Anime/Manga: Bankai Starting with Demon Slayer

When Steelzuka said that, Asuka was also taken aback.

I didn't expect Xin Jie and the other two to report so meticulously, even revealing that they had used the "Qiang Meng Nai Lu Tuo" (a type of poisonous insect)...

He glanced at Arashiyama-sensei with some hesitation, then pulled the steel belt around his waist and put it on.

"I only used the old sword that I had on hand; in the end, I still had to use the Nichirin Blade to behead him."

Although this was a very important weapon to him, after testing it for some time, he found that it did not have any special effect on other people besides himself.

Steel Tomb took the cup and immediately felt a jolt.

He carefully pried open the blade a little, examined the razor clam village's many signs of decay, then looked at the bird, and finally, puzzled, gave the razor clam to the bird.

"A very special knife... but that's not why I came today..."

He opened the dark wooden box in the cloth bag, took out the long knife inside, and handed it to Asuka.

Like the old Nichirin sword that Arashi-sensei gave him, the scabbard of this sword is also a simple dark black, without any complicated patterns, only a heavy and restrained texture.

Steelzuka looked at the sword in Asuka's hand and happily gestured with his hands:

"The Nichirin Blade is also called the 'Color-Changing Blade,' its color changes according to the wielder's strength and state of mind..."

"I heard you were able to defeat a ferocious Great Demon who knows Blood Demon Art all by yourself. You must be a formidable kid. I spent seven days of my entire being carefully forging this Nichirin Blade for you..."

"Quick, quick, pull it out! Let me see what color it is!"

"Ah~~ It must be blue, the blue of the sky, the blue of the wind... or maybe not, it's emerald green... or perhaps moon white? I'm so curious, let's pull it out quickly!"

Seeing Kotetsuka's animated gestures, Asuka frowned slightly, but still solemnly drew back the scabbard and pulled out the Nichirin Blade with a clang.

hum-

As he raised the blade, a deep and long humming sound rose up, attracting the attention of the three people inside the room.

The eyes beneath the Ironzuka mask narrowed instantly, staring intently at the billowing energy emanating from the Nichirin Blade. Arashizaki Teshin also straightened up, his gaze turning grave as he looked at Asuka.

At first, a free and light rhythm resonated in the bird's heart, and the blade at the hilt began to respond to this rhythm, emitting a bluish-green light.

But soon, a cold, oppressive wave, carrying a dark aura, came and instantly dispelled the rhythm.

Almost instantly, a cold light flashed on the blade, followed by a sudden change.

Near the base of the blade, a thick, dark red color, like congealed blood, suddenly spread out, carrying an almost eerie, viscous feel, as if it had just drunk its fill of life.

The dark red color spread rapidly upwards, causing Steelzuka and Arashizaki to freeze in their tracks.

Red? It's actually red?

However, before the red could fully spread, another extreme, seemingly all-consuming black suddenly surged up, entangling the dark red all the way upwards, relentlessly pursuing it until the last wisp of cold light at the tip of the blade.

Black and red form a distinct yet strangely intertwined boundary on the cold blade.

It lacked even a trace of the verdant green, pale blue, or any other color that symbolizes agility and wildness that should be present in the breath of the wind.

But before the color could be fully set, the two arcs of light seemed to cancel each other out and disappeared without a trace!

All that's left is the gleaming blade of ordinary steel...

“This is…” Arasaki was very puzzled, his eyes filled with doubt.

"What's wrong, teacher? Can't black and red be used?"

"...That's not entirely true. It's just that black is less common, and two-tone Nichirin Blades are even rarer..."

This color has never appeared among users of the Breath of Wind, but it is very similar to the blade of the Flame Breathing sword, at least the current Flame Pillar's sword is like this...

Including himself, he had seen the swords of four users who possessed the [Pillar] level talent of Wind Breathing, and none of them were like this; their imagery was all related to wind and sky.

As for the color appearing and then disappearing... that's unheard of...

The Steel Tomb's reaction was even more intense.

