Seeing that the blade blank was finally ready for forging, the old blacksmith reached into the furnace with his golden-glowing arm and pulled out the red-hot mass. His son immediately cracked open another jug of Flowing Cloud Spring Water and poured it over the blazing metal.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
The second strike of Ask Heaven Six Strikes landed, perfectly mirroring the first. When the final blow was delivered, the massive hammer shattered into pieces once again. The brilliant glow faded from the metal, leaving the blade black once more, and the old blacksmith returned it to the furnace to heat it for the next stage.
The process continued again and again. Marcus pumped the bellows with everything he had, sweat pouring down his face and soaking through his clothes, while the girls gathered around him and watched the old blacksmith work with barely contained anticipation. None of them wanted to miss the moment the weapon was finally completed.
