At dawn, smoke from the forge drifted through the Swordsmith Village.
Kamado Tanjiro, Agatsuma Zenitsu, and Hashibira Inosuke were already waiting by the door, their eyes fixed eagerly on the closed wooden entrance.
After a short while, the door creaked open, and Hotaru Haganezuka stepped out, carrying three Nichirin Swords in his arms. His familiar fierce mask still covered his face, but his movements were unusually careful as he handed them over.
"Take it."
He thrust an orange-red sheathed sword toward Tanjiro, his tone as blunt as ever. "This one's forged with new Scarlet Ore. The blade's been reforged three times—tougher than before. If you break it again, I'll throw you straight into the smelting furnace myself!"
Tanjiro accepted the sword with both hands, gently brushing his fingers over the patterns on the sheath. He could feel the power pulsing within it.
Drawing the blade, he saw the orange-red steel gleaming coldly under the morning light, still warm from the forge.
"Thank you, Haganezuka-san. I'll protect it carefully this time. I won't let it break again."
Haganezuka stiffened, then turned away, mumbling, "No need for thanks. Just take it and get out of my sight!"
Despite his tone, Tanjiro noticed the smith's fingers twitch slightly—proof he was holding back from sounding too harsh.
Zenitsu received his own blade next. The sheath was pale gold, and the blade itself thinner than before, flickering faintly with golden sparks of lightning. "Thank you, Haganezuka-san! This sword's so light—it'll move perfectly with my breathing!"
Inosuke's sword came last. Its sheath was dark brown, and the blade bore jagged, saw-like edges—clearly customized to match his own wild preference.
He drew it and gave it a few swings, shouting in excitement. "This sword's awesome! Hey, mask guy, you actually have good taste!"
"Shut up!"
Haganezuka glared at him, but didn't sound truly angry. Instead, he turned toward Tecchin Tecchikawahara and nodded. "Master, the swords are finished. I'll go clean up the forge."
Tecchin smiled and patted Tanjiro on the shoulder. "Use your new sword well. And if danger comes, don't force yourself. The Swordsmith Village will always be your support."
"Thank you, Tecchin-sensei."
Tanjiro bowed deeply, warmth filling his chest. But then, his nose twitched.
Amid the usual scent of smoke and metal, there was something else—a faint stench of rot, like the smell of decaying fish mixed with danger.
"Everyone, watch out!"
The mark on Tanjiro's forehead flared to life, red flames spreading like fire across his skin.
He spun around and drew his Nichirin Sword, the orange-red blade slicing through the air in a clean arc—
"Clang!"
A clear metallic note rang out as he blocked a razor-sharp water blade that had come flying from the side.
Water splashed everywhere, and from a large jar beside the forge, a shadow slowly rose.
It was a man wearing a blue kimono—but his head was a porcelain pot covered in ornate patterns. From its opening, black liquid poured endlessly.
Upper Moon Five—Gyokko.
"Oh? Quick reflexes," the voice gurgled out from the pot's mouth, carrying a twisted amusement. "Kamado Tanjiro… I finally found you. Lord Muzan ordered me to bring your head back. And your blood… will make a fine nourishment for my pots."
He raised one hand, and several golden fish swam out from the pot, their mouths opening wide as they spat sharp, gleaming needles.
"Blood Demon Art—Thousand Needle Fish Kill!"
The air hissed as countless poisoned spines shot toward Tanjiro like lightning.
"Zenitsu! Inosuke! Dodge!"
Tanjiro shouted, swinging his sword in rapid arcs. The heat of the Hinokami Kagura blazed along the blade. "Hinokami Kagura—Solar Heat Thrust!"
The orange-red flame burst outward like the sun, deflecting all the incoming needles.
Inosuke immediately charged. "Another demon? I'll smash your stupid pot to pieces! Beast Breathing—First Fang: Pierce!"
