Capítulo 50: The Cursed Scythe
The recent outing didn't take up much time.
The flames were secured, and the barrier had been checked, aligning closely with what Minamoto Sōjun had envisioned.
The progress of Tenjin was still slow; whether it was due to caution or confidence, Minamoto Sōjun couldn't tell. To him, the opponent's sense of time had become extremely vague, far removed from that of others.
Minamoto Sōjun returned to the Kyoto Jujutsu High, exchanged greetings with the others, and immediately locked himself in the forging room to start the next phase of crafting a cursed tool.
He took out the Tōkō-bō (渡柄勺), switched to the sunfire mode, activated his cursed energy, and an orange-red flame surged from the gourd's mouth.
He actively controlled the Tōkō-bō, perfectly managing the flame.
After a brief period of heating, the modern metal materials began to show signs of melting. When it fully became liquid, Minamoto Sōjun constructed a life-sized clone with a single hair strand tied at the back of its head.
The clone walked into the flames and endured the scorching heat.
After a while, flesh and muscles began to melt into the skeleton, and the liquid metal seeped into the bone structure.
Impurities in the materials were forcibly expelled, evaporating bit by bit under the flames until only a silver-white skeletal frame and a silver-white liquid remained, rolling in the forge like quicksilver.
Minamoto Sōjun laid out the design blueprints and activated the machine, an innovative version distinct from other jujutsu forgers.
The liquid metal and skeleton quickly deformed under air pressure until the rough form was completed.
Because of the scythe's complex shape, after multiple rounds of heating and manual hammering, the integrated battle scythe was finally completed.
Next came the grinding and finishing steps.
Minamoto Sōjun first used a grinding stone and a grinding wheel for rough grinding, removing burrs and uneven parts produced during forging. He then polished it further for a smooth, even surface.
He continually compared it with the design blueprint, making further adjustments to ensure there were no errors and that the dimensions and shape were precise.
The battle scythe was gradually taking its final form.
It was then heat-treated, with quenching to improve hardness and toughness, and tempering to reduce internal stress and brittleness.
The importance of fire was once again emphasized.
With the involvement of the cursed flame, the fine, blue cursed energy was integrated into the battle scythe. The timing was perfect, the materials flawless, and Minamoto Sōjun completed the series of steps seamlessly, resulting in a perfectly crafted battle scythe.
After meticulous engraving and coating, slip-resistant design, hand guard, and corrosion resistance were added.
Finally, the finished product was ready.
Minamoto Sōjun gripped the half-bone handle and felt a warm, familiar connection, with the hardness and texture of metal.
He tapped it with his fingertips, and the battle scythe emitted a crisp sound without any impurities.
Minamoto Sōjun wielded it effortlessly, slicing through a heavy metal bar nearby, leaving a smooth, mirror-like cross-section.
He examined the scythe inch by inch, feeling more and more that it was a perfect match for him.
"What is this?" Mishima Shiko looked at the strangely shaped scythe in front of her.
It was entirely silver-white, with flowing, demonic curves. The connection between the blade and the shaft was made of half a human skeleton, with clear and defined skull and twelve pairs of ribs, the spine extending into a long handle that curved perfectly for holding. A short spike protruded at the end, and the scythe's blade extended from the back of the skull, exuding a cold gleam, shaped like a broken moon.
Mishima Shiko felt the warm touch in her hand and unintentionally made eye contact with the skull.
She shivered.
"What is this?" she asked again.
"The Death Scythe," Minamoto Sōjun said, nodding with satisfaction. "I remember someone called the 'Funeral House' was very skilled with this type of weapon. I thought it would suit you well."
"Why, don't you like it?"
"Well, how should I put it? It's not really about liking or disliking... It's just that, well, I do like it, but this skeleton—don't you think it's a bit problematic?" Mishima Shiko glanced back and forth between Minamoto Sōjun and the battle scythe.
Ignoring the flesh and muscles, looking only at the skeletal structure, it was like seeing another side of Minamoto Sōjun.
Don't think I won't recognize you just because you've turned into a skeleton.
Mishima Shiko made two practice slashes with the scythe and immediately felt it was perfectly compatible with her.
She nodded in satisfaction. "Does it have a name?"
"You can give it one."
"Then let's call it Minamoto Sōjun?"
"No."
"Master?"
"??"
"Then let's call it the Cursed Scythe!" Mishima Shiko's brow relaxed as she lightly patted the skull and then ran her hand over the long handle of the spine.
The entire cursed tool exuded a beautiful, decayed, and deathly aesthetic, perfectly matching her taste. She had casually wielded it and found it outstanding; she was very pleased.
Minamoto Sōjun felt a bit of regret at her reaction.
"Drip two drops of blood into the skull's eye sockets," he instructed her.
Mishima Shiko cut her finger and placed it over the eye socket.
A silver-white glow emerged, and the Cursed Scythe vanished with the glow, shrinking to the size of a thumb.
Mishima Shiko playfully tossed it back and forth a few times, suddenly raising the scythe and driving the spike into her left earlobe.
She leaned close to Minamoto Sōjun and tilted her head side to side.
"Does it look good?"
Minamoto Sōjun slightly shook his head. Women, really shallow—her main interest is just whether it looks good or not?
"It looks good, really good." His gaze lingered on the scythe earring.
"...Want to practice?" Mishima Shiko raised an eyebrow and made the invitation.
The Cursed Scythe had the potential of a special-grade cursed tool. It was solid, sharp, and, in addition to its impressive qualities, had the ability to strike souls and offer some healing to its owner.
Minamoto Sōjun was very familiar with it and with her.
Mishima Shiko was indeed well-suited for wielding the battle scythe.
He hardened his arm and took a direct hit from her slash, a line of blood appearing on his skin. From this, it was evident that the Cursed Scythe was sturdier and sharper than the Shihō Blade.
The soul didn't feel pain or discomfort.
His soul's greatest characteristic was its stability, not something that such cursed tools could easily disrupt.
Minamoto Sōjun acted like a balancing scale, standing still while subtly dodging her subsequent strikes with tiny movements.
He shook his head.
Using the long-handled battle scythe relied heavily on body strength—clutching, thrusting, cutting, slicing, sweeping—it required channeling all one's strength into a single motion and making the entire body participate as much as possible.
Mishima Shiko was adept at controlling her power; holding the scythe, her entire body became more active, fully engaging in the swings, her aura fierce and intense.
But she was used to swords and only knew how to slice through people...
"Hey, are you training?"
The voice of Gojo Satoru suddenly came from outside the door.
"Want to practice with me?"
His voice drew nearer and then rang right by their ears.
"Gojo, you have some good timing!" Geto Suguru's voice followed, and he appeared at the doorway with Kasumi Nanako.
It was the second-year trio.
Minamoto Sōjun paused, looked to the side, and then at Mishima Shiko.
After a moment's thought, his expression became warm and eager.
Perfect, he could use this to demonstrate.
"Sure," Minamoto Sōjun said with a smile.
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