It was evening and Ikazuchi found himself at Godfrey’s shop once more. He had just finished his meal when the blacksmith appeared and all but forced him to come along. Ikazuchi’s relationship with Godfrey was strained after his last job, but he reluctantly agreed when he recalled all of the help and guidance he received in order to improve his own blacksmithing skills. It could be said that Ikazuchi had officially became a full-fledged blacksmith thanks to the man, so it wasn’t easy for him to simply refuse despite his reservations.

The young man was thankful to have only been dragged along to Godfrey’s shop, but he couldn’t help but notice the slight differences in the workshop after entering. ‘This place is a mess...’ His gaze turned to the blacksmith at this point. ‘...and he doesn’t seem...normal.’ The previous passion that he could see burning in the blacksmith’s eyes had gradually shifted to obsession. This wasn’t the first time that Ikazuchi thought this either. Ikazuchi had noticed this particularly after he delivered the scroll to Godfrey alongside Akushitsuna. As for that scroll, it was sprawled out on a pedestal that was a safe distance from the anvil. Seeing it, Ikazuchi couldn’t help but feel doubtful as he waited for Godfrey to finally explain the situation to him.

WC: 210

“I need help forging my greatest masterpiece. That’s why I need you, someone who understands my style and can assist me while also having a large enough mana pool to support the crafting process.” Godfrey spoke to Ikazuchi and made his request sincerely, but the man remained stationary in front of the pedestal where that scroll rested. The strange behavior piqued Ikazuchi’s curiosity, but he didn’t say anything about it. This wasn’t the time to express his doubts, so he simply focused on the request.

“Godfrey, this is a request, right?” Ikazuchi felt the need to sort out this situation beforehand. The sudden question finally drew Godfrey’s attention from the scroll to Ikazuchi. “Of course, you will be rewarded for this like any other job.” Ikazuchi felt relieved to hear that for multiple reasons. He naturally didn’t want to suffer a loss, but it also showed that Godfrey’s sense of reason remained. “Alright, I accept this request. Could you explain what I will actually be doing?”

Godfrey appeared to be relieved by the young man’s acceptance, so he was able to comfortably respond to the question this time. “I may need you to assist slightly with some minor tasks like you did in the past, but that isn’t the most important task.” Ikazuchi unintentionally focused more as he waited for Godfrey to continue. “More than anything else, I need you to pour your mana into the blade in order for me to grant the weapon a special power.”

WC: 240
TWC: 450

“So you need my mana? That sounds simple enough.” Ikazuchi didn’t hesitate to remove his equipment and prepare himself for what would likely be a long and tiring forging process. He happened to see Godfrey appraising several materials that he recognized from the previous requests that he had completed. ‘Looks like he’s been planning to make this sword for a long time.’ Ikazuchi couldn’t help but wonder why Godfrey seemed so fixated on this crafting recipe.

‘Well, I guess I will find out…’ Ikazuchi moved to action at this point, assuming the role that an assistant typically would. “What temperature do you need for that metal?” He left the materials to Godfrey, so the first step was to naturally heat up the forge. “The metal that we’ll be working with is one that calls for the forge to run as hot as possible, so don’t hold back. Otherwise, we may not even be able to shape the blade.”

Ikazuchi couldn’t help but pause when he heard this fact. “I figured that Cadmium would need more delicacy than that.” Afterwards he would proceed to go through the standard process without questioning Godfrey. Thankfully, the man wasn’t as restrained as he used to be with his knowledge. “It’s an extremely heat resistant material, so the forge alone isn’t actually enough to work the material. The main thing is your mana, I will be using a special technique to further strengthen the heat affecting it with your channelled mana. I don’t have the mana pool to actually forge the blade, so I have to rely on you for this.” Godfrey paused for a moment before continuing. “You should make sure to pay attention and learn the technique, it can be considered an additional compensation to you for helping me out.”

WC: 290
TWC: 740

Ikazuchi’s passion as a blacksmith was ignited as he heard Godfrey’s offer. He focused on getting the forge up to its maximum temperature, but he didn’t forget to offer a word of thanks before focusing. Godfrey had finished preparing and appraising the materials that would be used for crafting and was reviewing the crafting recipe one final time. If Ikazuchi wasn’t focused then he may have noticed the seemingly bewitched expression that his Blacksmith teacher wore at this moment.

“It’s ready.” Ikazuchi said after getting the forge to consistently maintain its highest temperature for a period of time. A bead of sweat ran down his face as he turned to Godfrey who finally tore his gaze away from the scroll. “It’s time to start.” The blacksmith was holding the Cadmium with the appropriate tool as he approached to forge and inserted the metal before turning to Ikazuchi.

