Arthur surveyed his workspace within his laboratory. Today, his focus narrowed down to a single task—the repair and enhancement of the Boltswords.
The epic clash with Utakata had left the weapons in tatters, their blades reduced to shattered metal. Arthur had saved the remnants from that battle with hopes of restoring them.
Now was the time.
He laid the Boltswords upon a metal table and activated his Tamashii. His vision watched the broken components: multiple jagged pieces of blades, a hilt partially intact, and the remnants of cloth.
Such swords were nowhere close to being average. No sword that used little to no chakra and could produce pure lightning was.
From what he observed, the Boltswords were blades that were forged from what seemed to be meteoric iron, an incredibly strong and lightweight metal, further enhanced by what also looked like chakra-conducting crystals.
None of these things were said to exist in this world, so it wasn't so hard to believe since the creators never bothered to expand on them.
For instance, the hilts were clearly crafted from durable materials that mimicked adamantine, providing a comfortable grip to absorb shock. There was also a system of wires and conduits inside the design.
Upon him channeling chakra to see what state they were in, he determined that this crystal is what released the electrical energy, preventing uncontrolled discharges.
No average shinobi would have been able to create such a weapon. This combination of materials and sophisticated design was beyond their time. It's no wonder some of the Seven Swordsmen were so deadly.
Arthur continued to conduct a detailed analysis before it soon became apparent; repairing these weapons required a rigorous approach.
Thankfully, he only needed to repair the blade and the hilt. So in that instant, he devised a five-step process: re-tempering, reinforcement, artisan restoration, chakra imbuement, and synthetic replacement. These were the things that could help not just reform the sword but also amplify it.
He allowed himself a moment to reflect. The Boltswords were not ordinary; none of the weapons from the Seven Ninja Swordsmen were. The most peculiar aspect was each of their origins.
Despite their significance as part of the legendary Seven Swords of the Mist, no conventional detail had ever revealed where any of them truly came from. That included the Boltswords.
Resolute, Arthur pushed the query aside; he didn't need the lore of another realm when he had the capacity to create anew.
As such, he grasped the first pieces of the swords and focused, teleporting to the Sand Village.
Cloaked in a black hood under the cover of darkness, he ventured to a local blacksmith that was currently closed. Upon arriving at the forge, the flames were slightly dormant in the hearth, and tools were strewn across surfaces.
It was as if they were trying to make it easy for him to repair his weapon. Of course, Arthur was not one to take a chance like this one without discretion.
Scanning the area, he confirmed no one was around and no traps were laid out. This meant that no one would interrupt his clandestine endeavor.
He ignited the forge until it glowed at a searing 1,500 degrees Fahrenheit. He then placed the fragmented blades within the fiery maw, and the metal began to glow. Minutes passed as the pieces transformed under the heat.
With the tongs in hand, he retrieved them when they reached their forging temperature. Now it was time to use the anvil with a forging hammer.
With each strike through the empty forge, he coaxed the shards. His clangs were brutal but precise thanks to his chakra-enhanced strength.
And it was his first time doing this, yet he felt as if he had maxed out his smithing skills after just one swing.
In just that span of time, the swords were gradually reformed.
Now that the blades found resolution, his attention turned to the hilt—the portion that required careful craftsmanship.
Deconstructing the remnants of the previous material, he understood the hilt's need was higher than merely functional; it demanded modernization. With the leftovers, he mulled over the exceptional need for synthetic materials that would enhance the incorporation of electricity.
After removing all trace of his presence, he returned to his laboratory with the blades.
There, he gathered carbon fiber and advanced polymers. These new elements could yield not just a new hilt but also fortify the sword's lethality.
He also sketched a 4D model, visualizing every curve and indentation necessary. These details would ensure that when the Boltswords were wielded again, they would not falter; no misalignment allowed for weapons forged for power.
And would he stop at just modifying one sword? No, he had a laboratory to modify them all!
The CNC machining and molding were used. He manipulated every component, ensuring the fit was perfect. Non-slip grip material was then added to where the wielder's hands would clasp the hilt.
With every piece fitting together, the hilt's completion came.
Finally, he turned his attention back to the blades, carefully inserting them into the newly forged hilt. While many would be fulfilled after performing such an amazing feat, he knew deep down that a weapon's might is forged not solely in craftsmanship but ignited through use.
He stood back, observing the newly resurrected Boltswords. There was a certain grace to their return. However, it was the moment of trance that led him to channel his chakra.
Instantly, a brilliant lightning bolt shot through the air and struck the ceiling above. Arthur observed, an inscrutable calm masking any frustration.
The result was promising yet limited, far weaker than he had envisioned. While yes, they worked, the lightning shot out and had harmlessly crashed against the stone ceiling—true lightning could completely tear a devil, leaving it wondering whose power it was dealing with.
He scrutinized the weapons, feeling disappointed.
'The chakra failed to slice through,' he thought. 'I'll have to start over…'
There was no moment of self-pity; the truth was easy to understand—Arthur was not a blacksmith.
