Chapter 29: Yoriichi Type Zero
The next morning, Tanjirou started looking for that secret weapon Kanroji-san spoke of.
'I wonder what this weapon Kanroji-san talked about is. Is it a sword? Is it buried? It feels like a treasure hunt.' he grinned, 'I'm so excited!'
"This is a nice place, but I can still smell the hot spring from here. Hmm, I wonder if my nose isn't working well because I haven't fully recovered yet. And I really want to find Haganezuka-san, but… Hm? A kid? And one more person… Isn't that Tokitou-kun?" he blinked.
'What's happening? Are they arguing? What should I do now? Eavesdropping is bad. But if they're fighting I have to intervene.' he thought, only catching the boy's raised, distressed tones, but not making out any words.
He watched in utter disbelief as Tokitou-kun hit the child at the neck, making it fall to the ground and then pick it up and hold it by the front of its yukata.
"Hey! Stop! What do you think you're doing, Tokitou-kun?" he frowned, running up to the two, "Let go of him!" he demanded, grabbing the Pillar's arm.
"Your voice is really annoying. Who are you?"
Tanjirou blinked.
"I…seriously did not expect that." he replied, "But that is beside the point. What are you doing to that kid? Get your…" his words died away, 'He's not even flinching. He has thinner arms and he's smaller than me…!' Why were you trying to hit a kid?"
"You're annoying. You let go." he said and elbowed him in the stomach with his free hand.
Tanjirou coughed, surprised, dropping the hand, to clutch his stomach.
"You're really weak. I have no idea how you got into the demon slayers."
"Ow." Tanjirou moaned, "Are you okay?" he asked the kid, having pulled him away from Tokitou-kun.
"G-Get off me!"
"You don't look so good. Take care of yourself." Tanjirou reached out to the young boy.
"Go away!" he slapped his hand away, "I-I'm not handing this key over to anyone. Not even under torture. Never. 'It' is gonna break very soon."
"Have you ever been under torture? Not even adults can endure it, so it's impossible for you. It seems like you're just an exceedingly dumb kid who doesn't know his place. And so what if it breaks? Just make another. You know, in all this time that you've been grumbling and mumbling nonsense, do you know how many people have died?" Tokitou-kun said with appalling disinterest and cruelty, "This is what happens when you get in the way of a Pillar. Unlike you people, a Pillar's time is extremely important. You'd understand if you thought a little. Swordsmiths can't fight. They can't save lives. Making weapons is all they're good for." he extended his hand, "So, come on. The key." he demanded, "Understand your place in life when you act. You're not a baby anymore, you know."
Tanjirou, enraged, slapped his hand away.
"What's this about?"
"This…This just doesn't sit right with me! I'm not exactly sure why! Why are you acting like this?! What about consideration? You can't just forget to be considerate here! That's just mean and cruel!"
"Am I cruel? You…"
"Are correct. Everything you said is more or less right. But even though you're not technically wrong, swordsmiths have a very important and crucial job! They possess amazing skills that are different from swordsmen's. Because, frankly, if they don't forge swords for us, we couldn't do anything at all, right? Swordsmen and swordsmiths need each other to function properly. Yes, Pillars are important. But so are swordsmiths. We both fight the same fight. We fight every day, albeit in different places and ways."
"Sorry. I don't have time to talk about dumb stuff."
Next thing he knew, a hand struck his neck and everything blacked out.
Tanjirou heard two voices above him.
"So, now what? Can I carry him all the way back down on my own…"
"No, I'll carry him. He's gonna wake very… Hmm? His eyelids are moving there! He's awake! Later!"
"O-Okay!"
One was the kid.
The other… He sat up quickly.
"O-oh! Are you okay? You shouldn't get up so fast."
"Was Haganezuka-san here?" he asked the boy.
"Huh?"
"Was he just here?"
"No. No, he wasn't."
Tanjirou sighed in defeat.
"Oh, I see. Then maybe it was my imagination… I was sure I heard his voice." he said, "Must have been hallucinating." he rubbed his neck, "Shinobu's gonna be mad with Tokitou-kun when she finds out he hit me."
