Because the number of Hashira-level missions had drastically decreased to the point where Haruto had nothing to do but patrol, he started visiting Swordsmith Village and Mt. Sagiri more frequently.
Haganezuka Hotaru hated seeing Haruto in Swordsmith Village.
"Did the nichirin blade I forged have a problem again?"
"No, it's very sturdy and exceptionally sharp."
"Then why are you always wandering around here?" Haganezuka Hotaru looked at him with disdain: "Because you're trusted now and no longer need the Kakushi to carry you around, you've become especially unrestrained?"
Haruto looked him up and down, bewildered.
"Because... I live here."
"You live... Oh." The irritable Fire Man scratched his nose awkwardly: "Oh, that's right, you do live here."
Haruto watched Haganezuka Hotaru turn around and walk away, unable to decide whether to laugh or cry: "What's going on! You haven't forgotten that I'm from Swordsmith Village, have you!"
However, Haganezuka Hotaru and Kotetsu have been hanging out together a lot lately. He really didn't understand what a thirty-something man and a seven-year-old child could have to talk about.
Godou River was also annoyed by Haruto's presence. Haruto could guess the expression on his face beneath the Fire Man mask.
"If you have nothing to do, then help me deliver a nichirin blade."
As Godou River said this, he placed a standard-issue nichirin blade on the table.
"Deliver a nichirin blade?" Haruto asked in surprise: "Master, haven't you stopped making nichirin blades for Demon Slayer Swordsmen a long time ago?"
"This is a personal request from Kuwajima Jigoro, who lives in Mt. Momoyama. He's taken on a new apprentice who needs a suitable nichirin blade." Godou River pulled out half of the blade, and the hilt was wrapped with beautiful black and yellow cord.
"Is it the former Thunder Pillar, Mr. Kuwajima Jigoro?"
"Exactly. Haven't you wanted to meet him for a long time?"
"Yes, regarding movement techniques, Breath of the Stars and Thunder Breathing have a lot in common to discuss."
Godou River nodded slightly, returned the nichirin blade to its sheath, and held it out to Haruto: "Take this nichirin blade, tell him you are Godou River's apprentice, and he should give me this small favor."
So, taking advantage of his free time, Haruto grabbed Genya, and the master and disciple headed straight for Mt. Momoyama.
Mt. Momoyama truly lived up to its name; it was covered in peach trees. It was currently peach season, and the air was filled with the fragrance of ripe peaches.
So, as soon as he arrived at Mt. Momoyama, Haruto was in an unusually good mood.
The sky was clear, without a single cloud, and the peaches were fragrant—it truly was Mt. Momoyama! It must be because of this beautiful scenery that Mr. Kuwajima Jigoro chose to live here in seclusion after retiring.
"...Pull yourself together!"
Suddenly, a furious shout came from afar: "Your actions are meaningless! Zenitsu!"
Haruto's eyes widened, and he and Genya exchanged glances.
"The sound came from over there." Genya pointed to a nearby cliff.
"...Running away doesn't solve problems, it only makes them pile up! Get down here and continue your training!"
Immediately following that was a voice like a broken gong: "No! If I keep training like this, I'll die!"
"This level of training won't kill anyone! Get down here immediately, you idiot, don't make a fool of yourself!"
"Grandpa!"
"Call me Master!"
A thunderous voice came over, and at the same time, a very disdainful "Tch" also sounded from in front of them.
A young swordsman with his nichirin blade turned around. He had a pair of striking, thick, dark eyebrows and messy black short hair plastered to his face, framing a face full of displeasure and contempt.
The swordsman noticed them but said nothing, tugged at the magatama pendant hanging around his neck, glanced at them, and then brushed past.
Genya was angered by his rudeness: "How ill-mannered..."
Haruto pressed his shoulder: "Perhaps he's Mr. Kuwajima Jigoro's apprentice."
"An ill-mannered boy, a cowardly boy." Genya snorted: "It seems this former Thunder Pillar doesn't know how to teach apprentices very well either."
Haruto and Genya took two steps forward. A small old man, short in stature, leaning on a cane, with a wooden prosthetic right leg, stood under a tree, cursing loudly. His demeanor was extraordinary; he spoke and acted decisively. He was undoubtedly the former Thunder Pillar, Kuwajima Jigoro, whom they were looking for.
The object of his reprimand was cowering in a tree, tightly clutching a branch, wearing a bright yellow haori with a triangular pattern, crying a snotty mess.
His black, round eyebrows were furrowed into a worried shape, and his face was covered in bruises and contusions.
Is this... also Mr. Kuwajima Jigoro's apprentice?
He didn't have the slightest demeanor of a Demon Slayer Swordsmen, Haruto secretly shook his head.
Just as he was secretly criticizing the young man, his vision blurred, and the long-absent bullet comments began to roll.
[Yo, witness to a famous scene: Fan Zhu Ge.]
[Zenitsu... did he dye his hair? Were people that trendy back then?]
[Zenitsu is a good person, he just has a mouth.]
[The most tired voice actor in the whole show, mostly communicates by yelling.]
[Look at the clouds in the sky, about to be injected with a soul~]
[Undoubtedly the chosen one.]
[Main account logging in...]
Haruto, puzzled, looked up. At this moment, a large patch of dark clouds suddenly drifted into the otherwise clear sky.
Is it really summer? Does strong convective weather just appear? It was sunny a moment ago, and the next second, there might be a thunderstorm.
Wait... Thunder—storm?!
Haruto looked at the tree where the round-browed young man was. It was on the edge of a cliff, surrounded by open space, the only prominent tree in the vicinity... Not good!
"Get down!" He quickly ran towards the two: "It's thundering—"
Kuwajima Jigoro was still trying to use warmth to soften the round-browed young man: "Calm down, Zenitsu! Your talent is..."
"I can't..."
take it anymore!
Agatsuma Zenitsu's tears streamed out. Kuwajima Jigoro's devilish training had made him feel like his body was on the verge of collapse, turning into a dried mud sculpture, liable to crack at any moment.
A white-haired swordsman with a nichirin blade ran from a distance, shouting something as he ran.
Fortunately, Agatsuma Zenitsu's hearing was excellent. He was shouting: "It's thundering—"
Thundering...?
Zenitsu looked up at the sky above the leaves. Yellow lightning rolled restlessly in the dark clouds.
Just then, a thick bolt of lightning struck, hitting the tree where Zenitsu was, precisely!
"Boom!"
"Eh?!" Haruto gasped, his ears ringing from the lightning strike.
Because he was close, Genya's rooster-like hair stood on end from the electricity, making him look like a hedgehog.
Looking at the tree that instantly turned charred black, Kuwajima Jigoro's voice was scared into a crack: "Zenitsu!!"
[Hair dyed!]
[Strange hair dyeing methods have increased!]
[Friendly reminder, don't stand under a tree during a thunderstorm~]
[First time seeing Fan Zhu Ge scared into his original drawing, so novel hahahaha...]
[He can even dye his hair like this?]
[What's so strange about that? The Hashira of Love can dye her hair by eating cherry mochi!]
The round-browed young man, smoking all over, fell weakly from the tree and was caught by Kuwajima Jigoro.
Haruto walked forward, speechless.
The young man's formerly smooth, medium-length black hair and round eyebrows had turned golden yellow under the effect of the lightning strike... In the Meiji era, the cost of dyeing one's hair was truly high...
Posted October 11 at 5:09 PM
Lock