A Sword's Desire

Kaito stood on the worn stone balcony of an ancient clock tower in Promere, the City of the First Light. Below, the bustling virtual city stretched out, a vibrant tapestry of intricately rendered buildings and player avatars. The rhythmic ticks and chimes of the colossal clock mechanism around him seemed to obscure all other sounds, even some of his own wandering thoughts. Beside him, perched precariously on the tower's edge, her tiny feet dangling playfully, sat Durandal.

"Say, Durandal," Kaito began, breaking the comfortable silence. "I've been meaning to ask you. Why is it that you desire a body in the first place? Not that it's a bad thing, of course."

He remembered their countless travels within this sprawling world, her insatiable curiosity, her desire to experience the best and worst of all things, and her genuine delight in trying out different foods.

Durandal tilted her head, her luminous eyes meeting his. "I wouldn't normally divulge my full backstory. But since our Resonance score is currently above 40, I suppose I can tell you."

Kaito blinked. "There's a score?"

"That's beside the point," Durandal said dismissively. "Although you may already know of my legend from human history, I shall recap it for you, in my own words."

She gazed out over the cityscape, her voice taking on a distant, almost reverent quality. "I was forged in antiquity by Wayland the Smith, a legendary master craftsman whom history rightly credits with crafting most of the notable weapons and artifacts of that era. At the time I was forged, I wasn't conscious as you understand it. I was merely... aware."

Durandal shifted slightly on the ledge. "I was passed from hand to hand, from warrior to king, until I eventually ended up in the possession of Charlemagne. He, as you know, went on to found the Holy Roman Empire, wielding me in countless battles. And later on, for some unknown, inexplicable reason, I was imbued with a few saintly materials and was blessed by the heavens themselves. It was then, and only then, that I truly gained sentience and became me."

Her voice grew softer, tinged with memory. "After that, I was gifted to Roland, Charlemagne's paladin, and we adventured together. We traversed lands both seen and unseen, slaying all kinds of monsters, helping countless people across the ages, shaping history in ways that only a few truly knew. It was... an extraordinary existence."

A shadow crossed her luminous features. "That was until Roland fell in love, as if he was bewitched. He went mad over it, did a bunch of truly insane, self-destructive things that threatened his very position and the stability of multiple empires. He only calmed down after being thoroughly beaten by the combined might of Charlemagne and his loyal paladins. Eventually, he got over his lovesick frenzy, but the experience changed him. And then, he did something even more drastic: he killed a really powerful angel."

Kaito's eyes widened, but he remained silent.

"Saddened by this act and perhaps seeing the depths to which a blessed weapon could fall," Durandal continued, her voice now tinged with a faint sorrow, "Archangel Michael himself decided to strip me of my divine power, in turn destroying my sentience, effectively... killing me."

She looked directly at Kaito. "Roland tried to defy the Archangel. He tried to destroy my connection with the Heavens by physically breaking my form, hoping to sever the link that allowed them to unmake me. But I was indestructible. Instead, he poured all of his remaining power, his very life force, into sealing me in a rock, hoping to stop Archangel Michael's attempt to erase me completely. He was later mortally wounded on the battlefield as his many enemies, sensing his weakened state, finally dared to challenge him."

Durandal finally looked away, gazing back at the bustling city below, a profound longing in her voice. "I wanted to be human, Kaito, so I could understand Roland. Why he did all those insane things, for both that princess... and for me. A part of me resented his idiotic choice to sacrifice himself just to save me. I want to experience that level of emotion, to live for the sake of honoring his final act."

Kaito sat down beside her on the cold clock tower edge, his feet now also dangling freely. He looked at her, his usual carefree demeanor softened by her tale. "I don't know much about love, Durandal, or other complicated emotions, to be honest. After all, I'm still just a high school student." He paused, then his face broke into a wide, unabashed smile. "However, I promise you that I will find a way to make you human. The world is full of wonder. I'm sure I can find something if I look hard enough."

Durandal chuckled. "It's a part of our contract, after all. The primary condition for my cooperation."

Kaito then held out his hand, extending his pinky finger.

Durandal looked at his outstretched pinky, tilting her head. "What's this?"

"It's a pinky promise," Kaito explained, his smile unwavering. "Contract or not, this is my personal promise to you, Durandal. I will do everything I can."

Durandal regarded the gesture for a moment longer, then a genuine, soft smile graced her lips. She extended her own pinky finger, linking it with his. "Very well, Kaito Tanaka. I'm expecting you to keep your promise."

They both smiled, a shared understanding passing between them, and then let out a laugh.

Their shared moment was abruptly interrupted by the sharp ping of an in-game message notification.

"Huh?" Kaito pulled up his communication interface. "It's a message from Yumi. She never messages me in-game unless it's something serious."

Durandal leaned in, her curiosity piqued. "What does it say?"

Kaito's eyes scanned the message. He read it aloud; his voice tinged with surprise. "Go to Ohio and investigate what's going on?"