Chapter 9: Enchanted Gloves

 Later, Shizuri emerged from the guild, a cloud of disappointment hanging over her face. Her blue eyes narrowed as she gazed down the bustling street.

 'I have to catch up to those two since I got nothing out of Kurumi,' she thought as she began heading toward the MIT shop with swift, determined strides.

 Shizuri was walking briskly, her attention fixed on two figures strolling ahead of her. As she drew closer, she failed to notice something on the ground and stumbled. 

 The momentum sent her pitching forward, about to crash into the back of the person directly in front of her.

 But before impact, the man simply vanished.

 In the next heartbeat, he reappeared behind her, his hand catching her wrist in a firm yet gentle grip before she could fall. 

 With effortless strength, he pulled her back to her feet.

 "You alright, kid?" asked the man clad in black, his voice deep and calm.

 'What was up with that insane speed?' Shizuri thought, her mind racing to process what had just happened. 

 She was as surprised as she was impressed, causing her words to come out delayed. "Yeah, yeah I'm alright," she finally managed, trying to maintain her composure.

 "Be careful when you walk and take care," the man in black said as he turned and walked away, casually waving his hand over his shoulder.

 "You really like to charm everyone you see, huh, Theo?" the companion he was with added with a hint of amusement in his voice.

 Shizuri watched him walk for a few seconds, her analytical mind whirring. 

 'That man... what is he? And that white hair—is he...? Well, I've got to go,' she thought before continuing on her way, occasionally glancing back over her shoulder.

 She finally reached the entrance of the Device shop and pushed open the door, the familiar scent of metal and magic washing over her.

 "Hey guys, I hope I didn't take too long," she said, scanning the interior for her companions.

 "Nope, not at all! You're just in time. Rose was just about to bring out some special weapons," Ayame replied, excitement dancing in her eyes like flames.

 "You haven't decided on anything?" Shizuri asked as she noticed that neither had changed any piece of their armor or weapon despite clearly having browsed.

 "Oh well, we were just waiting for you. Most of the items we want are out of our budget, so better save up the money for something more useful," Ayame explained, fidgeting with the hilt of her blade.

 While Ayame was explaining, Takemitchi was busy staring at a golden sword in a glass display case.

 His expression that of a child gazing longingly at an unattainable piece of candy. His reflection in the glass showed his wide-eyed wonder.

 Then Rose emerged from the back room, carefully carrying a sleek metal box. 

 "Alright, fellas, this is it—my new product, and you guys will be my first test sub—I mean, customers," she announced with a mysterious grin.

 "You totally wanted to say 'test subjects,'" Takemitchi complained, finally tearing his gaze away from the golden sword.

 "Nope, not at all," she quickly replied, though her smirk suggested otherwise. "Anyway, take a look at these new gloves."

 She opened the box to reveal a pair of ordinary-looking black gloves. The trio remained silent, clearly unimpressed by the mundane appearance.

 "Okay, so you know winter isn't coming anytime soon, right?" Takemitchi commented dryly, crossing his arms.

 "Relax, idiot. Let me finish explaining first," she said sharply, then mumbled under her breath, "although there's no point in explaining it to you, boy."

 "What did you just say?" Takemitchi snapped, his pride wounded. "I'm not a child, you know! Just show us they're useful!"

 "Of course. I was getting there," Rose said with exaggerated patience. 

 "Ayame, here," she handed the gloves to Ayame. "Put them on and after you do, draw your weapon."

 "Alright, but don't you have any other color? Black is a little depressing," Ayame remarked as she slipped them on. 

 The material felt oddly warm against her skin. She then drew one of her twin blades, the metal gleaming in the shop's light. "Okay, so what now?"

 "Now send a little magical power to the gloves," Rose instructed, leaning forward with anticipation.

 'This is starting to look like a waste of time,' Takemitchi thought, shifting impatiently. 'I mean, monsters certainly aren't patient enough to let you go through these steps. I hope they're useful.'

 Shizuri watched closely and silently as Ayame closed her eyes in concentration. A soft white light began to envelope the gloves. 

