Chapter 94

I swam back from the darkness that had come with just a little too much to drink, and felt the wind through the fur of my tails and over my ears. I thought, at first, I was on a wagon. But if that was the case...

"Ah, you're awake." Ethnobalt's voice spoke from just a little to my right. "I'm sorry if I woke you, but I am avoiding some unseasonably large swarms of flying monsters."

I cracked open my eyes, and spotted the rabbit-man's robed legs. He was in his human form, and standing at what was plainly the steering wheel of a ship. "wha... flying?"

"Yes. Dear Kizuna convinced me to take you all out to one of her favourite fishing spots. Raphtalia brought you aboard, thinking you would rather wake up with them, instead of wondering why no one was at the house." He explained.

Slowly, I sat up, scrubbed my hands over my face to try and clear the lingering tingles of drunkenness, and yawned. "So they let me keep sleeping next to the quietest person on the ship." I continued my efforts to start my day, moving my arms and legs around so I could work on standing. "Thank you for letting me on board."

"Of course." He smiled at me just enough to stop looking so... sad... Then went back to looking ahead. "Alto is on board as well, likely hoping to poach the occasional rare item, likely more powders..."

I moved carefully for a moment, just to make sure I was in 'late stage' drunkenness, where my body was actually listening, not... taking my commands as suggestions. "Do tell?"

"I am only somewhat familiar with them. They are powders that have names that go along with an attribute, like Strength Powder or Magic Powder. They-"

There was the scuffing of feet on the steps leading up to the quarter deck where we were. "I hear the sound of profit being discussed." Alto said, his cheerful face appearing just after the nice beret he wore. "Finally awake are we?"

Poor Ethnobalt seemed to shrink a little at the interruption, reminding me of Usa and his early mannerisms. "He was telling me why you were tagging along." I replied, standing between the two and putting what I hoped was a comforting hand on Ethnobalt's back just for a moment, like I'd seen Kizuna do.

"I won't lie and say it's because I can fight. Quite the opposite really. But I offer my services as a top class merchant, purchase and sell what the Hero's party finds, and of course, make a neat profit as the middle man." Alto explained.

I went into the Shield for some water, and mixed in a little of my hangover cure. Talking to this man about business would need a clear head. "Makes sense. She doesn't have to worry about doing anything but her job, and everyone gets paid."

He winced, "A little crude sounding."

Behind me, Ethnobalt mumbled, "But not untrue."

One of my tails swished at Ethnobalt, just to let him know I heard him, "We were talking about powders."

"Aha! Yes!" Alto's voice reminded me to drink my remedy just a little faster. "With a little refinement, they can be made into empowering elixirs. After a few treatments however, the overall gain one receives drops off sharply though."

"Explains why there are so many strong adventurers around though... The Jewel people make tools that mimic parts of a Vassal weapon's functions. Drop items only available to the Heroes are attainable by everyone. And there's stat boosting items too?" I rubbed the side of my nose, the fading taste of the hangover cure taking the lingering headache with it. "Maybe getting side tracked to fish won't be a waste then..."

"Kizuna was only a little worried you might object." Ethnobalt said from behind me, "She really does enjoy fishing."

I felt the ship under me shift slightly. We were going very fast, though, not at the speeds we used to return to where ever it was to find Raphtalia and the others. We were bypassing what looked to be yet another cloud of flying... somethings. Too far to tell, but it was clear Ethnobalt wanted nothing to do with them.

"Lots of monsters out today." Alto commented, "Should I call the others above deck?"

"I can avoid them. It's no issue." Ethnobalt replied.

This had me a little curious, "Are you sure? We do want to gain power... Does the Vassal Boat have nothing for weapons?"

Alto took my 'challenge' to Ethnobalt's aversion to fight as permission to find the others, and he went back down the steps. "My race doesn't lend itself to fighting." He said, "L'arc's people call us Library Rabbits. And honestly, it's a good name I think." Again that little smile.

"You seem... Hmm. Not demi-human, but certainly more than a monster. Like Kuro and Tetsu." This made me wonder...

"Oh you're awake!" Kizuna's voice, two minutes ago, would have wrecked my mood. Thankfully, my hangover remedy was working as intended and her cheer was just that. "Monsters?"

"Hey Kizuna, thanks for kidnapping me." I smiled.

She rubbed the back of her head, "Well... I didn't want to just leave you on the roof."

I waved it off, "After we take care of that cloud of... what ever those are." I pointed at... they looked like winged goats with shark mouths. "Want to tell Ethnobalt about what we did for out Shikigami?"

