Crows and Home

After seeing Steel Mound off, Asuka's expression became even more complicated.

"The wind is light and flowing, an invisible hand brushing across the hills... The wind is also violent and fierce, a divinely bestowed blade tearing through the clouds and atmosphere..."

"This isn't wind! It's not even fire, nor is it rock, so why has it turned colorless?!"

"You brat... what's going on?! What kind of breathing could turn the sword I painstakingly forged this color?!"

"Gahhhhhhh!! I'll kill you, you bastard!!!"

The blacksmith's roar left Asuka with deep doubts.

Am I not suited for the Breath of Wind... to the point that my Nichirin Blade has faded?

"Master Hidetsuka...that's just the kind of person he is, don't take it too seriously." Arashizaki Tesshin comforted Asuka as they watched the sulking Hidetsuka leave. "He only sees swords, he's outspoken and has a bad temper, but he's not a bad person at heart..."

"As for the color... it is indeed rare, but it's not a big deal."

Arashizaki Tesshin patted Asuka on the shoulder, his tone gentle:

"Flying Bird, the color of a sword doesn't mean anything. As long as the person wielding the sword has a heart dedicated to eliminating evil, any color sword can kill demons!"

Although Asuka is not good at socializing, she can still hear the comfort in Arashizaki-sensei's words.

The faded knife... I hope it doesn't cause any trouble.

As Arashizaki-sensei was instructing Asuka on how to maintain her Nichirin Blade and sharing some tips on using it.

call out--!!

A black shadow, moving as fast as lightning, flashed by, attracting the bird's attention.

In the blink of an eye, a crow, entirely black with its eyes slightly open, abruptly landed on the stone lantern beside it.

"Oh? It's a Kasugai crow," Arashizaki Tesshin explained. "Everyone who becomes a full-fledged Demon Slayer will receive the help of a crow partner. They're very intelligent; they can not only understand your commands but also communicate with people and relay instructions."

"Communicating with humans...can birds really speak human language?"

"Of course, kid," the raven perched on the stone lantern coldly replied to the bird's question.

It slightly raised its head, pointed its beak at the flying bird, and spoke indifferently:

"Seventy-eight birds, command relayed!"

"Head to the northeastern region, towards Sendai, find the demon, and defeat it!"

"Three swordsmen have already perished. Please be extra careful!"

Having said that, without waiting for the bird to ask anything more, the crow flew away on its own, just as abruptly as it had arrived.

Asuka looked at Arashizaki-sensei and asked, "Are all Kasugai crows like this?"

"Hmm... the ravens have their own personalities and thoughts, and each one is quite different," Arashizaki Tesshin nodded and said seriously, "Asuka, this is your first official mission, and... it's a bit unusual, so please be very careful."

"Is it unusual? Isn't it just about finding the evil spirit and killing it?"

"That's not what I meant," the old man added. "Generally speaking, members at the Kui level only deal with minor ghosts that seem to be haunted or have only killed one or two people..."

"And your first mission is to find a demon that killed three Demon Slayer Corps members, which means the opponent was at least a powerful demon..."

"It seems that the lord trusts you very much."

Arashizaki Tesshin didn't know whether to be happy or worried. After all, being recognized by the lord meant that he would be able to handle events that ordinary team members couldn't solve, which made things even more dangerous.

Is this too fast for Asuka, who has just started hunting demons...?

"I understand. When do we depart? Where is Sendai?"

The bird didn't care. Since it had taken the benefits from others, it should do the work for them. It was a very simple principle.

"...Sendai is far away, and the monsters there are fierce. You should rest well today and set off again tomorrow," Arashiki murmured calmly, watching the kasugata fly away.

He has mentored many disciples, some outstanding, some mediocre, and some incompetent.

But it's been a long time since he's had a child he cares about so much.

Even just one more day is fine; let the birds get some rest.

He turned around, not looking into the bird's eyes, but simply patting his shoulder gently:

"It is our duty to slay evil spirits, and also to save the world of the living..."

"But if you ever get really tired, come back... Hayama will always be your home."

After saying that, he stopped talking and silently walked towards the nursery with his one arm behind his back, his figure appearing tall and desolate.

The bird was taken aback by this sudden tenderness. He turned around stiffly, feeling a warm sensation in his chest for some reason.

Asuka swallowed hard, but ultimately said nothing. She simply bowed deeply to Arashizaki Teshin's retreating figure.

The next day at noon, Asuka had packed her things—several changes of clothes, dry rations, a water bag, a whetstone, and most importantly, her two swords.

Opening the door, the training center was unusually quiet today. It seemed that Teacher Lanqi had taken his students to other hilltops for training exercises.

The bird wasn't disappointed; instead, it felt a strange sense of relief.

He was really bad at dealing with those genuinely caring situations, which left him somewhat at a loss.

After he tied up the package, tucked the two swords into his waistband, and pushed open the door, he went out.

"Flying birds".

A clear voice rang out from the corridor; it was Miss Pear Blossom.

The bird stopped and turned to look at the senior sister who had always taken good care of him.

"Come with me."

Pear Blossom didn't explain, she just waved to him, and Asuka didn't ask any more questions, silently following behind him.

Instead of heading down the main road, they circled around to the back of the main building of the nursery and followed a nearly disappeared path half-hidden by weeds, winding their way into a dense, untouched forest.

Sunlight struggled to filter through the gaps in the tall, ancient trees, illuminating a small patch of open space in front of us.

Two low, snow-covered mounds stood side by side, lying there quietly.

Pear Blossom's expression turned solemn and sorrowful.

She walked to the grave on the left, gently brushed away the snow, and swept away the not-so-fine tombstone, revealing deeply engraved characters beneath:

【Kouno Masachika】

"This is Kuang Jin's grave..." Rika's voice was very soft, as if afraid of disturbing the sleeping soul. "He... was a swordsman who came from our Hayama, and also the current Wind Pillar, Shinazugawa Sanemi's best friend."

"Sanemi Shinazugawa..." Asuka certainly knew him.

He and Shinsuke had also inquired about him; they learned that this guy had a violent temper, often didn't listen to explanations, and was considered a terrifying presence even by the other members of the Demon Slayer Corps.

However, according to Ms. Arashi, he is not a bad person at heart; he is just a bit rude in his speech, and he will get better over time...

This guy actually has friends... that's unbelievable...

"And this one... is Arashizaki Suzune-ne..."

Arashizaki? Asuka's pupils contracted slightly. "The teacher's child?"

"Hmm... She is the teacher's only daughter, and she was also Sanemi's mentor."

"They are my teachers and my brother Sanemi...the most important people to me. For so many years, even my teachers haven't dared to come here..."

"The teacher is strong, but also vulnerable. He must maintain a stern image and uphold the Hayama Training Center to cultivate sharp blades for the Demon Slayer Corps capable of eradicating evil spirits from the world! Even if it means losing everything!"

Tears welled up in Pear Blossom's eyes, and her shoulders trembled slightly, but she remained strong and did not shed a tear.

"Asuka, I brought you here to tell you that your teacher really values ​​you... Please take care of yourself out there, and be careful!"

"Please don't... let another grave appear here..."

Seeing such melancholic pear blossoms for the first time, Asuka was also somewhat moved.

He was young, but he had experienced just as much hardship and displacement as anyone else. Although he wasn't good at communicating intimately with people, he wasn't stupid.

Cold, distant, wary, uneasy.

He wouldn't want to live like this if he could, but he didn't have a choice before.

Now, he feels like he has a home.