127 5.16 The Prologue, Spoilers And Blood Essense (2/2)

I looked at the backyard as I slowly finished up the ramen. It quietens down my stomach a bit since there would be some work to be done later on in the Realm of Mind, it seems to be a good idea to stuff more energy giving foods in the body.

Soon sellers of all kinds pushing their yatai across the district and Hiko-sama stopped every one of them and bought 2 portions each. Except for the senbei and yakiniku we had the other night, he ordered a bunch of taiyaki, gyoza and 2 tomorokoshi for desserts.

Taiyaki were small fish-shaped baked cakes that had fillings of red beans, green beans, coconut, or sweet potatoes in them and were bite-sized. It was like a waffle kind of fillings but were much smaller. Hiko-sama bought a dozen of that taiyaki.

The gyoza was small dumplings that were filled with chicken, fish or meat with diced potatoes, onions and chives and were deep fried. It was an all-time snack that can be eaten after or between meals. Hiko-sama bought about 6 pieces since the hot buns given by the innkeeper had long finished.

Tomorokoshi was Japanese sweet corn that was boiled in a huge cauldron and then the ears of the corn were peeled and grilled over a charcoal fire with a pinch of salt. It was simply yummy since this is the best way to eat sweet corn and not those glutinous type of corn that was used mainly for feeds.

The Tomorokoshi could be eaten straight off the grill or decorned from the cob. Eaten with thick sweet cream, with butter with salt or simply with a bit of coconut shavings and salt, either way, it would be great. Both Hiko-sama and I chose to eat straight from the cob instead thus the price was slightly cheaper than being decorned from the cob.

Chicks and ducks waddled close to the yatai as some bits of the corns fell to the ground and was quickly gobbled up by the small little animals. Even the tomorokoshi was favoured by both humans and animals.

After eating the corn on a cob or tomorokoshi, I told Hiko-sama that we would be entering the Realm of Mind soon. He gave me a thumbs up and gave me the cob that he had finished.

I brought the taiyaki and gyoza into the kitchenette and used a food cover to cover them once I placed them on a plate. Both the eaten tomokoshi had been disposed in the receptacle and would later be burnt at the backyard along with other rubbish collected over the few days.

I motioned Hiko-sama to enter the small bedroom as he closed the sliding door of the house and immediately sat down on the floor and started to meditate. It seems he was very eager to enter the Realm of Mind with me this time and anticipated to see how the progress on finishing the katana.

I soon meditated and entered the Realm of Mind with a full stomach. Soon afterwards, we both entered the Realm of Mind and in front of us, there was all the blacksmithing tools, a grinding stone as well as my katana that I had lain against the anvil earlier.

I picked the katana and held it by its handle and measured it. As I held it by my side, the tip misses the ground by a few centimetres and I discovered that it was the perfect length for me.

I fired up the furnace and used the bellows to pump the airflow. I placed the katana that I had already forged and place it into the coals.

”Why do you need to put the readied katana in the furnace again? Is it for the blood Essense?”

”Yes, Sensei. I will induce my blood into it when it's still red hot. And once done, I will let it cool off a bit before I submerged it into the tub of water. Then I could perform the blade washing on it already.”

”Oh... Interesting. I thought there's not necessary to place the katana in the coals again.”

I smiled as I pumped the bellows and soon, the katana that I had placed on the bed of coals became red hot. I took it and placed it on an anvil. Then I visualised a sharp razor blade and I used it to slit the left palm and I squeeze it tightly in a ball of a fist.

Blood soon trickled down and the moment it touches the red hot blade, it sizzled loudly as if it was anticipating my blood as it merged with into the blade. I ran my blood in the centre of the blade and after the sizzling died down, a gleam shone on the blade.

The reflection of the sunray hits the blade and it glinted off its surface and hit Hiko-sama's direction. He jumped a few steps back and was awed and shock.

”My God...! I can see flashes of blades coming at me just by the glinting of it by the sunlight. All my weapons don't have that kind of glint, it was as if it was mirror finish.”

”This is just the beginning, Sensei. Let me soak this in the water here and then I can start the blade washing.”

”Ok, I'd just wait here. I wish I had bought some Kushikatsu and I could munch while waiting for you to complete the task. By the way, after blade washing, you going to bring back the katana to our real world right?”

”Yes, Sensei... I would bring it back to our real world. By the way, don't you think it is unfair for you to eat while I'm working? Hee... Hee... Hee...”

”Haa... Haa... Not at all, at least I could keep myself busy or maybe drink a jar of sake or what you called as yumueshu.”

”Alright, Sensei. I have cooled off the katana and I am going to blade wash it next. Just hang around, it would take some time like an hour or so.”

I lifted the blade out from the tub of water as the blade was like having a life in its own as it continued to gleam in my hands. There was even a slight heartbeat thumping that I felt in my hands as well.

”It's just part of my imagination I think as I sat before the grinding stone and stepped the pedal that helps the round grinding stone to rotate. If I had used a normal grinding stone it would even take up more than one hour to perform my blade washing.

I slowly stepped in the pedal and the round grinding stone slowly turned as I placed the blade on it. Screeching sounds of metal hitting the grinding stone was heard and I poured water on it to prevent it from overheating.

When I used the grinding stone to sharpen one side of the blade, a shower of sparks came from the grinding stone as I stepped on the pedal faster thus making the grinding stone moves faster as well.

More and more sparks flew from the grinding off the katana that I was blade washing as I kept grinding and pouring water to cool off the blade. I then turned to the blunt side of the blade to smoothen it down.

I wanted to use the blunt side to parry off the incoming strikes from another katana and I wanted to make sure the blunt side would be flat and hard to repel such attacks. No one would use the sharp side of the katana to be used to parry oncoming strikes as it would chip the sharpened edge instead.

However, a chipped blunt edge could be easily repaired and I have to make sure that the sharpened blade won't be too thin either. Or else if someone parried it with a blunt side, the sharpened edge may break and shorten the life of the katana.

However, in this case where the blade was forged by me, and an injection of blood Essense was induced, I am sure that this katana would be able to withstand any oncoming attacks.