Chapter 64

"Mitsuri, what happened?" Kanae poked half her body out from the second-floor window and asked Mitsuri in the backyard.

She was organizing some intelligence Zero had just finished in the second-floor room when she heard a "whoosh" sound, as if something had flown out.

"Kanae... I... I..." Regarding what just happened, Mitsuri became very nervous and didn't know how to speak.

Seeing she couldn't say anything for a long time, Kanae came down from upstairs and arrived at the backyard.

First, she let Mitsuri calm down, then asked her to explain what happened just now properly.

After some understanding, Kanae finally understood that it was Mitsuri who accidentally pressed Zero's weapon and launched a missile.

Kanae helplessly stretched out her finger and gently flicked Mitsuri's forehead: "You, you, can't you be more careful~"

"S-sorry."

"Alright, alright, let's go take a look together, I hope no one was hurt! Otherwise, with Zero's personality, he would probably say he did it himself."

"Ah! No, no! This is my fault, I can't let him carry it like this!"

After speaking, she took Kanae's hand and headed in the direction Zero had just run.

The sky was still as blue, and the river was still as clear as ever.

The sound of murmuring water made one's heart calm.

Muichiro Tokito sat by a tree, looking up at the sky, his mind still wrapped in fog, unable to recall anything from the past.

"What shape is that cloud in the sky?"

Looking at the white clouds drifting in the sky, his eyes were still somewhat dazed.

Suddenly, a small bright light appeared in the sky, which was seen by Muichiro Tokito.

"There's a shooting star flying over there... Strange? Why would there be a shooting star during the day?"

Muichiro Tokito looked at the "shooting star" speeding over in the sky, somewhat curious, why would a shooting star appear during the day?

Watching the "shooting star" get closer and closer, the place it was landing seemed to be right here.

Suddenly feeling the threat brought by that "shooting star," his body reacted instinctively and dodged to the side!

Although he dodged it, because the speed of that "shooting star" was faster than him, when it landed on the ground, the impact force generated by the explosion sent him flying!

Hit against a tree trunk by the impact of the explosion, his head also suffered some impact, oozing a trace of blood, sliding down from his head to his face, and dripping onto the ground!

Plus the airflow fluctuation of the explosion just now turned him into an afro, and the smoke "burnt" him...

Climbing up from the ground, kneeling by the tree, he slightly opened his mouth to spit out a puff of black smoke, raised his head, and looked at the sky again.

"What was that thing just now? I seem to have been blown away?"

"Where did the shooting star go?"

'Gods... Buddha... please... save my younger brother...'

"This is... what memory is this? Why... is it so familiar?"

Some memory fragments flashed in Muichiro Tokito's mind, but they were still full of chaos, unable to see the blurred face in the memory clearly.

'My younger brother... is different from me... he is a kind-hearted child... he wants to help others... it's me who is holding him back... the bad one is me...'

"Who is it? This person... who is it? Why do they look... exactly the same as me...???"

'If there is to be divine retribution... let me alone... bear it...'

"Why... I'm so sad... Damn it! My head... hurts so much!"

'I know... the "Mu" in Muichiro... is not the "Mu" for incompetent... but...'

Zero also rushed over at this time; he had thought that at least no one was hurt, but after seeing that person spitting black smoke, turned into an afro, and pitch-black, the corners of his mouth twitched slightly...

"Uh... it's over, someone really was hurt..."

In his heart, he decided to say it was all done by himself; he couldn't let Mitsuri be blamed!

"Uh... ahhhhh!!!"

Muichiro Tokito held his head with both hands, roaring in a low voice, as if he were enduring some pain!?

Seeing this, Zero immediately stepped forward and asked with concern: "Muichiro, what's wrong with you? Don't scare me!"

"I... seem to have remembered some things... but, it's very blurred... only some scattered fragments..."

"Uh..."

Zero knew about Muichiro Tokito's amnesia, but he didn't expect that the small missile just now, by a stroke of luck, actually made Muichiro Tokito recover some memories.

Blown up once, and memory recovered?

It just seemed like it wasn't a complete recovery, only some memory fragments.

Relatively speaking, at least this was a good start.

However, the most urgent matter was to send Muichiro Tokito to the Butterfly Mansion for a check-up first.

If any serious sequelae were left, that would be bad!

"Muichiro, I'll send you to the Butterfly Mansion for a check-up."

After speaking, he helped Muichiro Tokito up.

"Thank you, Zero."

"Eh?"

"Thank you for letting me recover some memories, although it's not very complete, but, you have already let me retrieve some important things."

"Y-you're welcome... Heh... hehe..." Zero's mouth twitched slightly; being thanked after blowing someone up, no matter how he thought about it, it felt very strange!

"Why was I blown up just now? I remember there seemed to be a shooting star flying over..."

Forget it, he's back to his original state...

Kanae and Mitsuri also ran over at this time, seeing Zero supporting Muichiro Tokito, it looked like someone had indeed been blown up.

Not just the two of them, but some other Pillar-level swordsmen also arrived at this place at the same time.