"Why? Who is she?"
"Our doctor." Tanjirou rubbed his stomach, "And the Pillar?"
"I gave him the key, so he left."
"Ah, I see. I guess you probably didn't have a choice in the matter there… And, well, I didn't really know the situation, so I guess it's not my place to grumble about it."
"Oh, no. I was really happy! You stood up for a complete stranger like me… Thank you very much!" the boy bowed his head in thanks.
"Oh, no, I am sorry I wasn't of any help to you." Tanjirou apologised, "So, what kind of key it was?" he asked after a moment.
"It was for a mechanical doll."
"Eh? A mechanical doll?"
"Yes. My ancestors made it. It has one hundred and eight different movements."
"Eh…! Really? That's amazing!"
"It's power surpasses that of humans, so it's used as a training dummy."
"Oh, I see. So he was going to train…"
"Yes, but the doll has slowly started deteriorating, and it might break soon…" the boy seemed distressed.
Suddenly, loud thuds and clangs echoed through the forest.
"Whoa, what's that?"
"The guy from before started… Over here." the boy said, as he lead the way.
They watched in awe of Tokitou-kun's skill, but Tanjirou's attention was quickly caught by the doll.
"That…is the battle doll made by my ancestors long ago. Yoriichi Type Zero."
'I recognise this face. I've seen it somewhere before. Where…?'
"It's arms… Why are there six arms?"
"It's arms? Well…according to my dad…this doll is modeled after an actual swordsman. They had to give it six arms, or they couldn't be able to replicate his movements."
'I feel like I know him, but I don't know why…'
"So who was this person? Where was he from? What exactly did he do?"
"Sorry, I don't know the details either… But it dates back to the Sengoku Era."
"S-Sengoku?! You mean, it's more than three hundred years old?! How has it not broken after all this time?"
"Its construction is so superb that we can't hope to achieve that level even now. So if it breaks, we can't fix it anymore… My dad died suddenly and I don't have any siblings, so if it breaks I'll have to be the one to fix it. But I don't have the talent to fix blades or dolls…"
"So that's why… I see. I see… " Tanjirou understood.
"This person…is amazing. He's just as young as I am…but he's so talented…"
"Well, of course! That boy is a descendant of the Sun Breath users. He's a genius! He's on a completely different level from you!" a female crow laughed.
"You're Tokitou-kun's crow? Sun Breath is the original breath… So he's really amazing… But Tokitou-kun doesn't use the Breath of the Sun. He's using Breath of Mist. Nor he is a Kamado, as far as I am aware." Tanjirou said, honest.
"Shut the hell up! I'll gouge your eyes out!" the crow was offended, pecking his cheek and drawing blood.
"Ow! Ah! That's right! I remember! The dream I saw! He was in that dream!"
"What? You're a total moron." the crow scoffed, perching herself on Tanjirou's shoulder, "Have you ever come to this village before? You're being so delusional that you make me laugh. So you know a warrior from the Sengoku era? How old are you?"
Tanjirou stopped. Then he deflated.
"Sorry about that… I must look weird…"
"No, no!" the young boy was quick to comfort him, "Maybe it's a memory that was passed on? It's a common saying in my village. Appearances aren't the only things that are inherited. Living things pass on their memories too. For example, someone having memories of seeing the same scene when they first forge a sword. Or knowing how to do something they've never done before. Or remembering something they haven't yet experienced. We call those inherited memories." he explained, "So the dream you saw must have been your ancestor's memory!"
"Ridiculous! Ridiculous!" the crow called.
"Thanks, you're so sweet. My name's Tanjirou. What's yours?"
"I'm Kotetsu. You don't have to listen to this bully of a crow."
Suddenly a loud crack called their attention back to Tokitou-kun's training.
"I-It's armor…" Tanjirou looked surprised and worried, as he turned to look at the boy.
Kotetsu-kun ran away.
