Demon Slayer: Great Swordmaster System at the Start, My Master Tsugikuni

"I'm sorry, but I refuse."

Clenching his fists, the Scribe observed the other's reaction.

"Can you tell me why you refuse?"

Frowning, Tsugikuni Iwashiro felt a surge of anger, but continued speaking.

"You should be well aware of my strength. While I'm not as strong as Yoriichi, I'm still second within this so-called Demon Slayer Corps."

"Furthermore, Yoriichi can't express his emotions at all."

"If you wish to make a name for yourself in this Warring States period of clashing powers, I am your best choice!"

Spreading his arms, Tsugikuni Iwashiro, who usually appeared cold and distant, glared with wide, angry eyes, his expression turning somewhat ferocious.

"Scribe, I'll ask you one last time!"

"Choose me, or choose Yoriichi!"

Seeing the Scribe fall into silence, Tsugikuni Iwashiro seemed to see a glimmer of hope.

Since he couldn't surpass Yoriichi in swordsmanship and other areas, he would steal Yoriichi's only disciple.

That way, he would have bested Yoriichi at least once.

However, the nod Tsugikuni Iwashiro had imagined did not come.

The only thing that greeted him were the Scribe's cold eyes.

"Once a teacher, always a father. He raised me; he is the Scribe's only master!"

With that, the Scribe charged forward again, intending to fight Tsugikuni Iwashiro once more.

"You refuse to see reason!"

With a cold snort, Tsugikuni Iwashiro also moved.

The deep red Scar on his left forehead and right neck glowed faintly, as if alive.

A fierce glint flashed in his eyes, and Tsugikuni Iwashiro launched a direct right punch towards the Scribe.

A sonic boom echoed in his ears; Katsumi's punch seemed to tear the air apart.

Damn it, I forgot Tsugikuni Iwashiro has the permanent Scar!

Seeing Katsumi's punch, the Scribe realized something he had overlooked.

The Scar!

As an ability that borrows power from heaven, the Scar greatly enhances physical abilities once activated.

The stronger a swordsman, the more likely they are to awaken the Scar under the influence of other Scar users.

And Tsugikuni Iwashiro had awakened his Scar long ago under the influence of Tsugikuni Yoriichi.

Even without a Nichirin Blade to use Breathing techniques, he was a human-shaped Tyrannosaurus Rex!

With no time to defend, the Scribe crossed his arms in front of him.

Tsugikuni Iwashiro's punch landed heavily on the Scribe's arms, the immense power sending him flying backward.

The faint sound of bone cracking was heard, followed by waves of intense pain.

The Scribe knew his bones were shattered.

Just moments ago, he had sent Tsugikuni Iwashiro flying out of the house, and now, in the blink of an eye, he himself had been smashed into it.

His body, sent flying backward, smashed through two walls and finally embedded itself into one.

Cough, cough, so this is what it feels like to be punched into a wall.

Coughing up the blood accumulated in his chest, the Scribe wiped his mouth and painfully pulled himself out of the wall.

Tsugikuni Iwashiro looked somewhat surprised as the Scribe emerged from the house.

"You're not dead?"

Tsugikuni Iwashiro knew the power of that punch better than anyone.

He had truly intended to kill the Scribe with that strike.

If he couldn't have him, he would destroy him completely!

"Ah, I'm not dead. Did that disappoint you?"

Shaking his slightly dizzy head, the Scribe clenched his fists again.

"Sorry to keep you waiting. Let's continue."

Looking at the unyielding Scribe before him, Tsugikuni Iwashiro inwardly praised Yoriichi for finding such a good disciple.

However, the higher his evaluation of the Scribe, the more he wanted to possess him.

And the more he felt this way, the more he wanted to eliminate him.

"Scribe, you are a very good disciple."

Tsugikuni Iwashiro's clenched right fist made a cracking sound, as if he were gathering strength.

His bulging muscles and visible veins strained against his clothes, creating curved ravines.

Next life, remember to pick a good master!

Having gathered his strength, Tsugikuni Iwashiro let out a roar.

No, this life isn't over yet.

Suddenly sensing something, the Scribe relaxed his body.

Just as Tsugikuni Iwashiro was confused, several voices sounded from outside the courtyard.

"What's going on?"

