"Alright! The exam is over! Congratulations to all of you for passing!"
"Next, please choose your Kasugai Crow and the Scarlet Ore that will be used to forge your personal Nichirin Blade!"
After announcing the results, there were several dozen pieces of Scarlet Ore of various shapes and sizes brought in and placed on a long table for everyone to choose from.
"I'll take this one!"
"Honestly, do these even look different? What's the big deal?"
"This one feels destined for me!"
"Destined, my ass! They all look the same to me!"
"Whatever, I'll just pick one randomly."
Amid the chatter, everyone made their selections.
Renzo also followed his instincts and picked a piece at random.
Holding the ore in his hands, he walked up to the Ubuyashiki siblings and asked, "Excuse me! Can the blade's design be customized according to my request?"
Most of his swordsmanship insights came from Swordsman Renzo.
So, compared to a katana, he felt much more comfortable wielding a long sword.
It better suited his current swordsmanship style.
With his current level of skill, he wasn't worried about using a long sword affecting his ability to execute and maximize the power of Breathing Techniques.
A few slight adjustments to his techniques would be enough!
That wasn't difficult for him at this stage.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have had the confidence to merge multiple Breathing Techniques and their corresponding sword skills—let alone try to develop even stronger ones.
The Ubuyashiki siblings were a bit surprised but nodded affirmatively.
Their eyes now held even more curiosity toward Renzo.
"We have paper and ink available. You can write down your requirements or directly sketch the design of the sword you want."
Ubuyashiki Kiriya gestured to a nearby attendant while speaking to Renzo.
Soon, the attendant brought over paper and ink.
Renzo quickly sketched the sword he wanted and wrote down the specifications and requirements beside it.
Then, he put down the brush and said to the Ubuyashiki siblings, "Strictly speaking, what I want is a sword, not a katana. Thank you for your help!"
"What a peculiar guy." The Ubuyashiki siblings exchanged glances, both thinking the same thing.
However, they didn't say it out loud. Instead, they simply smiled and reassured him, "No problem! We'll make sure to pass on your request!"
The other examinees reacted with mixed expressions to Renzo's unconventional choice.
Some were curious, while others were dismissive.
But Renzo didn't care.
Thankfully, no one was dumb enough to step up and provoke him.
After all, they saw that Renzo was in a group of four or five, and they didn't look like people to mess with.
"Who will be my partner?"
At that moment, a flock of Kasugai Crows arrived.
These specially bred, intelligent crows immediately began flying around, noisily scanning for their preferred partners.
That's right—the selection process was mutual, but the crows had the final say.
One of them landed directly on Renzo's shoulder.
"My name is Renzo. I'll be counting on you from now on!" Renzo grinned as he reached out to gently rub the crow's head.
Surprisingly, the crow seemed to really like him. It didn't resist and even puffed out its chest proudly, flapping one wing as if making a vow.
With their crows chosen and the Demon Slayer Corps uniforms distributed, Renzo and the others set out for Mount Sagiri.
It would take one to two months for the Nichirin Blades to be forged.
During this time, they were free to rest and adjust, with no missions assigned.
"Shinobu! See you next time!"
Before leaving, Renzo waved and smiled at Shinobu.
"Hmph! Next time, I'll definitely surpass you!" Shinobu declared, waving her tiny fist.
"Hahaha! I look forward to it... though that day will never come! Hahaha!"
As someone with cheat-level abilities, if he ever got surpassed by Shinobu, he might as well just quit life.
Even if he stopped integrating the powers of other Renzo versions, he was confident that with his current talent, he would become the strongest in this world within a few years.
Well, as long as no hidden final boss suddenly appeared.
Watching Renzo and the others disappear into the distance, Shinobu pouted and muttered to herself, "That guy is so annoying sometimes! Hmph!"
Suddenly, a voice came from behind her.
"Who made my little Shinobu so upset?"
"Huh? Big Sis?! What are you doing here?"
Shinobu turned around in surprise, then happily threw herself into the arms of her older sister, Kanae.
Kanae smiled and patted Shinobu's head. "I finished my mission and had some free time, so I came to pick you up! But you haven't answered my question yet."
"Uhh..." Shinobu hesitated for a moment before awkwardly saying, "Nothing much! Just an annoying guy! Though, I have to admit, he's strong... and kinda handsome."
"Oh my, oh my~ Sounds like something's going on!"
"No! Sis, stop making things up!"
At the foot of Mount Sagiri—
"Master! We're back!!" x4
In the distance, Renzo and the others saw a familiar figure standing outside a wooden house, gazing into the horizon. They waved excitedly and ran toward him.
"Good! Good! You're all back! That's all that matters! Looks like you all passed the exam! I'm so proud!"
Urokodaki Sakonji, seeing all four of his disciples return safely in their new Demon Slayer uniforms, couldn't help but feel his nose sting and his throat tighten.
"Master, what's wrong with your voice?" Makomo asked curiously.
"N-Nothing! I'm just... moved! Yes, just moved!"
In truth, Renzo could sense through his spiritual awareness that beneath his master's mask, his face was already drenched in tears.
Tears were streaming down his neck, soaking into his clothes.
Renzo sweatdropped. "Good thing Master dressed warmly today. Otherwise..."
Sabito also noticed their master's unusual emotions. He exchanged glances with Renzo, both understanding each other's complicated feelings.
Indeed, keeping the truth about the Hand Demon from their master was the right choice.
Otherwise, if he knew the full story, he might completely break down.
Before returning, Renzo and Sabito had warned Makomo and Giyu to never mention the Hand Demon in front of their master.
Though confused, they agreed.
In reality, both Makomo and the usually silent Giyu weren't naive.
They were actually quite smart and had already suspected something.
But they didn't ask questions.
Instead, they silently trusted and followed Sabito and Renzo's lead.
That was the bond they had built over the years.
"Master! It seems I've unlocked a hidden ability, and my strength has soared!"
"I want to spar with you and share some techniques to further boost our power!"
Renzo thought, "Should I also mention that I inherited this ability from a sick old beggar who thought I was so handsome that he gave it to me? I think it makes sense."