Kotetsu led Kamado Tanjiro and the others to a warehouse at the northwest edge of the village.
The iron doors were covered in rust and groaned sharply as they pushed them open. Inside, piles of discarded metal and wood filled the dim space. Only a few rays of sunlight filtered through holes in the roof, landing on a huge wooden crate in the corner.
"This is it!"
Kotetsu ran forward and shoved the lid open, dust falling in a cloud.
Inside lay a robot roughly two meters tall—its entire body made of black iron, its head fitted with a pair of brass sun earrings. From the back hung a long red ponytail made of coarse hemp rope and cloth. Most striking of all, three mechanical arms extended from each side of its torso—six in total—and each hand gripped a wooden sword engraved with faint patterns resembling breathing form marks.
"So this is the Yoriichi Type Two?"
Agatsuma Zenitsu leaned in and carefully touched one of the arms. "Six arms? That's insane!"
Kotetsu nodded and pulled a brass switch from his pocket, inserting it into a slot on the robot's back. With a twist—"Vrrr—"—a low rumble echoed as its indicator lights came on.
The six arms lifted slowly, each taking a different stance—one like Water Breathing's "Water Surface Slash," another like Wind Breathing's "Dust Whirlwind Cutter," and one more like Flame Breathing's "Unknowing Fire."
"Yoriichi Type Two is a replica of the original Yoriichi Type Zero," Kotetsu explained. "The Type Zero's design was too advanced for us to recreate perfectly, so we made this one instead. It can imitate the swordsmanship of current Hashira. Its reaction speed is fast, and it adjusts attack strength according to its opponent's skill. It's perfect for training partners!"
Hashibira Inosuke couldn't wait any longer. He drew his twin swords in excitement. "Let me go first! I'll see if this thing can handle my Beast Breathing!"
Kotetsu pressed a button on the robot's chest. "Attack intensity—medium! Trial start!"
The robot's indicator lights turned red, and all six arms began to move at once.
The leftmost arm unleashed Wind Breathing's "Black Wind Mountain Mist," the blade howling down toward Inosuke's shoulder, while the right arm swung with Flame Breathing's "Rising Scorching Sun," its fiery blade sealing off Inosuke's escape route.
"Bring it on!"
Inosuke roared, gripping his swords tightly. "Beast Breathing—Fourth Fang: Slice 'n' Dice!"
His slashes crashed against the robot's blades with a sharp clang. A massive force shot through his arms, numbing them instantly as he stumbled back three steps.
Before he could steady himself, the other four arms attacked—two using Water Breathing's "Flowing Dance," their blades twisting like water around his wrists, and the other two with Mist Breathing's "Shifting Flow Slash," their movements soft but deadly, stabbing straight for his waist.
Inosuke dropped low and dodged, swinging at the joints of the arms—but the robot's movements were unbelievably smooth. The six arms worked together seamlessly; every time he evaded one attack, another came right after.
In only a few minutes, Inosuke had been struck several times by the flat of the blades. They weren't strong blows, but they stung enough to make him grimace in pain.
"Damn it! This iron freak's too fast!"
He shouted and charged again, trying to break through with brute force. But the robot crossed four arms to form a web of blades that blocked him easily, while the remaining two swung from behind in a surprise strike toward his back.
"Inosuke! Watch out!"
Tanjiro's voice rang out as he rushed in, blocking the strike with his wooden training sword.
"Clang!" A faint orange-red glow spread from his blade—it was the aura of the Hinokami Kagura.
The impact forced the robot's arms back slightly, breaking its rhythm. Inosuke jumped back, panting heavily, sweat soaking his back. "Redhead! This thing's a monster—six arms, no gaps at all!"
Tanjiro frowned as he studied the robot. "Its attacks follow precise patterns, perfectly imitating the Hashira's sword forms. With six arms working together, it's nearly impossible to handle alone. Kotetsu, can we switch its weapons to wooden poles? If someone gets cut, it'll be trouble."
Kotetsu was about to agree when Zenitsu suddenly stepped forward. "No need! Tanjiro, let me try!"
He gripped his chipped Nichirin Sword tightly, his eyes firm. "I've developed a new variation of Thunder Breathing's First Form. I'll test it now!"
Inosuke blinked. "A new move? Blondie, don't be reckless! That thing's no joke!"
"Relax!"
Zenitsu inhaled deeply, faint golden sparks flickering around his body as the breath of lightning surged through him. "Thunder Breathing, First Form—Thunderclap and Flash: Godlike Speed!"
Before his words even finished, his body vanished like golden lightning. His speed was nearly double what it used to be, the air cracking as his blade shot toward the robot's chest.
He had refined this move during recovery at the Butterfly Mansion, pushing the First Form's explosive burst to its limits—his goal, a single instant kill.
But the robot was faster. Two central arms crossed immediately, executing Water Breathing's "Water Surface Slash" to intercept him perfectly.
A sharp clang rang out, and Zenitsu felt his wrist go numb, his sword nearly slipping from his hand.
Before he could regain balance, the remaining four arms launched another attack—two using Wind Breathing's "Clear Storm Wind Tree," their blades spinning down toward his arms…
The other two arms unleashed Flame Breathing's "Unknowing Fire," their blazing sword light sweeping across and sealing off Zenitsu's escape route.
Zenitsu's pupils shrank. He twisted aside just in time, launching another "Godlike Speed" in an attempt to circle behind the robot.
