Swordsmith Village, in front of the workshop.
"Dreamed of me?"
"Huh? Dreamed of Miss Mizuki?"
Sounds of confusion and surprise rang out.
Zenitsu grabbed Tanjirou's collar, two streams of white steam puffing from his nostrils: "Hey, kid, don't let your imagination run wild at only fifteen years old!"
"No, Zenitsu." Tanjirou broke free from Zenitsu's grasp, hesitated for a moment, a conflicted expression on his face. "I can't quite explain it, but I think I dreamed of Mr. Yoriichi."
"The swordsman of Origin Breathing."
"I dreamed of him with Miss Mizuki and my ancestor."
Kochou Shinobu propped her cheek with her index finger: "Could it be because Mizuki mentioned it to you, and you made a connection?"
"As the saying goes, what you think about during the day, you dream about at night."
Tanjirou hesitated: "I don't understand either, but the dream was very real. I still remember it clearly."
Kochou Shinobu tilted her head: "Was it a lucid dream?"
Mizuki pondered for a moment, then asked: "Then, do you know your ancestor's name?"
She hadn't told Tanjirou the ancestor's name, only mentioned that such a person existed.
"Sumiyoshi." Tanjirou replied without hesitation.
Mizuki's eyes widened slightly: "It really is Sumiyoshi..."
"Could you have accidentally let it slip?" Inosuke idly picked at his pig nose.
Mizuki shook her head: "No, I remember clearly that I didn't tell Tanjirou about this."
"Who can say? Your memory is already degenerating into that of a fish..."
Bang!!!
After punching Inosuke unconscious, Mizuki withdrew her smoking hand: "There's another way to prove it."
Kochou Shinobu: "What?"
Mizuki asked seriously: "Question, where is Yoriichi's Demon Slayer Mark located?"
"On his forehead! Down to below his eyes, very similar to mine."
Zenitsu rolled his eyes: "Could it be that you're just too invested?"
"No, Tanjirou is right." Mizuki looked at Tanjirou with surprise and uncertainty.
Among their three siblings, Yoriichi's Demon Slayer Mark was on his forehead, hers was from her cheek to her neck, and Kokushibou's was somewhat a combination of hers and Yoriichi's, on both his forehead and neck.
It would be impossible to know something like this without having seen it firsthand.
Zenitsu's eyes widened: "No way? Wasn't that swordsman from the Sengoku Period?"
Tanjirou spread his hands: "That's why I said I don't understand."
Mizuki turned to Kochou Shinobu and asked: "Shinobu, what do you think?"
After hearing Mizuki's affirmative answer, Kochou Shinobu had lowered her head slightly, deep in thought. Hearing Mizuki's question, she mused.
"Hmm~ It's probably related to heredity? Genetic genes, inherited memories, something like that."
Mizuki's mouth twitched: "That sounds far-fetched."
"But besides thinking that, there's no other answer, is there?"
"Maybe it's a dream omen?" Inosuke had somehow gotten up from the ground and said in a dull voice.
Mizuki froze for a moment: "Then shouldn't he be giving me an omen?"
Who's the relative here, anyway!
Kochou Shinobu looked sideways: "But Mizuki rarely sleeps at night, right?"
Mizuki: "..."
She couldn't refute that.
Of course, Mizuki also felt that the dream omen theory was far-fetched. It had been hundreds of years, and he still hadn't reincarnated?
Mizuki sighed, looking at Tanjirou with drooping eyelids: "If it's a dream omen, did Yoriichi tell you anything? Like if he can possess you to fight or something?"
Everyone: "..."
You're getting even more ridiculous, hey!
Tanjirou's face twitched twice, and he said with a slight frown: "Although it's a dream, I think Miss Shinobu's inherited memory theory is more likely."
"Because I could only watch Sumiyoshi interact with others, and couldn't even speak."
Kochou Shinobu's face showed surprise: "That truly is a strange fate."
Mizuki nodded slightly.
To actually dream of an ancestor's memories from the Sengoku Period.
Could it be some kind of omen?
"Thank you for waiting, Lady Kochou. Please hand me your Nichirin Blade." At this moment, a blacksmith wearing a fire man mask walked out of the workshop.
Kochou Shinobu handed over her Nichirin Blade: "Ah, I'll leave it to you. Just a little maintenance is fine."
The village chief surveyed the workshop, then walked out and looked up at Mizuki: "Lady Mizuki, regarding your Nichirin Blade, the Master hopes that this old man can take full responsibility."
Mizuki bowed slightly: "Then I'll leave it to you, Village Chief."
The village chief nodded lightly: "However, there are no records of Snow Breathing swordsmen in the village. To forge a suitable..."
"Oh!!!"
Suddenly, a loud roar echoed from a distance.
Everyone turned their heads in unison, only to see a pervert wearing a fire man mask and baring his upper body charging towards them from the end of the road.
Mizuki's eye twitched. What now?
She was getting tired of seeing this.
Mizuki abruptly pushed Tanjirou, sending him out of the group.
Alright, you two go play. Don't disturb anyone else.
"Eh?" Tanjirou stumbled two steps to steady himself. Before he could turn around to see who had pushed him, Haganezuka, with his bare upper body revealing strong muscles, had already rushed into his face.
"Eek!!!" Tanjirou, with a look of horror, shielded himself with both hands, not daring to open his eyes.
A gust of wind swept past.
One second... two seconds... "Huh?" Tanjirou lowered his hands; there was no one in front of him.
Where did he go?
He instinctively looked back and saw Haganezuka kneeling on the ground with his knees together, his head heavily slammed against the ground, in a perfect dogeza posture before Mizuki.
Mizuki's crimson eyes trembled twice, and she involuntarily took a step back, instinctively pulling Kochou Shinobu next to her by her sleeve.
Kochou Shinobu froze for a moment, lowered her head, and secretly glanced at Mizuki's slightly forceful fingers, then silently reached out and placed her hand on Mizuki's.
Mizuki was completely unaware, because it was too embarrassing!
Dogeza, theoretically, is a high form of respect that emphasizes the other person's status.
But... she just couldn't handle it.
Just looking at it made her scalp tingle.
Too shameful.
Even if she was the one being respected.
"Please!" Haganezuka shouted loudly, "Please give me the opportunity to forge your Nichirin Blade!"
"I will definitely forge a weapon that satisfies you!"
Mizuki almost instinctively wanted to agree with him, only hoping this pervert would return to normal.
But her last shred of rationality made her cast her gaze towards the boss of Swordsmith Village, the Village Chief.
The Village Chief silently watched Haganezuka. After a moment, he turned to Mizuki: "Lady Mizuki, could you give this child a chance?"
"Hotaru's love for swords is absolutely no less than anyone else in Swordsmith Village."
"Hotaru?"
"Haganezuka Hotaru, a name this old man gave him. How about it? Cute, isn't it?"
"..."
Hearing the Village Chief's words, Mizuki nodded vigorously: "Anything, anything."
Whether it's suitable or not is no longer important, what's important is for you to get up!
Everyone around is looking!
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