For some reason, the people around the lord's residence vaguely heard the sound of metal being hammered, again and again. Yet it felt different from ordinary forging.
The sound was rhythmic and clear. Not only did it fail to irritate, it made people unconsciously listen closer, their entire being immersed in it.
This is the Thunder God beating his drum, parents say this to their children.
And as if responding to those words, a white flash suddenly streaked across the sky. Immediately after, a deafening clap of thunder crashed down, piercing every person's soul.
Clang!
Another sound rang out, even clearer and more pleasant, carrying a lingering tremor, like a dragon's cry and also like the sound of wind~
Sizzle…
This was the sound of red-hot iron falling into coolant.
Clang!
Clang!
The sound of forging continued, and at this moment, a torrential rain poured down. The countless raindrops gradually drowned out the collision of steel and fire…
The storm lasted until dawn. When the wind stopped and the rain subsided, and sunlight began to spill across the damp earth, inside a room filled with rolling heat, a group of utterly exhausted swordsmiths completed the final step.
This forging had drained them of all their strength. Afterward, they would probably need a long period of rest, some might even fall seriously ill because of it.
Yet no one showed any regret. Their gazes were fixed on the only person still standing in the room, on the long sword of unusual design raised high in Iori's hands.
At this moment, everyone, including Nobuyasu, felt immense satisfaction and happiness. It was a sense of transcendence, of "nothing more to ask for in this life." As craftsmen, they had surpassed their ancestors and achieved an unprecedented feat.
And Iori, who had participated in the entire forging process, expended tremendous effort himself, and had even used up more than half of his spiritual pressure, also felt mentally exhausted.
Still, he forced himself to steady his mind and carefully examined the treasured sword in his hands.
"…It really is a fine sword!" he exclaimed sincerely.
"I have never felt joy like this in my life… and I never will again."
Nobuyasu sincerely asked Iori, "May I be the one to name this sword?"
Before Iori could answer, the other swordsmiths' expressions twisted. Nobuyasu hesitated as well, seemingly realizing something was off, and instead discussed it with the others.
Iori didn't really mind. A true name was indeed something very important, but a blade blank was a blade blank, and a Zanpakuto was a Zanpakuto. Them naming this sword wouldn't affect the future release name at all.
"Alright! It's decided then!"
Very quickly, the group of old men settled on the name of this divine sword based on the abnormal weather that had appeared during today's forging.
And at that very moment, a familiar notification sound rang out in Iori's mind.
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[CG Recorded]
[Ame no Murakumo Sword]
[Category: Exclusive Armament]
———
[Information Overview]
[Base Attributes]
[Eternal Edge: Remains sharp at all times, even without polishing.]
[Eternal Firmness: Extremely high strength and toughness, almost impossible to damage unless subjected to pressure far beyond its tolerance limit.]
[Dragon's Lament: The sword body seems to condense a kind of sorrow and regret, to the point that it can affect reality. On rainy days or near sources of water, the abundant essence of water increases the wielder's stamina recovery speed.]
[Forming ties with "dragons," or fusing compatible materials, can change and enhance this effect, granting the sword new attributes.]
———
[Innate Skills]
[1. The gem at the end of the hilt can additionally store life energy and spiritual energy and refine them, forming extremely pure "divine energy," which can be applied to the blade to amplify the power of slashes.]
[2. By infusing energy into the sword body, it can release crescent-shaped long-range slashes, with power determined by the energy's intensity.]
[It can be charged in multiple stages, continuously pouring in energy and compressing it, then releasing it in one breath to raise destructive power to its peak.]
———
[CG Recorded]
[Zanpakuto: Unknown]
[Category: Bond]
[Level: —]
[Quality: —]
[Reward: —]
[Special Note: The true name is not yet unsealed, but the restrained power is already dissatisfied with the sluggishness of the base form, restlessly yearning to emerge.]
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"So that's how it is… you really like this, don't you?"
