Tetsu no Sosuke felt his anger clouding his judgment.
How else could he have forgotten that the Love Pillar's Nichirin Blade was a soft sword personally forged by Tecchin himself?
Yet as he gazed at the blade, Sosuke found himself hesitating.
"What's wrong?"
Noticing the troubled expression on Sosuke's face, Mitsuri leaned in and whispered, "Is something the matter?"
Sosuke glanced at her and shook his head. "This... I can't do it..."
"Huh?" Mitsuri blinked in surprise. "Why not?"
Sosuke remained silent. She leaned closer again. "Why not?"
Sosuke turned away, shifting his gaze. "Why?"
"..." Sosuke's face flushed crimson. "I can't!"
How was he supposed to forge a soft sword? He knew absolutely nothing about the necessary techniques! He'd have to ask Tecchin how they managed it.
Mitsuri clearly hadn't expected this answer. After a moment of stunned silence, she clapped her hands together. "We can ask, right? We can write a letter to the Village Chief! I'm sure he'll tell you!"
"...Aren't you in a hurry?" Sosuke glanced at her.
"Not at all!" Mitsuri shook her head. "My current Nichirin Blade is still perfectly usable for a long time. But I heard you can forge blades that require absolutely no effort to swing, so I thought I'd ask you to make one for me. You know, women's strength is always a bit weaker."
'You're the last person who should be saying that, you know!'
'Apologize to my bones that you nearly broke, you damn fool!'
Sosuke mentally cursed like mad, but his face remained calm. "Alright, I'll write to the Village Chief to inquire about the relevant techniques. However, if it's new knowledge, I won't use the materials for forging Nichirin Blades right away. This is to prevent wasting precious resources in case of failure. So, with the back-and-forth communication, your sword will likely take at least half a month to complete."
"Understood!" Mitsuri cheerfully agreed. "As long as I don't have any missions during that time, I'll be your sparring partner!"
"...Absolutely not necessary!" Sosuke gritted his teeth. 'Why are you trying to push me to my breaking point?!'
"Eh? Am I being rejected?" Mitsuri looked bewildered and instinctively grabbed Sosuke's wrist. "Why would you reject me? Did I do something wrong? I want to get along with you, to be good frie—"
Before she could finish, Sosuke heard a voice brimming with murderous intent from the other side.
"Tetsu no Sosuke!!!"
Sosuke's stiff neck creaked as he turned to see a figure standing in the corner of the courtyard.
Heterochromatic eyes blazed with equal fury, and the small white snake coiled around his shoulders arched its neck, flicking its tongue as if eager to strike.
Iguro Obanai!
'Why was he so angry?'
'Eeeeh?!'
'Could it be that Obanai had already been secretly in love with the Love Pillar at this point?'
'Hey, the Love Pillar's words just now weren't what you think they were!'
'The rest of her sentence was definitely going to be 'let's be good friends'! Don't misunderstand!'
Sosuke's nerves tightened.
He watched Obanai approach step by step, each stride seeming to carry the weight of a thousand pounds.
Staring intently at Sosuke, he demanded, his voice measured and deliberate, "Where is my Nichirin Blade?"
Obanai had received Tetsu no Sosuke's letter yesterday and arrived today, eager to retrieve his blade. Little did he know he would witness such a scene.
Sosuke sighed. "I'll go get it for you."
With that, he hurried inside.
He retrieved the Nichirin Blade he had crafted for Obanai and stepped back outside. There, he saw Mitsuri, her face flushed crimson, fidgeting awkwardly, occasionally stealing glances at Obanai. Her usual cheerful demeanor around him was completely absent.
Obanai, too, had lost his earlier aggressive edge. His gaze darted nervously around the room, avoiding Mitsuri's eyes at all costs.
'These two...'
Sosuke's face darkened. After a moment's reflection, he realized Obanai had indeed been secretly in love with the Love Pillar.
And the Love Pillar herself... she had become a Pillar primarily to find her ideal husband.
Her criteria were simple: strength above all else!
In essence, nearly every male Pillar met her standards. So, her awkwardness around Obanai might not necessarily indicate genuine affection; she acted similarly around all the other male Pillars... because they were all potential candidates.
However, if she chose Obanai, it would likely be a mutual decision.
As for the others... hmm...
Sosuke pondered the Pillars: a monk with overactive tear ducts, a ninja with three wives, a master brother with a fragile heart hidden behind an icy exterior, and a brother complex...
At this thought, Sosuke couldn't help but sigh. He felt like among the current Pillars, only his future wife seemed like a normal person.
The two before him were a man as serpentine as his nature and a woman obsessed with finding her husband.
Then there was the overly zealous youth, so passionate his blood seemed to be on fire...
Hmm... the Mist Pillar hadn't arrived yet, it seemed.
Tapping his forehead lightly, Sosuke thought, Obanai, 'you really need to pull yourself together.'
Sosuke approached Obanai with the box. "As you requested, this blade should possess some degree of demon-suppressing properties. However, its effectiveness still needs to be verified. For example, how long does it take for demons to regenerate from wounds inflicted by this blade? Is there a difference in regeneration time between small and large wounds?"
At this point, Sosuke spoke with grave seriousness. "There's something I must emphasize: while this blade can suppress demon regeneration, never underestimate them. Caution remains the first principle of combat. If my weapon leads to your death through carelessness, I would bear full responsibility! Though you are a swordsman and shouldn't need such reminders, I still hope that by repeating this warning, I can help you avoid mistakes in battle and ensure your continued success!"
Obanai's expression flickered slightly, and he nodded curtly. "Suppression is not eradication. I understand your meaning. I will never underestimate any demon!"
After a pause, he suddenly leaned close to Sosuke's ear and hissed through clenched teeth, "Just one word of warning, and you've already become this close? Sosuke... I absolutely will not lose!"
Sosuke stared in stunned silence. 'So, that's why you hesitated to speak that day? You wanted to warn me to keep my distance from the Love Pillar? Then why didn't you just say so?!'
'Wait... the real problem is that I haven't been keeping my distance, have I? That was just a misunderstanding!'