Rumia woke up; and almost instantly screamed in pain and entered a spasm. She blacked out almost immediately afterwards.
She woke up again, and saw Shinki this time; her hand glowing with a bright light over Rumia's own chest, before she blacked out from agony again for a moment; only to hear Shinki's voice.
"My power is not yet fully sealed off from yours. The exhaustion stopped you exploding when I put the energy in; but it's gonna hurt until I'm done. Just think of it this way; you'll officially be my adoptive daughter after all this." Shinki said.
Rumia faded in and out of consciousness; the pain slowly relenting; for about half an hour; before suddenly; Shinki removed her hand; and the pain stopped.
"I have seperated your energy into two parts. One is your natural energy reserve; and the other is the energy that is from me. Do not use both at the same time; and I would advise against using my energy for an extended period." Shinki said.
Rumia groaned.
"What's the difference?"
"Well; my energy will allow you to wield the weapon we are to make you; and would likely increase some of your abilities; such as your proficiency with lasers. However; your natural shadow powers and Dark energy usage would be hampered."
Rumia sat up; and saw Yumeko at the side of where she was lying; which seemed to be a table. She then noticed she could hardly see the walls; for where ever she looked; the walls were covered in fine-crafted; large swords. The swords spiraled up and up; further than Rumia's eye could see.
"This is Yumeko's room. You see; Yumeko has the hobby of maintaining her swords; and crafting new ones when she is not attending me. She has a lot more free time than you would think." Shinki said.
"So... you're a blacksmith?" Rumia asked Yumeko.
"You could put it that way. I believe that to be one with a weapon the weapon must be like a child to you; you must have created it. However; in your case; a sister would have to suffice, seeing as Lady Shinki shall be crafting it." Yumeko said.
"I always knew you liked swords; but I didn't know you were so serious about them..." Rumia said; flying up a little to look at the swords.
"Anyway; Shinki is not just going to make you a weapon. A weapon has to be something you can depend upon. Something that suits you. Shinki could easily just give you a sword like my own; but if it is not a weapon that suits you; then you may as well be wielding a twig." Yumeko said, before she motioned to a door at the base of her room.
"I keep my weapons that are not swords in there. I am open to spar with you so that you may find a weapon type that suits you." Yumeko said.
Rumia instantly grabbed one of Yumeko's swords off the wall, and flew towards the maid. Yumeko did not even use a blade; she simply dodged Rumia's attack and knocked her away.
"No. That weapon was made specifically for me. There is no way it would suit one such as you, even if our fighting styles have slight similarities." Yumeko said.
Rumia stood back up. Yumeko did not hit her hard. "Yeah; I felt it; but how will I know when something is right?"
"You'll know." Yumeko said. "Trust me on that."
Rumia flew into the armory Yumeko indicated; and came out with a large-two handed hammer. Yumeko said no before Rumia even left the room with that.
Rumia kept trying every type of weapon she found. From a spear and a javelin; a morningstar; a bow; even one more exotic types of weapons; such as Chakrani. But nothing felt right.
Some felt better than others; however. Rumia felt far more comfortable with blades than bludgeons; light weapons than heavy. Stabbing and thrusting rather than cutting.
After attacking Yumeko with a rapier; and getting knocked aside; Yumeko suddenly had a look on her face as if she realized something; and walked into the armory herself. A minute later; she came back out; with a simple dagger.
"I am unsure how I did not know your weapon right away. You fight from the shadows. You use speed and agility as assets in fights; confusing your foes before delivering one important blow with your might. The dagger suits that style. The weapon of choice of the stealthy assassin and the tricksters."
Rumia took the dagger from Yumeko; and felt it in her hands. It was lightweight; and hardly longer than Sakuya's knives. This particular dagger was a straight one; like a miniature western sword.
Rumia swung the dagger a few times; and felt the light weapon hardly slow her down. She then flew towards Yumeko; and; unlike all of the other attacks she threw at Yumeko; the maid parried instead of outright dodging and countering.
"Hmm. It appears I was correct. Maybe not that exact style; but a dagger of a kind is certainly the correct choice. A weapon of a creature of the shadow is not a weapon that should be large and imposing... it should not be seen; except as the last thing the victim sees; flashing in front of their eyes as a glint of steel."
"Ah; but Yumeko; this is a Divine weapon made by myself. It is a weapon legends will be created by; one day. It will one day have legends sung about it; legends that may even grant it power by faith; like the Gungir and Lævateinn." Shinki said.
"Wait; so the weapon itself..." Rumia began.
"Yes; it will just be a magical dagger. A dagger which can harm the divine. It will also be incredibly durable; of course; in factl it will be almost indestructible. Weapons such as Gungir; Lævateinn; and other mythical weapons; such as Gáe Bulg and Excalibur get their power not naturally; but by faith. The very legends of the weapons themselves and the faith in those legends give them their powers!" Shinki said.
