It was just before sunrise. Jaiden was wearing his blue shirt, and cargo pants. Although you couldn't quite see them well because of the armor he was wearing. Trying his best not to wake Jonathan, he went through his closet and removed two cloaks that he picked up from a shop a while back. Looking back on it, he found it quite funny that he never brought any of them with him to Fuyu. But he didn't know he would need them, so he didn't get himself worked up over it. He had a small satchel over his shoulder that went to his waist. He stuffed one of the cloaks into it and held the other in his hands. It was a dark brown, and was neatly knitted together, with small brass rings at its creases, and other charms sprinkled throughout the design. He smiled at how nice it looked before putting it over his head, leaving bits of his blonde hair flowing from the edges of the hood. Jaiden felt around at the empty scabbard at his waist.
"Don't worry, I'll have a much better fit for you later."
He walked out of the room and quietly snuck around the corner. Once he reached the door leading to the courtyard he thought he was safe. He felt a tap on his shoulder.
"Where do you think you're going, Jaiden?"
It was the Grandmaster. He summoned a small bit of light from his hands rather than turning on the light. Jaiden cleared his throat.
"Well, I guess you've caught me red handed!"
The two paused before they both started laughing.
"I'm not mad that you're going somewhere! I just want to know where you're heading."
The Grandmaster asked curiously. Jaiden paused for a moment before the Grandmaster spoke again.
"Whatever you wish to do, you can carry on. I just wanted to be nosy. One last thing, please be safe, Jaiden."
Jaiden smiled as the Grandmaster walked off toward the lounge. He opened the door and found Pyralyn sitting on the bench nearby.
"Are you ready to go, Pyralyn?"
The girl chuckled.
"Yeah, I'm ready!"
The two started walking when Pyralyn spoke up.
"You can just call me Pyra."
Jaiden smiled.
"Alright then, I'll keep that in mind."
The red haired girl was wearing a red shirt, and cargo pants from Yuki. Both items of clothing were covered by the armor that Jaiden made for her the previous night. Both of them were wearing boots.
"You do know that the mountain's that way, right?"
Pyra asked.
"Yes, but if we're going to Houtochi mountain we'll need some kind of protection. I don't have a sword on me, and neither do you. That's why we're both going to make one before we go! There's a reason I wanted to leave so early."
Jaiden chuckled. Pyra looked at him confused.
"I thought the forge was back at Anzenasho"
The blonde responded with one of his hands up while explaining.
"I've got a place in mind."
The two continued walking, as Pyra shivered.
"It's rather chilly out, don't ya think?"
Jaiden remembered that he had brought a second cloak with him, as he reached into his bag and grabbed it.
"Here!"
He tapped her on the shoulder and put the hood over her head, brushing some hair out of her eyes. The two stood as the breeze blew by.
"There you go, is it any warmer now?"
She turned her face away from him, and quietly replied.
"Yeah, thank ya."
The two continued on before they arrived into the center of Sector Four's village. Pyra looked around in amazement as she wasn't used to seeing villages with lights and lamps looking so lively.
"Woah.. this place has a lot of lights at night! In Perolia it would be lit well at night, but never like this. Although, the sun is just coming up, so that could be messing with me."
Jaiden smiled, and put his hands in his pockets.
"The sun really doesn't do it any justice. You should see this place at night. It's always a beautiful sight. I've always thought that the park near the fountain is the prettiest place to look around. Maybe when we get back from our next mission I could show you?"
Pyra glanced over to see Jaiden looking around smiling, creating a strange feeling she'd never felt.
"Why are you smiling?"
Jaiden was confused by her question.
"What?"
She turned her head away again.
"I don't understand it. Back in Perolia we considered smiling to be something you only did when expressing gratitude. Nobody ever did it just because. But you and so many other people here do."
Jaiden faced away from her.
"Because, you never know when you won't be able to smile again. I never take a second for granted."
He turned back to her.
"Besides, smiling's infectious. I've heard that it can fill someone with joy, so sometimes spreading something like that isn't a bad thing."
She looked into his eyes and saw nothing but innocence and warmth. But behind them she could tell there was something hidden. But at that moment she didn't care. There was a newfound sense of trust between the two. Both of them stared into each other's eyes, until Jaiden relaxed.
"We've still got some time, you want to grab something to eat?"
Pyra shrugged and walked ahead of him.
"I could eat, Lead the way."
Jaiden knew of a small bakery in the village. He always remembered where it was because it was across from the soup shop. He always had to smell the stench of soup when he would go to get bread. Once they reached the bakery, Jaiden noticed that behind the counter of the stand he saw the man working there was asleep. He turned to Pyra and whispered.
"I wouldn't want to wake him, it seems like he's enjoying his-"
Pyra slammed her hand onto the bell that sat on the counter. The man was startled and walked over to the counter.
"My apologies. I never usually get customers this early!"
Jaiden chuckled and put his hands together.
"It's fine! I didn't mean to wake you. I'd like to have two steamed buns!"
The man nodded his head with a smile and handed the two their food. The buns were wrapped in a nice piece of paper, with one end of them sticking out. Pyra looked at the food drooling. Both of them were sitting at one of the benches Jaiden mentioned being pretty at night. They both sat down with their food in their laps before putting their hands together and pleading their thanks for the meal. As they were eating they noticed that life began flooding into the village, with few people beginning to walk around to different shops and buildings. Once they were done with their meal the two got up and continued on. Pyra followed Jaiden as he slowed his walking at a house, with a forge in the yard behind it. Jaiden walked around before muttering to himself.
"I guess he's not here, neither is she.. That's alright, I don't need much."
He walked over to a nearby barrel and grabbed a sword from it. He sheathed it and entered the home. Pyra waited outside as she felt it would be rude to enter someone else's home. It was told to her from a young age that you can't intrude on someone's space in such a small village. Jaiden entered his bedroom and grabbed a small sword from the shelf. He felt a small flow of nostalgia as he smiled. He held the sword and swung it around as if he were using it in battle. He began walking down the stairs as he whispered to himself.
"It's been a long time."
Once he arrived outside the house he handed the sword he had grabbed earlier to Pyra. She examined it carefully and grazed her hand over it, testing its sharpness.
"Did you make this?"
She asked calmly. Jaiden sheathed the sword he had grabbed from his room.
"Yeah, I made it a long while ago. I was quite young so my craftsmanship wasn't quite what it is now. But, for the sake of what we're doing it'll get us where we need to be."
She raised an eyebrow in suspicion.
"You are aware that there's a beast on the mountain, right? I'm not objecting to us using these, I just thought that you might want to be armed with somethin' with a bit more edge, ya know?"
Jaiden grinned.
"Yeah, but considering our most recent encounter, I don't think a beast will be the worst thing I've encountered."
She placed a hand on his shoulder.
"I'm going to trust ya. But only cause we don't seem to have any other options."
