly examining a strange new flower. "How... intriguing."
The Wind Hashira, Sanemi Shinazugawa, was cutting a demon blocking his path in half with a single slash, paying no mind to the blood splashing across his face. His Kasugai Crow's report made him click his tongue irritably.
"An unknown land? An instant kill? Hmph!" He grabbed the noisy Kasugai Crow, glaring at it with bloodshot eyes. "I don't give a damn where she's from! If she gets in the way of me killing demons, I'll cut her down too! Get lost!"
He flung the Kasugai Crow away hard, as though tossing aside a nuisance. A powerful outsider? In his eyes, she was merely a potential obstacle that might interfere with his goal of slaughtering demons.
The Flame Hashira, Kyojuro Rengoku, was encouraging the Corps members traveling with him in a booming voice. His Kasugai Crow's report made his fiery red eyebrows rise.
"Mm! A powerful warrior from an unknown land! Instantly slew the Hand Demon! Excellent!" Fierce fighting spirit blazed in his eyes, as though he could already see an opponent worthy of a match. "Once my business here is finished, I must meet her! Let us see whether her flames burn as fiercely as the rumors claim!" Pure eagerness for battle and enthusiasm for a powerful warrior burned in his heart.
The Mist Hashira, Muichiro Tokito, sat in a mist-filled forest, his vacant eyes watching the wisteria petals drifting down before him. His Kasugai Crow perched on his knee, repeating the report. The boy blinked, seemingly trying to understand the words.
"...Sapphire Star... Swordsmith Village..." After a moment of bewilderment, he gently brushed aside a petal. Names, origins, strength-those concepts were as hazy as mist in his memory at that moment.
The Stone Hashira, Gyomei Himejima, was turning his prayer beads and chanting sutras for departed souls, tears flowing continuously down his face. His Kasugai Crow landed on his broad shoulder and reported the news. Gyomei's chanting paused. He pressed his palms together, his voice compassionate and resonant:
"Amitabha... a demon-slaying blade has descended from beyond the heavens... instantly slaying a demon, relieving the swordsmiths' plight... This is Oyakata-sama's compassion calling forth aid, the heavens showing mercy... May this foreign warrior enjoy good fortune in battle and help us cleanse this world of evil..." He offered heartfelt gratitude for the Buddha's grace and Oyakata-sama's guidance, now that the world had gained another powerful force to oppose the darkness.
The Serpent Hashira, Obanai Iguro, sat cross-legged in a dim room, the Kasugai Crow's voice particularly clear in the silence.
"An unknown land... instantly slew the Hand Demon..." Obanai turned his bandaged face toward the voice. His exposed, mismatched eye narrowed slightly in the darkness, gleaming with vigilance and scrutiny. He instinctively distrusted any powerful force that appeared suddenly and lay beyond his control.
The Love Hashira, Mitsuri Kanroji, was swinging her Nichirin Blade with all her might, sweat soaking the ends of her pink hair. Her Kasugai Crow called cheerfully:
"The new big sister is amazing! She comes from who knows where! She beat the terrifying Hand Demon in one blow! Now she's gone to help the Swordsmith Village!"
Mitsuri stopped moving, her pink-and-green eyes instantly lighting up as though filled with stars:
"Huh?! She's so, so strong! She must be a super, super amazing big sister! I hope she stays safe and drives away all the bad demons!" She was simply thrilled that they had gained another powerful female warrior who helped her comrades.
The Sound Hashira, Tengen Uzui, was adjusting his flamboyant headdress in front of a mirror. His Kasugai Crow's report made him stop. "Oh?" Tengen Uzui turned around, a flamboyant, confident smile curling his lips.
"A flamboyant warrior from an unknown land? Instantly slew the Hand Demon? Hmm... sounds quite flamboyant!"
Kagaya Ubuyashiki listened to Hikigusa's hushed report and learned that the news had reached all the Hashira. He gently stroked the wisteria branch on his lap and said softly:
"Summon all the Hashira... We will hold a Hashira Meeting at headquarters in three days."
He needed to explain this otherworldly warrior's existence to the Hashira in person, along with the uncertainties she brought.
Only the rustle of wisteria swaying gently in the night breeze remained in the courtyard.
Before you continue