*
"Haa~ haa~ hah~..." (Harald)
His vision had split into many branches, multiple mirages of the same image diverge from the original and spiral around like a merry go round. His lungs felt breathless as he laid perched on the floor, one of his knees bent in an attempt to maintain his height by pulling himself off the ground. His back felt powerless so he forces all of his strength into his limbs. The tension born from gravity drags his elbows down, forcing him to resist in an attempt to stay awake.
He was testing the latest model of magic weapons forged by Leman. She was still testing out the specifics, ironing out the details and refining the next model. She looked through the previous models a few times to draw inspiration and work on the next. This process has continued for a week. 1 year 1 month 2 weeks 2 days since The Great Disaster.
"That's enough! We have enough data, you can let go of it already!" (Leman)
No matter what details that it entailed, there would always be a price to power. Magical girls were simply born with more power, the gene that allows for magical particle manipulation. More specifically, it allows them to tap into a source of energy called magical particles, to fuel their magic.
On the other hand, if one didn't have such power... The cost would be something else... It wouldn't be an optimal cost to phenomena efficiency either, they worked with monster parts to forge a weapon that could grant inhuman power, in other words they were working with prototypes. Only a miracle would allow such a rudimentary build to excel.
In this case, she had changed the weapon's requirement from magical particles to willpower... To be exact, it required that he use his willpower to absorb ambient magical particles into the weapon and store it there, akin to an artificial well. As evident, prolonged handling led to his general exhaustion. Rather... The requirement process was not decided by Leman or Harald, it was decided by the weapon itself. It was involuntary. Upon holding the handle, it begins to suck out his physical and mental vitality.
Such items have been recorded in myth since old, cursed as forbidden weapons that reap their user's life, then dubbed under the broad category of cursed weapons. Leman's innovation was undoubtedly crude, it was essentially the same as plugging a different adaptor on an existing charging cable. It might seem like it worked well, but it slowed down the charging speed by a lot or caused the charging tip to overheat.
She found a piece of monster biology that 'sucked out physical strength'. There wasn't really a concrete concept that constituted 'physical strength', it was a vague term that had no clear indication of what was happening. How would someone quantify physical strength? Was it the concentration of glucose sugar in their muscles? Or conversely the lack of lactic acid which causes the feeling of fatigue?
It was neither, the moment he grabbed under the hilt, the skin that was making contact with the weapon began numbing and his body felt like it was weakening and losing strength. His stamina depletes at a horribly fast rate, he was practically sweating buckets whenever he was done testing the next prototype.
"Was there any difference in the handling?" (Leman)
"... No. Between this model and the very firs tone made with the strength sapping adaptor, there's a bit of a difference in how fast it absorbed my strength, but not significantly different from the one right before. " (Harald)
"... Alright, I'm thinking... And I think I may have a great idea on that front. The effect wouldn't be too great, but the priority has to be on energy management right now. " (Leman)
"... Hey, if it makes the entire issue with my strength better, then it's a good place to start. " (Harald)
After the sound of a few soft clicks echoed in his master's forgery, it seemed that things were already about to fall into place. She had switched out the fuel adapter for a more compact and refined version. Throughout the entire testing, he had been asked to wield and swing a simple looking sword.
It consisted of a blade that seemed to made of fragmented monster bones, but they were more akin to beautiful crystals that shone with an array of colours under the furnace's fiery cinder. Under minimal light, it shone with a radiating grey light that wrapped around its edges.
Ostensibly, Leman had used the best materials that she ever possessed. It seemed that she had unexpectedly staked her dream on their little project, boasting that she would create a master piece that would allow a normal human to fight A grades. There was already a 2 offensive type skills etched into the inner core of the blade. The last one would go under the hilt, which was made of an alloy that composed of gold, monster blood, silver and monster leather.
Monsters were semi spiritual creatures, while they had physical bodies, those weren't exactly their 'bodies'. Strictly speaking, what constituted the monster was 50% magical circuits, skills and their own well, and the other 50% was their physical body, made of organic or inorganic material. As such mystical creatures, they have no need for blood in the traditional human sense as they don't require oxygen unless they had organic parts.
Though even if they did need oxygen, they mostly used magical circuits and magical particles to transport substances throughout their body. As a result, their 'blood' is mostly magic conducive materials, materials unknown to most of humanity. They have strange molecular arrangements and new elements that are not introduced in the human sphere of science.
As such, he had never seen its scabbard before. The blade was thin and had a double sided edge like a medieval western sword.
"Use this." (Leman)
She hands over the scabbard that came with a couple straps, holding it horizontally over the air.
"This is my masterpiece, take it." (Leman)
She says as a smirk permeates her cheeks, her slanted eyes goading him to take it and make use of it, a blacksmith's challenge to another. 'Use my product and see how superior it is.' That spirit flooded her body as she had inserted the new adaptor into the scabbard. Originally a hole meant to fit and preserve the blade, but it had a hole that was shaped differently.
The blade had a consistent and straight progression as it was uniform in girth from top to bottom, until it reached the sharpened tip. However the scabbard was shaped like it was for a blade that had a larger base and shrunken in girth as it extended to the top until it met at the tip. Like a long triangle, while the actual blade was more of a rectangle.