The clown mask trembled, followed by increasingly loud, almost uncontrollable gasps and growls.

He shook his head, moved closer to Asuka's Nichirin Blade, and after examining it carefully several times, he finally let out an incredulous roar that even the disciples on the training ground could faintly hear.

"You bastard!!!"

Chapter 19 Crows and Home

After seeing Steel Tomb off, Asuka's expression became even more complicated.

"The wind is light and flowing, an invisible hand brushing across the hills... The wind is also violent and fierce, a divinely bestowed blade tearing through the clouds and the atmosphere..."

"This isn't wind! It's not even fire or rock, so why has it turned colorless?!"

"You brat... what's going on?! What kind of breathing could turn the knife I painstakingly forged into this color?!"

"Gahhhhhhh!! I'll kill you, you bastard!!!"

The forger's roar left Asuka with deep confusion.

Is it because I'm not suited to the Breath of the Wind... that my Nichirin Blade has faded?

"Master Kotetsuka...that's just the kind of person he is, don't take it too seriously." Arashizaki Tesshin comforted Asuka, watching the sulking Kotetsuka leave. "His eyes are only for swords, he's outspoken and has a bad temper, but he's not a bad person at heart..."

"As for this color... it is indeed rare, but it's nothing special."

Arashizaki Tesshin patted Asuka on the shoulder, his tone gentle:

"Asuka, the color of a sword doesn't tell you anything. As long as the person wielding the sword has a heart dedicated to eliminating evil, any color sword can kill a demon!"

Although Asuka is not good at socializing, she can still hear the comfort in Arasaki-sensei's words.

The faded knife... I hope it doesn't cause any trouble.

As Arasaki-sensei was instructing Asuka on how to maintain her Nichirin Blade and sharing some tips on using it.

call out--!!

A black shadow, moving as fast as lightning, flashed by, attracting the bird's attention.

In the blink of an eye, a completely black crow with its eyes slightly open abruptly landed on the nearby stone lantern.

“Oh? It’s a raven.” Arashizaki Tesshin explained, “Everyone who becomes a formal Demon Slayer Corps member will receive the help of a raven partner. They are very smart; they can not only understand your commands but also communicate and convey instructions.”

"Communicating with humans...can birds really speak human language?"

"Of course, kid." Standing on the stone lantern, he coldly responded to Asuka's question.

It slightly raised its head, pointed its beak at the birds, and spoke indifferently:

"Seventy-eight birds, command transmitted!"

"Head to Sendai in the Tohoku region as soon as possible, find the evil spirit, and defeat it!"

"Three swordsmen have already perished. Please be extra careful!"

Having said that, without waiting for the bird to ask anything more, the crow flew away on its own, just as abruptly as it had arrived.

Asuka looked at Arasaki-sensei and asked, "Are all katsuobushi like this?"

“Hmm… the ravens have their own personalities and ideas, and each one is quite different,” Arashizaki Tesshin nodded and said seriously, “Asuka, this is your first official mission, and… it’s a bit unusual, so be careful.”

"Isn't it unusual? Isn't it just finding an evil spirit and killing it?"

“That’s not what I meant,” the old man added. “Generally speaking, members of the Gui level only deal with minor ghosts that are suspected to be haunted or have only killed one or two people…”

"And your first mission is to find the demon that killed three Demon Slayer Corps members, which means it's at least a powerful demon..."

"It seems that the lord trusts you very much."

Arashizaki Tesshin didn't know whether to be happy or worried. After all, being recognized by the lord meant that he would be able to deal with incidents that ordinary team members couldn't handle, which made things even more dangerous.

Is this too fast for Asuka, who has just started playing Ghost Hunt...?

"I understand. When do we depart? Where is Sendai?"

Asuka didn't care. Since she had taken the benefits from others, she should do the work for them. It was a very simple principle.

"...Sendai is a long way, and the monsters are fierce. You should rest well today and set off again tomorrow," Arasaki murmured calmly, watching the shokuya fly away.