"Kotetsu-kun!" he called after him, not wasting time in following him, "Kotetsu-kun! I'll find you! I have a good sense of smell!" he called out, 'Even though I don't feel so good now.' he thought ruefully, "Kotetsu-kun! Kote–"
Tanjirou tracked him down to a tree not too far away.
"You're really good at climbing trees, huh? I promise to help you as much as I can with the doll!" he called out, "So, don't give up! You still have a future. You have to work hard so you can be better ten, twenty years later on. One day, you'll be able to do the things you can't do now."
"No, I can't. I know I'm just a pathetic guy. Everything is gonna end at my generation and it's all my fault." the boy cried.
Tanjirou jumped up and grabbed on a branch. He flipped Kotetsu-kun on his chin.
"Ow!"
"Don't be so reckless. You can't abandon your responsibility. Please, don't talk about yourself like that… Even if you can't do it yourself, then someone else will do it. But you have to put in the effort, so you can pass it on to the next generation. So even if you can't, then your kids and grandkids might be able to, right?" he said, "Just like, as a user of the Breath of the Sun, it is my duty to defeat Kibutsuji Muzan, I might die without achieving this. But I believe someone else will for sure finish the deed. Just like we defeated an Upper Moon by working together with the lives we connected. Those lives will on day defeat Kibutsuji." he took Kotetsu's hand with his free hand, "So, let's work hard together!"
"Yeah. Okay." Kotetsu-kun sniffled, "I didn't want to see the doll break, but now I made up my mind. His training session should last through the night. That's why I'll make sure…to be mentally ready by then. And see it to the end like I should."
Tanjirou beamed at him.
"Let's go." Tanjirou smiled, helping him down the tree.
"Do you have any siblings, Tanjirou-san?"
"Five younger siblings; two sisters and three brothers. Also the late Flower Pillar and her sister, the current Insect Pillar grew up with us." he smiled.
"How old are you?"
"I'm fifteen. How about you?"
"I'm ten."
"Oh, you're ten?"
"Yeah."
"My little sister, Hanako, is…"
As they were talking, Tokitou-kun passed them.
"Huh? You're done?!" Tanjirou exclaimed surprised.
"Yeah… It was great training. So who are… Oh, right. I broke my blade, so I'll be taking this one." he held up a sword with an arm still attatched to it.
Kotetsu-kun took off towards the doll.
"Kotetsu-kun!" Tanjirou called out.
Tokitou-kun threw his old sword at him and Tanjirou caught it in the air.
"Dispose this for me." he said indifferent.
'I don't sense any malice from him… So he's probably not doing it on purpose… But still…' he looked as the Mist Pillar turned to go, followed by his crow, who turned to give him an evil look, 'That crow is definitely malicious, though… She's really looking down on me.' he thought, 'I don't remember Tokitou-kun being like that when we trained. Then again, he didn't even remember me.'
He hadn't walked more than a couple of steps, when Tanjirou reached out at him, and grabed the doll's sword.
"What do you think you're doing?"
Tanjirou didn't reply. With great care, he removed the severed arm and left, running after Kotetsu-kun.
'Kotetsu-kun. Kotetsu-kun. Oh, there he is!'
The boy was standing beside the fallen doll. It looked really bad.
It started raining.
"Kotetsu-kun." Tanjirou walked beside him "Let's just make sure. It might still be able to move." he said.
The two worked together to put it on its feet.
"Not moving… So I guess it's…" Kotetsu-kun said.
Just then, the cogs started turning and the doll took a fighting stance.
"YES! It's still moving, Kotetsu-kun!" Tanjirou exclaimed, "Good for…"
"Yes, it is, Tanjirou-san. Now train. Please. Train and become stronger than that shitty indifferent, emotionless jerk! I'll help you! With all my strength!"
Tanjirou blinked.
'What…? Train? Starting right now?!' he thought surprised.
"Tanjirou-san, please become stronger. And then say this to him; 'That all you got, you piece of crap? Your hair's too long, cut it, kelphead. Dirtbag. Runt. Shrimp. Ugly midget. Clumsy peglegs. Slice your belly open, you shameless punk.'" the young boy said, with a serious tone.