He was used to handling blades, he could easily gauge its length based on the light it reflected and its position when he holds it. He didn't need to hesitate before inquiring further.
"... How am I suppose to fit the blade into this?" (Harald)
He wouldn't ask why she thought the scabbard was her masterpiece, he understood that people held pride in different things. For her, as long as it was magical and made by her, she would be proud of her creation. While he dealt with actual metal work. Disappointed by his reaction, she got on to explaining.
"This... Is the charging port. You're not meant to put the actual sword in, so I made it in a different shape.
You're actually meant to put the fuel in the scabbard's opening, preferably metal. As long as you're wearing it, the power will be transferred over. " (Leman)
"..." (Harald)
He fixes his gaze onto the scabbard, scrutinising its shape as his thoughts travelled. Pulling out a sword that was displayed nearby, he gently pressed it into the scabbard... The moment it made contact, he could feel the resistance as the blade clashed against its surface, however... He also felt that the blade was getting lighter. At once, he jammed the blade into the scabbard, and it accommodated its jamming speed as the blade instantly vanished.
He first thoughts were that it would be dangerous to put his hands in... At the same time, he could feel the magic blade strengthening him without any of the usual stress it put on his body. He jams another blade, and then another.
"Here, you taught me this. It's much more refined than before, and I infused my magic into it. My first skill of heat infusion to soften the metal... Also infuses magical particles that retain that heat. A magic blade will give it more fuel than a normal blade... " (Leman)
"... Are you sure? It's... There's no way this took a short amount of time to make, I know it best how difficult it is to forge... You... Have you even slept for the past few days? " (Harald)
" Tch, magical girls don't need sleep. And what does it matter? Is it not exhilarating? Your hand is grasping the biggest fuel source... Just try it, and feel the strength. " (leman)
If asked to be honest, he wouldn't hesitate to mention that he was a little skeptical... No, he was afraid. There was an odd high to surpassing your limits as a human, for someone who can't transform into a magical girl, who's natural biology prevents that high and adjusts their psychological senses to fit their body, he was afraid that he would be warped by the power.
He had no knowledge pertaining to magical particles, only the fact that they exist and they can activate magic. But if... If the owner herself was telling him to do it, to use her product, then he had to. Positioning the sword above the worn scabbard, he slides it in with ease. Sparks fly as the surfaces brush the scabbard at high speed, singeing the surrounding air. This was the final spark that they needed, the final point of no return.
If she was willing to bet her dreams, then it follows that he should bet his life. No matter what happens, he'll remember this exact feeling. This power filling up his heart, ready to burst it.
For the first time, he'll use the other skill.
"[Fragments of a dazzling choice]." (Harald)
The cracks in the blade widen as it seperated into chunks of sharp edges that levitated in the air. Every single piece of the blade was consciously manipulated by his will, though it was incredibly difficult for him to multitask, so every blade fragment followed the same instructions. First, he practiced their movements, commanding them to fly laps around his head at high speed. He envision their trajectory, but was still having difficulty moving the fragments according to the trajectory.
"Alright, that's enough for today. We can't waste all the magical energy created from the sacrifice of those swords, you'll practice again tomorrow. We'll rest for the rest of today." (Leman)
Slowing down their flying speed, he gradually put down the fragments one by one onto the table before attaching them back to hilt. Opening the belt, he also takes off the scabbard and places it next to the sleeping blade. It was an amazing weapon that could perhaps harmed E grades or witches. Allowing a human to surpass their limits without being a magical girl... It was practically a revolutionary item that could challenge the status quo...
If they don't seal their lips, information about it could get out. The government would become the least of their worries when every faction is vying for it. It practically allowed one to create their own army of E grades without looking for magical girls who have awakened... It also made the point of the experiments that the Eye God was running useless, as it was no longer necessary to isolate and sacrifice individuals to produce a small amount of magical girls.
The day was stretching into evening and he had finally earned time to rest. Everyday, they threw themselves into research so this was the first rest he had in a long while. Perhaps he was carried by his adrenaline for the past few days as he only felt sore all over his muscles now. His body ached as he moved, making it a difficult journey but he was able to get home.
One by one, his legs stumble forward, closing in the distance in no time. His thoughts wandered to his partner, Leman and what she would be doing while they weren't experimenting with the monster weapons. Maybe she led a life as dull as his in her downtime? She could possibly be having an adventure that required her physical prowess, making Harald a risk.
He returned to his old home. He didn't have a new one after all... He couldn't bring himself to look at the homes of his neighbours. Miraculously, his home was one of the least damaged as most of his walls and ceiling were still there, the inner supportive infrastructure was fine as well. He moved in with a quicker pace, determined not to face the houses of his neighbours.
"Haa~ haa~ haa~" (Harald)
His gasps were short and his chest tightens. His lungs felt worse than when he was testing the magical weapon. Closing the door, he sat on the ground and rested his body on an arm. The other arm clutched at his chest, squeezing his heart as he gives his best attempt to clam his breathing. His eyes were bloodshot from the accumulated fatigue of the constant experimenting. His mouth opened wide, as if he was drowning and begging for air.