"Satoru-dono, my name is Tetsutaka, your sword was forged by me and I will be the one to repair it should it ever be damaged."
I looked at the unassuming man with his face hidden by a hyottoko mask. He had a long box held in his hands. I respectfully nodded to the smith and took the offered box from him.
Mitsuri had found me taking a nap by a large tree two days after I had given her the omamori to let me know that my sword had been completed. She had been oddly silent the last two days, but she did smile at me a lot.
"Thank you for your hard work Tetsutaka-san, I promise to take good care of this blade."
The smith nodded but didn't move from the spot he was in.
"Psst…" I turned to Mitsuri who had been sitting a few feet away from me, "I think he wants to see what colour your nichirin blade will turn." She whisper shouted.
'Oh yeah… that was a thing.' I hummed in my head. I carefully drew the katana.
I'd be lying if I said a small part of me geeked out a bit. What guy doesn't want his own personally forged sword. I examined the sword for a moment waiting for something to happen. I had even deactivated my Limitless barrier for this moment.
'Hmm… nothing seems to be— oh… OH!'
My thoughts came to a grinding halt when the silvery blade of the sword slowly shifted into a deep red. The colour of freshly spilled blood.
There was a sharp inhale from Testutaka, Mitsuri was looking at my sword with shimmering eyes. A wide smile on her face.
"Satoru! Your sword is so pretty!" She clapped her hands together.
'Cute… also… that's what she said, HAH gottem… I really need to get my head checked out.'
"Satoru-dono… this is unprecedented news. That colour has not been seen on a nichirin blade in hundreds of years. Would you mind if I told my fellow smiths of this tremendous occasion?"
"Not at all." I smiled.
"That colour signifies that the swordsman is a once in a lifetime genius with unmatched potential." Tetsutaka continued.
"I am the strongest, obviously." I sheathed the blade after throwing out the catchphrase that was slowly becoming my own.
Tetsutaka and Mitsuri seemed a little disappointed at not being able to see the swords colour anymore. I thought nothing of it and thanked Tetsutaka again as he left to return to the Swordsmith Village.
Mitsuri stood next to me as we saw the smith off. She waved enthusiastically at the smith who waved back as he got further into the distance.
"Well, we have about a week left before we leave for that mission. What do you want to do until then?" I asked Mitsuri.
She turned to me, seemingly lost in thought. "The mission location is close to my family home… Would you like to visit?"
"Oh? Taking me to meet your parents already? How bold Mitsuri-chan." I smirked.
"Ahh… n-no, it's not like that! I just want to see my parents and my little brothers and sisters. I haven't seen them in a wh—"
"No need to explain Mitsuri-chan," I smiled softly, "let's go then. I want to learn more about the woman I'm planning on courting along the way."
Her tearful smile was replaced by a heated blush, she lightly smacked my arm and giggled. "Moh… stop teasing me so much…"
I chuckled and brushed a strand of her pink-green hair behind her ear.
"I wasn't kidding about wanting to court you Mitsuri…"
She blushed harder at the physical contact, "…ahh, uwuwuw…"
'Mitsuri.exe has stopped working. Heh, she's so fucking cute…'
[Scene Break]
The dirt road stretched on, the sun fought back the autumn chill. Mitsuri walked beside me as we made the final stretch of the journey towards her family home.
I had used my float/teleport combo to get us most of the way but Mitsuri couldn't take the nauseating experience of multiple teleports. She also insisted that walking the rest of the way was 'part of the experience' of going home for her.
I didn't mind, I actually really enjoyed the countryside. It was quiet, peaceful even with the hidden 'demonic' threat.
Mitsuri's steps were bouncy, like she was restraining herself from skipping outright. Every so often her free hand would twitch like she wanted to grab mine but thought better of it.
'So cute…'
I tucked my hands away in my pockets. My new haori fluttering in the gentle breeze. Wanting to make small talk I turned to my pink-green haired companion.
"So Mitsuri-chan, you sure you're not just dragging me off to the countryside for a picnic?"
Her cheeks went pink. "N-no! It's not that… I just used to take walks down this road before I joined the Demon Slayer Corps. A-and I really do want to visit my parents."
'So nostalgia… she really was the sweetest and happiest Hashira.'
I tilted my head at her, "Me meeting your parents already? How bold," I teased her again, "maybe I should practice calling your mother okaasan?"
She made a cute strangled noise and frantically waved her hands so fast I wouldn't have been surprised if she suddenly took flight.
"It's not like that! Don't say such embarrassing things!"
I let out a low chuckle, I couldn't help but tease her. Her reactions were so damn adorable and she was basically an open book of emotions.
We passed a little shrine by the roadside, weathered wood and an offering box with some coins rattling inside. Mitsuri stopped to bow. I didn't. Instead I leaned down and took a peak at the contents of the offering box.
"Coins, rice cakes, sake… huh. Wonder if the gods accept IOUs. I'm still broke since I haven't been paid yet."
