Upper Rank Five: Gyokko

Gyomei Himejima was tall and powerfully built.

Lin Yoriichi remembered that he stood a full 220 centimeters tall and weighed as much as 130 kilograms!

Although the Kakushi was carrying Gyomei Himejima on his back, everyone could see that both of Gyomei Himejima's legs were dragging along the ground.

But that was not all.

After all, the Hashira had come here to train, so every one of them had brought their weapons.

That meant the Kakushi had to carry not only the Hashira, but their weapons as well.

So what were Gyomei Himejima's weapons?

The answer was a broad axe and a spiked flail!

And a chain connected them.

At the sight of the Swordsmith Village at last, a look of "I'm saved" immediately appeared in the Kakushi's eyes.

Once Gyomei Himejima got down, the Kakushi dropped straight to his knees, bracing his hands against the ground as he struggled for breath, sweat pouring from his entire body.

Tears streamed from Gyomei Himejima's eyes as he said compassionately:

"I really could have walked here myself. There was no need to push yourself so hard."

At those words, the Kakushi stubbornly replied between labored breaths:

"Hah-hah-no!"

"My mission was to carry you to the Swordsmith Village!"

Even after saying that, the Kakushi was still struggling for breath.

Lin Yoriichi clearly saw a look of relief appear in the eyes of the Kakushi who had just carried Tengen Uzui here.

Although Tengen Uzui was also very "big," his task had truly been much easier compared with carrying Gyomei Himejima.

Now he bowed to everyone in farewell, then went over to help up the Kakushi who still could not get to his feet, and they left at an incredibly slow pace.

"Namu Amida Butsu..."

Gyomei Himejima recited the Buddha's name once more, "watching" the two Kakushi leave.

Although he could not see with his eyes, his senses were exceptionally keen.

Then he turned his head toward everyone and said with some surprise:

"I never expected all of you to be waiting here for me. I'm truly touched!"

As he spoke, more tears streamed from Gyomei Himejima's eyes.

At those words, Lin Yoriichi could not help giving a dry cough.

Actually, he had only been curious at first: if the Kakushi insisted on carrying everyone headed to the Swordsmith Village, what exactly would happen when they encountered Gyomei Himejima?

But Gyomei Himejima had taken it as a welcoming ceremony.

That really did leave Lin Yoriichi feeling somewhat guilty.

Fortunately, Gyomei Himejima changed the subject:

"Mr. Yoriichi, when will we begin training?"

Lin Yoriichi said in a serious voice:

"We'll begin training first thing tomorrow morning."

The reason they were not starting right away was that Lin Yoriichi still needed to find Yoriichi Type Zero, the training doll modeled after Yoriichi Tsugikuni, in the Swordsmith Village.

Hidden inside that training doll's body was the Nichirin Sword Yoriichi Tsugikuni had left behind.

What he was currently using was only Yoriichi Tsugikuni's Blade: Fake, which possessed only some of the effects of a bright red Nichirin sword.

According to the Restoration Level System's instructions, he could obtain the full effects of a bright red Nichirin sword only by fusing the two blades.

At that thought, Lin Yoriichi looked behind him.

Because all the Hashira had gathered here, quite a few masked swordsmiths had come over to watch them.

Among the many masked figures, Lin Yoriichi effortlessly spotted a child.

The child wore a mask painted with thick eyebrows. He was none other than Kotetsu of the Swordsmith Village.

Lin Yoriichi knew that this child named Kotetsu could help him find the training doll, Yoriichi Type Zero.

So Lin Yoriichi called Kotetsu over and asked him to lead the way.

The other Hashira went ahead toward the village dining hall.

After all, nearly all the Hashira were big eaters. Even though the Kakushi had carried them the entire way, they were all hungry by now.

Seeing this, Lin Yoriichi felt somewhat regretful.

He really had never seen all the Hashira gathered in a dining hall for a meal.

Meanwhile, in the forest outside the Swordsmith Village.

In the quietly descending night, a white porcelain pot with a rounded belly and narrow mouth, decorated with a pattern of green leaves and branches, was rolling along with a rumble.

After rolling around among the fallen leaves on the ground, the porcelain pot suddenly stopped.

Then, after rocking in place a few times, it actually stood upright on its own.

Next, a figure actually "squeezed" out through the mouth of the porcelain pot.

No, this thing could hardly be called a "human figure."

It looked as though someone had mixed together a great many human limbs, tissues, and fragments of other organs with some kind of mud.

Then they had grabbed some random person, blindfolded them, and had them use only a vague impression to barely mold it into something resembling a human.

Perhaps that was the only way to explain-

Why this thing had two mouths where its eyes should have been, complete with green lips.

An eyeball grew in the middle of its forehead, and another where its mouth should have been.

Where its hair should have grown, there were purple fish fins instead.

On either side of its head, where its ears should have been, grew two short, slender, baby-like arms.

If Lin Yoriichi had seen this thing, he would certainly have remarked:

Enmu's appearance, with a mouth growing on the back of his hand, could be called "an odd little thing."

But this fellow's appearance could only be called "a thing little odd"!

Yet this very fellow who was "a thing little odd" had the words "Upper Rank" written on the eyeball in his forehead.

The eyeball where his mouth should have been bore the word "Five."

[Upper Rank Five: Gyokko]

Gyokko's upper body was exposed to the air, while his lower body remained connected to the porcelain pot.

At that moment, the two mouths where his eyes should have been kept opening and closing as he muttered to himself:

"That lord told us to find a way to locate those Demon Slayers' Swordsmith Village."

"Once we destroy this village, those hateful Demon Slayers can forget about ever repairing their swords if they break."

"Heh heh, I'd really like to see how those Demon Slayers fight without those swords!"

"But..."

Gyokko paused for a moment, then continued muttering to himself:

"That fellow Hantengu was originally working with me, but that lord suddenly summoned him away."

"Still, I'm more than enough on my own to deal with an ordinary gathering of swordsmiths in the mountains."

"Tsk, just thinking about how they're all mountain swordsmiths puts me off my food."

"Their meat must taste terrible!"

"But they should make fine materials. When I use them to create works of art, I must make sure to highlight their callus-covered palms..."

Muttering quietly, Gyokko withdrew into the porcelain pot.

His voice drifted faintly from its mouth:

"At this hour, there shouldn't be many people left in their village dining hall."

"Why don't I visit their dining hall first..."