CHAPTER 309: BLADE OF THE STAR CYCLE—HOSHIMEGURI—

 

~Aun’s Perspective~

The morning after I handed the hihiirokane over to Kunimitsu, we headed back to his workshop.

Yesterday, we had more or less been chased out with him saying he wanted to concentrate, but the look on his face had been so intense it left no room for argument.

Even I had been a little intimidated, and Kinu had widened her eyes in surprise, which was rare for her.

In contrast, the face Kunimitsu showed us when we opened the workshop door today was like that of a child eager to show off a treasure, while also trying to hide that eagerness. In short, it was an expression I could not really explain.

「So you came, youngster.」

The moment I stepped into the forge, something felt off.

It was too quiet. The air itself felt strangely taut.

「…Doesn’t this place feel different from usual?」

The words slipped out of my mouth, and Kunimitsu, standing deeper inside, grinned.

「You can feel it, can’t ya? That’s the answer.」

He jerked his chin toward it.

The moment I turned my eyes in that direction—

「You’re kidding me.」

It was not so much that I understood as that my intuition told me, and my instincts declared it.

This thing was something absurd.

What lay there was a single odachi.

It had been placed on a cloth-covered rest on top of the table. That was all.

And yet, the air around it seemed to warp.

The blade shone with a light that was neither silver nor crimson.

Its color changed depending on the angle, flickering as though it were breathing.

It was alive.

It had such a presence that it even made me feel that illusion.

「…Is this Shiranuemaru?」

「It is. Your sword.」

Kunimitsu’s voice sounded oddly light.

But his eyes were not smiling.

He was watching me as if testing me, as if appraising me.

He looked like he wanted to say, ‘You already know, don’t you?’ but honestly, I had no idea about the details.

All I had was a raw, instinctive feeling so strong it could not even be called abstract anymore.

That this thing was dangerous.

「Touch it.」

「Yeah.」

I answered briefly and took a step forward.

The closer I got, the stronger the pressure became, but it did not feel like I was being rejected at all. If anything, I could feel the sword itself urging me to hurry up and touch it.

I reached out—and grasped the hilt.

「…!」

Light…? No, that’s not it.

It fits.

It fit so perfectly that it felt as though the odachi and I had become one, like two parts locking together without the slightest gap.

The thickness of the grip, the position of its center of gravity, the length of the blade—everything was just right.

「This fits so well it’s almost creepy.」

「Of course it does. Who do ya think I made that sword for?」

Kunimitsu snorted.

I slowly lifted it up.

Just looking at the bare blade made me feel as though I might be drawn into it.

The moment I held it, I knew right away that it had been made with Shiranuemaru as its base.

I tried to analyze various things, but the shock and joy hit me harder than I expected, and my thoughts would not come together properly.

For now… I’ll try appraising it.

「…Appraisal.」

【Shiranuemaru: Hoshimeguri】

A single blade forged by Second-Generation Kunimitsu from the core once known as ‘Shiranue’ and the highest-purity Bukō.

Because the blade continues to grow together with its user, it has not reached a completed form, and its nature depends on its user.

Like the motion of the stars, power circulates, returns, and amplifies.

『The guidance of the stars is always true, and the radiance of the stars is ever capricious.』

《Type》 Odachi

《Rarity》 Unanalyzable

《Traits》

・User Restriction: The user is limited to the individual named Aun Dodomeki.

・Continues to grow each time it performs magical synchronization with its user.

《Unique Ability》 Star Cycle

・Circulates, amplifies, and stores infused magic within the blade, or returns it to the user. Once the synchronization rate exceeds a certain value, that will serve as the trigger to acquire the next ability.

《Secondary Ability Unlock Condition》

・Magic synchronization rate exceeds 50%. Current rate: 0%.

「…Huh?」

A stupid-sounding voice slipped out of me before I could stop it.

I cannot understand what’s written at all.

No, my head understands it, but… if this ability is what I think it is, then it’s so ridiculously powerful it makes no sense.

「The rarity is ‘unanalyzable,’ huh…」

This was a first.

There had been times when the appraisal results had been garbled like corrupted text, and there had also been times when the status of someone wearing concealment-type equipment had shown up as ‘appraisal impossible’.

But this time, it was unanalyzable.

Does that mean Appraisal itself worked, but it couldn’t analyze the result?

If so, that only made it harder to understand. If this odachi existed outside existing categories such as legendary or myth-class items to begin with, then its rarity might even surpass myth-class…

「Interesting.」

The corner of my mouth lifted on its own.

I want to test it.

I want to see how far this thing and I can go.

「Kunimitsu.」

「What?」

「Can I test-cut something?」

「Go ahead. Try it.」

He folded his arms, grinning as he jerked his chin.

At the end of that gesture lay a rather large rock.

「…Guess I’ll start light.」

I took a stance, fixed my aim, and simply swung without thinking too deeply.

「…!?」

…Light.

No, too light.

There was no sensation of cutting. If anything, there had been no sensation of swinging either.

Whenever you cut something, there should always be some kind of feedback.

Even an empty swing should at least carry the feeling of slicing through air.

Puzzled, I looked at the blade. There was not a single chip in it, and it reflected the sunlight beautifully.

But in the next instant—

The rock shifted without a sound.

It slid apart as though it had been split that way from the start.

「…Eh?」

My understanding came late.

It had been cut.

…No, that was not right.

It had been severed.

The cut surface was unnaturally smooth, reflecting light like a mirror.

「…I didn’t even put magic into it, you know?」

I had truly only swung it. There had been no technique or anything like one in that swing.

…Then what would happen if I pour magic into it and cut?

Wait, if that’s the case, then this sharpness isn’t an ability. It’s simply the performance of the sword itself.

Second-Generation Kunimitsu… I might have been underestimating his skill.

「Hey, hey…」

A smile escaped me before I knew it.

What’s this thing?

It really makes no sense.

「This ain’t just sharp. That’s not what this is about.」

「Right?」

Kunimitsu’s voice came from behind me.

「That is your sword.」

「…Yeah.」

I completely understand.

This was definitely made for me alone.

I can’t imagine anyone else using it.

When I adjusted my grip, I could feel the sword responding.

As a test, I poured magic into it. The power flowed as though the sword and my body had become one, circling, amplifying, then returning to me.

「…This is the best.」

A smile naturally spread across my face.

This sensation.

It feels like I could go anywhere.

「Shiranuemaru: Hoshimeguri… huh.」

I had not yet told Kunimitsu that our clan name was 【Seiha】.

And yet, the sword had been given a name bearing the meaning of ‘star’ the same as Seiha.

Is this some kind of connection, or fate?

「I did the finest work of my life. The rest depends on your skill.」

Kunimitsu grinned.

The bastard had thrown the exact words I said yesterday right back at me.

「Ha! Fine by me! I’ll win the Shurasaki Festival, you just watch!」

「Bold words, youngster. …But if you do, I’ll become your personal swordsmith.」

Neither of us made the first move.

Our hands clasped together.

No more words were needed.

I would make my power, and Shiranuemaru’s power, resound throughout all of Bukyo.

And then I would bring Kunimitsu into the clan.

Because I had taken a real liking to the man known as Second-Generation Kunimitsu.