As the winds and waters collided with each other, Sesshomaru eyes were set on the approaching dock. His ear twitched uncontrollably, and his nose took in the scent of molten metal, charcoal, and salted water. Unlike the sea, this water was meant for purification. The churning of the ship under pressure combined with the groans of some large thing moving gave voice to what any man would have thought was a monster. It couldn't have been another ship. As the crew started hustling to anchor Yamashi's ship, Milady and Hikozaemon II looked over the rails to see what the fuss was about. Milady's eyes sparkled and her lips turned to a grin. She knew the scent of this new place, or at least the owners of said scent.
My, my, how small the world was! Once upon a time, on her voyage to Zhongguo with Toga, she came across the masters of wind and terror. Not here, of course, but back at Nihon. Sesshomaru's big-hipped human companion knew of the wind weasels? This couldn't be a coincidence.
Yuko and Jaken gathered their things to stand at the sides of their respective leaders. Well, in Yuko's case, her flirty husband. Jaken took note of this new place and gasped with intrigue. The wooden dock led to a cobblestone courtyard of sorts with the flags of the ambassadors creating a border of color, but just beyond the courtyard was a large entrance into a cave and distinctive flags representing the kamaitachi, or wind weasels. Reijiro spoke quietly to inform his brother, Sanraku, that the dock and courtyard was sitting on an island that had been flattened. There was a small bridge over a bit of water from the sea that led to a wooden beach bar and some wash basins. Towels and changing rooms were already stocked with goodies for the travelers. It looked like the ambassadors had already stopped here and made their way forward, judging by the footprints of the yard.
When the large ship docked, the crewmen started unloading everything required for their travels. A large majority of their cargo was to remain at this new place. The House of Inu members all waited until Yamashi and Yuko invited them to wash up and enjoy the beach bar. Sesshomaru just frowned at everything related to the beach bar. It had Meioshi's name written all over it. That was almost literally. Her trademark plants, herbs, and alcohols were in plain sight, and her flag was plastered on the sides. Jaken recognized the shimenawa hanging over the seating area, and Yuko ran straight towards the bar without hesitation. She knew exactly where to go, what to do, and retrieved a set of instructions from her beloved sensei.
Curious to know what the apprentice was doing, Sesshomaru watched her for a moment as she was writing information down. It seemed important enough for Yuko's demeanor to change. She seemed worried. Yamashi walked over to her to investigate but only received a kiss in response. Yuko took a moment to really give him a verbal answer and instead reached for his hand and kissed his knuckles before hustling into the changing room. Something was wrong.
BOOM!
"Whoo, shit!" a voice bellowed.
From a great billow of smoke and fire came a large weasel shooting out of the cave with scythes for nails and very light armor on his long, sturdy body. It wasn't the kind of armor used for combat. More like protection against... fire. Not sure if it worked or not. The beast stood at 11 feet in height with red cornea and ghost blue irises. Its fur was close in color to the gray spots on the moon. Its teeth weren't particularly pronounced, but the weasel had plenty of them. Perhaps the cutest features on him that made him appear friendlier than most demons were his bushy tail and small ears.
"Ya good, bro?" another voice asked in between hacking.
"I got hit with a brick!" the weasel covered in ash and soot shouted before hacking. "Where did that shit even come from?"
"From the pain in my ass!" another voice joked, coughing and chuckling simultaneously. "It came from the wheels up top."
"I was at the top!" the weasel outside complained, walking back inside of a hill with different caves.
Yamashi laughed at the misfortune but waited for Yuko to reassure him that whatever was bothering her was a nuisance no more. She came out of the room to hurriedly grab some salt, stopped, embraced Yamashi to say thank you. He huffed with a smirk and whispered something to her before letting her go and watching her return to normal. Seeing Sesshomaru waiting for him to approach, Yamashi silently laughed at the reflection of curiosity, suspicion, excitement, and eagerness he had when he first arrived at the grottoes. He finally got to stand in Meioshi's place with great confidence. He wondered if the doctor saw him the way he's looking at Sesshomaru now. The inu prince's pupils were dilated, so, despite his cold demeanor, his eyes betrayed his strongest emotions.
Yamashi chuckled before explaining, "These are Moromao's Grottoes. He's who I do most of my business with before we make the trek to Loulan. Do you know how swords are made, Lord of the West?"
Sesshomaru locked eyes with Yamashi at the question, but it wasn't out of offense. He was remembering the day he had visited Totosai for the first time. Back then, he wasn't senile yet.
