3rd POV.

With Muichiro, the Mist Hashira also being present in the Swordsmith Village, Sora can't erase the sense of dread.

The fact that he felt something through his sharpened instincts alone is a sign that something is about to happen to the point that he doesn't know when it will happen.

At present, he wanted to ponder that if he has enough proof.

For now, the brothers saw the Hashira who is talking to a kid.

Or rather, arguing with the Mist Hashira.

Kid: Go away! I'm not handing my key over! No matter what!

Kid: And I definitely ain't teaching you how to use it!

Tanjiro whispered to his brother.

Tanjiro: Nii-san, what should we do?

Sora: We should stop them—

However, with Sora's sharp eyes, he saw that the hashira is about to raise a hand to a kid.

Sora: Oh no, you don't!

When Muichiro's attack is about to hit the kid, Sora quickly intervened by stopping Muichiro's hand.

Muichiro: .........?

Kid: !?

Sora: Whatever you're about to do with this kid, forget about it.

Sora: If he doesn't want you to give it to you, don't force him.

Muichiro: Who the hell are you?

Muichiro didn't even hesitate to strike back with his free arm but Sora knew that coming and the moment Muichiro went for a counter.....

Sora suddenly lets go of the Mist Hashira, evaded the counterattack, went towards his back and kicked him towards the tree.

Tanjiro: !?

Kid: !?

Tanjiro: Woah, nii-san is something else. Even without the Sharingan, he expected Tokito-kun's attack.

Tanjiro also approached them to check on Sora and the kid.

Tanjiro: Nii-san, are you alright?

Sora: Yeah. I'm fine.

Sora: What about the kid?

Kid: I'm fine, thank you so much.

Kid: That guy is something else! No footsteps heard, as if he suddenly just appeared out of nowhere!

Sora turns his attention back to Muichiro who dusts himself off after being sent flying with a kick.

Muichiro: What's with that guy?

Muichiro observed the one who attacked him.

Muichiro: He doesn't look like a demon slayer. But how did he even caught me off guard?

Sora: As for you, hashira.

Sora: If you're forcing a kid to do your bidding, then you're a shame to every swordsman in this country.

Muichiro: Says the one who kicked me on the back.

Muichiro: Also, the one with you, the one with the scar. He looks weak, and the box he's carrying, it seems there is a demon—

Sora: Anything more and I'll end you right here.

Sora draws his new sword as Tanjiro pleads his brother to stop.

Tanjiro: Nii-san, please. Calm down. Don't escalate this any further.

Sora: Tanjiro, this guy doesn't know common sense. I can't even sense any compassion coming from this guy.

Sora: So, I won't feel any remorse if I kill him. Hashira or not, anyone who hurts my family will die.

Muichiro: *sigh*

Muichiro: Just give me the key that I want—

Sora: You're going to walk on my dead body to do that.

Kid: Please, you two don't have to fight.

Kid: Here.....

The kid voluntarily gives the key to Muichiro, but he just looked down upon the kid.

Muichiro: Good.

Muichiro: Now stop wasting my time. A hashira's time is extremely important.

Muichiro: You'd understand. Swordsmith can't fight. They can't save lives. All they're good at is making weapons.

Sora: Wha—

Tanjiro: Don't you even had any ounce of consideration!?

Tanjiro: You can'r forget to be considerate here! It's just cruel!

Muichiro: Am I acting cruel—

Sora: Oh shut your damn trap! Of course you are!

Sora: But I won't let is slip by when you insulted who isn't a swordsman.

Sora: Swordsmen can save lives, that is correct. But it can be the opposite.

Sora: And don't you dare insult swordsmiths as well because without them, you demon slayers wouldn't have any means to fight demons.

Sora: Each person has their own roles to fulfill. So don't you dare insult whatever job they do. Because they're doing their best to live and provide for themselves and their families.

Sora: Hashira or not, you should learn your own damn place, brat.

Muichiro: My own place. Pffft. I don't know how you caught me off guard but, I don't have time to talk about dumb stuff.

Sora: Yeah, that's right. Go away!

Sora: And never show your face here or else I may really kill you.

Muichiro left them.

Sora sheathes his sword back and he apologized to the kid.

