5 Vol. III Demon Slayer: Floating Comment

Ever since the concept of the "Transparent World" had been introduced, Haruto had been pondering how to step into that realm of enlightenment.

The Breath of Stars naturally came with heightened sensory awareness. However, from what he understood about the Transparent World, it wasn't about extending his senses outward as he normally did. Instead, it required a focused inward collapse, sharpening his perception to make the living beings before him appear translucent, and to experience the slowed, heightened clarity of combat.

It sounded mystical. In practice, it was utterly baffling.

After stubbornly trying to crack the mystery for a week, Haruto decided to let it go for now. He resolved to further hone his body and breathing techniques, reinforcing the fundamentals before making another attempt.

Ever since Tanjiro and Genya had returned to Sagiri Mountain, Urokodaki-sensei had been noticeably busier. Haruto often saw him sneaking off during patrols to reset the traps scattered across the mountain—traps designed to sharpen the skills of young swordsmen.

Amidst the good news brought by Sora that Kyojuro Rengoku had defeated Lower Rank Two and been promoted to Hashira, two familiar figures appeared on the mountain.

Haruto heard the tinkling of wind chimes and turned around, his face lighting up with surprise.

"Mr. Haganezuka? And... Kotetsu?"

The taller and smaller figures both looked up, their fire-red masks gleaming under their woven hats.

"Haruto!" Kotetsu shouted, waving frantically. He dashed away from Haganezuka, who, judging by his expression, had been scolding him the entire trip.

"Mr. Haganezuka is so weird! I kept telling him to take off the wind chimes on his hat, but he insists they're stylish! Everyone kept staring at us, and he just acted proud about it..."

"Wind chimes are beautiful, you brat!" Haganezuka barked, reaching for Kotetsu, but the boy scrambled up Haruto's clothes like a monkey and perched on his shoulders.

"Whew, I'm safe now!" Kotetsu clung to Haruto's head. "I'm not a swordsman or an adult, yet I had to run all the way here! And Mr. Haganezuka never even offered to carry me. What a jerk!"

Haruto glanced at the boy's dusty wooden sandals and noticed a small hole in his socks.

"Hey, if it weren't for you wanting to show off this thing, we wouldn't have had to trek so far!" Haganezuka shot back, dropping a large bundle from his shoulders with a clatter.

"Careful! You'll mess up the arrangement!" Kotetsu scolded, hopping down to open the bundle.

Haganezuka huffed and plopped down against the wooden cabin, exchanging a wordless nod with Urokodaki, who had been quietly observing.

Inside the bundle was... a mechanical doll.

Though rough in appearance, the doll featured finely polished metal joints and numerous movable parts, revealing the immense effort poured into its creation.

"What is this?" Haruto asked, stepping forward to help lift the heavy doll from the bundle.

Good grief, this thing was heavy. No wonder Haganezuka had such an impressive physique.

Once placed on the ground, it became clear the doll was fully constructed, though its design was rather... peculiar. Its flat head sported a tuft of white hair resembling the plume of a ceremonial spear.

Kotetsu pulled a silver key from around his neck—the same type used to control the Yoriichi Type Zero.

"After Mr. Haganezuka heard about the mechanical doll, he insisted I tell him everything about it. Then he dragged me into this project to build another one. Honestly, though, I think he's more interested in Yoriichi Type Zero's nichirin blades than the doll itself..."

Kotetsu pouted, glaring at Haganezuka, who was busy chatting with Urokodaki. Then, he inserted the key into the back of the doll.

"I'm no expert in swordsmanship or mechanics, so this doll isn't nearly as powerful as the Yoriichi Type Zero. It's just good enough for training ordinary swordsmen."

The doll creaked to life, standing up with stiff movements. Kotetsu explained that it had three settings: low, medium, and high speed. The higher the setting, the faster it moved—but also the more unpredictable and dangerous it became.

Haruto tested the doll in a quick sparring session, confirming that it was far weaker than the Yoriichi Type Zero. Looking at Kotetsu's expectant gaze, Haruto hesitated before deciding to be honest.

To his surprise, Kotetsu wasn't discouraged.

"Come on, I'm just a kid! The fact that I managed to make something that moves at all is already impressive!"

"Huh? I thought you'd be upset."

"A year ago, I probably would've been," Kotetsu admitted, shrugging. "I used to think I had no talent for forging swords or becoming a swordsman. I felt like a failure. But with the help of Mr. Haganezuka, Kanamori-san, Gotokawa-san, and everyone in the Swordsmith Village, I managed to pull this off! Oh, and your encouragement helped a lot, Haruto!"

Kotetsu beamed up at him. "Guess what I named this mechanical doll!"

"Uh..." Haruto's smile froze. He glanced at the doll's odd tuft of white hair.

"Is it... Kotetsu Type Zero?"

"Nope! I'm not that self-absorbed!"

"Haganezuka Type Zero?"

"Wrong again!"

"Gotokawa Type Zero?"

"Not even close!"

Kotetsu shook his head with a "you're hopeless" look. "It's named Haru—"

"Tanjiro! Genya!" Haruto interrupted, waving at his fellow swordsmen as they approached, looking slightly battered. "Come here! I found the perfect training partner for you two!"

Tanjiro: (ง´･ω･`)ง "On my way!"
Genya: (⊙_⊙) "Why does this feel ominous?"

"Hey, Kotetsu," Haruto said with a mischievous grin, swapping the doll's wooden sword for a real one. "Set it to the highest speed. Let's give these two a proper workout."

As Tanjiro and Genya drew closer, everyone turned to them with suspiciously kind smiles.