11 Years

"Pang!" "Pang!" Inside the Niwa Manor, Allen was hitting the red hot iron at the forge room with a hammer over the anvil, slowly giving it the required sword form.

"Fussh!" After finishing, he put the sword over water, cooling it instantly. Then, he started polishing the blade and finally assembling it with the hilt, guard and sheath, completing the sword.

"Let me try it" Tomoki, who had stayed silent at the back all the time, finally stepped forward taking the sword.

"Swiff!" Tomoki started swinging the sword meticulously, moving it with wide swings that make it seem more like a dance, but in truth, they were very calculated movements, testing the sword stress distribution and weight.

"Good" Tomoki said returning the sword to Allen.

"Have I finally done it?" Allen asked.

"Yes" Tomoki nodded "You have finally made a 2 stars weapon. You can finally call yourself a blacksmith."

Stars were the ranking of weapons in this world, more stars meaning better.

1 star were called Trash that could barely be considered a weapon and could be broken at any time. Allen didn't really know when he had been able to create 1 star weapons, because for Tomoki 1 star and fails were the same, being thrown away.

2 stars weapons were the actual Normal weapons being created by a blacksmith and were the ones used the most.

3 stars weapons were called Refined, a certain special technique was needed to create them and these weapons carried a special ability infused in them as Allen's Cool Steel. They were quite costly as it needed a master blacksmith.

4 stars weapons were called Legendaries. These ones were considered perfection between technique and materials, only being able to be made by the best blacksmith, showing an ability that transcended normal weapon, almost similar to an Elemental Skill. These ones were quite rare, being impossible to mass produce, even the greatest blacksmith needing luck to complete them.

5 stars weapons were called Souls. These showed a far more terrifying power than 4 stars, showing greater effects. Moreover, these weapons had their own ego and needed to be bond to use, needing to be accepted by the weapon and receiving backslash if not. Once bonded, the weapon became part of oneself and the user was able to summon and withdraw it at any moment, not needing to carry it with them at all times.

The techniques to create 5 stars weapons were already lost and while there had been some cases of some new 5 stars weapons made by enlightenment, they could be neglected being too little to even count. That made that every weapon was a treasure, most of them being part of ancient family legacies, transmitted from generations.

Finally, there were rumors of 6 stars weapons, the so-called Divine. However, they were outside of the human realm, both their use and creation, only supreme gods having the power to wield and create them. Their power surpassed this world comprehension and could even destroy it. Anyway, their existence was doubted and they were impossible to create.

"You didn't take even a year. You have a good talent in blacksmithing" Tomoki flattered.

Eleven months had passed since Allen had started, he becoming 11 year old. Both the time an age were far lower than the average, showing a good talent in it.

"Yes" Allen mumbled while looking at the sword against the light.

This type of sword was completely worthless for him as he would be able to easily buy a better one, but even so, he wasn't disappointed or thought that learning the art of forging had been useless. His strength had increased while hammering and his concentration and sight had improved while caring for the fire and how interacting with the materials.

All of it was quite compatible with fighting and it was good to have some breath from the usual sword fighting to widen the limits.

"Would you start teaching me the Isshin Art?" Allen asked. The Niwa Clan was famous as blacksmiths of the Isshin Art and that was what had given them their prestige. From what Honoka had told Allen as for some reason Tomoki didn't like to talk about it, Tomoki was a master of the Isshin Art and had been able to create a Legendary weapon.

"I won't" Tomoki asnwered "You needed to become a blacksmith to be able to truly become part of the Niwa Clan. If you had reached of age and wasn't one yet, you would be forced to give up the name. Now that you have reached that level, there is no need for more."

"But what if I want to learn more?" Allen asked "As you said I have some talent in it, I don't dislike it, having already getting used to it and I want to how high can I reach."

"The way that you tell it is more like a hobby than anything else, but it doesn't matter, I can't teach you the Isshin Art as you are not compatible with it." Tomoki explained.

"It needs compatibility?"

"Yes, the Isshin Art consists in the union of mind, body, materials and elements, resonating to create harmony. The best swords forged with it can have their own mind similar to Souls." Tomoki explained "But it's the same that with your talent as a Vision's bearer. For some reason, you are not very compatible with the elements, avoiding you."

"So there's no way for me to become a master blacksmith?" Allen asked.

"Not with Isshin Art. To use high-end materials and techniques, you will need to make them submit by force and that not something that I would teach you."