If these weapons were to reclaim their former power, they needed another design—a more efficient way to channel and amplify the chakra and electricity that were vital to their being.
The entire night was going to be spent remapping the blueprints.
Rethinking the hilt's splicing, he resolved to redefine the flowing energy conduit to ensure the electricity passed through the entire weapon. That meant each seam and connector needed to channel the electricity in a way that would harness its full potential—more than mere sparks; it needed raw force.
He delved into his designs again, sketching implications into the base of the sword that would allow enhanced conductivity. What he needed to do was integrate the hilt and blade seamlessly to create a dual carapace that would protect the wielder from feedback while spiraling chakra along the blade's spine.
Easier said than done.
Hours passed with him forming equations and formulations. The glowing 4D models remained still as everyone else slept in the plaza.
He couldn't afford to sleep now. Every new iteration demanded attention and care—this weapon had to re-emerge. And not just re-emerge, but reformed into something more potent.
Little by little, he chipped away at every schematic, instilling imagination into every contour of the Boltswords. He worked feverishly, pulling every resource—both material and cerebral—to understand the fundamental design he wished to achieve.
Once again, he would return to the forge in the Sand Village.
The night was still present by the time he snuck inside. This time, he armed himself not only with the broken remnants but with more determination.
In the blacksmith's forge, he reformed the integrated system that would bridge the hilt and blade. Then he pounded it with the forging hammer. After it cooled down, he wrapped it in a cloth.
The materials used this time around were better, so that meant that the crystals also had to be changed. These crystals were nothing special, so he believed that a better replacement would be something like mithril.
Mithril was far more durable than a little crystal. It was going to make the swords heavier, but it could help increase the lightning's potency when chakra was channeled.
Sadly for him, this village didn't carry such a rare material. Mithril was most abundant in the Land of Silence.
The journey to the Land of Silence was an easy feat. Arthur had ventured here by air in the past, assuring the placement of flying raijin marks both inside and outside the country's borders.
After performing the flying raijin, he found himself amidst a ravine. There, he took flight and used his Tamashii to scan the surrounding area, searching carefully for the raw material.
He passed by icy cliffs and flew over rivers. Finally, after about an hour, he found a hidden cavern. Inside, nestled amongst the rocks, was a vein of silver—mithril.
Not needing a pickaxe, he used his chakra-enhanced strength to extract the mithril from the rock. Next, he isolated his chakra into his fingernails, making them sharper than steel. Using his fingers, he cut the mithril accordingly.
It would have been better had he used something like laser cutting or sonic cutting, but at least it was more precise than using a chisel.
When he was finished, he eventually returned to the laboratory.
There, he placed the swords across the table and monitored them carefully. They were gleaming far brighter than before.
The moment of reckoning had come. He grabbed one of them and held it out while channeling his chakra. The hilt first vibrated, then buzzed, then finally glowed.
But nothing happened. No lightning shot out.
Arthur remained stoic despite being confused. He checked the connections again, ensuring the chakra flow was unobstructed. Everything seemed to be in order. So what was the problem?
He closed his eyes, sensing the flow of chakra within himself, feeling for any blockages. Everything within him was fine. That meant the problem was within the weapon.
Using his Tamashii and channeling his chakra again, he discovered the problem—the chakra-conducting mithril wasn't responding.
He'd replaced the original crystals with metal, but had he calibrated things correctly? There was only one thing to work with: he quickly retrieved old crystals and examined them to see what made them special.
Nothing. They were as ordinary as any other crystal. Perhaps he wasn't looking at them right?
To test his hypothesis, he removed the mithril shard and adjusted the crystals in the new swords, mimicking the pattern he'd observed in the original.
Then he held out the sword again. This time, as he channeled his chakra, a quick shine of energy coursed through the weapon before it was covered in electricity.
His original premise was correct—it was the mithril shards at fault. He took both the crystals and mithril and examined them both under a microscope. There, he found his problem: the mithril wasn't shaped correctly; it had to match the crystal's shape exactly.
Taking a scalpel instead, he channeled his chakra at the tip and began making small incisions, carving away the corners and edges until the mithril perfectly resembled the crystal in both size and shape.
The entire process took him three whole hours.
After placing the new shard into the Boltswords, he channeled his chakra to activate it. Immediately, a blinding flash of light illuminated the laboratory.
By the time the light ceased, there was a gaping hole in the laboratory wall.
Arthur had done it. He had not only repaired the Boltswords, but he had improved them.
Was he satisfied or jubilant at this? Perhaps not either, but he was surely content. This entire repair, after all, took him three tries and a whole night to accomplish.
Just imagine how much longer it would take to enhance Hiramekarei.
Those thoughts aside, he stepped back to measure the newly formed swords. Because he had reshaped the blades, they looked different than the original.
This was good. If others saw him with the original swords, they'd know it was him. But now that they were both modified in strength and appearance, there was seldom that would be able to make a connection.