Chapter 154: Exclusive Nichirin Sword
Eventually, under the invitation of Kyoujurou, Riezel moved into the residence of the Rengoku family.
As a family of Demon Slayers for generations, the residence of the Rengoku family was kept strictly confidential. Since they had earned the trust of the Ubuyashiki family, their connection with the Demon Slayer Corps was strong enough to withstand scrutiny. Consequently, their residence was not very far from the Ubuyashiki Estate; one could even say it was in the same town.
Riezel couldn't help but suspect that this town was specifically established for the Demon Slayer Corps and those closely related to them.
Several Hashira had also moved to this town after retirement, though he wasn't sure where they had gone, it seemed plausible that they had established residences here.
If that were indeed the case, the financial resources of the Ubuyashiki family might surpass even his imagination, to create a whole town for residency, showcasing their immense wealth.
The Rengoku family was equally impressive, boasting a rich history, though not on par with the Ubuyashiki family, it was far greater than an average family.
After settling in, Riezel received a brief tour from Kyoujurou.
"My father and little brother also live here, but my father is currently semi-retired, and my little brother isn't a Demon Slayer yet, so I won't introduce them to you for now. Just relax and make yourself at home. If you want to practice, the courtyard is spacious enough!"
After the tour, Kyoujurou assigned a room to Riezel.
During this time, Riezel also encountered the three main characters, but they seemed to be engaged in some inexplicable training fervor.
"Hahaha! Let's settle this, Lord of the Land!" Inosuke excitedly chased after a humanoid locomotive figure in the courtyard.
"For fuck's sake! Why do I have to be the Lord of the Land!" Zenitsu, clad in a locomotive-shaped costume, yelled furiously while evading Inosuke's pursuit.
"334... 335... 336... 337..."
Meanwhile, Tanjirou was doing push-ups, seemingly focused on enhancing his stamina, while a wooden box rested on his back as a weight.
The three of them were making a ruckus in the courtyard, which amused both Riezel and Kyoujurou, who watched for quite some time.
"...Should we not disturb them?" Riezel suggested.
"Agreed." Kyoujurou replied with a serious expression.
And thus, Riezel temporarily settled in the Rengoku residence.
At the same time, the Ubuyashiki family acted swiftly, showing considerable importance to Riezel's request by sending over what he had asked for the very next day.
"Here you go, five books of fundamental breathing styles." Kyoujurou said with a smile as he handed over five books to Riezel.
Even though the five books were not thick, each of moderate thickness, they formed the foundation of the Demon Slayer Corps. The covers of the books were color-coded according to their respective breathing styles.
Flame Breathing was red.
Water Breathing was blue.
Stone Breathing was gray.
Wind Breathing was green.
Thunder Breathing was golden.
Five books with different colored covers were neatly arranged in front of Riezel, presenting an impressive sight.
"These five books are specially curated and updated to the latest editions, packed with insights from different experts. For example, Flame Breathing includes knowledge and explanations passed down from generations of Flame Hashira in my family!"
Kyoujurou grinned widely at Riezel.
"Though we can't arrange for those experts in other breathing styles to provide face-to-face guidance to you, if it's Flame Breathing, feel free to ask me anything if you're unclear!"
A direct guidance from the Flame Hashira himself, undoubtedly an invaluable opportunity for any average swordsman.
"Alright, thanks." Riezel didn't refuse outright, simply agreeing.
"Is there anything else I can do for you?" Kyoujurou exclaimed. "Master has already instructed me to fulfill all your requests as much as possible!"
Upon hearing that, Riezel pondered for a moment before making another request.
"Could you prepare Scarlet Crimson Iron Sand and Scarlet Ore for me?"
Naturally, he was referring to the metallic minerals used to forge Nichirin Swords.
"Oh?" Kyoujurou's eyes gleamed. "You need a Nichirin Sword?"
"I might..." Riezel chuckled and shrugged his shoulders. "After all, I don't have one yet, and using Sun Breathing with a Nichirin Sword seems to be a better match."
