Demon Slayer: My breathing technique went awry after Nezuko pushed me down.

Fifteen whole days!

Tanjiro blew on the gourd for a full fifteen days.

Spurred on by Shirakawa Yu, Tanjiro mastered the essentials of the "Common Mode" technique in less time than in the original storyline.

It is generally possible to maintain a normal level of normalcy in daily life.

As for gourds used to improve lung capacity and breathing techniques...

Although the biggest one hasn't been blown apart yet.

But it also brought him one step closer to mastering breathing techniques.

Just as Tanjiro felt he was ready again and was about to challenge Shirakawa Yu.

Two figures carrying long boxes finally arrived leisurely at the foot of Mount Sagiri.

The swordsmith has come to deliver the sword!

This also means that their first mission as members of the Demon Slayer Corps is about to begin!

Chapter 31 New Sword, Shirakawa Yu is going to play with dual swords?

"Ring ring~ Ring ring~"

Amidst the soft tinkling of the wind chimes on the brim of their hats, the two blacksmiths stopped at the doorway of the small hut.

One of them, needless to say, is the ultimate curse exclusive to Tanjiro, Steel Tomb.

Just like in the show, he continued to introduce the sword he had forged, completely ignoring Tanjiro's words.

The other one, named Tetsuya Mori, was also a 'miserable swordsmith'.

That's right, he's the one who forged twin swords for Piggy and then watched Piggy pick up a stone.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

That unlucky guy who smashed his hard work into a razor blade!

However, despite his bad luck, his knife-forging skills were still quite good.

After all, it was he who helped the Mist Hashira, Muichiro Tokito, to forge the Nichirin Blade he desired in the later stages.

If a swordsmith who can forge blades for Pillar-level powerhouses were to forge a sword for him, Shirakawa Yu would say he had nothing to complain about.

After a brief introduction, the five people gathered inside the house.

Urokodaki sat in the main seat, with Shirakawa Hare and Tanjiro on his left and their respective swordsmiths on the opposite side.

Steelzuka was the first to lose patience and solemnly handed the sword to Tanjiro.

"Tanjiro Kamado, this is your sword."

This is a standard Nichirin-style samurai sword, with a beautiful curve and a simple scabbard.

Tanjiro accepted it with both hands, his eyes filled with excitement. "Thank you, thank you!"

"Pull it out and let's see!" Haganezuka urged, "The Nichirin Blade changes color depending on the user!"

Tanjiro took a deep breath and gripped the hilt of his sword.

"Chong-"

The clear sound of the sword being drawn pierced the morning mist.

The moment the blade completely detached from its sheath, a cold glint appeared, revealing its unparalleled sharpness.

Immediately after Tanjiro gripped the hilt of the sword, a pure black color gradually spread from the tsuba (handguard) to the tip of the blade.

The expectation on Steel Tomb's face froze instantly.

A few seconds later.

"black--?!!"

Steel Tomb went berserk instantly, its voice rising eight octaves soaring high it nearly shook the entire mountain awake.

"Why is it black?! This is the sword I painstakingly forged! A sword infused with my heart and soul!"

"Why did it turn into this bland, unremarkable black coal color?!!!!"

Tanjiro jumped in fright, nearly dropping his sword. "I'm so sorry! Mr. Hidetsuka, I didn't know it would turn out like this..."

“While it’s difficult to achieve great things with a black blade, there are exceptions,” Tetsuya Sen said slowly from the side.

"Maybe it's this kid, he's special."

Steel Mound was still there, wailing and clutching his head, "What a load of rubbish! It's pitch black and hideous! I thought I'd see a bright red blade!!!"

What he cared about was clearly not the ordinariness of the black knife, but the final form of his masterpiece.

Shirakawa Yu watched with amusement, while Tanjiro blushed with embarrassment, holding the "coal ball" sword at a loss.

Urokodaki sighed and gave Tanjiro a brief explanation of the black sword's situation.

After comforting the slightly upset Tanjiro, he turned to Tetsuya Mori and asked, "What about the other one?"

