Her fingers dipped below the surface, curling into fists beh the water. The sound of droplets spshing onto the edge of the tub broke the silence as she stared at the wooden pnks lining the wall in front of her.
Why me?
The question echoed in her mind. It wasn’t fair. Kirara, Shogo, and the others were shackled by this cruel system, yet she was free. The thought made her stomach . She had to find out why. She had to uand what this ultimate skill of hers was truly capable of—and whether it could help the others.
“Artificia,” Kaede murmured, her voice barely audible. “ I use [New World Order] to break the log curse on others?”
The pause felt agonizingly long.
Kaede exhaled slowly, her mind rag. She had the potential to help. But it wasn’t enough—not yet. She o grow stronger.
“What if I'm too te?,” she whispered, determination hardening her gaze. “I have to help them, No matter what.”
Draining off the water, she stepped out and grabbed a towel, drying off quickly. The cold air of the suite hit her as she stepped bato the main room, but she barely noticed. Kirara was dozing on the chair, her scarf ed loosely around her shoulders.
Kaede smiled faintly, grabbing a b from the coud draping it over Kirara. The girl stirred slightly, murmuring something i before settling bato sleep.
Kaede sat down across from her, leaning bad staring at the ceiling. "Hey Artificia, is there nothing I do about the curse?"
Kaede sat upright instantly, Kirara stirring from the shuffle. Kaede paused, watg until she was certain, Kirara was still asleep. "What do you mean Devour? I thought you said only Ananke would work. Why didn't you tell me about the devour skill?" She whispered
Kaede leaned forward, elbows resting on her knees as she let out a heavy sigh. Of course, Artificia would answer her requests literally, she almost fot that it was basically an Artificial intelligence, a mae. Newly born too. The realizatio a fresh wave of frustration through her, but she swallowed it down. This wasn’t the time to let irritation cloud her focus.
"Okay, fine. Let’s talk about Devour," she whispered, her voice barely audible over Kirara’s quiet breathing. "What exactly are the ditions for it to work on the curse?"
Kaede frowned, her mind rag. Weakened signifitly? That made things infinitely more plicated. She ched her fists, staring down at the floor as a flicker of guilt crept into her chest. If she wao use this skill on her friends, she'd have to rehem vulnerable first, hurt them. Could she even bring herself to do that?
She g Kirara, her expression softening. The scarf slipped slightly, revealing more of her face. Uhe faint light from the crystal ntern, she almost looked cu-.
Kaede shook her head. No, she’d figure out another way. There had to be a method that didn’t involve f her friends to the brink of colpse.
"Artificia," she said quietly, "What are the full capabilities of [Devour]?"
Type: Unique Skill
Description: Grants the ability to absorb enemies, attacks, ical energy. Anything absorbed is analyzed, assimited, and stored within it, allowing to replicate their properties.
Sub-skills:
Predatory Stomach: A subspace within the body where devoured entities are broken down.
Assimition: Gains the abilities of devoured entities.
Magicule Refinery: verts absorbed materials into raw magicules for further use>
Kaede stayed silent for a few moments, her thoughts stirring. " I use [Devour] without harming her?"
Kaede let out a low hum of thought, her gaze shifting back to Kirara. The pieces were there, scattered like shards of gss. She just had to put them together without cutting herself—or anyone else—in the process.
A faint rustle broke her thoughts, and she realized Kirara was stirring again. This time, her eyes fluttered open, and she blinked groggily at Kaede.
"Kaede? What are you doing up?" Kirara’s voice was soft, ced with sleep, but her was evident.
Kaede forced a small smile. "Just...thinking. Couldn’t sleep."
Kirara sat up, pulling the bighter around herself. "Huh. Well I'm tired. Like, this," she poi her face. "Won't beautify itself." Her eyes lingered on Kaede for a moment longer before she stood up from the chair, Making her way to her room. Kaede sat in silehe weight of her thoughts pressing down on her.
"Artificia," she said finally, her voice barely above a whisper. "If I fail, what happens to them?"
The answer hit her like a bde to the gut. She ched her fists again, her nails digging into her palms. There was no room for error. No room for doubt.
"I won’t fail," she whispered, more to herself than to Artificia. "I ’t fail."
She stood, her resolve hardening like steel. If [Devour] raining, she’d train. If [Ananke] required mastery, she’d master it. Whatever it took to break the curse, she’d do it. No matter how long it took, no matter the cost.
---
A week passed in the blink of an eye, filled with grueling training sessions and the occasional moments of respite shared with Kirara and Shogo. Kaede had pushed herself harder than ever, her mind stantly drifting.
Now, standing outside a familiar shop, Kaede adjusted the strap of her bag and stepped through the heavy wooden door. The air inside was thick with the st of heated metal and soot, and the rhythmig of a hammer on steel rang out from the back.
"Back already, ss?" Gus’s gravelly voice cut through the sound, and he appeared from behind the ter, wiping his hands on a soot-stained rag. His eyes lit up with reition as he spotted her. "You’re right on time. Was starting to think you’d fotten about me."
Kaede shook her head, a small smile. "Not a ce. I’ve been looking forward to this all week."
Gus chuckled, gesturing for her to follow. "Good. Being the strange order that it was, I just had to put my heart into this piece—you’ll see why in a sed. C’mere."
Kaede followed him to the back of the shop, where a rge wooden workbench stood. Resting on it was her shield and armor, polished to a mirror sheen.