_________________________________________________
Several hundred years ago...
Snow flurried about on that wintry day, but Sesshomaru loved the winter and snow. He could camouflage the easiest and often played with Junibun and Hikozaemon II in snow piles. He had hoped to play with his grandfather and mother that afternoon, but Toga decided to let him see something special since he was learning to fly like his family. He rode on his father's back and clung to his furs to stay warm. On trips like these, Toga's back and shoulders were practically anchors. Without the armor, Toga was already muscular and as sturdy as stone. It was odd for someone as weighty as a stone to be so light like a bird, but perhaps all warriors were like his father. Strong in stature, not just power, and as fluid as wind. To be playful, Toga flew through gusts of snow to mimic the snow piles Sesshomaru often flopped in or popped out of to make Junibun jump away or pounce on him. That was the most fun part of this trip to a new place. Toga would spin into snow flurries or do a roll into one and toss Sesshomaru off his back so he would fly into a bigger flurry on his own. Before Sesshomaru flew too quickly or too far away, Toga would catch up and replace his tot on his back.
They played around until they made it to Totosai's volcanic furnace. Hearing the clanking of metal against an anvil was startling at first because of the volume, but Sesshomaru was interested in the massive difference of temperatures. No snow was around Totosai's lair.
"Where are we, tou-sama?" little Sesshomaru asked.
"This is Totosai's place, my son," Toga replied, turning to his son's little face. He was too cute for his own good, such fascination! "He is a good friend to me, and he has created all of my swords from my own fangs."
Sesshomaru flinched, hid under Toga's furs, and shouted, "I don't want him to take my teeth!"
Toga was surprised by the boy's response until he realized that his pup didn't like the idea of his teeth being ripped out. Fair enough. It hurts like hell if you just let Totosai claw the strongest one out, but Toga usually picked a weaker tooth to forge his swords. That way, it was still an established tooth and had a better structure than a baby tooth, and it could be fused with particular materials to enhance the structural strength the tooth lost.
He laughed softly before saying, "You're too young to forge a sword with your teeth, pup! Buuuutt, we can use the teeth that have fallen out already to make a training sword or stick for you. Think of Totosai as a yosei for teeth! He takes the fangs you don't need and instead makes them into something you will need."
"I can't just keep my baby teeth?" Sesshomaru asked, only showing his eyes from underneath Toga's furs. He wasn't having it with the old man and his teeth-stealing ways based on the severity level of the boy's hidden pout.
"If you're too uncomfortable with it, yes, you can. We'll come back when you're older. We're just helping him close up shop for now. This year, winter will have a lot of snow. Totosai goes to sleep for the winter like Junibun and a lot of other animals. That's how they get ready for the spring," Toga explained. That made Sesshomaru pop out and climb down from Toga's back.
He caught sight of one sword in particular that was very pretty. It was out of its sheath and sitting in water. The tsuka, or handle, of the sword was wrapped in a strange ito, or silk for better grip. The ito wasn't a solid piece of fabric like traditional swords but a mix of rice paper from shakuhachi-fu and linen. Both should have been ruined from water, yet they remained intact. The little one thought he heard music coming from it. Some snow floated over to it. It was like nature itself was playing the music notes. Sesshomaru smiled warmly at the snowflakes, tree leaves, and bits of ash fluttering over the sword. Each element played in harmony: fire didn't burn the snow or the leaves, wind didn't blow the fire away, and the snowflakes didn't freeze the leaves. When Sesshomaru walked closer to the blade, the water started glowing and he saw himself playing with Homugi and Takamuku at school under the elm tree. It was a special memory of his. He then saw the blade respond by making the sound of a flute. He saw images of himself playing with Junibun and Hikozaemon II, his mother, and his father from earlier.
"What kind of sword are you?" Sesshomaru asked, expecting a response from the sword.
"A rotten one that never sits still!" a voice grumbled from above the boy.
Sesshomaru looked up quickly, screamed, and ran over to his father to hide. Wasn't expecting an old man with big eyes to hover over him to glare at him. Well, he wasn't glaring at Sesshomaru per se. More or less, the sword. Totosai was wearing a large coat over his shoulders that completely covered his body. His hair was pinned up into a top bun halfway while the rest cascaded down. It was largely down to cover his large ears. His bead was shorter then, closer to his chin, and his whiskers were thicker. He blinked at the startled pup, quivering behind Sesshomaru's leg.