In this world, swords and katana were essentially the same weapons, otherwise, 'Breathing Style' wouldn't be referred to as 'swordsmanship'.
The difference between Nichirin Swords and the ones Riezel usually wielded, was that the former had only one sharp edge, while the latter had two. Additionally, the blade of Nichirin Swords was curved, suitable for heavy slashes, while the latter's blade was straight, allowing for more flexibility.
Both could be used for performing breathing styles, but they had their differences.
Even though, all of Sun Breathing's forms were supposed to be performed with a Nichirin Sword, if Riezel wanted to use different types of swords to perform it, he probably had to make some adjustments.
However, he didn't have any plan in that regard at the moment, since he simply thought that if he had a Nichirin Sword, it would at least be pretty useful when dealing with demons. Without it, he would have to rely on decomposition magic to kill demons.
However, since he decided to focus on studying breathing styles, he decided to temporarily refrain from using magic.
In that case, acquiring a Nichirin Sword was indeed necessary.
"Shall we take charge of forging your Nichirin Sword?" Kyoujurou asked, brimming with enthusiasm. "You know, the Corps has expert swordsmiths who work in secret, and their craftsmanship is excellent. They'll surely forge a Nichirin Sword that satisfies you!"
He was not boasting.
The Demon Slayer Corps indeed had a close collaboration with a group of swordsmiths who resided in Swordsmith Village. Almost all of them were swordsmiths, responsible not only for forging and maintaining all Nichirin Swords of Demon Slayers but also deeply passionate and dedicated to swordsmithing.
Generation after generation, they researched and forged Nichirin Swords, continuously improving their craftsmanship year by year. They were undoubtedly the elites of the swordsmithing industry.
Not only did each Demon Slayer have a dedicated swordsmith to forge their Nichirin Sword, but to prevent demon attacks, the location of Swordsmith Village was highly secretive, with hardly anyone in the Corps knowing its exact whereabouts.
Even entering the village required blindfolds and nose plugs, with several people specially designated to escort and guide, with the guidance of Kasugai Crows.
Moreover, the order of the route, the guiding Kasugai Crow, and the escorting people changed frequently, ensuring the utmost secrecy, comparable to the Ubuyashiki Estate, the headquarters of the Demon Slayer Corps.
It could be said that in this world, no smith was more skilled at forging Nichirin Swords than swordsmiths from Swordsmith Village. Even the swords of the Hashira were forged there, which was why Kyoujurou was so proud and eager to recommend them.
Unfortunately, Riezel had no intention of having swordsmiths from Swordsmith Village forge his sword.
"Just get those two materials ready for me and I'll handle the rest. I've got my own plans." Riezel answered calmly.
Indeed, there was no denying that in this world, Nichirin Swords were considered a particularly special weapon.
However, it was a different story in other worlds.
Whether it was in terms of hardness, power, sharpness, or even endurance, Nichirin Swords could only be considered an ordinary weapon, far from meeting the standards of 'special equipment' in the world of Danmachi.
In other words, Nichirin Swords couldn't even be classified as third-class equipment, just a relatively outstanding weapon among ordinary equipment.
It could inflict damage on demons, not due to the sword's performance, but because of the properties of the forging materials.
Capable of emitting energy similar to sunlight, it had a significant effect on demons, but it was utterly useless against anything other than demons.
Such a weapon was naturally not suitable for Riezel.
Even without using 'Ariel', with his current strength and level, there was a good chance the Nichirin Sword would break if he engaged in serious combat.
He remembered that Tanjirou's sword had been broken during the fight against the Lower Five, so he didn't want to use such a fragile sword.
It was undeniable that the swordsmiths in Swordsmith Village might have decent skills, but they were ultimately just ordinary people, unlike the advanced blacksmiths in the world of Danmachi.
Not only did these advanced blacksmiths possess the 'Blacksmith' development ability capable of adding special attributes to forged weapons, but they could also process special materials and forge weapons that could cut through the steel-like bodies of floor bosses.