The explosion just now was so loud that most of the people at the Demon Slayer Corps headquarters heard it.

Leaving a few to protect Kagaya Ubuyashiki, the rest rushed over to check the situation.

Sanemi Shinazugawa: "What are you doing again?! What's wrong with Muichiro?!"

Shinobu Kocho: "Brother-in-law, what are you doing again?!"

Tengen Uzui: "Yo! That was a truly flashy explosion!"...

"That, sorry, just now I was adjusting my weapon, accidentally pressed the switch, launched a small missile, and blew up Muichiro, I will take responsibility for this matter!"

For the mistake that caused all this, Zero chose to take it all on himself alone.

"N-no! This was all caused by me! It was my mistake just now that caused this! It's my fault, please don't blame Zero!" Mitsuri saw this and explained.

She also bowed 90 degrees to Muichiro and said: "Sorry, because of me you ended up like this, please don't blame Zero either."

She knew Zero did this for her, but she didn't want Zero to bear everything.

One person does the work, one person takes the responsibility; she understood this principle.

Muichiro Tokito just shook his head; his body hadn't suffered any major harm, indicating it didn't matter.

Seeing it wasn't a big deal, the others left, while Muichiro Tokito was tucked under Tengen Uzui's arm and taken to the Butterfly Mansion.

Before leaving, Sanemi Shinazugawa glared fiercely at Zero.

Showing off affection again!

Zero directly ignored him.

"Damn it! Just you wait! Tonight I'll go to your area and kill all the demons! Let's see how you catch demons then!" Sanemi Shinazugawa thought to himself.

"Zero, I'm sorry!"

Mitsuri was like a child who had done something wrong, not daring to raise her head.

Kanae and Zero looked at each other, telling him with their eyes: Comfort Mitsuri well.

Then they left here, leaving the remaining time to Zero and Mitsuri.

"Mitsuri."

Hearing Zero call her, she raised her head to meet his gaze.

Zero held Mitsuri's little face and kissed her lips.

"Woo~"

After a long while, their lips parted.

Mitsuri's face was already redder than red!

As if it were about to drip water!

"Silly, you don't need to apologize, I would never blame you!"

"Really?"

"Of course! Let's go, time to go back."

"Mm~"

Mount Sagiri.

After Tanjiro finished the Mount Fujikasane assessment, he spent a day and returned to Mount Sagiri at dusk.

And at that time, Nezuko, who had been sleeping for more than two years, finally woke up.

The siblings embraced and cried.

Seeing Tanjiro was still alive, Sakonji Urokodaki stepped forward and hugged them both, tears dripping from his mask.

Afterward, Tanjiro told Sakonji Urokodaki about the Hand Demon in Mount Fujikasane.

Sakonji Urokodaki didn't expect that because of him, the demons he had captured had actually hidden in Mount Fujikasane and undergone such huge changes.

And because of his mask, many disciples had lost their lives!

But hearing Tanjiro had already beheaded the Hand Demon, he felt a sense of relief in his heart, but felt deep self-reproach for the disciples who had died...

Tanjiro recuperated on Mount Sagiri for a whole day.

The next day, he wanted to go to the top of the mountain to tell Sabito and Makomo the news that he had become a Demon Slayer Corps swordsman.

But he didn't see them.

This made Tanjiro somewhat disappointed...

Watching Tanjiro's gradually departing figure, Sabito and Makomo appeared again.

"Are we really not going to see him?"

"He will understand!"

Fifteen days later.

On this day, Mount Sagiri had a guest.

Wearing a bamboo hat that looked like an inverted basin, hung all around with wind chimes, and carrying a large wooden box wrapped in cloth strips on his back, he walked slowly toward the small hut.

Tanjiro stood at the door to welcome him.

"My name is Hotaru Haganezuka, I am the swordsmith who came to deliver a sword to Tanjiro Kamado."

"I am Tanjiro Kamado, please come in and sit."

Hotaru Haganezuka didn't pay attention to what Tanjiro said, squatted down, and took off the large wooden box from his back.

Talking to himself: "This is a Nichirin Sword, forged by me, the raw materials for the Nichirin Sword are taken from the sand iron and ore on the high mountains closest to the sun!"

"Scarlet Ore and Scarlet Sand, are iron ores that have absorbed sunlight! The Sun Mountain is a mountain that is illuminated by the sun all year round, it doesn't rain, and there are no clouds..."

Hotaru Haganezuka opened it while talking, and Tanjiro was also helpless.

"Still the same man who doesn't listen to people talk." Sakonji Urokodaki, sitting in the room, thought to himself.

Suddenly, Hotaru Haganezuka raised his head, revealing the Hyottoko mask under the bamboo hat.

"S-so strange mask!" Tanjiro was also startled.

"Oh~ aren't you the 【Child of Brightness】?! This is truly auspicious~"

"Sorry, I am the son of Tanjuro and Kie, not some Child of Brightness."

"You misunderstood my meaning, your eyes and hair color are red, for a family engaged in fire-related work to give birth to such a child, it is considered an auspicious sign!"