Iori examined the long sword, one that ordinary people would find difficult to use. Its main body was like green jade, with alloy lines outlining it.
The spine was straight and thick, while the blade was divided into a smooth front section suited for thrusting, and a rear section with wave-like curves suited for tearing.
Overall, it looked quite different from both the Far Eastern and continental styles.
This wasn't something Nobuyasu and the others had deliberately designed, nor was it something Iori had intentionally forged this way. Rather, just as they said, "as if it was born this way, simply shedding its shell."
And the "other self" within Iori also seemed quite satisfied with this sword.
"Then there's only one thing left to do…"
Iori's gaze passed through the walls and windows, looking toward the distant, boundless sea.
"Let's fulfill the promise, Izumo Azure Dragon!"
A strange man cloaked from head to toe arrived at the seaside. Although he kept a low profile, the odd mask made his identity obvious at a glance, he was the great swordsman who had once driven back the Dragon King at sea and saved countless soldiers.
He ignored everyone who tried to strike up a conversation. He simply bought a small skiff from a fishing family and sailed out to sea, leaving behind countless speculations among those who watched him go.
"He's clearly a swordsman, but he didn't bring a sword."
"Is he going home? I heard he came from the other side of the sea."
"A small boat like that can't cross the ocean."
"What's that thing he's holding? It's wrapped in burlap."
"Could he be going to challenge the Dragon King?"
One person's words made everyone fall silent. Yet the thought was like a seed, beginning to grow uncontrollably.
Izumo Azure Dragon, once a being they worshiped as a god. But starting about ten years ago, its behavior became strange.
It not only rarely left its lair to wander about, but even proactively went onto land, seeking out large aberrant beings (dangerous species) living inland to fight.
Battle after battle ended in the Azure Dragon's victory, and nearly all aberrant beings on the island chose to submit to it.
Even so, it was not satisfied. It continued searching for opponents, from the sea to the land and then to the sky, as if it wanted to turn every place it could reach into its own domain.
Yet from its actions, there was no sense of an ambition to become a "king." It seemed to be purely pursuing battle with the strong, even including confrontations with human armies.
Such days lasted for ten years. The island, especially the coastal nations, suffered greatly, forcing those who once revered the Azure Dragon like a god to unite and form a powerful fleet to launch an expedition…
The facts proved that even sending out an army was not enough to kill that majestic dragon. The foreign people from a thousand years ago couldn't do it, and neither could the islanders of today.
But… could this mysteriously appearing swordsman, who injured the Azure Dragon by his own strength alone, create that miracle?
More and more people learned of Iori sailing out alone in a small boat. Some worried, some hoped. Some feared the Dragon King's thunderous wrath, while others prayed to gods and Buddhas for Iori's martial fortune.
Unknowingly, all kinds of wishes and countless worries wrapped themselves around Iori.
…At this moment, Iori himself was completely focused, neither caring about nor paying attention to anyone else's thoughts.
Riding the small boat along the current, he unknowingly drifted far from the shore. Around him stretched an endless ocean, as if only he remained between heaven and earth.
There was no need to search deliberately. Quietly waiting was enough, because the boy knew that certain things were bound to come.
Like gravity. Like fate. Like fruit falling to the ground once it ripens, completely natural.
The cool sea breeze grew heavier with moisture, making even the hem of his cloak, lifted by the wind, seem weighted down as it absorbed water and hung near his feet.
Clouds in the sky gradually gathered from all directions, shifting from flawless white to gloomy gray. At the hollow center, the edges glimmered faintly with gold, like the eye of a god observing the mortal world.
"Humans and beasts are born, age, fall ill, and die. Immortals and gods also suffer the Five Declines of Heaven and Man. Nothing in this world can escape the shackles of time and fate."
"It's an incurable disease, a curse bestowed on every living being from the moment of birth… you could also call it a blessing."
After all, the world is not beautiful everywhere, Iori said as he gripped the long object wrapped in burlap.