"Totosai, you're scaring my son! Where are your manners?" Toga reprimanded.
"In the cow pies with the rest of my failed creations!" Totosai complained, puffing his cheeks up.
"Mind your temper. You'll spew out flames," Toga warned, guarding Sesshomaru.
"Oh, nonsense! I wouldn't hurt you! We've been friends for years!" Totosai complained, waving him off and making Toga smile. "Your little one interested me. This sword never speaks. Let alone play music or memories. It favors him."
"Such a thing can happen with children?" Toga asked, looking down at his boy and patting his head to reassure him.
"Not usually. Children can't control their emotions or strength, so it is ill-advised to give them weapons when their souls can be easily tainted or overly purified to serve another's purpose. The spirits of the blades, or tamashii, directly reflect their wielders' character, strength, and purity. Your son did something unusual. His spirit called out to a silent outcast. The happiness within him united with the blade's spirit," Totosai explained.
To demonstrate, Totosai reached into the tub of water the sword was resting in and picked it up by the hilt. The snowflakes, leaves, and ash dropped down to dirty the water and the music stopped. The sword was silenced. When Totosai flipped the sword in his hand to catch it by the blade and walked over to Sesshomaru, the sword turned red, stirred up with electric power, and pulsed to summon a shield. That surprised Toga but startled Sesshomaru more. When the sword heard Sesshomaru's whimper, it's power went away and only the shield remained.
"... That's what's unusual," Totosai said softly, observing the sword's response. "Children aren't protected by 'living' swords like that. He is different. Their spirits might synchronize with the blade's, but they don't give the blade full animation or permission to protect them like an adult would. That sword can hear his fear and his desire to defend himself."
Toga looked down at his pup and realized what that meant. Sesshomaru was not going to be a "wielder" of swords like an average warrior or protector but... something else...
"I suppose that sword... will have to wait... before he can properly wield it. Do you hear that, my son? That sword there is protecting you," Toga said, kneeling in front of the boy.
"Eh?" Sesshomaru questioned, looking at the floating sword.
_____________________________________________________
"Ordinary blacksmiths make them with available materials, but a master blacksmith with refined taste chooses intricate sources to craft an individualized weapon," Sesshomaru responded. "The spirit that is fortunate enough to bind with the blade will meet with the blacksmith to keep it."
"You must hold Totosai in high regard to call him 'refined' and 'intricate' as a weapon curator," Yamashi remarked, nodding at Sesshomaru's answer. "My kind were taught that a fine weapon was created with the wielder's strength and fearlessness in mind. It was important that young boars protected their domain, so these qualities of character were often acknowledged. The humans, however, define 'weapons' a bit more poetically than we, demons. Warriors like Lord Kirameku Ha and Doc were taught that true samurai aren't allowed to use their swords in public. It is a dishonor against those they vowed to protect. The sword is an extension of the warrior, so an honorable one must already have courage and fearlessness, discipline and self-control, and the ability to exemplify these traits through service to others. Revealing their blades in a situation that was not dire, or that didn't demand their skill, is considered blasphemy among noble and military classes. Holy warriors... well, they go the extra mile with their weapons. They aren't just extensions of their personal qualities. They are extensions of their power. By now, I imagine you've seen Lord Kirameku Ha's and Doc's extensions of might."
Sesshomaru was quiet for a while, but his pupils were no longer dilated. Memories flashed across his eyes before it all disappeared behind his cold mask. Yamashi took his reaction as his response.
He then continued, "Notice how they don't 'show their hand' until it is time? Lord Kirameku Ha never reveals his full weapon. Only the very top of the blade, and you've probably seen his control of water escape if so. Doc is even more radical than the old man, but she has never used her personal sword in battle. It's actually more sacred than the snow sword she uses now. She goes through a purification process that would drive men mad before she even thinks of using it."
"Where is this sword of hers?" Sesshomaru demanded with unequivocal interest. "Why did she not fight me with it?"
"It is too sacred for the likes of you," Yamashi claimed proudly. "And, probably worst of all for egos like ours, she didn't need it to fight you. Very rarely does she meet an opponent that is worth her going through the purification process to battle them. Walk with me, inu prince. I'll let Moromao teach you the difference between an average sword and a true sword..."