Tiexuesen nodded and took out a long package from the wooden box.

This package is noticeably larger than Tanjiro's, and its shape is also slightly different.

He carefully unwrapped the strips of cloth, one by one.

When the last piece of cloth slid off, the exposed scabbard stunned everyone except for Shirakawa Yu.

—It was a straight, long sword.

From the mouth of the scabbard to the tail, it is a straight line without any curvature.

The sheath is slightly wide, exuding a simple and rugged quality.

Even the hilt is simply oval-shaped, yet its weight is just right.

“This is…” Tanjiro blinked, looking at the sword and then at the Tang sword Makomo that Shirakawa Yu had been wearing for a long time at his waist.

"Senior brother, how come this one is exactly the same as the one from Makomo?"

Shirakawa Yu didn't answer, but simply drew his sword.

"Chong-"

The sound of the sword being drawn was clear, melodious, and lingering.

The blade is straight as if cut, and as bright as the moon.

It's almost identical to the Mako sword.

The only difference is that the blade of this new knife is a bit thicker and the spine is wider.

"Tang Hengdao," Bai Chuanyu said softly, his fingers tracing the blade. "A fine sword."

Tiexuesen breathed a sigh of relief. "I'm glad you're satisfied. To be honest, this knife... I didn't really forge it. Nobody in our village has ever forged this kind of knife before."

"Straight blades and curved blades may seem similar, but they are actually made using completely different techniques."

"I wasn't very confident, so I asked the village chief to personally take charge of the hammering. He followed the blueprints you provided and also consulted some illustrations in ancient books before he was able to make it."

Forget his complaints, Steel Tsukasa curiously leaned over to take a look. Clearly, Iron Cave Mori hadn't told him beforehand. "Straight blade? This design... Tang style?"

“Yes.” Shirakawa Yu nodded. “I’m used to using this.”

"Interesting." Steel Tsukasa crossed his arms. "But since you already have one, why do you want to play an exact copy?"

When he asked this question, Tanjiro and Urokodaki looked over as well.

Shirakawa Yu sheathed the new sword, then took the Makomo sword from his waist, holding one in each hand in front of him.

"Two-sword style?" Urokodaki frowned.

"Half and half," Shirakawa Yu said.

"What do you mean by half and half?" Linlong's voice deepened.

"If you're going to learn, learn properly. If you're not going to learn, don't waste your time. Dual-wielding isn't just about randomly swinging two swords; it requires specialized training and—"

“Master, don’t be in a hurry.” Bai Chuanyu interrupted him, smiling. “I know that dual-wielding is difficult. But during the selection process a couple of days ago… I figured out a new move.”

He paused, looking at the twin swords in his hands.

"That move would be even better if you used dual swords."

"As for its use, you can rest assured. I've deliberately practiced my basic knife skills."

"Aside from a slight difference in strength, there are no problems with dexterity when using a knife with either hand."

The basic sword techniques provided by the system do not differentiate between left and right hands.

In other words, even if Shirakawa Yu uses his left hand, he can achieve the same level of precision as with his right hand.

Urokodaki remained silent for a few seconds.

"Are you sure?" he asked.

“Okay.” Shirakawa Yu nodded. “Let me try it out, Master. If I really can’t get used to it, I’ll switch back.”

Having said that, Urokodaki couldn't object any further.

He sighed. "Suit yourself. But remember, the battlefield is not child's play. If dual swords affect your strength—"

“Then switch it back immediately,” Shirakawa Yu replied. “I understand.”

Steel Tomb, watching with amusement, interjected, "Alright, alright, it's time to try the color-changing trick. Hurry up, let me see what color you can change into?"

Black would be best!

Don't let yourself be the only one suffering!

Shirakawa Yu nodded, drew the new sword from its sheath again, and gripped the hilt tightly.

The next second, the sword began to change color.

A slightly flamboyant purplish-pink hue spread from the guard, quickly covering the entire knife.

"Pink?" Steel Mound murmured, "What a peculiar color..."

He turned to look at Urokodaki, and as an old acquaintance, he didn't stand on ceremony at all.