He has mentored many disciples, some outstanding, some mediocre, and some incompetent.

But it's been a long time since he's had a child he cares about so much.

Even just one more day is fine; let the bird get some rest.

He turned around, not looking into Asuka's eyes, but simply patting his shoulder lightly:

"It is our duty to vanquish evil spirits, and it is also for the sake of saving the world of the living..."

"But if you ever get really tired, come back... Hayama will always be your home."

After saying that, he stopped talking and silently walked towards the nursery with his one arm on his back, his figure appearing tall and desolate.

The bird was taken aback by this sudden tenderness. He turned around stiffly, feeling a warm sensation in his chest for some reason.

Asuka swallowed hard, but ultimately said nothing. She simply bowed deeply to Arashizaki Tesshin's retreating figure.

The next day at noon, Asuka had packed her bags—several changes of clothes, dry food, a water bag, a whetstone, and most importantly, her two swords.

Opening the door, the training center was unusually quiet today. It seemed that Professor Arasaki had taken his students to other hilltops for training exercises.

The bird wasn't disappointed; instead, it felt a strange sense of relief.

He was really not good at dealing with those kinds of heart-wrenching situations, which left him somewhat at a loss.

After he tied up his bundle, tucked the two swords into his waistband, and pushed open the door, he went out.

"Birds."

A clear voice rang out from the corridor; it was Miss Pear Blossom.

Feiniao stopped and turned to look at his senior sister, who had always taken good care of him.

"Come with me."

Pear Blossom didn't explain, she just waved to him, and Asuka didn't ask any more questions, silently following behind her.

Instead of heading down the main road, they circled around to the back of the nursery's main building and followed a nearly disappeared path, half-hidden by weeds, winding their way into a dense, untouched forest.

Sunlight struggled to filter through the gaps in the tall, ancient trees, illuminating a small open space in front of us.

Two low, snow-covered mounds stood side by side, lying there quietly.

Pear Blossom's expression turned solemn and sorrowful.

She walked to the grave on the left, gently brushed away the snow, and swept the not-so-exquisite tombstone, revealing deeply engraved characters beneath:

【Kouno Masachika】

“This is Kuang Jin’s grave…” Rika’s voice was very soft, as if afraid of disturbing the sleeping soul. “He… was a swordsman who came from our Hayama, and is also the current Wind Pillar, the best friend of Shinazugawa Saneya.”

“Sanemi Shinazugawa…” Asuka certainly knew him.

He and Shinsuke had also inquired about him and learned that this guy had a bad temper and often didn't listen to explanations. Even the other members of the Demon Slayer Corps considered him a terrifying presence.

However, according to Arashizaki-sensei, he's not a bad person at heart; he's just a bit rude in his speech, and he'll get better with time...

This guy actually has friends...that's unbelievable....

"And this one... is Arashizaki Suzune-neechan..."

Arasaki? Asuka's pupils contracted slightly. "The teacher's child?"

"Hmm... She is the teacher's only daughter, and she was also the mentor of older brother Shiya."

"They are my teachers and my brother Shimi...the most important people to me. For so many years, even my teachers haven't dared to come here..."

"The teacher is strong, but also vulnerable. He must maintain his stern image and uphold the Hayama Training Center to cultivate a sharp blade for the Demon Slayer Corps capable of eradicating evil spirits in the world! Even if it means losing everything!"

Tears welled up in Pear Blossom's eyes, and her shoulders trembled slightly, but she remained strong and did not shed a tear.

"Asuka, I brought you here to tell you that your teacher really values ​​you... Please take care of yourself out there, and be careful!"

"Please don't... let another grave appear here..."

Seeing such melancholic pear blossoms for the first time, Asuka was also somewhat moved.

He was young, but he had experienced just as much hardship and displacement as anyone else. Although he wasn't good at communicating intimately with people, he wasn't stupid.

Cold, distant, vigilant, uneasy.

He wouldn't want to live like this if he could, but he had no choice before.

Now, he feels like he has a home.