Traveling Through Multiple Realms: The Supporting Character's Counterattack

With his sword intent complete, Iaido's gaze fell upon his beloved sword "Zanko," which rested quietly before his knees.

This blade, which had accompanied him through countless battles and had been with him since his time as a disciple of the Atomic Stream Dojo, still gleamed with a chilling light, but in Iai's eyes, it was no longer the same as before.

Deep within the silvery-white blade, a layer of profound and restrained black luster flowed, the result of his long-term meticulous tempering with Armament Haki.

The rules of the One-Punch Man world seem to be particularly lenient towards the transformation of "items," far surpassing the difficulty of forging "black swords" in the One Piece world.

Nourished by these unique rules and long-term immersion in the Iaido spirit, "steel-cutting" has long transcended the realm of ordinary iron and is spontaneously undergoing a benign "gestation" guided absolutely by the sword wielder.

A faint yet spiritual new will, subtly connected to his own thoughts, is quietly being born and slowly growing deep within the blade.

This strange process resembles the "monstrosity" of the weapon, but instead of leading to chaos and destruction, it tends towards a closer and higher level of resonance and symbiosis with the sword wielder.

Now that Kenshin has been formed, his perception and control over energy and matter have reached a new level. Iai has decided to lend a helping hand to this silent comrade-in-arms, to help him complete this final transformation and enable him to truly bear and unleash his new power.

"Old friend, it's time."

Iai spoke softly, his voice calm yet containing an undeniable determination.

He slowly extended his right hand, closed his five fingers, and firmly grasped the handle of the "Steel Cutter" knife, which was wrapped with dark non-slip leather.

"Clang—"

A clear, resonant sword rang out, echoing through the silent meditation room.

The steel-slaying blade seemed to truly possess life, clearly sensing the immense will and fervent expectations in its master's heart. The cold blade transmitted waves of uncontrollable trembling, a mixture of joy and a touch of tension.

Iai slowly closed his eyes, completely immersing his mind in the newly formed yet already stable "Sword Heart" within his body.

In an instant, a bright light shone within his sea of ​​consciousness, and the sword heart, as clear as crystal yet containing an indestructible will, suddenly lit up, like a lighthouse in the universe.

A torrent of pure, refined will, containing Iai's complete understanding and perception of the true meaning of "cutting," flowed through his arm meridians, like a river that had been accumulating for thousands of years and finally burst its banks, pouring into the blade of "Steel-Cutting" without reservation.

"Buzz—!"

The blade trembled violently, emitting a high-pitched hum that was almost a mournful cry.

The black light that was originally contained deep within the blade seemed to be completely activated and suddenly burst forth, like countless living black snakes, wildly swimming, colliding and intertwining on the silvery blade, with brilliant sparks flying, as if the metal was undergoing the ultimate forging.

The physical form of the steel-cutting blade began to become extremely unstable, with subtle yet teeth-grinding "crunching" sounds emanating from all parts of the blade, as if it were about to completely disintegrate at any moment.

The newly formed, still immature sword spirit will, under the powerful force originating from the soul of Iaido, was like refined iron thrown into a furnace of heaven and earth, undergoing the most intense and crucial compression, tempering, and sublimation.

This is destruction, but also the beginning of new life!

Iai remained expressionless, slowly raising his free left hand, his fingers forming a sword shape, with a barely perceptible glow swirling around his fingertips.

He gently yet firmly stroked the blade, which had become scalding hot and even burning to the touch.

His fingertips seemed to transform into the most precise carving knife, and wherever they passed, the immense and accurate power of the sword heart permeated, like the most skillful guiding program, carefully smoothing the raging energy flow, soothing the trembling of the sword spirit's will, and guiding it to undergo the deepest fusion and reconstruction with the sword body.

"Steel, respond to my will, awaken!"

Just then, Iaijutsu uttered a deep command that contained a will as heavy as a mountain, and the power of his sword heart within him reached its peak.

BOOM—!!

A muffled thud, seemingly originating from the deepest structure of matter, resounded as the "Steel-Cutting Sword" in Iaijutsu's hand, carrying countless memories, suddenly disintegrated at the most microscopic level under the impact of the extreme power that exceeded the critical point.

It transformed into countless extremely tiny basic particles, shimmering with the luster of metallic essence and the radiance of primordial will.

Immediately afterwards, these particles, which contained the full essence and spirit of "Steel Cutting", were firmly restrained by Iaido's incomparably powerful sword will and precise energy field. Like stars under the pull of the universe, they all floated on his outstretched palm, slowly rotating and converging to form a miniature galaxy that was shrunk by billions of times, yet still dazzling and full of life.