Whatever she was about to say was cut off by Tetsu getting onto the deck, changing into her dragon form, and saying, "Flying food!" And roaring at the flock of... Garks? Shoats? The status screen wasn't helping me here, like many of the things between worlds...

Poor Ethnobalt's only comment to the sudden mess all over the deck of his nice flying ship was, "I am glad it is self cleaning."

The battle, once Tetsu had roared out a challenge, was brief and messy. Kuro perched next to Ethnobalt and started singing out buff spells for us all. L'arc, Therese and Glass were very liberal with wind magic. Kizuna used her Fishing Rod and the new lure I'd given her to draw things into groups for the area magic, and Tetsu... well, she was a large flying dragon.

Raphtalia and I saw almost no combat this time, but I helped with support magic while she confused the monsters into hurting each other, more than attempting to attack the ship.

Ethnobalt... Well, he kind of just stood there. He didn't shy away from the fighting, just... didn't fight. He did listen to some of the shouts to 'move closer' or 'turn' so those with attack magic could use it with better angles, but that was all.

"Huh." I said as we touched down near a small stone tower that looked to have endured a thousand years of weather, yet was clean of vines and moss. Around its base, if you knew what to look for, were burrows. Lots of them. But also very simple things you might see in a primitive village. A 'common outhouse', irrigation, clumps of crop-like plants...

But what was most surprising, was the inhabitants were rabbits. About the size of a bulldog, the 'villagers' were big fluffy rabbits.

"So you do have a weakness to fluffy animals." L'arc teased as we all kept a respectful distance (about two paces) from Ethnobalt while he (in his rabbit form) stood in front of one of the big rabbits and... looked at each other.

"As someone who is a fluffy animal from time to time, I know exactly what it feels like to get a good scratching." I admitted, "What are they saying?"

They all looked surprised for a moment, but Kuro leaned forward, "He's congratulating him for doing a good job."

Ethnobalt bowed slightly, then turned to face us, "Yes, I am... a champion of sorts."

I turned to Kizuna, looked to Kuro, then tried to think of a way around the protection of a Vassal Weapon. Kizuna knew that look, and also started to look between Kuro and Ethnobalt. "Maybe..."

"Oh no... There's two of them." Raphtalia sighed.

"I have a feeling this should concern me." Ethnobalt said, his hand patting one of my tails when it perched on his arm.

"Kuro is a monster raised by a Hero. And back in the other world, there is another like her, though it is closer in power to a guardian beast." I said, "So I've been told, but Motoyasu had no reason to lie." Kuro was nodding her head with little 'hm hm' sounds in agreement though.

"But!" Kizuna picked up, "The way it happened won't work with someone who has been chosen by a Vassal weapon." She motioned to Raphtalia. "However!"

I changed the Shield into the 'Ofuda Shield' (this, by the way, looked really silly... like a giant wooden prayer tag you would hang at a Shinto Shrine for luck). "The Animal Control Ofuda, work past that, provided you are an animal under the System."

Poor Ethnobalt looked like he had been caught in the headlights. But then his ears perked up as if shocked, and he reached into his robe and took out a book. "I think I have... yes. No? Aha!"

He flipped through the pages of the book, my less-than-kindergarten understanding of the language only letting me catch a random word or two. But it settled on a page with a rabbit and a person standing side by side. The person held a glowing weapon that was projecting its light on the rabbit.

"Library Rabbit indeed." I nodded, impressed.

"This has happened before." Ethnobalt nodded, his ears drooping a little to hide his eyes at the praise. "But... am I worthy?"

Everyone, even my party, all gave him the same 'did you really just ask that?' look. But even Tetsu had enough tact to let Kizuna actually reply, "Of course!"

I thought the poor rabbit might explode when Kizuna gave him a hug. I was also just a tiny bit jealous, since I missed my own rabbit. So did Raphtalia, if her sigh was any indication.

"Then I will be in your care." He managed to say after a moment. "What is involved?"

Back on the ship and flying... you know, I didn't know where we were going. What I did know, was every so often, we had to stop to deal with a cloud of monsters. More of those flying goat/sharks. Dragon-fish (Tetsu ate some for being 'naughty' but we all knew she just liked trying everything), packs of land based monsters who were getting a little too close to villages, monsters who tried to interrupt Kizuna at a new fishing spot...

