Finally, Sakonji Urokodaki noticed. Kurozawa took off his mask, and the eerie, dark, winding lines of the Demon Slayer Mark were exposed to the air inch by inch.
Beside them, Iguro Obanai had finished his Breathing Technique training and was resting temporarily. Seeing Kurozawa's appearance at that moment, he couldn't help but widen his eyes.
"Senior Disciple, what is that...?" After officially becoming a disciple, Iguro Obanai also called Kurozawa Senior Disciple. At first, he called him Senior Disciple Danryu, but at Kurozawa's request, he dropped the "Danryu" part.
"A Demon Slayer Mark. Cool, right?" Kurozawa smiled, not explaining what the Mark was.
"Yeah, it's a bit scary at first glance, but looking closely, it's quite beautiful," Iguro Obanai nodded, cooperating with Kurozawa's words.
Because his life was saved by Kurozawa, and his clansmen all died by Kurozawa's hand, and now Kurozawa had become his Senior Disciple, his feelings towards Kurozawa were complicated, but overall, respect was the dominant emotion.
On the other side, beneath the fierce Tengu Mask, Sakonji Urokodaki's eyebrows twitched, furrowing tightly into a shape like the character "river".
"A Demon Slayer Mark..." His voice was very low. He remained dazed for a few breaths before suddenly snapping back to reality.
Stepping forward abruptly, Sakonji Urokodaki approached Kurozawa and said seriously, "You've actually awakened a Demon Slayer Mark, but the legendary side effects of the Mark..."
Before he could finish, Kurozawa explained, "It's fine. I can feel that the Mark puts a considerable burden on the body, but that's only for swordsmen with ordinary physiques. For me, that little side effect is actually negligible."
Sakonji Urokodaki saw Kurozawa's serious expression didn't seem like a joke and said doubtfully, "I hope so. The Demon Slayer Corps hasn't seen a Marked Swordsman in nearly four hundred years of its history."
"I remember, Demon Slayer Marks are contagious. As long as one Marked Swordsman appears, the swordsmen around him can gradually awaken their own Marks."
"Perhaps... the era of Marked Swordsmen is about to begin again."
The last era of the Demon Slayer Mark was initiated by a man named Yoriichi Tsugikuni, said to be an unparalleled individual born with a Mark.
Sakonji Urokodaki had heard that name. After he became a Pillar, he read the confidential historical records of the Demon Slayer Corps and discovered the legendary swordsman named Yoriichi Tsugikuni.
It was also this legendary swordsman who created the Breathing Techniques, giving humans the ability to fight Demons head-on. And the height that Yoriichi Tsugikuni reached has still not been matched by anyone.
In the era of Yoriichi Tsugikuni, many Marked Swordsmen appeared because of him. Demons would tremble with fear just hearing the name of the Demon Slayer Corps, hiding in dark corners, unlike today when they run rampant.
Four hundred years? That long? Kurozawa was slightly surprised. He didn't know much about the Demon Slayer Mark, thinking it was just that none had appeared in the last few generations, but he didn't expect it to be four hundred years.
Four hundred years, for Demon Slayer Corps swordsmen whose lifespans are generally less than thirty and whose ranks change rapidly, meant more than ten generations had passed.
However, the idea that the Demon Slayer Mark is contagious... Kurozawa didn't quite believe it.
Although Kurozawa awakened his Demon Slayer Mark with the help of Gray-White, it was also his own experience, the physical change when the Mark appeared, the accelerated heart and blood flow. He believed it was an extreme state only possible during intense, tense battles.
When that limit is broken, the heartbeat and blood flow rate surge again to a point the owner can hardly control, and only then does the Demon Slayer Mark appear.
However, Sakonji Urokodaki said it was contagious, and Kurozawa didn't completely deny it. The mysteries of the Demon Slayer Mark might be deeper, and the reasons for its appearance more profound.
"So, I might be able to lead the arrival of a new era."
