Chapter 772 - The Usual
“—I see. Well, if you’re saying it wasn’t half bad, then I’m glad to hear it.”
“Nah, it was perfect. I think long weapons might actually be my thing.”
In a room as sparse and cavernous as ever, two voices broke the silence.
And so, my first destination was, as you’d expect—or rather, as is tradition—the workshop of my exclusive Magus-Artisan, Kagura-san. It’s become the go-to place whenever I need anything.
To be honest, the trip was decided on a whim the second the Triangle Duo ended, and since we were leaving the next day, I had to ask her to reschedule. We had originally planned for me to come in the day after the event for some equipment adjustments, so I felt bad for canceling on such a busy person at the last minute.
“Now what in the world would people say if they heard that? You certainly use a variety of weapons, but if there’s one image you’re known for, it’s either a ‘short sword’ or a ‘katana.’”
Fortunately, the red-haired beauty in the kimono seemed to be in a good mood as she inspected the only ‘long weapon’ I owned. Her usual, casual “big sis” way of speaking was music to my ears.
“…You’re right. This thing is categorized as a ‘short sword,’ isn’t it?”
“What are you playing dumb for? I told you it was a Rabbit Blade.”
“Well, to call it a ‘katana,’ it has such a… peculiar shape, you know? I’m used to it now, but still. The Bullets are just regular daggers.”
Now that she mentioned it, with the combination of the [Rabbit: Parabellum Bullet] and [Samidorizuki], my main weapons were indeed dominated by the katana category—ah, crap.
“Whoa, wait, hold on, ca—gghk…!!!”
In that instant, I sensed danger from the glowing ring on my right hand and tried to explain myself, but it was too late. My Anima materialized faster than my excuse, its pommel slamming viciously into my solar plexus.
WHAM! A sharp impact echoed through the room.
Kagura’s shoulders jolted in surprise.
I went flying backward, chair and all, in a spectacular tumble.
Kagura let out a hearty, clattering laugh.
And then, as if to say, ‘See? What did you expect, you idiot,’ my beloved sword spun triumphantly above my head before returning to the ring, its work complete.
“…Am I supposed to be grateful it wasn’t the sharp end of the blade? Does this count as love?”
“Hah, khh…! Yeah, sure, you’re definitely loved…!”
“Aren’t you laughing a little too hard…?”
Damn you, [Alv Stella, True White Star Sword]… Just when I thought you were over your rebellious phase, you pull this kind of stunt the moment I let my guard down. Is my love not getting through to you?
What is it? Are you saying you don’t get enough screen time? When things get really tough, or when it really counts, you’re pretty much the first one I rely on…
“Maybe it’s not happy about being barely used in the Triangle Duo?”
“Hm? Ah, no, that’s not it. This thing… doesn’t seem interested in PvP.”
“…Oh?”
Did I never mention that? Well, judging by her reaction, I guess I hadn’t. Was Sora-san the only one I shared that with?
“It’s super motivated against enemies, you know? But when I use it against people, it feels… unenthusiastic. Even when I let it move on its own, it lacks its usual sharpness…”
“I see.”
“And it won’t even let me activate its special abilities like [Alv Call] or my ultimate, [El Solas]… It completely ignores me when I ask. Isn’t that awful?”
“Is that so…?”
She was grinning with a look of great interest, but as its owner, this was a serious problem for me. In other words, ‘Well, of course it would,’ was the long and short of it.
It’s just too quirky, making it far too much of a hassle to use as a main weapon… Hey, don’t get the wrong idea, I’m not complaining, all right? You of all people should know I have a thing for quirky oddballs, or rather, I like oddballs. I’m really, seriously not complaining. I’m all for respecting individuality and personal expression, and as I was just thinking, I intend to continue relying on you as my special trump card, so—
“Well, let’s set aside the comedy routine between two weirdos for now.”
“Does that make [Stella] the straight man? Am I the funny one?”
“It’s done. Should be finished just as you ordered.”
“And I’m being completely ignored… Right, right, I’m eternally grateful.”
Her usual cool and collected demeanor. It seemed she’d finished her magic-crafting work while we were talking. Kagura casually tossed a long spear my way, and I caught it.
This was the [Demon Horn Spear: Crimson Valor]—or rather, its new form, the fusion of “Rabbit” and “Whale” that I debuted in my fight against Mi-na and Ri-na: the [Laparice Laphane (Crimson-Azure Spear: Whale-Rabbit)].
