As they did not have anything urgent to do, Shin and Karin followed Kankurou to the Toudou houses dojo .

It was a separate compound, used only by Kankurou, Toshiro, and a few others .

In the same way as the Saegusa house, the dojos were separated between teaching use and personal use .

Some wish to focus on personal training without being bothered by their surroundings . This dojo is also used sometimes for matches such as this .

. I suppose they dont want to be seen .

Well, yes, that would be better .

Shin and Toshiro then both wielded wooden swords .

As Kankurou had told Shin on their way to the dojo, Toshiro was close in level to the Hinomoto Brave Ten . The aura Shin felt emanating from Toshiro convinced him that it had to be the truth .

While they were talking, Shin regarded Toshiro as a guy he couldnt help but like, but now the man before him was nothing but a proud swordsman .

Here I come .

With this short declaration, Toshiro stepped forward . Without any pre-emptive movements, he closed in on Shin as if sliding on the ground .

Toshiros sword arm might have seemed to be moving leisurely, but an instant later it was already penetrating Shins space .

Shah!!

Shin swung his sword in response to Toshiros strike . The clash of the two wooden swords produced a dull sound that echoed through the dojo .

Hmm

Looking at the two fighters, Kankurou was deep in thought, his chin resting on his hand . He felt that Shins movements had become much sharper compared to when they fought a few days before .

( . hes already changed so much?)

Even more so than Kankurou, Shin was surprised at his own movements .

Karins teachings resulted in Shin eliminating unnecessary motions from his movements .

They didnt do any training for actual fighting, she had just observed him swinging his sword and re-enacting skills with his body movements .

I see you have grown damn well already .

Im surprised myself .

Shin was so surprised by the results that he answered exactly what he was thinking .

Toshiros first strike was meant to be a test; the second and third strike that followed were much heavier and faster .

They might have been inferior to Kankurous, but most Chosen Ones would have had trouble parrying them .

Shin, however, deflected them all with ease .

It was also thanks to the speed boost granted by his high stats, but more than anything, his body felt really light .

He had not changed the Limit on his status, but he felt the distance linking each one of his strikes had shrunk . The speed of his swings had increased . Each strikes weight had changed too .

To think that it can all change this much .

He might have felt the change more clearly thanks to his high stats .

Even so, the clear results showed that, he had to admit, his former movements were riddled with unnecessary motions .

The sound of the impact between the two mens wooden swords grew progressively louder, the pause between clashes shorter .

(Slash downwards from the right, then slash up right away from the leftno, stop halfway and thrust forward!)

Shin dodged, parried, blocked the wooden blade attacking him .

The two blades clashed again, this time locked, grinding against each other .

Fuuh!!

Toshiro tried to push forward by pressing his weight into the sword, but, after a brief moment, suddenly retreated .

His rapid movements gave the illusion that the floor under Toshiro had slipped away . The distance he had retreated was the exact distance needed for the tip of his sword to reach Shin .

The blade formed an arc in mid-air and swung down, aimed towards Shins left side .

Not so fast!

Shin didnt dodge or parry, but stepped in closer to Toshiro before his blow could land . He charged forward, with the intent of shoving Toshiro away .

Guh!!

Toshiro probably judged he couldnt make it in time; he pulled back his sword at the same time as Shins tackle .

Shin accelerated his charge against the swing while Toshiro was retreating . Naturally, the former won .

Toshiro avoided the fate of losing balance and falling down, but because of that he couldnt defend himself against Shins following attack .

Toshiro tried to twist his body to avoid Shins wooden sword aimed at his neck .

Shin, ready to intercept such struggle, brought down his sword on Toshiros neck, then stopped just as the blade touched it .

. what?

Toshiro regained his balance and questioned Shin .

Shin answered while looking not at Toshiro, but the dojo entrance .

Someone is coming . Two people .

Hm, looks like it .

Kankurou had also perceived it, and nodded at Shins words . Karin too felt the new presence, and turned to look in the same direction as Shin .

After a little while, two men appeared at the dojos entrance .

Did we interrupt something?

Brother! Why are you here!

Toshiro yelled to one of the two men, who looked apologetic .

