The Sword Guard was not exactly suited to Sanemi Shinazugawa, but the Cold Silk was housed inside it, with a mechanism built onto it. That would make it especially convenient to use.
So Tetsu no Sosuke gave him the Sword Guard along with it.
Sanemi Shinazugawa looked at the object in his hand, then at Tetsu no Sosuke. After a long moment, he nodded silently. "Thanks."
With that, he turned and left.
Tetsu no Sosuke scratched his cheek. "What did I do to offend him?"
"Maybe nothing?"
Kanae sat listening to Tetsu no Sosuke complain, then said, "The Wind Pillar I remember was fiercely proud. Maybe he just doesn't want to lose to you."
Tetsu no Sosuke scratched his head. "Then he's dreaming."
Kanae laughed, clutching her stomach, then gave Tetsu no Sosuke's shoulder a couple of playful punches. "Could you be any less modest?"
"Everyone's moving forward. No one wants to stand still." Tetsu no Sosuke smiled. "But I've decided to take bigger steps than anyone else. Killing a few Demons alone doesn't mean much. Raising the strength of all Demon Hunters is the only way to solve the problem once and for all!"
Kanae stopped laughing and watched Tetsu no Sosuke quietly for a while. "That will be hard on you."
"I'm used to it."
The next day, Tetsu no Sosuke slept straight through. He had taken the medicine again.
Its side effects lasted only on the day he took it. After taking another medicine that night, he was full of energy by morning and threw himself back into work.
Forging, research, study—he had taken a break, rested, and met the Wind Pillar. Now he had to get back to what he needed to do.
More stones arrived, and he began sorting through them again, but