_______________________________________________________
Inside of the grottoes had to be one of the most breathtaking experiences for Sesshomaru and Jaken. The wind weasels' blacksmith domain was a work of art all on its own! This... world was so vastly different from Totosai's in his lordship's memories. The caves that Sesshomaru had seen on the outside were really doors, windows, and skylights for the weasels to show off their tremendous work. The vegetation on the sides of the caves allowed tree roots, wild vines, and raining orchids to trickle inside and give a fabulous display of color, elegance, and intrigue. Murals of the wind weasels' lives were painted on the walls, and tapestries made from a rainbow of colors and dyes were woven together to create their business markers. They even had rules written in different languages! The most impressive thing to behold in this new world were the massive Water Wheel Mines.
The kamaitachi blacksmiths cooled their metals with purified rainwater and stalagmite or even lime condensation it seemed. The wheels were large plated gears easily triple their size that seemed to act as an irrigation system for them as well. Water dripped and was churned through the wheels or collected in buckets to fill wood-bordered canals of rushing water to cool newly crafted weapons rapidly and naturally. The materials to make the weapons were all placed inside of a room on the right with their rarity determining their place along the walls or on the pedestals for display. Wagons with metal and stone wheels that had grooves and teeth were placed closest to the blacksmith stations. The water wheels towered all the way to the tip of the main skylight. To the left on a second or third level where stairs seemed to be built was the weasels' potential treasury. Gold, blue, and red lights poured out of it like light was bouncing off jewels and gold.
The leader of the wind weasels sensed Yamashi's presence after he aided his brother. He plucked the big one's small ear and smirked. Happy to see Yamashi, the leader opened his arms up wide and embraced the rogue prince like an old friend would. They had similar backgrounds as rogues and formed a strong bond, so it was easy to see that they were brothers-in-arms rather than by blood. Sesshomaru was reminded of his father and Totosai in a way. While they never embraced each other as far as he knew, they often punched each other in the arm or spoke quietly together in thought when they were observing something. Toga even shared a similar knowledge of weapons with the old man when it came to how he used them and the faults he found in certain creations. His father never criticized Totosai, though. He always helped him improve and admired his friend's skills.
"Moromao!" Yamashi greeted once the two separated and backed up to give each other space. "How are you, man?"
Moromao was as tall as his brothers. Eleven feet in height and long in body, gray eyes instead of ghost blue against the red corneas, and light heat protection. Unlike his other brothers, Moromao's nails were clipped to a more normal claw size like Yamashi's, so he was a domesticated demon. He and Meioshi must also share a friendly bond since she's the main stewardess of the domesticated demons. Somehow or another, the doctor's access to resources of this quality and political holding over demons of equal status to him was becoming concerning for Sesshomaru. Why does a human have so much wealth hidden away to this degree? What was she really hiding from him?
"I got worried for a second. The ambassadors usually come with you on these excursions. I was surprised to see you show up a bit late. Where's your gilt?" Moromao asked, looking for Yuko. Gilt just meant boar wife.
"She's at Doc's bar, getting some instructions for the trip to Loulan. Didja see ole hazel eyes?"
"Pfft! Yeah. I don't know why she won't let me mount her. I know she wants me," Moromao joked. "I make the best weapons, and I always fix hers no charge."
Sesshomaru didn't like that joke in the slightest. Meioshi might be slightly pervy because of her... portraits, but she's still a noblewoman who has had trauma from a disgusting creature during wartime. She deserved respect and a partner, not a... creature looking to bed her again.
"Who are these new people I'm smelling from beyond the wind barriers? I recognize one of them," Moromao said, turning to the House of Inu crew filtering inside.
"This is Lord Sesshomaru of the West and his... attendant? Lord Jaken," Yamashi introduced.
Moromao grinned, taking notice to Sesshomaru's tense frown and said, "You're an open book for someone so quiet, aren't ya? Did I offend you, inu prince?"
"The doctor is not some damsel to bed. You will respect her in my presence," Sesshomaru defended in response.
Moromao didn't say anything for a moment, but something in him or about Sesshomaru just made him laugh. There wasn't the slightest bit of fear or intimidation coming from the weasel. But, he did say something that pissed Sesshomaru off. That was, "You should learn to appreciate humor, stiff dick. I think hazel eyes is a beauty and an astounding merchant. She should've taken up her father's occupation, honestly. Alas, I don't care about your interest in protecting her or her reputation. We do that on our own."
"Lord Sesshomaru is not to be disrespected! Show some manners in front of the House of Inu!" Jaken demanded, stomping his feet.