The others were quite pleased with the things I'd made them. Glass and her new fans were a little out of her usual, but the enchantments I'd put into the gems were geared towards 'efficiency' as much as they were towards letting her cast magic, so even if they nibbled a little at her 'soul' with every cast, she was able to recover more than she lost at the end of a fight.

L'arc had gotten what I considered a 'basic' attack set. By the system's counting, it was just 'attack up, defence up, magic defence up' at 'high' quality. Sadly, Romina didn't have any gems that could hold anything more than that. If I ever met Broc and Sindri, I'd have to thank them again for teaching me how to get the most out of my enchantment.

Therese, to add to her usual assortment of shiny things, got not another gem (she was sad about this), but a pair of metal bangles. Her fighting style complimented L'arc's, being a ranged caster, so her new items were made for all her long range needs. Usa had some similar stuff, but all lightning based since that, and a little wind magic, were all he could do.

Raphtalia, now with the Vassal Katana, didn't need any more to help her attack stuff. When we sparred the morning before I got drunk and kidnapped for this, she was strong enough to crack my defences (but only if I just stood there and let her hit them). I did however, update the little bracelet that allowed her to store and auto-cast her illusion spells. Fitting the new battle-miko outfit, I'd put a couple yin-yang settings of onyx and alabaster on the bracelet.

Kuro got a new set of claws for her hands, but sadly, her physical attack as a Humming (multi formed) bird dropped to near nothing. She'd gained all kinds of magic utility though, and could fly. I'd also made her a new defence necklace.

Tetsu got new claw covers. Everyone wondered why I would give claws to a dragon who had the scariest 'hands' they'd ever seen, but Tetsu replied with 'they're super comfy!' And no one argued with her. Six of Six worlds agreed that arguing with a dragon was dumb.

And now, Ethnobalt got a small tasteful little name tag, with the 'animal control ofuda' curse on the back. And since I had some in the Shield, a small clay jar of fur soap, since I couldn't help but want him to be super fluffy.

But why the list? Well, it was when I remembered what I made for Kizuna, that what everyone else was calling 'far more monsters than usual' started to make sense.

"But..." Kizuna hugged her fishing rod to her chest, and held the nice lure I'd made in one hand tightly, "But I don't wanna!"

Since it was getting late, and all the fighting was really starting to wear on those without infinite stamina (like Tetsu, now that she had regained most of her lost levels), I confronted Kizuna.

"Kizuna..." Glass understood her friend's plight, but I could see her working up to 'ignore the weaponized puppy eyes' so she could be more strict with her friend.

Even L'arc and Therese were planning what seemed like an intervention, cornering Kizuna on the little natural rock 'pier' she had chosen for her next fishing spot. It was getting to the point where Kizuna would have to fight, relent, or swim away.

Raphtalia was wondering why everyone was being so serious, but Alto filled her in, "Our dear Hero is obsessed with fishing."

This set Kizuna off, "But every time I cast with this lure, I get something! Like... instantly! I want to catch the biggest thing ever and this will let me! I know it!"

"Kizuna. You're the leader of your party, right?" I said, hoping I didn't have to resort to having Kotetsu steal the shiny object, or breaking it. Though, if I did, I could install an 'off' switch when I made her a new one...

"Well... more or less?" Kizuna said.

"Look at them." I said.

The long day had worn on everyone. Aside from Alto, who hid under the biggest rock he could (or below the flying ship's deck) we all had signs of battle on us. Blood, sweat, smears of dirt that wouldn't go away with a casual brush, and most telling, a little slumping of shoulders that spoke of creeping exhaustion.

"I am either returning home now, or sleeping here the night." I said, speaking for my party, not hers.

Had I not had seven children, I might not have had the defence against Kizuna's puppy eyes. But I was the Shield Hero, even when I wasn't stuck with a stupid plate of metamorphic metal on my arm, it was my job to protect things. Though, against my children, it was to protect the cookie jar mostly.

"Fine..." She pouted, seeing I would be as unbreakable as the Shield against her pleading eyes. "Lemme just cast on-"

"No!" Everyone from her party said at once.

Now looking like a kicked puppy, instead of a sad one, Kizuna put the Lure away in her inventory.

"Good." I nodded, "Soup!"

And my party instantly started to gather stuff for the cauldron I pulled from the Shield's inventory.

During my watch that night, sat with my back to the fire while Kotetsu rested on my knee. The dragon-noodle knew it had my full attention, and was awake and trying to be cute so I'd give it more little headpats.

It may or may not have been sad that it was the ultra comprehensive list of things I could edit about... her, that was holding my attention, though my hands were lightly brushing over the feathery ruff around its head or along the thin spinal fin along her spine.

