Sowing

At Sun Stream Plaza, Ryūzetsu awoke to the day beginning. Duties awaited.

As the one tasked with helping revive the dead, she knew her importance. If her chakra faltered or her usefulness diminished, she would face rejection.

Neither was it something she was willing to let happen.

By the time she moved through the halls of the plaza and stepped out into the corridor, she noticed something unusual: a door had a plaque on it that read the name "Sora."

"I guess someone new's joined us," she said to herself.

Wishing to know who this Sora was, she knocked on the door but was met with no response.

Shrugging, she continued toward the main entrance, which took about twenty minutes to get to on foot—that's how large this plaza was.

Upon reaching the entrance, her gaze fell upon the wooden board crowded with papers and assignments. Various tasks awaited volunteers.

On the opposite side, she spotted Rin, who was engrossed in reading an unfamiliar, large plaque. The size of it struck Ryūzetsu immediately.

"Hey, Rin!" she called as she approached.

Rin looked up with a smile. "Morning, Ryūzetsu!" Then she motioned toward the plaque. "Take a look at this!"

"What is it?"

"I think lord Ryugetsu made it on lord Arthur's request," Rin believed. "They expect newcomers soon."

That explained why Sora's new room was formed.

Ryūzetsu studied the plaque and was surprised by the depth of thought behind the rules.

• Thou shalt honour thy lords.

• Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.

• Thou shalt not commit adultery.

• Thou shalt not covet.

• Thou shalt not reveal thy secrets to outsiders.

• Thou shalt not steal.

• Thou shalt practice patience, for timing is the key to success.

• Thou shalt protect the innocent and uphold justice.

• Thou shalt remain unseen by thine enemies.

• Thou shalt wield thy weapons with purpose.

Each line held significance, and it was clear that some were for a greater purpose—they were crafted to guide the new arrivals and safeguard the balance Arthur aimed to maintain.

"He came up with all this?" Ryūzetsu pondered.

"It seems so," Rin replied.

After absorbing the information, Ryūzetsu turned her attention back to Rin and asked, "How is your training going?"

"It's fine," Rin admitted. Then she became a tad disappointed. "But I haven't seen lord Arthur in quite a while. I'm sorry if I'm overstepping my boundaries, but it's like he's avoiding me."

Ryūzetsu placed a hand on Rin's shoulder and said, "I'm sure he just has a lot on his plate. He manages more than we can see, you know."

Rin accepted her reassurance. Yet there was still something bothersome in the back of Rin's mind.

If Arthur truly was avoiding her, then she would feel as if she no longer had a purpose in this world.

"Yeah, you're right," she conceded, trying not to think about it. "I'll focus on my assignments."

They soon parted to get their work done. Ryūzetsu turned back toward the assignment board to scan what needed to be done. One notice caught her eye: Brie needed help designing clothes.

As such, Ryūzetsu made her way to the laboratory.

When she arrived, she saw piles of vinyl and PVC in one spot like a miniature hill. Yet the scientist wasn't present.

"Brie!" she called out. "I'm here to help with the mission!"

A rustle followed her voice as Brie emerged from the pile with messy hair framing her face. Dark circles under her eyes hinted at sleepless nights.

"Oh, hey, Ryūzetsu," she said in relief.

"Are you alright?"

"Just a bit overwhelmed," she explained. "A crate was dropped off by lord Hoshikaze and it was filled with armour to manipulate chakra. Basically, I have to recalibrate the tech inside, extract the bits, and then reverse engineer it."

"And that means…?"

"It means I'm doomed, is what it means!"

Ryūzetsu processed the information as best as she could. It seemed as though Arthur assigned Brie to create new gear for the residents of the plaza. And not just any simple gear or armour, but clothing that could effectively mask the wearer's chakra without reliance on techniques.

"Seems ambitious," Ryūzetsu mused aloud. She then gestured to the heaps of material. "What did he expect you to do with… all this?"

Brie sighed and answered, "He needs a newly designed outfit, but I can't even tell what he's looking for. I'm a scientist, not a seamstress."

"Glad I came then," Ryūzetsu replied after moving closer to inspect the materials. "Based on the materials, it looks like lord Arthur would like them to be cloaks."

"How do you know that?"

"Vinyl and PVC are common materials for making things like raincoats—I know how to stitch clothes together."

Brie's face lit up once she heard that.

As the two sorted through the vinyl and PVC, Ryūzetsu reflected on her Anbu days. Many had forgotten her former occupation. The skills she gained then serve her well now.

Suddenly, she heard a whirling noise coming from within the laboratory walls.

"What was that?" she asked, looking at Brie.

"Don't mind that," Brie replied. "On top of this assignment, lord Arthur's also placed me in charge of the cloning project."

Ryūzetsu couldn't tell what that meant. Scientific endeavours that Arthur conducted never seemed to register in her head. And little did she know, cloning was going to be his biggest achievement.

Unable to comprehend things, she ignored the noise and returned to work.

Once things were sorted, Ryūzetsu outlined basic designs as Brie rummaged for tools for her to begin sewing.

There were pliers, a cutting saw, and an array of small electronics designed for the more complicated tasks.

Ryūzetsu picked up a piece of armour from the pile and examined its structure. Carefully, she employed the pliers to unscrew the outer panels while listening for the clicks and pops.

As for Brie, she made small notes on a notepad about each component's function. Using the laboratory machines and following Ryūzetsu's instructions, she turned on a soldering device to remove the wiring, which separated the technological components from the protective casing.

