Hirazo adjusted the controller device beside the oven door and adjusted the heat. Before long, this oven reacted. The heat in the oven reaches hundreds of degrees celsius. Hirazo appeared to be looking at his watch, to adjust the time needed. When he was done, Hirazo turned off the oven and opened the oven door with automatic control. Hirazo also controlled another pulley here which had a kind of clamp, this pulley then took out chunks of Asanuma's armor skin from inside the fire Oven. This pulley then moves to the forging place, Hirazo begins to hammer the chunk of Asanuma's armor skin, using a forging hammer, and shape it in such a way. Ken appears to be paying close attention.
After some time passed, the chunks of Asanuma's armor skin appeared to begin forming into the weapon that Ken wanted. After some time of forging, the chunk of Asanuma's armor skin is starting to cool down again. Hirazo said
“We have to reheat it”
Hirazo controlled the movable pulley with a clamp, this pulley then brought the chunk of Asanuma's armor skin back into the fire oven. Hirazo turned toward Ken
“This warm-up process will be repeated, so it will take some time”
Ken replied with a nod.
The time is now 2:00 pm, Hirazo and Ken appear to take a break and eat their lunch together. Ken looked at the chunk of Asanuma's armor skin that was starting to change its shape, as it was heated and hammered repeatedly with the hammer. Ken's expression turned curious
“How long does it usually take for uncle to finish one Yokai weapon?”
Hirazo's expression changed to astonishment
“It depends, but the fastest is a few days. We've gotten used to forging it as effectively as possible because we don't know exactly when the chunk of Yokai armor skin will harden until it is impossible to forge”
Ken replied
"It's quite understandable because this Yokai weapon is forged straight from the chunk, to become a weapon"
Hirazo replied
“Yes, because a Yokai's body parts cannot be smelted and reshaped carelessly”
Ken replied with a nod.
After taking a short break, they had just finished eating their lunch, Hirazo resumed forging chunks of Asanuma's armor skin, and Ken appeared to be watching him. Hirazo put on a heat shield, and forged the hot chunks of Asanuma's armor skin, causing sparks to splatter everywhere. While forging, Hirazo's attention was drawn to the glove puppet Asanuma that Ken was carrying
"So, that glove puppet is Asanuma medium?"
Hearing this, Ken's attention was drawn to his glove puppet for a moment, he then looked back at Hirazo
"That's right, uncle's reaction is like seeing him for the first time?"
Hirazo replied
"It's the first time I've seen it, that glove puppet as the medium in which Asanuma was sealed”
Ken appears to realize something
"Then, let me introduce uncle to Asanuma"
Ken said while showing the glove puppet Asanuma to Hirazo. Hearing this, Hirazo's expression turned astonished. Ken continued talking
"Asanuma is a wolf-Yokai sealed in this glove puppet, I'll show him to uncle"
Hirazo looked surprised
“Wa, wait a minute, I'm not allowed to see Asanuma in person”
Hirazo looked reluctant, which made Ken look surprised. Hirazo continued talking
“But I guess the problem is because I have a hard time believing it…”
Ken looked confused
"Not allowed? Why is that?"
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Hirazo answered
"It's been my family's rule for generations, a member of the Hirazo family will be allowed to see Asanuma if he ever has finished forging a weapon from him, as a form of respect for the blacksmith in question. Forging a Yokai weapon is a sacred thing for the Hirazo family…"
Ken's expression turned curious
“So, uncle's experience of forging Yokai weapons is from other Yokai?”
Hirazo nodded
“Yes, exactly as you said”
Hearing this, Ken looked even more curious. Before long, Ken appears to remember something
"But uncle, grandpa said that if I could discuss Asanuma and Yokai weapons with uncle"
Hearing this, Hirazo looked surprised.
Ken and Hirazo are now in front of the Yokai weapon-forging building, Ken then prepares himself to summon Asanuma, he appears to be concentrating. Ken said
“Come Asanuma”
Not long after, pillars of thick black smoke began to evaporate from the glove puppet Asanuma. This smoke keeps enlarging, then from behind it, Asanuma emerged at 4.5 meters tall. Seeing this, Hirazo looked up to Asanuma with a shocked expression and was speechless. On the other hand, Asanuma immediately realized Hirazo was a stranger to him. Seeing Asanuma looking at him, Hirazo looked nervous. Asanuma looked astonished
“Hmm… are you another Takeru family member?”
