It was the last day, Yoriichi Type-Zero's weapon had been replaced by Kotetsu with a real sword. Today, El was not around Tanjiro and Kotetsu to see the progress of the battle as it was time to leave the Sword Swallower Village.
This was somewhat regrettable for Tanjiro because he could not directly ask about Hinokami Kagura. As promised, El would say this after Tanjiro won against Yoriichi Type-Zero.
After a week, Tanjiro fought so desperately that he almost crossed the bridge of reincarnation repeatedly.
On the last day Kotetsu gave him, Tanjiro's body began to adapt to the rhythm of Hinokami Kagura and Tanjiro finally and began to realize something different about himself.
Tanjiro's breathing was getting deeper and more controlled, his sense of smell reaching a level he had never experienced before.
Tanjiro began to be able to smell ill will, not just from living enemies, but from the mechanical doll. Every movement, every swing of the puppet's arm contained the scent of evil intent that Tanjiro could detect.
'This is it! I wasn't wrong, I can smell a scent that is very different from that of a living being,' Tanjiro said in his mind, 'This is the scent of bad intentions of objects!'
This time, the attack Tanjiro launched was not solely to defend, but to find an opening and recognize the scent pattern of an object's ill will.
Tanjiro knew that in order to win, he had to overcome his own limitations by recognizing Yoriichi Type-Zero's attack patterns, not just to defeat him.
With Hinokami Kagura's breath constantly flowing in his body and well concentrated, Tanjiro began to find an opening.
Tanjiro smelled every scent of the doll's movements starting to seem slower and more predictable, rather than the scent of the opening thread.
Tanjiro's body moved with mesmerizing agility, his breathing matching the flow of energy flowing from within him.
His black-bladed sword glistened as it reflected the sunlight, as if wrapped in an invisible flame.
"Hinokami Kagura: Enbu!" exclaimed Tanjiro, leaping up quickly. In an instant, Tanjiro darted forward, swinging his sword in a perfect diagonal motion.
His slash was so fast and precise, it made the air around him sizzle, as if burned by the intensity of his attack.
Slash!
Tanjiro's sword slid with incredible force, cutting right through Yoriichi Type-Zero's neck.
In one smooth motion, the Mechanical Puppet's head detached from his body, hovering for a moment in the air before falling to the ground with a heavy sound.
Dust flew up, while the wind stopped for a moment as if paying homage to the moment.
Tanjiro paused for a moment, lowered his sword slowly and breathed a sigh of relief. In front of him, Yoriichi Type-Zero finally fell, his head severed by the Enbu's perfect move, a testament to Tanjiro's progress in his grueling training.
"You did it Tanjiro-san!" said Kotetsu enthusiastically, jumping up and down in excitement.
Tanjiro smiled back warmly at having defeated Yoriichi Type-Zero, "Yes! I did it!"
{A/N: Yup! Next is Zohakuten vs Mc (use Hinokami Kagura) Actually, I was hoping for a spin off/fan made Yoriichi vs Zohakuten, but I couldn't find one. So I made the MC in case of Yoriichi, ehehehe.}
***
In a place located quite far from Sword Forging Village, El walked to enjoy the surrounding scenery full of shady and lush trees.
Green grass with a speck of water because it had rained, a cool atmosphere and the chirping of birds, became his companions on the way.
Because his Trench Coat had a hole in it, now instead of the Demon Hunter uniform, El wore a long black Haori dangling, fluttering slowly every time the wind blew.
This Haori has a silver dragon motif that runs from the bottom to the back, with details that are so delicate and elegant.
For some reason, El was specifically given permission by Kagaya to come and go from the Sword Forge Village alone, unlike the other members of the Demon Slayer corps, including even Hashira.
Moments later, El stopped her footsteps and sat down under a nearby lush tree. "I won't go too far, so that I can reach the Sword Forge Village as soon as possible, during the attack."
Shortly after, El took out the rice balls she had made herself and quickly ate them. "Supposedly, tonight Upper Moon Gyoko and Hatengu attacked."
After finishing his rice ball, El took out a drink bottle made of bamboo sticks. This bottle was made by Tanjiro before El's departure.
Gluk... Gluk... Gluk!
El sighed. "It's a bit unfortunate, I can't see Tanjiro directly defeating Yoriichi Type-Zero."
Then El leaned on the trunk of the lush tree behind him, "Surely the events would be very different from the manga, if in the manga Tanjiro and Kotetsu were comically frightened by the sword on Yoriichi Type-Zero's body."
El began to reminisce, after Tanjiro trained with Yoriichi Type Zero for some time, he managed to behead him and found a hidden sword from 300 years ago.
Haganezuka suddenly appeared without a top, surprising Tanjiro and Kotetsu. Haganezuka then tries to take the sword, and the two fight with him until he is tickled by Kanamori, after which he falls limp.
Kanamori revealed that Hotaru had been training in the mountains to make a very powerful sword for Tanjiro and Tanjiro was moved by it. After Haganezuka woke up, he explained that he would repair the rusted blade.
It took Haganezuka three days and three nights to finish, and Tanjiro was worried about Haganezuka's health because there were swordsmen dying from using Haganezuka's methods.
El smiled slightly. "But, since the sword is in my hands now, that incident will never happen."
Swinging his hand gently in the air, El took out the Metsu that had been repaired by the Village Chief Sword Forger from the Item Storage Ring.
The Metsu in El's hand seemed to exude an undeniable aura of majesty and history. It looked so incredibly elegant like a striking masterpiece, with details that made it feel alive in the grip.
The scabbard was made of fine wood, painted a glossy jet black, but on closer inspection, there were subtle patterns resembling waves of smoke.
These patterns appear so faint, they seem to be hidden behind the sheen of the scabbard, giving it a mysterious and elegant feel.
The handle is wrapped in woven black fabric, with blood-red threads running through it, forming a crisscross pattern that provides a dramatic contrast.
At the end of the handle, there is a small dark silver pommel, rounded in shape with a simple engraving symbolizing a gently burning fire.
Throughout the handle, there is a sense of strength and perfect balance, as if this sword has been specially designed to be an extension of the wielder's hand.
This sword tsuba is made of shimmering silver, reflecting the light of the midday sun.
The size and shape of the Tsuba was normal, but it was engraved with sharp patterns, adding to the character of the sword, creating the impression that this weapon was not just a tool of war, but also a precision-prepared work of art.
El unsheathed Metsu, revealing a black blade that was as stunning as if it were a historical work of art from the hands of a master.
The pitch-black blade was adorned by two patterns that formed streams of fire on either side. The patterns looked like flames radiating towards the tip of the sword, as if the flames were moving with each swing.
These patterns were not only engraved on the surface, but also seemed to be part of the sword itself and blended in perfectly with the black blade, creating the impression that this sword had the soul of a never-ending flame.
"What a beautiful sword," El said with a serious look, looking at the warm black glow of the sunlight.