"Uhh…! No! Kotetsu-kun?! I don't think… That's a little…"
"Is it better to slice his head off and hang it on the prison gate?" Kotetsu-kun asked, obviously thinking Tanjirou didn't think the insults weren't too much, "Maybe just hang him?"
"No, it's not! I can't say that! It's too harsh!"
"Say it!"
"No!"
'Even if I don't really have to say it, Tokitou-kun was awesome! He's smaller and younger than me too. But…' Tanjirou thought, bearing Kotetsu-kun's pinching his face, 'I won't be beaten! I must get stronger too!'
"Tanjirou-san, just say it, please."
"Let's get started, then." he drew a deep breath and taking his stance.
"So you'll say it?"
"NO!"
"Damn it." Kotetsu-kun sulked.
He turned the key behind the doll's neck and Tanjirou's training started.
The first attacks were almost too strong for Tanjirou.
He was pushed back, even though he managed to defend himself.
"Tanjirou-san!" Kotetsu-kun ran up to him.
"If I didn't manage to defend myself, I'd've died. Six arms is pretty tough." he said.
"It only has five arms now. That shitty brat broke one off, so its battle capability has decreased. If you die from this, you'll be nothing more than crap. You're useless if this is all it takes to kill you. Don't lose! Do your best. I'll say it again, one more time so lift your head!" the boy said, "You're moving mostly based on habit. You're not making any decisions after watching your opponent's movements. That's no good. That's why nothing's working for you. Understand? Get it? Point is, you make no real use of your foundation. I'm surprised you've managed to stay alive as a hunter for so long. In the demon slayer corps, everything is dangerous. I bet you've been on thin ice this whole time. I'll make sure to run through every weak point you have and beat it out of you, so you won't be getting any food until you can do what I say!"
"Okay…"
"I didn't tell the shitty brat about this, but there are other ways to change the doll's movements aside from just turning the key behind its neck." Kotetsu-kun said.
They had turned the doll off, sitting it down and bandaging its face, to hold it together for a little while longer, as Kotetsu-kun explained.
"Ohh?"
"Do you know about yosegi-zaiku wooden puzzle boxes?" he asked, producing one from his clothes, "I made this myself." he added.
"Whoa, wow you made one! Yeah, I know what it is. My sister Hanako has one."
"Same principle here. You have to move everything in the right order or it won't open." the boy said, "You can change the doll's movements depending on how many times you rotate its fingers and wrist. We swordsmiths designed it to establish the weaknesses of the swordsmen, then we make them fight the doll after matching its movements to those weaknesses. If we don't do this, then there's no point to having a training session." he explained, "Even without torture resistance training, I wouldn't tell anybody I hate about this even if it kills me." he blew a raspberry in Tokitou-kun's general direction.
'So, basically, Tokitou-kun just wasted his time?' Tanjirou thought, feeling bad about his fellow Slayer.
In the next three days, Tanjirou was in hell.
"Tanjirou-san that was too slow! That was utter crap! No good at all! I actually have to make the doll hold training swords or you'll end up dying! Get your act together! It's already been three days! Just so you know, I'm going to have the doll hold real swords starting tomorrow!" Kotetsu-kun said, "No food today as well!"
'No, but like! I might die anyway!' Tanjirou mentally cried.
"No food today as well!"
'AAAAAGHHH!'
"Work hard! Hang in there! Don't lose! Stand up! C'mon stand up! Please, stand up! C'mon! Stand! Now!"
"Hold on… Wait a second. I'm so gonna die…!" Tanjirou mumbled, already weakened by hunger and thirst, "Dying… Kotetsu-kun… Water… Water, please…"
"No!"
"Just water…"
"No!"
"Give me water…"
"No!"
'Everyone…remember me with love…and don't take it out on Kotetsu-kun… He was only trying to help…'
His only source of sustenance was the rain during the first two days, since Kotetsu-kun did exactly what he said; gave him no food and water during his training, since all Tanjirou managed was defend himself and occasionally get hit by the doll.