Sparks flew as she worked.

Both marveled at the complexity of the armour's design. Embedded within were sensors that responded to chakra input—a feature they deemed crucial for Arthur's plans.

To better understand them, Brie connected components to a nearby machine that analyzed their functionality.

Every disassembled piece brought her a step closer to understanding how to combine these advanced elements with the clothing designs she and Ryūzetsu had begun to develop.

As they worked, Ryūzetsu pondered aloud, "Hmm... Since he brought so much vinyl, I'll assume that lord Arthur wants something like a raincoat to make it 'chakraproof' or something… Wait, is that even a word?"

The material was durable yet flexible, suggesting that mobility was just as important as protection in his conception of the outfit.

The more she pondered, the clearer the image became. So she set her mind to the workbench with safety goggles over her face.

Rolls of white vinyl lay neatly stacked. As she pulled out her sketchbook, Brie leaned in to get a better look at the design — a full-length coat with a hood, a waist-high slit, and silver accents.

"Need help with this part?" Brie asked.

"A lot, actually."

The tools being used here were rotary cutters, a steel ruler, and heavy-duty shears designed for vinyl.

Ryūzetsu smoothed out the first roll of material on the large cutting mat while Brie positioned the coat pattern she had created from pattern paper. Ryūzetsu assisted with the marking while ensuring that everything was perfect.

Brie pressed the rotary cutter into the vinyl and made a smooth, even pass as Ryūzetsu held the material steady. The cutter glided through the layers and produced clean edges. Once the main body of the coat was cut, Ryūzetsu moved on to create the hood, while Brie tackled the waist-high slit.

After cutting all the pieces, they moved to the sewing machine in the corner. It was an older model, adapted for heavy-duty sewing.

Ryūzetsu tested it on a scrap piece first until the stitching was just right. After threading the machine with thread, she lifted the first piece of the coat and lined it up against the needle while pressing the pedal.

The hood was the easier part.

All Brie had to do was ensure the seam was secure to bear the weight of the silver drawstrings adorned with beads. She selected two large silver beads and threaded them onto the ends of the drawstrings before tying tight knots to secure them in place.

That's as much as she could accomplish until Ryūzetsu had to help her attach the strings to the hood.

The whole process had taken roughly an hour.

Once the hood was successfully attached, Ryūzetsu reached for the silver zipper. It was an oversized piece with bold teeth. Brie used fabric clips to secure the zipper in place while Ryūzetsu fed the fabric and carefully sewed it into the front of the coat.

The final embellishments involved adding the silver chain ornament. It consisted of four large cylindrical beads that would adorn the chain.

To achieve that, they attached it to loops sewn on either side of the collarbone area.

Inside would lie angular shoulder paddings. Brie retrieved prefabricated pads crafted from lightweight foam and covered in white vinyl.

Together, they carefully stitched the pads in place. It would provide the coat with an authoritative structure for any wearer.

After many cuts and folds, they transformed the edges into a finished hem that followed the silhouette of the coat.

Then it was finished.

A white coat with seams and embellishments was created.

If it weren't for Ryūzetsu's practical yet artistic input to help refine the design, it wouldn't have come out so naturally.

Creating the coat, however, was only part of the task. The true mission lay in its effectiveness to mask the wearer's chakra.

It's then that Hoshikaze suddenly appeared in the laboratory. Ryūzetsu and Brie straightened up with respect.

"My lord, we finished the first prototype," Brie announced.

Hoshikaze's gaze dropped to the white coat draped over the table. Feeling only a subtle amount of chakra around it, he stepped closer. Brie's expression shifted the moment she saw his intent.

"Ugh! We haven't tested it yet. It needs more adjustments!"

Hoshikaze didn't respond. He stretched forth his hand and caused the Blade Of Chaos to materialize. With a slow motion, he pressed the blade against one of the beads embedded in the coat's collar.

Then he forced chakra from his weapon into it. To the girls' surprise, the bead shattered like glass.

Ryūzetsu's shoulders sagged; she was disappointed.

"All that work," she murmured.

She opened her mouth to apologize, but Hoshikaze flatly said, "We expected this after monitoring your progress." It's then that he pulled another bead from his pocket. This one was like a gleaming silver crystal. "Use this, but be careful. Mishandling it could destroy this lab."

There was a moment of silence as he handed Ryūzetsu the crystal. Immediately, she felt a wave of dizziness.

"Ryūzetsu," Brie said upon seeing her dazed face.

Whatever Ryūzetsu was feeling, it threatened to consume her. Yet she couldn't move, and she couldn't say a word.

Shadows moved at the edges of her vision and pulled her into a disarray of thoughts. Time seemed to distort as she felt a thrill mingled with an eerie dread that beckoned her to delve deeper into a dark abyss.

"Ryūzetsu!" Brie hollered before smacking her shoulder.

"Huh? Oh. Sorry. I…" she soon shook her head, feeling unsure of her experience. "What was that?"

"That crystal is the same crystal used to power this weapon," Hoshikaze explained. "It can repel chakra more effectively."

Sweat covered Ryūzetsu's face upon understanding its potency. The last thing she wanted was to fail her lord. So she took a deep breath and said, "We'll make it work."

"Yes," Brie added. "We can integrate it into the remaining coats we plan to make."

Without a single word, Hoshikaze teleported out. This made Brie let out a huge sigh of relief.