“This will be the only time I insert the metal into the forge. You will have to be the one moving it from the forge to the anvil after this as you will be channelling your mana into it for me.” Ikazuchi listened intently as he approached and took hold of the tool that held the rare metal. “You can go ahead and start channelling your mana. Cadmium is a mana conductive material, so it can naturally interact to a certain extent.” Ikazuchi didn’t hesitate to pour his mana towards the metal that was faintly glowing in the forge through the tool in response to Godfrey’s command.

WC: 250
TWC: 990

“Good. Pay attention to the color of the metal, and remove it when the metal reaches its limit.” Godfrey was standing next to Ikazuchi and observing him in order to confirm that he was able to properly follow his directions. This was something that Ikazuchi became accustomed to when Godfrey guided him in the past, so he didn’t pay any attention. Instead, his gaze was trained on the color of the metal.

When Ikazuchi finally removed the metal from the blazing forge Godfrey nodded contentedly as they arrived at the anvil. “The next step requires me to use my own mana in order to flow into the core of the metal and shape the internal structure of the blade. This process intensely fuels the heat in a particular spot allowing the second strike to shape the exterior of the blade.” Godfrey swung his hammer with a unique rhythm as the strikes came in pairs and hit specific points on the blade. Ikazuchi was thankful for his eyes at this moment as he could faintly distinguish the locations that Godfrey aimed for using his knowledge and experience.

Ikazuchi recalled something at this moment. “This metal is supposed to be toxic, right?” Godfrey’s actions continued to flow without hesitation as he responded to the question. “The mana that gathers in Cadmium is extremely toxic and sensitive to heat. This is due to the unique environment that the metal forms in. If it weren’t for the fact that it was housed in the heat resistant metal, the toxic nature of this metal would kill anyone who attempted to work with it.”

WC: 260
TWC: 1,250

Based on Godfrey’s tone, Ikazuchi was able to understand that there wouldn’t be many exceptions to the metal’s toxicity. It was only now that he understood how dangerous the metal that he had smuggled for Godfrey was. It also led to another question that he couldn’t resist asking. “Why are you striking those particular spots?”

Godfrey smirked at Ikazuchi’s question and responded. “You noticed that?” Godfrey swung his hammer two more times before stepping back and signalling for the slowly shaping metal to be placed back into the forge. “Mana that gathers in metal tends to be volatile in nature, so it conducts heat very well. When I strike with my hammer, I aim for the nodes within the metal where the mana gathers and inject a small stream of my own mana to create a path for the heat outside to ignite that mana.” Godfrey was patiently explaining the technique to Ikazuchi despite having told him to simply watch and learn. This made it very apparent that Godfrey still had his pride as a blacksmith that wouldn’t allow him to teach someone poorly.

“So it only helps shape the metal?” Ikazuchi was slightly disappointed to hear that the technique was so simple. Godfrey directed him to remove the metal from the forge and return it to the anvil once more as he silently hammered away for a time. Ikazuchi was disappointed that his question wasn’t answered, but continued to assist the blacksmith without complaint.

WC: 240
TWC: 1,490

The two continued alternating the blade between the forge and the anvil in silence as several hours passed by. During the process Ikazuchi was even able to apply his experience in combat to read Godfrey’s swing and slightly adjust the forming blade on the anvil in order to allow the hammer to strike cleanly on the nodes of mana. He could clearly perceive them due to his mana flowing through the blade, so it was far easier for him than it was for Godfrey to locate them. It was a testament to the Blacksmith’s skills that had been honed throughout his life.

Ikazuchi couldn’t help but recall the man’s most recent request at this moment. ‘Why did someone so skilled resort to assassination in order to remove his competition?’ Ikazuchi was slightly confused by this point as it didn’t match with the heart of a craftsman. His attention couldn’t help but be drawn towards the scroll sitting on the nearby pedestal for a moment as the blade was heated in the forge once more.

It was at this point that Godfrey finally spoke. “Can you feel it?” Ikazuchi was surprised by the sudden question, so he naturally responded quickly. “Feel what?” He didn’t understand what the target of the question was. Godfrey sighed with exhaustion before answering the question. “Can you feel the difference with the flow of mana yet?”

WC: 230
TWC: 1,720

Ikazuchi’s attention hadn’t been focused on his mana during the process, so it was only now that he actively focused on the flow of many throughout the blade. He couldn’t help but mutter as he realized what Godfrey meant. “It’s smoother…” The experienced blacksmith smiled as he saw Ikazuchi understand the changes that had taken place.