"Two guests, what's happening inside!"

Accompanied by the sound of heavy objects crashing, the courtyard gate was directly smashed open.

Led by Tie He, over a dozen swordsmiths rushed in, carrying various weapons.

Seeing the Scribe and Tsugikuni Iwashiro in the courtyard, Tie He anxiously asked.

"How did you two end up like this? Did a demon invade?!"

As someone who had been forging blades for years, the only threat Tie He could think of was demons.

"No, no demons invaded."

Brushing the dust off his clothes, the Scribe smiled.

"We just... fell down."

Chapter 24: Blood Sacrifice, Swordsmiths in Danger

"Fell down?!"

Hearing this answer, Tie He choked.

"You call falling down something that collapses a house? How can you stand there looking like you've been beaten to a pulp and tell us you just fell?"

While inwardly speechless at the Scribe, Tie He knew they wouldn't get the truth. Helplessly, he arranged for the Scribe and Tsugikuni Iwashiro to be given another room.

After Tie He and his group arrived, Tsugikuni Iwashiro suppressed his killing intent and returned to his usual demeanor. He still needed the swordsmiths to forge blades for him and couldn't let them discover his thoughts of killing a colleague.

And so, the Scribe and Tsugikuni Iwashiro spent three peaceful days in a new room. During this time, the Scribe's fractured arm also fully healed.

On the afternoon of the fourth day, Tie He sent someone to notify the Scribe.

"All materials are ready, the forging is about to begin!"

Led by that swordsmith, the Scribe arrived at a forging workshop in a corner of the village.

"Thank you for your hard work."

After signaling the guide swordsmith to leave, Tie He led the Scribe into the workshop.

As soon as he entered, the Scribe was stunned by the sight inside.

Forging hammers of all sizes, molds of various shapes, buckets filled with cooling water. In a corner, a pile of materials for forging blades was neatly arranged. The four people previously selected to assist in the forging, including Jin Shushu, were already standing at their respective forging stations. It was clear that Tie He and the others had invested considerable manpower and resources into this forging.

"To gather the materials for this forging, I emptied the village's entire treasury."

Leading the Scribe to his station, Tie He's eyes were filled with excitement.

"I can guarantee that neither in the past nor in the future will there be a Nichirin Blade that surpasses this one."

With that, Tie He stepped onto the main forging platform and raised a large iron hammer.

"Without further ado, I declare, the forging begins!"

With his declaration, Tie He swung the hammer, striking a piece of raw iron before him. The crisp sound of metal colliding rang out, heralding the start of the forging of the strongest Nichirin Blade in history!

In front of the Scribe lay pieces of deep red stone. It was Scarlet Scarlet Sand Iron, smelted from Tamahagane, one of the most crucial components of a Nichirin Blade. The Scribe's task was to forge these small pieces of Scarlet Scarlet Sand Iron into a single entity. While it sounded simple, the difficulty was immense.

Each piece of Scarlet Scarlet Sand Iron was a unique entity, taking its current form after being smelted from Tamahagane.

To fuse them into a single whole, the blacksmith needed to raise the temperature to its absolute limit.

Turn all the Scarlet Scarlet Sand Iron into liquid!

After a moment of thought, the Scribe began forging.

He filled the furnace with firewood and accelerants, first raising the temperature of the entire furnace.

Fierce flames burned in the furnace, making the air feel hot.

Before long, the entire furnace glowed red, even tinged with blue.

A drop of sweat slid down his forehead, but before it could fully fall, it evaporated into steam from the intense heat.

It's about time, now!

Grabbing a piece of Scarlet Scarlet Sand Iron with tongs, the Scribe carefully placed it at the very top of the furnace.

Heat transferred, and under the influence of the high temperature, it quickly began to change.

Bit by bit, the part of the Scarlet Scarlet Sand Iron in contact with the furnace softened, becoming like a small piece of deep red jelly.

Good, just like that. Continue heating, let the semi-solid melt into liquid.

A flicker of joy flashed in his eyes, and the Scribe continued to add firewood to the furnace.

However, the properties of the Scarlet Scarlet Sand Iron smelted from the red crystal Tamahagane exceeded the Scribe's imagination.

As more and more red jelly appeared, it softened at an increasingly slower rate.

In the end, it showed no sign of liquefying.