According to Analyze, his name was Yaejima Shiden, a young man in his late twenties .

He had black hair mixed with white, red eyes, and was around the same height as Shin, about 180 cemels . In contrast to his soft speech and gentle expressions, both his arms and legs were very thick; to Shin they looked like bundles of steel .

His job was samurai and his level, quite high, was 238 .

I thought that you would be here Toshiro . I have sir Tadahisas permission to move within the castle compound . Lord Kankurou, I am glad to see you too . Lady Karin, I see you have returned from the search for Lady Harunas medicine .

I am glad to see you in good health, sir Shiden .

It has been a long time .

Kankurou and Karin each answered the mans greetings . Obviously enough, the three all knew each other .

Sir Kanezuka, I trust you are well too .

Hmm .

After greeting Shiden, Kankurou spoke to Kanezuka Araki .

He was a man between his late thirties or early forties . He seemed to be of rather short stature, maybe because he was standing next to Shiden .

His job was blacksmith, as manifested by the very developed muscles on his arms . His level was 166 . His grey hair was cut short, his black eyes fixed on Kankurous Black Moon .

This man is sir Shin, correct?

Thats me, but why do you know my name?

Shiden looked at Shin and inquired about his identity . His expression was very serious as he did so .

I have been informed that you have assisted in the search for the medicinal herbs to cure lady Harunas illness . Oh, I have yet to introduce myself, have I . I am the first-born of the Yaejima house, Yaejima Shiden .

Er, as you already know, my name is Shin .

He was apparently aware of Shins status as guest, and had been informed about what Shin looked like .

What brings you here today then? As sir Shiden came in person, I can imagine what the matter might be though .

I think many are aware of the whispers that there are suspicious movements in the west . I would like to say that they are all groundless rumorsbut I received a report that the Ichinose house, one of our vassals, is making suspicious moves . I came to inform sir Tadahisa that our Yaejima house, along with 3 other houses, are investigating this matter at the moment .

After Shiden finished talking, Toshiro interjected .

The Ichinose house!?

Yes, that house always sought to unify Hinomoto . But would they move only by themselves, I wonder?

Kankurou, after pondering for a moment, voiced his doubts .

Our investigation being still underway, I cannot say anything yet . However

Ehm, excuse me!

Shiden and Kankurou were continuing to discuss the matter, ignoring the surprised Toshiro, when Shin interrupted them .

Is anything wrong?

Sirs, please, you know you cant talk of such delicate matters with an outsider like me around!

Kankurou looked at Shin as if he had a question mark over his head, without the slightest concern on his expression .

I have heard from sir Tadahisa and lady Haruna that you are a man worthy of trust, sir Shin . You have no intention of talking about this to anyone, correct?

Thats true, but

Shin regarded this excessive trust with suspicion .

Sir Kankurou says that you are someone that can be trusted . I have no reasons to doubt you . Moreover, sir Shin is someone even sir Kankurou said he cannot win againstI would never want such a person to think of us as enemies . I know sir Kankurous strength very well after all .

Both the eastern and western families trusted Kankurous word apparently . The reason for this trust came from Shidens own experience . No one would want to turn a powerful warrior into an enemy for no reason after all .

I see that you have crossed swords with Toshiro too . How did my brother fare?

He was quite strong, I think . I wonder if it is wise to trust so easily though .

I have heard the sound of your swords clashing . Your sword swings straight and true . Sir Kankurous words and the sound of those sword clashes, as a samurai myself I cannot mistrust you .

Shin was somewhat at a loss for words .

He had heard that masters could communicate without words, through their fists or their blades .

During his battle against Girard, Shin had understood his feelings . But that time, his mental state was in a kind of extreme condition, and he managed to do it because he knew his opponent very well .

To understand someone he never met before only through the sound of sword clashes was something utterly impossible for Shin .

You are trusted, isnt that enough?

Well, it is better than to be suspected .

Araki spoke to the speechless Shin . His expression told him to stop sweating the small stuff .

By the way, I havent introduced myself yet, right . Im Kanezuka Araki, a blacksmith . Today I came here to admire sir Kankurous Black Moon .

