"Congratulations on returning safely, everyone!"
The first rays of morning sunlight fell like fine threads upon the platform on Mount Fujikasane.
Kagaya Ubuyashiki stood before the platform, looking at the members who had passed this time, and slowly spoke.
After speaking, he surveyed the platform. Seeing thirteen people scattered across it, a trace of gratification appeared in Kagaya Ubuyashiki's eyes.
Had another genius appeared?
Or was this batch of recruits simply of higher quality?
Just then, one member could not help asking, "Leader, what happens next?" His voice was full of anticipation and curiosity.
Kagaya Ubuyashiki smiled slightly and answered, "First, we will establish your ranks. The Demon Slayer Corps has ten main ranks, from lowest to highest: Mizunoto, Mizunoe, Kanoto, Kanoe, Tsuchinoto, Tsuchinoe, Hinoto, Hinoe, Kinoto, and Kinoe. You are all currently at the lowest rank, Mizunoto."
At this point, Kagaya Ubuyashiki raised his hands and clapped.
"Caw, caw..."
Accompanied by a chorus of caws from above, a flock of birds circled over the platform, then slowly descended and wandered among the crowd.
One of them slowly flew toward Teiichi, gradually slowing before landing on his shoulder.
"These are Kasugai Crows."
Kagaya Ubuyashiki's voice rang out across the platform. Like a spring breeze, it calmed the members who had been somewhat startled by the Kasugai Crows landing on them.
"Kasugai Crows are the crows the Demon Slayer Corps uses for communication. From now on, mission assignments and information will be delivered through them."
"..."
Teiichi turned his head and exchanged a look with the seagull on his shoulder.
Clap, clap-
Kagaya Ubuyashiki clapped his hands, drawing everyone's attention back to him, then continued.
"Next, you will choose your base steel-the steel for the Nichirin Blades you will use from now on. Your Nichirin Blade will be your most important weapon for slaying demons and protecting yourselves, so you must choose its base steel yourselves."
"Once you have chosen, the Demon Slayer Corps will send the steel to the swordsmiths. Forging should take about fifteen days, after which the swordsmiths will deliver the Nichirin Blades to your homes."
"The entire process should take about a month."
"Once your Nichirin Blades arrive, you may begin receiving missions."
With that, he slowly stepped aside, revealing a table behind him with a dozen or so pieces of ore laid upon it.
After moving aside, he continued, "Those who have chosen their base steel can come over here to have their measurements taken."
"Your measurements are needed so we can issue properly fitting uniforms."
A Kakushi member beside him raised a hand and gave the large box at his feet a kick.
Once the explanation was over, the members stepped forward one after another to choose their base steel.
When Teiichi's turn came, he walked up to the table and took a deep breath as he looked at the seven or eight pieces of ore remaining. He closed his eyes, sensing the aura of each piece as he tried to find the one best suited to him.
He opened his eyes.
Yep, no such imaginary sense after all.
He smiled helplessly, shook his head, and casually picked the largest-looking piece of ore, handing it to the Kakushi member beside the table.
"Could you ask the swordsmith to make my Nichirin Blade as heavy as possible? Over fifty kilograms would be best, but if that isn't possible, a few dozen kilograms would do," Teiichi said.
Worried the man would refuse, Teiichi continued, "Of course, if it costs extra, just let me know. I can pay."
Hearing this request, the Kakushi beside the table stared at Teiichi curiously and said, "There's no extra charge. Nichirin Blades and uniforms are provided free of charge to all Demon Slayer Corps members."
Then he looked at Teiichi doubtfully and asked in a skeptical tone, "But are you sure you want such a heavy sword? If it weighs dozens of kilograms, or even fifty, can you really fight with it?"
"I..."
"He can. The heavy sword he's holding right now weighs fifty-five kilograms." Before Teiichi could speak, Kanae Kocho, who was behind him, answered for him.
The Kakushi looked toward Kanae Kocho at the sound of her voice, then lowered his gaze to the heavy sword in Teiichi's hand. It did indeed look heavy, so he said no more about it and asked, "Then what style would you like?"
"If you can make it the size of a normal Nichirin Blade, that would be best. If not, prioritize the weight. Making it wider and thicker like a heavy sword is fine too."
The Kakushi nodded. "All right, understood. I'll make a note of it and leave the decision to the swordsmith, but the finished product might not be exactly what you're imagining."
"All right, thank you." Teiichi thanked the Kakushi, then went down to have his measurements taken and collected two uniforms.
After choosing his base steel, Teiichi went down again to have his measurements taken and collected two uniforms. Once he was finished, he waited by the edge of the platform for a while. When Kanae Kocho had finished as well, he approached her to say goodbye.
"Kanae, thanks for earlier," Teiichi said. "If you hadn't helped explain, I might have had to spend a lot longer convincing him."
"It's all right," Kanae Kocho said with a smile. "We're comrades now. Helping each other is only natural."
"Yes, you're right," Teiichi said. "Then let's begin our lives as working stiffs!"
"Working stiffs?"
Kanae Kocho repeated the phrase, her tone puzzled.