They both smiled and began walking away from the home. As they were walking Jaiden started to feel tired. Pyra tapped his shoulder out of concern. He turned around almost startled, before turning his head in confusion. The girl began stretching as she was talking.
"You know, I'm not sure you would be a huge fan, but I could carry you a decent way there. It'll save you some energy!"
Jaiden had a face of shock, followed by an awkward chuckle.
"That would be worse on you than anything. Besides, I'm not exactly comfortable with you carrying me like that. Or anyone for that ma-"
He was cut off as two wings sprouted out from the red haired girl's back and expanded out.
"I meant flying, silly. Flying gives the rest of my body a good break. I'm surprised ya even forgot that I had these. Don't you remember Lady Wight carrying you? I don't really blame you though, you really took quite a beating. Here, we can't really avoid the awkward part where I'm holding you, but you'd be surprised how much of the work my wings do."
Jaiden scratched his head, slightly trying to avoid the conversation at hand.
"You didn't have those out earlier, or yesterday. How come you have them out now?"
She smiled.
"Let's ask questions later. Right now we've got a mission."
Jaiden opened his mouth to start another sentence, but was cut off as she swept one of her arms under his legs, holding him similar to that of a married couple. Jaiden watched as her wings grew larger, and anticipated them taking off. Before he knew it, they were soaring through the sky. She looked down at him and smiled, as his face was slightly covered up by some of his hair flowing from his hood.
"It's beautiful up here, isn't it?"
Jaiden turned his head for it to be met by the sun rising off in the distance. His eyes grew wide as he felt a strange feeling inside of him. For the first time in what felt like months, Jaiden was at peace.
---
The two continued their flight as the mountain slowly came further into view. The peaceful flight was interrupted as a sharp wave of cold swept over the two. Pyra began slowing down and landed. As Jaiden hopped out of her arms, he looked back with an almost embarrassing look on his face.
"Thank you."
The two looked ahead at the path that went up the mountain. Parts of it were overgrown, as nobody had dared to enter the mountain in years. They continued up the steep path as a heavy fog coated the air. They didn't make much conversation, as they both were ready for combat at any moment. The wind blew against them harshly, as their cloaks flew with each harsh gust. At the very top of the mountain was a massive cave entrance. Around it were large spikes of different metals and crystals. There were massive patches of lush nature flowing around the gaping entrance. Pyra walked over to the vines and tugged on one, checking to see if it was sturdy enough to hold her. She looked back at Jaiden.
"This one looks sturdy enough for you to hang on to it. I'll fly down there first just to see how deep it goes. Sound good?"
Jaiden, who was already putting together a plan of his own, agreed. As the wings on her back expanded, she leapt into the abyss below them. Jaiden felt his hands around the vine that was dangling down, and waited for a signal. After some silence there was a tug on the vine. With no hesitation the boy leapt down into the mountain. Jaiden watches as slight light creeps in through the thick ice, slowly dimming as he touches the ground. His boots and the floor making a metallic thud. Pyralyn walks over to him and whispers
"Are ya alright? That fall was rougher than I thought it would be"
The two both understood that they would want to be as quiet as possible, as Pyra looked back at him with one finger raised to her mouth. Around the walls were some crystals sticking out, shining with different shades of maroon, radiating from them with a strange presence. Jaiden silently cheered to himself, as he turned to the red haired girl, to which they both nodded. They had finally found the galcier steel. But their confusion began where their excitement ended. The mountain had more of a pit than the cave system they expected. Jaiden examined the rock walls, his eyes focussing on a small table next to a strange snow covered slate on the wall. On the table he sees a mechanical hand of sorts. Out of shock and curiosity, he brushes away more of the snow, his hand being stopped by the small crack in the middle of the slate. It was a door. Although he didn't know how to get in, he wasn't sure he wanted to. Pyra made her way over to the door and glanced at the mechanical arm. She stepped back and let out a sigh.
"Dead end too? I searched all along the walls, couldn't find anything. At first I thought we'd have to dig deeper, but this might just be it. "
The girl still had a slight whisper to her voice, but it was louder than before. Jaiden let out a similar breath and nodded.
"Yeah, I don't really think houtouchi mountain has nearly as much mystery as we were told. But I'm still not that sure about this place just being a normal mountain. The galcier steel is sitting so.. Out in the open. There has to be something guarding it."
Pyra glanced at the arm again.
"Or at least, something was. I don't think the trail ends here."
The two began sifting through the snow, occasionally trying to carve away some ice with their blades. Eventually Jaiden found the rest of what appeared to be the mechanical body the arm was attached to. It had a gray and gold rustic hue. It was boney in structure, as if it were the skeleton of an animal. It had many exposed gears, all under a large square box at its chest. The ice was positioned as if a liquid was contained behind the now broken glass of the body. There was no head, until Jaiden saw something peeking from the ice and stepped back, gasping in shock. It was a human skull. Small mechanical parts were around it, some cogs and gears surrounding it, its jaw being completely mechanical. Pyra came over with a fearful look in her eyes and pointed at something similar. The rocks around were covered by snow, but now that they were brushed off the cave had a much more haunting presence than before. Large gashes could be seen all around the cave walls. Some were large, in patterns of about four. There were some other smaller gashes, but they were all outnumbered by the larger marks. The two continued walking around, as they looked upon more mechanical corpses, some with swords lying with them. One of them had a small plant growing within it, but once you made it out it formed the appearance of a soldier committing seppuku. The same position the Kazemasa swordsman had made after fighting Jaiden. Some of them were mostly whole, some were scattered. One of the corpses still had its glass box intact. The water was frozen, but inside it was a human heart.
"We have to bury these... s-somehow... We can't leave them be"
Pyralyn placed her hand on Jaiden's shoulder, with a worried frown on her face.
"I don't even think you could consider these things human.."
Jaiden's eyes scanned the room, looking at the larger gashes. He picked up one of the swords on the ground and placed its blade in the wall, fitting perfectly. As for the larger gashes, they engulfed the swords entirely. His face grew serious.
"You're right. Something was here, and I think whoever we've found was trying to fight against it."
The two felt a rumbling feeling under their feet. The sound was followed by crackling, and muffled groans and hums below them. Jaiden shifted his foot back, a small red light shining under it. Pyra stepped back, the same light under hers. They got down and brushed the floor. There was a massive circular plate, surrounded by six circular glass panes, shining a bright red. The crumbling sounds grew louder as the ground began shaking. Jaiden glanced over only to see Pyra still analyzing the light below her. He ran over, tackling her right as the plate burst open, debris scattering across their backs. Pyra was breathing heavily, as she held up her shaky hands.
"Are you alright?"
Pyra could barely manage to nod her head. The two looked back to see an enormous suit of samurai armor behind them. It was entirely mechanical, with some of its armor chipped and deteriorated, with rusty gears and cogs visible through the armor. It had no helmet. Instead a mannequin-like head with one massive eye socket, fitted with a red light where it's eye should be. It wore an enormous rice farmer's hat. It made some mechanical hums and groans before stomping its foot. Jaiden held one hand over, shielding Pyra. The other was gripping onto his sword.
