"...Don't go making fun of other people's names." Tetsu no Sosuke thought of the demon's name and still felt uneasy.
That demon had left a deep impression on him.
Even the hardest heart had its soft spots. That demon had preyed on Tetsu no Sosuke's willingness to trust others, striking a painful blow against his kindness.
Fortunately, Tetsu no Sosuke had survived countless battles. His heart had been tempered time and again, and the incident had not affected him too deeply.
Tetsu no Sosuke took the bundle from Honmyo Yutaro and opened it. He pulled out a small box he carried with him—a system reward that allowed him to repair weapons to some extent, anytime and anywhere.
It held a full set of tools, compact and easy to carry.
Tetsu no Sosuke had also tucked some suitably sized pieces of metal inside.
Most were leftovers from forging. He had sorted them and shaped them into iron strips of nearly uniform length.
Now he took them out and began grinding them on the spot.
Honmyo Yutaro stared in disbelief. Was this really the time for that?
They were facing a formidable enemy. The Flame Pillar had the upper hand, but his opponent was powerful too, and had yet to fall noticeably behind.
If the fight dragged on, the limits of a human body would eventually show. Even with the Flame Pillar's thoroughly honed physique, no one knew how long he could keep this up.
Honmyo Yutaro could not fathom Tetsu no Sosuke's sudden air of leisure.
Tetsu no Sosuke did not care whether he understood. He simply kept working.
Soon, he had ground the first strip into a sharp throwing knife. Then came the second... the third... Only after making five did he nod. "That should do it."
He picked up