The shield was stunning. The onyx steel reflected the fe’s firelight with an otherworldly gleam, its regur shape slightly curved just as she’d requested. The red edges were reinforced with a darker, almost obsidian-like alloy, and the adjustable handle erfectly crafted, sitting alongside a forearm strap that looked sturdy yet fortable.
But what caught her breath was the subtle detail etched into the shield’s surface: a blooming rose design, its petals appearing to shift depending on the angle of the light.
"The rose…" Kaede murmured, running her fingers along the intricate etg.
"Aye," Gus said with a proud grin. "Thought you’d like that. The rose was a good idea, this is a little detail I added to really make it yours."
Kaede nodded, uo hide the smile that tugged at her lips. "It’s perfect."
"Wait until you try the armus said, moving to the side. He lifted the pieces one by one, ying them out on the bench.
The armor was just as impressive. Gus puffed his chest as he expined. "Lightweight ptes interected with an advanced hinge system allowed for full range of motion without sacrifig durability." The chest piece was adorned with the same rose motif, subtle but unmistakable. "The joints are reinforced, and instead of leather, I used an experimental blend of magifused fibers—stronger and more flexible than anything you've seen before." Kaede uood... none of that
"It’s modur, just like you asked," Gus tinued, gesturing to the straps and buckles that made the pieces easy to remove or adjust. "Took me a bit lohan I expected, but I re it’s worth it. This’ll hold up against whatever you’re pnning to fight."
Kaede reached out, lifting the chest pie her hands. It was lighter than she expected, yet felt strong. "It’s incredible, Gus. Thank you."
The bcksmith waved a hand dismissively. "Bah, don’t tha. Try it on. I’m not letting you leave until I’m sure it fits like a sed skin."
Kaede nodded, setting her bag aside and removing her outer yer. Gus called for his apprentice, who hurried over to assist with the fitting. The process was meticulous, every strap adjusted and every joint ied to e moved seamlessly with her body.
When the final piece was secured, Kaede stepped in front of a polished bronze mirror. She stared into it, and Maple stared back.
"Well?" Gus asked, leaning against the workbench with a satisfied grin.
Kaede turo him, her eyes bright with joy. "It’s perfect."
"Damn right it is," Gus said, nodding in approval. "Now, go put it to good use, ss. And don’t fet—if you need repairs, bring it back here. I don’t trust anyone else to work on my creations."
Kaede smiled. "You’ve got a deal."
---
Razen walked down a long hallausing at a rge double door. With a simple knock, the doors were opened from the inside.
Stepping in, there was a rge oval table at the ter of the expansive room, bathed in the soft glow of sunlight filtering through tall windows. Fures stood at different positions around the table, each a high-ranking individual in Falmuth.
In one er, his silver armleaming brilliantly in the sunlight, stood the royal knight tempr, Folgen. His ashy blonde hair was slicked back, giving him an air of practiced regality. His sharp eyes were locked on the map spread out before him, his gaued firag paths and borders with meticulous care.
Across from him, Sardyne leaned casually against the edge of the table, her white surcoat embzoned with the eight-pointed blue star of the Luminous Temprs standing out starkly against her polished pte armor. Her auburn hair was tied in a loose braid that fell over one shoulder, and her sharp green eyes were fixed on Razen as he entered.
“Well,” Sardyne said, her tone calm but edged with curiosity, “Is there anything you need, Lord Razen?”
Folgen gave her a sidelong g said nothing, returning his attention to the map.
“Indeed,” Razen replied, stepping forward. His gaze swept over the room, taking in the heavy wooden table, the maps as scattered across it, and the tension lingering in the air. “It's hat the ret wave of bandit attacks has escated. While it might just be a matter of simple opportunists striking trade routes, two of the otherworlders will be joining your ranks for the raid.”
At this, the third figure at the table, a stocky man with graying hair and a thick scar running down his cheek, grunted in dismay. He wore the uniform of a general, his armor bearing the insignia of Falmuth’s military. General Ordric was known for his bluntness, and today was no exception.
“Those reckless children?” rowled, crossing his arms. “You'll be letting them off their leash then? Whies?”
Razen smiled. "The newly summoned Shield bearer, and Kirara."
The air stilled as three out of the five people in the room visibly froze. Sardyne looked around in fusion. Apart from the Luminous Tempr, everyone was aware of Kirara Mizutani, the girl capable of trolling ah just her words.
Razen, enjoying the state of u, looked down to the map. "What's the state of the bandits?"
The fourth figure, a younger man in the uniform of an intelligence officer, nodded. His name was Lieutenant Rhalin, and though he cked the anding presence of the others, his sharp mind and keen observations made him invaluable. “We’ve identified at least three majroups operating in the region,” he said, pointing to marked locations on the map. “They’re w indepely for now, but if they unite—or if whoever’s bag them forces them to work together—we could be fag a much rger threat.”
Folgen interjected, his voice cutting through the tension. “Sardyne, your presence is required because you’ll be overseeing the safety of the northern routes during the uping raids. The bandits may not directly threaten the faith, but their as destabilize the region. Your cooperation is not just appreciated—it’s necessary.”
Sardyne shrugged, her armor shifting with the motion. “Fair enough. But let’s not pretend this is altruism. The faith’s routes are just as vulnerable as your own, even if they’re not a direct target yet.”
“Point taken,” Folgen said. He gestured to the map. “Ordric, Rhalin, you’ll hahe logistics for the raids. Sardyne, you’ll ehe temprs maintain their presen the northern routes as a deterrent. As for the otherworlders... I hope you know what you're doing."
Razen smiled. "They'll do their part."
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