Master Blacksmith in Demon Slayer

Yet when the stretcher passed by him, he saw Shinobu Kocho, pale-faced and drenched in blood.

That sight alone made Tetsu no Sosuke lose his appetite for dinner.

He couldn't help with the treatment either, only able to wait outside the door.

From other swordsmen in the same squad, he learned that the demon they'd encountered this time was exceptionally powerful. Three Demon Slayer Corps members had died, and the rest were all badly injured. Shinobu was lucky—most of her wounds were superficial. Another had lost limbs and fallen into a coma from blood loss, with no telling what state he'd wake up in.

Tetsu no Sosuke listened to all this in silence.

Only when the girls who'd been treating Shinobu came out did he go over to ask. Learning there was no major problem, he let out a soft sigh of relief.

That door slowly closed. Through the gap, he saw the bandaged girl, eyes shut tight, her face pale from blood loss.

Tetsu no Sosuke didn't go in to disturb her. He just silently turned and walked out.

In the courtyard, all was peaceful and quiet. A beautiful night, one to linger in.

If not for the heavy, oppressive scene he'd just witnessed, Tetsu no Sosuke's mood might have been quite lovely.

"But this is reality."

He tightened his grip on the sun, sat down on the courtyard steps, and stared blankly at the starry sky above.

The Demon Slayer Corps—fighting, injury, sacrifice... it happened every single day.

Sometimes to unfamiliar Corps members, sometimes to people he knew.

But the impact of the two was completely different.

Tetsu no Sosuke closed his eyes gently, forcing himself not to think about the injured Shinobu Kocho. Instead, he tried to sketch out a new Nichirin Blade in his mind.

At the same time...

He was hoping. Hoping the Village Chief would come up with something.

If he could really provide ordinary Demon Slayer Corps members with Nichirin Blades that suppressed demon regeneration, it would be a huge boost to their survival rate.

"Since I can't stop the past, I'll have to find a way to change the future reality... no matter what I can do."

Chapter 38: An Ambitious Man

The wind had turned colder, but the forge was still blazing hot.

Tetsu no Sosuke's gaze was utterly focused as he carefully removed a piece of Iron Material from the furnace.

Throughout the entire process, he held his breath, making sure not to inhale any of the gas escaping from it.

The Poison Forging Method!

Iron Material forged this way could be infused with corresponding toxins according to his will.

But during the forging process, he had to be careful of the gases released, as they also contained some toxins.

Not enough to be lethal, but depending on the poison, they could produce negative effects.

So during the Poison Forging, Tetsu no Sosuke always paid attention to the weather, wind direction, and where the gases dispersed.

Caught up in the wind, the already non-lethal toxins would lose their impact.

Because of these constraints, this piece of Iron Material had taken Tetsu no Sosuke several days to work on.

"It should be done."

Tetsu no Sosuke looked at the iron on the anvil. Next came the cooling process.

This would fix the toxin content within the Iron Material.

What was the specific principle?

Hell if he knew!

Just like Tetsu no Sosuke had no idea why a Nichirin Blade forged with the Bloodforging Method could provide Kanae with stamina.

A lot of things hadn't been verified.

But Tetsu no Sosuke believed he'd figure it all out in the future.

And the first step was the Nichirin Blade he'd forge for the Love Pillar next.

According to her, the main thing was adding weight to the blade, so the Bloodforging Method was the most suitable.

But thinking about that incredibly strong woman who insisted on acting delicate, Tetsu no Sosuke was speechless.

Blocking off one side of the Sword Forging Shed to keep the wind from blowing toxic gases into the Butterfly Estate, Tetsu no Sosuke turned and left his yard.

He carried a tray with a freshly brewed cup of medicine.

Opening the door, Shinobu Kocho's hopeful eyes turned toward him—only to see Tetsu no Sosuke's face.

The next second, she turned her head away, letting out a small "tch" of protest.

Tetsu no Sosuke smiled lightly and walked into the room. "How are you feeling today?"

"Don't need your fake kindness!" Shinobu snorted. "No matter how nice you are to me, I'll never indulge your ambitions."

He pushed open a window to let the air circulate, then turned back. "The weather's getting colder. The room needs some warmth, so only half an hour—let the air flow as much as possible."

He sat down beside her and took the medicine from the tray.

After testing the temperature, he handed it to Shinobu Kocho.

Shinobu Kocho reached out and took it, then reluctantly drank the medicine.

Because of her injury, the pressure on the Butterfly Estate suddenly increased.

Many incoming patients needed treatment. She was originally the main healer, but now she was bedridden.

The few young girls under her command immediately found themselves stretched thin.

So the task of delivering her medicine fell to Tetsu no Sosuke, the person she hated most.

In truth, Shinobu Kocho would never willingly drink anything handed over by this guy, but now... she had to grit her teeth and bear it!

After taking the medicine, she would recover quickly and escape this predicament.