The other supervising officer raised an eyebrow as Elijah reached for the gun. "Are you sure?"
"Yes" Elijah picked up the weapon, feeling its cold metal in his hands. It wasn't flashy or prestigious, but it felt… right.
The officer smirked. "An unconventional choice. Let's see if you can prove everyone else wrong."
The supervising officer clapped his hands, his voice ringing through the vast hall.
"Attention, cadets! The weapons displayed here are prototypes. These are not your final versions. If you want to make modifications, whether it's to the design or to add specific mechanisms, write them down on the paper provided. We will deliver your customized weapons later this evening."
Elijah was meticulous as he wrote.
Design: The gun's base should be sleek silver, with intricate gold detailing etched into the barrel and grip. The trigger guard should have a slightly curved design for better comfort.
Mechanism: He added a request for special bullets— can be casted a spell or potion.
He paused for a moment, then wrote a final request: the gun should have a name engraved on the barrel. "Seraphim."
Satisfied, he folded the paper and placed it in the box designated for submissions.
Visconti was already scribbling on his paper.
Design: His rapier should have a polished silver blade with a blue hilt.
Mechanism: He specified that the rapier's weight should match that of a spear for balance. Additionally, the weapon should have the ability to transform—a secondary blade should extend from the grip, turning the rapier into a dual-ended weapon
Visconti smirked as he placed his paper into the submission box. "This will be perfect."
Kieran, in contrast, was less particular.
Design: His sword should be entirely crimson red, with no other colors.
That was it.
"You're not adding any mechanisms?" Visconti teased as he watched Kieran scrawl his simple request.
"Nah," Kieran replied, waving him off. "Why complicate things? A sword is a sword. As long as it's sharp, it'll do the job."
By the time everyone had submitted their customization requests, the supervising officer clapped his hands again.
"We'll begin production immediately. Your customized weapons will be delivered to your dorms tonight. Until then, rest up and prepare for tomorrow's training session."
The cadets began to file out of the hall, their conversations a mix of excitement and speculation about their upcoming weapons.
Back in their dorm, Elijah, Visconti, and Kieran sat around their table, discussing their choices.
"So, you went with a gun?" Visconti asked, leaning back in his chair.
Elijah nodded. "It felt right. I know it's not a common choice, but I think it has potential."
"You're either a genius or a fool," Kieran said, grinning. "But hey, at least you'll look cool with a shiny gun."
"And you?" Elijah asked Visconti.
Visconti's eyes glinted with excitement. "A transforming rapier. It's going to be a masterpiece."
Kieran rolled his eyes. "You and your fancy weapons. A plain old sword is all you need."
Later that night, a knock echoed through their dorm.
Kieran, who was lounging on the couch, immediately sprang up. "Ohhhh, it might be our weapons!" He rushed to the door, excitement written all over his face.
When Kieran opened the door, he was surprised to find not only the instructor standing there but also a man in a white lab coat. The man looked utterly exhausted, with dark circles under his eyes that made him appear perpetually sleep-deprived.
"Hello, cadets. We're here to deliver your customized weapons," the instructor announced. He was carrying something wrapped in cloth, a wooden box that looked about 43 inches long, and a sleek black case.
Visconti glanced at his pocket to check the time. "It's almost midnight," he muttered, seeing that it was 11:48 PM. "I thought the weapons were supposed to be delivered at 8."
The man in the lab coat shot a sharp look at Elijah. "They would have been if someone hadn't requested an absurdly complex mechanism."
Elijah scratched the back of his neck sheepishly. Though he didn't recognize the man, the lab coat was a giveaway—It was worn exclusively by weapon engineers who specialized in creating weapons for Espers.
The instructor handed Kieran his sword first, the sword was wrapped in a white cloth.
The sword's hilt was black, with diamond-shaped red stripes along its grip, and the blade was a deep crimson. The weapon had a clean, sharp look to it.
"We finished this one quickly since Cadet Kieran didn't request any additional mechanisms," the engineer said, his tone mildly approving.
Kieran's face lit up as he accepted the sword. The hilt was black with red diamond-shaped accents, and the blade gleamed crimson. He immediately began jumping around the living room, hugging the sword and planting dramatic kisses on the blade.
"Oh, beautiful baby!" he exclaimed, twirling with it.
Visconti and Elijah exchanged looks of pity. "He's completely lost it," Visconti muttered, shaking his head.
Next was Visconti's rapier.
"The mechanism wasn't too difficult," the engineer explained as he handed Visconti the wooden box. "You requested a double-edged transformation, so we also added an extra feature. You can detach the secondary edge to create twin blades."
Visconti's eyes gleamed as he opened the box and examined the sleek weapon inside. "Now this is art," he said, testing the rapier's balance with a practiced flick of his wrist.
Finally, the engineer turned to Elijah.
"And YOU," he said, pointing dramatically. "Your request was borderline impossible."
Elijah blinked, then raised his hands defensively. "Oh, does that mean you couldn't do it? That's fine—"
"WHAT?!" The engineer's voice was incredulous, as though Elijah had insulted his entire profession. "Of course, we finished it! Do you take us for amateurs?"
With an air of pride, he handed Elijah the black case.
Elijah carefully opened it.
Inside the case was a stunning silver pistol with intricate gold designs etched across its barrel and grip. There was also a pack of bullets included
The engineer gestured at the safety catch on the side of the gun. "See this screen here? Just press it."
Elijah did as instructed, and a blue hologram appeared, displaying a variety of gun types—shotgun, sniper rifle, submachine gun, and more.
"The hologram allows you to select the type of gun you want," the engineer explained. "Once you choose, the weapon will transform into that type. This was achieved by combining cutting-edge technology with weapon-grade mana compression."
That's right. Elijah did write another request for a mechanism. It was thay the gun could transform into another type of gun.
He wasn't sure if it was possible, he was just pushing his luck. He really wasn't expecting anything.
The engineer nodded smugly. "Of course. Oh, and if you ever run out of bullets, come see me."
After bidding farewell to the cadets, the instructor and engineer left.
Eager to test his new weapon, Elijah pressed the small screen on the safety catch. A blue hologram appeared, showcasing a variety of gun types. He selected a shotgun.
The pistol shifted seamlessly, its parts rearranging with soft metallic clicks. In seconds, it transformed into a sleek shotgun.
"Whoa! That's so cool!" Kieran exclaimed, running over to inspect the weapon.
Even Visconti couldn't hide his curiosity. "I have to admit, that's impressive. You might've actually pulled off the best customization here."