I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

"I would stake my life on this; it is my greatest masterpiece!"

As he spoke, his gaze softened, as if he were looking at his own child.

“‘Ten-thousand-refinement steel’ truly deserves to be called an unparalleled top-grade steel.”

"Even using the furnace passed down through generations of our Shikizaki family, it took a full seven days and seven nights to smelt it."

"There is probably no steel in the world that is more troublesome than this."

"To think that such fine steel could be used to forge a sword... I will never have the chance to forge a sword of this quality again in the rest of my life."

"To be able to forge such a supreme treasure at a time when swords are about to become obsolete... I am deeply grateful!"

"Whether it's the 'Supreme Great Craftsmanship' or any other kind of sword, none of them can compare to this sword!"

At this point, an excited flush rose to his cheeks.

At this moment, he was no longer a prodigal son who despaired and gave up on himself because of the obsolescence of swords, but a swordsmith full of pride!

After calming himself down a bit, he couldn't wait to say:

"Alright, let's check the goods!"

"Let the legendary 'Black Blade' appear in the world!"

Having said that, he raised his hand, gesturing for Elodie to draw her sword.

Aoto used the rare and precious "Ten Thousand Refined Steel" to reforge the blade of Vairocana—Kondo Shusuke had heard a little about this.

As a swordsman, how could he not be interested in the legendary "black blade"?

Therefore, he leaned forward, staring intently at the scabbard of Vairocana, not daring to blink, ready to witness the moment the black blade appeared.

Under the intense gazes of Kondo Shusuke and Shikisaki Kiyoshi, Elodie stiffly picked up the Vairocana sword, gripping the scabbard with her left hand and stroking the hilt with her right.

"..."

The coolness of the scabbard, the texture of the hilt... Elodie carefully and attentively experienced all these tactile sensations.

At that moment, she felt her heart beating extremely fast.

For her, this knife held a particularly special meaning.

She would forge a divine weapon unique to her using the "Ten Thousand Refined Steel" passed down through generations of her family, and then wield it to become a chivalrous hero who fights for justice... This has always been her dream.

Because she believed that Qingdeng needed the steel more than she did, and was also better able to unleash its power, she willingly entrusted it to him.

At first glance, it seems that she has given up her dreams.

actually not.

To describe it precisely... she entrusted her dreams to Qingdeng!

I hope that Qing Deng will be able to wield a sword forged from this steel.

I hope Qingdeng can wield this sword firmly and become a first-rate swordsman, fulfilling her unfulfilled dream!

In other words, the knife he is holding now is a concrete symbol of his dream...!

The thought of this made her heart beat even faster, and her hands trembled slightly.

In that instant, her right hand gripped the hilt of Vairocana's knife tightly, and with just a little effort, she could pull it out.

However... her hand stopped, and she hesitated to draw the knife.

After a moment, she shook her head and slowly released her right hand.

"...No, I can't pull it out."

Before Kondo Shusuke and Shikisaki Kiyori could press for answers, she explained in an unquestionable and firm tone:

“This Vairocana is my master’s sword.”

"Only the master is qualified to pull it out!"

"'The Black Blade Appears,' 'The First Draw After Reforging'... These precious honors must be reserved for the master."

"I can't overstep my bounds."

Towards the end, she deliberately adopted a half-joking tone to ease the tension.

After hearing this, Kondo Shusuke smiled helplessly and nodded slightly.

“Yes, Elodie, you’re right. We really can’t just pull out Qingdeng’s knife, especially one with such special significance.”

Shikisaki Kiyoshi shrugged, looking regretful.

"You swordsmen always have an unusual obsession with certain strange things."

"However... fine."

"Since you insist on this, you must hand it over to Mr. Ju intact."

After saying that, he turned his body to the side, as if to leave.

"I have delivered the knife."

"I need to leave Edo as soon as possible before the enemy attacks."

"If it weren't for forging a sword for Mr. Tachibana, I would have run away long ago..."

Perhaps not wanting Elodie and the others to think he was a coward, he hurriedly added as soon as he finished speaking:

"I am just a swordsmith; I have no other skills than wielding a hammer."

"My decision to leave Edo was purely out of necessity!"

Elodie and Kondo Shusuke smiled slightly, knowing better than to point it out.

It is only natural to remove those who are unable to fight from the battlefield.

Elodie smiled brightly:

"Mr. Shikisaki, thank you for your hard work!"

Kondo Shusuke:

"Mr. Shikisaki, have a safe journey!"

After the two said their goodbyes, Shikisaki Kiyoshi did not linger any longer.

After saying "See you later," he jogged away.

Elodie and Kondo Shusuke stood still, silently watching each other go.

After his figure disappeared around the street corner in the distance, the girl turned her head and looked at the old man with a face full of apology.

"Mr. Kondo, I'm sorry, but you must really want to see the 'Black Blade' in its entirety, right?"

Kondo Shusuke stroked his chin and laughed a few times:

"Hoo ho ho ho ho!"

"Elodie, you don't need to worry about it!"

"You're right. It's very impolite of us to pull out someone else's knife without permission."

"We cannot draw our swords for him unless we obtain Qing Deng's permission."

"Besides... compared to you, my little flaw is nothing at all."

"You're more eager to draw this knife than I am, aren't you?"

Although he used the form of an interrogative sentence, his tone was that of an affirmative sentence.

Elodie chuckled, a playful expression on her face that said, "You guessed it."

How could she not want to immediately pull out the Vairocana sword from her hand?

This black knife symbolizes her dream... It's no exaggeration to say that she feels like there are ten thousand ants crawling and gnawing at her heart right now!

She couldn't wait to draw the knife, couldn't wait to see the blade, and couldn't wait to let its gleam fill her eyes!

"Hiss...! Huff...! Hiss...! Huff...!"

She took several deep breaths with exaggerated movements, using her willpower to forcibly suppress the urge to draw her sword.

Then, she looked down at the Vairocana in her hand again, as if deep in thought.

Suddenly, she raised her eyes and cast a fiery gaze at the old man.

"Mr. Kondo, may I keep Vairocana safe?"

"I want to hand it over to my master myself!"

A hint of surprise flashed in Kondo Shusuke's eyes.

He stared intently at Elodie, their eyes meeting, as if deep in thought.

He didn't say much about the girl's sudden request, only nodding vigorously.

"of course can!"

"I would be more than happy if you would keep it for me."

"I'm getting old now, and my memory has become very bad."

"If I were to keep this knife, I'm afraid I'd forget where I put it in no time!"

……

……

Three days later, at dawn—

Edo, Edo Castle, Ōhiro-ma—

Dressed in military attire, Tokugawa Iemochi sat upright in the main seat, his left hand resting on the katana at his waist, his right hand on his right leg, and his eyes closed in meditation.

To demonstrate his determination to defend Edo to the death and never retreat, and also to remind himself to always be in a fighting state, he has recently been wearing only armor and is fully armed.

Meanwhile, he has been spending a lot of time in the large hall lately, even sitting there when he has nothing to do.

This way, it would be convenient for him to issue orders and for his subordinates to find him.

Initially, many people thought his claim of "swearing to live and die with Edo" was just empty talk.

They boast loudly, but when danger actually comes, they run away faster than anyone else—such people are everywhere in the long river of history.