Master Blacksmith in Demon Slayer

This way, the edge retains its original hardness while the blade itself becomes relatively softer, improving toughness.

When the final step was completed, Tetsu no Sosuke attached the tsuba and hilt, and a blade with a jet-black body, silver-bright edge patterns, and an overall length of three shaku two sun was forged.

Looking at this blade, the expression on Tetsu no Sosuke's face was extremely complex.

The entire forging process was about finding a balance among various properties.

At the same time, the Forging Technique in his memory used external methods—annealing, quenching, tempering—to fill in the missing attributes.

In the end, he preserved as many high-quality properties as possible and completed the forging of a blade.

"Finally... I succeeded! You're the first blade I've ever forged. Hmm, should I give you a name? How about... Xiao Yi?"

Tetsu no Sosuke muttered to himself and expressed admiration for his naming ability.

But just then, a voice suddenly sounded in his ear.

[Weapon forging successful!]

[Current Weapon Sharpness Level: 1]

[Forger: Strength +10, Constitution +10, Agility +10, Speed +10]

[Reward obtained: Breath of the Sun!]

"Sun!"

Tetsu no Sosuke's eyes flew wide open: "Sun... Sun! Breath of the Sun!!!"

As an original fan who had even finished the manga, he naturally knew exactly what the Breath of the Sun was!

"The original Breathing Technique, the source of all Breathing Techniques! I, I fucking... forged a weapon and got the Breath of the Sun? What the hell kind of cheat ability is this?"

He was already dazed, about to spin around in place or touch his neck with the blade to calm himself down.

But just then, information suddenly surged into his mind.

The amount of information wasn't large—it was a special way of breathing.

However... that was all.

"What about the sword techniques? Hey... what about the sword techniques?"

Tetsu no Sosuke asked blankly, but no one answered him.

His cheat ability was very aloof; aside from giving him prompts, it didn't intend to answer any of his questions.

He stood there alone for a long time, then shook his head: "No, the Breathing Technique itself should contain sword techniques. I just need to deepen my understanding of the Breathing Technique and master it. I can definitely figure out the sword techniques!"

He nodded and looked back at the blade in his hand.

"Is the name Xiao Yi... a bit inappropriate? Since you brought me a reward like the Breath of the Sun, how about I call you... Sun? Isn't there a saying that goes, Sun... the sun!"

No answer. The surroundings were dead silent, and even the birds in the forest refused to chirp.

The corners of Tetsu no Sosuke's mouth twitched a couple of times: "Heaven gave me the skill of forging, but why didn't it give me the ability to name things!"

But he quickly pulled himself together—after all, he had even obtained the Breathing Technique, so what was there to complain about?

He sheathed the first blade he had forged into the scabbard he had made earlier and went to the yard, deciding to try the Breathing Technique.

He adjusted his breathing rhythm, following the memory in his mind, and was about to inhale...

"Brother Sosuke!!"

The roar of a brat startled countless birds from the forest!

"I... cough, cough, cough, cough!!"

Just as he was about to perform his first Breath of the Sun, Tetsu no Sosuke choked and nearly lost his breath, coughing uncontrollably. He whipped his head around and glared.

He saw a little brat wearing a Fireman Mask running and stumbling over: "Brother Sosuke, the Village Chief sent me to collect the blade."

"Huh?" Tetsu no Sosuke was baffled: "Collect the blade? What blade?"

"Haven't you been forging here these past two days? The Village Chief said today should be the day the blade is finished, so he told me to come get it. He wants to see what your current skill level is!"

The brat said this, then added mysteriously: "Recently, the Demon Slayer Corps has been fighting demons more and more fiercely, so Nichirin Blades are getting damaged more and more often. The big brothers, big sisters, uncles, and aunties in the village are all swamped. The Village Chief said if your skill is about right, you might not be able to forge a Nichirin Blade independently yet, but you can still repair worn-out ones."

"...How did he know I've been forging lately?"

Tetsu no Sosuke looked completely dumbfounded.

"He saw it," the brat said. "Not just the Village Chief—I've passed by your place these past two days and always heard the sound of your forging. Hmm, that thing in your hand is it, right? You really put your heart into it, even made a scabbard."

With that, he reached out to take it, and before Tetsu no Sosuke could react, the brat had snatched the blade.

"I'm heading off first! The Village Chief is still waiting."

With those words, without waiting for Tetsu no Sosuke's reply, the brat's little legs churned and he vanished in a flash.

"What does that kid eat to grow? How does he run so fast?"

Tetsu no Sosuke was speechless.

Meanwhile, on the other side, in the Swordsmith Village, inside the Village Chief's house, a woman with a faint smile always on her face was sitting in the hall, talking with the Village Chief, Kawahara Chintetsu.

Chapter 5: I Like You Quite a Bit

"I'm truly sorry to trouble you every single time."

The woman's voice was very gentle, like a warm spring breeze carrying the fragrance of flowers.

Kawahara Chintetsu shook his head. "The Flower Pillar is too polite. This is simply our work. In comparison, the swordsmen of the Demon Slayer Corps risk blood and life fighting demons—that is the true peril. For us smiths, if we can provide qualified weapons that prove useful in battle, that is the greatest comfort."

The Flower Pillar smiled faintly and was about to speak when noise arose outside the door.

Kawahara Chintetsu glanced over and asked, "What's going on out there?"

Soon, someone entered to report: "Village Chief, Kotetsu has brought the blade that Sosuke just finished."

"Oh?" Kawahara Chintetsu's voice carried a hint of surprise. "It actually succeeded?"

The Flower Pillar looked curious. "Is it a new Nichirin Blade?"