Master Blacksmith in Demon Slayer

Forging: Strength +30, Constitution +30, Agility +30, Speed +30

Reward obtained: Poison Forging Method!

The attribute surge felt like every pore in his body opening at once, a wave of comfort washing through him from head to toe.

Yet Tetsu no Sosuke glanced at his own hands. "Doesn't feel as intense as that first big attribute boost... Is there a cap on this stuff?"

He shook his head, letting the information flow through his mind.

In moments, he understood what the so-called Poison Forging Method actually was.

"Infusing poison elements?"

Tetsu no Sosuke nodded slightly. "This isn't a hammering technique—it's a method for altering metal properties. Simply put, you forge a block of poison iron, then use that poison iron to craft a poison blade. Hmph, this is far more vicious than the Bloodforging Method, but it lacks that method's mysticism..."

There was a logic to it—refining poison into the iron material.

Still mystical, sure, but not as over-the-top as the Bloodforging Method.

At the same time, Shinobu Kocho came to mind.

That glaring lightbulb with endless demands—what she needed was exactly a 'poison blade,' wasn't it?

With this, he could forge one for her.

"But how do I handle all those mechanisms? Do I need to get a Mechanism Arts skill too? Will my cheat give me one?"

His mind wandered with idle thoughts as he returned to his room to write a letter to the Serpent Pillar.

He'd inform him that the weapon was successfully forged and tell him to come pick it up when convenient.

The Butterfly Estate's unique nature meant Hidden members were always lurking nearby. He found one to deliver the letter, then grabbed his sun blade and headed into the bamboo grove at the Back Mountain.

Kochou Kanae had gone on a mission yesterday—apparently there was news of a Twelve Demon Moon, so she'd rushed out in a hurry.

Tetsu no Sosuke had no reason to tag along. He was a bit worried, but considering the Nichirin Blade she now carried, he felt a lot more at ease.

His training had shifted from Kochou Kanae's courtyard to this bamboo grove.

Grip the sword. Swing the sword!

Hundreds, thousands of times each day.

Familiarize himself with it, feel it, guide it, master it!

That was what Tetsu no Sosuke needed to do now.

Swing after swing, focusing his mind, tracing the blade's arc, the speed at which it split the air.

A subtle sensation flickered in and out of his awareness. When his concentration was sharp, he felt close to grasping it—but the moment he actively sought it out, it slipped away without a trace.

Tetsu no Sosuke's blacksmith-forged state of mind was clear and bright—no rush, no frustration, just quietly doing his own thing.

Suddenly, wind rushed in!

He whipped around to see a fist flying toward him. He stepped back, keeping both hands on his sword, but before his heels even touched the ground, a hand pressed flat against his face.

An overwhelming force slammed into him. With a crash, Tetsu no Sosuke was pinned to the ground.

His heart tensed. He was about to counter when the hand suddenly pulled away. Light flooded his eyes, and he saw his attacker had already retreated a good distance.

Catching his gaze, she scratched her head and gave an embarrassed laugh. "Sorry, sorry! Seeing you work so hard, I couldn't help wanting to test where you're at."

The speaker had mint-green tips and pink hair, her unfastened front revealing a figure that was almost explosively immodest.

Her pretty face carried a bright smile as she scratched her head, her eyes roaming over Tetsu no Sosuke with a look that was... well, quite aggressive.

Author's Note:

"Let's do it over again, Yukino!"

At twenty-six years old, after seven whole years of dating Yukino, Haru had finally hit what lovers called the seven-year itch. Their daily life was filled with petty squabbles and growing weariness over trivial things.

Finally, on the day Yukino became pregnant before marriage, the biggest conflict between the couple erupted.

But time was a strange thing. Maybe the gods had heard their prayers.

An accident sent this foolish pair of lovers back to the day they first met in high school.

"If we're doing it over, I absolutely will NOT date you!!!"

"If we're doing it over, I absolutely will NOT date you!!!"

Lying on the infirmary beds, staring at their younger bodies, they turned to each other and said those very words.

But would it really go that smoothly—

So, Haru Haruka, and Yukinoshita Yukino, please do it over again!!!

Chapter 35: The Love Pillar

As she spoke, she was already right in front of Tetsu no Sosuke.

She reached out a hand. "Hey, I didn't mean any harm. You're not mad, are you?"

If you're worried I'd be mad, don't start off by doing that!

Tetsu no Sosuke couldn't even muster the energy to retort. He took her hand—it was small, but her strength was extraordinary. Normally, pulling someone up like this was supposed to be a cooperative effort.

But Tetsu no Sosuke felt like he hadn't used any strength at all; she yanked him up effortlessly.

"My name is Kanroji Mitsuri. You're Tetsu no Sosuke, right?"

She smiled. "Were you practicing swordsmanship? I've heard about you, you know. Training under the Flower Pillar to learn sword techniques, and someday you'll join the Demon Slayer Corps. Then let's get along from now on!"

Tetsu no Sosuke nodded. "You've got the wrong person."

So what if I'm mad?