Demon Slayer: Muzan, will you dance too?

"Are you satisfied with the Nichirin Blade I forged?"

After a long wait, Kiyokawa Izumi finally saw his new sword—the village chief, wearing a comical mask, spoke while having the young man behind him present the new sword.

"Um? 』

Kiyokawa Izumi was slightly taken aback and couldn't help but look at the old man with a strange gaze.

The Nichirin Blade presented before me was about 45 centimeters long, with a scabbard as black as ink, and felt as light as a feather when held in my hand.

The handle also feels very strange, as if it has been hollowed out.

Slowly pulled out, the silver-white blade changed color in an instant, with extremely deep and fine grooves on both sides extending to two centimeters from the tip.

The tail is engraved with four characters: "Destroy Evil Spirits!"

"I feel like I'm being brushed off... Surely this old man wouldn't be sexist?"

Comparing Shinobu Kocho's and the Love Pillar's Nichirin Blades, there's an inexplicable sense of cheapness about them.

Did you really not lie to yourself?

"Well, your strength is enough to sever the neck of an evil spirit, unlike that kid Shinobu. That's why I specially forged a short sword for you, so you can use it as a secondary weapon in battle."

To say it was perfunctory wouldn't be an exaggeration.

Kiyokawa Izumi had only one requirement: to be able to inject a large amount of poison in an instant.

Whether the poison will decompose is actually not important.

The key is whether an opportunity to deliver the decisive blow can be created.

This short knife clearly met his needs.

The conditions for its use are quite demanding; it can only be used by stabbing, cutting open the flesh of the evil spirit with a sharp blade, and injecting it through high-frequency vibration.

To say it was perfunctory wouldn't be an exaggeration.

What the old man said makes a lot of sense. His fighting style is completely different from that of a ninja—the latter's Nichirin Blade is not so suitable for him.

It's far inferior to this short sword; its biggest advantage is its lightness. Considering his relatively weak wrist, it can be used as a secondary weapon in combat.

If the opportunity is seized, this deadly trump card can be revealed at any time.

Even an upper-strike cockroach couldn't decompose in the blink of an eye after being injected with a large amount of poison.

The flaws that are revealed are the key to determining the outcome.

Of course, the drawbacks are also very obvious.

Actions like chopping and slashing are not suitable, and since the blade is not very sturdy, it is also unsuitable for parrying.

In addition, the hilt cannot hold too much venom, so it must be used with extreme caution, leaving no room for trial and error.

Kiyokawa Izumi's assessment of it is that it is a weapon with both prominent advantages and disadvantages—it is quite demanding on the user.

The ability to master it perfectly is its hidden trump card.

If you can't do that, it's not even as good as an ordinary weapon; carrying it around is no different from carrying scrap metal.

"I am extremely grateful!"

Whether I'm satisfied or not, it's only right and proper to thank an elderly person for crafting weapons for me.

Having acquired a new Nichirin Blade, Kiyokawa Izumi still had no intention of leaving the swordsmith village—not because she wanted to return to the Butterfly Mansion with Kocho Shinobu, but because she couldn't forget the hot springs in the mountains.

Just then, the long-lost raven suddenly appeared.

"Mission! Immediately rendezvous with the Mist Hashira, Tokito Muichiro; there appears to be one of the Twelve Demon Moons appearing!"

"Did that man count on his fingers? He doesn't give him a single break. Even oxen and horses don't work this hard!"

"Since we have a mission, let's go!"

The old man waved at him, seemingly urging him to leave quickly, or perhaps he didn't mean it that way.

"..."

Kiyokawa Izumi sighed softly and could only get up.

He had no intention of procrastinating or delaying—he was going to act with Muichiro and had to be responsible for the former.

To prevent the boy from being killed by the Upper Moon before he even has a chance to regain his memories and awaken his markings.

He acknowledged the boy's talent.

But as for strength... I don't mean to underestimate him, but even if he regains his memories, as long as his strength doesn't make a qualitative breakthrough, his chances of winning against the Upper Moon form aren't great.

After realizing the terrifying power of the Upper Moons, even for a Pillar, acting alone is extremely dangerous.

The current team composition is roughly as follows: the Wind Pillar is often with the Serpent Pillar, and the Water Pillar sometimes acts with the Sound Pillar, and sometimes with the Flame Pillar.

The eldest brother sometimes acts together with Renzhu.

This combination is not fixed; it depends on whether there is time and whether the distance is close.

To be fair, Kiyokawa Izumi indirectly saved his brother's life—when the two Pillars acted together, both the brother and Giyu were undeniably strong, with only Mitsuri being slightly weaker.

As long as I avoid those two monsters from the first and second levels, I should be able to hold out until dawn.

Without packing much, Kiyokawa Izumi grabbed his weapon and prepared to set off.

During my time in the swordsmith village, while things were peaceful, I also had some worries—ultimately, it was because my strength hadn't improved significantly.

Life is a series of choices laid out before us. If the reward we chose back then wasn't the Seven-Day Breathing Technique, but rather a sword system from another world, perhaps we wouldn't be troubled by this now.