Kunfeng truly lived up to his reputation as a master craftsman. The moment he began, he entered a state of complete immersion. Without hesitation, he started feeding materials and the forged prototype into the furnace to begin the forging process.
For the first try, Kunfeng chose to work on the one-handed sword prototype. He wanted to warm up before attempting the more crucial task of forging Saphir's cruciform weapon.
The prototype quickly glowed red-hot, and the other materials began melting and merging with it. Kunfeng meticulously controlled the temperature of the flames. He knew that even the slightest error could drastically lower the quality of the final weapon. Even though the one-handed sword wasn't as significant as the cruciform weapon, Kunfeng treated it with unwavering focus.
Sucrose and the others came over to watch. No one wanted to miss the birth of a divine weapon—let alone three.
Before long, the prototype and materials fused completely. In the furnace, a shimmering golden outline of a one-handed sword began to take shape.
Kunfeng knew the moment had come. He quickly pulled the weapon out and placed it on the anvil. "Dark Shepherd, please lend me your strength."
Forging a weapon usually required time—relentless hammering to expel impurities, the whole "hundred refinements into steel" process. But Kunfeng and Saphir had previously agreed on a method to greatly speed up the process—Saphir's skill: Blessing of Courage.
This ability drastically enhanced strength and attack power. With it, Kunfeng's strikes hit with the force of ten, and the buff also increased his hammering speed. The compounding effect accelerated the forging by several times. If Wagner saw this, he might have dropped dead on the spot.
To the astonishment of everyone present, Kunfeng completed the first round of hammering at a speed that bordered on absurd.
Then he put the semi-forged blade back into the furnace.
"Normally, forging must be repeated nine times to represent perfection and fully purge all impurities. But this time, I think three passes will be enough," Kunfeng said as he wiped his sweat and pulled the sword out again, resuming his hammering.
After the third round, golden light visibly shimmered on the blade.
"A golden glow… no doubt about it, it's divine-grade," Yae Miko murmured. She had seen how Ei forged her sword, and though their techniques differed, the glow was the same. In fact, Kunfeng's sword glowed even more brilliantly than most divine weapons.
Once hammering was complete, Kunfeng adjusted the blade's alignment and moved on to quenching. He dunked the glowing blade into a barrel of water.
As steam billowed, the golden glow intensified. What was once a faint shimmer now radiated with dazzling brilliance. Even the composed Yae Miko couldn't help but feel anticipation for the final product. "Controlling the temperature of the sword while hammering to keep it at optimal quenching range… that's some terrifying temperature control."
Lisa nodded. "To perfectly bridge the hammering and quenching phases—and flawlessly at that—this alone is worth a lifetime of study for most blacksmiths. Kunfeng is truly remarkable."
With the quenching finished, Kunfeng picked up a whetstone and began sharpening the blade. The remaining steps were simple, and soon the weapon was complete.
At the final strike, the golden light surged to its peak—then faded.
In the silence, a slender one-handed sword was revealed to all.
Its blade was icy blue—not a rare color in itself, but this sword was unique: translucent, like solidified ice. A faint phosphorescent glow shimmered across the blade, giving it a dreamlike appearance. Visually, it was stunning.
All the women present were immediately enamored by it. Yae Miko stepped forward, gently took the sword by the hilt, and studied it for a long while. She even lovingly stroked the blade before nodding in approval and passing it to Lisa.
After making its rounds, the sword ended up in Saphir's hands. She tested its balance and found it excellent. The weight was perfect—heavy enough to maintain striking power, yet light enough to ensure fluid movement. It was, without a doubt, a fine sword.
"With this, the one-handed sword is complete," Kunfeng said, wiping the sweat from his brow and grinning. "Even though it's man-made, I'm confident it can rival god-forged blades."
Saphir nodded. It was the most beautiful sword she had ever seen. Lisa and Sucrose were just as excited. How often did one get to witness the birth of a divine weapon?
Then Yae Miko suggested, "Let's give it a name."
Saphir hesitated. "This is meant as payment for Master Albedo. It wouldn't be right for me to name it."
"That's quite the extravagant payment," Yae Miko commented. "Though I respect Master Albedo's abilities… is he really worth it?"
Saphir's gaze was unreadable. "He is. Because I never invest in the present—I invest in the future." Like Diluc, she was the type to bet on long-term potential. Albedo's alchemy hadn't yet reached the level of his creator, the "Golden" Rhinehardt, but Saphir believed the payoff would be more than worth the cost.
