Entering the Swordsmith Village.
The village was built nestled into the mountains, with its architecture harmonizing seamlessly with the rocks and woods around it, exuding a quiet, natural beauty.
"So this is the place related to killing demons?"
Tanjiro's eyes were practically sparkling with stars. A boy who had yet to witness the cruelty of demons, he was still filled with boundless curiosity about the unknown.
The others didn't bother to explain anything.
They knew—once Tanjiro truly witnessed a demon devouring humans, that innocent wonder in his eyes would vanish without a trace.
"Yohan, let's head over to retrieve Kanroji's weapon first," Kanae said, though her longing glance toward the village's famed hot springs betrayed her true desire.
"Alright."
Just then, Yohan received a prompt from his system:
[Ding!]
[Random Task: Travel to the Swordsmith Village (Complete)]
[Task Reward: Blue Spider Lily (already delivered)]
[New Task Unlocked: A Century of Memories]
[Task Reward: Imperial Arms]
A Century of Memories? Yohan immediately noticed that this task felt different from the ones before. Up until now, every system task had been straightforward and simple—go here, kill that. But this one felt more like a riddle waiting to be solved.
He wasn't even sure where to begin. Still, he had to complete it. The reward this time wasn't something to take lightly—an Imperial Arm.
The moment he thought of Imperial Arms, Yohan immediately recalled Akame ga Kill!—the deadly weapons forged by the world's finest craftsmen under orders from the first emperor, created from the remains of legendary and dangerous beasts, fused with orihalcum and ancient lost techniques. There were only forty-eight of them, each with terrifying power.
I wonder which one I'll get?
Well, he would need to dig around and find clues first.
The group followed Kanae to the home of the village's chief.
"Kanae, here for a blade?"
"Perfect timing!"
In front of them stood a short, masked elder, flanked by two young, muscular men also wearing masks.
"Lord Village Chief," Kanae said with a slight bow, "This is Yohan."
"Ha! That's right, I am Tecchin Tecchikawahara, the smallest man in the village—and the greatest one too!" he bellowed with laughter.
"You're the ones who commissioned the blade?"
"Yes, and thank you for the hard work, Chief."
"Enough with the pleasantries! Come try it!"
Tecchin opened the sword case before him, revealing a most unique Nichirin Blade: a wild ripple pattern on the blade, pink at the top of the sheath, the body snowy white, a grayish green hilt, a pink tsuba, and a blade that shimmered with soft pink radiance.
"This is the most unique Nichirin Blade I've ever crafted in my life," Tecchin declared proudly. "It combines whip-like flexibility and unbreakable toughness with the razor edge of a Nichirin Blade."
"I hope you treat it well."
Clearly, Tecchin took immense pride in this creation—his tone rang with the satisfaction of a master craftsman who had surpassed his limits.
At first glance, two words exploded in Mitsuri Kanroji's mind: It's mine.
Yohan had deliberately kept the blade's design a secret, but now that she saw it in the flesh, she was completely enchanted by the gorgeous pink sheen of her sword.
"I'll definitely protect it with my life!" Mitsuri declared, waving the blade around excitedly like a child with a new toy.
"You dummy, Mitsuri," Yohan sighed, karate-chopping her gently on the head. "A sword is meant to protect others by slaying demons, not for you to protect it."
"Uuuhh… I get it, Yohan," Mitsuri pouted. "It's just… I really really love this sword!"
Seeing her so earnestly flustered, Yohan could only sigh. When she was like this, there was simply no reasoning with her.
"So cool!" Kanae and Nezuko both crowded around, their eyes shimmering with admiration. It clearly fit their aesthetics perfectly.
"Alright, then! Time to show off my Breath of Love!"
While Yohan had been away, Mitsuri hadn't slacked off. She'd been diligently studying the various breathing styles within the Demon Slayer Corps—and finally, she'd successfully developed her own: Breath of Love.
As a derivative of the Flame Breathing technique, the moment Mitsuri activated it, a reddish aura glowed around her pink Nichirin Blade.
"Whoa! This blade is so fast!" Even with just a few swings, she could already feel the massive difference between this and the standard-issue blades of the Corps.
"Alright, when you get the chance, go test its real cutting power," the village chief said with a grin. "And if anything feels off, come straight to me."
As a swordsmith, nothing brought Tecchin more joy than seeing his creations cherished by their wielders.
"Thank you so much, Chief!" Mitsuri said, bowing deeply.
"By the way, Chief," Yohan asked, seizing the moment, "Do you know of anything in the village that's been passed down for generations?"
Now was the time to start investigating. If the village chief didn't know, who would?
The old man furrowed his brows in deep thought.
"Something passed down… hmm. That would probably be our Nichirin Blade polishing technique."
"If there's anything truly ancient here, that's likely it."
"The blade polishing technique… Got it. Thank you, Chief." Yohan made a mental note.
"It's nothing," Tecchin replied, before leaning in seriously. "But one thing—when observing our smiths at work, be very careful not to disturb them."
"Anyway, you should all go enjoy our hot springs first. They're known to have special healing properties. If I recall anything else, I'll have someone come find you."
The old master's tone was heavy with sincerity.