The Red Hand

Chapter 241 – If Weapons Could Talk. Oh Wait, They Can.

While Akagi and the girls were busy checking out the Arena, the Spirit Weapons were having a small tea party of their own in the greenhouse. They hadn't gotten much of a chance to talk to each other, and the similarities between them forged a kind of kinship among the weapons.

"I must admit that I'm still surprised that a world as magically inert as this one could create you two." Halifax said as she sipped on some coffee. The three of them were chatting about their past, as well as a bit more about themselves. "You're definitely far more advanced and complex than I would've expected, no offense." She figured that her words might sound demeaning and kicked herself for the poor word choice.

"None taken." Momo smiled as she took a bite of a cookie. "The humans of this world were always looking for ways to boost the meager Spiritual power that they did have, and from what I know about our creation, it wasn't a very easy feat." She didn't know much about how she and her sister were created, only that it was the culmination of centuries of hard work and determination.

{My earliest memories are hazy at best and I can only remember bits and pieces of those early days. I recall a bit about our creator, but nothing more than his name and face. Himari has said something similar in the past and I can't imagine that she knows more than me.} (Momo)

"Too bad they couldn't make Momo more fun." Himari snickered as she snuck a cookie off the plate. "She's a bit of a stick in the mud at times."

"I think it better to be that than the child you turned out to be." Momo rolled her eyes.

"Hey, at least I'm having fun." Himari laughed as the two started to bicker amongst themselves.

{I can see what Akagi was talking about...} (Halifax)

"Are there any more like you?" Halifax asked. "In my world, sentient weapons like us weren't exactly common, but I've run into a few during my lifetime." She was part of a set forged by the Gods long in the past, and she technically had a few brothers and sisters of her own.

"Hmmm." Momo thought for a moment. "We were never told of any others like us, and in the centuries after our creation, most of our time was spent sealed away." She had only rarely spoken to her creator or members of the Tokugawa or Tomogawa family. “I can't recall any mention of other similar weapons by our creators either, beyond the usual myths and legends of course.”

"It doesn't help that they really weren't interested in talking to us about things anyway." Himari shrugged. "I think they only talked to us about our mission and that was really it."

{I guess they really did see us as nothing but tools... Though I guess Momo and I saw ourselves as no different until recently.} (Himari)

"They were not particularly interested in getting our perspective on things either." Momo sighed. "But then again, we were just tools made by them to do a job, so it makes sense." The use of that term caused Halifax's eye to twitch.

"It sounds like your creators were... unpleasant folks." Halifax didn't like anyone treating sentient weapons or objects as anything other than people, so hearing that these two were treated as such annoyed her.

"I can't speak to their personality, but I do know that they were never particularly enthusiastic about that fact that we had minds of our own." Momo gave a wry smile. “I'm pretty sure us talking back only annoyed them, hence why we were told to keep it to a minimum.”

{Though Himari had a hard time doing that.} (Momo)

"Were they not aiming to make a weapon that could think for itself? That's part of the point, isn't it?" Halifax tilted her head in confusion. "Giving one's weapon a mind aids greatly in its use in combat. Master craftsmen spend their whole lives trying to create something as intricate as us, so why wouldn't this have been the desired result?" She'd been explicitly granted a soul by the gods to make her more powerful and to help her wielder to be more effective in combat. “Even if it was an accident, you'd think it would've been something to celebrate, but from what you've said, it was as if your mind was nothing but an inconvenience to them.”

"From what I know, that would be about right." Momo sighed

"We were created to defeat Demons and evil Yokai. That we can speak and take human form as we do wasn't part of our creator's design." Himari answered as she polished off a cookie. “They just needed weapons strong enough to fight Ayakashi and other monsters. Having chatty weapons wasn't desired for this purpose.”

"If they didn't want you to have such abilities, then why do you?" Halifax asked. She figured it must have been some kind of divine intervention or something similar.

"We have no idea." Himari answered with a shrug as she grabbed another cookie. "There were always theories that the Shinto Gods may have intervened, but nothing concrete could ever be proven."

{Not to mention that based on what Akagi told us, there may not even BE any Shinto Gods or the equivalent to have done something like that.} (Himari)

"We even asked Lady Kukurihime about this after we were unsealed, and she couldn't give us anything more concrete than the fact that our Spiritual Power was mixed with divine energy." Momo was hoping that Japan's last remaining Kami might have more answers for her and her sister, but sadly she did not.

"Strange, if even one of this world's Gods don't know..." Halifax could tell that the two Spirit weapons in front of her were more than mere creations of man, though she was acutely aware that their mortal craftsmen must have been a genius.

