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After the entertainment district battle, the Swordsmith Village arc finally begins.
Two months later, Tanjiro wakes from his long slumber.
Following the trail of his blade, he makes his way to the mysterious Swordsmith Village.
After meeting with the village chief, Tanjiro is led by one of the craftsmen toward the hot springs.
He hasn't even arrived yet, still some distance away, when a cheerful voice rings out:
"Tanjiro~!"
Bounding toward him, waving with a bright smile, is Kanroji Mitsuri—the Love Hashira, her long pink-and-green braids bouncing behind her. She's the darling of the Demon Slayer Corps, beloved for her looks and kindness.
Truth be told, demon slaying is hardly suited for women at all, and the Corps is overwhelmingly male. The fact that among the nine Hashira there are two beautiful young women makes them all the more dazzling.
But Mitsuri is on another level. With her striking sakura-colored hair and her figure that makes jaws drop, she's become the goddess of dreams for countless young demon slayers.
Now, with her playful bounce and her lively energy practically bursting from the screen, she becomes a dream girl for audiences across entire worlds.
And those countless "gentlemen" glued to the broadcast, eyes wide, nearly faint at the sight.
"W-whoa! Hey, careful! Something important's about to pop out!"
Just as disaster looms, Tanjiro rushes forward, tugging Mitsuri's robe back into place and shielding the world from the springtime scene that was about to escape.
At that moment, the multiverse's countless gentlemen's eyes go dark with murderous intent.
"Tanjiro, you brat! That's the most disappointing thing you've ever done!""Busybody kid! We were about to see everything!""Just one second more! Just one bounce more and it would've been revealed!""And then he just had to ruin it. Of course he did!"
The gentlemen grind their teeth in frustration.
To them, Tanjiro is no longer the heroic demon slayer—he's now the obstacle to the advancement of human civilization itself.
"That bastard touched her! He definitely touched her! Even if it was an accident, there's no way his hand didn't brush Mitsuri-chan's soft— No! He did it on purpose! On purpose, I say!"
In the One Piece world, Sanji's eyes shoot flames, his face twisted with envy and rage.
A second later—BANG! BONK! SMACK!
"Don't you dare lump Tanjiro in with you!"
Nami dusts her hands, glaring down at Sanji like he's garbage.
Nearby, Brook trembles violently.
Meanwhile, in the Detective Conan world—
"Tch. What a meddlesome brat. That was the perfect side dish for my drink!"
Mouri Kogoro cracks open a beer, sipping happily.
Over in the Pokémon world—
"Damn it, it was so close!"
Brock groans in despair—only for Croagunk's chopping hand to strike, paralyzing him on the spot.
And in other worlds—Rudeus from Mushoku Tensei, Kazuma from Konosuba, Gintoki from Gintama, Master Roshi from Dragon Ball, Lubbock from Akame ga Kill!—gentlemen everywhere wail in frustration.
But for the Demon Slayer world itself, the scene plays out with far higher stakes.
At headquarters, Mitsuri herself squats in the corner, face red as an apple, steam practically rising off her head.
For all her cheerful, affectionate energy, she's still a shy and innocent girl at heart. She's just… a little gullible—after all, even her revealing uniform was the result of being tricked into wearing it.
"Tanjiro, you idiot! Why did you have to do something so unnecessary?!"
Zenitsu's bloodshot eyes glare furiously at him.
"What's gotten into you, Zenitsu?" Tanjiro asks, still completely clueless.
"You've got some nerve, Tan-baka! Why didn't you take us with you to Swordsmith Village? If you run into a demon alone, how are you gonna survive?!" Inosuke bellows.
Two boys, two complaints, both loud enough to fry Tanjiro's brain.
On the side, even Obanai Iguro—the usually composed Serpent Hashira—finds his temper flaring. After all, Mitsuri is the one he secretly has feelings for.
"Calm yourself, Iguro!" booms Tengen, the Sound Hashira, rushing to intervene.
After the Entertainment District, his attitude toward the trio has softened. Now, he's quick to back them up.
"Compared to all these petty distractions, the real question is—why was Mitsuri in such a hurry? That's what we should be focusing on!"
"Exactly!" Kyojuro Rengoku declares, his voice so booming it shakes the room.
"Could it be that demons have infiltrated Swordsmith Village?" Shinobu suggests quietly.
Everyone freezes at her words.
If the village were destroyed, the Corps would lose its only source of Nichirin blades. That would be a devastating blow.
Thankfully… the truth is far less dire.
"Tanjiro," Mitsuri sniffs, "someone ignored me! I greeted him and he just brushed me off. Even when I asked his name, he wouldn't answer! Don't you think that's way too mean?"
As she pouts miserably, Tanjiro gently changes the subject—by mentioning food.
Like magic, Mitsuri brightens instantly, humming happily as she skips off at the promise of a delicious meal.
The spectators across the multiverse: "…"
Nobody knows what to say.
In such a grim, heavy world as the Demon Slayer Corps, here's this cheerful, bubbly girl who's somehow one of their strongest warriors. The contrast is almost too cute to handle.
The Hashira themselves: "…"
Ubuyashiki Yoya, ever the peacemaker, finally breaks the awkward silence:"The village's importance cannot be overstated. If it isn't under demon attack, then that's a relief."
"Indeed! Not even we know where the village lies—let alone the demons!" Rengoku declares brightly.
"Oh, so there aren't any demons?" Inosuke snorts. "I thought Tanjiro was sneaking off to hunt without me. Guess not!"
"Still…" Shinobu frowns softly. "Can we really count on that?"
Her instincts are rarely wrong.
And sure enough, the footage continues.
As Tanjiro reaches the hot spring, the mysterious figure who ignored Mitsuri—and nearly caused the wardrobe disaster—is revealed: Genya Shinazugawa.
"That's your little brother, isn't it?" Obanai asks Sanemi, the Wind Hashira.
"Wrong! I don't have a brother! And don't you dare lay a hand on him!" Sanemi barks.
The scene shifts again. Muichiro Tokito, the Mist Hashira, makes his appearance.
"So this time, it's Muichiro and Mitsuri's stage," Rengoku remarks.
"Tanjiro and two Hashira… their opponent must be an Upper Moon. Harder than the Entertainment District for sure," Tengen says grimly.
"Don't worry. Mitsuri and Muichiro can handle themselves," Gyomei, the Stone Hashira, rumbles with confidence.
"That's right.""Exactly.""Muichiro became a Hashira in just two months of training—he's a prodigy.""And Mitsuri is…"
The others nod, reassured for the moment.
But reassurance never lasts long.
The footage fast-forwards through Tanjiro's training, arriving at the sixth night.
Onscreen, a demon emerges—and hearts across worlds clench tight.
As expected, Swordsmith Village has indeed drawn the Upper Moons.
But something is off.
It's not one.
It's two.
Upper Rank Five—Gyokko.Upper Rank Four—Hantengu.
Two Upper Moons. Together.
The situation is dire beyond words.
"..."
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