---
Jaiden had to almost shout over the loud rumbling and crackling that filled the cave.
"Get ready. We're not getting out of here without a fight"
The two were both ready, with their swords in hand. Jaiden was used to fighting with all kinds of swords, but the sudden jump from two swords to one was going to make this even more difficult. And the samurai having two wouldn't make it easier. The samurai stepped over and slashed one of its enormous swords. Jaiden caught the strike, the swords creating a screeching grinding sound. As the samurai turned, Jaiden noticed a strange banner that dangled at its waist. It was a mixture of both the Anzenasho and Kazemasa emblem. Distracted by the banner, Jaiden didn't notice the blade coming toward him. Pyralyn leaped in front of it, catching the strike. The two began circling around the samurai, trying to keep the samurai out of sync as much as possible. Jaiden found the opportunity he needed, and ran in front of the mechanical samurai, and slashed up at its chest. The machine stepped back, letting out more groans and hums. The two heard more mechanical creaking noises, as some of the back plates of its armor fell off. Two more mechanical arms extended from the back of the samurai. From the arms two blades extended. Pyralyn saw one of the four massive blades coming at her. She crouched down and blocked it, only for another sword to strike her in the chest. The sheer size of it not managing to pierce her armor, but only slamming her against the wall. Jaiden ran out, slashing at the samurai in a rage. Each swing would be met by the massive sword. He watched as the samurai raised its arm, ready to strike Pyra again. She wouldn't be able to block it. Jaiden ran and jumped in front of the swing. The sword slammed into his side, dragging him across the floor, throwing him at the walls. Pyralyn raised her sword, as the samurai swung down the first arm. The metallic clashing echoed throughout the cave. The second struck, making the same sound. The third brought her to her knees. The fourth arm was raised, about to strike. Jaiden could barely move his body. He knew he didn't manage his crysenergy. Back at Fuyu, the same thing happened with the explosion. He was helpless.
"Come on, I have to move. I'm sick of crawling, scratching, and digging my feet into the ground. Each fight I manage to end up like this. That was when I didn't know what to fight for. But now I know, and I'm not going to make the same mistake I made before. I won't fail again"
Jaiden's aura shot up around him, the green flames burning to the very tops of the mountain. Only for them to suppress into his fingertip.
"Arma III: Jolt!"
The sword swung down, only for a shining green orb to catch the blow. Electricity radiated off it, as it exploded. The samurai was knocked from its feet, regaining its balance. It looked down at its sword, only to see that it was shattered. Pyra glanced over at Jaiden, who was still laying on the ground. One hand was extended toward the air, as the other was still clawing at the ground. He was screaming as if something were agonizing him. She could tell something was building. Suddenly, more orbs surrounded the samurai, each one letting out a loud bang. The barrage caused a flurry of smoke and snow to coat the air. As it cleared, the samurai was on one knee. One of the arms was completely blown off, and the banner flew off to the side. It rose to its feet, the hums and groans growing more distorted. Jaiden was unconscious. The samurai stomped over to the boy, placing one of its feet on his chestplate, kicking him away. It walked over again, grabbing him by his arm. The samurai held him up, dangling him above the ground. Pyralyn's eyes grew wide, as she couldn't force her legs to move.
(The buildings of Perolia were all ablaze. For the first time in 4 months, Lady Wight refused to surrender the requested number of her citizens to the Kazemasa. They would go to the village every month to collect a number of Perolians for their army. They believed that their deep celestial roots would help them in combat. It was wrong. Pyralyn knew it was wrong. She was on her knees, gazing at the burning buildings around her. She cried and punched at the ground below her.
"Brother! Please, please don't hurt him!"
A massive Kazemasa soldier stood in front of a boy. The boy's skin was tanned, and his eyes were a dark green. His dark red hair was a bit on the longer side, with some of it in braids. He wore a leather vest, with a sheath at his waist. His shorts were heavily torn and old. He was holding his arms up, ready to fight. The soldier blocked each of his attacks, landing a heavy punch to his gut. He coughed as blood spewed from his mouth. Pyralyn cried and screamed helplessly.
"Morien! Please brother! You have to run!"
She ran toward the soldier, only for him to kick her off to the side. Morien gritted his teeth in anger, running at the soldier.
"Don't you lay a hand on my sister. I'll kill you! Do you hear me? I'll kill.."
The soldier gripped around Morien's neck, choking him. He dropped him to the ground, before picking him up by his arm. Morien was unconscious. The Kazemasa got what they wanted.)
Pyralyn's worried expression turned to a face of rage. Her legs stopped shaking. Before she could charge, she woke up in a black room. The walls were coated in a red crystal pattern. Water went slightly above her feet. She turned around to see an enormous dragon in front of her. It was a deep red, with steel scales coating its body. The dragon's voice echoed loudly.
"My name is Cadmus Ember. Now has come the time that you awaken the true flames in your blood. Only when you find yourself the perfect opportunity, did I make my decision"
Pyra could only stand there in shock.
"Why am I here? Where's the samurai?"
The voice echoed again.
"Right in front of you. When you wake up you will enter combat. Ready yourself Pyralyn, you have limited time. Now!"
Pyralyn's hand tightened around her sword. An enormous red flame burst from the ground. It swirled and charred the ground around her. She stood immune, in the middle of a raging blaze.
---
Pyralyn charged at the samurai, the blaze spreading to her sword. The samurai raised one of its arms to strike, but was met with a blazing sword to the chest. Pyra screamed as she pushed the blade further into the machine's stomach. She stepped back, pulling the blade from the samurai, running over to Jaiden. She began shaking him, as her fiery red aura faded to a more calm red haze. Jaiden's eyes opened. He leapt up and grabbed his sword. Pyralyn readied for fight once more.
"Think you've got another in ya?"
Jaiden smiled as the green flames engulfed his body.
"Let's do this!"
The two charged, both of their flames lighting up the cave. Jaiden turned off to the left, coordinating an attack at the samurai's weaker side.
"The only chance I have of beating him is to land multiple strikes. Before, every single time I used an arma I would be winded. I have to force every ounce of fury and strength in my body into each strike, and hit him at his weakest!"
Jaiden began circling the samurai. Its gears were now on fire, as it was slowly taking damage from the inside out. It lowered its one arm down onto Jaiden, his flaming green sword catching the strike. He leapt up in the air, focussing his crysenergy into one strike.
"Arma I: Glistening Sky!"
The blade sliced into the side of the samurai's armor. However the attack wasn't strong enough to stop it entirely. The samurai crouched down and swung his sword to Jaiden's chest. Only this time Jaiden dug his feet in. He looked up with his face filled with determination. Jaiden kept dodging attacks, but there didn't seem to be a weak spot to strike. Eventually his eyes wandered to the burning gears in its chest. Jaiden's eyes went wide as he shouted.
