The First Successful Sword: Tetsusaiga

The First Successful Sword—Tetsusaiga

Though all the weapons that appeared with the blue light were "swords," every single one was different.

Tetsusaiga, Tensōjū, Kumogakure, Tokijin, Sōtenyasha...

One-Hit Kill, March of the Dead, Moonlight Dance...

Elucidator, Dark Repulser, Sword of Night Sky, Sword of Blue Rose, Sword of Golden Osmanthus, Heaven-Piercing Sword, Time-Piercing Sword...

Kogatana: Yoru, Ace, Kusannagi, Gryphon, First Generation Kitetsu, Wado Ichimonji, Black Blade Shuusui...

Gan Jiang, Mo Ye, Excalibur, Durandal, Spiral Sword, Monohoshizao, Primal Fire, Wheel of Victory...

Only after Ailin's spiritual power had been completely depleted did the blue light gradually fade, with no more weapons being born.

Very soon, the countless "swords" Ailin had created gave him feedback through the ability Unlimited Blade Works.

However, contrary to Ailin's expectations, the feedback he received from creating these hundreds of weapons from other worlds was merely comparable to the feedback from creating ordinary Soul Reapers' Zanpakuto.

Although Ailin's spiritual pressure had risen a little, it was utterly disproportionate to the ability needed to create these weapons.

"Hmm?"

Sensing that something was wrong with the feedback he had received, Ailin opened his eyes.

Then, Ailin saw that the hundreds of "swords" he had created this time were scattered sparsely across the plains of his Inner World. Not a single one had been planted on Sword Hill.

Ailin understood his own abilities quite well.

Within this Inner World, Sword Hill was the only high point.

Every sword that could be planted on Sword Hill was a powerful weapon.

At the very least, it had to be capable of reaching the level of Shikai.

Other Zanpakuto that could not be released could only be planted on the plains; they could not pierce Sword Hill at all.

For example, of the hundreds of Zanpakuto Ailin had created before, only a dozen or so could be planted on Sword Hill.

Yet not one of the hundreds of swords from other worlds that Ailin had created this time could be planted on Sword Hill. Did that make any sense?

He stepped forward and placed his hand on the hilt of one sword. Instantly, Ailin understood.

When Ailin had previously forged Zanpakuto, he had always successfully replicated other people's Zanpakuto in the outside world before creating them within Unlimited Blade Works, the Inner World of his own Zanpakuto.

Thus, the Zanpakuto Ailin created were naturally complete Zanpakuto.

"Appraise Creation Concept..."

"Envision Basic Framework..."

"Replicate Constituent Material..."

"Imitate Manufacturing Technique..."

"Empathize Growth Experience..."

"Reproduce Accumulated Years..."

Not one of the six forging steps was missing.

Yet the weapons Ailin created based on the memories in his mind had only undergone the first two steps: "Appraise Creation Concept" and "Envision Basic Framework."

There was nothing for the later steps: constituent materials, manufacturing techniques, growth experience, or accumulated years.

Thus, the weapons from other worlds Ailin had created now only possessed their form, not their "soul."

That was why, when Ailin placed his hand on their hilts, he did not receive the experiences of these weapons' owners.

No wonder the improvement he received from exhausting his spiritual power to create hundreds of swords this time was so slight. For swords of this quality to be comparable to the other Zanpakuto Ailin had replicated was already thanks to the insight he had gained into Sword Forging during this period.

Clang—

Ailin drew the blade in his hand and swung it a few times before shaking his head.

These "swords" possessed only their shape, not their abilities.

From then on, aside from slacking off whenever he had missions, Ailin spent all his remaining time immersed in his Inner World, studying how to forge the "swords" of other worlds from the memories in his mind.

Unlimited Blade Works, this Inner World, contained the elements of every "sword."

Therefore, as long as Ailin possessed a template for a "sword," he could create it perfectly.

The "swords" Ailin now wanted to make existed only in the memories of his mind. He had to gather suitable elements for them based on those memories, then use them to forge new "swords."

It was a massive undertaking.

Even Ailin did not know how long it would take before he could successfully create one complete sword.

So, he chose the work that had first drawn him into the world of anime.

"Inuyasha."

After countless attempts, Ailin finally made major progress.

Blue light gathered in Ailin's hands, and streaks of blue patterns outlined the shape of a weapon.

"Buzz..."

At that moment, a wisp of flame suddenly emerged from the Zanpakuto of Kisaragi Taiho that Ailin had created atop Sword Hill. The flame turned into a streak of light and shot directly into the sword Ailin was forging.

When the blue light faded, a sword appeared in Ailin's hand. It looked somewhat battered, and even its edge was covered in jagged nicks of varying sizes.

Tetsusaiga!

"Did I succeed?"

When the sword had fully taken shape, Ailin's eyes lit up.

Unlike the other inferior products, this Tetsusaiga contained memories.

Ignoring his current exhaustion, Ailin immersed his mind in Tetsusaiga's memories.

Only after a long while did Ailin open his eyes and let out a satisfied, yet not entirely satisfied, sigh.

He was satisfied because this Tetsusaiga truly contained the experience of a certain half-demon.

He was dissatisfied because this Tetsusaiga was still only a semi-finished product.

Aside from its ability to grow larger, the only ultimate technique it contained was Wind Scar.

It lacked Explosive Wave, Adamant Barrage, Meido Zangetsuha, and all the others.

However, although this Tetsusaiga did not yet possess its red or dragon-scale forms, it had gained Flame Form.

This was because, according to Ailin's memories, Tetsusaiga possessed a Flame Form. Thus, while forging Tetsusaiga, a surge of flame power had flowed into it from Kisaragi Taiho's Zanpakuto atop Sword Hill, completing Tetsusaiga's Flame Form.

"This..."

When Ailin sensed all of this, he was overjoyed.

So the weapons he created could actually assist him when he forged new weapons.

In that case, the more Zanpakuto he replicated, would forging weapons from other worlds become much easier in the future?

For instance, if he replicated Soifon's Suzumebachi, would creating Level One Killing: Murasame still be difficult?