"Aha! That's who I'm smelling! Hottie's with you," Moromao said, nodding to a familiar presence. "It's been years, dog girl!"
"Hottie was better," Milady replied, walking up a bit more to greet Moromao. "Dare I bite you for insulting my son?"
"You can. Just know I bite back... tenderly," Moromao teased.
"That is my mother. You will show respect!" Sesshomaru said with a low, menacing growl.
"No, seriously, learn some humor, stiff dick," Moromao replied, exchanging glances from Sesshomaru to Milady. "I used to call you everything but a queen, eh, hottie? How's that life been? Oh, sorry about the sire."
"Traveling has been healing," Milady replied, smiling at Moromao. "You're a blacksmith now, kamaitachi? Fine career choice. Your cave is actually quite beautiful! You built all of this?"
"With help from my brothers!" Moromao said proudly. "Is your son always - ?"
"Yes," Milady answered quickly to shut Sesshomaru off.
"Ah, guess that's why his swords are prone to decay," Moromao said with thought.
"You dare insult me again, weasel?" Sesshomaru asked. If his swords were prone to decay, then his spirit was prone to decay. This would not do!
"I dare. Your swords are not indestructible against my claws, inu prince. They are sentimental in value at best against the likes of me," Moromao challenged confidently.
"Very well. If you are so confident in your skills," Sesshomaru started, unsheathing his sword, "surely you can break my swords with ease. Bakusaiga is my strongest weapon. Test its might against your claws."
"Very well. To show you how weak this blade is, I'll use a fine copper sword," Moromao suggested, walking over to his station. He chose a very basic sword design that resembled a long sword and waved a hand for everyone to move or give the two space.
"Copper? You're mad, blacksmith!" Jaken shouted.
"Nay, imp chief. I am merely saying to the inu prince what I was told some years ago. A fine sword doesn't just cut with excessive or recessive strength. It cuts as far as its wielder needs and by methods that ensure victory," Moromao instructed.
With a nod of his head, Moromao provoked Sesshomaru to charge at him. Not missing a beat, his lordship acted first and was met with the same speed from the wind weasel. Except the wind weasel dodged Sesshomaru's swing, poked a nerve in Sesshomaru's hand to make him involuntarily and quickly release his sword, and grabbed Bakusaiga bare-handed to...
SNAP!
Break it and toss the remains to the side. Sesshomaru was beyond shocked. That sword was indestructible! How did - ?
"His are lacking and won't cut me. It's easy to tell who crafted your blade, inu prince. You're too arrogant to possess a true sword. Lord Totosai crafted this weapon, didn't he?" Moromao asked.
"... My swords and my power are far greater than you can imagine. Do not underestimate me, weasel!" Sesshomaru defended, lifting up his claws instead.
"Oh, ruffled his lordship's feathers, have I?" Moromao asked, walking away from Sesshomaru to put his copper sword back in its original place. He walked back to the main floor to speak to Sesshomaru specifically and said, "You're just like the boar prince. Couldn't believe I dismantled his battle axe either! Ha! I grow more in love with my job every day! Alas, this means I owe the Jigoku clan an apology, after all."
"Why does this witch know so many fucking people!?" Sesshomaru questioned, absolutely seething from his lost sword and Moromao's dismissal of his power.
"Tch! When you find out the answer to that question, tell me. Her clan's only a couple years old compared to us! How does she get around?" Moromao asked. "Now that I've properly demonstrated that you're never going to defeat her with that tooth picker, let me tell you what I told ole Yamashi here. You need an average sword to protect yourself against petty criminals. You need a real sword to fight a real warrior. A true sword puts you in the arena of opponents that either meet your level or might be slightly higher than you anticipated. Once you are able to handle a true sword, you get to look at a master sword. Mastery of your skills lends you to access the master's arena. I respect that old fart way more now since becoming a blacksmith myself, but Totosai's lost a lot of steam since his prime days. His quality in swordsmithing will keep going down as he ages. That's just the honest truth. Shame his apprentice was a greedy shit. He might have been able to keep his legacy strong with someone else around. Hard to find decent hands among demon claws," Moromao instructed.
"Why didn't he choose you to be his apprentice since you know so much?" Sesshomaru snippily challenged.
"I tried to kill him more than once. Ain't that right, hottie?" Moromao replied, smirking at his old life.
"You were one of many," Milady agreed.
