"From a child to a man, from a man to an immortal" Part 4.

Scene 4.

Time passed, three months flew by in the blink of an eye.

During that season, Kawakami dedicated himself fully to gathering information among the various demon communities in the area. His objective, to reiterate, was to locate the demon blacksmith Kaijinbo and thus finally be able to forge his long-desired soul sword. Fortunately for him, it didn't take long to find the whereabouts of the aforementioned blacksmith. Unfortunately for those demon communities he had visited, life would never be the same again. Death and torture to extract the information became some of the various cruel fates that those poor souls were subjected to. Whether they were good, evil, or morally gray, children, women, men, or elderly, none of them found mercy in Kawakami's cold heart. In his philosophy, for some to live, others must suffer, and being a human himself, his body and mind were firmly aligned with his race, even if his actions often disgusted him deeply. On the positive side, the disappearance of those communities was an immeasurable relief to the many human villages surrounding them that constantly suffered attacks from those demons. Additionally, Kawakami also obtained four fragments of the Jewel of the Four Spirits during the process. On the negative side, Kawakami had started to feel a peculiar detachment towards the life and death of others, mainly towards demons, even though he continuously denied that fact in his heart.

In a forest near a swamp, inside an old stone cabin with a thatched roof, in the afternoon.

". It's fine, it's fine! Mercy, mercy! I'll do it! I'll forge your sword, human! Just make this sinister magic stop once and for all, please! I beg you! Make this stop noooow!"

These were the pitiful pleas and screams of the demon blacksmith Kaijinbo. The subject in question was a bald man with two small horns on his head, pointed ears, a wrinkled forehead, prominent canines, bushy black eyebrows, a trimmed mustache, yellow skin, large black eyes with visibly tiny vertical pupils, a short and thin build, wearing a green short-sleeved kimono for the upper garment and opaque black for the lower garment. Lastly, he had a macabre necklace of skulls made from the skulls of a dozen human babies around his neck. Currently, his face was visibly contorted in pain. Sweat drops ran all over his body as he lay curled up on the floor. The reason behind it was a translucent sword deeply lodged in his abdomen; a bluish sword made purely from Kawakami's spirituality. It was none other than the physical manifestation of the Fifth Form of the Primordial Sword, Torment; this form aimed to immobilize its victim and then, perversely, inflict excruciating pain upon them. Moreover, if one paid close attention to where the sword was embedded, there would be no visible sign of blood or piercing through the flesh. This was specifically because the fifth form did not inflict physical damage, but pierced and tore through the very soul of the target. Such punishment was not easy to overcome at all, and the will required to endure it was not within the reach of many beings. For instance, Kaijinbo had yielded to Kawakami's demands due to that pain in less than ten breaths, he had yielded to a human, one of the things he despised most in the world, such was the extent of his torment.

"Fine."

Having obtained the demon blacksmith's word, Kawakami sheathed his sword, and then, without further ado, the spiritual sword lodged in Kaijinbo's chest disappeared spontaneously amid hundreds of motes of light. Relieved by its absence, the demon blacksmith twisted and writhed while breathing heavily in his place. Throughout the process, the boy's face displayed only one expression; apathy.

"Haaa, haaa, haaa. You're worse than many demons, you damn human bastard. Haaa, haaa, haaa. Tell me, mortal, what kind of ordinary sword you want me to forge f-ugh?"

Before he could even finish his complaints, Kawakami placed his index finger on Kaijinbo's forehead, and through his spiritual sense, directly transmitted to the demon's brain the essence of what needed to be forged. For a moment, Kaijinbo's face turned a bright red, as if it were about to literally explode at any moment. This specific fact caused Kawakami to feel partially disappointed. If the demon blacksmith died, the boy would have to find another old and renowned blacksmith to fulfill his purpose, which would be problematic since it would mean wasting three months of fruitless searching. Fortunately for Kawakami, Kaijinbo managed to endure the process until the very end, albeit unconscious by the end of it.

"Hum."

Seeing the demon blacksmith collapse to the floor like a sack of potatoes, Kawakami sat down to the side of the cabin in a seiza style. Shortly after, he began to meditate, not caring about anything in the world.

A few hours later, at night.

Kaijinbo blinked several times to reorient himself. Subsequently, the memories of what had happened a few hours ago flooded his mind suddenly; the abrupt arrival of the young human named Kawakami to his cabin, his absurd demand for him to forge a sword beyond mortal capabilities, his own attack on the boy, his subsequent defeat at the hands of Kawakami through the mysterious arts of the latter, then the torture inflicted upon him by the same person, his eventual surrender post-torture, and lastly, the vision of the weapon that the human had offered him; a sword unlike any he had ever imagined, beyond even what his own master would have believed possible. Consequently, the demon blacksmith sat up in a seated position in a split second. His face was defined by a smile of sheer euphoria. Shakingly, he reached for a bamboo container filled with liquor beside him and then drank from it in large gulps until it was completely emptied of its contents.