Everything from Anatomy to how shiny to make its toenails. It was like a character creation menu on drugs, except the changes would happen over time. More changes, more time. And this was before the 'mental state' menu. I could, if I wanted, make it hate shiny things!

But why would I ever do that? It helped me keep track of Ost, and pick pockets. Oh, and find loose change in Kizuna's couches.

"Kodori?" Ethnobalt's voice tugged a little of my attention away from my task. "Ah, Kotetsu."

Kotetsu greeted him with a quiet "Gr." While my tails waited for the rabbit-man (who was currently in rabbit form) to sit next to me.

He got just a tiny bit closer when my tails went around his back, "It's not your turn yet." I mumbled, "And sorry about the tails."

"No you're not." He said, just as quietly, "But I don't mind."

For a few minutes, we just sat there like that. Kotetsu's only reaction to him being there was to give him the same 'pet me I'm cute' face.

Then, "You seem troubled." Ethnobalt said, giving in to Kotetsu's silent wish to be friends with everyone she wasn't going to eat or steal coins from, and taking over headpat duty.

"This world seems..." I paused, closing my eyes, scrubbing my face with a hand, then opening them again to return to what amounted to Kotetsu in pure 'numbers and sliders' form. "I can't think of the exact word for it."

"Try?" He asked, pausing his headpats so Kotetsu could run/crawl/zip around his fingers playfully, the sound of scale on fur as she moved.

"How's this..." I mumbled, pleased with the little changes I'd made to Kotetsu's 'physical appearance' and 'mental attribute' sliders and numbers and moving on to combat stats and skills. "What I'm doing now, is editing everything about Kotetsu. The Shield has given me the power to change everything about her."

He kept silent, but the gentle green glow of Ost's Prison told me his eyes were looking my way. "I can, if I wanted, allow her to grow to any size, breathe fire, ice, lightning, or any number of things. Magic? Yup, that too. But even more, colour, shape, number of fingers, length of jaw, how many eyes she has? The list is... complete."

Still, aside from the play of scale over the fur of his hands, silence.

"Not only did the Shinkigami system allow me to create life from a handful of items, I can now play a god-like role over it. I can even change it so she hated treasure." I paused, "No Kotetsu, I would never do that to you."

Kotetsu, somehow, looked relieved while Ethnobalt twitched his nose at me while he seemed to have stopped breathing for a moment. "But... you hold a holy weapon, it is-"

"It's not holy." I shook my head, "It's a tool, given out to a random person that the 'system' steals from another world, because the people in that world have given up on solving a problem."

I gave one last nod to the 'Shikigami editing menu', all the points I'd gained from drop items used up for now. All that was needed was a little time for Kotetsu's body to change a little, grow into the new powers I'd given her, and that was it.

"But, if it is not a holy weapon, why have they always been called that?" He asked, that same book from before appearing in his hand from the opposite sleeve.

Seeing that my hands were free, Kotetsu switched back to me for more attention. "I have my theories on that. But the more I think on it, the worse it looks."

"The theory?"

"No, the dread of being right. You see, back in Raphtalia's world, there was a hidden library. It was discovered by accident by the other heroes, but they were captured by some 'mysterious' people before they could do anything with what they found. When they brought me there, the library was gone. It was as if the room had never had anything in it. There wasn't even any dust in the room."

"Why would they capture the heroes of your world for finding an old library?"

"If I wanted to perpetuate a lie, I would hide the truth behind something people were more comfortable with." I made a point to look over my shoulder at the Shield.

"hey... why's he getting all the hugs?" Tetsu mumbled, doing the sleepy shuffle towards us.

"Seems it's your turn for watch." I said, "Kotetsu? Be nice, okay?" I couldn't help myself, and gave the top of Ethnobalt's head a gentle pat, "I'm sorry it wasn't the talk you wanted."

I stood, and I couldn't tell if his shiver was from the information, my tails leaving him, or the headpat. Kotetsu had to give his fuzzy cheek a nudge to animate him again, his free hand putting the book away, then resuming headpat duty for the little dragon-noodle. "Sleep well, Kodori."

I gathered up Tetsu, who automatically curled up into me, even hopping a little to help me pick her up. "Thank you." Then to Tetsu, "Comfy?"

"kuro took all the blankets."

The next morning, until close to lunchtime, we continued to find and kill every monster we could. With Ethnobalt helping us move quickly from place to place, we helped L'arc protect his kingdom by proactively seeking, finding, and destroying 'monster nests' near towns and villages. This explained why he was so popular, even if he actively avoided the throne he was supposed to be sitting on.