Sora: About that, just now.

Kid: N-No, it's fine. You two stood up for a complete stranger like me. I'm really happy you two would do that!

Kid: Thank you, very much.

Tanjiro: Ah, you should be thanking nii-san, he's the one who saved you after all. I just backed him up.

Tanjiro: So, anyways, what kind of key did you gave to him?

Kid: It's for a mechanical doll.

Sora: A mechanical doll?

Kid: Yes, my ancestors made it, and it has 108 movements.

Tanjiro: Woah! Amazing!

Kid: Its power surpasses that of human, so it's used as a training dummy.

Sora: Ah, training.

Kid: Yes, it was going to break soon due to being deteriorated for a long time.

They heard a loud sound coming from somewhere.

Tanjiro: What was that!?

Sora: Wood?

Kid: The guy from before started.

The trio went to the location and they saw Muichiro battling with the said mechanical doll. However, Sora noticed one distinguishing feature of the doll.

Sora: Wait, aren't those.......the same hanafuda earrings that Tanjiro have?

Sora: Is this connected to the Breath of the Sun?

As he is contemplating, he is quietly listening to Tanjiro's conversation with the kid, and Muichiro's crow.

The Kid, who introduced himself as Kotetsu, mentioned a saying that the memories of one's ancestor can also be inherited.

Sora: Memories.....? Wait, Tanjiro said that he saw the face of the swordsman that was based from the doll.

Sora: And Kotetsu mentioned that it was actually modeled to an actual swordsman.

Sora: If that is so......then......

Sora with his eyes still closed, he activated his Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan.

Sora: Kotoamatsukami!

Sora didn't need to make any eye contact when using Kotoamatsukami, as long as he knows the target, he can enter the person's mind and look to his memories.

Even tampering their memories. However, he is looking upon the inherited memory from Tanjiro's ancestor.....

Sora: Hmmmmm, it's too hard to find, considering that a person already has a lot of memories.

Sora: Let's see here.........if it's from Tanjiro's ancestors........

Sora: I search all the way back to three hundred years ago.

Sora: Wait, is it even possible for me to dig upon such old memories?

Sora: Not to mention if they are inherited memories from a different person?

As he expected, he never found it all because it is the memory of Tanjiro's ancestor, and since Sora doesn't know the name and face of Tanjiro's ancestor.

Sora: All right. I give up. There are still limits to the effects of Kotoamatsukami.

Sora opens his eyes and he noticed that it began to rain, as Tanjiro and Kotetsu began calling out to him.

Tanjiro: Nii-san, you've been standing there with your eyes closed.

Kotetsu: It's still impressive you manage to sleep while standing up. 

Sora: Sorry about that. I'm just thinking about something.

Tanjiro: Another fragment of your memory showed up?

Sora: Something like that. Anyways, what happened?

They faced on the direction of the mechanical robot who seems to have been destroyed.

Sora: Oh.....

Tanjiro: Nii-san, you said you worked with machines before, right?

Sora: Yeah.

Kotetsu: Really!?

Sora: I used to work in maintaining the train's engine and the fuel. So, yeah. I have experience.

The three approached the mechanical doll.

Sora: Hmm.....

Sora: Help me make the machine to sit up.

They did so and a few seconds later, it somehow activated.

Tanjiro: Woah!

Sora: Wait a second there, you two. Let's check first if there are missing gears or something.

Kotetsu: You can do that? 7

Sora: One missing gear is enough to make a malfunction.

Sora: That is why each gear on a machine is important.

Sora then removed the key and deactivated the machine.

He checked the components.....

Sora: I see, I guess even without tools, I can still fix this via hand.

Sora: It's also fascinating that this machine was created during the Sengoku Period.

Sora: All right.....give me a few minutes to make sure everything is in place.......

After tinkering and some adjustments, Sora puts the key back and the doll activates again.

Kotetsu: Woah!

Tanjiro: Nii-san did it! Good for you—

Kotetsu: Tanjiro-san, I have a favor. Please train, I'll help you with all I've got. Become much stronger than that shitty jerk.

Sora: Man, this kid must've been penting up his anger.

Sora: Uh.....

