The next day, Riezel continued giving special training to the nine Hashira in the training ground, helping them awaken the Transparent World.
Meanwhile, other members of the Demon Slayer Corps stood by, watching as Riezel tortured and beat all the Hashira. Whenever they found something amusing, they cheered loudly, earning deathly glares from Sanemi and Obanai.
One moment they were filled with joy, the next they were miserable. Each of them was eventually caught by the Hashira and taken away for rigorous training.
Kagaya had instructed the Hashira to oversee the training of the lower-ranking members during their free time, pushing them to improve their skills whenever possible.
Originally, this task should have fallen to Riezel as the head instructor, but Kagaya seemed to notice Riezel's lack of interest in training ordinary members, thus assigning the task to the Hashira instead.
Indeed, Riezel had little interest in training these ordinary members.
After all, he wasn't here to babysit the Demon Slayer Corps. If the Hashira needed special training, so be it, but why should he bother with the ordinary members?
Although it seemed like Riezel was simply pushing the Hashira around during their training sessions, there were benefits he gained. At the very least, it allowed him to hone his swordsmanship and let his 'Swordsman' development ability absorb some excelia.
As for the ordinary members, with their combat power hovering around Level 3 at best, how much training effect could they possibly provide for him?
It would be better for them to train on their own.
For this reason, if Kagaya had tasked Riezel with this job, he would have surely declined. Even so, since Kagaya hoped to enhance the overall strength of the Demon Slayer Corps, Riezel had no reason to object.
After some contemplation, Riezel made his decision known to the Hashira.
"Every morning, I'll train you all, and in the afternoons, you'll train the other members."
However, his decision met with both approval and opposition.
Kyoujurou, Shinobu, Mitsuri, and Gyoumei were in favor. They were Hashira who valued helping others, so naturally, they supported anything that could benefit others.
On the other hand, Sanemi, Obanai, Tengen, and Muichirou were opposed. They were displeased at the prospect of their training time being halved and saw little value in improving the meager skills of ordinary members.
In their eyes, only the Hashira were crucial combat power, making the other members' roles seem insignificant.
In the end, this stark difference in views led to a heated argument.
Only Giyuu remained silent and indifferent as usual, choosing not to engage in the discussion. Ironically, this attitude explained why he had always been isolated and alone.
In the end, the argument continued until Riezel put an end to it with a single statement.
"You know, in my eyes, your skills are also insignificant and unnecessary. Why don't you all stop training and go home?"
His words instantly silenced the Hashira on Sanemi's side.
With that, the issue was finally settled.
Following Riezel's decision, the Hashira arranged a training schedule for the entire Demon Slayer Corps.
In the morning, Riezel sparred with the nine Hashira, while ordinary members engaged in basic physical training.
In the afternoon, Riezel rested while the nine Hashira conducted training sessions with various members, including sparring among other activities.
In the evening, everyone reserved it for rest.
It was decided that this new training schedule would begin from today.
At this moment, Riezel had nearly finished sparring with the nine Hashira, and it was time for them to train the other members.
Riezel left them behind and walked out of the training ground, as he had done the day before.
However, just like yesterday, he was stopped shortly after leaving.
"Big Brother!"
Clearly, that voice and the way of addressing could belong to only one person.
Sure enough, Tanjirou, looking like he had just completed his training, ran toward Riezel, panting heavily.
However, he wasn't alone, but had someone with him.
It wasn't his younger sister, who had just recovered yesterday, nor was it his usual two best friends. Instead, it was a local boy from the village, wearing a hyottoko mask.
Riezel glanced at the boy and felt a sense of familiarity.
Before long, it clicked in his mind who this boy was.
'Is it him?'
As Riezel recalled who the boy was, a flash of insight struck him, reminding him of something from the Swordsmith Village.
Instantly, his face lit up with curiosity.
At this moment, Tanjirou and the boy had already arrived in front of Riezel.
"Big Brother!"
Tanjirou seemed to have taken a liking to this nickname, calling out happily while smiling.
"Looks like you've already made up your mind, huh..."
Riezel turned his gaze toward Tanjirou.
"Yes..." Tanjirou nodded, seeming to have made up his mind. "Nezuko and I have discussed it. We promised to go back together, but not now. It'll be after everything is over, with Zenitsu and Inosuke."
"Are you really sure about this?" Riezel asked, not trying to persuade him further, just confirming. "If you die, this promise will turn into a lifetime of pain and regret."
"It's precisely because of this promise that I need to continue training, to become stronger, and to have the necessary strength to survive."
Tanjirou spoke earnestly as he gazed into Riezel's eyes.