If his Nichirin Sword were to be forged by the swordsmiths in Swordsmith Village, the result would only be an excellent sword, unable to even touch the edges of special equipment.
For Riezel, who possessed first-class and second-class equipment with the Durandal attribute, it was undoubtedly not a good sword.
For this reason, Riezel's thought was simple—he would forge the sword himself.
'I may not have the 'Blacksmith' development ability or know swordsmithing, but I have magic.'
He had learned structure system magic from Yuri, so while he couldn't make magic items or alchemy items, if it came to making weapons, he could still manage.
Of course, what he would make wouldn't be magic weapons, just ordinary weapons.
With his current level, accumulated 'MAG', and assistance from the 'Mage' development ability, the magic he wielded would undoubtedly surpass that of ordinary structure system magicians in terms of power and effectiveness.
'If I use decomposition magic to break down large quantities of Scarlet Crimson Iron Sand and Scarlet Ore, removing all impurities and leaving only the essence, the quality of these two materials would reach the standards of special materials.'
'Afterward, using structure system magic to merge the essences of the two materials with Hermit and transform them into a Nichirin Sword.'
'This way, the quality of my Nichirin Sword should be outstanding, right? By then, I could at least possess a Nichirin Sword with the Durandal attribute.'
With those thoughts in mind, Riezel had already decided.
If he was going to use a Nichirin Sword, then he wanted the best one.
One that surpassed the understanding of everyone in this world, an exclusive Nichirin Sword just for him!
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Chapter 155: Who Needs to Become a Dragon When Becoming a Sun is More Exciting?
After chatting for a while, Kyoujurou finally left to fulfill Riezel's request. He promised Riezel that he would bring a large amount of Scarlet Crimson Iron Sand and Scarlet Ore.
It was not weird for Kyoujurou to make such a promise since there remained a considerable quantity of Scarlet Crimson Iron Sand and Scarlet Ore, as no member of the Demon Slayer Corps lacked a Nichirin Sword.
Even Tanjirou, whose Nichirin Sword had been broken once, quickly acquired a new one, demonstrating the availability of materials for the swords.
What was likely in short supply were swordsmiths with exceptional skills.
However, since Riezel didn't need someone to provide swordsmithing, he just needed the raw materials for the sword, which wasn't difficult.
Kyoujurou expressed that he would try to bring back as much as possible after obtaining permission from Kagaya, which was quite thoughtful of him.
'Fortunately, the first Hashira I got to know was Rengoku. Otherwise, if it were someone else, it wouldn't be so easy to talk to...'
As Riezel thought of the other Hashira in the Demon Slayer Corps, he increasingly felt that each one of them was a problem child. In comparison, even though Kyoujurou had a unique personality, he was still very kind-hearted and friendly toward others.
As such, handing this matter over to Kyoujurou, Riezel felt at ease.
Shaking his head, Riezel stopped thinking about Nichirin Sword and picked up the five books of breathing styles in front of him, starting to read through them one by one.
After about an hour of reading, he had a certain understanding of the five fundamental breathing styles.
'Although the five fundamental breathing styles are all derived from Sun Breathing, each of these breathing styles has its own characteristics and advantages. If I only consider their individual characteristics and advantages, they are not inferior to Sun Breathing.'
For example, Water Breathing, characterized by its softness and versatile sword forms, was very dexterous and agile in combat, able to deal with various situations. It was a breathing style as changeable as flowing water.
Among all the breathing styles, Water Breathing was rather easy to practice. Perhaps it didn't have the same power as the other breathing styles, but it had the most advantage in prolonged battles. Even Sun Breathing couldn't match the versatility and endurance of Water Breathing.
Since the birth of breathing styles, Demon Slayers proficient in Water Breathing had always been the most numerous, resulting in never having a vacancy for the Water Hashira.
Because of this, Water Breathing was the preferred choice for many when practicing breathing styles. Its characteristics of being easy to practice and easy to master made many Demon Slayers who didn't consider themselves very talented inclined to practice Water Breathing.
Similar to Water Breathing was Flame Breathing.