"Pyra! We need to strike him at the same time! In the chest! Go for his chest!"
Pyra, who was still blocking attacks from the samurai's right side, smirked as she readied to strike.
"You've got it!"
The two both deflected one attack after the other, circling the samurai, as their swords took more and more damage, until they finally found the right opportunity. Jaiden felt as if time had slowed down. He looked at each place he needed to step to pull this off.
"I have to put every arma into one attack. Just one form can't cut it. I have to summon everything I have into one strike!"
Jaiden took one step, his blade engulfed with flames.
"Arma I: Glistening Sky!"
He didn't have another sword, but he watched in amazement as a clear green blade was manifested under his sword. He gripped onto it, swinging upward.
"Arma II: Tideful Javelin"
Jaiden screamed, as the pain of using two forms at once kicked in. Regardless, he stepped again, leaping into the air, spinning the two blades together. He swung his sword right at the samurai's chest. It made contact, as multiple green orbs formed around its chest.
"Arma III: Jo-"
The voice was cut off, everything went black. Jaiden pushed his limits, and finally took the toll.
"Wake up! You can't stop now! Everything! Absolutely everything you have!"
Jaiden's eyes opened, shining a lighter blue. He watched as a hazy blue figure was next to him, as if they were both striking at the same time. Jaiden felt a sudden burst of energy as he pushed his sword further into the samurai's chest. But the figure wasn't fighting with him. It was warning him. He listened as a fading echoing voice spoke to him.
"If every fight was won by determination alone, the tyrants of the world would have won long ago. You can't just push your limits. There's a time for rest. Take that time, Jay"
Jaiden thought to himself as his vision left him.
"One.. More... Strike..."
Pyralyn watched as the machine put both of its arms up in a defensive position. She couldn't find an opening. She crouched down, ready to leap up and strike.
"All of a sudden I feel this heat in my chest. I feel.. So powerful.. If I can't find an opening, then I'll just have to strike even harder! Two arms is nothin'!"
She leapt up as the flames surrounded her, crawling around her arms and onto her blade. The dragon's voice erupted through the air as the flaming blade approached the samurai's arms.
"Arma I: Antonia!"
The blade sliced through the arms, slamming into the samurai's chest. The distorted metallic hums roared through the air, as Pyra forced her blade further through its body. The green orbs showered the samurai with green jolts of electricity, before each one exploded. Prya felt as the friction disappeared from the blade. She could hardly see. The smoke in the air cleared as a large thud could be heard. The samurai was sliced in half. Pyra ran over to Jaiden's unconscious body.
"Come on, get up!"
She moved her hands around in the air, muttering to herself. She had only seen Lady Wight use her medical spellcasting a few times. But she knew that if he was severely hurt the best she could do was all she had. She chanted to herself as a mark appeared on her cheek. She placed her hands onto Jaiden as his eyes slowly began opening.
"I'm sorry... I pushed myself.."
He glanced over at the samurai.
"I suppose.. We won?"
Pyralyn smiled and helped him up.
"Yeah, we won"
Jaiden chuckled to himself as he grabbed the galcier metal chunks that had fallen on the ground. He placed as many as he could in his bag and attempted to walk. He could hardly stand on his feet. Pyra placed one of his arms over her shoulder. The two walked over to the door hesitantly. Part of them didn't want to fight anymore, but they didn't want their investigation to stop there. Jaiden slowly removed his arm from her shoulder and placed his hand on the lever.
---
The stone wall creaked and crumbled, as it split in two, both sections sliding apart. A potent stench hit the two, followed by a small wave of dust. It was a small hallway, with unlit torches on the sides. Since they couldn't quite see, Jaiden grabbed a torch and gestured to the girl. Between their groans and grunts, she let out a soft chuckle. A faint red aura surrounded her in the shape of flames, though it didn't burn either of them. She lit the torch, surprising both of them. They continued down the hall, eventually reaching an enormous room that they couldn't make out the purpose of. The back of the room had an enormous banner, showing the same combined symbol of both Anzenasho and the Kazemasa. The walls had multiple bookshelves, with two frozen glass tanks on each side. There were tables covered with cobwebs and dust throughout the room. Scattered along the floor were a multitude of the strange cyborg corpses. With blueprints for the samurai on the table. In the center of the room was a pulley of some sort holding up an incomplete torso to a machine similar to the samurai. The two mustered up enough confidence to enter the room. Jaiden folded the blueprints and put them into his satchel. Pyra grazed her fingers across the table.
"What.. Who.. What are we looking at? Could this be an abandoned project by the Kazemasa? Or some kind of warehouse? I don't understand.."
Jaiden examined the blueprints carefully.
"It's nothing I've ever seen. Most languages around the Sector division I know at least a few words of, but I don't recognize even a syllable of this."
Jaiden kept looking around the room. Each book was written in the same language. Jaiden shook his head and started pacing. Pyra walked over and placed her hand on his shoulder.
"What's wrong?"
Jaiden looked over at one of the bodies near the table. The mixture of human bones and mechanical parts was chilling to him.
"We have to bury them.. Every single one of them.."
Pyra walked over to the doorway and leaned against the wall.
"Jaiden, we're weak. You have wounds that need to be healed. We can't risk working any more than we have! We have to get out of here! Besides, we don't know if they were criminals or not. For all we know they deserved this!"
Jaiden looked at the girl with a concerned expression.
"I know someone we can call. Anzenasho's legal department can clear up most of this. My injuries can wait. I have to give these people a proper burial"
Pyralyn began begging.
"Jaiden, you-"
He interrupted.
"We have to. Criminal or not, these people have to be put to rest. Even if it was just superstition, I can't let them rot without feeling wrong. Where I was raised, you bury the dead. You give them a walkway into their afterlife. You see the banner up there? It has to be linked to the Kazemasa! It has to!"
Pyralyn grew more quiet as Jaiden continued on.
"I know one thing for sure. I looked into their people's eyes. They're nothing more than-"
The girl cut him off.
"Innocent people, forced into something they never even asked for. Their eyes are childlike, innocent. No matter what they'll ravage and burn.. They'll part families just to get ya. They took everything from so many, and will as much as they can"
She looked at him as she felt a wave of relief come over her.
"Who was it you said you could call?"
Jaiden smirked. He whistled as the two heard distant sounds of wings flapping. A sparrow appeared and perched on his arm. On its back was a small satchel containing a notebook. Jaiden took out a quil and wrote a few things on the notebook before sending the sparrow away. He chuckled at the confused expression Pyra had on her face.
"What was that? You just summoned that thing out of thin air!"
Jaiden laughed, only to be stopped by a sharp pain through his chest. He was caught up in the situation so much that he forgot about his injuries.
"Perolia doesn't communicate with sparrows?"
Pyra looked at him intently.
"No! Why would we do that? Aren't those just regular old birds?"
Jaiden smiled again.