Rumia looked a little disappointed. "And here I expected it to freeze stuff on contact or something like that."
"Oh that's possible with an enchantment. But enchantments have a nasty habit of ruining the metalwork and making the blade itself brittle and weak. The magic would not easily bring down a God; especially as enchantments are fueled by the user's energy; and the blade would break." Shinki explained.
"I don't get it..." Rumia said.
"A weapon is ultimately a work of science. Science and magic are notorious for being incomparable." Yumeko answered.
Shinki then formed a sphere between her hands. The sphere looked like molten metal; the Goddess using her powers of creation. She looked at the sphere for a few moments; before she sweatdropped.
"Yumeko... I have no clue how to make a weapon..." Shinki said.
"Then why did you start before asking me?!" Yumeko shouted; as Rumia chuckled. Shinki could really be braindead sometimes.
What followed was Shinki shaping the metal as Yumeko gave her instructions. This process took a while; as Shinki kept misunderstanding Yumeko. The maid would constantly complain Shinki made the metal too thin or thick; or the blade too long. However; eventually; Shinki had formed the metal into the shape of a dagger that Yumeko was no longer complaining about.
The dagger was specifically a Dirk; the blade about a foot long; clearly shaped for stabbing and thrusting rather than cutting. The hilt was grooved to fit Rumia's hand; yet be easy to move around and reposition.
Shinki then took the liberty of adding a crystal to the pommel of the weapon; which shone red; black and white; depending on how the light hit it. She turned the hilt a golden shade; with a hint of crimson; and the blade itself was marked with runes; the language of Makai.
"Do not fear the dark" the runes said on one side; while the other was marked with "Fear what lurks inside it".
Shinki moved her hands; before gripping the blade before it fell. She handed it to Yumeko; who seemed to test the weight, before the maid handed it to Rumia.
The blade felt foreign in her hands; the cold metal tingling on it; although Rumia had a suspicion that was partially the conflict between the blade's origin and hers. Despite this; it felt... right. She only hoped she would not have to use it.
"Oh; you're not gonna like this Yumeko; but I found a little workaround the 'enchantment' issue. I enchanted the gem I put on it." Shinki said.
Yumeko opened her mouth to protest; but Shinki spoke again before.
"She can merge the weapon into herself; breaking it down into the magic I put inside her. That way the weapon is safe and concealed except when it is needed."
Yumeko sighed. "I agree that is a good idea; especially if the enchantment is bound to the gem and not the weapon."
"Now we need to name it!" Shinki said excitedly. "I mean; all the famous weapons have names!"
"I wonder if you're just doing this to get yourself in the history books of Rumia's world..." Yumeko muttered.
"Well; it's a dagger; right? Maybe something like 'Kage no Kiba'?" Rumia asked.
The two looked at her.
"It means Fang of Shadow. The dagger is like a tooth, and it strikes from the shadows." Rumia explained.
"I prefer 'Death Dagger." Shinki said.
Yumeko slapped Shinki over the back of her head gently. "It's her weapon; it's her choice to name it. Besides; that's a stupid name."
Shinki just rubbed the back of her head; with her tongue out; giggling.
"I apologize for Lady Shinki. It seems today is one of her more Devilish days." Yumeko said.
"What does that mean anyway?" Rumia asked. "Shinki keeps calling herself a God and a Devil. Surely she can't be both; they are opposites; right?"
Shinki looked at Yumeko.
"I am indeed both; however. The... act of me becoming a God was not pleasant. I did something I had to do; but am not proud of. I began to transform into a daemon as it happened. However; I transcended and became a God at the precise moment I was half-daemon. As such; I am both God and Devil. Angel and Daemon. Holy and Unholy." Shinki explained.
"What did you do?" Rumia asked.
Shinki sighed.
"I did many things. I do not feel like talking about them at length. But one of the things I did was turn what is now the Heart of Makai into what amounts to my slave. I killed a lot of people as well in my quest to attain Godhood. You remember that event I showed you; the one who would be resurrected by the Heart called me an abomination. I did things that rightfully earned that name. I do not know from whence she came; but it is likely she was from one of the worlds my actions ruined."
Shinki seems upset by recalling this; and Yumeko noticed.
"I think it is time for you to return to your world. If you remain here much longer you will likely start to feel your other side."
"Wait; one last question!" Rumia said; as Shinki opened theportal back to Alice's house.
"What is it?" Shinki asked.
"You said my other sidewas made to kill you; a God. But if I don't have anything to do that with..."
"You had something. Something buried in the deepest part of your evil self. Those chains that bound me; the chains Yumeko broke. They are not a divine weapon; they are a daemonic weapon; usable only by other with a heart filled with blood-lust; hate and anger. Anything bound by those chains becomes mortal and sealed. It is impossible for the one bound to break them; but they are brittle to something that daemons cannot accept; an act of kindness; someone else breaking them."
Rumia nodded; and said goodbye and thank you to the two; before going through the portal to Alice's house.