It was the day after the Swordsman Trial ended.
It was noon.
Quite a few swordsmen were gathered at the place where they had assembled before entering the mountain.
Most were from Mount Sagiri, with a few others.
"What's going on? Nobody has seen Senior Disciple yet!"
Kurozawa still hadn't appeared.
For a time, the faces of the Mount Sagiri group were filled with worry.
Even the joy of choosing their Tamahagane Steel and being about to receive their own Nichirin Blades had disappeared.
None of the Mount Sagiri disciples had been harmed, but their Senior Disciple seemed to be trapped in Mount Fujikasane.
Sabito and Makomo were both frowning tightly, looking back every now and then.
"Senior Disciple isn't really in trouble, is he?"
Hanada Shizuka muttered softly.
On the high platform in the center of the area stood several female Kakushi members holding trays and smiling.
Kocho Kanae also stood on the high platform, waiting for Kurozawa to appear.
Unlike the anxious Mount Sagiri group below, she still had a gentle smile on her face, comforting Kurozawa's junior disciples.
Kocho Kanae was more aware of Kurozawa's strength and was absolutely certain that he would not die at the hands of the Demons in Mount Fujikasane.
She had wanted to thank Kurozawa for helping Kocho Shinobu during the trial and subtly inform him that the Demon Slaying Missions he would receive in the future would be quite troublesome and difficult, and it would be best to approach them cautiously.
But the prerequisite was to be able to see Kurozawa.
What is he doing in the mountain?
Shinobu said Kurozawa seems very enthusiastic about slaying Demons.
He's not trying to kill all the Demons in Mount Fujikasane, is he?
A rather unreliable thought appeared in Kocho Kanae's mind, but it disappeared in an instant.
But it was precisely this thought that was closest to the truth at this moment.
Another ten minutes passed, and the atmosphere here had become as heavy as a continuous overcast day in autumn.
Even though they were bathed in the warm golden sun, none of the Mount Sagiri group felt warm.
And just then, Kocho Kanae's body stiffened as she saw a familiar figure slowly walking out from a small path.
"I told you your Senior Disciple couldn't be in trouble in Mount Fujikasane."
She smiled brightly, pointing in Kurozawa's direction.
Upon seeing him, the expressions of the Mount Sagiri group relaxed.
"Senior Disciple!"
"What were you doing in Mount Fujikasane? You didn't come out for so long, you scared me to death."
Makomo ran forward, her face full of playful reproach.
And on Makomo's shoulder stood a black Kasugai Crow.
Kurozawa scratched his head and said sheepishly, "I forgot the time."
It was indeed somewhat his fault for making his junior disciples worry.
At that time, Kurozawa's eyes were full of Potential Points, and he didn't want to waste time going to the Mount Sagiri disciples to explain the situation.
"Huh? Senior Disciple, where's your hair?"
Sabito, who had also walked over, was attracted by Kurozawa's shiny head.
The topic of what Kurozawa was doing in Mount Fujikasane was also shifted to the changes in Kurozawa.
"It fell out on its own while fighting a Demon."
"All of it fell out?"
"Yeah, I used the Breathing Technique too fiercely, and I accidentally shook off my hair."
"Ah! Really?" Sabito took a half step back and cautiously touched his own hair.
"Really, what good would it do me to lie to you?" Kurozawa used his old trick again.
Of course there's good! The good is satisfying my dark humor! *Thump!* Kocho Kanae had also approached at some point, gently tapping Kurozawa's head with her finger, then said with a smile, "Kurozawa, you're really naughty, teasing even your own junior disciples."
"My sister complained to me, you know."
Her voice paused, and Kocho Kanae said to the Mount Sagiri disciples, "Don't be fooled by your Senior Disciple. Breathing Technique has nothing to do with hair loss."
"If you don't believe me, there's nothing I can do." Kurozawa spread his hands.
"Hmph, I'll tell Master when we get back that you scared us." Makomo was used to Kurozawa's personality and immediately understood that he was teasing them, letting out a light snort.
"Welcome back. It's truly wonderful that you returned safely."
The Kakushi staff on the high platform spoke up, interrupting the conversation between the Senior Disciple and Kurozawa.
Remembering there was something he needed to collect, Kurozawa stepped out of the crowd and walked forward.
"Alright, I can have the symbol of a certified Swordsman now."
A sweet-looking woman with a gentle smile always on her face spoke, "We will be making your uniform later, so we need to take your measurements first."
The woman approached, holding a measuring tape.
A minute later, after taking Kurozawa's measurements, the woman took a few steps back, her smile unchanged. "Your uniform will be engraved with characters representing your Swordsman rank."
"There are ten ranks: Kinoe, Kinoto, Hinoe, Hinoto, Tsuchinoe, Tsuchinoto, Kanoe, Kanoto, Mizunoe, and Mizunoto."
"Your current rank is Mizunoto."
"When your rank increases in the future, we will change the engraving for you."
She explained it very clearly, as if she had said it many times before.
Kurozawa nodded, "I understand."
This rank only represented achievements in Demon Slaying, not true strength.
Clap, clap, clap. The woman lightly clapped her hands.
Immediately after, a series of harsh, grating sounds came from the air.
A completely black crow circled for a while before landing on the back of the woman's hand.
"This Kasugai Crow will follow you from now on."
"Demon Slaying Missions and information will all be transmitted by your Kasugai Crow."
With a reach of her hand, the woman offered the Kasugai Crow to Kurozawa.
Kurozawa extended his palm, however, the Kasugai Crow's feathers ruffled, and it flapped its wings, unwilling to land on Kurozawa.
"Demon... demon... demon..."
A sound like metal scraping came from the Kasugai Crow's mouth.
"Hmm?" Kurozawa looked up and glared at the uncooperative Kasugai Crow. The Kasugai Crow then flew higher as if startled, getting further away from him.
There were many Kasugai Crows belonging to Mount Sagiri disciples circling in the air, and the one just assigned to him stared at Kurozawa with eyes full of fear, wanting to get away, but constrained by trained instinct.
The woman was a little surprised; it seemed she had never seen this situation before.
"This child might be a little afraid of people."
"But it's alright, as long as it can deliver messages and information to you."
The Kasugai Crow wouldn't land on Kurozawa, but it also didn't leave, meaning it understood that it would follow Kurozawa's commands from now on.
"Alright," Kurozawa accepted reluctantly.
This Kasugai Crow was a bit unusual; it probably sensed his difference from ordinary humans, so being afraid was normal.
"Next, please choose your own steel."
The woman picked up a tray containing some irregularly shaped substances, roughly circular in outline, with a texture that looked like both steel and jade. It was very strange.
"Tamahagane Steel, one of the materials for making Nichirin Blades."
"What's the difference? If I choose improperly, will it make the Nichirin Blade less sharp?" Kurozawa casually picked up the most irregular piece of Tamahagane Steel, the one with the sharpest, most prominent edges.
"It won't have an impact."
"It's just that the blade and steel used to slay Demons will be a Swordsman's most important weapons, so it's best for the Swordsman to choose them personally."
"Quite a sense of ceremony... Then I'll take this one."
Handing the Tamahagane Steel in his hand to the woman, Kurozawa said casually.
For him, a Nichirin Blade wasn't particularly useful.
"Okay, in half a month, someone will deliver the blade and uniform to Mount Sagiri."
"At that time, the Kasugai Crow will notify you in advance."
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