"Nezuko and I have come this far thanks to many people who helped us, pushing us forward."
"Zenitsu, Inosuke, and of course Teacher Rengoku, Miss Shinobu, and Mr. Tomioka—everyone who's got high hopes for me. Plus, the Master's kindness, the will of our ancestors, and the memories of our departed family..."
"It's because of all of them that I've come this far."
"If it weren't for everyone's support, I would've definitely collapsed halfway."
Tanjirou's voice grew stronger.
"Now, everyone's heading into battle to end it all, to stop the tragedy, willing to risk everything."
"In that case, how could I abandon everyone and run away with just my younger sister?"
"In the future I dream of, I want not just Nezuko to be part of my family, but everyone!"
After declaring this, Tanjirou gave Riezel a big smile.
"That's why, I will fight together with everyone till the end!"
Clearly, this was the conclusion Tanjirou and Nezuko reached after talking through the night.
In any event, the Kamado siblings were naturally people who knew how to be grateful. Even though the bond between them had indeed sustained and brought them this far, their connections weren't limited to each other but extended to others as well.
Not to mention, they not only harbored deep hatred toward Muzan but also bore a fate inherited from Yoriichi that had been passed down through generations of their family.
In short, they had no reason to evade this battle.
"Sorry to disappoint you after all you had done for us..."
Tanjirou bowed deeply to Riezel.
"No, it's okay..." Riezel smiled faintly. "I actually had a feeling about your decision earlier. I just hope you can make it to the end and achieve the future you're looking forward to, without any regrets."
"Yes!" Tanjirou responded loudly.
Seeing the conversation between Riezel and Tanjirou coming to an end, the boy beside Tanjirou finally jumped in.
"Are you done talking? Then it's my turn!" The boy declared.
"Ahh, right... let me introduce him."
Tanjirou seemed to just remember the boy's presence and quickly introduced him.
"He is Kotetsu, from the Swordsmith Village."
"I can tell." Riezel glanced at the mask on the boy's face. "So what's the story? How did you end up together?"
"We didn't end up together... we just met recently..." Tanjirou said, scratching his head. "He was hiding and peeking from the side... Well, he looked kinda pitiful, so I brought him along."
"I-I wasn't peeking!" Kotetsu immediately protested. "I just happened to pass by! Yeah, just happened to pass by!"
"Eh, really?" Tanjirou tilted his head. "But weren't you here yesterday too?"
"What?" Kotetsu was surprised. "How did you know?"
"Because of the smell!" Tanjirou straightened up proudly. "My nose is quite sensitive, y'know!"
"I don't understand what you're talking about!" Kotetsu protested.
Nevertheless, he no longer denied coming here and began stealing glances at Riezel with a hesitant expression.
"What's up?" Riezel asked in confusion. "Do you have something to ask me?"
"Well, sort of..." Kotetsu's voice involuntarily lowered. "I heard you're the master of the divine sword, so I wanted to ask you something..."
Riezel nodded, gesturing for him to continue.
After much hesitation, Kotetsu finally mustered the courage to ask his question.
"Can you fix a mechanical doll?" Kotetsu asked with a somewhat hopeful voice.
"Mechanical... doll?" Tanjirou blinked his eyes, confused.
As for Riezel, he had a sudden realization upon hearing the boy's question.
Now, he knew why Kotetsu had come to him.
"Are you referring to Yoriichi Type Zero?"
Riezel's words surprised Kotetsu.
"Y-You know about Yoriichi Type Zero?!" Kotetsu seemed somewhat surprised.
"Yoriichi Type Zero?" Tanjirou's face displayed a question mark and his eyes widened. "What's that?"
Seeing his confusion, Kotetsu began to explain.
"It's a mechanical doll created by my ancestor for combat training. It can perform 108 different movements and possesses superhuman strength. Many members of the Demon Slayer Corps who have visited the village always used it for training, but it's quite old now, almost falling apart. Recently, fewer people come specifically to train with it, and fewer people even know of its existence..."
"Ah, I see!" Tanjirou nodded earnestly.
Seeing his reaction, Riezel doubted whether he truly understood.
However, that wasn't the priority right now.
"Are you asking me to help you repair Yoriichi Type Zero?"
Riezel voiced Kotetsu's true purpose.
"Yes."
Upon hearing Riezel's question, Kotetsu nodded heavily.
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Yoriichi Type Zero, the existence of this battle-oriented mechanical doll, only came back to Riezel's memory after meeting Kotetsu.
Its presence wasn't imposing, but from its name alone, one could discern a connection to Tsugikuni Yoriichi.