This was a breathing style passed down through generations in the Rengoku family, and it was the breathing style closest to Sun Breathing, as its power ranked among the top of all breathing styles.
Although it wasn't as easy to practice and master as Water Breathing, Flame Breathing could be considered the most comprehensive of all breathing styles. With diligent study and effort, once mastered, the user's strength would increase rapidly and they would quickly rise to prominence.
Just like Water Breathing, there had never been a vacancy for the Flame Hashira.
As a result, throughout the generations of the Hashira, both Flame Hashira and Water Hashira have always existed, maintaining the significant presence of these two breathing styles within the Demon Slayer Corps.
According to Riezel's speculation, initially, after Sun Breathing, the second breathing style to be born was probably Flame Breathing. Compared to Sun Breathing, it might not be as powerful, but its destructive power was still very strong.
Despite that, the remaining three fundamental breathing styles also had outstanding characteristics.
For example, Thunder Breathing was considered to be the fastest among all breathing styles, with the strongest explosive force, even surpassing Sun Breathing in terms of speed alone.
For this reason, it demanded extremely high physical qualities from its users, second only to Sun Breathing. It was extremely difficult to practice, as evidenced by the absence of Hashira proficient in Thunder Breathing, indicating the difficulty of mastering it.
Another example was Wind Breathing, which granted each slash of the user a very powerful cutting power, making it the sharpest breathing style.
Not only it could easily slice off any body part of demons, but proficient users could even wrap wind blades around their hands and feet, using this breathing style as Taijutsu. Coupled with its speed second only to Thunder Breathing, the strength of those who practiced this breathing style could be vaguely imagined.
Lastly, Stone Breathing was particularly unique.
As the only breathing style among the five fundamental breathing styles without derived branches, not only it was both stable and heavy, but it also excelled in defense and offense alike.
Users of this breathing style often used heavy weapons, making their defense impregnable and their attacks powerful and forceful. Those who were proficient in it could be considered invincible.
Overall, these five fundamental breathing styles, in terms of overall ability, fall short of Sun Breathing. But if one considered only a specific ability, even Sun Breathing would have to admit defeat to them.
"As I thought, they're quite interesting..." Riezel muttered with relish.
When Kagaya claimed that Sun Breathing was the strongest breathing style, Riezel was somewhat skeptical. After all, it still depended on the person who used it.
Among the current Hashira, each one had honed their respective breathing styles to peak proficiency. If going according to Kagaya's logic, didn't that mean anyone who practiced Sun Breathing could defeat them?
Impossible.
It could only be said that if they were at the same level, then indeed, the one who practiced Sun Breathing would be stronger than those who practiced other breathing styles.
But in the end, their strength still lay in their own overall ability.
Even if both sides were at the same level, the one who practiced Sun Breathing wouldn't have more endurance than someone who practiced Water Breathing, nor would they be faster than someone who practiced Thunder Breathing.
Plus, their slashes wouldn't be as sharp as those who practiced Wind Breathing, and perhaps, their offensive and defensive strength might even pale in comparison to someone who practiced Stone Breathing.
Therefore, while Sun Breathing was indeed powerful, its strength lay in being versatile. Compared to the specialized capabilities of the five fundamental breathing styles, it may not necessarily win.
Similarly, breathing styles derived from fundamental breathing styles like Love Breathing, Insect Breathing, Sound Breathing, Serpent Breathing, and Mist Breathing specialize even further in certain aspects than their origins.
Although they were picky about their users and couldn't be practiced without corresponding talents and special physical qualities, once mastered, they were no less inferior to the five fundamental breathing styles, and in some aspects, even stronger.
However, breathing styles derived from fundamental breathing styles were really picky about their users, like focusing too much on one aspect, which diminished their value for what Riezel was about to do.
"In any case, let's give it a try."
After memorizing all the five fundamental breathing styles, Riezel picked up a practice wooden sword placed in the room and headed to the courtyard.
===
Mastering the process of five fundamental breathing styles wasn't too difficult.
