Raiden did not say much when he saw Muichiro Tokito in that state.
Muichiro had lost his memories. The only things left in his mind were the orders from Kagaya Ubuyashiki, along with the drive to kill demons and become stronger. Talking to him would not accomplish much.
As Raiden turned to leave, Muichiro quietly sheathed his Nichirin blade. After a short pause, he spoke in a calm voice.
"Good training. Thank you."
With that, Muichiro walked down the mountain without looking back.
Hearing those words, Raiden raised an eyebrow slightly. So he was not completely numb after all. Maybe he should have tried talking about friendship again.
What a pity.
When Kotetsu saw Raiden approaching, he felt both nervous and grateful. He wanted to thank him properly.
However, the moment he opened his mouth, Raiden spoke first.
"Give me the key. Let me try the doll."
Kotetsu froze when he saw the large, calloused hand extended toward him.
Was he here for the mechanical doll too?
The gratitude Kotetsu felt a moment ago disappeared instantly, replaced with stubborn resistance. The mechanical doll could only be used a limited number of times. It was a treasure passed down through generations of swordsmiths. He could not simply hand it over.
"No…"
Kotetsu had only managed to say a single word before Raiden placed his hand on the boy's head.
"I am not looking down on swordsmiths," Raiden said calmly. "In fact, I think every swordsmith is extremely important."
Kotetsu looked up at him in surprise.
"But you should also understand something," Raiden continued. "Everything exists for a reason. This mechanical doll was created to help demon slayers grow stronger so fewer people get eaten by demons."
His voice remained steady.
"It was not made to sit on a shelf like some museum piece. Do you understand what I mean?"
Kotetsu stared at him silently.
Raiden's words were blunt, similar to how Tanjiro sometimes spoke without thinking. Yet for some reason, Kotetsu found them easier to accept. Perhaps it was the sincerity in Raiden's eyes.
After a long moment, tears slid down the edges of Kotetsu's mask.
Even so, he slowly placed the key into Raiden's hand.
"Kotetsu…" Tanjiro gently patted his shoulder.
Raiden accepted the key and walked toward the mechanical doll.
He wanted to see what made this training machine so special, especially since it resembled the legendary swordsman Yoriichi Tsugikuni.
As for Kotetsu, Raiden was not worried. The boy's attachment to the doll came from deep respect for his ancestors, which explained why he guarded it so fiercely.
In the original story, Tanjiro would eventually convince Kotetsu to allow the doll to be used until it broke.
Raiden inserted the key into the mechanism.
The doll suddenly trembled. Its body shook violently as its six stiff arms slowly lifted into the air.
Its hollow eyes rotated before locking onto Raiden.
Raiden stood calmly in front of it, his gaze steady like still water. There was no impatience or arrogance in his expression.
Even in battle, Raiden always carried a relaxed attitude. It was the quiet confidence of someone with overwhelming strength and experience.
The mechanical doll attacked.
Its movements were abrupt and incredibly fast. The six arms moved like six independent snakes.
Each strike sliced through the air with a sharp whistling sound as they rushed toward Raiden.
During the first few exchanges, Raiden had to step back.
Having six arms created a natural advantage. Each attack seemed to predict where he might dodge next.
Under those circumstances, the best option was to retreat and observe.
Raiden's eyes followed every movement of the doll's arms, studying their speed and searching for patterns.
The fight continued.
Raiden's figure moved rapidly across the training ground. His footsteps were light and controlled.
As time passed, his movements became even calmer.
The overwhelming storm of attacks no longer looked chaotic to him. Instead, it formed a rhythm that could be predicted and exploited.
Finally, Raiden leaped into the air.
In that brief moment while he was airborne, his eyes seemed to capture every motion of the doll.
His sword moved lightly through the air, like a brush painting a perfect arc across paper.
When Raiden landed again, the doll's attacks had already stopped.
The tip of his blade rested precisely on the key mechanism that controlled the doll's activation.
That spot served as the critical point that could stop the machine.
Of course, there were other ways to deactivate it. Kotetsu could also shut it down with a verbal command.
The doll's six arms instantly stiffened before slowly drooping.
Its eyes stopped rotating and remained fixed on Raiden.
"It's decent," Raiden said.
That was his evaluation.
For someone like Zenitsu or Inosuke, the doll could be excellent training. For Raiden, however, its usefulness was limited.
Many of its attacks relied on speed, but they could not truly pressure him.
Training without pressure had little value.
"So," Raiden said casually, "who wants to try it?"
"Let the Great King try!"
Before he could finish speaking, Inosuke leaped forward.
"If it was that easy for you, Raiden, then it definitely cannot stop Inosuke, the King of the Mountains!"
Seeing the boar-headed swordsman so eager, Raiden smiled faintly.
He replaced the swords in the doll's hands with wooden sticks before letting Inosuke activate it.
This time, the doll started smoothly.
The moment it activated, one of its arms swung down toward Inosuke's head.
Inosuke reacted quickly and raised both of his Nichirin blades to block the strike.
Clang.
Just as Inosuke was about to boast about his skills, the doll's second attack slammed directly into his stomach.
His eyes bulged beneath the boar mask.
Inosuke immediately flipped backward, trying to create distance.
Unfortunately for him, Raiden had already seen how the doll fought.
There was no way the machine would allow him to escape so easily.
The moment Inosuke bent backward, another wooden stick struck him across the back.
That hit completely destroyed his balance.
And losing balance in front of the six-armed doll had only one outcome.
A brutal beating.
"Wait... wait..."
Under a rain of wooden strikes, Inosuke desperately tried to communicate with the doll.
Zenitsu watched the scene with wide eyes.
When Raiden fought the doll earlier, it did not look like this at all.
He had simply jumped around a few times and dodged everything with ease.
So why was Inosuke getting hit nonstop?
Soon, Zenitsu realized the truth.
It was not that Inosuke refused to dodge.
He simply could not dodge.
Seeing the three of them finally gain a clear training target, Raiden felt satisfied.
That meant he could relax for a while.
Something important was likely to happen in the Swordsmith Village within the next couple of days.
For now, the best thing he could do was maintain his condition.
---