Chapter 20: Nichirin Blade—Scythe

During the second treatment of Ubuyashiki Kagaya, not knowing what to do, Zero simply took out a sketchbook and pen and began designing the weapon he needed.

After Ubuyashiki Kagaya’s treatment ends, I’ll ask him to help arrange for someone to forge it.

Ubuyashiki Tane was quietly waiting beside the [Healing Pod] for her husband to finish treatment, along with Ubuyashiki Hinaki and Ubuyashiki Kiriya.

……

Time passed second by second, and Zero had drawn several sheets of weapon designs.

There were Tang swords, great swords, large cleavers, long spears, and double-edged daggers—but none satisfied him.

Finally, his gaze settled on the weapon sketch he had just drawn: a scythe.

This was a sketch copied from the weapon he used before becoming a Reserve Time Patrol Officer.

The handle was slightly curved, roughly two meters long; the curved blade measured about seventy to eighty centimeters, with a small backward hook at the junction.

He decided: this weapon would be forged.

To ensure the blacksmith understood the exact shape, Zero drew several more sheets, detailing every part of the scythe and even marking its dimensions.

Although he couldn’t use Breathing Techniques, could he perhaps achieve a similar effect to the Hinokami Blade through grip strength alone?

After deciding, he organized the other sketches and stored them in the [Nanospace], keeping only the scythe blueprint.

Having finished, he sat on the wooden plank by the door, gazing at the sky, lost in thought…

But not long after, Xiao Yue arrived at the Ubuyashiki estate, saw Zero sitting by the courtyard gate, and flew straight over to land on his chest.

“Master!”

“Huh? Xiao Yue! How did you get here?”

“Hmph, nasty master, you came back but didn’t even come see me!?”, Xiao Yue pouted, staring up at Zero as if she wouldn’t forgive him unless he gave a proper explanation.

Seeing this, Zero couldn’t help but smile wryly—he realized she had a point. For over a month, he’d been clearing demons in his assigned territory.

He’d even been delayed an extra day because of that idiot Yebako, so he returned late.

It was only natural Xiao Yue would be upset after he didn’t visit her for over a month.

After all, he’d left her to renovate the estate and never came back to check on her—he truly owed her an apology.

Realizing this, he gently lifted Xiao Yue off his chest and held her in his hands.

“I’m sorry, Xiao Yue. I’ve been negligent these past months. I apologize. When today’s business is done, tomorrow I’ll take you out to play, okay?”

Seeing Zero’s sincere apology, Xiao Yue’s resentment softened somewhat, but she still looked a little sulky.

“Fine, then you must promise me two things!”

“Alright, say them. Anything within my power, I’ll grant you.”

“You said it! Don’t go back on your word!”

“I won’t break my word.”

“My first request is simple: tomorrow, take me out to play!”

“Alright, I promise. What’s the second?”

“My second request is also simple: don’t leave me alone so often!”

“Alright, I promise. Are you satisfied now?”

“Mm-hmm, my master is the best, hehe~”

“You’re still just like a child.”

Even so, he still treated Xiao Yue like an older brother treats his little sister—in this world, she was his only true family.

Xiao Yue flew from his palm to his shoulder and sat beside him as they gazed at the sky together.

“By the way, Master, Kanae has been coming to the estate often lately—I think she might have feelings for you…”

“Xiao Yue…” Zero cut her off before she could finish.

“Xiao Yue… Luo Li is still waiting for me among the stars.”

Xiao Yue fell silent at those words, as if caught in a triangle: one vertex her master, one vertex Kanae, and the third vertex Luo Li.

But no matter what, Xiao Yue would unconditionally support Zero’s choices—he was her creator, her master, and her brother.

The two sat in silence.

Ubuyashiki Tane listened to their exchange, unsure what Zero meant by “among the stars,” but she was reminded of her first meeting with Ubuyashiki Kagaya.

She was born into a family of shrine priests, named Kamiya Tane.

At the time, Ubuyashiki Kagaya was thirteen; Kamiya Tane was seventeen. Due to an arranged marriage and the Ubuyashiki family’s cursed short lifespan, she had felt reluctant.

Still, she went to meet him—and Kagaya had told her, “If you dislike this, I’ll be the one to refuse it.”

It was Kagaya’s thoughtful consideration of her feelings that changed her view of him.

She decided to marry Kagaya and changed her name to Ubuyashiki Tane.

(In that era of Japan, women who married into their husband’s family typically took his surname—I’m not entirely sure of the details.)

She later bore Kagaya five children: Kiriya, the only boy with black hair, was his heir; the others were Hinaki, Hikari, Kanae, and Kanata.

……

Night fell.

Less than a minute remained until the end of Ubuyashiki Kagaya’s second treatment; Ubuyashiki Tane had already prepared fresh clothes.

【3…2…1…Ding! Clearance complete】

Zero opened the lid of the [Healing Pod] and stepped outside with Xiao Yue to wait.

A few minutes later, Ubuyashiki Tane came to the door: “Zero-sama, please follow me.”