"Well, the sparrows used throughout each district are specially trained. Once you're taught the right tune to whistle by someone who knows it, you can pretty much send anyone a message with a sparrow. Anzenasho has a special message that they recognize, so they know where to send the message. Since a lot of the training is divided by rank"
Pyralyn pretended to understand what he had said rather than asking another question.
"So what rank is the person we're sending this to?"
Jaiden's tone shied away from the playful one he had before. Although he still spoke joyfully.
"Goruju"
Pyralyn was amazed that someone like Jaiden, who was relatively low in the ranks knew someone that high up.
"That high up? That's incredible! Ya really know someone who's that far ahead of you and you're still a Masuroku?"
Jaiden sighed.
"It's not as simple as you may think. He's someone I ran into recently. We actually aren't ever told the exact number of Goruju members at Anzenasho. It's supposed to be a totally different playing field with them."
The two continued to explore the room, as their friendly chat's vibe faded out. Jaiden grabbed a few more things from around the room and kept them in his satchel. They both begin walking out of the hall back into the cave. Jaiden decides to walk as quietly as he could to make sure not to wake the samurai back up. That is if it was still active. The two could hear sounds of someone yelling from the cave entrance.
"Watch out! Woah!"
They could barely see a figure wearing a white suit falling down.
"Spellcasting technique: Foxfoot!"
The figure landed on the snowy ground softly.
"Milo Clement! At your service. Oh, hello Masuroku Steely! I didn't read who the message was from since you said it was rather urgent!"
Jaiden chuckled and scratched his head.
"Well, you're the right guy for legal troubles.. Right?"
---
Milo walked up and grabbed Jaiden's arm, checking him all over. Pyralyn held up her hands, gesturing that she was fine. As he continued to examine Jaiden, Milo grew surprised that he was still standing.
"How did you manage to stop all of the injuries? By all means you should be unconscious!"
Pyra scratched her head and chuckled.
"I used a technique to slow down the bleeding. I've insisted that we should get him somewhere for him to recover"
Jaiden held up the blueprints from his satchel.
"We found more than expected. Originally we came here to get some galcier steel, but we found bodies, tons of them. They need to be buried, but we both are far too weak to do that"
Milo's face lost its cheerful expression.
"I understand what you're saying. I'll have this sorted out, don't worry. But the first thing we should do is get both of you back to Anzenasho so you can heal your injuries''
Before Pyra could spread her wings to take off, Milo planted his staff to the ground. The three slowly started floating toward the top of the cave. Once they reached the top of the mountain, the strange effect wore off and they landed safely. Jaiden walked over to the edge of the mountain to look down at the village.
"It's a whole different view from up here! I can see so far!"
Pyralyn walked over and lightly punched him on the shoulder.
"An even better one in the sky, don't ya think?"
The two looked at each other and chuckled. Milo dusted off his boots and smiled, staring at the two. He noticed that Jaiden wasn't traveling with either Yuki or Jonathan, as well as the lack of a second sword at Jaiden's waist. It hadn't been long since he'd seen Jaiden, so he didn't know much about the boy, but it still stuck out to him. Ever since he heard about the Kazemasa attack in Perolia, he was far more interested in hearing about what he had seen. The three began walking down the mountain, heading toward the dojo. On their way down Milo started asking the two questions about why they needed the galcier steel. Jaiden explained why, further expressing how much he didn't expect the discovery they made.
"So you're both going to use the steel for weapons?"
Jaiden nodded.
"As far as things go for me, it's the only option I have. My last sword broke in battle. As for her, she's just making something for the first time"
Milo smiled and chuckled, as they continued down the mountain. As they neared the bottom, Pyra and Jaiden both let out a sigh of relief at the harsh cold creeping away from them. As Milo looked over to Jaiden, he couldn't help but think to himself.
"I'll be honest, I feel like he's changed. Even if things don't look so different, they feel different. I can almost see a bit of myself in you. For something to come over you so quickly only for you to adapt. We'll just have to see if he's right, Jaiden Steely. We'll just have to see"
They continued through the paths leading toward the village. Jaiden was able to soak in more unexpected scenery since Pyra had flown him over where he was walking before. As they arrived in the village, it was full to the brim with life. People were living out their evenings as they usually would. Jaiden saw many locals around that he knew. An older man walked over to him asking if the blonde would help him carry a few things. Jaiden stepped back and sighed with a warm smile on his face and thought to himself.
"Today's going to be busier than I thought"
The boxes weren't all that heavy. So Jaiden of course had to beg and plead for his superior to let him help out. With enough convincing, Jaiden began helping the elderly man. Milo and Pyra both chipped in, helping the man move around the boxes of supplies and food he was far too old to manage on his own. Jaiden found it very generous that Milo was helping. He figured that his schedule would make him far more busy. Which in turn would make him more in a hurry. But he seemed more than happy to help. Pyra was the more awkward one. Her light accent being something she thought might be strange to these people she'd never met. Her wings were smaller, and easier to hide. But she still felt rather uneasy. Once they were done they reached the temple. Jaiden was still injured, so finally getting back filled him with relief. Before he could even finish walking up the steps to the temple he found himself tackled to the ground, the door wide open. Jonathan had run out and tackled Jaiden down, with an overjoyed look on his face. Jaiden was surprised and could hardly process what was going on. Although he didn't know if it was because the Prince was more expressive than ever, or that he was losing consciousness from his injuries.
"You're finally back! I can't believe you tried to pull something like that on me. Bah! You make me so angry I could punch you!"
Jonathan laughed with a relieved smile on his face. Pyra crouched down, trying to get the prince off him.
"Easy! He isn't really in the best health"
The prince looked up with an embarrassed look on his face. He scrambled to get off Jaiden and extended his hand out to help him up. At the door was Yuki, who ran out and hugged Jaiden. She held him tight, before looking him over. Her expression grew more concerned as she noticed more of the scratches and cuts that covered him. She ran over to Pyra and hugged her as well. Both her and Jonathan were wearing their gis. It was very likely that they were both training prior to their current situation. Yuki was now examining Pyra and Jaiden in a panic.
"Masuroku Steely! Masushi Wight! You both need to get inside right now!"
Milo smirked as he followed the others inside. He jokingly thought to himself that he was rather offended at not getting an introduction. Inside, Jaiden and Pyra were both sitting down in the kitchen, as Yuki and Jonathan both scrambled to find bandages and other things to tend to their injuries. Milo walked into the room chuckling.
"Relax! If we had some serious injuries on our hands I wouldn't have let them work back in the village! I wouldn't want to deal with another death case today, would I?"
Yuki ran over to Milo in a panic.
"You.. What? I can't believe that you would let them work when they're like this!"
Jonathan even had a look of concern.
"That wasn't a good move, Jay"
Everyone couldn't help but start chuckling. The bittersweet feeling in the air was coated with a sense of unawareness, and joy. The Grandmaster walked in, laughing at the situation he was already overhearing a room over. Jaiden's cheerful expression left him, as he got up from his seat. Pyralyn and Yuki both looked concerned. He reached into his satchel and pulled out the blueprints.
