CHAPTER 6
"Alright, enough of staring at the sword. Let's go outside so I can show you what it can do."
I turned and walked toward the second door in the forge, which led out to the backyard. Since my house was on the edge of the city, my backyard was essentially a sprawling forest. Glancing over my shoulder, I saw Pluie following me as we stopped in front of a large tree.
"Let me see the sword," I said, and Pluie handed it over without hesitation.
I took my stance, focusing on the tree. With a swift motion, I slashed with all the power I could muster. The sword moved faster than any blade Pluie had ever seen, a blur in the air. When I stopped, the sword was already on the other side of the tree. A perfect line had been carved into the trunk, and the tree began to creak. Slowly, it toppled over with a loud crash, the sound echoing through the forest.
I turned to Pluie and spoke, "This sword is a powerful weapon. If mastered, it can invoke the power of Longinus—the power to harm gods. It has many forms, each suited for different situations."
As a demonstration, I tossed the sword into the air, gathering my focus. I began to chant:
"Cuore di Leone, I entrust the battlefield to you! Lion Steel, rip him apart. Bore through him. Crush him in your jaws!"
The sword glowed a brilliant red, and from the light, a lion-shaped figure made of metal, with a cross on its forehead, materialized. This is one of its forms.
I pointed at the tree stump I had left after cutting down the tree. The lion roared, its eyes glowing with fury, and then it turned into a flash of red light. It charged forward, crashing into the stump, leaving nothing behind but a massive crater where the stump had once been.
"It can also be turned into a shield." Holding up my hand, the lion of steel transformed into light, shrinking and flying into my grasp. When the light faded, a shield was in my hands. "So to be honest, this weapon has many functions. And if you learn magic, you can even use it as a catalyst to perform spells."
I returned the sword to its original form and handed it back to Pluie. "Any questions?"
"What did you mean when you said it can harm gods?" Pluie asked.
"It's just as I said," I replied. "If used well enough, this weapon can harm gods."
"But aren't gods invincible?"
"They are to normal weapons," I explained. "But this weapon is different. It was created by gods, or beings similar to gods. If used properly, it can kill gods or others like them."
"Okay, got it. Now we should start with teaching you how to dispel the sword and call it back."
"What do you mean by 'dispel'?" Pluie asked.
"I mean when you don't need it, you can dispel it, and when you do need it, you can call it back."
"How do I dispel it?"
"Making it disappear is easy. Just imagine it being stored somewhere," I said.
Pluie focused, closing her eyes. After a few moments, the sword vanished into a swirl of light. "I can still feel it," she said.
"Yes, it's connected to you now."
"How do I call it back?"
"To call it back, you need an incantation. It goes like this:"
"Come, lion of steel. The one carrying the spirit of the lion, the steel that carries the essence of battle! Respond to my hand and voice! Your name is Cuore di Leone... The warrior inheriting the name of the lion-hearted king! The knight (say your name) swears thus, I will return your loyalty with valor and chivalry!"
"That's the incantation," I said. "But for now, we'll use training swords to teach you the basics—how to hold a sword and use it properly."
I used alteration magic on the tree I had cut down earlier, forming two training swords. I handed one to Pluie. "Since I've never taught anyone before, just copy my form, and I'll correct you as we go."
And that's how it went for weeks. Pluie would come in the mornings to train with me, and in the afternoons, she'd go back to work. Meanwhile, I worked on commissions, making weapons for various clients. One day, Pluie came to my house wearing a coat she had commissioned from the cloth store she worked at. It was well-made.
"Are you ready for today's training?" I asked.
"Yes, sir," she replied, sounding eager.
I summoned a saber into my hand. "Do you recognize this? It's the sister sword of your weapon. It's called Il Maestro."
"Is that so, sir? I didn't know that," she replied sarcastically, as if I hadn't used this sword to beat her countless times.
"Haha, no need for the sass, Pluie. I'm just stating a fact."
"It's a fact I've heard plenty of times," she said, smirking. "And every time, you do that ridiculous victory dance with the same weapon."
"Haha, you know me too well. Well, let's begin!"
I dashed toward her and slashed, but she blocked the strike with ease. Realizing the strike was too weak, I followed up with a kick, which she dodged by jumping back. She swung her sword from a distance, and a slash of light flew toward me. I dodged, but more slashes came. I decided to strike the energy slashes, but that was a distraction. She used it to slip behind me, almost landing a hit. I performed a backflip to avoid it, and when I landed, she was right there, ready to strike for my head.
I blocked her attack, kicked her back, then changed my sword into a bow. I shot a few arrows at her to create some distance. While she was deflecting them, I transformed the bow back into a sword and closed the distance, going for a quick strike to her neck. I stopped just before it touched her skin.
"Well done," I said. "Last time, you lost pretty badly because you couldn't dodge my arrows."
"Thanks, I guess," she replied, catching her breath.
"Now it's time for my victory dance," I said with a grin.
"Please don't."
"Too late, I've already started, and I can't stop once I've begun."
"You always do this! I swear, one day, I'm going to do the victory dance on you."
"Haha, get stronger, then say that again."
Then, I proceeded to tap dance, followed by a quick floss in front of her.
Later, after my little dance, I went to the cloth store where I had commissioned a cloak made from the fur of the Hellhound I had killed—the one that had attacked Pluie. The cloak fit quite well, and it was durable. But as I was returning home, I sensed an unfamiliar energy signature near the edge of the city where I live. It felt divine—not in the sense of something pleasant or beautiful, but divine power, as in something godly. And... metal? How could I be sensing metal in energy?