Yes, here you are .

Kankurou nodded, took Black Moon from his waist and handed it to Araki .

Araki sat down on a corner of the dojo and, using a cloth to be sure not to touch it directly, stared intently at Black Moons blade .

The user limitation had been removed apparently .

What is he doing?

I am collaborating with sir Kanezuka in order for him to forge a divine blade like Black Moon . I suppose you have heard that I am looking for someone to inherit Black Moon, yes?

Only in passing . I know that lady Karin, my host, is a candidate too .

At present, Black Moon is the only katana bearing the divine blade moniker . I do not know who will inherit it, but there have been squabbles about itif it will be kept by the eastern or western forces . Of course, it will be the side the inheritor belongs to, but many worry that it could tilt the balance between the two forces .

It might be just one blade, but it was not to be underestimated .

The stat bonuses given from the katana to the owner were high, but the long-range attacks it could unleash, paired with high stats, could easily surpass average skills in power .

Thus I thought that having another divine blade could be a solution, but apparently even for sir Kanezuka, Hinomotos finest blacksmith, forging an Ancient-grade katana is no easy feat .

He observed Black Moon to find hints, researched documents and oral traditions and continued to forge, through a process of trial and error .

Do you know what the materials are? Its quite difficult to obtain them .

We have some of the materials left by lord Jinkurou . We dont know, however, how more than half of them should be used . I am a complete novice in the blacksmith profession after all .

Shin whispered to Kankurou, who he thought would be knowledgeable in the art of forging . Shin thought that it would have been a very difficult, if not impossible, feat; as expected, success seemed very far .

Personally, I hoped we could receive some words of advice

Kankurou, who knew of Shins real identity, hoped that Shin, a blacksmith himself, could offer some advice .

Looking at Arakis bloodshot eyes, Shin had already understood that he was close to a dead-end .

If I just said something out of the blue, would he believe me? He looks like a hardcore artisan type, I doubt hed pay any mind to a youngster like me .

Those of relatively high social status already know that you are a Returned Ancestor, what the Adventurers Guild calls Chosen Ones . Because of this, I think he will listen to you, at least a little . Even the tiniest hint would suffice .

Kankurou wasnt ordering Shin to show all his skills and knowledge as a blacksmith .

It would be far too easy if it was possible to forge an Ancient-grade weapon only after hearing some advice .

Looking at Araki, desperately trying to draw the tiniest bit of information from Black Moon, Shin felt solidarity as a blacksmith . Thus he decided to give him some help .

I might be able to say something if I saw him forging . Blacksmithing techniques vary greatly from school to school, and the methods I know are influenced by ones ability . I would at least be able to understand if there are techniques that could be used in this case .

Let us do just that then .

Kankurou went closer to Araki and explained the situation . Araki looked at Shin first with surprise, then with a glare so sharp Shin felt like he could be sniped down any moment . After staring at Shin for several moments, Araki gave a small nod .

. . youre knowledgeable about blacksmithing?

Toshiro, who had been excluded by the recent developments, asked Shin .

I dont think I can do anything special, but I might be of some help .

Shins techniques were instinctive, born from his experience during the game era . It was difficult for him to explain crafting processes with words, so he decided to think after looking at Arakis forging first .

Shin was capable of forging strong weapons not only because of his technique, but also because of his magic powers, so he wasnt absolutely sure he could be of help .

Our match ends here then .

Is that alright with you?

I couldnt care less about what that man said about balance or whatever . But sir Kanezuka is betting his own life on the order he received . Holding you back here would mean being in his way . Who could do something so uncouth?

. I see .

He was more reasonable than expected . Despite his frustration, he managed to keep his feelings under control .

Shins opinion of Toshiro changed yet again .

What will you do now brother?

Return to the Yaejima house of course . I have duly delivered fathers message to sir Tadahisa and could also observe your growth . I could say that my objectives are fulfilled .

Shiden, saying that his duties were over, went towards the castle town with the Kujou soldiers waiting outside the dojo .

Shins group of 5 moved to the smithy .

Kanezuka Araki was the chief blacksmith of the Kanezuka school; they would use his personal facility this time . It was equipped with the highest quality furnace and tools .

