บท 26: Chapter 26: Automaton
Over 300 years ago, during the Warring States period, one of Kotetsu's ancestors encountered a swordsman from the Demon Slayer Corps.
This swordsman possessed extraordinary sword skills, capable of cutting down even the most powerful demons with a single strike.
"If only there were more swordsmen like him, the Demon Slayer Corps wouldn't have lost so many people," Kotetsu's ancestor had thought. This idea led him to create combat-type automatons based on the legendary swordsman.
After a long period of painstaking effort, Kotetsu's ancestor managed to create an automaton that bore some resemblance to that legendary swordsman. In order to replicate the swordsman's techniques, this automaton had six arms, each wielding a sword and capable of performing 108 different movements.
Unfortunately, Kotetsu's ancestor passed away before passing down the complete method of making these automatons to his descendants.
Since then, the automaton had been used in combat training with the Demon Slayer Corps. However, as time passed and no one could maintain it, the automaton gradually deteriorated.
In Kotetsu's generation, his father's unexpected death led to the loss of this unique skill. The automaton was nearly discarded, and its existence was known only to a few elderly swordsmen.
Kotetsu, who thought he would become the black sheep of his family, now saw the automaton coming back to life before him.
"Is this a dream?"
Kotetsu pinched Tanjiro's face hard, causing him to cry out in pain.
"It's not a dream after all."
Kotetsu prostrated himself on the ground in front of Aomori, exclaiming, "I apologize, I was wrong! I didn't recognize the greatness of Lord Aomori."
"Your attitude changed so quickly!" Tanjiro commented while rubbing his face. "But what if it doesn't work?"
Smack! Kotetsu slapped Tanjiro. "How could you doubt Lord Aomori's skills? He's a true master!"
"I didn't expect him to have this skill. He's truly a mysterious man," Kanae silently thought.
Aomori repaired the automaton's face, completing the final task. He clapped her hands and said, "Considering the limitations of the time, creating an automaton like this is already remarkable. I made a few improvements to see if it could work."
"It definitely can!" Kotetsu was brimming with confidence.
They moved the automaton to an open area outside. Kotetsu inserted the key and turned it several times. When they heard a satisfying "click," they quickly moved away from the automaton.
Everyone held their breath and watched the automaton, fearing that their presence might affect it.
Click, click, click...
After a few seconds, the automaton suddenly crouched down, and its six arms swung vigorously, creating a beautiful display of swordplay.
"It moved! It moved! Yes!" Kotetsu cheered enthusiastically.
"So cool!" Tanjiro exclaimed with excitement.
"This is fantastic," Kanae said with a satisfied smile, clapping her hands.
Thud! Kotetsu prostrated himself again. "I kneel before you once more! You're amazing, Lord Aomori!"
Aomori smiled and said, "How about it, would you like to learn?"
"Can I?" Kotetsu excitedly clung to Aomori's leg. "Master, I want to learn how to make automatons!"
"Well, maybe later. I want to test it again," Aomori said to Kanae. "Can you help me with something, Great Butterfly?"
"Great Butterfly?"
"Yes, you're the Great Butterfly, and your sister is the Little Butterfly. Your whole family is butterflies; we need to differentiate," Aomori explained.
"???" Tanjiro had question marks all over his face. 'Your whole family is butterflies! Sister, please scold him 'Tanjiro screamed in his head.
"Is that so? What a cute nickname. Little Butterfly, hehe, Shinobu's nickname is adorable too!" After imagining this, Kanae said, "Aomori, are you asking me to test the automaton's performance? I can do that."
"That's right, since you're the only one who knows its original capabilities," Aomori replied.
Kotetsu activated the mechanism doll again, and Aomori pulled Tanjiro back more than ten meters away.
Taking advantage of this gap, he asked Tanjiro, "Do you think the face of this mechanism doll looks familiar?"
Tanjiro was puzzled "Huh? No."
"The name of this mechanism doll is "Yoriichi Type Zero". Its prototype is Yoriichi Tsugikuni, a swordsman from the Demon Slayer Squad more than 300 years ago. Look carefully at its movements."
"Oh." Tanjiro was still ignorant, but he still stared wide-eyed at the movements of the "Yoriichi Type Zero".
On the open ground, the "Yoriichi Type Zero" has started, and the six swords draw mysterious trajectories and attack Kanae at the same time.
The breath of flowers used by Kanae is a derivative of the breath of water. It has the cutting ability of the breath of water, and at the same time, the swordsmanship like flowers and brocades has the ability to confuse the enemy.
For mechanism dolls, the ability to confuse the enemy is useless, so Butterfly Kanae strengthened the speed of the sword, and easily blocked the attack of "Yoriichi Type Zero".
But "Yoriichi Type Zero" did not stop, six swords followed by six swords, and the offensive rushed towards Butterfly Kanae like a wave. Kanae, covered with colorful butterfly-patterned feathers, has a light posture, flying left and right, like delicate flowers in the tide.
'Compared with before, the attack speed is faster, and the switching between moves is smoother, too much stronger' thought flashed in Kanae's mind.
Now she feels like she is fighting with six well-coordinated swordsmen. Even though Kanae has a physique far superior to that of ordinary girls, she can't last long.
'Then use offense instead of defense! '
Kanae gradually sinks into the battle, as if fighting a ghost, adjusting her body functions to the best, she is also competitive!
Breath of Flowers · Second Form: Honorable Shadow Plum
Send out an arc-shaped slash in all directions, the trajectory is like the petals of a plum blossom, and all six swords are swung open.
Flower Breath · Fifth Form: Peonies of Futility
Send out nine consecutive blows from all directions, stabbing at the same point like peony petals, hitting the armor in front of "Yoriichi Type Zero", and sending it flying.
The automaton that fell to the ground finally stopped moving.
"Won! good!" Kanae jumped up happily, and after landing, she glanced at Aomori with a pair of purple eyes, becoming a little girl who wanted to be praised.
"That's right, as expected of a Hashira." Aomori praised, "It's really impossible to defeat you with a mechanical doll."
"It's also very strong, I've tried my best." Kanae said while arranging her clothes and hair.
"What about you, Tanjiro?"
"Hiss, I seem to have seen it somewhere, but I can't remember it for the time being." Tanjiro shook his head and said.
"Well, don't worry, just think about it slowly."
At this time, a series of "gurgles" sounded, and Tanjiro held his stomach: "Ah, I'm hungry."
Of course, they haven't eaten since noon and the night is getting dark.
Butterfly Kanae smiled, she was also a little hungry after strenuous exercise.
"Then let's go back to eat."
Kotetsu was still checking whether the "Yoriichi type zero" after the battle was faulty. Aomori pulled him aside and muttered a few words. He also handed him a dusty sword.
"Thank you." Kotetsu thanks from the bottom of his heart.
…
As they were saying their goodbyes, Kotetsu seemed lost in thought, contemplating something important.
On their way back to the Butterfly House, Kanae asked curiously, "What did you say to Kotetsu earlier?"
"Nothing much, just told him to try to understand the internal mechanisms of the automaton. His family valued it so much that they never dismantled it, which prevented them from learning its core technology," Aomori explained casually.
"I see, breaking something to understand it and then rebuilding it. That makes sense," Kanae sighed. "Unfortunately, not many people have the courage to do that."
"Exactly."
After a satisfying meal, Tanjiro fell asleep on his bed almost instantly, and Aomori immersed himself in studying the breathing techniques with the materials provided by the demon slayers. The room was illuminated only by the candlelight.
His goal was to analyzed the different techniques and used to improves his thunder breathing and Holy breathing styles…
As the night grew deeper, the candlelight flickered.
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