"Of course," she added, looking at the others, "your rewards are coming too."
Kunfeng was the first to wave it off. "Please, Dark Shepherd, don't joke like that. This is my duty."
Sucrose also declined. "I gained so much from this experience. That alone is reward enough. I only ask… that you allow me to report the process to Master Albedo."
Saphir looked at the young girl—still so green, but clearly determined—and asked again, "That's all you want?"
"Yes!" Sucrose stood up straight, emphasizing her sincerity with her whole body.
"Well…" Saphir nodded. "You did the most work on the prototypes. I was planning to give you a few Ley Line Sprouts…"
Sucrose hesitated. She knew that while Saphir had a stockpile, the material was rare. To think her labor alone had earned her such a gift…
But after two seconds, she still refused. Greed was a trap—and she hadn't forgotten Saphir's ties to the Fatui. Taking something here meant owing something later.
Saphir was surprised by her resolve but didn't push. If she knew what Sucrose was thinking, she'd probably be crying in frustration. Heaven knew she just wanted to offer a sincere thank-you gift—not extort anyone. But alas, in most people's eyes, the Fatui might as well be wolves.
Then Saphir turned to Lisa, the elegant Rose Witch, who remained as graceful as ever. Winning Lisa over with a suitable reward was nearly impossible. She had a thirst for knowledge, but rumors said that thirst had led her to taboo knowledge, shortening her life. Since then, she'd retreated to Mondstadt to live a quiet life as a librarian. She rarely used her full power anymore—perhaps to preserve what time she had left.
"Technically, I could demand a handsome reward," Lisa said, smiling, "but a favor from the 'Dark Shepherd' might be worth more. Who knows when I'll need your help?"
She was being candid. A favor, once owed, was infinitely valuable—as long as it wasn't redeemed.
Lisa recalled rumors from Liyue—a Fatui supposedly killed a certain female ship captain… who then showed up alive and well a few days later. Once, she would've dismissed such tales as nonsense. But now, seeing Saphir in person, she found herself reconsidering. If anyone could pull that off, it would be her.
Saphir groaned, "Lisa—uh, I mean… elder sister Lisa. Can't you just have a little more faith in me? Friends should trust each other. What's that saying? You can't grow true bonds through guilt and obligation!"
Lisa ignored the slip of the tongue and flicked her hair back. "Trust is good, but I trust more in how far you'll go to repay a debt. That's more reliable. Still, if it's about friendship… you can say I helped for free this time. Next time I need something, I won't hesitate to call on you."
A different way of framing it—but Saphir found it much easier to accept. "As expected of Big Sister Lisa! The power of words is real!"
Lisa chuckled, ignoring Saphir's antics. She glanced at Yae Miko, silently nudging her to speak.
Yae Miko didn't look pleased. "You're all acting like saints, no desires, no demands… you're making it hard for me to ask for anything! I was planning to thoroughly fleece this girl…"
Saphir laughed wildly. "How's it feel, huh? This is what we call destiny! The people are on my side! With a dragon riding my face, how can I lose, family?"
"Hmph…" Yae Miko tapped her chin. "Well, since no one else is asking for rewards, I suppose I shouldn't be so shameless either. Fine, I won't ask for anything now—but I do have one request. I want to meet someone… though you don't have the power to make that happen yet. We'll wait."
"So, just like Lisa—you're keeping it as credit," Saphir replied. She knew exactly who Yae Miko wanted to see, but it wasn't the time to bring up painful memories.
In the end, she'd handed out no rewards—just accumulated two very heavy debts. Favors were the hardest thing to repay. Honestly, she'd rather they'd asked for Mora.
Yae Miko circled back to the previous topic. "Enough about rewards. As for naming the sword, my vote is still that you do it. It's a gift—giving it a proper name makes it feel much more meaningful."
Saphir hesitated. "I was hoping to let Master Albedo name it himself. That would feel more… ceremonial."
"Ceremony?" Lisa laughed. "You really expect those two jokers to pull off anything with ceremony? They're delivering it. I wouldn't trust them not to just toss it at him and leave."
She had a point. Saphir could already picture Lumine and Paimon dropping the sword in Albedo's hands and running off. With that mental image, her hopes of a "ceremonial" moment vanished.
She stared at the icy-blue blade for a while, and a name surfaced in her mind.
"Let's call it… Kenshi Masamune."
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