Tokichi and Teiichi quickly stopped outside a workshop, and then...
Bang! Bang! Bang!
"Hey! Yan, come out here!" Tokichi shouted.
Soon, the door opened, and a burly man about 1.9 meters tall appeared before Teiichi.
He wore a Hyottoko Mask, a standard feature of the Swordsmith Village, and a gray-brown shirt with the sleeves rolled up high, revealing his strong arms.
Because of his work, his clothes were stained in many ways, some black and some gray, Ueya his bare arms were covered in sweat.
Why are you eating so early today?
As soon as Tetsumoto Homura came out, he asked in a loud and deep voice.
"It's not mealtime yet, and it's not mealtime!"
Tokichi replied, then pointed to Teiichi and introduced him:
"This is the Demon Slayer who used the Nichirin Blade you forged before! His old sword broke, so he came to you wanting a new one forged!"
Upon hearing this, Tetsumoto Homura's gaze instantly focused on Teiichi, and he said in a deep voice:
"You wore out the Nichirin Blade I forged?"
Upon Teiichi couldn't help but hold his breath slightly.
Hmm... this oppressive feeling stemming from being in the wrong!
Sure enough, although they looked like normal people before, none of the swordsmiths who became swordsmiths in this place didn't cherish the swords they forged.
Teiichi nodded and said in a deep voice, "Yes, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to, but I did break the Nichirin Blade you forged during a battle!"
"Only the weak would let their weapons break in battle!" Tetsumoto Homura sneered. "Alright, you can leave! I won't forge a new sword for the person who broke it!"
Having said that, he prepared to go inside, but Tokichi, seeing this, quickly called out:
"Hey! Forging swords is our job, what are you refusing for!"
Tetsumoto Homura sneered and said, "I am forging swords! I just won't forge swords for the person who broke mine!"
"The village chief told you to make this!"
"Don't even mention the village chief! Even if his mother came, it wouldn't work! Unless you can drag my dad out of the field!"
"You... you..."
Tokichi was so angry he didn't know what to say.
Tetsumoto Homura turned and went inside, placing his hand on the door as if to close it and refuse entry to his guest.
Bang!
Teiichi's hand landed on the door.
Seeing this, Tokichi knew exactly Teiichi was thinking, so he quickly spoke up to stop him:
" Lord Kato! Stop right there!"
Tetsumoto Homura was quite famous in the village.
If the village chief is the shortest person in the village, then Tetsumoto Homura is the tallest.
His height of 1.9 meters brings him immense strength, and coupled with his experience as a blacksmith since childhood, Tetsumoto Homura possesses tremendous power.
Therefore, his strength is undoubtedly the strongest in the entire village!
If it weren't for the fact that he was only interested in sword forging, there might be one more person from Swordsmith Village among the Pillars of the Demon Slayer Corps!
How dare you, someone who got into the Demon Slayer Corps through connections, provoke someone like him?
Yes, in Tokichi's view, the person in front of him was just getting by in the Demon Slayer Corps because of his background.
After all, the letter from our Master didn't mention a pillar, but we still have to treat him like one.
Doesn't that have a special background?
And this guy, who got into the Demon Slayer Corps because of his connections, actually dared to go toe-to-toe with the strongest person in our Swordsmith Village?
Who gave you the courage?
However, Teiichi did not reply to him; his hand remained on the wooden door.
Squeak--!
The door stopped halfway closing.
Tetsumoto Homura glanced at the hand resting on the door, then his gaze followed the arm upwards.
Finally, his gaze lingered on Teiichi's face for a moment, and then his arm suddenly exerted force.
As he continued to exert force with his arms, veins bulged out on the muscles of Tetsumoto Homura's arms.
However, the wooden door showed no sign of moving.
Seeing this, Tokichi stood there blankly, his gaze shifting back and forth between Teiichi and Tetsumoto Homura.
They seemed somewhat unable to believe what they were seeing.
Ignoring what Tokichi was thinking, Teiichi his hand on the wooden door and looked at Tetsumoto Homura, saying:
"I'm sorry for breaking my Nichirin Blade, but I really need a new Nichirin Blade now!"
Realizing the vast difference in strength between himself and his opponent, Tetsumoto Homura stopped exerting his power. He gazed at Teiichi's face, this time with a thoughtful look in his eyes. After a long while, he spoke again:
"Strength alone is useless. To prevent Nichirin Blade from breaking, the key is skill and swordsmanship! Only skill and swordsmanship can prevent Nichirin Blade from breaking during combat."
Teiichi moment and said:
"Then I'll demonstrate the sword technique for you?"
Tetsumoto Homura replied, "What's the point of showing off your sword skills to me? I don't know how to wield a sword!"
"Then how can I prove that my skills are sufficient?" Teiichi asked.
Tetsumoto Homura thought for a moment and said, "How about this? Kotetsu has a mechanical puppet. If you can defeat that puppet using only your swordsmanship, then I'll forge a new sword for you!"
Mechanical doll?
What is this?
Teiichi tried hard to recall and finally found some recollection.
It seems there is indeed such a passage in the original work.
It was a doll made by the Swordsmith Village, imitating the techniques of Yoriichi Tsugikuni.
He can use all of Yoriichi Tsugikuni's sword styles, but his strength is definitely much weaker than Yoriichi Tsugikuni's.
But it's definitely true that it's a degraded version of Yoriichi Tsugikuni.
only...
You can't seem to get around that child, can you?
"What's wrong?" Tetsumoto Homura asked after Teiichi remained silent.
Teiichi shook his head, "No problem, I'll go find Kotetsu and then fight that puppet!"
"It's not about fighting once, it's about winning! Winning purely through swordsmanship!" Tetsumoto Homura repeated.
Teiichi nodded, "Yes, he won purely through swordsmanship!"
Seeing that Teiichi had agreed so readily, Tokichi, who was standing to the side, finally came to his senses and hurriedly tried to stop him.
"That mechanical puppet is very strong. It's only because it's a puppet that its speed and strength can't be enhanced; otherwise, it might be even stronger than a Pillar! It's impossible to defeat it with swordsmanship alone!"
Tetsumoto Homura said, "I didn't force him to do this. There are plenty of other swordsmiths in the village. You can go find other swordsmiths! Besides, didn't the village chief agree? Let the village chief do the forging!"
"Let the village chief do it! Lord Kato, let's go!" Tokichi called out to Teiichi.
However, Teiichi remained standing still, his hand still resting on the wooden door.
"What's wrong, Lord Kato?" Tokichi looked at Teiichi with a puzzled expression.
The Nichirin Blade I'm going to fight this time is probably too much for the village chief to handle.
Teiichi silently replied in his heart, but said aloud:
"I did break the Nichirin Blade. It's normal for Mr. Tetsumoto to have some demands!"
"If I defeat that puppet purely with swordsmanship, you can forge a new Nichirin Blade for me, right?"
Looking into the Demon Slayer's clear eyes, Tetsumoto Homura nodded seriously.