They arrived at a smithy equipped with a single furnace . It was not very wide, and apparently had been built with the sole purpose of forging the divine katana .

Araki told his disciples to not get close and beckoned Shin to enter .

The other 3 were told to wait outside . The smithy is a territory with the sole purpose of passing down blacksmithing techniques . When forging weapons, only the blacksmith and those in the same field were allowed inside .

I will forge trying to create the divine katana . When I finish, tell me what you thought .

After saying only that, Araki started swinging his hammer .

Shin was looking at him silently, and realized that Araki used next to no magic power when swinging his hammer .

As he had expected, the magic power contained in the katana came only from the materials and the slight quantity present in the surrounding atmosphere, the moment the hammer hit the materials .

The speed at which the mass of iron changed shape was also much slower than that of Shin . Araki appeared to be using skills, but they werent at the level of Shins, who could make ingots change their shape at will .

Looking at the way the man crafted, Shin estimated that Arakis crafting level was around VII . If he could use the same techniques as Shin, he could easily create Mythology-grade weapons .

Shin, however, had heard that Arakis masterpiece was a Legend-grade weapon . The reason was the way he forged . If one focused only on the ability to strike iron, the stats of the produced weapon can only go so high .

Shin didnt know if the Legend-grade weapon Araki had forged was Higher or Lower, but to forge that sword without using magic, as Araki did, would have been impossible, at least in the game era .

(Either hes a genius, or its a product of his life-long focus on blacksmithing and techniquespossibly both . )

Some use the expression to breathe life in ones work, but in Arakis case saying to pour ones own lifeblood in ones work would have been more accurate .

The energy and aura he infused in every swing of the hammer was so powerful, one would think that he was shaving away his own lifespan to do so . To work as if possessed, an expression that fit him perfectly .

After the whole process ended, what remained was only to polish the blade .

He would leave this work to an expert polisher .

After the polishing was completed, a katana with a beautiful blade was born .

Its appearance was average, but its grade was middle Unique . For Shin, to be able to forge such a blade from imperfect materials made him understand how Araki forged a Legend-grade weapon .

. I failed .

Araki spoke with a sour expression .

He was aiming at forging a blade on par with the Lower Legend-grade katana Black Moon . Considering this, he had not only failed to reach the peak, but didnt even come close to the foot of the mountain . Arakis expression remained sour not only because of the katanas quality .

What do you have then?

A few things concerned me . I would like to ask you a few questions first, if thats possible .

As long as you wont ask me to teach you my secret techniques, say anything you want .

I will, then . First, why dont you pour magic in the katana?

What?

Arakis eyes became slits after hearing Shins question .

If a blacksmith pours magic power into the katana, its sturdiness and sharpness increase . As far as I know, there is no other way to forge a katana of Legend grade and above .

Just honing ones skill of striking metal is not enough, you say?

Yes . It is also not enough to simply pour in magic power . Its difficult to put in words, but one must first pour magic in the hammer, then pour it into the katana as the hammer strikes it . Thats a very general way to explain the process . To be perfectly honest, being able to forge a Legend-grade katana in this situation makes you, sir Kanezuka, truly exceptional .

Without a certain level of blacksmithing skills, of course, one could not forge good weapons, no matter how they poured their magic .

But if one considered only the ability in manipulating magic power, Pixies and Elves would have been more apt at blacksmithing .

. that is probably a technique that was lost before being handed down . I hear that when Hinomoto was still engulfed in the flames of war, there were many more skilled blacksmiths than today . There were also weapons with much higher quality than the present ones as well .

Many techniques had been lost during the war apparently .

Blacksmithing techniques never left their respective schools after all . If a whole school disappeared during the war, their techniques refined through the generations would vanish alongside them .

I would never have thought to hear about one of the lost secret techniquesI swear on the honor of the Kanezuka that I will speak of this to no one .

Sir, I have no intention of keeping techniques hidden; as long as you do not mention that you heard it from me, that is enough . Its a technique that existed in the past, so someone, somewhere, could revive it at any time, or rather, it could be still alive somewhere .

