Forging cursed tools at the age of six, just thinking about it sounded impossible.
Ding-dang, ding-dang...
Satoshi let out a light breath and brought the hammer down with a steady strike. The immense physical strength granted by his Heavenly Restriction made forging effortless, even at his young age.
"Your strength is good! But your rhythm is off," Takuya observed from the side. Though his tone was critical, he was secretly impressed.
"Satoshi, you need to pick up the pace here!"
"Satoshi, control your strength better!"
"Satoshi, don't rush forging, patience is key!"
Takuya continued correcting Satoshi's technique, yet the more he watched, the more surprised he became.
"What's going on? How is he improving so fast?"
Completely focused, Satoshi absorbed every bit of Takuya's advice, making adjustments as he worked. Without even realizing it, his proficiency had reached the threshold required to activate his Zanpakutō Forging Function.
[Prerequisites met. Zanpakutō (Cursed Tool) Forging Function Activated.]
Engrossed in his work, Satoshi didn't even register the system's notification. He was fully immersed in the rhythmic strikes, his technique refining with every hammerfall.
"Kids these days are terrifying. You can't underestimate them at all."
Takuya watched with growing astonishment. If Satoshi kept this up, he might truly be able to forge his first cursed tool at just six years old.
Suddenly, Takuya's expression hardened. His sharp gaze locked onto Satoshi's movements.
He recognized the hammering technique, it was identical to his own.
"Wait... How is this possible?"
Satoshi's small frame shouldn't be capable of handling that level of force and precision. The technique required a level of control and endurance far beyond a six-year-old's physical limits.
"If he keeps going , he'll overstrain himself!"
Takuya moved to stop him but in that instant, he hesitated.
Before him, Satoshi's forging momentum surged, an unstoppable force that froze even him in place.
The sound of metal striking metal echoed through the workshop.
Satoshi's hammering grew faster, each strike more precise than the last. His clothes were drenched in sweat, steam rising from his body as he worked.
"What the hell is happening?"
Takuya, watching in shock, instinctively summoned his cursed energy, channeling a gray-blue glow into his hands to intervene.
Yet to his utter disbelief, his energy dispersed as if striking cotton, unable to disrupt Satoshi in the slightest. He couldn't even make him pause.
Amid the relentless hammering, Satoshi subconsciously reached for Yoru, the cursed tool Takuya had set aside, and placed it into the forging embryo.
"Satoshi... are you really trying to forge a cursed tool?"
"What kind of forging method is this? Is he attempting to fuse an existing cursed tool and reforge it into something entirely new?"
As a master of cursed tool forging, Takuya quickly grasped Satoshi's intent. Yet, seeing it in action still defied his expectations.
Before the blazing forge, an eerie chill emanated from the weapon.
"What's going on? Why is there such a powerful frost attribute?"
Then, realization struck.
"I see... Yoru's ability to coagulate blood stems from an ice attribute! That's the source of its power."
Despite being a master forger himself, Takuya had never studied Yoru in depth. And yet, Satoshi had grasped its properties with just a single touch, then immediately integrated it into his forging process without hesitation.
"This is insane... Did I completely underestimate his talent?"
Takuya's mouth opened, but he dared not speak. He feared any disturbance might disrupt Satoshi's process.
He was witnessing something unprecedented, a forging method that could revolutionize the entire world of cursed tools.
Meanwhile, Satoshi remained utterly focused, his brow furrowed in concentration as sweat streamed down his face.
In that moment, he was no longer a six-year-old boy.
He was Nimaiya Ōetsu, the Sword God of Soul Society.
The icy essence of Yoru merged seamlessly with the forging embryo, taking shape into something entirely new.
For an entire hour, the rhythmic clang of hammering continued. Finally, Satoshi took his last swing.
And with that, his first Zanpakutō was born.
[Ding! Congratulations, Host, on successfully forging Zanpakutō: Sode no Shirayuki. Zankensoki Function Activated.]
[Zan-Ken-So-Ki: "Zan" represents swordsmanship. "Ken" represents hand-to-hand combat. "So" represents instant movement. "Ki" represents the way of spells.]
[With the activation of Zankensoki, Host must upgrade each skill in order. Only upon reaching 100% proficiency in the current skill can the next be unlocked.]
[All system functions have now been enabled! Additional functions remain damaged, please repair them to unlock further abilities.]
As the system notifications flooded his mind, Satoshi finally allowed himself to relax.
Then, exhaustion hit.
His six-year-old body, strengthened as it was by Heavenly Restriction, had reached its absolute limit. The prolonged forging session had drained him completely.
So that's the requirement... forging a Zanpakutō was the key to unlocking its function.
And... the system's damaged functions can actually be repaired? I don't know how yet, but at least now I have hope.
Most importantly, I did it, I successfully forged my first Zanpakutō!
His thoughts drifted as he glanced at the weapon in his hands.
So... Sode no Shirayuki, huh?
It wasn't the strongest ice-type Zanpakutō like Hyorinmaru, but Sode no Shirayuki was still an exceptional blade.
I really want to see it with my own eyes...
But fatigue pulled him under before he could say another word.
His vision blurred as he turned toward Takuya, then he collapsed, fast asleep.