In truth, the creator of this mechanical doll created it after Yoriichi, endowing it with strength far surpassing that of ordinary humans. Moreover, it had existed for a considerable time, spanning from the Sengoku period to the present day, easily over three hundred years.
Clearly, the fact that a mechanical doll could persist for over three centuries was truly remarkable in itself, emphasizing its exceptional nature.
It was thanks to Kotetsu's family, who had taken care of this mechanical doll since the Sengoku period, for over three hundred years up to the present day.
As Riezel thought about this mechanical doll, his interest was piqued, but he also felt a bit confused about Kotetsu's intentions.
"Why did you come to me?" Riezel asked with a puzzled tone.
In fact, Yoriichi Type Zero was quite old, nearly breaking down and beyond repair.
Unfortunately, by the time it reached Kotetsu's generation, the necessary skills and knowledge needed to maintain and repair it had been lost, so it wasn't unusual for him to seek someone to help him fix it.
However, the question remained—why didn't Kotetsu approach the highly skilled swordsmiths in the Swordsmith Village, but instead came to him?
Truly, this was something Riezel couldn't quite grasp.
However, Kotetsu's next words would answer his doubt.
"In the village, apart from my father, there's no one left who can repair Yoriichi Type Zero, including myself..."
As Kotetsu answered, there was a hint of reluctance in his tone.
A mechanical doll that had survived from the Sengoku period to the present surely harbored remarkable craftsmanship.
While the Swordsmith Village boasted many skilled swordsmiths, particularly the village chief who was arguably the world's best swordsmith, expertise in mechanical doll-making was scarce.
After all, this type of craftsmanship was already niche within the Swordsmith Village, almost forgotten and overlooked. Because of this, until now, only Kotetsu's father possessed the ability to maintain, care for, and repair Yoriichi Type Zero.
Sadly, Kotetsu's father had passed away, leaving Kotetsu as the last inheritor of this dwindling mechanical doll.
However, Kotetsu was merely a precocious child, lacking the ability to repair Yoriichi Type Zero, and didn't even possess the natural talent for swordsmithing. For this reason, in the original work, Yoriichi Type Zero remained damaged until the end.
Fortunately, at this time and this moment, Kotetsu saw hope in repairing Yoriichi Type Zero, which lay in Riezel.
"You're the master of the divine sword, right?"
Kotetsu asked with a hint of anticipation.
"Many in the village say the divine sword was actually made by you. Although some skilled swordsmiths led by the village chief deny this claim, stating they don't smell the scent of a blacksmith on you, I want to know, if you really did create the divine sword, can you also repair mechanical dolls?"
Upon hearing this, Riezel finally understood.
Needless to say, Kotetsu harbored a hopeful belief when he sought him out.
"You sure know how to beat a dead horse." Riezel chuckled and shook his head.
"So, um... can you?"
Kotetsu asked, not denying Riezel's words while looking nervously at him.
After a moment of contemplation, Riezel replied.
"Take me to see Yoriichi Type Zero first, then we'll decide."
"Alright!" Kotetsu readily agreed.
"Um, can I come along?" Tanjirou quickly raised his hand.
"Let's go." Riezel glanced at him with a smile. "Perhaps you will find something useful there."
After saying these mysterious words, he took the lead and walked ahead.
Seeing this, Tanjirou and Kotetsu hurried to catch up.
===
Under Kotetsu's guidance, Riezel and Tanjirou arrived at another stretch of mountain forest.
A clearing lay before them, seemingly designated for training purposes, though it appeared neglected from lack of recent use.
"It's right there."
Kotetsu stepped into the clearing, pointing toward a figure standing tall in the center.
Riezel looked up and immediately spotted the mechanical doll, a relic from the Sengoku period, still intact.
It was dressed in a kimono, resembling an ancient samurai, with its hair styled in a tall ponytail. It had the appearance of a human male, but its expression was stiff and robotic, revealing that beneath its exterior lay not supple flesh, but rigid mechanical parts.
It also had six arms, each equipped with a sword, resembling a demon from hell. Even standing motionless, it emanated a faint but eerie sense of dread.
"Is this Yoriichi Type Zero?"
Riezel examined Yoriichi Type Zero with interest.
Tanjirou also did the same.
"This doll..."
As Tanjirou stared at the mechanical doll's face, he felt a strange sense of familiarity.
Kotetsu stepped in to explain.
"This is Yoriichi Type Zero, a combat mechanical doll of my family. It was my ancestor's greatest creation during his lifetime, unmatched even today."
"According to my family records, Yoriichi Type Zero was modeled after an extremely powerful swordsman from the Sengoku period."
