6 Chapter 6: Blossoms, Blades, and Bonds

Chapter 6: Blossoms, Blades, and Bonds

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[Ace POV]

As the sun rose over the tranquil village, casting a warm golden glow, Ace found himself seated near a small wooden table in a traditional Japanese house.

It was the dwelling the village elders had provided for Shinobu to rest during her stay.

His glaive rested against the table, its golden and silver hues reflecting the morning light. Yuki sat across from him, her eyes filled with curiosity and admiration for both him and Shinobu, who had just saved her from certain death. She also couldn't help but appreciate the luxurious house they she got to stay in because of them, even if it was just for one night.

Shinobu, as composed and graceful as ever, stood nearby, her gaze alternating between Ace and the surroundings.

Ace decided to break the silence. "It's quite a nice and peaceful village, isn't it?"

Yuki's face lit up with a smile as she found a topic she could talk about. "Yes, it is! I've lived here all my life. It's peaceful and serene. You're lucky to experience it."

Ace nodded, taking the idyllic surroundings. "I've never been to a place like this..." The entire village was surrounded by a valley of volcanic mountains and forests, with a river gracefully flowing between them.

He enjoyed the atmosphere, having spent most of his short life in a bustling metropolitan city where the air was perpetually tainted with pollution. Inhaling the clean, unpolluted countryside air, he couldn't help but feel a sense of rejuvenation.

The sight of the sunrise, with its vibrant hues painting the sky, offered a magnificent view that he had rarely experienced in his urban existence.

Shinobu joined the conversation, stating, "We'll leave once you're well-rested."

"And go lay on the futon. I will temporarily stitch your wounds and stop the flow of poison to your organs," she added.

Ace nodded, taking off his shirt, and laying on the futon. His left side of his torso was horribly bruised, with shades of blue and purple spreading throughout his back and chest.

Yuki gasped in shock upon seeing the injury, feeling a wave of guilt that he was this injured while protecting her, even though she knew she couldn't have done anything to fight the demon.

Still, at the end of the day, it was her who was left unharmed with no injuries, while he was severely hurt, leaving her with a sense of guilt.

Shinobu then began her work, skillfully draining the poison into a cup by making a precise cut on the wound, cleaning it, and then stitching it back together.

She then injected him with another serum to counter the demon poison and, finally, applied a white cream to the outer part of the wound. Ace winced occasionally, feeling the stinging pain, but he endured it.

She then began to work on his broken arms, ensuring they wouldn't cause more damage. The process lasted for an hour.

"Good. Don't worry, I have applied the anaesthesia; the pain will soon reduce," Shinobu said.

"But try not to use your hands much. It will take some time to heal them."

Ace nodded, stretching his body a little and feeling the pain. "Thanks, Kocho-san. If it weren't for you, I might have been crippled."

Shinobu smiled and said, "Don't worry, it's my duty."

Ace seized the moment and asked, "Kocho-san, could you tell me more about this Demon Slayer Corps?"

Despite being aware of the existence of the Demon Slayer Corps, Ace decided to inquire about it, both to avoid raising suspicion and to uncover any potential differences between this world and the canon one.

And this would also give the young girl some hope, as she had already encountered a demon.

This way, he could let her know that there are people who actively combat demons and ensure her safety.

Shinobu's eyes flickered with a mix of pride and sadness as she explained, "The Demon Slayer Corps is an organization devoted to eradicating demons and protecting humanity."

"I am Hashira, one of the highest-ranking members. Our duty is to lead and set an example. However, it comes with great danger, and many have sacrificed their lives in fulfilling this duty."

Ace nodded as he had liked her dedication and the sacrifice she had made in the manga to defeat Upper Moon 2. He also noticed the sorrow in her eyes and thought, 'It must be because of her sister's death at the hands of Doma.'

"It must have been hard then, Kocho-san," Yuki asked.

Shinobu's tone grew gentler as she spoke, "It is, but the memory of those we've lost and the hope for a demon-free world make us not give up. It's a mission we can't abandon."

She added, "Well, it's not something you guys should be worried about."

She then turned to Ace and asked, "I have been thinking of asking this, but your glaive is quite fascinating. I have never seen anything like that. Where did you get it?"

Ace looked at his glaive, and a faint smile appeared on his face after all , this is what saved him previously.

"It's called the 'Luminous Glaive,'" he explained, holding it up for her to see. "It's a special weapon, passed down as our family heirloom. I'm not entirely sure about its power, but from the looks of it, it definitely packs a punch against demons."

This was the story he came up with to cover up any inconsistencies.