As I'd hoped, Kizuna had turned a tiny bit of her focus away from her obsession and started to look more at the people around her. And it was around lunchtime when she spotted Kuro, and said, "Let's head back, I think we're ready."

She looked to me, "I think so too."

Avoiding the 'numbers' we were all seeing, our new equipment was now 'battle tested' and we had all figured out where we all sat in combat as a 'big team'. And if Alto's easygoing promise was any indication, his contacts would have gotten the first shipment of earth crystals to the castle by now, so even our still 'low' (not really, but not as good as they were in Raphtalia's world) numbers would be fixed very soon.

"I'm going to have some work to do as well." I said, "I'm willing to bet I can do better than this silly plank of metal when it comes to making these 'powders' Alto mentioned."

Because yes, in true gamer fashion, Kizuna had an 'airship' and took us to all the best loot spots she knew of.

"And you call me obsessed..." Kizuna pouted ultra super hard at me as we stopped off at Romina's shop.

I paused, hand on the door, the heavy wood and metal banded thing just starting to open, then took my hand off it. "Glass?"

"Understood."

A minute or two later, Romina stepped outside herself, a puzzled look on her face. "So that's what all the noise was." She laughed, "Sorry, I don't sell combs or brushes."

"No fair..." Kizuna, no longer held in place by Glass, looked like someone had spent the last minute or two getting her hair ruffled by a mild electric storm.

Fingers still tingling with static, I turned away from the Tesla coiled hair of the Hunting Hero, and smiled my very best smile for Romina. "We have lots of stuff."

"Excellent. Speaking of," She turned to Raphtalia, "I've got something special for you."

We left Kizuna to her misery outside, and entered the shop. Already knowing how her shop was laid out, I went to one of the work tables and started pulling stuff out of the Shield. Alto, who hadn't stayed behind at L'arc's castle with Therese, took a few things from the pile, added them to his new 'in/out' inventory crystal.

"If nothing has gone wrong, I'll be back tomorrow with your order." He said.

"Right, stay safe." I replied.

Romina gave me a raised eyebrow, but shrugged, her mistrust of the merchant plain. "So, while you were out, I made these two here. I'll admit, I was a little inspired by Glass's new fans, and didn't want to be outdone."

"Is this what we call an 'anvil-head'?" Tetsu asked Kuro.

"Yes."

Romina ignored the two and took a leather cloth off two long blades. Katana, obviously, but each of them was a work of art as much as a weapon of war. The first had an almost glowing opalescent blade, a circular tsuba (or crosspiece if you preferred) with a distinct 'ocean' theme to it. You know, waves, little fish, that kind of thing. Set into the pommel was a clear blue stone, an aquamarine I was nearly certain.

The second had a blade that looked like a magma flow, black and red. The tsuba, also circular, had a phoenix taking flight depicted in gold on its stained black surface, and the gem on the pommel was a bright red. While I inspected the blades shoulder to shoulder with Raphtalia, I saw that the gem wasn't a ruby or similar crystal, but a sunstone. A type of feldspar, this one was red with gold inclusions that seemed to dance under the polished surface.

Yes, Romina was giving me a grin when I looked at her.

"I almost feel bad..." Raphtalia said, not touching the blades, but obviously wanting to. "If I do..."

Romina's grin faded into puzzlement, so I answered the question, "The Weapons can copy things that aren't made from monster items." I motioned to a nice shield she had on display, and then changed the Shield to match it. "Unless the original is special in some way, it gets no extra effects. No mastery, no upgrades..." I waved it off, "If nothing else, you can sell those, but it would be pointless for her to buy them."

"Huh." She scratched her head, but shrugged, "Well, I can sell them then." And she motioned to Raphtalia to go ahead.

So she did. With a touch, the Vassal Katana took the form of the first blade, and with a smooth motion she drew it from the scabbard she'd help make, the sound of its reveal like water filtering through sand on a beach.

"That's not 'anvil head' though?" Tetsu asked as Raphtalia sparkled at the sword.

"New item fever. My stupid master got that look every time he found a new weapon." Kuro sighed.

One thing I noticed, once my eyes adjusted to the level of sparkles, was the blue gem in the pommel getting brighter. It was slowly gathering power, "Raphtalia? Is your MP draining?"

She stopped sparkling, focused her eyes into the middle distance, "Oh... slowly, yes."

