Swapped Moons

Chapter 27: The Harshest Training

Kid: So now what? Can I carry him down by myself?

Haganezuka: No, I'll carry him as long as he doesn't—his eyelids are twitching! He's about to wake up! See you!

Kid: Huh, hey!

Tanjiro quickly woke up and sat upright.

Kid: Are you okay? You shouldn't get up so fast.

Tanjiro: Was Mister Haganezuka here!?

Kid: Huh?

Tanjiro: Was he here just now!?

Kid: *Looks away, lying* No, he wasn't here!

Tanjiro: Oh, I was sure I heard him...wait, where's that Hashira?

Kid: I gave him the key so he left.

Tanjiro: Ah, so you gave it to him...I guess you didn't seem to have a choice, seeing he's a Hashira and all. I guess I shouldn't have butted in without knowing my place.

Kid: No! I'm happy that a stranger stood up for me!

Tanjiro: What was the key for? Why would a Hashira want it?

Kid: A mechanical doll. My ancestors made it and it has a hundred and eight different movements. It's used as a training dummy, but it's slowly breaking down.

Tanjiro was about to sympathize with the kid when a loud clang interrupted them.

Kid: He already started... The sound is over there.

The kid stood and went into the forest, following the sound. Tanjiro followed to a clearing where two people were fighting—no. Only one person. The other was just a doll. Gyokko was easily dodging the doll's movements, even though it had six arms.

Tanjiro: Why does it have six arms?

Kid: It was modeled after a real swordsman from the Sengoku era. They had to give it six arms or else they couldn't replicate his movements.

Tanjiro: IT'S OVER THREE HUNDRED YEARS OLD!?

Kid: Yeah. It's called the Yoriichi Type Zero.

Tanjiro froze. Yoriichi was the name of the person in his dream. He watched the doll again, suddenly realizing the resemblance to the mysterious man.

Kid: The mechanical doll is so advanced for its age we haven't caught up today. That means if it breaks down, there's no way to fix it. My dad died suddenly and I have no siblings, so I have to be the one to fix it, but I have no talent for fixing blades or dolls...

Tanjiro: Ah, that's why it's so important. I'm sorry I couldn't help more.

Kid: You couldn't have done anything.

Tanjiro: The swordsman was called, Yoriichi I'm guessing. Do you know anything about him?

Kid: Well, apparently one of his descendants came here and recognized it. My father told me all about their conversation. I think his name was... Michi Tsugi something.

Tanjiro: Michikatsu Tsugikuni?

Kid: Yeah, that's it! The Yoriichi guy was very strong but had no direct descendants. Instead, the guy's brother is the only one with descendants. Anyone descended from him is super strong, but they don't know about Sun Breathing.

Tanjiro: Sun Breathing!? Did Mister Tsugikuni ever mention anything about it to your father!?

Kid: I don't think so. They were mostly talking about the Tsugikuni lineage.