Tanjiro: You mean, right now?

Sora: Well, this could also help you train, I guess.

Sora: We're still searching for Haganezuka-san but since we have no leads yet, this is the perfect time to do just that.

Kotetsu: Sora-san, what did you do to the doll?

Sora: I just saw some misplaced gears, put them back on their right spots and removed some debris stuck between the other gears.

Kotetsu: Man, you really do know your stuff.

Sora: Come on now. I was also a beginner back then.

Sora: I don't know how to properly assess how gears work, how to properly place them, how to fix if something is wrong.

Sora: Just like we swordsmen who had to swing the blade a thousand times in order to perfect a stroke......

Sora: A swordsmith must also test their blades through the fire over and over.

Sora: This is the reason why swords and other metallic tools have to go through the fire in order to get rid of any impurities on it.

After a while, Tanjiro trained with the doll, but he is getting overwhelmed.

Sora: Um, Kotetsu, do you have any specifications for the doll?

Kotetsu: Just how far can you observe?

Sora: I've been training Tanjiro in swordsmanship back then, and I'm familiar with his movements.

Tanjiro: I think I'm going to die......nii-san.....help me.

Sora: Alright. Take a break and let's see.

They approached the mechanical doll once more and Kotetsu revealed that the mechanical doll can be set in different movements via adjusting the fingers of the doll.

Sora: Just like puzzle boxes.

Tanjiro: Hanako used to have one.

Sora: Yeah, and she was even surprised when I solved the puzzle in one go.

Kotetsu: We do this in order to assess a swordsman's strength and weaknesses.

Sora: Well, that's the purpose of a training doll after all.

Sora: Also, let's switch the swords from training sticks.

Kotetsu: Good idea. Also, Sora, why don't you try. I want to see you fight.

Sora: Sure.

When Kotetsu made the adjustments, Sora is the one who faced the doll.

Sora: Hmmm, should I use the Sharingan? No, not now. I want to observe it via ordinary means for a while.

When the training session began, Sora basically evaded, blocked, and countered the dolls attack.

He won when he disarmed the doll.

Tanjiro: Nii-san really is amazing.

Kotetsu: Damn. Was he even holding back against that jerk!?

Tanjiro: Probably. After all, nii-san is probably a Hashira-level swordsman.

Kotetsu: For real!?

Sora also figured how the patterns of the doll works. So he made a specific rotation on the robot's fingers.

Sora: All right. Tanjiro, it's your turn.

Sora: I adjusted the mechanical doll's movements to match Tanjiro's movements.

And so, Tanjiro's intense training began. To the point that Kotetsu won't give Tanjiro food or water.

As for Sora, he decided to just watch and analyze.

He also went to conduct his own search for Haganezuka-san but no leads after a few days. Even a week.

Tanjiro also became stronger and when Tanjiro finally broke the doll, with Kotetsu's consent, it revealed a sword.

The two younger boys were so excited.

Tanjiro was gifted the sword.

Sora: Um, maybe before you give him the sword, maybe your should refine the sword first.

And what he said was right, as they found out it is rusted.

Tanjiro: Nii-san is right.

Kotetsu: So, what do we do?

Sora: Maybe we can try to polish this and refine it. That may take a while though.

Suddenly, they heard a sound coming from a certain direction and it was until a muscular figure appeared, who appeared to be Haganezuka-san.

After a few minutes of quarreling with him, and with Kanamori (Inosuke's swordsmith) advice to tickle Haganezuka on the sides.....

He told what happened to Haganezuka who also wanted to improve his swordsmithing skills for Tanjiro.

Also, knowing now what Haganezuka's objective to polish the blade......

Everything ended well.

Tanjiro's sword will be ready for three days.

Two days have passed and Sora decided to go out on a night patrol around the village. Just in case.

Sora: There's no harm in being careful.

Sora: I have to keep an eye out here. As much as I want Kagami to fly around the village, it would be best that he stay on a blindspots of the villages.

Sora: This sense of dread that I felt when we arrived here.....

Sora: It's getting even stronger.

Sora: Since a hashira is in the village, along with Tanjiro, Nezuko, and Genya.....

Sora: I'll protect the village from the shadows.