Master Blacksmith in Demon Slayer

For just an instant, Tetsu no Sosuke had no idea how many times he had swung the Forging Hammer.

The red-hot Iron Material flattened in an instant.

[Impurity -1]

[Impurity -1]

[Impurity -10]

[Strength +2]

[Heat Haze +1]

[Impurity -1]

His body felt as if it had been hollowed out in that split second; darkness swam before his eyes. But he stomped forward, took a deep breath, and steadied himself.

Gripping the Forging Hammer tightly, his expression turned strange.

"What was that prompt just now...?"

In that instant, although countless [Impurity -1] sounds had echoed, there were also some distinctly different ones mixed in.

"Minus ten, and... Heat Haze plus one? Heat Haze, is that a new attribute?"

He looked at the Forging Hammer in his hand, then at the Iron Material lying on the anvil, and a sudden realization dawned in his heart: "Breath of the Sun!"

Although his Breath of the Sun couldn't yet drive sword techniques—because he didn't know any—could it be that using it this way, applied to forging, could actually grant new attributes to a weapon?

"Heat Haze... Heat Haze? The materials used for a Nichirin Blade are Scarlet Sand Iron and Scarlet Stone Ore. They absorb ample sunlight! That's what makes them lethal to demons. Could the Heat Haze attribute be related to this as well?"

The thought arose out of nowhere, with no basis, but Tetsu no Sosuke wasn't flustered: "If this attribute really is what I think it is, then when the impurities are removed and the blade is shaped, it should manifest. Moreover, by forging with Breath of the Sun, can I replenish more Heat Haze attribute into this sword? Or even... can I use this forging method to grant such an attribute to an ordinary iron sword?"

He stood there, his imagination running wild for a moment.

Once he felt his breath had returned to normal, he immediately re-entered his state.

"That state just now wasn't ideal. In that instant, I was just swinging wildly with a burst of sudden speed and strength. Very little of it actually worked; even what did was just by chance. Perhaps that's why there were so many Impurity -1 results, but only one Impurity -10. If I could control the angle of every swing of the Forging Hammer, could I make every strike effective? If so, then one hammer blow under Breath of the Sun would equal ten under normal conditions! With the speed I can achieve under Breath of the Sun, if every strike were effective, one session of hammering with Breath of the Sun could even save me half a day's hard work! No, I have to master this technique. Whether for now or for later, it's crucial to me!"

In truth, at that moment, Tetsu no Sosuke didn't think too deeply about exactly how crucial it was.

It was just an instinctive feeling—if he could control it precisely, he would surely be able to create even greater miracles!

Breathe, regulate, shift; blood flow quickened, heart pounding like a drum.

Through repeated hammering, his forging physique and strength had reached levels he himself had never imagined.

His limits... were far from reached!

The next second, a sound like rain beating on banana leaves rang out.

His concentration was razor-sharp as he struggled to control the landing point of the Forging Hammer in his hand.

[Impurity -1]

[Impurity -1]

[Impurity -10]

[Strength +2]

[Heat Haze +1]

[Impurity -10]

[Strength +2]

[Heat Haze +1]

[Impurity -1]

When everything settled, Tetsu no Sosuke forced himself to endure the discomfort in his body, stepped back twice, and only then regulated his breath. He felt aches and pains all over.

"But... it increased! Even though it was only one more effective strike, at least it proves it works!!!"

Chapter 13: Slow Down

Nothing can fuel a person's motivation more than thinking seriously, making an attempt, and reaping results.

Tetsu no Sosuke felt like a perpetual motion machine right now!

Although Breath of the Sun placed a huge burden on his body, he could still persevere.

Of course, he had to rest in between.

Otherwise, he would easily die from overwork.

Thus, after a full day of effort, the Iron Material in his hand had been completely purged of impurities.

But what truly delighted him was that, with the frequent application of Breath of the Sun during the forging process, the improvements in attributes like physique and strength, combined with his focused control over the Forging Hammer's landing point, had made substantial progress.

From once or twice at the start, it became five times, six times; at most, he had even heard over eight prompts.

This gave him a feeling.

In the process of hammering out impurities from the Iron Material, through the forging method of Breath of the Sun, he was also gradually purifying himself.

As long as he kept at it with unyielding persistence, one day in the future, he would surely be able to make every single hammer strike a success.

"This forging method has already completely surpassed past forging techniques. It ought to have a fitting name."

That night, Tetsu no Sosuke sat on a chair, gnawing on a plain rice ball, pondering to himself: "But considering my ability to name things... hmm, I still have to give it a try. It can imbue a blade with the attribute of blazing sun. How about... Sun Hammer Technique? Doesn't sound great, and it conflicts with the name of my first sword. Let me think again. Right, since it's derived from the Breath of the Sun, why not call it... Sun Hammer Technique?"

Was it either sun or sun?

He scratched his head, a little anxious about his naming ability.

Finally, after racking his brains, he came to a decision: "Let's call it Gale Sun! Gale Sun Hammer Technique! Like a gale and storm, accompanied by a blazing sun—this name fits well enough. But if the Breath of the Sun must be applied to forging, it should probably give rise to other corresponding hammer techniques. Hmm, then let's add a prefix... Form One! Mm-hmm... Doesn't that sound just like a sword technique? Come to think of it, if the founder of the Breath of the Sun knew that I, a later generation, had applied it to forging, I wonder if they'd be unable to keep their coffin lid down?"

At that thought, a mix of amusement and absurdity welled up in his heart.

He took a bite of the rice ball, but suddenly an image flashed into his mind—Kochou Kanae, taking small bites of a rice ball.

A trace of tenderness brewed in his eyes for an instant, but he quickly shook his head: "Now, I can't think about that!"

Yet sometimes, that's just how the world works—the more you try not to think about something, the more your mind refuses to obey.