"It means doing missions when they're assigned, then earning money to support the family," Teiichi explained.
"Pfft..."
Kanae covered her mouth and chuckled. "You have quite an amusing way of speaking, Teiichi."
Then she continued, "Well then... goodbye?"
"Yes, goodbye!"
After bidding the girl farewell, Teiichi set off on his journey home.
Nearly two months had passed since Teiichi returned home.
Just as Teiichi was considering whether to send his seagull to ask about the situation, it finally flew up to him one day while he was training on the mountain, having been fast asleep at home.
"Teiichi, the swordsmith is here with your sword! The swordsmith is here with your sword!"
At these words, excitement appeared in Teiichi's eyes. He hurriedly packed up and raced down the mountain like a gust of wind, leaving only an afterimage behind.
He ran all the way home.
By then, a burly man standing 1.9 meters tall had already been waiting there for quite some time. His muscles bulged all over his body, and he stood firm as an iron tower. He wore a red mask with a protruding mouth and a plain black haori over his upper body, looking imposing.
"Hello, I'm Kato Teiichi." Teiichi walked up to the burly man and greeted him politely.
"Hello, I'm Tetsumoto Homura," the burly man replied in a loud, powerful voice. "I received an assignment from the Corps to forge a sword for Kato Teiichi. It's finished now, so I've come to deliver it."
"Thank you so much," Teiichi said excitedly. "Let's go inside and have some tea first."
Tetsumoto Homura nodded and followed Teiichi inside. They sat around a small table, and Tetsumoto Homura took an exquisite case off his back. As he opened it, he began explaining the origins and characteristics of Nichirin Blades to Teiichi.
"Nichirin Blades are also known as Color-Changing Swords," Tetsumoto Homura said. "Their primary materials are crimson red iron sand and crimson red ore. These ores come from Sun Mountain, which receives sunlight all year round. Constantly exposed to sunlight throughout the year, the ores on the mountain acquire a trace of the sun's properties, giving them the ability to slay demons."
"This is your Nichirin Blade, the sword I forged."
As he spoke, Tetsumoto Homura had already taken the Nichirin Blade out of its case and handed it to Teiichi. Teiichi carefully accepted it and examined it closely. The sword felt somewhat heavy in his hand, weighing about as much as the heavy training sword he normally used, yet its overall form was much lighter, only slightly larger than an ordinary Nichirin Blade.
Teiichi carefully examined the Nichirin Blade's dimensions and appearance: it was 108 centimeters long overall, with a 27-centimeter hilt, an 81-centimeter blade, a blade width of 3.6 centimeters, and a spine 0.9 centimeters thick. Its edge had been honed exceptionally sharp and gleamed coldly, as though it could slice through any obstacle. The blade was long and slender, its lines smooth and elegant. The guard was shaped like a whirlwind, with fine lines curving outward across its surface like raging winds.
When Teiichi raised the Nichirin Blade over his head, a pale blue-green glow slowly spread along the blade from the guard. The light was soft and mysterious, as though it contained some special power.
"A blue-green Nichirin Blade! What a beautiful color!" Tetsumoto Homura exclaimed beside him, his voice carrying a sense of satisfaction.
Teiichi stood and swung the Nichirin Blade, feeling the power and speed it brought.
A short while later, he slowly slid the sword into its sheath and bowed deeply to Tetsumoto Homura. "Thank you so very much! I'm extremely pleased with this Nichirin Blade."
Seeing how much Teiichi loved the sword, Tetsumoto Homura felt deeply gratified as well.
The two sat by the small table, drinking tea and chatting. Tetsumoto Homura asked Teiichi, "You're a Wind Breathing user, so agility should be quite important to you. Why did you choose to have such a heavy Nichirin Blade forged? Wouldn't it be less convenient than a normal-weight Nichirin Blade when fighting demons?"
Teiichi replied, "It's fine. I'm fairly strong, and I normally train with a sword of about the same weight. Besides, as long as I can swing it properly, the heavier the Nichirin Blade, the harder it will be for demons to block my attacks."
Tetsumoto Homura nodded slightly at this. "When I was forging this sword, I was a little worried you wouldn't be able to wield it. But seeing you swing it just now put me much more at ease."
"This sword weighs fifty-six kilograms, far more than an ordinary Nichirin Blade. Since you're a Wind Breathing user, I felt the lighter and more slender its form, the better. That's why I've spent these past two months constantly hammering it, and why this weapon took much longer to forge than an ordinary Nichirin Blade."
Hearing this, Teiichi finally understood why his Nichirin Blade had arrived so late.
At this point, Tetsumoto Homura knelt where he was and bowed to Teiichi, saying solemnly, "I hope you will take good care of this Nichirin Blade, and I hope you will use it to slay more demons."
Slightly moved by this, Teiichi bowed in return and said solemnly, "Rest assured. I will not disgrace the sword you forged."
After a long while, he finally saw Tetsumoto Homura off.
Watching Tetsumoto Homura depart, Teiichi wiped the cold sweat from his forehead.
Thankfully, he wasn't one of those neurotic swordsmiths from the original story. This one was normal.