“That’s right, the mana flows smoother. It’s important for a Blacksmith to improve the flow of mana through the metal in order to bring out its full potential. This can only be done by scattering the mana gathered in nodes evenly throughout the blade. Some blacksmiths can even shape the internal mana of the weapon in order to create unique effects and spells, but that isn’t something that I’m capable of.” Godfrey sounded slightly bitter as he admitted to being unable to perform the technique to its utmost limit, but Ikazuchi simply felt that this spoke volumes about the difficulty of the technique. He even suspected that it would be impossible for anyone who wasn’t gifted with a unique ability that could support that.

Ikazuchi naturally didn’t voice his suspicions though, so Godfrey continued to explain the details. “A sword made from this metal will retain the toxicity of the metal, develop an extremely high resistance to heat, and have unparalleled durability and edge retention naturally. It’s possible to further improve the sword with the technique that I mentioned before, or through various other means that will enchant the weapon with magic.”

WC: 240
TWC: 1,960

Ikazuchi listened intently to Godfrey’s words as he looked at the sword that had mostly formed. The shape was perfect if you ignored the fact that Godfrey hadn’t used a tool to sharpen the blade itself. Godfrey even signalled for Ikazuchi to not return the blade to the forge as he put his hammer down and collected the gemstone that they obtained previously and a small bottle containing a glowing red liquid. ‘What’s that?’

Ikazuchi’s mana continued to flow as he watched Godfrey open the bottle and pour the liquid onto the spot where the guard would soon be attached. This confused the young man, but he saw Godfrey immediately take the gemstone and push it into this spot. “Huh?” Godfrey’s voice could be heard in response to Ikazuchi’s confusion. “This liquid is something made by an alchemist that makes Cadmium malleable. As for the gemstone, it’s one of the alternatives that I mentioned before that can enchant a blade with magic. I’m doing this in order to set the stone into the blade and allow it to meld with the metal.”

Ikazuchi was enlightened by this as he continued to pour his mana into the weapon. He took note of the countless tiny engravings decorating the gemstone as well. There was a faint glow coming from the stone that made him unsettled, but he didn’t have the luxury to question it. Ikazuchi had been working for several hours, and his mana was almost fully consumed at this point. He could only ignore his intuition at this moment in order to maintain his focus.

WC: 260
TWC: 2,220

It was only when a blinding flash filled the workshop that Ikazuchi felt Godfrey hurriedly removing the blade from his hands and heard him speak with excitement. “That’s enough, you can rest.” Hearing this Ikazuchi didn’t hesitate to find a seat to the side of the workshop where he watched Godfrey put the finishing touches on the sword.

Ikazuchi was familiar with the process, so the only thing that confused him as he watched Godfrey work was the fact that the man still hadn’t made any attempt to sharpen the blade. ‘Does it have something to do with the metal?’ If he wasn’t doing his best to recover his mana, then there wasn’t any doubt that he would be next to Godfrey asking questions like that.

Other than that, it was only now that he had the opportunity to contemplate about the strange feeling that he had after the gemstone was placed into the sword. ‘The flow of the mana shifted…’ This was what stuck out to him the most, but that seemed to be expected considering the purpose of the stone. He simply couldn’t understand why he felt that the flow of mana felt ominous. ‘What is that sword Godfrey?’ Ikazuchi cast a doubtful gaze at the scroll once more as it seemed everything was related to it. Ikazuchi couldn’t help but recall the fact that the scroll was described to have an evil power. Ikazuchi felt a growing concern as he recalled this detail after having grown closer to the Blacksmith.

WC: 250
TWC: 2,470

What happened once the sword was completed shocked Ikazuchi. “What are you doing?!” He couldn’t help but shout as he saw Godfrey drag the sword across his own arm. Ikazuchi instinctively jumped to his feet and rushed forward to snatch the weapon from Godfrey’s grasp, only noticing at that point that the Blacksmith was unharmed. The young man sighed with relief as he held the weapon, completely unaware of the darkness attempting to take hold of his consciousness.

“The magic of this sword is unique. I’m sure you noticed that I didn’t quench or sharpen the blade, right? There’s a reason for that. This sword’s enchantment causes the blade to improve through other means beyond what is possible with either process…” Godfrey paused and looked at Ikazuchi who was subconsciously showing signs of agitation. “...and I need you to use your skills with the sword to satisfy the enchantment. Can you do that?” Ikazuchi’s mind was hazy as he asked a simple question. “What do I need to do?”

A flash of guild could be seen in Godfrey’s eyes that were staring at Ikazuchi, but the man still answered decisively. “Let the blade drink the blood of innocents until it’s satisfied.” Ikazuchi shook slightly after hearing that, but ultimately responded in a daze. “Got it.”