"The swordsman's incredible skill left a profound impact on my ancestor, inspiring him to create this mechanical doll."
Kotetsu's voice brimmed with pride.
"To replicate the swordsman's skills, my ancestor created Yoriichi Type Zero with multiple action modes, six arms, and six swords."
"Without these modifications, it's said that the doll wouldn't even possess a tenth of the swordsman's strength."
"Hence, Yoriichi Type Zero appears as a six-armed swordsman."
Kotetsu's words finally dawned on Tanjirou, usually dense and slow to react.
"Yoriichi Type Zero... Yoriichi...?"
Muttering this, Tanjirou looked at Riezel in surprise.
"Just as you suspected." Riezel nodded. "This mechanical doll is designed after Tsugikuni Yoriichi from the Sengoku period, the creator of Sun Breathing, who passed it down to you and me."
Upon hearing this, Tanjirou finally understood why the mechanical doll seemed so familiar to him.
After all, this was the great ancestor who had once befriended and saved his own ancestors, leaving behind the legacy of Sun Breathing for his family. Furthermore, the blood flowing within him told him that the person with that appearance was a great benefactor to his family.
One could even say Yoriichi was his family's master (sensei) and the master of his family through generations since the Sengoku period.
"..."
Tanjirou fell silent for a while, then bowed respectfully toward Yoriichi Type Zero.
Riezel, however, didn't share Tanjirou's deep emotions.
His connection with Yoriichi was not as profound as Yoriichi's connection with Tanjirou's family, so he simply continued to examine Yoriichi Type Zero, vaguely recognizing the figure of the swordsman who had demonstrated Sun Breathing to him in his dream.
Eventually, Riezel turned to Kotetsu and threw out a question.
"It should still be functional, right?"
"It should be..." Kotetsu nodded hesitantly. "But Yoriichi Type Zero is quite old now. It can move, but if it's put into combat again, it might break down immediately."
"If that's the case, there's nothing we can do." Riezel glanced back at the mechanical doll. "We need to see how much it can move before deciding whether we can repair it. If it breaks before then, it's just its fate."
Although his statement saddened Kotetsu, it was also the truth.
"Okay, I'll make it move."
Kotetsu took a key from his pocket, approached Yoriichi Type Zero, and inserted it into a hole in its body.
He then twisted the key, activating it.
*Ka-Ka!*
In the next moment, the sound of metal parts being activated echoed from within Yoriichi Type Zero.
As its eyes lit up slightly as if infused with life, it raised its head.
Seeing this, Kotetsu hurried back.
At the same time, Riezel suddenly grabbed Tanjirou by the arm.
"Eh?"
Tanjirou was taken aback.
"Big Brother?"
His voice conveyed both confusion and a hint of unease as if sensing something ominous.
"You go and give it a try."
Sure enough, as Riezel heartlessly said this, he threw Tanjirou toward Yoriichi Type Zero without hesitation.
"EEEHHHH—?!!!"
Tanjirou immediately let out a series of screams as he was thrown right in front of Yoriichi Type Zero.
*Swish!*
Seeing its target, Yoriichi Type Zero instantly sprang into action.
It extended its six arms and raised its six swords before dashing toward Tanjirou with astonishing speed.
"Wa-Wait?!"
Tanjirou exclaimed in shock, quickly drawing his own sword.
*DING!*
In the next moment, their swords clashed, producing a crisp sound of impact and sparks flying. In the nick of time, Tanjirou hastily raised his sword, blocking the lightning-fast strike coming toward him.
However, Yoriichi Type Zero's other five arms and swords also moved, like a storm, slashing out with a flurry of sword lights, attacking Tanjirou like a torrential downpour.
*Clang!* *Cling!* *Clang!* *Cling!*
*Clang!* *Cling!* *Clang!* *Cling!*
For a moment, the sounds of swords colliding echoed fiercely in the empty clearing.
Yoriichi Type Zero seemed possessed by a god of war, its six swords turning into blades of minced meat, slashing out flashes of sword light, cutting out slashes with incredible speed and high attack frequency, forcing Tanjirou to barely defend himself.
Seeing this scene, Riezel's eyes grew brighter and brighter.
'Heh, even though it's almost falling apart, it still has this kind of strength?'
Looking intently at Yoriichi Type Zero, Riezel made his judgment.
Yoriichi Type Zero should have combat power equivalent to Level 4.
Clearly, this was essentially the combat power of a Hashira, yet it appeared in the form of a mere doll.
'Interesting...'
Riezel was interested in this mechanical doll—or rather, he was interested in acquiring the technology to create it.
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