Demon Slayer: Muzan, will you dance too?

"No! Not even a Pillar!"

The young iron boy wearing a thick-browed mask refused without hesitation.

Kiyokawa Izumi was somewhat troubled. Despite his less-than-gentle nature, he didn't mind using a few tricks.

"Young man, I only wish to observe the swordsmanship of ancient swordsmen, that's all, is that not even allowed?"

As he spoke, his Sharingan had already quietly appeared.

"I won't use it as a training subject or treat it roughly."

It's just demonstrating the action, and it won't cause much damage to the doll itself.

Besides, I am, after all, a pillar. If I insist on watching, how can you, a brat not even ten years old, stop me?

The relatively gentle words carry a hypnotic and suggestive power—even slightly powerful evil spirits will not be affected.

But it's hard to say about teenagers like Xiao Tie.

In addition, Mr. Ishimi also tried to persuade them.

The little guy inevitably hesitated and struggled with the decision.

"You have to promise me you won't use the puppets for training or combat... If they get damaged, I have no way of repairing them."

The somewhat uneasy boy said in a low voice.

"No problem!"

Qingchuan Quan said with a smile.

Using such methods on a boy who is not even ten years old is indeed despicable.

However, Kiyokawa Izumi did not lie to this person.

He wouldn't engage in a violent battle with the puppet, much less destroy it—observing its movements would suffice; there was no need for a fight.

It's no exaggeration to say that he wasn't even interested.

No matter how powerful it is, it's still just a puppet, isn't it?

If even Muichiro could be easily defeated, then how much more so would he be able to defeat himself now?

The young boy took the doll out of the long wooden box, then took out a key from his pocket and carefully inserted it into the back of the doll. With a gentle turn, the doll seemed to come alive.

This doll, modeled after Yoriichi Tsugikuni, is incredibly exquisite.

The wooden body is nearly two meters tall, with a deep red high ponytail and faint red markings on its left forehead. Due to some damage, the artificial eyes are particularly prominent.

It wears sunflower earrings on both earlobes and, with its six arms, wields six sharp Nichirin swords.

If Muzan saw this thing, I wonder if he would be so excited that he would explode on the spot.

"How were such exquisitely crafted puppets made? It's simply impossible!"

"What's the power source? Can a weapon be wielded simply by turning gears? And how can it move so smoothly?"

Kiyokawa Izumi watched quietly from the side.

All I can say is, this is utterly unreasonable!

The source of power is unclear, and it is unknown what drives it.

Setting aside his curiosity for the moment, he began to carefully observe the puppet's movements—would it take six Nichirin Blades to replicate the movements?

In my mind, I could almost picture myself battling a mechanical puppet.

The movements they displayed were truly incredible.

"The puppet's strength is far inferior to that of an ordinary Pillar, but the puppet's strength is not actually important; what matters are its movements."

In that instant, the mechanical puppet seemed to come alive, with the sounds of breathing, sword swings, and wind constantly ringing in my ears. Kiyokawa Izumi, who was reconstructing her cognitive domain, suddenly drew her sword.

It's just a simple slashing motion, which can be easily dodged.

How could there only be this much pressure?

It should be incredibly fast, and there should be an overwhelming sense of oppression.

A crisp sound suddenly rang out.

The Nichirin Blade, which had not been fully drawn, was returned to its scabbard.

Kiyokawa Izumi did not actually make a move; he was merely simulating it in his mind.

"That's fine!"

After saying that, Kiyokawa Izumi turned and left.

There were some gains, but not many.

In the end, it's just a puppet.

It is an ordinary doll that cannot use breathing techniques, does not have markings, transparency, or a crimson blade. What has been replicated is only the movements, and it does not have even one-tenth of the original's strength.

They look similar, but not in spirit.

I was inevitably a little disappointed after watching it.

……

Since it's a rare trip to the swordsmith village, the natural hot springs are a must-see. Wearing a loose kimono and walking on the not-too-steep stone steps, Kiyokawa Izumi was undoubtedly in a very relaxed state at that moment.

Hidden among the bluestone hollows, the hot spring pool emitted wisps of milky white steam. Not completely naked, he felt the warm spring water enveloping his entire body like silk, silently relieving his fatigue.

Before anyone knew it, Kiyokawa Izumi had fallen asleep.

In my dream, I vaguely saw a familiar figure appear before me, the color of the Nichirin Blade was indistinct, and its specific features were also blurry.

An ordinary, unremarkable slash woke him up.

"Cough cough—"

Kiyoshi Izumi, choked by the warm spring water, was inevitably in a daze at that moment.

It's not that I've seen any inherited memories.

It's perfectly normal for someone who keeps talking about Yoriichi Tsugikuni and recently saw an extremely similar doll to dream about him.

As the saying goes, what you think about during the day, you dream about at night.

To Kiyokawa Izumi's regret, the slash he dreamed of was ultimately just his own understanding, plus a replication of the puppet's movements... it only looked like the real thing.