Chapter Twenty-Five: The Crucial Artifact—The Complete Statue of Kṣitigarbha

[Tennen Rishin-ryu (Beginner 230/500)]
[Effect: Solid foundation, concise and practical, flexible and versatile]
[Due to your mastery of Tennen Rishin-ryu, your Physique +2!]
[Due to your mastery of Tennen Rishin-ryu, you have learned a new sword technique!]

[Uesugi Toru]
[Physique: 8]
[Will: 8]
[Charisma: 9]
[Spirit Arts: 1]

When Uesugi Toru opened his eyes again, the first things to come into view were the various data windows and Ririko’s small face. Unfortunately, what blocked his vision wasn't the "great thunder" that usually allowed him to see only half of the dojo ceiling.

"This is fine too; it won't affect my sword practice."
Ririko: ?

With a sigh, Uesugi Toru detached himself from her lap pillow without a hint of reluctance. In his eyes, Ririko was just a "good bro," and a good bro’s lap pillow wasn't exactly something to be nostalgic about. Although her thighs were indeed more comfortable than a pillow—muscles honed through high-intensity training only turn hard as stone when flexed, but remain soft as cotton when relaxed.

"Uesugi-kun, how are you feeling?"
"Very well. Better than ever."

His answer caught her off guard, and the words she was about to blurt out—"Would you like to come to my place for a medicinal bath?"—were naturally swallowed back down.

Actually, Ririko had been very thoughtful. For a normal person, the body would be quite weak after breaking through its limits during high-pressure training, and a medicinal bath would be excellent for recovery. But was Uesugi Toru a normal person? What normal person could go from having above-average physical fitness to the level of a national-grade athlete just by waking up from a nap?

The two-point increase in his Physique attribute had not only wiped away all previous exhaustion and damage but also made Uesugi Toru feel an explosive power surging within him at every moment. He was confident he could easily run a 10.5-second 100-meter dash, a 29-minute 45-second 10,000-meter run, or bench press 200 kilograms. This was the near-illogical, comprehensive improvement brought about by the increase in his Physique attribute.

Beyond that, new techniques for the Tennen Rishin-ryu had flooded into his mind. However, that was a matter for later; he couldn't demonstrate them in front of Ririko.

After tentatively moving his body and seeing the dojo was still empty, Uesugi Toru asked, "How long has it been since I lost consciousness?"
"A little over two hours. It should be time for school to let out soon," Ririko stood up and smiled. "Why? Still want to practice?"

Uesugi Toru looked at the pale-faced girl, realizing she must have been kneeling motionless on the floor for quite a while, and said, "No, let's try to relax for once."
"Hmph..." Ririko let out an ambiguous hum, then added, "Your phone rang while you were out. I saw the same person calling several times, so I answered it for you."
"A call from Nanjou-san?"

"No, the person said they were the sidekick of that cop and that they'd be waiting for us at the gate after school."

Uesugi Toru: "That works out perfectly. I’ll go take a shower and change clothes. How about I treat you to some barbecue tonight, Teacher Ririko?"
"I don't mind."

Ririko kept a straight face—if you ignored the hands she was using to tightly clutch her stomach to keep it from growling.

...

Although he was just showering, Uesugi Toru didn't forget to enter the "Ever-World" to collect the weapon the blacksmith had forged. But when he arrived at the smithy, he found that not a single weapon remained in the once-crowded shop.

The place was deserted.

Uesugi Toru frowned, walked inside, and scanned the room. The blacksmith, who used to sit behind the counter snoring away, had vanished. In his place was the little runt who had always stood by his side and never shown his face.

At least someone was there.

Uesugi Toru pondered for a moment, then asked as gently as he could, "Where is the old blacksmith?"
"Master has left."

The little runt, entirely hunched under a cloak, spoke. He struggled to pull a weapon from under the counter and placed it on the table. "This is the weapon Master forged for you, Mr. Hannya. He said you would definitely like it."
"Please, take it."

Resting on the old wooden table was a katana housed in a vermilion scabbard.
The misunderstanding was resolved.

"My thanks."
Uesugi Toru offered a formal expression of gratitude before picking up the katana with both hands. His first touch was on the scabbard.

[Regenerative Scabbard]
[Quality: Excellent]
[Effect: Slowly restores the durability of the sheathed blade.]
[—A matching scabbard forged by the Nameless Blacksmith for the Kaga Kiyomitsu replica.]

Good stuff. Durability was crucial for a cold weapon. His wood-chopping knife, for instance, had already worn down significantly from colliding with the bones of farmers and crowbars; it had dulled and chipped, its lethality no longer what it once was. If he kept using it, the blade might snap entirely. With this scabbard, those problems would be a thing of the past.

This blacksmith was truly an honest man!

Uesugi Toru was overjoyed. If the scabbard was this satisfactory, what kind of surprise would the blade itself bring?

He slowly drew the blade and began to examine it carefully. The blade was 72 centimeters long, clean and sharp like a windless lake, without any complex patterns or engravings. The edge was thin yet radiated a biting chill like deep winter. The entire sword was much heavier than his old wood-chopping knife, yet it felt incredibly comfortable in his grip.

He looked at the weapon’s pop-up panel.

[Kaga Kiyomitsu (Replica)]
[Quality: Superb]
[Effect 1: Piercing Enhancement. Deals significant extra damage when using piercing-type sword skills.]
[Effect 2: Soul-Severing. The quality of the Kaga Kiyomitsu replica will gradually improve as it slays demons, spirits, and phantoms.]
[—A katana forged by the Nameless Blacksmith based on his memories of the Kaga Kiyomitsu. The difference is that this time, he poured his heart into it.]

Uesugi Toru fell silent. He wondered what he had done to deserve such an overpowered weapon from the blacksmith. Was it just because he had helped eliminate the noise in the workshop? That seemed unlikely, as the blacksmith had now left the Arakawa Ghost Village, and the workshop meant nothing to him anymore.

That could only mean...

Uesugi Toru looked at the little one behind the counter. "Runt, did your master ask me to look after you?"
The gray cloak shook slightly, and a timid voice came from within: "Master said that depends on you, Mr. Hannya. He only forged a standard weapon for you; there is no further connection."
"How could there not be..."

Uesugi Toru sighed and slid the blade back into its scabbard. "In the future, if you have any trouble, just come find me."
The cloak shook twice more; the little one inside seemed to be nodding. Then, Uesugi Toru saw him take out a...
A miniature Jizo statue?

"Master also said, if you, Mr. Hannya, offered to protect me of your own volition, I should give this statue to you."
"And if I didn't offer?"
"Then I was to use this statue as the price to demand your protection."

Uesugi Toru paused. He leaned toward the counter, his Hannya mask grinning. "And what if I decided to take it by force?"
The cloak shook even more violently, but the little one said, "Master said you wouldn't steal. He said you are not the same kind of creature as those demons and phantoms."
"Tch."

Uesugi Toru cursed under his breath. The old man had said every good and bad thing there was to say. How could someone look so honest but be so cunning?
"Give me the statue."
The little one complied obediently. The moment Uesugi Toru took the miniature Jizo statue, his eyes sharpened.

[You have obtained a key item for Side Quest 1—The Complete Jizo Statue!]