Let's all go to the Swordsmith Village

At the Demon Slayer Corps Headquarters, dim yellow candlelight flickered.

Gyomei Himejima sat cross-legged, his tattered clothes barely covering the broad patches of bruising on his rock-hard muscles.

Tengen Uzui crouched, pinching a torn piece of gold embroidery on his finery with a pained expression. Dust and blood had caked the once-flamboyant makeup on his face.

Sanemi Shinazugawa leaned in the opposite corner, thick clots of blood matting his white hair.

All five Hashira were in a sorry state...

Only the Sapphire Star stood apart, her exotic hunting gear as spotless as new, its surface almost reflecting the dancing candlelight.

As Himejima tried to describe the waves of the dragon's roar that had torn through space, his body still trembled faintly beyond his control.

"Cough... cough, cough..."

A long silence followed Himejima's report before Oyakata-sama finally spoke, his voice thick with shock and concern. "Thank you all for your efforts... first, go to the Butterfly Mansion..."

"No need, Master!" Kyojuro Rengoku's voice rang out, full of vigor!

He sprang to his feet, excitedly touched his left ear, then pricked up his ears to listen to the faint breeze outside the window.

"Unbelievable! Miss Sapphire Star's marvelous powder went poof, and every fresh wound and old scar vanished! Even my ear!" He pressed firmly against his fully restored left ear, even tilting his head to listen carefully to the crackle of the dancing candle flame.

"Good heavens! I can even hear the wick crackling as it burns, clear as day! Incredible!" He gave the Sapphire Star a thumbs-up.

The Sapphire Star scratched her head bashfully again. "Oh, you're too kind~ It's just a shame my potions still can't cure Mr. Himejima's eye condition..."

"Namo Amitabha~" Himejima's hands moved steadily and strongly over his prayer beads.

"I appreciate your kindness, Miss Sapphire Star. Darkness is light, and the lamp of the heart always shines..."

Clang-!

Before Himejima could finish, the sound of something falling interrupted him.

Everyone jumped. It turned out that Giyu Tomioka had drawn his blue Nichirin Blade, its surface covered in spiderweb cracks, with an expressionless face. The sheath had dropped straight to the floor.

"Tomioka! Mr. Himejima is still talking! Stop playing with your Nichirin Blade!" Shinazugawa snapped.

Giyu merely shook his head and continued looking at his Nichirin Blade. "Our swords are all ruined."

At that, the other four Hashira inspected their weapons as well.

When Shinazugawa drew his Nichirin Blade, the blade finally gave out and fell to the floor with a snap.

"...Tch!" Sanemi Shinazugawa irritably kicked the broken blade toward the wall. It tumbled across the floor and struck the ground beside Tengen Uzui's feet.

"Ah! Watch it, you white-haired mad dog!" Tengen Uzui reacted like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. "Don't damage my treasures!"

The Sound Hashira cradled the pair of jewel-studded hilts, twisted like braided dough, as if they were precious treasures, sucking in breaths of anguish. "It's over, it's over, it's over! My beloved, flamboyant swords! All the gold and silver I spent..."

Rengoku picked up the blade from the floor and handed it back to Shinazugawa. "Mr. Shinazugawa, you mustn't treat your Nichirin Blade so roughly!"

Sanemi silently accepted the broken sword. "I've got nothing against the sword or the swordsmith! It's just, when I think about myself..."

"Oh my... everyone's here~" Shinobu Kocho's head suddenly poked around the edge of the folding screen. No one knew when she had returned to headquarters, but her purple eyes sparkled as she stared at the Sapphire Star's armor.

"Little Star's Magic Armor... it's dazzling every time I see it!"

Goosebumps rose all over the Sapphire Star. She kept getting the unsettling feeling that she was about to be dissected...

Watching everyone so lively, Kagaya Ubuyashiki breathed a sigh of relief as well and bowed to the Sapphire Star. "Miss Sapphire Star, we owe you an immense debt, not only for what you did today, but also for the responsibility you shoulder in your world!"

"A mere moment of that monster's power collapsed space itself... I can only imagine the world-destroying might you face in your homeland as you protect countless lives. We... hold you in the deepest admiration."

"You're embarrassing me~ Don't make such a big deal of it!" The Sapphire Star waved her hands repeatedly. "It's not like I'm the only hunter back home. There are a couple of other bastards in the Old World, for example, one called Blaze and the other Lone Bird. They're damn good too!"

At that moment, Blaze, the Great Western King of Kamura Village, was happily hunting Asuka the Fat Tiger when her nose suddenly tickled and she sneezed several times in succession. "Achoo! Achoo! Aren't I immune to every poison? Why do I keep... achoo!"

Then, in a moment of distraction, the Fat Tiger's paw came down and slapped Blaze away, sending her spinning like a top. Several Palicoes hurried over and fled with Blaze on a handcart...

"Besides, I got everyone's precious Nichirin Blades into this state... what do we do next? Can they be repaired? Or do they need to be reforged? I can provide some materials from my world," the Sapphire Star said sheepishly.

"That would be most welcome!" Kagaya Ubuyashiki's voice turned solemn. "There is no time to lose! All six of you! The Kakushi are ready outside! Head straight for the Swordsmith Village! New blades will be forged to suit each of you! The battles ahead demand sharper fangs!"

"Miss Kanroji and Tanjiro have already arrived. Miss Sapphire Star, thank you for your efforts once again!"

The Sapphire Star turned around to find six members of the Kakushi already standing outside the door. Hikigusa was there too.

Holy shit! Seriously, guys? What's with this efficiency? Didn't we only just decide this? How is everyone already here...?

The Sapphire Star inwardly ranted, unable to shake the feeling that the Master had known what she was thinking from the very beginning...