Tanjirou was sure he was going to die soon.
He was practically hallucinating himself, due to the lack of water, food and sleep, about to pass the Sanzu river when a strange scent reached him.
'That smell…What is it? It does not smell like an opening thread. Blow to the head from the right. Neck. Right breast. Left flank. Right thigh. Right shoulder. Incoming!'
He barely has time to dodge. He pulls his head back away from the blade, then dives under the next attack and falls head first on the ground, not managing to break his fall, while managing to lightly land a hit on the doll.
"You landed a blow, Tanjirou-san!" Kotetsu-kun shouted excitedly, "It was so soft that it didn't do shit to faze the doll, but food! You earned some!"
"Rice balls with pickled plums! Tea! Super high refined quality green tea!" the young Slayer demanded, his hunger overwriting his good manners, tears in his eyes.
Kotetsu-kun went to bring exactly what he asked.
Tanjirou ate with tears in his eyes.
"Aaah…! This rice is soooooo gooooooood. Delicious! " he cried, "More, please." he begged.
"No more." Kotetsu-kun shook his head, "Now get back in there and continue the training."
He focuses again. He goes faster.
In the next two days, Kotetsu raised the speed by a little.
'Okay! All right! I can read its movements better than before! I know where it's going to hit! And my stamina's finally back up, so I can do it!' he thinks, deflecting and parrying the hits with more ease than two days ago, flipping overhead for the finishing hit, 'Okay, go for it! Give it my all! I can land a full-strength blow.' he thought. Then he faltered, 'Oh…but, if I break it…'
"Cut it down! I don't care if you break it! I can fix it for sure!" Kotetsu-kun called out, encouraging him.
He managed to tuck his head close to his chest, avoiding getting it chopped off by the doll, continuing with the finishing blow, cutting the doll's head.
He fell down on his back, borrowed sword broken.
"OW!"
"Are you okay?!" Kotetsu-kun ran up to him to make sure he wasn't hurt.
Tanjirou had doubled over, holding on his bottom, as he had crashed on it, feeling the sting of his bad landing.
"S-Sorry, I broke the sword I borrowed." he mumbled.
"Oh, that's all right! Don't worry!"
A creaking sound from behind Tanjirou surprised them.
"Huh?!"
"Wha?!" Kotetsu-kun looked at the doll.
The head of the doll fell apart, taking part of the chest, revealing its inner workings. And a sword.
Kotetsu-kun and Tanjirou, scared of the sudden development, had ended up hugging.
"There's something in there! K-K-Kotetsu-kun, something came out! What is that thing?" he exclaimed, shocked, lifting the young boy over his head.
"What is it?" Kotetsu-kun asked, looking at it.
"Well, I have no idea either! What can it be?!"
"It looks like it must be a 300-year-old blade or something."
"Yeah, this is…messed up! Wow. So what should we do now?!"
"I can't stop freaking out!" Kotetsu-kun panted.
"Me too!"
"Tanjirou-san, you take it. P-P-Please take it!" Kotetsu-kun turned to Tanjirou.
"No, no, no, no, I can't! I can't do that! The doll became worn down from years of attacks. It just happened to break when it was my turn." he said, blushing, excited by their find and the boy's offer.
"But, Tanjirou-san, you were in trouble since your sword wasn't getting forged, right? Then go ahead. I own it, so I get the say."
"Nononono, you can't."
"Metal forged in the Sengoku era is of really good quality. Take it."
"You sure?! Are you sure it's okay?!" Tanjirou asked excitedly, both of them dancing around, "Should I pull it out?!"
"Yeah, I wanna see it!"
Tanjirou pulled it from the doll with a sense of reverence. He sat down, so Kotetsu-kun could see as well, and started pulling it out.
They both fell over when they saw the rust.
'It rusted…' Tanjirou thought in despair, tears already falling from his eyes.
