Asakusa city…
Fourteen days after the soul cultivation incident at the waterfall, Lucien can be seen walking through the streets of Asakusa.
Though an odd sight, it's a necessary one.
A few days ago, Lucien had decided to do something bold.
What you might ask? Well, since someone has been successful in performing their first inscription on their weapon, they thought it was a good idea to add another inscription on top.
Though you might be thinking, what's the problem with that? Quite a few actually.
See… performing inscriptions, one is essentially writing a rule into an object.
The greater and more potent the rule, the more strain it places on the object and the user's will.
This intern demands a more special object if you will and higher cultivation.
And adding 2 inscriptions, whether or not they are basic to a weapon with no special properties—just an ordinary weapon made by an ordinary blacksmith is just not sustainable.
The second inscription in question was [Flow], another beginner level inscription.
Although both [Pierce] and [Flow] are both beginner level inscriptions, [Flow], which slightly alters the structure of the spear to allow chi to smoothly require stronger will and more practice to perform.
The end result was that the spear was reduced to atoms.
Although there are special types of weapons available such as the nichirin sword, they are only accessible to those of the demon slayers corp which he is not.
Lucien is never one to like authority or any place where he has to take orders as it's those same authoritative figures who drove him to death.
And though the nichirin blade is special, its only specialty lies within its ability to absorb sunlight to kill demons.
Infusing chi into any weapon has the same effect on demons as nichirin blades.
So there are little downsides to joining the corp.
And so he has journeyed to Asakusa to buy another weapon. This time however he aims for a sword.
Although he has wielded a spear before, he has only surface level skills unlike his sword play which can be considered top tier which rivaled a hashira's.
The only reason he had chosen to use a spear was because he wanted to be unique.
Since he awoke in this world, the singular most used weapon in this time period of Japan was the katana.
And only a select few such as Gyomei could be seen with a different type of weapon.
Lucien, trying to be different as well, has his sword skills the back seat to pick up spearmanship which he could not develop due to the lack of mentors.
"I wonder what kind of sword I can find… I don't think there is any other type of sword around here."
He began lamenting. The lack of diverse weaponry is terrible.
Lucien wandered the narrow streets of Asakusa, his eyes scanning the blacksmith shops.
The sounds of hammer against steel echoed down the alleyways, punctuated by the occasional shout of a shopkeeper advertising their products.
He had hope that somewhere in this bustling city there would be a weapon that might catch his eye—a naginata, a nodachi even.
Something unique. Something that didn't scream "common" but rather "cool."
But as he turned each corner, he saw the same pattern: rows of polished katanas, their curved steel glinting in the nightlights.
Plain… way too plain.
They aren't even as colorful as the ones the demon slayer uses. Although these ones are functional swords, they have no creativity.(no disrespect to blacksmith but I like shiny things and will always choose shiny things)
Even the little decorative engravings were repetitive: dragons, cherry blossoms, waves.
Each shop seemed to pride itself on mass appeal, the exact opposite of what Lucien sought.
He sighed, a faint curl of irritation crossing his face. "Nothing. Absolutely nothing," he muttered under his breath. "Not a single weapon that makes me want to pick it up."
Hours passed as he moved from one shop to another.
His mind was too preoccupied with calculating the potential of each blade—its balance, edge, chi conductivity, and durability.
Just as he was about to give up, a larger shop in a quieter corner caught his attention.
Its sign was simple, almost humble, but inside, among the rows of standard katanas, one weapon stood out: a nodachi, nearly as tall as Lucien himself.
Its blade stretched long and curved, the steel polished but not overly decorated.
The hilt was wrapped in a dark, supple leather, the kind that promised a firm grip during combat.
He stopped in front of it, eyes narrowing. "Now… this is interesting," he murmured.
The shopkeeper noticed his lingering gaze and cleared his throat.
"Ah, you have an eye for the odachi. Not many dare wield one this size. It's a hefty blade, nearly two meters long, but well balanced. Only experienced warriors can handle it effectively."
Lucien smiled faintly. "I think I can manage."
Without hesitation, he purchased the nodachi. He rested it on his shoulders.
The long sword gave him a sense of satisfaction he hadn't felt with a simple katana.
'The weapon isn't flashy but I guess it'll do.'
He stepped out of the shop, adjusting the weight of the sword across his shoulders.
He got some curious glances, others muttering at the sight of a man nearly carrying a blade as tall as himself.
Lucien didn't mind.
He decided to take a stroll, walking through the streets to see if there is anything else that might catch his attention.
And low and behold…
It didn't take long for him to spot a large crowd gathered at an area. Forming around four individuals.
A young man dressed in a checkered black and green haori over the attire demon slayers wore.
His hair dark red and hair combed backward exposing a scar on the left side of his forehead.
He currently has a man pinned to the ground.
"…I'm the only one who can hold him back!" The kid says.
"Get off!" Exclaimed an officer, trying to get the kid off the man.
"I'm begging you, no!"
"Get a load of this guy's face." One bystander said.
Hm?
Upon closer look, that guy seems to be a demon… but what's a demon doing in the middle of a bustling district?
How did it even get this far in without being noticed?
A bunch of questions swirled inside Lucien's head at this moment. To which he immediately decided to act and eliminate the disgusting creature.
He began parting the crowd to reach the center when he stopped to observe two new individuals who decided to intervene—a guy and a lady.
Chapter 6 end