Chapter 27: New Hashira

Chapter 27: New Hashira

Kintaro remained calm after hearing that he had been granted the title of Hashira by Ubuyashiki himself. After a few seconds, Kintaro said, "Hashira? The same rank as Muichiro-san?"

Ubuyashiki smiled and replied, "Yes. What breathing technique do you use to fight?"

"Electro Breathing," Kintaro answered immediately and calmly. However, Ubuyashiki looked at him quietly, not understanding the nature of this breathing technique as it was the first time he had heard of it. Therefore, he inquired, "Electro Breathing? This is the first time I've heard of it. I don't think it existed in the generations before me because I have never heard of it. What color does your sword take?"

Kintaro calmly unsheathed his sword and said, "Currently, I still don't have a color-changing sword. I honestly don't know what color it might be."

Ubuyashiki looked at Amane silently, and she nodded, saying, "I'll bring it right away."

Amane stood up and walked inside the house with light, quiet steps. Kintaro was somewhat amazed at the peace in which this family lived, as if they shared one mind, all obedient and understanding of each other.

While Kintaro was thinking about this, Ubuyashiki, smiling, said to him, "Kintaro-kun, tell me your story, about your family. Why did you decide to wield the sword, face this danger, and tread this difficult path?"

Kintaro remained silent, as he did not expect such a question. For Kintaro, the leader of the Demon Slayer Corps should be a somewhat harsh person since he sent two young girls to handle the acceptance test. But now, he was surprised by Ubuyashiki's ethics. Moreover, Ubuyashiki must be an important person with a schedule full of many things, yet he was happily asking Kintaro about his story. Additionally, his tone had a kind of tenderness, like a compassionate father. Hence, Kintaro moved his lips and began to speak about his past in a calm tone.

"I am Kintaro Ozan... My story is composed of two parts, as I consider myself to have two families.

My real family consisted of three members: my biological father and mother and me. It was an ideal family, filled with familial warmth and tenderness. I never had a dark day with my parents. My father was a man who worked in designing home floors, a renowned carpenter known throughout the village. If anyone wanted to build a new house or fix something in their wooden home, my father was always the first choice due to his talent, with black hair and intensely black eyes. My mother was a beautiful woman, short in stature, with purple eyes like a radiant purple moon. She had some purple hair strands, but her primary hair color was black. The purple strands added beauty upon beauty. She was kind, and I don't remember her ever scolding me. I was the son who knew nothing about the harshness of the outside world because of the immense tenderness I lived in.

One day, my father received the opportunity of a lifetime in a distant village, coinciding with the death of my maternal grandfather. They had to go together, first to my grandfather's funeral and then to proceed to my father's job before returning home. Normally, I was supposed to go with them. But... there were rumors about the disappearance of everyone who traveled between our village and the village they intended to visit. No one knew the cause of the disappearance. Even if the carts contained gold, they remained intact, and the gold was not stolen. But traces of blood were always present in every cart. Meaning that whoever targeted the carts wasn't interested in money. He killed people without leaving any trace of their bodies. All that could be found in the morning were torn clothes. No matter how fast the cart was, it took a whole day to travel from our village to the nearest village. This means that at night..."

Ubuyashiki lowered his eyebrows and said in a tone filled with sadness and sympathy, "The demons stir and cause a massacre..."

Kintaro continued, "Exactly, but despite this danger, my parents made what seems to me an unwise decision. My mother was determined to attend her father's funeral, and my father loved her so much that he couldn't oppose her decision. He knew that her father's funeral was extremely important. But my father set a condition... Both of them knew that the possibility of their death was high, but they didn't want to involve me in this. My father and mother decided to leave me at our neighbor's house, which was an orphanage. It was merely a charitable act, a polite man who used his home to house homeless children. But he didn't consider me like the other children; I was his friend's son. This happened when I was nine years old, a week before I turned ten. Then, after only two days, I became an orphan like the other children, no longer different from them. The news of their death struck me like a bolt from the blue, plunging me into a vortex of depression from which I could not emerge on my own until that day when Lady Ayaka came to the orphanage..."

Kintaro stopped talking as Amane came carrying a sword on her palms in a polite manner. At that very moment, Kintaro felt the aura of Lady Ayaka emanating from Amane, as if they were one person, causing him to smile slightly involuntarily.

Amane knelt on her knees and handed the sword to Kintaro, saying, "The master wishes to see the color your sword will take. From now on, this will be the first sword you fight with."

Kintaro hesitated and said, "I can't accept such a gift. I have a sword here."

Amane looked at the slightly dirty scabbard and said, "Then let me see if that sword is in good condition."

Kintaro hesitated again, knowing that his sword had many flaws since he had fought many demons with it. Therefore, he calmly unsheathed it and said after looking at the small cracks and wear on the blade, "Honestly, it is in poor condition and hinders me. Cutting necks becomes more difficult over time because it loses its sharpness. But... it is an important sword given to me by Lady Ayaka. It is precious to me."

Amane smiled and said, "Important things must be preserved. If you continue fighting with it, it will eventually break. That sword marks the beginning of your journey, so hand it to me, and I will keep it safe for you. In return, take this sword and fight for the world's peace."

Unconsciously, Kintaro handed his sword and scabbard to Miss Amane. Every member of this family spoke with a soothing charm.

Afterward, Kintaro looked at his new sword, unable to predict the color it would take.

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