"Aaaah! This will be my masterpiece, no doubt. Hm, the problem lies in the materials I'll need to create it. Kekeke!"

Kaijinbo's gaze met the still-meditative figure of Kawakami. An expression of mocking contemplation momentarily painted the features of the demon blacksmith. His desire for revenge and anger for having been shamefully humiliated by a mere mortal invaded his mind poisonously. Immediately after, his hand cautiously stretched towards his forging hammer. His intention was more than obvious at this point; he would kill the boy while seemingly defenseless, then forge the sword that he had been shown and with that very sword, rule over all demons in Japan with an iron fist, becoming their king. Unfortunately for Kaijinbo's megalomaniac aspirations, it was at that precise moment that Kawakami abruptly opened his eyes. Paralyzed in front of the boy's sharp black eyes, fear couldn't help but crawl up the demon blacksmith's spine. A slight shiver ran through his body suddenly. His hand retracted in its attempt to grasp his hammer while a falsely innocent smile appeared on his face. The agony of what had happened a few hours ago briefly flashed in his head simultaneously. Powerlessness and resignation seized his now visibly dejected countenance. There was nothing left for him but to lower his head and comply with the boy's demands right in front of him.

"Can you forge that sword?"

As if reading Kaijinbo's thoughts, Kawakami posed his question while slowly rising to his feet. His expression remained as serene as ever. Aware of this, the demon blacksmith couldn't help but involuntarily swallow saliva. A thought emerged in his mind next. "I almost died! Curse it! How did I even think of trying to kill this mons... humanoid? Is he even human?". Having heard Kawakami's request and wisely deciding not to tempt his luck, Kaijinbo quickly nodded in his direction. However, a expression of contrariness still defined his features. Sweat drops started to run down his forehead at the potential negative reaction he might get due to his upcoming words.

"I-I can, but right now, I don't have the materials to create such a sword, and it's not because I'm making excuses or anything like that, I swear, it's just that there aren't many demons with spirituality, most of us only have demonic energy inside us. Among those with spirituality high enough to forge something like what you want, I can only think of a few options, and the best of them, without a doubt, would require the bones of a dragon spirit of all things. The vast majority of demons of their kind have a high rate of spirituality, something ideal for what you're requesting. If you can bring me a dragon spirit, I'll be able to forge your sword, but there's a catch, it has to be alive, otherwise, it won't work!"

Acknowledging Kaijinbo's requests, Kawakami accepted his petition without any change in his demeanor.

"It will be done."

Consequently, the demon blacksmith audibly breathed a sigh of relief. At that moment, he felt as if a great weight had been lifted off his shoulders. He wouldn't die today, at least. To showcase his improved mood, Kaijinbo subsequently exclaimed.

"Kekeke! I'll forge you the greatest sword in history, human! No one will be able to defeat you with it!"

Hearing the exultant words of the demon blacksmith and though he didn't buy into Kaijinbo's act in any way, Kawakami smiled, pretending to be pleased. Subsequently, he decided to ask another question that had been lingering in his mind for a while. His expression slowly returned to his usual apathy.

"Do you know of any place where I can find a dragon spirit?"

Having heard Kawakami's request, Kaijinbo squinted his eyes thoughtfully. Meanwhile, the boy patiently waited in silence without interrupting the demon blacksmith's contemplations. After several mutters and reconsiderations, Kaijinbo finally decided to reveal his conclusions.

"Well, I think I know the whereabouts of an old dragon, Ryūkotsusei. Hm, as far as I know, he was sealed to the side of an ancient hill in the valley of the same name. If you cross the mountain beyond the swamp here, towards the country of Musashi, to the northwest, and go straight a few more miles, theoretically, you should be able to find the place. Kekeke, and if you somehow manage to bring him alive to me, I, Kaijinbo, will undoubtedly forge a sword like no other ever made!"

Satisfied with the information provided by the demon blacksmith and ignoring the pride in the latter's subsequent declarations, Kawakami smiled while dangerously narrowing his eyes. This particular gesture sent waves of panic down Kaijinbo's spine. An ominous feeling couldn't help but invade his being suddenly. The boy spoke next.

"Gather your belongings, blacksmith. You're coming with me to that place."