Shinobu's interest sparked. "Mind if I take a closer look?"

"Go ahead"Ace agreed and handed the glaive to Shinobu, confident that she couldn't take it away from him.

As she examined the glaive more closely, her eyes widened, and she exclaimed, "This... is unlike anything I've ever seen before. The craftsmanship required to create something like this is truly extraordinary. And the feeling of just holding this glaive is... fascinating; it's like a warm sun but with a gentle and serene touch."

"I think that's also the reason the demon reacted so strongly against it," she added.

Ace, despite knowing the glaive's effects, still asked to gauge how much Shinobu gleaned from examining it until now. "So, you think that's why the demon reacted so strongly to it?"

Shinobu nodded. "Demons are extremely vulnerable to forces like the sun. It is also the reason why we are able to kill demons, as our blades are made from metal perpetually bathed in sunlight for a year. This one, though, seems to have been soaked in sunlight and moonlight for much longer, making it much more effective against demons."

Shinobu unconsciously mumbled softly. "Maybe with this, we can finally end Muzan."

Ace, hearing this, quickly interrupted her thoughts. While he admired the Demon Slaying Corps and appreciated her character, he wouldn't be giving his weapon to anyone. He had come to this world for training and some fun, not just to do charity.

Instead of a direct refusal, he took a more tactful approach, saying, "Sorry to disappoint, but this glaive can only be wielded by me."

She looked puzzled "Hmm?". As she already thought of giving Ace anything he required for him to lend his weapon to them for a period of time.

Seeing the confusion on her face, Ace said, "You can try to wield it. The glaive only recognizes the blood of my family as its master."

Nodding but still sceptical, Shinobu attempted to lift the glaive with the intent of using it in a fight, but the glaive remained firmly in its position no matter how much strength she used.

Observing her struggle to lift the glaive, Ace couldn't help but muse, as it reminded him of the scene from the Avengers trying to lift Thor's Hammer.

After allowing Shinobu to try to lift glaive with all of her strength, he finally spoke to the exhausted girl. "It cannot be lifted unless it's me," he explained. "The only reason you were even able to hold it before was because I gave the permission to it and you didn't have the intention to use it on fight"

But if one thinks that merely placing this glaive in the chest of a demon would make it easy to kill, then you're right. But there's a catch to it. It's only unliftable when you have the intent to use it for combat. If you don't have that intent, you can easily move it.

And when something is unliftable and placed on your chest, most people would naturally have the intent to remove it first rather than use it for fighting.

Shinobu ultimately gave up trying to lift the glaive, her face showing exhaustion and a mix of disappointment.

This made Ace wonder when he had become so adept at reading people's expressions. Was it an anime thing or the result of Ethereal Insight?

"How magical!" both Yuki and Shinobu said with fascination in their eyes.

Returning to their conversation, Shinobu asked hesitantly, "Do you know how it was made?"

Unfortunately, she would be disappointed, as Ace didn't know anything about smithing. Even if he did, crafting a weapon of this quality might be impossible for anyone in this world, and they couldn't provide the materials to make such a weapon. The possibility of him sharing the formula was also impossible.

Despite this, Ace still showed a regretful face on the outside and said, "Sorry, but the crafting secrets weren't passed down in the family."

Disappointment crossed Shinobu's face, followed by a hesitant and conflicted expression.

In a nervous tone, she asked, "Would you ever consider joining the Demon Slayer Corps?"

Even though she didn't like asking ordinary people to join the Corps, and become a Slayer as it was one of the riskiest jobs one can get, but this time she had to be selfish. It was too precious to lose this opportunity with a candidate who could play a vital role in defeating Muzan especially with the magical weapon he had.

Ace, hearing her proposal, was a little surprised as he didn't think she would ask him so soon. 'It seems she is more desperate than I imagined.' Although he had already made up his mind to join, Ace decided to be a bit playful.

He said, "Well, you saw me just survive a close call with a demon, and now you want me to join the fight against them."

She showed a disappointed expression hearing this, but he wasn't finished.

"But, considering it's you, my savior, who's asking, I suppose I'll have to give it some thought," Ace finally concluded.

Hearing him and seeing his mischievous smile, she felt a tad bit annoyed at it. However, she couldn't help but flash a warm and lovely smile, happy that he was contemplating joining.

'I have to train him, so that he doesn't die early' She thought.

Seeing her smile, he found himself a bit captivated by her expression, a feeling he promptly dismissed.

As they continued to share smiles and conversation, Yuki, who was in the backyard, couldn't help but think, 'Are these two flirting with each other right in front of me?'

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