WC: 210
TWC: 2,680

Ikazuchi’s mind was in a daze and his body was out of his control. He felt as though he had been chained up in a dark space that he couldn’t escape. At some point after taking the sword his awareness had arrived here. He could only hear the echoes of what was occurring outside, so he was enraged by Godfrey’s request. He couldn’t help but roar loudly as rage overflowed. “GODFREY!!” Other than rage, he felt a sense of betrayal as he realized that the man was knowingly using the sword to control him.

It was at this point that Ikazuchi started to hear pained shouts echo throughout the darkness. He hadn’t stopped thrashing, but he found himself frozen at this moment. Even if he escaped, it was too late. For a moment Ikazuchi felt as if he couldn’t breathe. “Stop it…” In response to his rage, the sounds only grew louder. The dull crushing of flesh that he had heard initially had shifted to the near silent sound of a clean cut. Ikazuchi couldn’t help but feel a sense of despair due to his body being seized by a mere weapon. It was at that point that he heard a distinct shriek of terror that ignited an indescribable hatred within him. He was certain that what he heard was the voice of a child, and that caused him to struggle more than he had previously.

The chains creaked as though they would snap, and Ikazuchi felt immeasurable pain that was dulled by the adrenaline fueled by his rage. It was a short moment that felt like eternity, but Ikazuchi finally heard the chains snap and felt an intense throbbing from his head as he opened his eyes. He could see a distinct black glow from the sword in his hand that refused to be stained by blood. The ominous aura that was emitted from the sword far exceeded the past, and he could tell the quality was able to at least match his own swords. He felt that it would truly be priceless if it wasn’t for the fact that he could see dark mana actively trying to stretch up his arm and take control of him once more. “Fuck off!” The bits of mana that he recovered surged forth and suppressed the sword as he caught sight of several Rune Knights charging down the street.

WC: 390
TWC: 3,070

Ikazuchi knew that he should flee at this moment, but he found himself frozen as he saw the countless dismembered bodies in his surroundings. He couldn’t even attempt to guess at how many there were as they were in too many pieces for him to confirm. He was covered in blood splatter as he stood there visibly confused on the bloody street in the slums. It seemed as though he still had the presence of mind to avoid the city center, which made the situation more frightening. Had he not gained control, then his rampage would have only worsened.

He couldn’t even fault the Rune Knights who were surrounding him at this moment. Even he would have stepped in if he had witnessed anyone else perform such a massacre. His grip on the sword tightened as he resolved himself to get more blood on his hands. He exhaled as he calmed himself externally and quickly moved to attack the Rune Knights without holding back resulting in the group quickly falling under Ikazuchi’s attacks. If they wished to capture him, they would likely need multiple higher ranked members to act together. He simply wasn’t someone they could face, especially while wielding this cursed sword that grew due to the blood of others.

He felt an excessive amount of guilt towards those who died today, and an even greater hatred towards the cursed sword that forced him to commit these atrocities. He also had an intense rage directed at Godfrey that caused him to immediately depart for Godfrey’s shop while being careful to lead anyone back.

WC: 260
TWC: 3,330

Ikazuchi’s arrival at Godfrey's shop was as violent as expected. It was a miracle that the door to the establishment hadn’t been ripped off of its hinges due to the force that he used when he entered. “GODFREY!” Ikazuchi had completely lost his cool as he forcefully threw the sword in his hand towards the back wall of the shop causing it to nearly pierce all the way through and into the workshop behind. He didn’t doubt that it would have continued through the wall had he used his full strength to throw it.

At this point Godfrey made his way out of the workshop while clearly excited to have the sword returned to him. It was to the extent that he seemed to have completely ignored Ikazuchi’s angry shout as he retrieved the sword from the wall. “Are you fucking kidding me?! Godfrey, you owe me a fucking explanation!” Ikazuchi couldn’t help but shout at the man that had taught him many things about blacksmithing.

It was at this point that Godfrey tore his eyes away from the sword and reached into his pocket to retrieve a bag that he tossed to Ikazuchi. “Here’s your pay. Thanks for your help, but it’s time for you to leave me with my masterpiece.” Godfrey seemed to forget Ikazuchi’s presence immediately after saying this to him. “Thanks? Did you just fucking thank me?” Ikazuchi was shaking with rage as he barely managed to say these few words in response. The last bit of goodwill towards the man’s generosity vanished at this moment. It took everything in him not to rush over and beat the Blacksmith half to death at this point. All he could do was quickly equip his equipment that remained in the workshop and make his way out of Godfrey’s shop, not forgetting to leave on final sentence before he left. “Don’t you fucking dare ever ask for my help…” It was a threat, but Ikazuchi didn’t specify what would happen if Godfrey did. All the young man knew as he left the shop was that Godfrey would regret it if he did do so.

WC: 350
TWC: 3,680