 When Ayame opened her eyes, she gasped as she saw her blade becoming enveloped in the same light, slowly absorbing it like light particles until eventually, the whole blade disappeared.

 "What the—" Takemitchi was so surprised he instinctively took a step back, nearly knocking over a display stand.

 Shizuri's eyes widened, her usual composure momentarily broken. "Wow," she said in a calm tone, though her expression betrayed her amazement.

 "Oookay, so what do I do now?" Ayame asked with unease in her voice. 

 No one could tell if the uneasiness stemmed from fear or being impressed by what had just happened.

 "Alright now, don't lose that concentration and try to visualize the blade," Rose instructed gently, her eyes gleaming with pride at her creation's effect.

 "Okay, I think I get what you're trying to say," Ayame replied, her brow furrowing as she closed her eyes with a serious look. 

 She began trying to picture the sword in her mind, her fingers twitching slightly.

 "First, I'll picture the sword in my head... Picture it, picture it... Alright, I can see it," she murmured, her concentration palpable in the room.

 After picturing the weapon in her head, she slowly opened her eyes. 

 Before they were fully open, the blade materialized in her hand with a flash of light—except this time, the sword had taken on a sleek black color instead of its usual silver.

 "My blade changed color, and it feels lighter!" Ayame exclaimed excitedly as she swung the blade around as if it weighed no more than paper. The blade left faint trails of light in its wake.

 Takemitchi's eyes glowed with interest, clearly impressed despite himself. "Well, that is impressive. But I hope you have a pair I can buy too."

 "Can that be done to any weapon?" Shizuri asked, her analytical mind already working through the possibilities. 

 'Because I think that could be extremely useful,' she thought, picturing her own arsenal enhanced by such magic.

 "Yes, as long as the person wearing the gloves is familiar with the weapon, it can assimilate anything. It can enhance the swords to be almost indestructible and—" Before Rose could finish her enthusiastic explanation, she was cut off.

 "Stop! We know you love your weapon talk, but we don't have all day. And I think it's better for us to learn how the weapon works as we practice. Makes things more fun," Takemitchi interrupted, already reaching for a pair of gloves.

 "Besides, we still have that quest to complete, so we'll tell you how well these new gloves fare on the field," Ayame added with a confident grin.

 With that, the trio each acquired their own pair of magical gloves and left the MIT shop, stepping back into the afternoon sun. 

 They continued walking through the streets as Takemitchi unrolled the quest scroll, studying the details.

 "Let's see... it says we'll find the slimes at the abandoned factory northeast of the Neo Dungeon," he read aloud, squinting at the faded text.

 "The Neo Dungeon," Ayame said softly, her voice taking on a distant quality, as if she were reminiscing about something both wonderful and terrible.

 "Did they say anything else?" Shizuri asked out of curiosity, adjusting her new gloves.

 "Not really. Besides them saying we need to clear the area, there's nothing el— wait," Takemitchi said with sudden realization, leaning closer to examine the scroll.

 "Caution: these are new types of slime. Be careful when approaching them."

 "By the way, Shizuri," Ayame began, changing the subject,

 "I was wondering what you wanted to ask Kurumi. It must have been important if you took so long. I didn't want to ask, but I'm curious," she pressed, her tone more aggressive than she perhaps intended.

 "That was the reason why I took long to come back," Shizuri replied calmly, the wind gently lifting strands of her hair. 

 "I just ran into a bit of trouble, and this really strong guy with white hair helped me. He looked familiar too."

 "White hair and someone who is able to impress you so much that you'd come out and say it openly?" Ayame said thoughtfully, tapping her chin. "I only know of one person who fits that description."

 "It's the royal knight Theo. He is the only white-haired, truly strong person around. It had to be him," she added with certainty.

 "Yes, that's him," Shizuri replied quickly, her usual composure returning. "Remember, that was the name I heard someone call him."

 "He's among the strongest, if not the strongest person in the kingdom," Ayame added, her voice filled with awe and respect as they continued toward their destination, the sun casting long shadows before them.