"It's a pity" Allen sighed looking at the sword "But it doesn't really matter anyway as I never wanted to become a master from the start."

"Let start sparring, you can use that sword today." Tomoki said, surprising Allen as it was the first time that they would spar with actual real swords.

...

"Clank!" "Clank!" Over the dojo the sound of metal clashing metal resounded as Tomoki's and Allen's swords clashed each other, never being stopped and quickly being linked to the next attack.

Over these months, Allen's had made an incredible growth. His movements were no longer rigid and timed, becoming much stronger and fluid. His spars with Tomoki become longer and more stressful without any moment of waste.

Allen lacked any special style or technique, only fighting using pure swordsmanship, but it could be said that he had finally dominated it, finally having a perfect foundation in swordsmanship and battle in general, his eyes becoming sharp under the enemy's body, being able to read them.

"Clank!" Both blades clashed, Tomoki stepped forward, following Allen's swords along "It's the end"

Allen could see how the sword was approaching his neck. Most fights would have finish there, but Allen didn't surrender. He clenched his sword and stepped forward, shooting his sword at Tomoki's neck.

Tomoki's eyes went wide seeing the sword approach, but a big smile quickly appeared over his face. He twisted his ankle, quickly changing his sword trajectory, forgetting to attack and focusing on defense instead.

"CLANK!" "CR!" "Paf!" The swords clashed, Allen's sword cutting through Tomoki's sword, cutting it in half, however, just as it was about to cut Tomoki, he stopped it with his left hand, perfectly catching it with three fingers at the blade's sides, the edge barely grazing him.

"It seems that is my loss" Tomoki said smiling "It was a good one last move, but never try a suicide move again."

"How can this be considered your loss?!" Allen said angrily "You were fighting with a Trash sword, don't try to hide it, and you were able to catch my sword!"

"I lost the sword, so it's your win. Accept it" Tomoki then turned to a corner, taking a sheathed sword from it and throwing it to Allen.

Catching it and drawing it, Allen quickly recognized it. It was Cool Steel. The sword gifted by Alina and that Tomoki had kept away from these months.

"You are already prepared. I trust you to know what is good for you. You can take the sword outside and actually use it outside our spars." Tomoki stated "You have become a Sword Eater."

"Sword Eater?" Allen asked confused.

"Yes, that was the intent of all this training. I don't want a Sword Parrot that blindly imitate and copy swords style. I wanted you to become someone that eats styles away, making them your own, evolving them to finally create your own ultimate style."

'It's true. If it weren't for him, I would have blindly copied styles, using them as moveset, similar to a Pokemon game battle. But in the end, I would have lacked true battle instinct and I wouldn't be able to call myself a swordmaster.' Allen looked at the sword in his hand thoughtfully 'If it weren't for Tomoki, I might have found it too late, needing much more time to change or even becoming too late.'

Allen turned to Tomoki and bowed 90º "Thanks, master!"

"So you finally accept me as master?" Tomoki said with a smile that couldn't hide his pride.

"I had since long, sorry for not telling it until now" It was true. In these months, Allen had become much closer with Tomoki and his doubts had clear, knowing clearly that he is no way like Pantalone's troops. That created new doubts about why he was a Harbinger, but he didn't dare to ask them yet "I can assure you that you will be my only master, but you are the first one and I will remember it forever and help you even with my life."

"I already said that don't talk about suicide. A problem of mine is not something that your life can help anyway" Tomoki said "Live your own life at full and that would be enough to respect me as your master."

"Yes!" Allen nodded and stood up.

"Prepare your sword!" Tomoki ordered, Allen quickly lifting it.

"Be ready, or you may die" Allen gulped, Tomoki eyes were sharp and full of killing intent as he put his hands over the sword at his hips.

"Prepare" Tomoki drew his sword at an incredible speed. It wasn't only the sword, Tomoki's body became one with it, moving alone with a wide arc, making it similar to a whip.

"Gulp!" Before Allen was unable to react, Tomoki's sword was already at his neck, just an inch from cutting it.

Tomoki retracted, quickly returning the sword to its sheath "Iaijutsu. The art of drawing the sword" Like before, at incredible speed, Tomoki started drawing his sword, perfectly moving with the minimum movement finishing with a posture of no openings, to only sheathing it again and doing it with a different posture, being able to adapt to any upcoming attack or technique. It was truly the art reaching its peak.