"Well, it's been three hundred years since anyone cared for it…and nobody got their hands on it in all that time. In fact, nobody knew about it… Sorry for getting you worked up over nothing…" Kotetsu-kun said.
"It's okay! Don't worry about it." he said with tears in his eyes.
"Ta-Tanjirou-san! I'm sorry!"
Rustling called their attention towards the forest.
"What the?"
A shadowy figure was coming closer, revealing a buffed up Haganezuka-san.
They two boys screamed.
"WHO IS THAT?!"
"HAGANEZUKA-SAN?!"
"I heard everything… Leave it…to me…" the swordsmith breathed out.
"Leave what to you?!" the two boys screamed.
The swordsmith grabbed the sword, but Tanjirou and Kotetsu-kun held on to it, trying to stop the man from taking it, fighting over the sword.
"Please let go!" Tanjirou shouted, "Wait… Why are you even trying to take it?!"
"Leave it…to me…" Haganezuka-san said again.
"No, this is Kotetsu-kun's!"
"Leave it…to me!"
"Please tell us, Haganezuka-san!"
"Leave it…"
"No! Leave what?! What are you doing?!"
"I'm telling you, leave it to me!" the man shouted and with a sudden pull and twisting his body, he took the sword from them, sending them to the ground in the process.
"That's not what adults should do!" Tanjirou shouted.
Suddenly Kanamori-san appeared.
"Boys, Haganezuka's weak point is his sides." he said, tickling the other man, "Aim for around here."
"Ah! Kanamori-san! It's been a while!" Tanjirou greeted the other swordsmith, as Haganezuka-san collapsed from laughter.
"Hello there, Tanjirou-kun. Haganezuka-san will just fall limp when you tickle him, so I'll do the explaining." he said calmly, "Please forgive the man. He was secluded training in the mountains."
"Training?" he wondered, as Kotetsu-kun threw rocks at the prone Haganezuka-san. Tanjirou caught his ram, stopping him.
"Yeah. He wanted to make a stronger sword so you wouldn't die. He won't say that to your face though."
"For me…?" Tanjirou was touched by that.
"That, and you always ask him to make your blades. So I think you make him happy. Every other swordsman hates him, and he's lost a lot clients."
"Oh, really?" Tanjirou was mildly shocked and concerned.
"He also has really bad people skills." Kotetsu-kun added, "That's why he's not married yet."
Tanjirou was shocked by the boy's bluntness.
Just then, Haganezuka-san jumped up again, coming back to his senses, surprising Tanjirou and Kotetsu-kun
"Ah. He's back." Kanamori-san said calmly.
"I will deal with this rusted blade. Allow me to refine it with my nichirin polishing skills that the Haganezuka line passed down for generations." he said, moving his arms around, enthusiastically.
"Then you could have just said that from the get-go." Kotetsu-kun criticised him, sighing, to Tanjioru's shock, "You kept saying 'trust me' even though you didn't try and establish mutual trust. You kept repeating it, like an idiot who can only say one thing, again and again and…"
Haganezuka-san picked up the young boy by the neck, choking him.
"Sides! Sides! Sides!" Kanamori-san and Tanjirou shouted, as they both attacked the swordsmith's sides.
Once the man had regained consciousness, Tanjirou handed him the sword.
"It'll take me three days and three nights. People have died from the intense process. Do not come to check on me while I work. Ever." he said, as he turned and left.
"Ah, before I forget!" Tanjirou turned back to the other swordsmith, "Since Haganezuka-san is going to be busy, Kanamori-san, could you fix Tokitou-kun's sword? He broke it during training earlier and he took a really old sword in its place." he smiled, "You can tell him I asked you to, if you want." he said, before turning towards the battle doll.
"What are you doing?" Kotetsu-kun asked, as Tanjirou started gathering the doll's pieces.
"Picking the doll up. You'll have to lead me though; I don't know where you live."
"Eh? Why?"
"Are you going to fix Yoriichi in the forest, Kotetsu-kun?" Tanjirou blinked.
Kotetsu-kun stared and then, with an embarrassed scent led Tanjirou to his house.