Perhaps it was due to Riezel's own terrifying learning ability and growth speed, or perhaps it was because he had already mastered Sun Breathing, the five fundamental breathing styles derived from Sun Breathing posed little difficulty for him and were easily mastered.
As a result—
"Water Breathing - First Form - Water Surface Slash."
In the courtyard, a wave of water suddenly appeared, like a water blade slashing through the air, instantly cutting through the air.
With a practice sword in hand, Riezel adjusted his breathing. After slashing a stream of water in front of him, the rhythm of his breath suddenly changed, causing the water vapor around him to turn into flames.
"Flame Breathing - First Form - Unknowing Fire."
Riezel dashed forward like a rocket, engulfed in flames. After slashing through the air, he turned back and cut off the water waves that had just risen, evaporating them.
In the next moment, Riezel's breathing rhythm changed again, turning the flames around him into a whirlwind.
"Wind Breathing - First Form - Dust Whirlwind Cutter."
Just a moment ago he was a rocket, now he was a hurricane.
Covered in wind, Riezel surged forward, leaving behind a spiral wind blade that cut through the earth.
"Stone Breathing - First Form - Serpentinite Bipolar."
As the spiral wind blade disappeared, Riezel's next slash was as heavy as a giant rock, stirring up rebellious dust as it passed through the air.
Finally, as his foot touched the ground, he shattered it, transforming into a lightning ray.
"Thunder Breathing - First Form - Thunderclap and Flash."
As the sound of thunder ripping through the air echoed, a lightning ray flashed in the courtyard, just as the name implies, becoming a fleeting thunderclap.
When the lightning ray disappeared, Riezel's figure appeared amidst the crackling lightning current, assuming an Iai stance.
Gradually, the ever-changing rhythm of his breathing calmed down, allowing him to turn his head and look behind him.
There, the surrounding terrain had become a mess, like it had been ravaged by artillery fire, with not a single intact spot.
"Looks like I'll have to leave some gold for Rengoku to fix his courtyard later..." Riezel muttered, a satisfied expression on his face.
And just like that, he finally mastered the five fundamental breathing styles.
Such a sensational and astonishing feat, if word got out, it would surely shock many people to the core.
While it took others several years, or even a decade, to master one breathing style, Riezel effortlessly mastered not just one, but five at once. If the Hashira found out about this, their will would likely be utterly crushed.
However, for Riezel, the real deal was just beginning.
"I wonder if it can be as I wish..." Riezel murmured. "Using Sun Breathing as the foundation, integrating the swordsmanship of this world with the swordsmanship of Akasha Continent."
Yes, that was what Riezel intended to do in this world.
Upon learning that this dimensional travel was to the world of Demon Slayer, Riezel immediately thought of the breathing techniques and swordsmanship of both worlds.
'If I'm not wrong, this world's swordsmanship is called 'Breathing Style' because it uses a unique breathing technique known as 'Total Concentration Breathing' as its main method to strengthen the heart and lungs by absorbing a large amount of air, accelerating blood flow, temporarily granting strength beyond human limits.'
'On the other hand, the swordsmanship of Akasha Continent uses breathing as a support, stimulating and activating magical energy within one's body, making it absorb magical energy to become stronger.'
'In that case, if I incorporate the breathing technique principles and the swordsmanship from both worlds, wouldn't I create a perfect blend that not only boosts my strength during combat but also makes me stronger after each use?'
'Moreover, can I not only make it accelerate my blood flow and strengthen my heart and lungs, but also enhance every organ, even every cell, by infusing them with my massive amount of magical energy, thus unleashing astonishing strength?'
Such was Riezel's plan—to merge the breathing technique principles and swordsmanship from two worlds, creating a combat style that allowed his strength to explode during combat and become stronger with each battle.
Once achieved, it would be a special swordsmanship surpassing even the complete Holy Dragon Sword Style.
After all—
'Who needs to become a dragon when becoming a sun is more exciting?'
Riezel's eyes sparkled as a smile formed at his mouth.
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Weekly Power Status
200+ Power
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