Ren Kuroda slowly drew his Nichirin Blade, the silvery-white edge sliding free from its black scabbard.
Hotaru Haganezuka fixed her gaze on the long sword in Ren's hand, her eyes burning with anticipation as she waited to see what color the blade would reveal once fully drawn.
The blade itself featured an irregular, oversized T-shaped profile. It was longer and slimmer than an ordinary Nichirin Blade, giving it an unusual and striking silhouette. As the blade cleared the scabbard completely, its color began to shift.
The silvery-white surface gradually transformed—
Into an eerie, otherworldly purple.
Yet that alone was not what truly shocked Hotaru Haganezuka.
Nichirin Blades changing color was common knowledge. As their forger, she had witnessed such transformations countless times before. Color changes alone were nothing new.
The real astonishment lay elsewhere.
Ren Kuroda's Nichirin Blade didn't merely change color.
It displayed two colors—something she had never seen in her life.
At this moment, the blade was predominantly a deep, unsettling purple. But interwoven throughout it were faint, shimmering silver patterns, flowing across the steel like veins of moonlight.
The sight left her utterly perplexed.
Under normal circumstances, a Nichirin Blade displays only a single color, one that symbolizes its wielder's personality, temperament, and latent potential.
For example, the pink blade of Mitsuri Kanroji represents Love Breathing—soft and tender on the surface, yet astonishingly resilient and powerful, much like a girl deeply in love.
Another example is Giyu Tomioka's blue Nichirin Blade, which reflects a gentle, single-minded, calm, and composed soul—someone with profound inner stillness and tranquility.
But purple?
Silver?
Hotaru Haganezuka had never seen a Nichirin Blade with either color before.
By conventional understanding, purple symbolized nobility and dominance. Though the hue carried an eerie undertone, considering Ren's unique nature, it wasn't entirely unexpected.
But the silver patterns—
Those left her at a complete loss.
A blade displaying two colors defied everything she knew.
After a long moment of contemplation, she formed a tentative hypothesis.
Perhaps the silver portions represented the intent embedded within the blade.
After all, that was the one factor that set Ren's Nichirin Blade apart from all others.
However, as for this theory—
Ren Kuroda, holding the sword and quietly observing the two colors rippling across its surface, had his own thoughts.
Since a Nichirin Blade reflects the truest essence of its wielder, then what did the silver represent?
Was it the duality within him?
The coexistence of demon and human?
After all, as a half-demon, he carried both identities within himself.
In the end, Hotaru Haganezuka took her leave.
She had already seen the Nichirin Blade in Ren's hands, and she had met its master—judging him to be someone truly worthy of wielding it.
Before departing, she repeatedly warned Ren to treat the blade with care and never let it break, leaving him both amused and slightly exasperated.
A sword exists to be used in battle.
Overprotecting it would be an insult to its very purpose.
Hotaru Haganezuka might be a devoted sword lover, but she was most certainly not a swordsman.
With his uniform and Nichirin Blade in hand, Ren Kuroda officially began his demon-slaying career within the Demon Slayer Corps.
It had to be said—thanks to the Corps' extensive intelligence network, his efficiency was vastly greater than when he had wandered aimlessly in search of demons on his own.
As Ren cut down demon after demon with ruthless efficiency, his name began to circulate rapidly within the Demon Slayer Corps. Combined with his deeds at Fujikasane Mountain, his reputation continued to rise.
Soon, he earned a unique nickname—
"The Hundred Demon Slayer."
Most members of the Demon Slayer Corps referred to him by that name.
Though the title carried a hint of irony, the surge in fame brought with it a massive boost to his previously depleted reputation.
It was clear that Ren's overwhelming strength—and the sheer number of demons he annihilated—had inspired admiration among countless Corps members, causing his reputation to skyrocket once more.
Back when he had exhausted nearly all of his reputation during the Fujikasane Mountain incident, Ren had believed that the mission had yielded nothing but loss.
Unexpectedly, however, although he gained no immediate personal rewards from that battle, the fame that followed allowed him to recover most of what he had spent.
Still, there was one lingering regret.
Despite being part of the Demon Slayer Corps for over half a year, and despite slaying countless ordinary demons, Ren had never once encountered any of the infamous Twelve Demon Moons.
On this particular day, Ren had planned to head out on another demon-hunting mission.
Instead, a female attendant suddenly arrived at his residence, informing him that Kagaya Ubuyashiki wished to see him.
After a brief moment of hesitation, Ren followed her.
When he arrived at the familiar courtyard, he found the other nine Pillars already gathered.
Unlike six months earlier, most of the Pillars now greeted him with genuine goodwill.
With the exception of the ever-reckless and arrogant Wind Pillar—who still harbored a trace of disdain—even the Sound Pillar and the Stone Pillar acknowledged him with polite nods.
The most enthusiastic by far was the Flame Pillar, Kyojuro Rengoku.
He strode straight up to Ren, slung an arm around his shoulders, and cheerfully declared that Ren was treating everyone to a meal.
For the past six months, Ren had been staying at Demon Slayer Corps headquarters, having nowhere else to go.
Through his relentless demon-slaying and outstanding achievements, he had earned the recognition of the other Pillars. Daily interactions gradually forged genuine camaraderie between them.
Among all of them, the person closest to Ren wasn't Giyu Tomioka—the one who had first encountered him—
But rather, the endlessly passionate Kyojuro Rengoku.
Giyu Tomioka's reserved personality made him poor at socializing, while the straightforward and fiery Kyojuro was his complete opposite.
After Ren saved their lord, Kagaya Ubuyashiki, and after learning of his many other feats, Kyojuro Rengoku had immediately declared Ren a close friend.
He even persistently encouraged Ren to learn Flame Breathing, firmly believing that Ren was perfectly suited for it.
True flame, after all, was about burning oneself to illuminate others.
Their friendship wasn't based on admiration alone.
In their spare time, the two frequently sparred.
And when they fought without using any Breathing Techniques—
Without exception—
Flame Pillar Kyojuro Rengoku almost always ended up taking a resounding beating.