"That's good. Even in the swordsmith village, few are so devoted to their blades."
Tanjiro agreed. Haganezuka's devotion was extreme; he'd even tried to kill someone over a broken blade.
Haganezuka lay on the tatami mat, hand under his head, his gaze fixed on Tanjiro.
Tanjiro watched him cautiously, fearing another attack.
"Right, I haven't introduced myself. My name is Kozo Kanamori. I forged Inosuke-sama's blades. I hope they serve him well in battle," the other swordsmith introduced himself.
Tanjiro looked at Inosuke, who sat on the wooden walkway outside, holding two new Nichirin blades forged by Kozo Kanamori.
Unlike his previous, chipped blades, these were pristine and sharp. As Inosuke held them, the metallic color shifted to blue, eventually covering the entire blade.
Kozo Kanamori, observing Inosuke, praised, "Beautiful! A deep blue glow! Rich and well-suited to the blade!"
Haganezuka jumped up, kneading Tanjiro's cheeks. "Look at him, a blue Nichirin blade! Why is yours black, you brat?!"
Tanjiro endured the kneading silently.
"Now Inosuke has new blades. His old ones were chipped," Tanjiro said, changing the subject.
Kozo Kanamori asked Inosuke, curious about his opinion, "How does the grip feel? This is my first time forging blades for a dual-wielder."
Besides sharpness, a good blade's grip is crucial. An uncomfortable grip limits performance.
Inosuke didn't answer but examined the blades closely. Something felt off, but he couldn't pinpoint it.
After a long silence, he went to the water basin in the courtyard and began selecting stones.
Everyone watched him curiously. He chose suitable stones and began striking the sharp blades, creating a series of evenly spaced chips.
"Now they look the part!" Inosuke declared, satisfied.
Tanjiro, Haganezuka, and Kozo Kanamori were shocked.
"I'll kill you, you little brat!" Kozo Kanamori, enraged at the destruction of his blades, mirrored Haganezuka's earlier reaction, threatening to kill Inosuke.
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