But the machine turned as if it had eyes of its own—six arms moving in perfect unison, wooden blades weaving a web of strikes that blocked every possible path of attack.
Even with his incredible speed, Zenitsu couldn't break through its defense. The constant use of "Godlike Speed" rapidly drained his stamina, and his breathing turned shallow.
"No good! The attack rhythm's too fast—no opening!"
Panic flashed through Zenitsu's mind. The robot wasn't just copying Hashira techniques—it was adapting to his every move, adjusting its attack tempo in real time, like a seasoned swordsman sparring with him.
Just as one blade was about to slice his shoulder, Tanjiro rushed in, blocking the strike with his wooden sword. "Zenitsu, stop! You're running out of stamina!"
Zenitsu used Tanjiro's block to leap back, gasping for air, sweat pouring down his forehead. "Damn it… even with this speed, I still can't beat it."
Kotetsu stepped forward and hit the pause switch. The mechanical arms slowly lowered, and the indicator light shifted back to green. "Yoriichi Type Two's reaction speed is calibrated at Hashira level. Zenitsu-nii, your speed is amazing, but not quite at the top-tier Hashira range yet. And with six arms, one-on-one is nearly impossible."
Inosuke rubbed a bruise on his arm, gritting his teeth. "Then what if we fight it together? Two against one—we'll crush it!"
Tanjiro's eyes lit up. "Together? That's a great idea. Kotetsu, can you switch the robot's attack level to high? Let's try a two-man battle."
Kotetsu hesitated, then nodded. "It's possible, but the high setting hits harder. You two have to be careful."
He pressed the button, and the indicator light turned deep purple. The six mechanical arms rose again, exuding an even fiercer aura.
"Inosuke, you go head-on and disrupt its rhythm with Beast Breathing. I'll strike from the side and aim for its joint weak points," Tanjiro said quickly, gripping his wooden sword.
"Got it!"
Inosuke charged forward at once, unleashing Beast Breathing's "Second Fang: Slice." His dual blades slashed wildly toward the robot's torso.
The robot responded instantly—two arms performed Water Breathing's "Water Wheel," meeting Inosuke's attack head-on.
Just as they were about to collide, Tanjiro darted from the side, Hinokami Kagura's aura flaring along his blade. "Hinokami Kagura—Clear Blue Sky!"
A fiery arc blazed through the air, cutting toward the robot's joint—its vulnerable point. If they could sever that, the mechanical arm would temporarily fail.
The robot didn't expect such perfect teamwork. It quickly redirected four arms to defend.
But Inosuke seized the moment, his wild slashes breaking through its defense. His blades struck the torso with a loud metallic clang.
The machine froze for half a second. Tanjiro capitalized instantly—his wooden sword struck the joint with precision. "Crack!" One arm went limp, hanging uselessly by its side.
"It worked!"
Inosuke shouted with excitement and launched another attack.
Over the next several minutes, their teamwork became smoother and sharper. Inosuke drew the robot's attention with brute force, while Tanjiro moved fluidly from the side, striking its weak spots.
Though the robot's attacks were still fierce, and both of them had taken several solid hits from the wooden blades, their coordination grew stronger. Soon, three of the robot's arms had been disabled, and its attacks slowed noticeably.
Watching from the sidelines, Zenitsu's eyes gleamed. He realized their teamwork perfectly balanced each other's strengths—Inosuke's raw power disrupted the rhythm, while Tanjiro's precision found the openings.
Then an idea hit him. If I join in from behind with speed, we could end this even faster.
"Tanjiro! Inosuke! I'm joining in!"
Zenitsu shouted, lightning sparking around him again. "I'll attack from behind and strike its back joints!"
Tanjiro and Inosuke exchanged a quick nod.
Inosuke immediately increased the pressure, roaring as he unleashed more Beast Breathing forms, forcing the robot's focus to the front. Tanjiro used "Clear Blue Sky" again to intercept the side arms.
Zenitsu shot forward like golden lightning, circling around in a blur. His Nichirin Sword sliced cleanly into the robot's back joint.
"Crack!"
Another arm broke off, throwing the robot's rhythm into chaos.
Tanjiro saw the opening and swung down with Hinokami Kagura's "Setting Sun Transformation." His blade glowed orange-red as it struck the robot's core—the control center for the arms.
"Vrrr—"
A loud grinding noise echoed through the warehouse. The remaining arms drooped powerlessly, and the indicator light faded to gray. The Yoriichi Type Two stopped completely.
All three collapsed onto the floor, panting hard.
Inosuke wiped sweat from his face, grinning wide. "Hell yeah! We won! I told you, I'm the strongest! Wahahaha!"
Zenitsu nodded, his eyes filled with pride. "That teamwork was perfect. If we fight Upper Moons like this, we might actually win!"
Tanjiro smiled and turned to Kotetsu. "Kotetsu, thank you for the Yoriichi Type Two. It helped us improve a lot."
Kotetsu scratched his head with a grin. "You don't need to thank me! Winning means you're all strong. Oh, right—Tecchin-sensei said your Nichirin Swords will be ready tomorrow. You'll get your new blades soon!"
"Really? That's awesome!"
Inosuke jumped up, throwing a fist into the air.
The sunset light streamed through the cracks in the warehouse roof, bathing the four of them in a warm glow.