Her head whipped around. "Satoru-kun! You can't just- that's so disrespectful!"
I waved her off, "Relax, if any gods are watching I'll buy them a drink later. My treat."
She glared at me with no heat, then started laughing, her hand over her mouth like she was ashamed of it. That smile of hers though… made pleasant warmth bloom in my chest.
After a while the mood shifted. The road dipped into a small valley, smoke curling from rooftops in the distance.
Mitsuri's steps slowed, her voice softer. "My parents… they don't really know what I do. I told them I was working in a big city. If they knew how dangerous it was, they'd worry too much."
"Ahh," I drew out the sound, letting her words settle. "So I'm the cover story huh? What's my role- coworker? Or…" I grinned, "… a mysterious suitor."
She nearly tripped on her own feet. "S-suitor?!" A blush formed on her face, "don't joke about things like that!"
My grin never left my face. "Who said I was joking Mitsuri-chan…"
Her face was burning, ears as red as cherries. Painfully adorable. I chuckled and kept walking next to her, not pushing any further. She needed time to reboot her brain anyways.
We walked in silence for a stretch, just the sound of our steps and the wind in the grass. Then, softer, I told her. "Don't worry. Whatever story you need me to play along with, I'll cover you."
She looked at me with watery eyes. I smiled and ruffled her hair. Her blush returned with a passion, her grip on her sword tightened but she smiled back.
I returned my hands to my pockets and started whistling a tune. "Well then. Let's go meet the in-laws."
I heard her let out an embarrassed squeak followed by a "Don't say that" before she scrambled to catch up, nearly tripping over her own sandals in her haste.
[Scene Break]
I raised my hand to knock on the door of the modestly sized home we had stopped at. This was Mitsuri's family home. She was currently behind me, fidgeting in place, seemingly too nervous to knock. So I stepped up to give her time to calm her nerves.
"S-Satoru… I don't know what to say, what if they assume something… what if Nanami says something weird?"
She had told me about her family a few minutes before we arrived. Her father, Kaname and her mother, Ayame. They had been supportive of her in everything she did.
Then there were her siblings; Haruko,Chiyo, and Nanami, her younger sisters. Riku and Souta, her younger brother.
Moments later the door opened before Mitsuri could spiral any further. A tiny face peeked out— black hair, short but clumsy styled to match Mitsuri's braids.
'This must be Nanami, the youngest sister.'
Bright eyes and a mischievous grin on her face. She glanced at me, then the blushing Mitsuri behind. I swore I saw her pupils dilate in realisation.
"Kaasan! Kaasan!" Nanami screamed, voice echoing through the house as she ran back inside. "Mitsuri-neesan finally brought back a man, a real one!"
Mitsuri went red all the way to her ears. "Nanami! Wait, no—!" She scrambled to take off her sandals and bolted after little sister into the house.
I couldn't help it, chuckling I took off my shoes and stepped into Mitsuri's home.
"Moshi Moshi… pardon the intrusion." I grinned, 'This is going to be fun.'
Moments later after a round of introductions, Mitsuri and I sat side by side on the tatami mat before a low dinner table. Her parents sat across from us, their expressions warm and welcoming.
They looked exactly like they did in the anime. Mitsuri had matching beauty marks under her eyes like her father. Her mother shared the same light green eyes and soft features.
Her siblings crowded around her, shooting me glances like I was some exotic creature their sister had dragged in from the wilderness. Souta was taking a nap, he was still a toddler after all.
Ayame clasped her hands together, eyes shining. "Mitsuri, we're so happy. You finally brought a boy home. He's very handsome, right dear?" She turned to Kaname.
Mitsuri's dad smiled brightly, "Mitsuri, be sure to take good care of him okay?"
Mitsuri fidgeted besides me, her hands pressed on her lap as though she would implode from embarrassment. Her siblings, meanwhile, leaned closer.
"Ne, ne, Mitsuri-neesan, how did you meet him?"
"Is he really your boyfriend?"
"Does he eat a lot? He looks like he eats a lot."
The questions flew faster than she could swat them away, her face growing redded with each one. I let her stew for a moment before coughing to draw everyone's attention.
I pulled a bag from behind my back, "I brought treats for everyone."
The reaction was instant— her parents smiled while her siblings let out excited chatter. Nanami practically jumped onto the table to try and snatch the bag before Ayame took it graciously.
"It's just some sweets from a shop in Osaka, it's no big deal." I smiled.
Ayame covered her mouth with a joyful laugh, "Oh, how thoughtful. Mitsuri, don't forget to invite us to the wedding, okay?"
"KAASAN!" Mitsuri yelped and covered her face, nearly bashing her head into the table as she tried to duck away.
I chucked as I took in the warmth of the loving family around me. It had been a while since I felt this comfortable. Mitsuri weakly turned to me with a pleading look.
"Satoruuu…"
I just kept smiling, I liked this feeling of normalcy. It was a breath of fresh air and in the chaos that became my reality, I didn't mind it one bit.