It would be not be strange if someone like Kankurou, formerly serving a Player, could use it .

Shin also felt that Arakis seriousness and focus were not inferior to theirs .

It would be hard for me to explain in detail with words, so I think it will be faster if you just watch me . May I borrow your tools?

. use anything you need .

Practice more than theory, watch and learn . Techniques such as those could not be explained fully just through verbal explanations and theory .

That is why Shin decided to show his craft .

He only performed several strikes, using the Tamahagane steel he found in the smithy . Before it could be called complete Shin heated it into the furnace, hammered it and gradually formed the katanas shape .

He was infusing his magic power in the hammer, so after every strike sparks of different colors burst from the Tamahagane .

.

Araki stared at Shins movements, not missing the slightest motion . The aura he emitted was as if he was swinging the hammer together with Shin .

. Ive finished . Now it only needs to be polished .

The blade had been completed, at unnatural speed . Shin could have completed it to the point that it didnt need polishing, but that would go beyond simply being a capable blacksmith, so he didnt go that far .

Through the work of the same polisher who had handled the katana that Araki forged before, Shins katana gained its shine . It was a middle Unique-grade, the same as the katana that Araki had just forged .

You forged this on purpose?

No, thats just a coincidence . But its better for us . I would like you to see whats different between them, but would it be alright if the katana you forged before became unusable?

. that is fine . Let me see just how worthy it is .

Shin took his newly forged katana and held it still, with the blade pointing upwards .

He told Araki to stand back, then swung the katana that Araki had forged onto the blade he had made .

!?!

Araki looked wide-eyed at the result .

The katana Araki had forged, which Shin held firmly in hand, had been cut off in the middle . The katana Shin was holding still, on the other hand, did not have the slightest cut .

To be of the same grade, and yet be so different

Sir Kanezuka, you arrived to this level without using magic . I am sure you can forge much superior katanas . The weapons called Magic Swords are called such because magic envelops their blades .

After saying so, Shin handed the blade he had held still to Araki . As Shin had said, its blade was covered in faint magic power .

According to the game rules, Unique-grade weapons could not really be called Magic Sword or Magic Katana . It was probably because Shin had forged it, that the katana now in Arakis hands had specs worthy of the Magic moniker .

A true Magic Katana, huhit is true that both the katana I forged once and Black Moon have magic power shrouding their blades . I felt something different than just a Magic Katana from Black Moon though .

I think that the materials might be the reason . I used Tamahagane as the material this time, so only the katanas specs as a weapon increased . But I have heard that different materials can add all sorts of effects . I dont know what that means in detail though .

Thats more than enough . Young manno, sir Shin, I owe you very much . If you need my help in anything, just say the word .

First of all, as I said before, I would like you to keep the source of all this information a secret . Other than that, there is nothing I need at the moment .

He had been seen by several Kanezuka disciples, so he knew of the possibility that they would guess that the information came from him .

He didnt think that Araki would blabber about Shin being the source, but he wanted to be sure .

You may pass this technique to anyone you deem worthy, sir Kanezuka . It is not something I obtained on my own after all .

Is that really alright?

Even if I hid it, someone might be spying, and it was a technique commonly used in the past after all . I just hope that the katana built this way will be used to protect others .

Katanas were nothing more than tools . Depending on the user, they could become blades of protection or of slaughter .

Shin gave some more pieces of advice to Araki, who said he would forge another blade, then left the Kanezuka residence .

He returned with Karin and Toshiro . Kankurou had been called by Araki and stayed back in the Kanezuka residence .

. did you teach him something?

I told him about some techniques I know . The divine katanas creation will progress a bit, I think .

Toshiro inquired about what had happened in the Kanezuka residence while they were going back to the Saegusa house .

Uhm, I have heard that such techniques are kept secret though .

I do not belong to any particular school or tradition, so I do not have any intention of keeping techniques for myself . Though, I would not spread them to just anyone .

Karin still flushed slightly when talking to Shin, but he tried to talk with her as normally as he did before .

I have never seen sir Kanezuka make that expression before though . It must have been quite an impressive technique .

