Only then did Xia Xi remember.
Shinjuro had no idea that the mechanical puppet before him had been modeled after Yoriichi Tsugikuni.
As far as he was concerned, apart from Yoriichi himself, who else could look like that?
Who else could it be?
As for how he had lived so long?
And why he had inexplicably grown six "arms"?
Obviously, it was because he had become a demon!
Combined with all his feelings toward the Tsugikuni family after reading the Flame Hashira Book earlier.
It made him draw his Nichirin Blade immediately.
The blade had already begun to glow faintly red, radiating heat.
Big Owl exhaled sharply. "To think... after Michikatsu Tsugikuni, even you became..."
Then Shinjuro's agitation was interrupted.
Xia Xi grabbed the hand gripping his sword hilt. "Stop! This isn't the Yoriichi Tsugikuni you know. This is Yoriichi Type Zero, just a mechanical puppet."
"It's like those wooden toys. Do you understand?"
Shinjuro said, "A Combat Puppet?"
"Right, so don't get so worked up."
Xia Xi hurriedly nodded. "This is an antique from three hundred years ago. It's a treasure passed down through this swordsmith's family."
"Swordsmen used it for training in the past, too."
Xia Xi explained the origins of Yoriichi Type Zero to him.
Only then did Shinjuro examine it closely.
Six arms, obvious seams at the joints, those hollow, lifeless eyes...
He could even see through the gaps in its wooden casing.
Faintly making out the intricate gears and spring mechanisms inside.
It certainly wasn't a living person.
Shinjuro took a deep breath and calmed himself.
After all, having been one of the Nine Hashira for so many years, he had heard the rumor that the Swordsmith Village possessed a Strengthening Secret Treasure.
Now that Xia Xi had reminded him, he immediately understood. The puppet