Hirazo looked shocked
“So, this is Asanuma…”
Hearing this, it was now Asanuma who looked surprised. Asanuma then looked at Ken
“What's going on here Ken? Why was I summoned?”
Ken smiled
"I want to introduce you to uncle Hirazo, he's the blacksmith who will make me a Yokai weapon"
Seeing Asanuma, Hirazo looked nervous
“Nice to meet you Asanuma, I'm Hirazo"
Asanuma looked at Hirazo, then looked back at Ken
“Is this some kind of introduction?”
Ken replied
"Yeah, I guess there's no harm in that?"
Asanuma sighed
"You can't just call me like this, it takes quite a lot of energy just to emerge from my medium form"
Ken looked surprised
“Sorry, I just felt that you might want more friends Asanuma”
Hearing this, Asanuma's expression turned astonished
"Since it's already been done, this time, it's okay"
Asanuma then concentrated his energy, and thick black smoke began to evaporate from his body and then enveloped his body. Not long after, from behind this smoke, Asanuma reappeared in his form which was only as big as a wolf in general. Seeing Asanuma decrease in size, Hirazo was speechless again. Asanuma took a sitting position while looking at Hirazo, this time it was Asanuma who looked up at Hirazo
"Nice to meet you too Hirazo, I'm Asanuma"
Hirazo smiled
"It's an honor to meet you Asanuma"
Ken smiled
"It's good if you guys can get to know each other, at least Uncle Hirazo didn't just forge Asanuma"
Hearing this, Asanuma looked at Ken with a flat expression. Ken then continued talking
"The part of your body that you gave I mean, hahaha"
Ken laughed awkwardly. Before long, their attention was broken when someone came up to them and spoke
"Looks like you guys are getting along already?"
Their attention immediately turned to Makoto. Ken said
"Yes, that's right grandpa"
Asanuma looked at Makoto
“Where have you been Makoto?”
Makoto replied
"Me? I have some urgent business…”
Makoto said with a troubled expression, making Ken look curious. Makoto continue said
"How was your experience today Ken?"
Ken replied
"That's pretty good, I learned how different parts of a Yokai's body are, from creatures in general"
Makoto replied
"Good, but since that would take quite a bit of time, we'll do something else. Alright, your training for today is the practice of using swords and martial arts as before to sharpen your skills. Tomorrow, we will do a new training while waiting for your Yokai weapon to be ready"
Ken bowed respectfully to Makoto, then said
“Thank you for grandpa's cooperation”
Makoto smiled and gave a nod
"Of course, you're welcome Ken"
Ken replied
"I want to be here a little longer grandpa, then I will practice. I'll let grandpa know when I finished"
Makoto nodded
"Okay, I'll go first"
Makoto then ask for leave from everyone here including Asanuma, Makoto then walked away from here.
The current time is 4:30 pm. It appears Hirazo is still working on Ken's katana sword carefully, and Ken is watching Hirazo carefully. Asanuma also appears to be still in here in his energy-saving mode, with a shape that is only the size of a wolf in general and appears to be in a sleeping position with his front paws as a cushion. While continuing to forge chunks of Asanuma's armor skin, Hirazo appeared to realize something
“To my surprise, this chunk of armor skin is tougher than I thought”
Ken looked curious
"Does that affect anything uncle?"
Hirazo replied
"Of course, what is certain is that the manufacturing time will be longer, maybe up to a few days"
Ken looked surprised
"Alright then, good luck uncle"
Hirazo replied
"Yeah, just leave it to me"
Hirazo then continued to forge the chunk of Asanuma’s armor skin in front of him, Ken appeared to be watching with his arms crossed. Sometime later, Ken then asks for leave to Hirazo, to do combat training.
The next day, the time is now 7:00 am. It looks like Ken and Makoto are standing in the front yard of the shrine on the hillside behind the Takeru family's main house. Ken appears to wear a white long-sleeved shirt with black training pants with gray stripes. Makoto is wearing a gray short-sleeved shirt and vest, he also appears to be carrying his sheathed katana sword, which he holds in his left hand
"Alright Ken, our practice today is mixed barehanded martial arts, without using your sword"
Ken's expression turned curious
"May I know the reason, Grandpa?"
Makoto replied
"Of course, to complete your defense against enemies, especially human enemies, in the absence of your Yokai and Yokai weapons"
Ken gave a nod. Makoto continues talking
"Alright then, let's get started"
Makoto then put his sword near the shrine building, Ken watched him curiously. Ken thought to himself
“Why grandpa brought his katana sword but didn't use it for training?”
Ken’s expression turned curious.