Although it was a remade and enhanced version, there were no major changes to its appearance. It retained its simple design, making use of the demon horn from its original material, the [Ruby Bullet Rabbit], with a stylish, non-physical cloth swaying at the boundary between the blade and the shaft.
The only modification was to the pommel, the end opposite the spearhead. Before, it was fitted with a small fragment of the same demon horn as the blade, but now, a diamond-shaped crystal swirled with red and blue rested there.
This was a rare material dropped by none other than the [Great Water Spirit, Laphane]—an enhancement part, or rather, a complete overhaul part, called the [Alsterite Laphane (Water-Star Teardrop)].
To put it simply, this modification had made the spear part of the “Crimson-Azure Spear” a mere bonus. I mean, it still had specs that made it a perfectly usable high-grade weapon, but the doodads on the pommel were now monstrously powerful.
And the reason for that was…
“Oh. Nice, nice, this is just right.”
With just a little bit of MP—okay, maybe more than a little bit—it does this. The massive scythe of watery light that materialized had some seriously wicked specs.
It was a modified version of the function from my old 《Red Air》 that I showed off in the last Four Pillar War… but this new one could be summoned at my own cost, could smash through magic, and could also inflict physical damage, making it a complete upgrade. Its power would surely far surpass that of the spear itself.
Furthermore, it had the demonic ability to steal not just HP but also MP from any opponent it damaged or even touched. To make matters worse, the MP drain scaled with my Mind (MID) stat, meaning it would siphon off an absurd amount whether I was in my base form or my alternate one.
Against enemies, whose total HP and MP are on a completely different level from us players, it wouldn't be able to apply much resource pressure, but it goes without saying that it’s absolutely vicious in PvP.
Even a graze would mercilessly shred an opponent’s MP. And just like when I drained Mi-na and Ri-na’s MP from above their “wall,” its ridiculously cheap contact detection would work on their weapons, magic, or any other connected ability in close proximity.
On top of all that, just like the pre-remake version, the stolen magic could be used to power Laphane’s abilities, so if handled correctly, it even came with the bonus of solving any mana-cost issues.
Overall, to put it simply, it’s broken. If I were on the dev team, I’d have no doubt slapped a ban on this weapon a day after it was made—but anyway, that aside.
“You sure you can handle that thing?”
“No problem. I’m used to big weapons.”
The adjustment I’d requested was for none other than the size of the scythe.
“…A size adjustment for the scythe, you say—”
“I’ll smack you.”
“My apologies.”
Kicking that horribly lame joke to the curb, this felt good.
Based on my experience using it against Mi-na and Ri-na, I’d asked her to make it about twice as large. Just a light swing sent a feeling of ‘this is it’ through my hands.
It probably wasn’t quite two meters long, but if I held it straight, the massive, thick, non-physical blade would likely reach my height. Its presence was immense, belying its translucent nature.
Nice, very nice. I’m really looking forward to using it in a real fight.
I shouldn’t mention that the spearhead and pommel have basically switched roles now. I have a clear vision of how to use both ends effectively, so I plan to make full use of every part of it.
“Alright, anything else?”
“Nope, that’s all!”
“Right then. Get outta here.”
And with that, my business was concluded. I wasn’t about to shoot Kagura a bitter smile and say ‘you’re so cold’ as she tried to shoo me away so brusquely.
Because if I turned my back just as crisply and headed for the door—
“—That was quite a show you put on. I’ll be looking forward to the next one.”
“You bet! You can count on it!”
See? Her encouraging voice was there to push me forward.
All I had to do was give her a thumbs-up and a spirited reply, and everything was golden.
× It’s simply broken.
〇 It’s broken because the insane initial MP cost is only feasible for someone with a ridiculous build who can both afford it and secure a high enough MID stat to make the drain ability a credible threat, all while being able to handle intense close-quarters combat. The benefits only outweigh the risks for such a player.
By the way, without both 《Water Magic Aptitude》 & 《Water Spirit’s Blessing》, the source material [Alsterite Laphane] won't exert its full power, making this weapon effectively exclusive to those who have fully conquered Laphane. And while it manifests as MP drain, what it's actually doing is—
It feels like it's been a while since I wrote such a detailed weapon description. That was fun.