His twin blades cut forward with feral power, stabbing toward Gyokko's pot-shaped head.
But Gyokko only smirked. The black liquid from his pot surged outward, forming a swirling wall of water. "Blood Demon Art—Water Prison Pot!"
The dark water instantly surrounded Inosuke, wrapping around his body like living tentacles that bound his limbs tight.
"Dammit! What the hell is this crap?!"
Inosuke roared and tried to hack through it, but the moment his blade touched the water, it stuck fast—completely immobilized.
Zenitsu dashed around to Gyokko's rear, his sword sparking with lightning. "Thunder Breathing—First Form: Thunderclap and Flash—Godlike Speed!"
He moved like a bolt of gold, his sword slicing for Gyokko's back.
"Useless."
Gyokko chuckled. His form liquefied into a column of water, evading the strike. From the mouth of his pot, several smaller pots flew out. "Blood Demon Art—Pot Shadows!"
The pots shattered upon landing, releasing several half-human creatures covered in black slime, each with long claws gleaming like blades.
"What the hell are these things?!"
Zenitsu's eyes widened as he slashed, golden arcs flashing through the air, severing one creature's arm. Black slime splattered and sizzled on the ground, burning through the dirt with a corrosive hiss.
Tanjiro saw it and rushed to Inosuke's side, his blade bursting into flames. "Hinokami Kagura—Fire Wheel!"
The fiery strike sliced through the water prison, steam bursting upward as the dark liquid evaporated.
Inosuke stumbled free, drenched but unharmed, and immediately pointed at Gyokko's pot. "Your pot's ugly! Looks like a cracked toilet! And it's leaking black goo—disgusting!"
The insult hit exactly where it hurt most.
Gyokko froze. His voice rose into a sharp shriek, the black liquid surging violently. "What did you say?! My art is beautiful! Blood Demon Art—Pot Explosion!"
Several small pots shot toward Inosuke and exploded upon impact. Black liquid erupted like bombs, gouging small craters into the ground.
Inosuke dodged quickly, but some of the liquid splashed his arm. Pain seared instantly. "Aaagh! It's burning!"
Tanjiro seized the opening and charged straight at Gyokko, his Nichirin Sword glowing with heat. "Hinokami Kagura—Clear Blue Sky!"
The blade, blazing like the sun, cleaved toward Gyokko's pot with unstoppable force.
The blazing blade struck Gyokko's pot-like body, heat rippling through the air. But the surface was impossibly hard—the sword left only a shallow white mark, not even scratching it.
"Hahaha! My pot is crafted from special materials! Your Nichirin Swords can't even cut it!"
Gyokko laughed wildly as black liquid poured from the mouth of his pot, forming into a massive watery arm that slammed toward Tanjiro. "Blood Demon Art—Octopus Vase Hell!"
The huge arm crashed down, splitting the ground with a deafening crack.
Tanjiro dodged sideways, but the watery arm suddenly fragmented into over a dozen sharp water arrows that shot toward him from every direction.
"Hinokami Kagura—Setting Sun Transformation!"
Tanjiro spun midair, his blade sweeping in a perfect fiery arc, slicing through the incoming projectiles. Still, several grazed his shoulder, leaving searing wounds that burned with pain.
Zenitsu finished off the last of the sludge monsters and sprinted toward Tanjiro. "Tanjiro, I've got you!"
Golden lightning wrapped around his sword, forming a dense web of crackling thunder that descended toward Gyokko.
But Gyokko turned into a stream of water again, evading the net easily. From his pot's mouth gushed more black liquid. "Blood Demon Art—Water Burial!"
The dark liquid surged across the ground like a living flood, racing toward the three of them with crushing force.
"Inosuke! Block the flood!"
Tanjiro shouted, his sword flaring with flames. "Hinokami Kagura—Flame Dance!"
The blazing blade sliced in sweeping arcs, evaporating part of the rushing torrent in bursts of steam.