"Since becoming a swordsmith, I've learned plenty about weapons. What you had was a composite between a real sword and a true sword. The quality of your Bakusaiga was excellent for a hybrid type. It's your spirit. You lack the four key criteria of a master sword," Moromao instructed.
"What criteria? Me lord has learned plenty!" Jaken argued.
"Yeah, sure. If your lord was as 'indestructible' as his Bakusaiga, he'd have no reason to fight or train, yes?" Moromao asked.
"Well - ! He - !" Jaken tried unsuccessfully.
"Uh-huh. Well, dedication to mastery of the Bakusaiga actually determines the hardness of his sword. The more he trains, the more unique his choices in metal ores have to be to match his desire to learn and to perfect his fighting techniques. If he loses his reason to fight, he loses his chance to master his true self. From what I know about you, inu prince," Moromao said, walking over to a resting bench to continue the conversation, "you just mindlessly looked for the strongest weapons to mimic your sire. Bakusaiga, I'm guessing, is the first sword you've ever owned that linked with your fighting spirit. I don't see the others you collected on your person if the rumor about your quest is true. Not all warriors get the chance to obtain true swords. Most stop at real swords. Only those who show the talent and devotion to growth really become masters. That's the first criteria you're missing. Hence why it's so easy for me to break your sword."
"Does this mean his father's trials were still not enough? My unfriendly son is growling at you," Milady said, sighing.
"I don't know about all of that. I haven't spoken to Lord Aka in a while. My best guess is no. Developing feelings is not the same as developing sword mastery. I think the trials opened him up to better choices in real swords, though. Bakusaiga is very... professional. It does what its master wants: destroy in totality. However, in the hands of the right blacksmith, it could become a true sword with ease as long as he demonstrates a want for personal growth," Moromao explained. "If he's trying to fight Meioshi at full power the way Yamashi did, though, he doesn't stand a chance. Does he know about her sacred sword?"
"He does now," Yamashi explained. "He doesn't know what it looks like or anything. She fought him with a different sword."
"Right! That one you wrote about," Moromao replied, remembering Yamashi's letters. "Well, he's definitely got his work cut out for him."
"I'm not understanding any of this! First, Lady Meioshi is some grand stewardess from legacy; second, she has some invisible or whatever white steed we've yet to see according to Yuko; now, she has a sacred sword that can defeat the Bakusaiga? The one me lord obtained after submitting himself to the Meido Zangetsuha's prison? The partner of Tenseiga that Totosai enhanced for him after completing the Great Dog General's final trials? Why does she have anything that could do such a thing?" Jaken questioned, really losing it.
"... If she didn't tell you herself, she doesn't trust you," Moromao said plainly. "But, perhaps, you'd like to know a little secret about your new human companion. Holy warriors are such an anomaly for two reasons: one, they can easily exceed a regular priest's or priestess's power because their devotion is stronger; two, they can enter what Lady Meioshi has called a fourth realm. It's a level of mastery and power that is the hardest to cross. The Shinseina waza, or godly arts, is where the ultimate strength and indestructibility lie. It is known as the finite point of all masters, but Lady Meioshi believes it is possible to go beyond even that. How? Well..., no one has ever found out. My dream is to create a sword that can reach passed the Master's Finite. Can you imagine that? The first swordsmith to craft something beyond the impossible!
Hmph! Someday... For now, let's teach you the basics, prince. Each level of sword mastery can be broken into groups. For average swords, you can get a basic training sword and a low-quality metal sword for simple practice. It is highly favored for children of warriors and your typical farmhand or low-class army recruit. You can count that as Level 0 and Level 1, respectively. For real swords, you can get better quality and sturdiness. These are meant for village guards, officers, and maybe a low-class noble to show status. Each lower level has an 'improved' form if you notice and their respective levels go from 0 to 4. True swords start the distinctive line between a toothpick and an organ-buster. The four key criteria have to be met in true phase before you're given a mastery level. Your blacksmith helps you determine that. What Totosai is able to do that most swordsmiths don't do is continuously adjust with you. Most swordsmiths focus on their own crafting techniques. They don't focus on the wielders. I often make that same mistake or choice. If you want to know Meioshi's true level of power, mastery, or otherwise, your best bet is to find her blacksmith. If the rumors around her are true, she's only ever gone to her blacksmith once. She refuses to be told what her level of mastery is. I think she's reached the godly arts, personally. Why else would you know there's a fourth realm to cross or master's finite point to earn if you hadn't reached it yet...?"