Chapter 160: Joint Forging
"What? There's no way I'm forging with *this* guy!" Hitetsu shouted angrily.
Shimotsuki snorted, "And I don't want to work with you either. It's out of the question."
Chiba only smiled, "Hold on, seniors. Don't be so quick to refuse. At least hear me out first."
"Fine, say your piece, but I'm not changing my mind," Hitetsu replied stubbornly.
"I'll never forge alongside someone as hard-headed as him," Shimotsuki agreed.
The others watched with curiosity, knowing both of these old masters were notoriously stubborn. Vista crossed his arms and glanced at Ace, "Think Chiba has any chance of getting these two to work together?"
Ace shook his head, "Not likely. We've seen how stubborn they are—getting them to cooperate would be harder than pulling teeth."
Vista chuckled, "Yeah, I doubt it too. But if he can somehow make it happen, maybe the success rate would skyrocket."
They listened as Chiba explained, "Seniors, if you two were to collaborate, we could have Senior Tenguyama Hitetsu forge the sword's base, drawing out the fire phoenix essence from the material. Then, Senior Shimotsuki Kozaburo could finish the blade, adding his unique technique and his energy to temper and control the essence."
"This way, we're looking at a supreme-grade blade, and it might even become one of the finest among them."
Hitetsu and Shimotsuki hesitated, clearly intrigued by the idea, but still shook their heads.
Hitetsu was the first to speak. "I admit, it's tempting, but I still refuse."
Shimotsuki nodded. "Chiba, if you let me take this material and let me practice on other pieces first, I could definitely forge a true supreme-grade blade."
It was obvious that, while the idea of working together was appealing, the two masters each wanted to achieve a supreme-grade blade on their own.
Vista sighed, "Looks like Chiba is hitting a wall. These two will never agree."
Ace chuckled, "Would be funny to see Chiba struggle. He rarely has a hard time with anything."
Hina and Hancock also watched, frowning slightly. Hina asked, "Are they really that stubborn?"
Hancock nodded, "Both of them are proud masters. They've spent their lives aiming to create a supreme blade. The idea of sharing the accomplishment doesn't appeal to them at all."
Peacock frowned, "These old men are really infuriatingly stubborn."
Everyone waited, wondering how Chiba would handle the situation.
Chiba sighed, scratching his head. "This really is tough," he muttered. He looked at the two masters and asked, "Senior Shimotsuki, if I gave the material to Senior Hitetsu, would you consider leaving?"
Hitetsu perked up, "Yes, give it to me!"
Shimotsuki scoffed, "If you do that, it would mean you think his forging skills are better than mine. So if you choose him, I'll leave."
Hitetsu snorted, "And if you give it to Shimotsuki, I'll leave."
Chiba, trying to hide his frustration, sighed, "Both of your skills are incredible. I genuinely don't know who to pick. So how about this: let's settle it with a coin toss."
"If it lands heads up, Senior Shimotsuki gets to forge the blade. If tails, then it's Senior Hitetsu."
The suggestion annoyed both men further. "Why should he get heads?" Hitetsu demanded.
Chiba blinked. "It's just a coin flip! One side or the other."
"Then I want heads!" Hitetsu insisted.
Chiba turned to Shimotsuki, "If it's tails, then you'll forge it."
Shimotsuki shook his head, "Why should I have to take tails?"
Chiba threw up his hands, exasperated by their stubbornness. Finally, he picked up a stone and said, "Fine. I'll break this stone. If it splits into an odd number of pieces, Senior Hitetsu will forge it. If it's even, Senior Shimotsuki will."
"Agreed," Shimotsuki said with a nod.
Hitetsu also reluctantly nodded, "Fine. Though it's a childish way to decide, I don't see a better option."