"What's wrong?"
Kanae turned back immediately. "What happened to you?"
"...Mm, nothing serious," Tetsu no Sosuke replied, shaking his head. For now, at least, he didn't need to worry about being struck down by the Flower Pillar.
"But there is something, right? By the way, this sword was repaired so quickly. You must have worked incredibly hard, pushing yourself to the limit."
A hint of apology flickered in Kanae's eyes. "It's my fault. If I had stood my ground and insisted you forge a Nichirin Blade for me directly, we wouldn't have needed to prove your skills by repairing this one. Though I'm still overjoyed it's been restored to its original condition."
"Forge a Nichirin Blade for you?" Sosuke seized on the key point. "Are you saying I can reforge your Nichirin Blade?"
"Yes," Kanae nodded, explaining the earlier events with the Village Chief without holding back.
Only then did Sosuke understand what had been going on.
He had been puzzled all along—how could he suddenly be able to repair Nichirin Blades out of nowhere?
It turned out that Kotetsu had taken his sword to the Flower Pillar just as she arrived. Impressed by his skill, she took him under her wing, leading to everything that followed.
For a moment, Sosuke didn't know what to say. After a long pause, he muttered, "I guess it was fate?"
Kanae's face flushed crimson, her thoughts drifting to who-knows-where.
Seeing her reaction, Sosuke hurriedly waved his hands. "Wait, I—I didn't mean it like that... It's just... it was such a coincidence, and we were at the hot spring that night..."
In his haste, he blurted out more than he intended.
Before he could finish, he froze, dumbstruck.
The Flower Pillar's face was now as red as the evening sky at sunset.
Silence hung heavy in the air...
After an eternity of silence, the Flower Pillar murmured, "It really does seem like fate."
Tetsu no Sosuke could only nod.
"So, you knew it was me before you came here? Is that why you were deliberately lowering your voice?" Kanae regarded him with a peculiar gaze.
With nothing left to hide, Sosuke nodded. "I was worried you'd just chop me down if you recognized me."
"...How could I ever do something like that?"
Kanae's eyes widened behind her glasses, her gaze fixed on Sosuke with utter disbelief. Her large eyes seemed to scream, How could you even think that of me?!
Sosuke quickly stammered, "Um, I understand now. You're a very kind girl, you'd never do something like that. It was just my overactive imagination."
"Good you realize that," Kanae said, turning her head away, her eyes still carrying a hint of disbelief.
'Yes, why didn't I feel the urge to draw my sword?'
She hadn't drawn her sword that night because it wasn't with her.
But what about now?
She shook her head frantically, refusing to dwell on the question. Instead, she turned to Sosuke with a serious expression. "Now, can we finally discuss my new Nichirin sword?"
"New Nichirin sword... Oh! Right!"
Sosuke perked up, snapping out of his earlier, almost involuntary state.
To be honest, having lived two lives, Sosuke had always been able to steel himself through hardships and struggles, pulling himself out of the mire of adversity time and again.
But the inexplicable, uncontrollable state he had just experienced—as if his mind had been possessed by a demon—was something he had no idea how to handle.
Fortunately, the Flower Pillar broke the deadlock!
Truly worthy of being one of the Nine Pillars, he thought.
Sosuke's mind began to wander, but when he noticed Kanae staring at him with her wide eyes again, he snapped back to attention. He cleared his throat and said, "So, Flower Pillar, do you have any specific requirements for your new weapon? I believe that if it's a new weapon, I should start by considering your unique traits and preferences. That way, I can forge a weapon that's perfectly suited to you."
Kanae nodded. "The most important thing is that it be lightweight. As a woman, even as a swordswoman, my physical strength is significantly less than that of men. If the weapon is too heavy, it will greatly strain my stamina."
Sosuke nodded. "And then?"
"...And then? Sharp enough?" Kanae shook her head. "Can we really make so many demands of a weapon?"
"Of course," Sosuke replied. "Since it's being custom-made for you, we need to consider every angle. Hmm, let me think... Stamina is one thing, and sufficient sharpness is essential. Next, we need to consider your sword technique and Breathing Technique. The final form of a sword technique, empowered by your Breathing Technique, is ultimately manifested through the weapon in your hand. If we put more thought into this aspect, we might be able to unlock entirely new variations in your slashing speed, power, and even the shape of your strikes."
"The Nichirin sword, as a weapon for slaying Demons, relies solely on its special material to kill Demons. But it falls far short of realizing the full potential of a weapon's inherent capabilities."
As Sosuke spoke these words, he may not have realized the extraordinary light that had gathered in his eyes.
Kanae, however, was drawn to this light. Merely gazing at it felt like being pulled in, as if it could sear her soul, leaving an indelible impression that made her tremble.
It wasn't until Sosuke finished speaking and turned to look at her that she snapped out of her trance.
"I... I didn't even realize..." she murmured, taking a deep breath to compose herself. She smiled at Sosuke. "What you said makes a lot of sense. But wouldn't forging such a Nichirin Blade be incredibly difficult?"
"Difficult, perhaps not. It simply requires careful consideration. And I'll need some help from you," Sosuke said, a little awkwardly. "I'm not sure if this is too forward for a swordsman, but if possible, I'd like to observe your sword technique closely."
"Sword technique?"
Kanae blinked.
"If it's not possible, then forget about it!"
Sosuke quickly added, "I didn't mean to offend you."
"You don't need to be so cautious," Kanae said, tapping her chin thoughtfully. After a moment, she continued, "But do you really need a private demonstration? That would interrupt my regular training. If you have time, you could come and observe my practice sessions."
"Observe? Really?" Sosuke was surprised. A demonstration would only be shown once, maybe twice at most. After all, she was a swordsman, not a dancer—there's no reason for her to perform for him every day.
But training? That's a daily routine!
If he could observe her daily training, wouldn't that mean he could see her every day?
No... he was getting his priorities mixed up. It meant he could witness the sword techniques of the Breath of the Flower every day!