"Attack me with it" Tomoki draw his sword one last time, keeping it with a defensive posture.

Allen turned serious, his sharp eyes fully focus on Tomoki. His body had been unable to react, but the image of Tomokis' movement had been drawn on his eyes. Allen's talent showing its full progress, reading every of his movements.

Allen sheathed his sword, clenching it tightly as his eyes didn't leave Tomoki.

It was possible to imitate his movements? No. Their bodies were completely different, trying it would only break himself and he would be unable to obtain any result. No, he didn't need to copy it. He needed to adapt and make it his own, he needed to eat it!

"Draw!" Allen stepped forward, swiftly drawing his sword in an arc, using all his body in the move.

Seeing the attack coming, Tomoki smiled. It couldn't be compared with his own, being far slower and weaker, but it certainly had its essence. He had taken the technique as his own, adapting it to him. It might be weaker than the original but it was only the start, it would become much stronger.

"Pay attention. Niwa Style: Flowing" Allen's sword clashed with Tomoki's. No, clash wouldn't explain what happened, it was Allen's sword passing through Tomoki's being guided by it, completely parried without making any sound, rather than metal, he seemed to have cut a stream of water.

It showed the incredible ability to guide of Tomoki who even in his last spar, controlling the stress of his sword was able to clash against Allen with a Trash sword that was about to break alone.

"Woaw!" Allen said in awe. He knew that Tomoki was strong, but he really can't tell how deep such strength it, showing him a new height.

"The Niwa Style was born as a way to test the quality of swords, defensively redirecting attacks, feeling the equilibrium and possible hidden damage of the swords. Now evolving into a counterattacking style."

"Thanks, master!" Allen said excitedly, wanting to try and see how strong he would become. Now, he was finally at the start, prepared to make his first step to become a swordmaster.

"Let's rest for today. Rush is never good, go steady and secure" Tomoki said as he started putting everything in his place. "One more thing, Allen. Next month, I would leave Inazuma for important matters."

"It's about Snezhaya?" Allen asked seriously.

"Yes" Tomoki nodded seriously "It should be three months at most. While I am away you would stay at the Kamisato State. I have already convinced Ayato. It was quite difficult but little Ayaka was delighted."

Over these months, Allen had passed a lot of time with Ayaka who had opened to him, playing around and even joining with the studies, becoming close friends.

Sayu had also joined their group, usually following Ayaka even when she was sleeping most of the time. Following her words, being next to Ayaka was the best as Ayaka didn't order her and her leaders didn't dare to come near Ayaka, making it the perfect place to slack off.

"Master, is dangerous?" Allen asked worriedly, Tomoki's eyes going wide.

"So I couldn't hide from you?" Tomoki smiled sadly "Yes. It shouldn't go wrong, but I might lose my life there."

"Are they trying to kill you?!" Allen said shocked "If it's about your work, I can help it. I can help you become more influential at Inazuma. I'll do the dirty work."

"It's not about that" Tomoki shook his head "It's about strength. If I die, it simply means that I wasn't strong enough." He sighed "If I were to die..." He shook his head "Let's not think about it. I'm sure that I will prevail. Have faith in your master!" He said smiling. "If there something that I'm confident is in my strength after all."

"Okay, I will trust you. Don't dare to die!" Allen said seriously.

"I won't" Tomoki nodded.

"And what will be the excuse for your leave?" A noble leaving Inazuma wasn't something normal so it should be communicated and, of course, it couldn't be said that he was leaving to Snezhaya. In the same way, only in their own home, they dare to talk about the Fatui.

"I explained that I have some personal things to finish. I traveled most of my life so it didn't surprise anyone" Tomoki said "You can simply answer that I hadn't told you about and that I would be some months out."

"Okay" Allen nodded.

"Let's take a shower and rest for today. It has been a long day" Tomoki said as both started leaving, but just as they were about to open the door, the door was suddenly open.

"Bang!" from the door a panting Honoka surged "Master, young master, there are terrible news"

"Calm down, Honoka" Tomoki tried to calm her down, supporting her with his body "What happened?"

Honoka's face was dark and she nervously looked at Allen and Tomoki "Asahi-sama has died."

Tomoki's eyes went wide, but quickly turned fierce. He clenched his teeth and hands so strong that left a mark on them while swearing "Why should it be now!?"