"You are so powerful. Your body is as hard as steel, scales as armor, teeth as blades, claws as spears. A swing of your body stirs wind and clouds, and a shake of your mane summons thunder to the world. You are practically the most perfect creature in existence~
"Yet even you cannot withstand the erosion of time…"
"Roar!"
From far to near, a low chant echoed from within the clouds. A majestic figure revealed glimpses of scales and form through the gaps.
"Like a beautiful flower, if it is destined to wither, then it might as well wither in splendor!"
BOOM!
A thick white bolt of lightning struck down from the sky toward the small boat.
"This is what you desire, isn't it?"
Grabbing the sword hilt, the raging wind blew away the rough burlap, revealing a slender sword body as clear as jade.
Clang!
Blazing white sword pressure shot out, colliding fiercely with the lightning in midair like a crescent moon. In an instant, violent winds scattered and lightning shattered.
Arc after arc of electricity exploded around the small boat. The surging waves made the tiny skiff rise and fall, yet Iori stood firmly at the bow the entire time.
"Then let me, as a reaper of souls, grant you this blessing of fate!"
The long sword pointed toward the sky. The enormous body, like a mountain range floating in the heavens, coiled and swept its tail, splitting the gray clouds as it descended at a speed rivaling lightning.
Bang!
A thirty-meter-high wave rolled back toward them. The small boat advanced straight into it. Facing a massive wave that could easily swallow him whole, Iori brought the long sword down in a single downward slash.
Break!
Like a scene from myth reborn, the sea wave was split cleanly in two by invisible force.
However, what emerged from behind the wave was an evil dragon's gaping maw, rows of sharp teeth like a forest of blades.
The force that had split the sea was easily torn apart, and with a snap of its jaws, the small boat was crushed into countless fragments scattered across the ocean.
The Azure Dragon showed no hesitation. After biting the boat apart, it plunged straight into the sea. Almost at the same moment, Iori appeared in midair, his long sword slashing fiercely into the silver mane along its spine.
Rip!
Large swaths of mane were severed, and even the hard scales were split open. Scalding blood burst forth, filling the sea breeze with the heat of life.
If not for that slight lowering of its head, Iori's strike would have landed directly on the Azure Dragon's forehead.
Smack!
A massive shadow slammed down like a steel war chariot at full speed, smashing Iori away.
A single tail swipe sent the boy flying. The Azure Dragon plunged fully into the sea, leaving only a winding ridge of waves racing across the surface.
By the time Iori had been flung over a hundred meters, his body skipping across the sea like a stone, the Azure Dragon had already torn through the rippling rings of water like an arrow loosed from a bow. Just as the boy was about to stabilize himself, it suddenly burst up from beneath the surface.
Shhk!
Clang!
The dragon's upper jaw was pierced through by the Sword of Ame no Murakumo, but Iori's thigh was lightly grazed by sharp teeth, instantly tearing open a bloody wound.
At the critical moment, thick pillars of light, each as wide as spear shafts, appeared around him, barely holding off the dragon's bite. They were the "Hundred-Step Railings" he had summoned with a binding technique.
Creak~
The overwhelming bite force quickly crushed the hastily summoned pillars of light, but fortunately, Iori escaped the dragon's jaws before that happened.
"Red Smoke Escape!"
As the boy was sent flying, he aimed his left hand at the dragon's head. With a light shout, large amounts of red smoke burst forth from his palm, instantly depriving the Azure Dragon of its vision, even though it was a low-level binding spell, used in the right situation it could still be extremely effective.
"Slash!"
Using flash step to move to the dragon's belly, white air wrapped around the blade as if extending the sword out of thin air.
The strike fell decisively and coldly, tearing open the dragon's hide and sending blood spraying everywhere.
"Roar!!!"
The wounded dragon flew into a rage. Specks of electric light began to jump between the gaps in its scales. Seeing this, Iori felt his scalp go numb.
Knowing what was about to happen, he immediately changed his stance, planted his feet against the dragon's body, and kicked off hard, shooting into the sea like a flying fish.
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