Hotaru Haganezuka stretched out a finger and poked Tanjiro's face twice to explain, then poked his head into the room and said to Sakonji Urokodaki: "Looking at this situation, the sword will likely turn red too, don't you think so, Urokodaki?"

Sakonji Urokodaki: "Mm, probably..."

Tanjiro: "Is there such a thing? This is my first time hearing about it..."

Subsequently, Hotaru Haganezuka came into the room and handed the Nichirin Sword to Tanjiro, looking forward to Tanjiro's sword turning red!

He said with a face full of expectation: "The Nichirin Sword is also called the Color-Changing Blade, hurry! Let me see if your sword is also red? The same red as that person's?!"

Seeing this, Tanjiro slowly drew the Nichirin Sword and held it in his hand.

Under the gaze of the three, the Nichirin Sword also began to change color, from the hilt to the tip, black gradually wrapping the entire blade of the Nichirin Sword.

Hotaru Haganezuka: "Black!!!"

Sakonji Urokodaki: "Quite black..."

Tanjiro: "Eh? Is there anything bad about turning black? Is it unlucky?"

Sakonji Urokodaki: "No, it's not what you think, it's just that a pitch-black Nichirin Sword is truly rare, hmm... this is also my first time seeing a black Nichirin Sword."

Although he said so, Hotaru Haganezuka wouldn't have it, directly pouncing and putting Tanjiro in a chokehold.

He roared angrily: "Why is your Nichirin Sword black?! Damn it! I thought I would be able to see the legendary red blade for the second time! Clearly, that person could make the Nichirin Sword turn red!"

"Ouch ouch ouch! Calm down, calm down! How old are you exactly!?"

"Thirty-seven! Do you have an opinion?! Why isn't your Nichirin Sword the same red as that person's?! I'm so angry! Damn it!"

"Mr. Haganezuka! Gently, gently! Ouch ouch ouch..."

However, just during the two's small scuffle, Tanjiro's Kasugai Crow flew in from outside the door.

It was here to convey a mission to Tanjiro.

"Caw! Tanjiro Kamado, immediately head to the town in the northwest! Hunt demons! This is your first job!! Be careful!

In the town in the northwest, young girls have been disappearing mysteriously every night! Head there immediately! Head there immediately!! Caw!"

Seeing this, the two stopped fighting, and Tanjiro also knew the importance of the mission and immediately started to get ready.

Before Hotaru Haganezuka left, he was still full of anger and warned Tanjiro not to break the sword, otherwise, he would never let him off!

Watching Hotaru Haganezuka leave, Tanjiro changed into the Demon Slayer Corps uniform and put on the black and green checkered haori.

Sakonji Urokodaki explained to Tanjiro about the characteristics of the Demon Slayer Corps uniform and the characteristics of the Nichirin Sword.

A black Nichirin Sword is truly rare; it is reported that swordsmen with black Nichirin Swords cannot get ahead.

Tanjiro indicated that although he didn't know what would happen in the Demon Slayer Corps, no matter what, he would turn Nezuko back into a human!

"Tanjiro, there is one thing I want to tell you, there is a demon in this world who can turn humans into demons, and that is the progenitor of demons—Muzan Kibutsuji!"

"More than a thousand years ago, he was the first person to become a demon! He is the enemy who almost killed your family! I personally think he very likely knows the way to turn your sister back into a human!"

Tanjiro thought for a moment and asked: "Has anyone seen him?"

"Yes! Not only has someone seen him, but they also fought him! He once fell into Muzan Kibutsuji's base camp and fought all the Twelve Kizuki! And lived safely!

Not only that, before joining the Demon Slayer Corps, he beheaded two Lower Moon demons, and not long after joining the Demon Slayer Corps, he single-handedly beheaded an Upper Moon demon for the first time! Making the morale of the Demon Slayer Corps reach an unprecedented high! However, these are still too early for you now."

These words made Tanjiro recall what Zero had said more than half a month ago when the Mount Fujikasane assessment ended.

"Mr. Urokodaki, that person... is it Brother Zero?"

"Yes, the Zero Pillar of the Demon Slayer Corps—Zero."

"It really is Brother Zero!"

"Tanjiro, take this." Sakonji Urokodaki handed a specially made wooden box to Tanjiro.

"This is for carrying your sister during the day, made of a lightweight wood called 【Mist Spruce】, and the entire box surface is coated with 【Rock Lacquer】, so the hardness is greatly enhanced!"

Tanjiro felt it was very light in his hand.

"So light, Mr. Urokodaki!"

Subsequently, he took the wooden box to Nezuko.

"Nezuko, can you come in? Shrink your body and get into this box?"

Nezuko poked her head out from the quilt, shrunk her body, and crawled into the wooden box, just fitting inside.

Everything was ready, he put the wooden box on his back, took the Nichirin Sword, and before leaving, turned back to wave goodbye to Sakonji Urokodaki.

Heading to the town mentioned by the Kasugai Crow, he started his first mission.

Hunt demons!