"Grandmaster, I want answers. Why is your emblem halfway engraved into such a thing as this?"
Yang closed his eyes and sighed.
"They're relics, Jaiden. Relics from a far less kind past"
The Grandmaster leaned against the wall, as he began reminiscing about memories that, to him, felt all too distant.
"Ages ago, when my brother and I parted ways, there were those who didn't pick either of our sides. They sought to destroy both of us. Some even wished to see all that breathed in this land fall. That machine.. It always wore a crimson red. Yet, they wouldn't paint it. It was called the Hagekekkon. Four arms, yes?"
Jaiden and Pyralyn both softly spoke.
"Yes, Grandmaster"
Yang stepped forward and placed his hands on both their shoulders.
"You're both lucky that you survived. The Hagekekkon earned its coat. They would slaughter until their paint job was done. That was how they would be tested. What you two found.. Were relics of the ancient celestial war"
Jonathan walked over to the three, examining the blueprints.
"I don't feel great about this. I don't feel good about it at all"
More people began asking questions as the room grew more chaotic. Jaiden was standing up pointing at the blueprints before he started stumbling around, eventually falling to the ground. Jonathan stopped his questioning and immediately helped Jaiden up.
"Take it easy, are you alright?"
Jaiden's eyes were squinted but he was still smiling.
"Y-yeah, I'm just more worn out than I thought I was"
Pyralyn tried to get up from her seat but found that she couldn't stay awake. Yuki called for a nurse while the Grandmaster let out a sigh of relief, now that the situation was calmed down, and that Pyra and Jaiden could get some rest. Later on, Yuki and Yang were both working in the kitchen, while Milo and Jonathan were chatting. They had been speaking for a while, but the questions were growing more and more personal.
"Jonathan, your information says that you're a Prince. Why is it that you're never been accompanied by servants?"
Jonathan scoffed.
"Typically someone doesn't just ask somebody a question like that. But if you must know I'm not involved in the royal family as much as you might think. I see you want to ask more informative questions, so I'll play along. Why are you never around here? The first time I'd ever seen you was at Fuyu. Yet you're the highest rank here"
Milo chuckled and nodded his head.
"I am the highest rank. The Goruju rank actually requires you to move outside of Anzenasho for a lot of your missions, so I stay quite busy"
Jonathan grew more curious. He tried to keep himself from asking any invasive questions but one slipped through.
"At Fuyu, why were you so energetic? You were like a market salesman. Yet now, you're more calm and collected. Either you changed over the course of about a week, or you're leading me to believe that you're hiding something?"
Milo's expression lost its cheery attitude.
"You're certainly skipping straight to the point. I figured one of you all would ask me. I'm honestly surprised it took this long. You just told me that you have your questions I don't ask. To which I say I have my own"
Milo began to get up from his seat as he continued speaking.
"Sometimes, people change. Something comes over you and turns you into a new person entirely. It can take what feels like an eternity to wash that stain away, but with time it can be done. Take that advice, Prince"
Jonathan was still sitting down, trying to process what he had heard. Down the hall, Jaiden and Pyra were both moved to the medical center to be checked up on and get well deserved rest. The two of them practically passed out once they were changed into gowns and put in their beds. The last thing Jaiden remembered was the nurse smiling while pulling his blanket up to his neck. Jaiden woke up. He could tell that it was night out. He was now in his room. He walked over to his nightstand and grabbed a glass of water. As he lifted it to his lips his heart stopped. His eyes faded to a lighter shade of blue. He felt a menacing aura behind him, as he turned around. With a fading blue tone surrounding him, a boy was standing with his back facing Jaiden. The glass fell to the ground, water spilling and splashing onto his feet. Suddenly everything around the room went dark as water rose to his feet. Jaiden panicked as he tried to collect his thoughts.
"This isn't the same place as before.. The walls aren't made from crystal.. Yet I can still see colors. Where am I?"
His thoughts were interrupted as the boy faced him. His hair was white, with his eyes fading between a dark blue that was identical to Jaiden's, and a light blue of his own. His hair was messy, as well as his torn gi. The gi had multiple tears and scratches, but the thing that stuck out about it most was their blue tones and patterns. It was unique. Jaiden's thoughts were interrupted by a voice.
"What are you to do when you're placed before a God?"
Jaiden was shivering with fear. He couldn't move. The boy walked closer, squinting his eyes, raising his voice.
"What are you to do when you're brought to your knees to face that of the celestial courts to repent! When all that is real turns its back on you, and casts you aside to repent!"
The boy placed one hand on Jaiden's cheek.
"Repent... What do you do, when you must repent.."
Suddenly the menacing look started fading from the boy's eyes. Jaiden stopped shivering as he could feel a flood of emotions racing through him. Tears began falling down his cheeks. Their eyes both returned to their normal colors. The boy stared at Jaiden as a single tear ran down his face.
"Jaiden..."
Jaiden watched as the emotion fled from the boy's eyes. Suddenly voices of screaming and whispering slowly crept into the dark space around them. Blood began to fade onto the boy's face as color left everything, fading to a monochrome haze. Jaiden looked down as arms began grabbing at his feet. The voices grew louder, until finally.. Jaiden woke up, breathing heavily. The heart monitors in the medical center helped bring him back to his senses. He glanced over to the other bed where Pyralyn was laying. Jaiden looked down at his gown. Nothing different from what Jaiden wore on his first visit there. Pyralyn was looking over at him with a worried look on her face.
"I take it ya didn't sleep well?"
She chuckled.
"It's alright. We're both going to be spending the night here anyways. If we both can't sleep, then maybe we'll have to fill that time with a chat?"
Jaiden smiled, reaching over and grabbing a glass of water. He stared at the glass and paused, before looking over to Pyra.
"A chat would be great"
---
It was early in the morning. For the first time ever, Jonathan Voltariot woke up with the sun. He was walking through the halls to the medical center, so he could check on both Pyralyn and Jaiden. He was wearing his more formal clothing, since he was pondering taking a stroll through town later that day. He leaned over to the door and could overhear the two talking about something, both of them laughing. He continued to stand outside the door and smiled. He walked into the room, both of them sitting in their beds chuckling.
"Hello, I hate to interrupt you both but I just wanted to check up on you. Is everything alright?"
Jaiden tilted his head and smiled.
"Yeah, just a little sore.. What's got you in such a good mood? I haven't seen you like this before.. And what about your boot? I totally forgot!"
Jonathan scratched his head with a grin.
"The boot? I took it off two days ago. As for the mood, I'm not really sure.. I suppose I'm just in a good mood!"
Jonathan finished telling Jaiden about his plans for the day and left. The previous day Milo mentioned that he would be attending something the next day, so he wouldn't be available. He hadn't seen the Grandmaster either since the day before. He pondered what they might be doing as he walked outside.