“Hmm.”

Inside, they saw Ubuyashiki Kagaya seated cross-legged on the tatami, with Ubuyashiki Hinaki and Ubuyashiki Kiriya beside him.

The disfigured areas on Kagaya’s face, caused by the curse, had completely vanished; his complexion was flushed and healthy—he had clearly recovered most of his strength from the second treatment.

One final treatment next month would restore him fully.

Ubuyashiki Tane led Zero inside, then knelt beside her husband.

Zero returned the [Healing Pod] to his [Nanospace], then sat cross-legged before Ubuyashiki Kagaya, with Xiao Yue perched on his shoulder.

Ubuyashiki Kagaya felt no discomfort with Zero’s casual posture; in fact, he preferred it—he didn’t have to be bound by rigid formalities.

“Zero, thank you.”

“No need for thanks. Next month’s final treatment will restore you completely. But I still urge you to avoid strong emotions—your body is only sub-healthy now.”

“I understand. I’ll follow your advice. Thank you for your immense contribution to the Demon Slayer Corps, and for slaying the Upper Moons—it has lifted our morale beyond measure.”

“If you truly wish to thank me, then I’d like to ask you for a favor.”

“Name it. The Ubuyashiki family will spare no effort to help you.”

“I’d like you to arrange for someone to forge me a Nichirin Blade—just as this design shows.”

As he spoke, Zero handed Ubuyashiki Kagaya the several sketches he had prepared that morning.

Kagaya examined the drawings—it was a weapon he had never seen before—but it was no challenge for him; he could simply ask the swordsmiths of the Swordsmith Village.

The Swordsmith Village was the settlement that forged weapons for the Demon Slayer Corps.

They had no combat skills, yet possessed unparalleled sword-forging craftsmanship.

The village consisted of over a hundred swordsmiths, each day devoted to refining metal into exquisite blades for the swordsmen.

“Of course. It’s nothing. I had already planned to have one of our swordsmiths forge a weapon for you—but delivery will take some time.”

“That’s fine. Thank you, my lord!”

After speaking with Ubuyashiki Kagaya for a while, Zero left and returned to the estate Xiao Yue had renovated for him.

He entered, turned on the lights, and immediately felt a soothing, pleasant calm—the interior was elegantly antique.

He even caught a faint, distinctive scent—exactly as he had imagined.

“Xiao Yue, thank you for all your hard work these past months.”

“As long as my master is happy, it’s all worth it.”

Zero smiled slightly, then stepped into the parlor to admire the decor—when suddenly, he sensed another presence in the house.

He swiftly pulled the [Dark Alloy Paralysis Gun] from his [Nanospace], gripped the handle with his right hand, steadied the base with his left, and moved slowly toward the direction of the presence.

In the inner courtyard, he discovered the “other person” was an old acquaintance—Kanao.

She was asleep on a cushion atop the small platform in the parlor, curled up like a sleepy kitten—adorable and serene.

Though he didn’t understand why Kanao was here, since she was an old acquaintance, he had no cause for concern.

He returned the gun to his [Nanospace], then took out a blanket and draped it over Kanao.

Perhaps the movement woke her—she rubbed her eyes, blinking sleepily at Zero.

“Haaah~… Oh? Zero, you’re back…” Kanao yawned, stretched languidly, revealing her figure without a care.

But Zero didn’t care about that.

“Kanao, why are you here?”

“I heard you returned and defeated an Upper Moon, so I came to see you and congratulate you. I didn’t expect you to be late—I waited here and ended up falling asleep…”

“I see. Sorry—I was helping my lord with his second treatment, so I returned late. You haven’t eaten yet, have you? Let me make you something.”

“Then I’ll trouble you, Zero. Thank you.”

“No problem. Xiao Yue, keep Kanao company. I’ll go cook.”

“Mm-hmm, got it.”

Leaving Xiao Yue to chat with Kanao, Zero removed his cloak and hood, then entered the kitchen to prepare a simple meal.

Watching Zero busy in the kitchen, Kanao somehow felt this—this quiet moment—was quite nice.

Soon, the scent of noodles filled the kitchen—Zero carried out a wooden tray with a bowl of noodles and placed it before Kanao.

A bowl of clear noodle soup, two poached eggs, and some greens—simple, but smelled delicious.

Xiao Yue had renovated the mansion and entrusted the Yin Bureau to procure these ingredients; luckily, electricity existed in this era, so the refrigerator taken from Zero’s [Nanospace] a month ago was finally useful.

“Sorry, these are all the ingredients we have right now—please eat first!”

“Oh, it’s fine, thank you, Zero.”

“Then eat. I need to maintain my equipment. Also, if you want to rest, I have extra rooms—you may use one.”

“Maintain equipment?”

Butterfly Kanae didn’t understand what that meant, but saw Zero enter the side room of the parlor, take out his weapons, and begin scanning their data with his [Analytical Glasses].

Then he took out cotton cloth and tools to wipe and maintain them—this had long been his habit.

