บท 79: 79. Playful Cloud is Online!
Now, this is a surprise.
The sun has risen, and Kotetsu, that kid, is in front of Kotaro. As usual, like others, Kotetsu is still wearing that weird mask, but from his demeanor, it seems he's made up his mind after hearing Kotaro's words.
"What is it, kid?"
"I am not a kid! I am Kotetsu!"
"Sigh~ So, what is it, Kotetsu?"
Oblivious to Kotaro's lazy eyes, Kotetsu takes out the key to Yoriichi Type Zero, and before Kotaro realizes it, Kotetsu hands it over to him.
"Here, take it. The key to Yoriichi Type Zero."
"You…"
This move surprises him. To think the kid would give the key to him on his own... What happened?
Kotetsu notices his surprised look and adds, "Of course, I don't want to give the key to a man like you. But what you said back there was right. My ancestors didn't make the doll to be treated as an heirloom. So, I'll lend it to you for practice, for the purpose it was made for."
"And if it breaks?"
"I'll repair it!"
Kotetsu's words make a smirk appear on Kotaro's face, and the laziness fades. With the key now in his hands through consented means, Kotaro takes out the wooden three-section staff and heads to train again.
This time, he's accompanied by Kotetsu, who studies the doll alongside him. Of course, Kotaro is cornered most of the time by the robot, which is an embarrassment, but once in a while, he pulls off amazing moves, hitting the robot with force.
And as soon as he does...
"You! Even though I lent it to you, can't you hit with less force?! You already broke the doll's face!"
"If you were that worried, you shouldn't have given me the key, kid!"
"I am not a kid, I am Kotetsu!"
The chemistry isn't the best, but Kotaro and Kotetsu continue to spend their days together until a call comes from Gozo.
...
"Gozo, I heard you called for me. Does that mean…"
"Yes! Kotaro-san, I've made your weapon!"
Finally! The excitement shows on Kotaro's face. After all, he's finally getting his weapon! All this time, he's been sparring with Yoriichi Type Zero to prepare for it.
"Kotaro-san, here it is—the three-section staff."
Gozo opens the box and hands it to Kotaro. Inside lies the three-section staff, with its natural metallic color, the raw shade of Nichirin.
As soon as Kotaro grabs it...
Just like with the staff before, his Hamon leaks out, attracted to the Nichirin weapon.
And then, a red color starts to form all over it, and the metallic-colored three-section staff turns a striking red.
This time, the red color excites not only Gozo but Kotaro as well. This three-section staff now looks exactly like the ideal weapon he had in mind.
"Playful Cloud."
Kotaro tightens his hold on the weapon and swings it, startling Gozo a bit. This weapon fits perfectly in his hands.
Playful Cloud is online!
...
Chiiing! Chiing!
Kotaro grabs the middle section, spinning Playful Cloud and deflecting all the blade attacks from Yoriichi Type Zero.
The clash of metal creates sparks and sounds. With Playful Cloud in hand, Kotaro feels more motivated than usual.
And this motivation shows in the sparring. He observes the attacks more acutely and either blocks or deflects them with Playful Cloud, then takes advantage of his weapon's strength—fast combos!
Bang-Bang-Bang!
In a single second, three attacks from Playful Cloud fall on Yoriichi Type Zero.
The strikes are fast, but Kotaro controls his strength, ensuring the robot isn't damaged by his attacks.
After sparring for so long, Kotaro pretty much avoids hitting vulnerable areas—the joints, or else a warning shout from the kid would come and interrupt him.
'But where is he? I haven't seen him today.'
The robot is here, yet Kotetsu is absent. Odd. That kid's everything is this old robot.
Well, he decides to think about it later and focus on the spar for now.
...
"I practiced a bit too much."
The excitement of the new weapon carried him away. Kotaro sits down and takes a sip of water.
Releasing a heavy breath, Kotaro lies down on the ground, staring at the blue sky in a trance.
He recalls all he's done since arriving at Swordsmith Village.
He found his blacksmith, the weirdest one; bullied a kid into giving up his heirloom, then scolded him, making him hand it over on his own.
"I did do a lot of things."
He then looks at the robot, now standing still. Sparring with it has been more beneficial than he expected. No wonder the robot could keep up with Muichiro in the beginning.
His responsiveness has grown, and he's grown accustomed to his new weapon.
"If more of these robots could be made, then the Demon Slayer Corps could become much stronger."
But alas, that's impossible. Well, overthinking it won't get him anywhere.
"I should prepare to leave."
Kotaro's leave was only to obtain his weapon. Now that he has it, he needs to return to duty.
As much as he dislikes the work, Kotaro understands that time is limited. Before he knows it, a year has passed, leaving him with only one left. Now, he has to grind and level up.
"Hmm… Is the kid not coming?"
Kotaro could have left earlier but waited for Kotetsu. Not that he particularly likes the annoying kid, but after spending so much time together, there's definitely some kind of friendship. Moreover, his previous role as the teacher, makes him a bit concerned about Kotetsu.
Swoosh!
The bushes rustle, drawing Kotaro's attention.
"There you are. Why were you late, kid?"
"I am not a kid! I am—"
"Yes, you're not a kid. You're Kotetsu. I know."
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