Master Blacksmith in Demon Slayer

He straightened his clothes and carefully adjusted his mask, heading down the mountain while thinking, "That sword delivered today must belong to a woman. And tonight in the hot spring, I ran into a woman from the Demon Slayer Corps... and she looked so familiar. If she's familiar, she can't be from the Swordsmith Village—whether in the manga or anime, they always wear Fireman Masks. So she's definitely a member of the Demon Slayer Corps. Wait... could it be her?"

He spun around abruptly, but from here he clearly couldn't see the mountaintop, nor the hot spring and the woman within it.

Finally, he frowned slightly. "She's still alive."

The Flower Pillar—Kochou Kanae!

This woman, who died at the hands of Upper Moon Two, Doma, was now alive and well.

"And though I don't know the specifics, that sword must be hers, right?"

As he walked back, Tetsu no Sosuke pondered, and for some reason, a bitter sense of unwillingness surged in his heart.

"Why should a good woman like her have to die at the hands of a monster like that? Is there a way to prevent this from happening?"

But he was just a swordsmith—a swordsmith who knew the Breath of the Sun, yes, but still just a swordsmith.

As a swordsmith, how could he decide the battles of the Nine Pillars?

How could he control the outcome of those fights?

By the time he got home, he hadn't come up with any solution. After all, as a swordsmith, the only thing they could do was forge Nichirin Blades!

"Forging..."

Setting down the basket, he stared at the broken Nichirin Blade on the anvil, and a fire suddenly ignited in Tetsu no Sosuke's eyes.

"That's right. As a swordsmith, there's a lot I can't change. The only thing I can change is... the sword in the swordsman's hand!!"

He looked at the Nichirin Blade before him. "If I can make it more perfect, can I help her win that battle she's fated to lose? No, not win—just hold out until dawn! Let her keep living!"

Taking a deep breath, he stepped up to the anvil and picked up his Forging Hammer. "Whether I can do it or not, this is the only thing I, as a swordsmith, can do right now!!"

Chapter 8: You Fixed It Really Well

From that night onward, Tetsu no Sosuke didn't rest.

He didn't know what he was holding out for. Maybe it was just that fleeting glimpse in the hot spring?

Or maybe he couldn't bear to see something beautiful, someone beautiful, destroyed by a thing like that?

Whatever the reason!

He had made up his mind.

He was going to wage a battle against something indescribable—a battle only he knew about.

Through the hammer in his hand, he would turn the impossible into the possible.

That was a swordsmith's fight.

And then... before he knew it, three days had passed.

The Nichirin Blade in his hands had been repaired.

The scale bar for controlling temperature had played a crucial role in fixing this sword.

Intuitive heat control—not a degree too much, not a degree too little.

Everything came together perfectly.

The blade's hardness was restored, and the edge was resharpened.

The material used for Nichirin Blades was completely different from ordinary iron. Before this, the entire process had only existed in theory for Tetsu no Sosuke.

But this time, though it was his first attempt, he had flawlessly combined theory and practice.

He raised the Nichirin Blade high. Maybe it was an illusion, but he thought he could hear the sword cheering!

With dark circles under his eyes, Tetsu no Sosuke twitched the corner of his mouth. "I really am losing it."

Weapon repair complete!

Current Weapon Sharpness Level: 2

Repairer: Strength +10, Constitution +10, Agility +10, Speed +10

Reward obtained: Bloodforging Method!

The chime in his ears rang out, and Tetsu no Sosuke froze for a moment. The stat boost was the same as forging a weapon from scratch?

"Is it because I only repaired the original Nichirin Blade?"

He guessed, but frowned at the 'Bloodforging Method' that appeared at the end of the notification.

He had a very bad feeling about it.

"Seems like some kind of evil forging technique? Do I have to sacrifice a human life? To forge a sword spirit?"

His mind wandered wildly as the information on the Bloodforging Method flooded into his thoughts.

His expression shifted slightly. "So that's it!"

The so-called Bloodforging Method wasn't some evil art requiring human sacrifice.

Instead, it involved using the sword owner's blood. At a critical moment, the blood would be dripped onto the blade, and through a special forging process, it would perfectly merge with the sword.

When a swordsman used such a weapon, it would feel like an extension of their own arm.

The strange thing was that no matter how heavy the weapon, once the Bloodforging Method was used, as long as it belonged to that owner, it would adjust to a weight matching them when they picked it up.

Even a weapon as massive as a hundred-jin door plank would feel as light as a willow catkin in its owner's hands.

"This forging method is basically... supernatural, isn't it?"

After sorting it out, Tetsu no Sosuke twitched the corner of his mouth. "But it's really impressive!"

No—it was extremely impressive.

Sheathing the weapon in his hand, Tetsu no Sosuke, who hadn't slept in two nights, trudged with unsteady steps toward the Village Chief's house.

He was going to deliver this blade and report back, while also reclaiming the first sword he'd ever forged.

That one had immense commemorative value!

"It's just a shame the Bloodforging Method came too late. Otherwise, this sword..."

As he walked, he glanced at the weapon in his hand. "How exactly should I convince the Village Chief to let me forge another Nichirin Blade for Kochou Kanae?"