"Milo was a lot different yesterday than he was at Fuyu. A lot less jokes.. I wonder.. Perhaps they're both out training? That's what happened last time with Jay. Who knows, maybe I'll run into them on my way back"
Back at Anzenasho, in an unknown room Milo stood. The walls were similar to that of the lounge, but there was less light. Every white tone in the room was a darker gray. Along the walls there were Anzenasho banners hanging, with incense burning in pots below them. On the wall to the left was a plaque, it was a deep bronze color, with a list of names. Near the top however one of the names was scratched out. Milo was thinking to himself about how the meeting would go. Some of the other Goruju had their clashes when it came to getting along.
"I'm not sure when he'll be here, but knowing him he's more than likely to show up fashionably late. Oh well... I guess that's expected. I'm sure this will go just fine!"
The silence of the room was broken as a man sitting in the corner spoke up.
"What's up with you 'Lo? You're usually more talkative before meetings. You just shaken up because Seer's gonna be here?"
The man had a knight's uniform, with lightly spiked up blonde hair. His white cape covered most of his back as well as the rest of his uniform under his light armor. His golden eyes stared at Milo, awaiting a response. The man had a smug grin on his face, as he was chewing on a thin piece of straw. Milo, wearing his white suit he usually wore, looked over to the man and smiled.
"Just a little tired, that's all! Question is, Lance, what's got you so stirred up? I'm starting to think you're more worried about Seer than I am"
Lance looked over to Milo and scoffed.
"As if, magic boy!"
Milo chuckled and gestured at Lance.
"Now now, we're both spellcasters! Go learn how to wield crysenergy or something before coming back to tell me that one again!"
Both of them shared a laugh. They regained their composure when another man walked into the room. His hair was a dark gray, with black hints in it. His menacing eyes were a strange shade of orange and red. His uniform was a black and gray kimono, and his boots made a firm noise when he stepped. Milo whispered under his breath.
"Seer.."
Lance got an even more smug look on his face as he gestured at the boy.
"Finally decide to wear some good boots? They sure make you sound nice. Let me know when you finally lose the baggy pants!"
The boy looked over at Lance with a smirk.
"Finally decided to grow a spine and speak up to me? Let me know when you finally decide to spit that shit out of your mouth and start looking presentable"
Lance bit down on the piece of straw in his mouth in anger. The two of them were both interrupted by another person walking into the room. His eyes were white, his hair colored to be a light blue. It went slightly below his ears, which were covered with earmuffs. He was also wearing a kimono, however his was more white and flashy than the other man's black one. He cleared his throat, staring over to the two bickering men.
"Can you both keep it down? You're giving the upper ranks a bad reputation"
He turned his head and muttered something under his breath.
"Besides, I can already hear you through my headphones enough as is"
All four men instantly focussed their attention, as the Grandmaster walked into the room.
"Greetings, Goruju Clement, Oto, Kai, and Kishu. I apologize for removing you from your missions so soon after our last meeting, However I would like to keep you informed. I've dispatched the lower ranks to the Outsands next week. I intended on going with them but the mystery in Gustland has deemed itself worthy of my attention. I need one of you to accompany them. The case there is starting to look nasty as well. Can I count on you?"
Milo placed his hand on his chest.
"You have my trust, Grandmaster. I will accompany the lower ranks to the Outsands!"
Yang smiled and placed his hands together.
"Well, that's settled! Does anyone else have any important information they would like to discuss?"
The other three lowered themselves and bowed.
"No Grandmaster"
After some more small chatting, the meeting concluded. Milo was walking through the hallway and decided to check in on Jaiden, only to find that he wasn't in the medical center. Pyra was asleep and he must have gotten up without her noticing. He listened and heard clicking sounds coming from the forge. He opened the door to find Jaiden, shaping the newly found galcier steel. He turned around and flipped up his goggles. Milo chuckled and walked closer to Jaiden.
"I have a feeling that you shouldn't be doing this.."
---
Milo's eyes wandered over to the metal that Jaiden was breaking down. It wasn't the galcier that he had seen him harvesting the previous day, but ordinary steel. Jaiden's face was a mixture of both frustration and sorrow.
"I shouldn't be.. But I can't help myself from trying. I want this sword to be perfect, one that I can rely on in combat. Each time I've broken or damaged each blade it was because of my blacksmithing"
Milo placed his hand on Jaiden's shoulder.
"I don't understand why you'd insult your blacksmithing, especially when your father seems to be one of the more successful ones around here. I'm not really the best when it comes to emotional things, but even I can at least tell you that your problem isn't what you think it is"
Jaiden turned his head.
"I'm not my father"
Milo, trying to cheer Jaiden up, placed both of his hands on his hips, and struck a pose.
"I can't give you the best of advice! But what I can tell you is that I've seen your records. The upper ranks got told to look at the lower ranks for the upcoming mission! You're promising Jaiden.. That's part of why I've taken an interest in you"
Although he was trying to cheer him up, Milo felt a genuine interest in Jaiden. It was part of the reason he wanted to see him succeed. Jaiden looked at Milo with a confused yet curious look on his face. Milo chuckled and continued on.
"Your power is more than you make it out to be. I've seen a few things from the upper ranks, things that you'd only believe if you were there yourself. You have that potential in you, but if you don't get a grip on yourself you can't make that happen"
The two were now sitting down against the wall. There was a brief period of silence before Milo spoke again.
"Visit the Grandmaster and tell him what you've told me. I'll be somewhere in the temple waiting for you when you're done"
Jaiden got slightly uneasy.
"Why would I visit the Grand-"
Milo cut him off.
"Because, I know that out of anyone here, he believes in you the most. Besides, if you do that I'll help you with your sword, and you wouldn't want to miss out on an opportunity to learn a few tricks from me would you?"
The two looked at each other and smiled. Jaiden walked out of the room and made his way down the hall to the Grandmaster's chamber. Before he could knock, a maid opened the door and was startled to see Jaiden.
"Eep! I didn't see you there. Pardon my manners, Masuroku Steely. Can I help you with anything?"
Jaiden put his hands together and smiled.
"You're fine! I apologize for sneaking up on you like that. The Grandmaster went to one of the training rooms in the gym hall. I'm sure if he wanted anyone to follow him, so please proceed with caution!"
Jaiden bowed at the maid and began walking towards the gym hall. All of the training room's doors were open except for one. He walked over to the door and knocked. After a few seconds of silence he opened it. The room looked as if it didn't have any walls. Just an open, empty void. In the center of the room was the Grandmaster, meditating. Jaiden walked over to him and sat down, attempting to replicate the meditation. Jaiden calmed his breath and closed his eyes. His mind was empty, and all he could see was himself, sitting in the center of the room. Suddenly images began flashing before his eyes, countless memories from his past, until the images turned to vision. Jaiden woke up in the forest of Sector Four's village. He looked around and saw a small boy near him. His breath grew unsteady, as he looked in front of him. There, a Kazemasa swordsman was on his knees. Jaiden watched again as the swordsman drove his blade through his chest. Jaiden tried to run and save him, but it was too late. Before he could finish processing the events before him, he was taken back to Fuyu. In front of him was Yuki, about to finish off Elandre. Jaiden felt as the vision faded from his eyes, and re-focussed. He stared up at someone he had long since forgotten. The room was dark, with a small fireplace being the only source of light. Jaiden was pinned to the ground, as a boy with tied up black hair was holding him down. Jaiden tried to pry himself free, but right as he freed his grip he found himself staring into the eyes of the white haired boy from the previous night. Jaiden could hear a voice calling out to him, shaking him. He gasped for air as he opened his eyes. The Grandmaster was holding him.