{Their construction seems to rival even the best on Enoris, and it wouldn't be strange if some kind of being took interest in their creation. I do sense divine energy within them, but I can't tell where such power came from, and it doesn't seem to be of the same kind of power that Elariel and the others are made from.} (Halifax)

"You were forged directly by your world's Gods, were you not?" Momo asked a bit about Halifax's creation.

"I was, yes." Halifax nodded. "Though less forged and more willed into existence by the Goddess of Time, Elariel." She had little knowledge or memory of that time, and only had the information provided later by Elariel.

"Does that mean you have all kinds of time powers?" Himari asked about her abilities. "Our abilities are tied to our creation in some way, shape, or form. So I'd imagine you have some kind of power tied to your creator." Himari's power went beyond becoming the perfect blade for her wielder and she could use fire magic as well, while Momo was an expert in wind magic.

"Sadly, turning back time or manipulating its flow is not possible for me." Halifax laughed. "In fact, even Elariel herself can't do such things, at least not to any meaningful degree."

{If she could, then so many events would never have happened.} (Halifax)

"Though you are correct that I was given some power related to her." Halifax winked. "Though as to what those are specifically, I'm afraid you'll have to wait until the Tournament kicks off. I'd like to keep things a surprise." She giggled.

"Stingy!" Himari complained. "At least tell us! We won't spoil anyone, I promise!"

"For once, I agree with my sister." Momo sighed. "I'm quite curious as to what you can do, and its only fair that you give a little back after we told you about ourselves."

"Hmmm." Halifax thought for a moment. "Tell you what. While I won't tell you about the power related to Elariel that I was granted, I'll tell you a bit about something else that I'm known for." She smiled.

"Woo!" Himari cheered.

"I am known as the Divine Blade Halifax back on Enoris, and naturally..." Halifax pulled her sword body from beside her and placed it on the table, its blue form almost seeming to glow. "I'm a sword."

"Sword buddies!" Himari laughed as she put her own sword body on the table. "Though you are a bit larger than me." She pouted.

"That is because you are a shortsword, while Halifax is a longsword," Momo explained the difference. "It's only natural that she is a bit larger."

{Also, you can just change form and become bigger. I've seen you as a Nodachi before.} (Momo)

"My body is based on a Kelgashi longsword, which are considered to be the finest blades ever created." Halifax went on to explain a bit about the strange Dwarves that lived extremely deep underground. "They are an ancient people and were a breakaway faction of the Dwarves that live on the surface. They wanted to practice 'forbidden' arts, and their rune crafting saw them exiled from the rest of their kin's holds." She continued. "The Kelgashi are a bit distrustful of outsiders, but you will find none more fun to be around. They still exist as far as I'm aware, but they haven't been seen on the surface in nearly a millennium." She shrugged. "But getting back on topic, one of the other names I've been given is the Sword of One-Thousand Blades." She smirked.

"Unless you can split apart, I only see one." Himari laughed at her own poor joke.

"No duplication here." Halifax shook her head. "At least not in the way you're implying. The name comes from the fact that I was granted knowledge of an incredible amount of techniques, most of which have been lost to time." She continued as she picked up her blade and stood up, putting a bit of distance between herself and the table. "These forms and techniques can range from simple defensive maneuvers..." She took a defensive stance which saw her body angled and her sword brought up to block from the front. "To things that are far more complex."

"Can I see one?!?" Himari cried out. She was curious to see just what kind of neat forms and techniques another sword like her could use.

"Well, if you insist." Halifax laughed. It was clear that she enjoyed Himari's enthusiasm as it reminded her of one of her younger 'siblings'. "Fiftieth Form of the Divine Blade: Astéri!" In a flash Halifax's orange hair changed to red, and her entire body was coated in a light veil of flames, none too dissimilar to Hishya when she powered up.

"Wow!" Himari squeaked.

{Incredible! The amount of power flowing through you is extraordinary, and your control is so perfect that I can't detect any waste or leakage!} (Momo)

"As you can imagine, this form relies primarily on flame and fire." Halifax laughed as she spun her blade around in her hand. "Though it's meant as a purification stance that aids in the destruction of darkness and things of that nature."

"Maybe you should try it out on Akagi!" Himari snickered.

"I don't think it's going to do anything." Halifax sighed as she canceled her power and returned to normal. "She is far too much darkness to be cast aside by such a meager light."

"And you have a thousand other such forms?" Momo asked.

"Well, technically, I have over one thousand," Halifax said as she took a seat. "But it's far easier and, frankly, cooler to call me the Sword of One-Thousand Blades, so we use that." She winked.

"Can you teach me any of them?" Himari really wanted to learn from her, and Momo was surprised to see her sister take such initiative.

"Perhaps." Halifax didn't know if a man-made blade like Himari could use many of her forms and techniques. "I'm up to try if you'd like."

"YES!" Himari stood up and pounded on the table. "TEACH ME!"