CHAPTER 70: CHAPTER 70: SUCCESS

Sanemi reluctantly followed Sosuke to the venue he had mentioned.

It turned out to be a forest near Sosuke’s residence.

As they walked, Sanemi couldn’t help but wonder: Why would he lure me here with a letter, then drag me into the woods? What’s he planning?

If Sosuke hadn’t been leading the way, he would never have come!

It was simply his nature. He wouldn’t give face to anyone except Lord.

But Sosuke’s forging techniques were simply too powerful. After using a Nichirin Blade forged by him, any other felt completely inadequate.

So, even though he had to restrain his impatience, he still followed along.

Yet he couldn’t help muttering, "If you’ve brought me here for some trivial matter, I’ll never forgive you."

"It’s far from trivial," Sosuke replied confidently. "In fact, it’s quite fascinating. We’re here."

As he spoke, the trees parted to reveal a clearing bathed in sunlight.

Kotetsu stood ready, beside the fully restored Yoriichi Type Zero. Its six arms each held a blade, their edges gleaming with lethal sharpness.

"What’s this?" Sanemi recognized the Automaton instantly. "Why does it look different from the one I saw before?"

"I’ve repaired it," Sosuke explained. "But to determine the Automaton’s full capabilities after the repairs, we need a Pillar’s strength to test it. Since I heard your blade needed repair, I thought it would be perfect to have you come directly. I can repair your blade while you help me evaluate the Automaton’s performance. And since you’ve already experienced its techniques firsthand, your feedback will be invaluable."

"I see," Sanemi said, a smile stretching across his scarred face, making him look even more menacing. "But I must say, you’ve made a grave mistake!"

"Hmm?" Tetsu no Sosuke looked at him.

"Since you know I used this Automaton for training, you should realize it can’t harm me. But I... might not be so gentle with it."

Sanemi chuckled. "I’m just worried all your hard work repairing this Automaton will be for nothing."

"Let’s find out," Sosuke replied with a smile. "This Automaton might surprise you..."

As he spoke, he beckoned to Kotetsu.

Kotetsu waved his hand, and a sword flew through the air, which Sosuke caught effortlessly. "This is for you."

"A Nichirin Blade?" Sanemi snatched the sword, his brow furrowing as soon as he held it. He drew the blade, noting its unchanged color. "Just an ordinary sword?"

"Why would you need a Nichirin Blade for training, anyway?"

Sosuke pointed. "Go!"

"..." Sanemi felt an overwhelming urge to kill Sosuke. ’Is that how you talk to people?!’

Sanemi couldn’t help but bare his teeth. With a clang, he drew his sword and charged directly at the Automaton.

Kotetsu abruptly activated the Automaton. In an instant, its six arms unfolded, blades flashing. With a clang, the Automaton’s weapons clashed against the Wind Pillar’s.

Kotetsu circled around the edge of the arena to stand beside Sosuke, looking even more agitated than Sosuke himself. "This is it. Everything depends on this."

Sosuke ruffled Kotetsu’s hair. "Trust me."

"I do trust you, but he’s still a Pillar," Kotetsu replied. As he spoke, Sanemi’s movements suddenly accelerated beyond what the naked eye could follow. A moment later, Sanemi let out a wild laugh. "Too slow!"

With a swift slash, his blade aimed straight for the Automaton’s neck.

But in that instant, the Automaton spun rapidly, its six arms and six blades whirling like a wheel, forming a massive crescent moon!

If Sanemi’s strike landed, it would indeed decapitate the Automaton, but he himself would inevitably be cut in half at the waist.

His expression shifted slightly as he struggled to find the right force. He lifted one foot, touched the ground with his toe, and in a split second, transitioned from his stance into a new technique. Leaping into the air, he landed gracefully, only to look up and see hundreds of blade shadows descending from the sky!

"He’s using it!" Kotetsu’s eyes lit up.

Sosuke stared intently. This move had been a sudden inspiration—he’d wanted to see if he could replicate the hammer techniques of Gale Sun using the puppet’s blades. Now, unleashed unexpectedly, it truly exuded an extraordinary presence.

Sanemi tilted his head back, momentarily speechless. "What the hell is that thing?"

The next moment, he exhaled sharply, white mist billowing into the frigid air as his blade flashed upward in a swift, wind-assisted strike!

Breath of the Wind—Sixth Form: Black Wind Mountain Mist!

Thousands of clashes erupted in an instant. The figures separated abruptly, leaving Sanemi with over a dozen shallow cuts across his body—superficial, but enough to leave him looking disheveled.

The puppet, on the other hand, remained completely unscathed. Its clothes were torn, but the puppet itself was undamaged.

The six blades remained intact and, in the next instant, surged forward again, charging toward Sanemi.

"We did it!" Kotetsu leaped into the air, tugging on Sosuke’s sleeve. "We did it! We did it!"

Sosuke nodded, letting out a soft breath.

Their success wasn’t about whether they could harm the Wind Pillar.

The success they sought was based on two simple points:

First, the repaired puppet had to be durable enough to withstand repeated strikes without shattering after just a few sword blows. This was crucial; if achieved, any puppet could be used for extended periods.

Second, the new sword techniques had to be executable by the puppet.

This proved that Sosuke had fully mastered every aspect of the puppet’s design. He could now freely combine its functions to create puppets for various purposes.

Just as he had said, the puppet could be used for cultivation or to assist in the rehabilitation of the injured.

As long as Sosuke willed it, he could freely adjust the puppet’s strength. The upper limit was capped, roughly at its current level, capable of sparring with a Pillar without being immediately overwhelmed.

The lower limit, however, was harder to define. At its absolute minimum, the puppet would be completely defenseless, but the range between these extremes could be adjusted at will.

By this point, the experiment had reached a perfect conclusion.

Sosuke called out, "Wind Pillar, you can stop now."

Sanemi’s eyes were bloodshot, and he paid no heed to Sosuke’s words. He continued to shout "Ora ora ora ora!" while swinging his sword wildly.

He wanted to make the puppet, which had dared to inflict harm upon him, pay dearly for its audacity!

And so... they fought until the puppet lost all power and came to a halt.

Sosuke dragged Sanemi away, but the man continued to wave his sword, his anger still simmering. "You made it get up! You made it move! I will defeat it fair and square!"

"Yes, yes, yes, you won! You really won! Let’s go back and eat."

Sosuke pulled with all his might, a headache throbbing.