Shirou himself wasn't quite sure how he'd managed to forge the blade.
From the moment he'd first raised the hammer, his awareness of the outside world faded completely. Every shred of his focus became centered solely on the piece of iron before him.
His thoughts had practically ceased; his body moved mechanically, striking the anvil rhythmically. It felt like thinking without thinking—conscious, yet empty.
Shirou entered a profoundly mystical state, oblivious to the two people now standing quietly nearby, observing him intently.
Initially, seeing Shirou recklessly swinging his hammer, the bearded blacksmith had nearly rushed forward to stop him. But upon glimpsing the sword embryo Shirou was shaping, he froze mid-step, mesmerized by the smooth, flawless forging process unfolding before his eyes.
Without hesitation or pause, without measuring dimensions or thickness, Shirou swiftly and elegantly completed the blade in perfect rhythm.
Hisssssss—!
With the hiss of quenching metal, Shirou's sword was complete.
"What's this? Why is the sharp edge of the sword reversed?"
The burly blacksmith stared curiously at Shirou's creation.
"So it won't needlessly take lives," Shirou replied softly.
He recalled vividly the bloodshed he'd caused when first drawn into battle. Even though the deaths hadn't entirely been his fault, they still weighed heavily on his conscience.
Given how swiftly he could project blades, Shirou's instinctive choice in emergencies had always been lethal weapons like Nichirin swords, never blunt instruments. But if he'd had just a little more time back then, perhaps he could've chosen differently.
Had he wielded a weapon incapable of killing, perhaps his hands wouldn't be stained by so much blood.
Thus, as Shirou had forged the weapon, he'd wished deep in his heart for a blade incapable of taking lives—and his body had responded in kind, resulting in this reversed-edge katana.
"Is this truly your first attempt at forging?" the blacksmith asked incredulously, examining the newly-forged blade, gleaming brilliantly under the workshop lights.
This sword was near perfection, considering the basic materials used. Even the master blacksmith himself rarely achieved such precision on the first try, despite employing Shingu tools.
"Become my apprentice!" The smith suddenly seized Shirou's hands tightly, staring at him with passionate, sparkling eyes.
...
Shirou returned to Night Raid's base, somewhat disappointed. Even the renowned blacksmith was unable to replicate Shirou's projected Teigu.
The blacksmith simply couldn't understand magical constructs, making duplication impossible. When he'd enthusiastically struck the replica Incursio, the sword had simply vanished into thin air. He had hoped to glimpse the internal structure, but the fragmented pieces disintegrated immediately, scattering stray magical energy until nothing remained.
After managing to politely free himself from the persistent blacksmith's insistence, Shirou finally arrived back at Night Raid's headquarters.
"The Empire announced they're publicly recruiting candidates to deal specifically with us," Lubbock immediately reported to Shirou upon his return. "They're holding a selection tournament in the arena."
Given it was a public event, the Empire hadn't concealed their plans.
Of course, certain crucial details remained hidden—such as the fact that the actual squad meant to counter Night Raid had already been decided. The tournament's true purpose was merely for Esdeath to find a suitable romantic partner. Even the victor wasn't guaranteed entry into that squad, unless he happened to wield a Teigu.
"This is our chance—a prime opportunity to infiltrate and gather intel from inside the Empire," Najenda declared firmly, slamming her hand on the table as she surveyed the assembled members.
"You're going," she pointed decisively at the utterly exhausted Tatsumi.
"Shirou is definitely attending—it's an ideal opportunity for him to return to the Empire's inner circle. But beyond that, we must also prepare alternative plans."
Najenda analyzed carefully. The Empire hadn't explicitly limited the selection to just one candidate. Besides, Shirou might be recruited by Esdeath directly as her subordinate, not merely a pawn against Night Raid. After all, he'd previously traveled with the Three Beasts—Esdeath might consider him a direct asset rather than just another team member.
"Tatsumi, besides Lubbock, you're the only one here whose face hasn't yet been exposed as a member of Night Raid, and your natural combat skill remains exceptional even without a Teigu."
Among Night Raid, apart from Akame and Bulat, everyone relied heavily on their Teigu. Leone's strength and intelligence-gathering abilities hinged entirely on her Teigu's enhancements. Mine and Lubbock, without question, would become defenseless without their weapons.
Akame, trained extensively in assassination, remained formidable even without Murasame. Likewise, Bulat, once an Imperial general, retained impressive skills, although now he relied solely on the replica Incursio Shirou provided.
Tatsumi himself possessed strong innate fighting abilities, augmented further by the genuine Incursio. Even if pursued by Esdeath, his survival and escape capabilities were virtually guaranteed.
Safety-wise, he was their best option.
"But—I have no idea how to gather intel. Wouldn't I be useless there?" Tatsumi protested weakly.
"Shirou-san doesn't know either, but he's still going," Lubbock replied matter-of-factly.
Shirou nodded; infiltrating the Empire was non-negotiable for him.
"Some things must be learned through experience," Lubbock continued sagely, patting Tatsumi on the shoulder. "Unexpected situations won't wait until you're ready for them."
Truthfully, Tatsumi was chosen simply due to lack of better options. Lubbock himself needed to remain near his bookstore to continue intelligence gathering; as a Teigu user, he could acquire information more effectively than standard informants. He couldn't afford a prolonged absence—his responsibility to Night Raid took priority.
"Alright..." Tatsumi agreed weakly, exhausted from Bulat's relentless daily training regimen, incapable of thinking clearly about anything else. Aside from mealtimes, this was probably his happiest moment in recent memory.
Yet there was no need to overly worry. Tatsumi always recovered quickly, bouncing back fully refreshed the next day. Minor injuries healed within an hour; even deep wounds recovered fully in just a day or two—while not instantaneous, still remarkably impressive.
Exhaling deeply, Shirou drew the reversed-edge katana he'd just forged, examining it thoughtfully.
Although he could easily project replicas of it whenever he wished, this sword held special significance—his first personally-forged weapon. It felt worthy of being cherished.
"So, we're about to meet again?"
Recalling his previous battles against Esdeath, Shirou's gaze hardened into a focused seriousness.
He had devised a potential method to counter Esdeath's formidable ice abilities, but without testing it directly, he had no idea whether it could withstand her attacks. Only through actual combat could he determine if his strategy was truly viable.
Unless Shirou could decisively overcome Esdeath's ice, victory would remain forever beyond his grasp.
The following day came swiftly, and with it—the decisive moment approached once more.