Hammer blows rained down on the molten steel, each strike shaping it with precision. Sparks scattered as Ryan wielded his tools, seamlessly combining his mastery of thunderfire and blacksmithing. Being a Logia Devil Fruit user of both lightning and fire made the process far easier than traditional methods. Not only was he completely resistant to heat, but his Thunderfire allowed him to melt and manipulate metal more efficiently than any furnace ever could.
For a hammer, he used a shrunken version of Hate Ground No Handle, a weapon powerful enough to withstand his immense strength. Ordinary wood and steel couldn't endure the sheer force he exerted.
Having read Douluo Dalu, Ryan was familiar with the Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer technique of the Clear Sky Sect—a method that exponentially increased the power of consecutive strikes. He applied this knowledge as he worked.
Boom! Boom! BOOOM!
The red-hot metal was struck repeatedly, his blows coming faster and harder, forcing out impurities with each impact. His free hand shifted into crackling purple Thunderfire, surging into the steel and superheating it once more. The metal shrank slightly under the relentless forging, its structure becoming more refined.
Finally satisfied, Ryan lifted the completed piece with his bare hand, inspecting the gleaming surface. Without hesitation, he plunged it into a container of oil, cooling it instantly with a hiss of steam.
Lately, he had been dedicating a great deal of time to forging hidden weapons in his inner world. Yue, Rachel, Serenity, and Luna had all taken an interest in the deadly artistry of the Tang Sect, spending hours mastering weapons such as flying knives, sleeve darts, bone-piercing needles, and the famed Godly Zhuge Crossbows. (This is before Fleur moves in but she will join soon for the training.)
Unlike ordinary weapons, these required precision, speed, and impeccable technique. Many of them had limited ammunition, making every shot count. Because Ryan could only forge them so fast, the girls primarily trained in the dream space, using summoned shadows to practice against. Their goal was to refine their accuracy to such a level that they would never waste a single weapon in real combat.
Serenity, already a master assassin, took to the techniques effortlessly. The way she moved—silent, precise, and lethal—made it seem as though she had been using these weapons her entire life. The addition of Tang Sect hidden weapons only enhanced her deadliness, allowing her to strike from the shadows with even greater efficiency.
Yue and Rachel, while not natural assassins, adapted quickly. Yue, with her vast knowledge and intellect, treated it like a puzzle, adjusting angles and trajectories with precision. Rachel, on the other hand, relied on her raw talent, using her empathic abilities to anticipate movements and strike weak points with uncanny accuracy.
Luna, ever the wildcard, had thrown herself into training with an almost playful enthusiasm. Despite her carefree attitude, she was proving to be disturbingly accurate with flying knives and sleeve darts. When asked about her progress, she had simply smiled and said, "Mummy always said I had good instincts… and that I should use them to hunt nargles."
But their training wasn't limited to just hidden weapons. They had not neglected their other combat skills—Haki and the Marine Six Styles were coming along well.
Observational Haki, Armament Haki, and even Conqueror's Haki were developing steadily, though Luna was unable to learn Haki due to not being part of Ryan's peerage. However, that didn't stop her from training alongside them, working on her agility, precision, and physical strength—essential for techniques like Soru and Geppo. However it was a bit slow going as she was not only young but her body still had its normal human limits.
Ryan had also noticed an interesting effect. The time spent cultivating on the Jade Soul Platform seemed to accelerate their Haki development. As their souls strengthened, so did their ability to wield Haki. Even his own progress in Haki was advancing rapidly, far beyond what he had expected.
Who knows maybe Luna will be able to unlock Haki just by having her soul strengthened enough and experiencing Haki for herself?
The constant training, combined with Ryan's forging efforts, was pushing them all toward a level of power none in this world could match. And they weren't done yet.
~~~~
A soft ding echoed through the townhouse, signaling the arrival of mail in their enchanted mailbox. Ryan glanced up from his tea, setting his cup down as Yue perked up beside him.
"I'll get it!" Luna chirped, skipping over to the mailbox affixed to the wall. With a dramatic flourish, she opened the slot, and a flurry of letters shot out, neatly stacking themselves on the nearby table.
Before anyone could react, two small metallic objects tumbled out of the pile, clinking softly against the wooden surface.
Rachel was the first to pick hers up, turning it over in her palm. "Prefect badge." Her voice was calm, but there was a flicker of surprise in her violet eyes.
Ryan grabbed his as well, raising an amused eyebrow. "Huh. Guess Flitwick trusts us more than I thought."
A long, drawn-out sigh came from Yue. Ryan turned just in time to see her dramatically slump forward onto the table, her golden locks spilling around her.
"Why was I not made a Prefect?" she muttered, eyes narrowing as she poked at the unopened letters.
Rachel smirked, already anticipating the answer. "Do you really need to ask?"
Luna giggled, twirling the quill in her fingers. "You do have a habit of sneaking into places you shouldn't, playing pranks, beating up boys who try to flirt with you, hexing girls who try to flirt with Ryan, didn't you send one of the Durmstrang boy's to the hospital wing for kicking him in the privates last year?"
Ryan leaned back, smirking. "Yeah, pretty sure Flitwick looked at your track record and immediately wrote your name under 'Not a Chance.'"
Yue groaned into the table before looking up at him, her red eyes filled with exaggerated betrayal. "That's unfair."
Serenity's amused voice floated from the shadows. "It's fair."
Rachel lazily flipped her letter open, scanning through it. "Honestly, you'd probably abuse the authority anyway."
Yue opened her mouth to protest, but then paused… and slumped again. "…Okay, maybe I'd use it to have hot steamy sex with darling in the prefects bathroom."
Ryan chuckled, twirling his badge between his fingers. "At least you're self-aware."
Luna patted Yue's back comfortingly. "Don't be sad. You don't need a badge to have hot steamy sex with Ryan in the prefects bathroom, he can just take you with him."
Yue perked up at that. "Yeah that's right! We can make that little pervert Myrtle watch too."
Rachel sighed, shaking her head and Ryan couldn't help but roll his eyes before turning back to the shopping list.
There was still a month before Hogwarts started and Fleur was moving in soon, she had already told us as much. Not that she wasn't here pretty much everyday anyway thanks to the vanishing cabinet.