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In the end, Kaito's "devilish hand" once again pressed against Yoriichi Type Zero's forehead.
A flash of spiritual light.
With a series of clattering sounds, the doll disassembled completely into a pile of parts.
Ignoring the utterly stunned Kotetsu, Kaito bent down and retrieved the Nichirin Blade previously hidden inside the doll's body.
"Is this the blade?" Haganezuka immediately leaned in, his eyes gleaming as he stared at the blade in Kaito's hands.
"Uchiha-san, is there something special about this blade?"
Kaito gripped the worn hilt and drew the blade from its sheath.
"There's nothing particularly special about it. This blade hasn't even been wielded by a swordsman to slay demons," Kaito said. "However…"
"Ah, the tsuba is broken, and the blade is rusted," Haganezuka noted with a tone of regret.
"Perhaps I could help polish it," he suggested.
"No need. Though as a sword it's no longer suitable," Kaito slid the blade back into its sheath, "as a ritual tool, it's a rare masterpiece."
"A ritual tool?" Haganezuka asked, puzzled. "Like the blades enshrined in the shrine? But you said this one was never used…"
"Indeed, but this blade is still special." Kaito turned to head back the way they came.
"Oh, right, young man."
He glanced back at Kotetsu, still staring blankly at the pile of parts, and waved.
"Work hard, young man. The day you manage to reassemble the doll according to my schematics will be the day you've truly achieved something."
Kotetsu slowly turned to look at him.
"Keep it up!"
Kaito waved again, walking off without looking back.
"Wa… waaahhh…"
Behind him, Kotetsu's wails of despair echoed.
"Is he okay?"
Haganezuka caught up to Kaito's steps, still glancing back worriedly at Kotetsu, now collapsed on the ground sobbing.
"He'll be fine. Since he agreed to my deal, he can't back out now. Besides, that's how young boys grow," Kaito said, his smile still gentle, though his words left Haganezuka unsure how to respond.
'This guy! Isn't he just blatantly bullying a kid?!!'
'Right?! Right?!!'
…
Leaving Kotetsu's cries behind, the two passed through the forest and arrived at a secluded valley.
Nestled within the valley was a somewhat simple shrine.
Though the shrine's architecture was plain, it occupied a considerable area.
They ascended the steps, passing through several simple torii gates made of raw wood, and entered the main hall of the shrine.
As Kaito stepped inside, a sharp aura mixed with countless conflicting energies hit him.
"It seems you've maintained these remaining Nichirin Blades quite well. Though they haven't been drawn in ages, their aura hasn't fully faded," Kaito remarked, observing the racks of blades lining three entire walls. The blades, though sheathed, each emitted a faint trace of sharpness. Together, they imbued the hall with a somber, killing atmosphere.
Haganezuka spoke with pride, "These are not only the works of our Swordsmith Village predecessors but also the relics of countless fallen Demon Slayer Corps swordsmen. It's our duty to preserve them as part of history."
"There are many ancient Nichirin Blades here," Kaito took a deep breath. "If the environment allowed, some of these blades might have already birthed tsukumogami."
"Hahaha… that's just a legend, right…?" Haganezuka looked at Kaito uncertainly.
"A legend? You could say that," Kaito said as he strolled through the hall, examining the densely packed Nichirin Blades on the walls. "Since the Heian period, so-called yokai have become exceedingly rare."
"Y-yeah…" Haganezuka suddenly pointed at the blade Kaito had taken from the doll. "C-could it be… that blade…?"
"No, you're overthinking it, Haganezuka-san," Kaito said helplessly. "Though legends say a tsukumogami can form after a century of disuse, and this blade is over three hundred years old, times have changed. Regrettably, it hasn't birthed a tsukumogami."
"Then what makes this blade special?" Haganezuka pressed, unwilling to let it go.
As a swordsmith, witnessing a blade that had birthed a tsukumogami would be the ultimate stroke of luck!
Stars sparkled in his eyes behind the mask.
That guy Tetsuzuka would cry with envy!!
"Haganezuka-san, I'm not lying," Kaito emphasized with a helpless tone. "This blade's uniqueness lies elsewhere."
"Mm-hmm," Haganezuka nodded perfunctorily, his eyes still fixed on the worn Nichirin Blade in Kaito's hand.
'I get it, I get it—onmyoji, yokai, gotta keep it mysterious, right?'
His imagination ran wild.
'If I touch that sword, will the tsukumogami come out and chop me?'
Seeing that Haganezuka clearly didn't believe him, Kaito gave up explaining.
'Fine, let him think what he wants'.
…
And so, Kaito soon regretted it.
After confirming the enshrined Nichirin Blades could be used for the formation, he returned to the Swordsmith Village with Haganezuka to await transport back to the Demon Slayer Corps headquarters the next day.
As for moving the blades, that task was left to the swordsmiths and the Hidden Corps working together.
Kaito had initially planned to simply stuff all the blades into a spatial talisman for easy transport, but this was met with opposition.
The blades couldn't just be taken from the shrine like that!
Haganezuka had insisted.
In the end, Kaito relented to the swordsmiths' sense of ceremony.
But what he hadn't expected was that, within just an hour of returning to the village, his resting quarters were surrounded by a throng of swordsmiths.
All of them stared intently at him—or rather, at the Nichirin Blade in his hands.
"The blade hidden in the doll," "a Nichirin Blade that birthed a tsukumogami"—such rumors had spread like wildfire among the swordsmiths.
"I've already said there's no tsukumogami," Kaito said helplessly, looking at Haganezuka in the crowd.
"Hahaha…" Haganezuka laughed awkwardly, apologizing. "Sorry, I told them that, but it seems they don't believe me."
"…"
'Could you sound any less convincing? You're the one who spread the rumor, aren't you!'
Kaito shot him a sidelong glance.
From the crowd, another swordsmith, also wearing a Hyottoko mask and with a robust build, rushed forward. His eyes burned as he stared at the blade in Kaito's hand, practically snorting with excitement.
"Let me see that blade!"
He reached out, trying to snatch it outright.