CHAPTER 66: CHAPTER 66: THE FIRST STEP TO SUCCESS

Starting the next day ,Sosuke began experimenting with crafting the Automaton’s arm.

He began with the core metal skeleton, a task requiring forging skills—fortunately, Sosuke possessed the necessary expertise.

As for the mechanical intricacies, he had gained some insights from studying the two volumes of Heavenly Craftsman’s Minor Techniques: Automata.

Kotetsu assisted him, though truthfully, he wasn’t much help.

Having a child running around constantly disrupted Sosuke’s focus.

Yet Sosuke didn’t send him away. Instead, he patiently explained his reasoning behind each component.

The boy believed he lacked the talent to become a Swordsmith, often lacking motivation in his work. Sosuke hoped that having him around might boost his enthusiasm.

With nothing more to say, the seven days passed in the blink of an eye.

Sosuke’s daily routine remained largely unchanged from his time at the Butterfly Mansion.

In the mornings, he crafted various components for the Automaton, and in the afternoons, he honed his swordsmanship.

He refused to waste a single day on either pursuit.

During these seven days, he had already completed two arms for the Automaton. The first attempt failed; after assembly, it moved stiffly, like a mere imitation.

Though it could synchronize with the Automaton’s movements, it lacked sensitivity and couldn’t keep pace with certain actions.

After rethinking his approach, he crafted a second arm.

He had Kotetsu activate the Automaton and meticulously observed its movements. The coordination between all parts was nearly seamless!

Finally, Sosuke breathed a sigh of relief. This marked the first successful step!

While he remained calm, Kotetsu was beside himself with excitement, jumping and leaping around like a hyperactive monkey.

"Excellent. Now for the second arm."

Sosuke pressed down on Kotetsu’s head, preventing him from jumping any higher. As he pondered how to continue dismantling the device, footsteps approached.

He turned to look, rubbing his eyes in disbelief, thinking he was seeing things.

Once he confirmed he wasn’t hallucinating, Sosuke’s face bloomed into a smile as radiant as a small white flower.

Kotetsu felt a chill run down his spine. In all the time he’d spent with Sosuke, he had never seen him smile like that before.

Following his gaze, Kotetsu saw two women approaching in the distance.

Their auras were strikingly different. The woman walking ahead exuded a gentle, elder-sisterly warmth that made one want to draw closer, while the woman behind her radiated a stern, younger-sisterly seriousness that made Kotetsu feel a little intimidated.

Suddenly, a shadow flashed beside him, and Sosuke was already at the elder sister’s side, seizing her hand. "What are you doing here?"

The stern younger sister instantly transformed. "What’s going on? What’s going on? Let go of her hand immediately!"

Sosuke ignored her completely, gazing at the elder sister with a goofy grin.

Kanae gazed softly at Sosuke. "I received your letter, and Shinobu wanted to come see the three swordsmiths you mentioned. I was worried too, so I came along."

As she spoke, she pulled out a handkerchief and gently wiped the sweat from Sosuke’s forehead.

"Why are you working so hard? What have you been up to?" she asked.

Sosuke smiled. "The Automaton."

Kanae paused, her gaze sweeping past Kotetsu before settling on the Automaton Yoriichi Type Zero. She nodded. "Ah, so it’s this. Are you planning to repair it?"

She knew, of course, that the Swordsmith Village possessed such a treasure, but being reluctant to burden others, she had never used it herself.

"Yes, I’m repairing it," Sosuke replied. "But I also hope to build one myself. If I could keep it at the Butterfly Mansion, it would be quite useful. For one thing, I could use it to hone my swordsmanship. And if I fully understand its principles, I could create weaker versions for patients undergoing rehabilitation. Oh, and if Lord is willing, given enough time and resources, I could even make some for training the Demon Slayer Corps members."

Kanae’s eyes softened further. "Don’t push yourself too hard," she murmured.

Sosuke shook his head. "It’s no trouble at all. If I can be of any help, I’m willing to do whatever it takes. Becoming a member of the Demon Slayer Corps means not only slaying demons and saving lives, but also helping my comrades improve their combat abilities. As long as I can contribute, I’ll try my best."

Kanae nodded in agreement.

Beside them, Shinobu was starting to lose her patience. "So, you’re just ignoring me, aren’t you?"

TSosuke chuckled and ruffled her hair. "Still acting like a child, huh?"

Shinobu’s frustration intensified. She hadn’t noticed him reaching for her head and now she was being treated like a kid.

Just as she was about to explode, she forced herself to calm down. "I checked on those three blacksmiths. What exactly did you tell them about the breathing technique? Their bodies are practically drained!"

At this, Sosuke couldn’t help but sigh. "I didn’t think it through properly."

Kanae offered a comforting explanation. "It must be that the breathing technique is too difficult for their bodies to handle. They pushed themselves too hard and couldn’t endure it."

Sosuke nodded. "That’s why I’ve been thinking about this for the past few days. If they can barely use it, is there a way to make the effects less severe? If we could get it to the point where they can recover with just a few days of rest, that would be ideal."

"That would require strict control over the extent of its use," Kanae said after a moment’s thought. "I’ve seen you forge iron before. You use that method throughout the entire process, right? You must have taught them the same way?"

Sosuke nodded.

"Then if they combine it with ordinary techniques, it might not be so overwhelming," Kanae suggested. "However, we’ll need to experiment further to determine the exact extent of its use."

Sosuke considered this carefully. He had already pondered why the Nichirin Blades forged by the three swordsmiths weren’t as effective as his own.

One reason was their inability to fully harness the power of the breathing technique. Another was that during the second step of shaping the blade, a portion of the accumulated Yang Flame attribute would inevitably be consumed.

The combination of these factors resulted in a weak suppressive force due to insufficient Yang Flame attributes.

That’s why Sosuke had returned to the Swordsmith Village this time—partly for the Automaton, but also to address this deficiency.

However, the current situation made him hesitant to teach them the second part of the breathing technique.

’Who knows if these reckless fools might end up killing themselves?’

Kanae’s suggestion to further reduce the Yang Flame only deepened Sosuke’s concerns. He worried that if the initial accumulation was too weak and the second step further diminished it, the final Nichirin Blades forged would be completely ineffective.