. is that so? I couldnt tell, to be honest . I just meant to give him some advice, but then I saw him swing his hammer so intenselyas a blacksmith myself, I couldnt stop at just a word or two .

Shin could have given a plausible explanation, but chose not to .

For someone who had seriously trained in the art of blacksmithing, the techniques that Shin acquired through the game would seem like cheating . That was partly why Shin respected the blacksmith Kanezuka Araki, who had reached that level of skill while being a normal person .

What are you, anyway?

Just an adventurer and a busybody, nothing more .

I, I think hes a good man

What theggh .

Karins comment following Shins words made Toshiros teeth grind . He must have realized that Karin looked quite different from the usual .

Then, can I ask something too?

Hm . what?

Sir Toshiro, you belong to the Yaejima house, correct? I have heard that the Yaejima are a great clan ruling over west Hinomoto . If so, why do you stay alongside Kankurou, a servant of the Kujou house?

Shin felt this after hearing about the two forces ruling over Hinomoto .

Shin, who had studied Japanese history in school, for a second thought that he might have been a hostage, but Toshiro seemed far too free to be one .

I am one of sir Kankurous disciples . Hes a man who imparts his teachings without care for social status, and lord Tadahisa gave his approval as well .

However, if the Yaejima house did something to stir conflict in Hinomoto, Toshiros life would be forfeit .

I believe that neither my father nor my brother would ever do something so foolish . But if it ever happened, I would simply offer my life .

Toshiro spoke every word with conviction, without turning away his eyes .

If they were planning something, having him go on a rampage within the Kujou house would be an ingenious plan .

In case of real danger, one might suddenly hold on to dear life .

Shin, however, did not think Toshiro capable of any such things . That could be said of everyone following Kankurou, too .

In Hinomoto, there was a trust that went beyond reason . Thats what Shin felt looking at Toshiro .

After Shin left, in the smithy where now the furnace did not burn anymore, Araki and Kankurou were talking .

Did sir Shin say anything helpful for crafting a divine katana?

Yes, I can tell you because I feel you know alreadybut he imparted to me one of the techniques that had been lost in history .

Thanks to his experience as a support character, Kankurou knew of such techniques, even without detailed explanations from Araki .

With this, I will probably get closer to the divine katana, however

Is there any problem?

Kankurou noticed that Arakis expression looked even more bitter than usual .

The blacksmiths reply arrived in a feeble tone .

The divine katana is not something I can forge . Not only me, but no other blacksmith in Hinomoto could I fear .

And for what reason would that be?

Probablyno, definitely, sir Shin knows techniques we do not possess . And not only one or twosir Shin would surely be able to forge a blade on par with Black Moon . I heard hes a samurai, but I know that he is not a man on the side of those who use weapons . Hes someone who makes them .

Araki, thanks to a life spent crafting weapons, understood .

During the game era, in fact, Shins nickname was Dark Blacksmith . The other Rokuten members also had aliases such as Red Alchemist, White Cook, and Golden Merchant .

They all came from the fact that, like Shin, their true nature was that of creators .

Even among Returned Ancestors, only very special individuals could manage it . He might think he was only forging something simple, but his craft was so refined that I clearly understood how I could never compare with him .

Is that so . In that case, we can not postpone the inheritance ritual any more than this .

Yes . Discounting the miraculous birth of a Returned Ancestor extremely specialized in blacksmithing, I conclude that the divine katana could not be forged even 100 years from now . It would be pointless to delay the inheritance further .

Araki gave his conclusion with an expression void of spirit, as if what possessed him had now left him emptied .

Then, without thinking, his hand grabbed his hammer .

Oh, even if you reached the conclusion, you temper swords again?

Kankurou spoke to Araki as if to a young warrior focused on his harsh training .

Because I could catch a glimpse of the peak . Even if I know that I will never be able to reach it, I cannot stop climbingthats what a blacksmith is . Haha, to think that I would become a challenger again even at this ageI would have never expected it, thats for sure .

Araki lit the fire in the furnace, with a completely serene expression on his face .

Well well, looks like I need to thank sir Shin again .

After this, the sound of hammered iron echoed from the smithy for a while .