Through the glass door, Butterfly Kanae watched Zero intently organizing those strange weapons, forgetting to eat the food before her.

If Xiao Yue hadn’t reminded her, she would have kept staring.

…………

Time passed slowly; over twenty days had gone by.

On this day, Zero was training in his mansion when he received a message from Kurogane Yuki: a distinguished guest had arrived.

“Distinguished guest? Who is it?”

“Delivery of blades, delivery of blades—the bladesmith has come to deliver the swords.”

“Delivery of blades?” Zero thought for a moment and understood.

More than twenty days ago, after completing his second treatment for Ubuyashiki Kagaya, he had entrusted him to forge a weapon for him.

So much time had passed, yet the weapon had actually arrived.

At the mansion gate, he opened the door and saw a man wearing a fire demon mask, his head adorned with countless wind chimes, and behind him a large wooden case over two meters long and about one meter wide.

“I am Koganezuka Hotaru, the bladesmith commissioned by the Demon Slayer Corps’ lord to forge a weapon for Lord Zero. I have come to deliver it. Are you Lord Zero?”

“I am.”

“Lord Zero, I’ve studied your blueprint—it’s exquisite. But… why design such a weapon? Do you know how much time and effort it took me to complete?”

Koganezuka Hotaru seemed furious, his temper volatile—as if Zero wouldn’t be let off unless he gave a proper explanation.

“I simply drew it based on a weapon I used before. This design suits me better.” Zero gave a vague excuse.

“Hmph, I hope so! And I hope your weapon turns out to be the legendary red!”

“Legendary red? What’s that?”

“The legendary red means the blade turns red, nullifying a demon’s regenerative power—commonly called the Crimson Blade.”

After inviting Koganezuka Hotaru inside, he began explaining about the Crimson Blade.

Every bladesmith in the Bladesmith Village, when forging swords for swordsmen, hoped to witness the legendary red.

Ancient texts of the Bladesmith Village recorded: the legendary Crimson Blade could suppress a demon’s regeneration, so every bladesmith aspired to forge one for the swordsmen.

This was to increase the survival chances of every Demon Slayer Corps swordsman in battle against demons.

Yet after centuries, the legendary Crimson Blade had never appeared.

More precisely, since the Warring States period, when one man once manifested the Crimson Blade, no swordsmith had ever produced another blade that turned red.

Koganezuka Hotaru spoke to himself, ignoring whether Zero was listening—but in truth, Zero had been listening the whole time.

After hearing Koganezuka Hotaru’s explanation, Zero realized the Crimson Blade he described was the Hekito—because the Hekito was also red.

He spoke up: “Mr. Koganezuka, perhaps I already know what you mean by the Crimson Blade—and I can show it to you.”

“What?! Y-you… you’re serious?!” Koganezuka Hotaru grew excited, immediately setting down the large wooden case and handing it to Zero.

He urged him to show the legendary Crimson Blade at once.

“Hurry, hurry—show me the legendary Crimson Blade!”

“Oh～”

Zero opened the wooden case. Inside lay a scythe, identical to the blueprints he had drawn.

The blade’s edge was engraved with the four characters: “Demon Annihilation.”

The image is my own design; if you want something better, use Tsubaki Saya’s scythe from [End of the Seraphim] as a model.

He picked up the scythe—it was heavy, about sixty to seventy jin.

But this weight meant nothing to Zero.

He adjusted the power of his mechanical left hand, gripped the scythe’s handle with both hands, and lifted it. The mechanical hand’s power surged—gradually, the entire blade glowed a brilliant red.

Nichirin Blade—Scythe, Hekito manifested!

“Red! It’s truly the legendary red!” Koganezuka Hotaru exhaled a puff of white air from the long mouth of his fire demon mask, his fingers trembling with excitement.

“Look at this red—so beautiful! Such a magnificent red! I’ve finally seen the legendary Crimson Blade! Hahaha!”

“So the records of the Bladesmith Village were true! The legendary red Nichirin Blade… no, it’s a Nichirin Scythe! Hahaha!”

Overcome with excitement, Koganezuka Hotaru danced wildly. After a while, he calmed down and said: “Lord Zero, thank you for showing me the legendary Crimson Blade. I must leave and inform the village chief. Also, treat this blade well—if it’s damaged or lost, I won’t forgive you!”

“Don’t worry—I’d do it even without your warning.”

“Then, farewell!”

He came swiftly and left swiftly. After watching Koganezuka Hotaru depart, Zero reset his mechanical left hand to its original state, took the scythe to the courtyard, and began swinging it.

“Huh～ That feeling… it’s returned.”

Just as Zero prepared to continue practicing, Kurogane Yuki flew over.

“Pillar Meeting! Pillar Meeting! Master, the lord has ordered all Pillar swordsmen to gather at Butterfly House for the Pillar Meeting.”

“Pillar Meeting? Something must have happened.” Zero thought.

“Understood, Yuki. I’m on my way.” He slung the scythe over his shoulder and headed for Butterfly House to attend the Pillar Meeting.