At this moment, it seemed as if the Iaijutsu had truly grasped a corner of the universe and held the power of creation and destruction.

Looking at the galaxy of particles in his palm, transformed from the entire existence of his comrade "Steel Slayer," Iaijutsu felt no regret or lingering attachment, only absolute peace after understanding the essence of matter and anticipation of creating new life.

The old body is gone, but the true spirit remains, waiting to be reborn.

He clasped his hands together, his ten fingers moving like lotus flowers, his movements slow and full of Taoist charm, as if an ancient god was kneading creation and opening up the universe.

Under the guidance of the sword heart, the Yin and Yang chakra forces that had already merged within his body flowed naturally, following the principle of simplicity in the ultimate truth.

From the fingertips of his left hand, the power of Yin escape emanated, cold and ethereal, yet containing the supreme authority to define "form" and "existence".

Like a craftsman's blueprint, it outlines the sword's skeleton in that galaxy of particles, defining its essence and fundamental rules.

With his right fingertips, the power of Yang Dun surged and flowed, intense and vigorous, bestowing "life" and "vitality" upon all things.

It is like a fountain of life, flowing into that defined form, giving it the power to flow endlessly, the potential to grow and evolve, and forging its bloodline and soul.

Under the harmonization and attraction of the two primordial forces of yin and yang, the dazzling galaxy of particles began to undergo earth-shattering and ineffable changes.

They no longer cling to their fixed, unchanging steel form, but instead, following the "flowing water never stagnates" swordsmanship spirit of Iaido, they begin to flow, recombine, and take shape like a liquid.

The hard, cold metallic texture quickly fades away, replaced by a unique texture that lies between reality and illusion, with extraordinary agility and understated brilliance.

A moment later, when all the particles had found their new home and rhythm, the hands that had been joined together slowly opened to the sides.

A brand new "sword" quietly took shape in the void between his hands and hovered silently.

It has completely broken away from the category of traditional weapons. Its entire body seems to be constructed from a clear spring that is constantly flowing and condensed by an invisible force. The blade and hilt are integrated into one, with no strict distinction between them.

The surface of the sword is not smooth as a mirror, but rather rippled with light and shadow flowing across it, like flowing water. It can clearly reflect the surrounding scenery, but its constant flow makes it seem dreamlike and elusive, making it difficult to discern the true location of its blade.

It no longer exudes a chilling, intimidating aura, but instead radiates an even more deadly, subtle, and fundamentally sharp edge.

This sword is no longer an inanimate object.

It possesses a unique "life" aura and a clear "will" fluctuation. That will is closely connected with the sword heart of Iaido, breathing together with it, like an extended limb, or like an independent half of its body.

Iai gazed at this new sword, which transcended ordinary iron and was created by his own will and the full essence of the old blade, and finally a look of satisfaction and relief appeared in his eyes.

He reached out his finger, with a hint of reverence, and gently touched the flowing, warm and smooth "water surface" that contained boundless power. What he felt from his fingertips was a sense of resonance, a connection of blood and intimate bond.

"The former name 'Steel Slayer' was more about power than versatility, and it no longer suits you as you are today."

Iaido pondered for a moment, a knowing smile appearing on his face. "Extreme rigidity is easily broken, and the highest good is like water. You were born from my 'Water Mirror' swordsmanship, your form like water, ever-changing, clear as a mirror, reflecting reality. From now on, you shall be called—'Water Mirror'!"

This name was chosen to commemorate the foundation of his spiritual practice!

"Buzzing—!"

The newly born sword, named "Water Mirror," emitted a clear and pleasant ringing sound. The speed at which the light rippled across its blade subtly increased, as if a child who had received a desired name was celebrating its rebirth and this fitting title.

Iaido gripped the "Water Mirror" tightly, and without even swinging it, he could clearly feel the terrifying power contained within the sword.

It not only perfectly transmits and amplifies his power, but its inherent characteristics of "flow" and "reflection" also endow it with infinite possibilities.

It can be both firm and flexible, capable of separation and combination, and can even see through the nodes of energy flow, sever the "principle" of matter combination, and even touch the deeper foundation of existence.

With a slight thought, the "Water Mirror" flowing in his hand transformed into a clear stream of light, naturally receding like a swallow returning to its nest. Its inner radiance was concealed, and its appearance transformed back into the simple and unadorned "Steel Cutter" of the past, shedding all its mystique and returning to ordinariness.

Iaido rose to his feet, his bones emitting a series of soft, subtle cracking sounds.

He pushed open the door to the meditation room, and the warm sunlight from outside instantly bathed him, reflecting a dazzling light in his deep eyes.

With a clear mind and a divine weapon at his disposal, a bright future has unfolded before him.