"As expected of me," Kurozawa proudly lifted his head.
Slap! Sakonji Urokodaki slapped Kurozawa's head. "With your Sword Form level, any Marked Swordsman in the history of the Demon Slayer Corps would find it unbearable to watch."
After Kurozawa understood that his Sword Form talent was very poor, Sakonji Urokakodaki no longer deliberately avoided this topic.
"Although you've awakened a Demon Slayer Mark, relying solely on your physique is not enough to have the true strength matching a Marked Swordsman."
Sakonji Urokodaki looked Kurozawa up and down several times and found that his disciple's body seemed even stronger. Even his breathing carried a faint, low wind sound.
But what he said was the truth.
Sword Forms are ultimate techniques that conform to the natural operation of heaven and earth and perfectly complement Breathing Techniques. Each move and stance seems to be naturally formed, as if swordsmen who learn Breathing Techniques commune with nature and receive gifts from it.
Sword Forms activated by using Breathing Techniques can raise thunder, unleash flames, and carry hurricanes; they are transcendent powers.
By only practicing Breathing Techniques to strengthen his physique, much of Kurozawa's strength was difficult to fully utilize.
"Master, I can't help it. If I could train my Sword Forms well, I definitely wouldn't give up this power. Unfortunately, Sword Forms require too much talent."
Kurozawa always remembered his terribly poor talent. Because he knew how dangerous this world was, he clearly trained very hard, but in the end, he achieved nothing.
If not for the awakening of Gray-White, his greatest possibility was dying in a normal Demon Slaying Mission at the hands of an ordinary Demon.
Kurozawa's Sword Forms were still ordinary now, but with the Blade of Despair, which could improve his Sword Form level, the future was uncertain.
"I understand, Kurozawa. The human body has its limits, and the gap with Demon bodies is obvious. Don't push yourself too hard. As you are now, your strength already surpasses ninety-nine percent of Demon Slayer Corps swordsmen."
"Even I, without relying on Sword Forms, am not your match. In the entire Demon Slayer Corps, there might only be one person who can compare with you in terms of physique. This is already enough for you."
Suddenly, Sakonji Urokodaki, who was usually a man of few words, said quite a bit.
He was worried that Kurozawa had achieved his current strength by desperately training his physique and Breathing Techniques, worried that Kurozawa, who seemed strong, was actually full of hidden injuries.
Hearing the concern in Sakonji Urokodaki's words, Kurozawa chuckled softly, "Master, don't worry."
"I know my limits."
Sakonji Urokodaki thought he relied on desperate effort, but Kurozawa relied on desperate effort plus Gray-White, which was a completely different matter.
If one could truly reach this level just by desperately training their physique, then the Demon Slayer Corps would have been invincible long ago. This world is not lacking in persistent and desperate people, especially the majority of Demon Slayer Corps swordsmen who have deep-seated grievances.
"Oh, right, my Nichirin Blade was broken by a Demon." Scratching his head, Kurozawa took out the Nichirin Blade broken in half. If he hadn't wanted to test the hardness of Rui's threads, this Nichirin Blade wouldn't have ended up like this.
"...Give it to me. I'll contact someone to repair it." After a moment of silence, Sakonji Urokodaki took the broken blade from Kurozawa's hand and put it away.
For a swordsman's Nichirin Blade, the repairer is the original swordsmith.
Kurozawa's Nichirin Blade would be taken to Hotaru Haganezuka for repair. If he saw that Kurozawa had broken his Nichirin Blade again so quickly, he would inevitably pull out his cleaver again.
"Thank you, Master. Then I'll go back to my room and rest for a while."
Feeling lighthearted, Kurozawa leisurely returned to his room, lay down and stared blankly for the first time in a long while, thinking of nothing. His spirit slowly relaxed, and he gradually fell asleep.
Time moved towards evening. Deep in Mount Natagumo, a dazzling, cold red figure walked towards a ravaged battlefield under the cool moonlight.
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