"Jaiden! Are you alright?"
It didn't take long for him to notice the tears streaming down both of their faces.
"Grandmaster.. What is this place? Why could I see.."
Yang placed his hand on Jaiden's head.
"I'm so sorry Jaiden, that I let this happen to you"
He paused for a moment, before he shakily exhaled.
"This is a room that I created long ago. My power has decreased long since then, so I could never make anything like this now. Isn't that something? Well, you asked about the room. My apologies. When fully concentrated, you can view memories of your past. If you don't have proper control, you can be sent into a spiral. Ordinary mortal people can't handle even a minute. I've walked this earth far long enough that the mental toll is far lesser than it is for others. Every now and then I come here to pay my respects to someone. So I can protect people close to me now"
Jaiden shook his head in confusion.
"Grandmaster, how many times have you-"
He was cut off.
"Fourteen thousand, nine hundred and sixty three. That day is burned into my memory.. I know now that I can't ever make such a mistake again. But there was nothing I could have done. You can't stop fate, no matter what"
Jaiden was confused.
"Why are you telling me this?"
The Grandmaster smiled.
"Because, I have nothing to hide. It changes nothing whether or not I've been in this room one time, or a thousand. In the end, it's all temporary. In my life I will visit a million places. Many with far more meaning than this. To hide that I grieved for someone close to me means nothing in the eyes of the thousands more that I'll meet. It makes no difference"
Jaiden couldn't stop the tears streaming down his face. The Grandmaster leaned in and held him tight. As tears streamed down his face Jaiden continued.
"I'm ready to move on, to finally push all of my burdens and grow. The weight of the lives that I've taken, the debt that I'll forever owe, that feeling that I'll always have, a target on my back, all of it. I finally know what drives me, yet I feel so unsure about moving on"
The Grandmaster smiled.
"Then push them away. If you spend time searching for an opportunity where you are completely perfect, and at total peace, then you will never grow. Because nobody is ever truly at peace. Everything has a balance, and everyone is imperfect. It's the courage and drive that pushes that weight off of you, and forces you to carry on. You'll never feel a perfect path ahead of you. But you can find light that will point you in that direction. I will always shine that light on you, Jaiden"
Jaiden looked into Yang's eyes desperately.
"Milo told me that I have power that I can't grasp. That if I accept things, I can begin to understand. But I can't see any signs at all, anything that leads me to believe that he's right"
The Grandmaster placed both of his hands on Jaiden's shoulders.
"You can't even begin to understand the amount of power you have, Jaiden. Don't you ever doubt yourself for a second. You will experience periods of darkness. Perhaps, even your peers will outrank you. But if tapped into, the strength you hold could place you among some of the greatest I've ever seen. Tell me, Jaiden. Are you ready to move on? That's for you to decide. But if you really want my opinion, I believe that you are. You have been, you were just unsure"
Jaiden smiled, and got back to his feet. He began walking out the door when he turned around and spoke before leaving.
"Thank you, Grandmaster"
Back in the blacksmithing room, Milo was flipping through a spell book. He left the book open on a page he selected and sat down, waiting. As he began to yawn he was startled by Jaiden bursting the door open. Milo scrambled to collect himself.
"What the?"
Jaiden stared at Milo with confidence in his eyes. Milo smiled back, walking to the corner of the room. A staff appeared in his hands as the book on the table started shaking. Jaiden walked over to the forge, taking a deep breath, before placing his goggles on his eyes. Milo cleared his throat.
"Alright, I need you to start working on the sword. When I say the word you start repeating after me. You have to say exactly everything I say, or this won't work. Alright?"
Jaiden nodded his head in agreement. He began melting down the galcier, his fingers tracing over it, feeling each scratch and dent. He recalled his journey, and the effort it took to collect it.
"I have to put everything into this sword. My will, my courage, I have to be at peace. If I don't, this won't turn out right. I only have one chance"
The melted metal poured into the broadsword-like mold that lay beneath him. As the metal bubbled Jaiden laid the top part of the mold down. The metal hissed, as steam released into the air.
"I promise, your innocent soul won't die in vain. No more will die for unjust ideologies, for someone else's goal. Not if I have anything to say about it"
Jaiden raised his hammer, steadying it. Milo held up his staff and called out.
"Now! Repeat after me!"
The book began floating in the air, as the room was flooded with light. Milo's words would seem as a whisper in comparison to the screaming response that Jaiden would reply.
"Through the will of the divine, may my will shine bright!"
Jaiden concentrated, trying his best to steady the hammer.
"I know what I have to do. Just as they both taught me. I have to concentrate!"
The arm of Jaiden's father was pictured in front of him, holding his wrist in place. To his right, was the Grandmaster's arm, holding his other. Jaiden closed his eyes as his aura engulfed the room, the green flames trailing up the wall. The hammer was brought down, slamming into the orange tinted metal. Milo shouted more words as Jaiden continued to swing his hammer, repeating after him.
"In the light of day, it outshines those who hide!"
The hammer slammed against the blade.
"No matter their strength, nobody can escape!"
Sparks flew, swirled and caught in the green flames.
"Yamigawa's will in mine, the earth shall shake!"
Jaiden raised his hammer for the final swing. His body froze.
"No, no! I can't stop now. I can't move, but I have to push on. Somehow, I have to!"
For what felt like the last time he would ever see this memory, the Kazemasa swordsman's face would flash by his mind. Jaiden's eyes opened, as his goggles shattered. His hammer swung down as the final words of the enchantment were shouted.
"Let my will be free!"
The aura swirled and curved, as it began focussing into the blade. Jaiden's hand grasped onto the molten hot metal, unphased by the heat. He dipped it into the water, as bubbles floated to the surface. His aura faded, as he raised the sword. It shined a beautiful transparent diamond color, with a green tint. On the edges, you could see traces of the green energy flowing from it. Jaiden began placing the hilt with the symbol of justice on to his new work. He held up his sword, examining it carefully before smiling. Milo walked over and looked at the sword in awe.
"As long as you're determined enough to win a fight, your sword will never break. It's attached to your will, and motivation"
Jaiden sheathed the blade and began getting ready to go outside. Milo didn't try to stop him. He knew that Jaiden had some sort of goal in mind, and like his sword, his determination was unbreakable.