NOVEL NEXT Chapter 8: Chapter 8: Ordinary?
Satoshi's hammer slipped from his hand, and the sound of metal clashing finally snapped Gojo Takuya out of his shock.
"Satoshi, be careful!"
Takuya swiftly moved forward, catching Satoshi before he collapsed, then carefully placed him on a nearby bed.
Seeing his young apprentice's pale face, Takuya felt a pang of heartache. At the same time, he silently made a decision, he couldn't let Satoshi overwork himself like this again.
A six-year-old forging a cursed tool was already unheard of. If word got out, it would shake the entire sorcery world. But Takuya didn't want Satoshi to gain fame like this.
To him, Satoshi was still a child, a member of the Gojo family, someone who bore the Six Eyes. The path of a Cursed Tool Forger wasn't something he should be focusing on.
For some reason, ever since he first met Satoshi, Takuya had felt that this child would leave a mark on the world of sorcery.
After ensuring Satoshi was settled, Takuya turned his attention back to the weapon he had forged.
The moment he saw it, his eyes widened in shock.
What is going on? Who changed the weapon? This wasn't how it looked before!
When the weapon had just been completed, it had been a pristine white. But now, it looked no different from an ordinary katana.
Did I imagine it? Was that white blade just an illusion?
No, that was impossible. He hadn't eaten anything strange today, and his eyesight had always been sharp. A spell tool forger relied on precise observation, it was impossible for him to make such a mistake.
If he hadn't witnessed the transformation with his own eyes, he wouldn't have believed it.
"So, what kind of power does this cursed tool have?"
"Does it have the same frost attribute as Yoru?"
Takuya carefully picked up the katana, his gaze tracing over the blade, the tsuba, and the hilt.
He channeled what little cursed energy he had into it but nothing happened.
The sword remained completely still, as if it were nothing more than a mundane weapon.
Did I see it wrong? Did Satoshi really not forge a cursed tool?
But if it was just a normal weapon, why use Yoru as a material?
Takuya had clearly sensed an immense power hidden within this blade during the forging process.
He frowned in deep thought.
"If this truly is a cursed tool, then maybe... my cursed energy isn't enough to activate it."
His grip tightened around the hilt.
"It seems the secret behind this weapon will have to wait until Satoshi wakes up."
Takuya was just about to carefully put Sode no Shirayuki away when, suddenly, the door to the forge was pushed open.
...
"Gojo Shunichi, what are you doing here?"
Seeing the newcomer, Takuya's expression darkened, and his tone was less than welcoming. Everyone in the clan knew Shunichi's attitude toward Satoshi.
His presence here could only mean trouble.
"Oh? Why does it sound like Master Takuya isn't happy to see me?"
Shunichi's voice carried a mocking undertone, and when he addressed Takuya as "Master," there was clear contempt in his tone.
As a Grade 2 sorcerer and a master swordsman, Shunichi's status in the Gojo family was far higher than that of a mere Cursed Tool Forger. He had never cared about Takuya's opinions.
Casually stepping inside, Shunichi glanced around before spotting Satoshi asleep nearby. The sneer on his face deepened.
"Does this fake Six Eyes really think he can compete with the real deal?
There are people who are more talented than him and work harder than him. What makes him think he deserves to stand on equal footing with Young master Satoru?"
"Young master Satoru is the true heir of the Gojo family, the real Six Eyes. This worthless imitation only hinders his future."
Shunichi didn't bother to hide his disdain.
Though Satoshi and Satoru were identical in appearance, the stark contrast in their treatment came down to one thing, cursed energy.
"Hmph, Shunichi. What do you want?"
Takuya's voice was firm, his expression serious. This was his forge.
Even if sorcerers held higher status in the Gojo family, that didn't give Shunichi the right to barge in and act superior.
Takuya was the only Cursed Tool Forger in the clan. His role was indispensable.
Shunichi finally shifted his gaze from Satoshi and turned to the sword in Takuya's hands.
"I just finished interrogating the assassin. I heard he was carrying a first-grade cursed tool, which you confiscated."
"I'm here to collect it."
"That weapon needs to be placed in the Gojo family treasury. Master Takuya, hand it over."
So that was his goal.
Shunichi was after Yoru.
A first-grade cursed tool was an extremely rare asset, even in the world of sorcery.
Before, Shunichi had been irritated by the assassin's attack. But when he learned the assassin had a first-grade cursed tool, his mood did a complete 180.
An assassin? No, more like a gift-giver.
If that's the case, then send more. Send more assassins with more cursed tools.
"...A first-grade cursed tool?"
Takuya's body tensed. Instinctively, he shifted Sode no Shirayuki behind him.
Yoru doesn't exist anymore.
What am I supposed to hand over?
Sode no Shirayuki was Satoshi's first-ever forged cursed tool. Regardless of its future grade, Takuya refused to let this weapon fall into Shunichi's hands.
But as a trained sorcerer, Shunichi immediately noticed Takuya's reaction.
In a flash, he appeared behind Takuya and snatched Sode no Shirayuki from his hands.
"So this is it?"
Shunichi inspected the weapon, a flicker of surprise in his eyes.
"No wonder you were trying to hide it."
"But... it's a bit underwhelming. I expected something more impressive from a first-grade cursed tool."
There was disappointment in his tone.