"If you hold it long enough, it will gather up power for a special strike." Romina grinned, "I took inspiration from what you made for Glass, but made it much more punchy." She lost her grin quickly and waved her hands, "No no! Don't swing it in here!"

"We learned about workshop safety in my world." Raphtalia said with a smile, "Unlike some people, I can wait until we're outside."

I did my best to look guilty while Raphtalia sheathed the new sword. I blame Kiba for feeling unrepentant though.

"The other one." Romina said as Raphtalia touched the other one, "Has the same thing going on."

Raphtalia drew the second blade, the metal along the spine letting off a mild heat shimmer even at rest, "They are both incredible, Romina." She sheathed the blade and bowed, "Thank you very much."

Much like Erhard did when Raphtalia praised him, Romina gave her a headpat, "Thanks kiddo. Just make sure you kick Kyo's..." She looked at me, and I stepped out of range for my tails, "Ass for me."

We laughed as my tails punished me instead, but that was okay. "Head back, I need to use a few things here." I gave Raphtalia's shoulder a pat, "Kotetsu?"

There was a little motion at one of the work benches, near a pile of crystal shards from a bunch of monsters we'd killed, the source of some of those 'powders' Alto mentioned. "Yes?" She said.

"Oh! Little sister found a voice!" Both Tetsu and Kuro said at once, "But she's my sister!" They said again, at the same time. "No fair!" They said for a third time. "Humph!" And turned away from each other.

"No." Kotetsu said, crawl/slither/zipping across the table, Romina's arm, shoulders, other arm, table, then making a little leap at the two of them. She was just long enough to grab the two of them with a front/rear claw, and compress herself to bring them together. "Yes."

"She can talk?" Raphtalia said, a little surprised.

"Certainly learning." I nodded, "See Ost?"

She was still resting on the table, a rare instance of Kotetsu not taking her everywhere, "Truly, the Weapons are powerful." She had kept silent while I talked to Ethnobalt, but I knew she'd been listening. "Perhaps this is where the dragons came from?"

I had my doubts, with all the other weird monsters I'd faced, "Well, that's where this one came from." I said proudly, "No fighting you two. She's both your little sister. A scale from you, a feather from you, and blood from me."

"Yes." Kotetsu ran up my arm and perched on my head, holding my horns so she could look down and glare at the two with me. "Gr."

The two of them looked up at me, then the little dragon-noodle, "Mamma and little sister together..." Tetsu hid behind Kuro.

"I will try..." Kuro, unable to hide, tried to shrink into Tetsu.

"Good. Go with Kizuna, help them find stuff for dinner. I'll be back in time to cook." I said, "Raphtalia? Ask Kizuna to go fishing in the pond behind her home."

I worked at processing the items Alto said would become 'strengthening powders'. Some of them were eerily similar to Magic Stone from the dungeon. Jagged uneven bits of crystal. But unlike the dungeon, they were multi coloured, and lacked the clarity and little swirl of 'soul' inside them.

Amusingly enough, while I took each of the monster bits away from the pile Kotetsu was guarding, I had to bribe her with something shiny in return. She understood I needed them, but also that I was willing to 'buy' them.

It was about an hour later, when I had several small piles of sorted crystal powder (almost like sugar, looking at them...) when something... odd happened.

"Kodori?" Ost called out. "Something is happening."

"Hmm?" I had my face buried in alchemy equipment, letting ground up crystal filter through it and refine to something a person could actually use, and not say, have it act like powdered glass when you tried eating it.

"Mom!" Kotetsu said, not quite in the tone I wanted her to learn, but I'd get my warm fuzzy feelings anywhere I could.

"Is this supposed to be moving?" Romina asked, her hammering on hold while she put metal back in the furnace. "Okay, silly question, I saw you make it. But wasn't it supposed to point towards the little turtle's energy?"

I looked up, made a last adjustment to the heat (didn't want to burn the place down and cause another emergency), "Wait what?"

The little onyx pip I'd glued to the outer wheel of the compass was in the same place. But the little pointer I'd etched into the inner ring, where I'd created the smallest of 'leaks' for Ost to sense the souls stolen by Kyo from, was moving, and picking up speed! Flying?

I ran from the shop and looked up, the compass in my hand pointing towards a small dark shape that was flying past.

"Damn! Romina? If you have a way to contact Therese, tell her someone is headed to Kizuna's home."

And I started running.

Notes!

Well, seems we might have taken a little too long to power up, and now that Kyo guy is getting ideas.

Thank you for reading! And if you want to see any full colour art, join the discord!

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