Master Blacksmith in Demon Slayer

Otherwise, how could someone shamelessly spout such nonsense?

The atmosphere froze solid, the two locked in a silent standoff.

One tried to see the guest out, the other refused to budge.

The crux of it was that the delicate relationship with the swordsmith still prevented Shinobu Kocho from saying the words "Please leave."

And so, they remained deadlocked.

After a moment, the door slid open again—it was lunchtime.

Tetsu no Sosuke's skin had grown astonishingly thick; he paid no mind to Shinobu's murderous glare and casually announced he would stay for lunch.

Unable to drive him away, she had no choice but to let him eat.

Yet after the meal, he still refused to leave.

Tetsu no Sosuke claimed that traveling without rest had worn him out, and he needed to rest a while before continuing.

Shinobu gritted her teeth and arranged a room for him to rest.

And she knew... it would be nearly impossible to kick him out today.

After all, by the time he woke up, it would be evening.

And at night... there were demons!

Burning with inexplicable fury, Shinobu silently resolved that if he still refused to leave tomorrow, she would force him out.

Even if he was a swordsmith, she wouldn't care!

In his room, Tetsu no Sosuke couldn't sleep at all.

A flood of thoughts crashed over him—excitement, joy, worry, and fear. As the sky darkened, Kochou Kanae still hadn't returned.

When night finally fell, he could no longer contain himself and sought out Shinobu: "When will the Flower Pillar be back?"

Shinobu's face showed little concern; she only said, "Maybe something delayed her on the road? My sister is a powerful swordsman; nothing will happen to her."

But a flicker of worry stirred in her heart, prompting that last sentence.

Tetsu no Sosuke's face paled. He grabbed Shinobu's shoulder: "Which direction did she go?"

"What are you doing?" Shinobu frowned, feeling his grip like iron pincers. How was this guy so strong?

"Tell me!!"

Tetsu no Sosuke was truly panicked. It might be a misunderstanding; it might not be the worst-case scenario he feared.

But he couldn't sit here and wait any longer. He had to do something!

Startled by his intensity, Shinobu instinctively pointed: "East..."

The moment she spoke, Tetsu no Sosuke turned back into the room and emerged with his Sword Case in his arms and a hammer slung over his back, then rushed out in a frenzy.

"What... what's going on?"

Shinobu was dumbfounded. Seeing him about to plunge into the darkness, she grabbed her Nichirin Blade and chased after him: "Hey! Don't go out at night!"

He paid no heed to her calls.

Tetsu no Sosuke's heart felt as if it were sealed by a layer of paper called "anxiety."

"But... it's not too late. No matter what's happened, it's still not too late!"

As he sprinted, he forced his mind to clear: "She's one of the Nine Pillars. In the manga, she fought Doma until dawn and died in Shinobu's arms. So at least before midnight, I have to find her. Give her this sword, and then... get as far away as possible!!"

"Damn it! Why 'get away'?!"

Tetsu no Sosuke gritted his teeth. He knew he was just a swordsmith!

Even against an ordinary demon, he had to go through hell and use sunlight to kill it.

Facing Upper Moon Two, Doma, his existence meant nothing.

If he didn't stay away, he'd only become a burden in Kanae's fight.

And that might make things even worse.

But... he still couldn't accept it!!

Even though he had long accepted his role as a swordsmith, even though he knew his battlefield was within the confines of the forge, he still couldn't accept it!!

If he could, he would rather be the one fighting than the woman who haunted his dreams.

But now wasn't the time for that.

Whether or not the situation was as he feared, the most important thing was to find her.

Run, run, faster!

Why was he still so slow??

Trees blurred past him. His movements, which felt sluggish to him, were already incredibly fast!

Shinobu was nearly losing her mind!

What the hell was this guy?!

After saying so many baffling things, putting on such a terrifying attitude, and then charging out like a madman—

This was nighttime, after all!

Who knew what horrors were brewing in the darkness?

Catch up to him, drag him back!

That was what Shinobu Kocho thought at first. But the reality was, this guy just kept getting faster, and she was actually falling behind!

"He's just a swordsmith—what kind of drug did he take?"

Shinobu Kocho was completely dumbfounded, finding it utterly unbelievable.

At this rate, in less than an hour—probably just half an hour—he would completely shake her off.