Inosuke immediately caught on. He drove his twin blades into the ground, unleashing his feral energy. "Beast Breathing—Third Fang: Devour!"
The earth split open around him, stones flying upward, slowing the flood's advance.
Zenitsu took the chance to circle to the side, pushing Thunder Breathing to its peak. "Thunder Breathing—First Form: Thunderclap and Flash—Godlike Speed!"
Golden lightning burst from his blade as he slashed at the side of the flood, cutting a wide gap through the current.
The three moved perfectly in sync, their efforts combining to stall Gyokko's Blood Demon Art—at least for a moment.
But Gyokko only chuckled, unbothered. More black liquid streamed from his pot, this time forming hundreds of water blades that floated in the air. "Blood Demon Art—Water Sword Formation!"
The water swords rained down like a storm, covering every direction and blocking all escape routes.
"Not good!"
Tanjiro's pupils contracted. He swung his sword, forming a blazing wall of fire. "Hinokami Kagura—Burning Bones, Summer Sun!"
A vast orange-red barrier of flames rose before them, blocking most of the water blades—but several slipped through, stabbing straight toward Zenitsu's back.
"Zenitsu! Watch out!"
Inosuke rushed in, intercepting the blades with his own. Metal and water collided with a sharp crack. The impact sent numbness through his arm, nearly knocking the sword from his grip.
Gyokko's laughter grew louder, echoing through the forge. "Futile! You're not even close to being my match! Just die quietly—let your blood become part of my art!"
He raised his hand again. The dark liquid surged upward, condensing into a massive spinning vase in the air. "Blood Demon Art—Pot Prison Realm!"
The enormous water pot spun violently, generating a vortex of suction that dragged everything toward its center.
Tanjiro felt his body being pulled in, his feet sliding across the ground. He plunged his sword deep into the earth to anchor himself. "Zenitsu! Inosuke! Grab onto something—don't get sucked in!"
Zenitsu clung to a nearby iron beam, lightning sparking along his arms as he used Thunder Breathing to resist the pull. Inosuke wrapped himself around a large tree, his feral power bursting out until the roots nearly tore free from the soil.
The three held on desperately, sweat dripping down their faces, their arms trembling under the strain.
Meanwhile, the vortex grew stronger—the massive pot expanding, its suction pulling rocks and debris up from the ground, hurling them into the swirling center.
"Hahaha! Give up! Soon you'll all be part of my masterpiece!"
Gyokko's voice rang with maniacal pride.
But Tanjiro's eyes blazed with resolve. As the red mark on his forehead glowed brighter, the flames along his sword erupted even stronger.
"Zenitsu! Inosuke! The center of the pot—it's the weak point! We hit it together!"
"Got it!"
Both shouted back in unison. Lightning flashed from Zenitsu's blade, and raw power surged through Inosuke's swords as the three broke free of the vortex's pull.
Tanjiro leapt forward, his sword a comet of orange-red fire. "Hinokami Kagura—Sun Halo Dragon Head Dance!"
The blazing slash roared like a dragon, tearing through the air toward the center of the swirling pot.
At the same moment, Zenitsu's lightning and Inosuke's feral strikes converged. Three blades—three colors of light—merged in a single burst of power.
Gyokko's expression twisted in shock. He tried to strengthen his Blood Demon Art, but it was too late.
The combined attack struck the pot's center.
A deafening explosion shook the ground—"BOOM!"—and the massive pot shattered instantly, black liquid bursting outward in a wave that splattered across the battlefield.
The blast forced Gyokko backward several steps, a deep crack splitting down his pot-shaped head as black fluid seeped from the wound.
"How dare you damage my pot!" he screamed in rage, summoning more of the cursed liquid as he prepared to strike again.
Tanjiro, Zenitsu, and Inosuke stood shoulder to shoulder, bruised and bloodied but unyielding, their eyes fixed on the enemy ahead.