Chapter 185 185: Timeskip [3] — A Weapon To Remember Them
"Impressive. I still can't believe how strong it is," Gustaf laughed. "Compared to your other Esper abilities, this one is overwhelmingly your strongest—which shouldn't even be possible. Esper Spiritualization is something we master only after advancing quite far…"
"I know. You've said it many times, Father," Louis sighed, retracting his aura. "But my other abilities are still weak. How can I improve them faster?"
"Combine them with your other powers—that's when you perform at your best. Don't limit yourself to being only an Esper. With everything else you possess, your abilities complement one another to create something far greater than the sum of their parts."
Louis nodded, absorbing most of his father's advice.
"I see. Thank you." He smiled. "Tomorrow is the big day. I should take it easy for the rest of today. I'll need energy when everything begins."
"Indeed," Gustaf agreed. "You'll grow even stronger at the Academy. Trust me."
"I know…" Louis nodded. "Then I'll take my leave."
Louis ascended the stairs, took the elevator down through the VPI, and descended to the forge depths. There he sought the dwarf who had forged Gungnir for him—he had commissioned another creation.
The heat was as intense as ever. Giant golems hauled materials to forges and melting machines while apprentices and workers focused on their projects or refined existing designs.
"Hm?" Dorfus, perched atop a massive machine polishing an enormous Fantasium Crystal into a machine core, noticed Louis's footsteps from afar. "You're here."
"I've come to retrieve what I commissioned. Tomorrow I attend the Sinners Academy," Louis said.
"Yeah, yeah." Dorfus waved dismissively. "It's on the desk. Grab it and get out."
"Hah, as rude as ever…" Louis smiled and approached the desk. A brown cloth covered something beneath it. He pulled the cloth aside.
His golden eyes gleamed brightly.
A sword lay revealed—a very special sword radiating the combined might of Demons, Chaos, and Death. Its blade was pitch-black like charred bone, its hilt crimson, and a red-purple jewel resembling an eye adorned the guard. The weapon was large, long, and heavy—yet Louis lifted it effortlessly with one hand.
"It's finished… Wonderful work, Dorfus…"
Louis smiled softly, running his fingers along the blade. Beyond the expensive materials he had provided through his princely authority and wealth, he had supplied two irreplaceable items—two of his own Soul Treasures.
Dorfus was the only blacksmith capable of forging Soul Gear, Soul Treasures, and even fusing them together, thanks to knowledge passed down from his father in Yggdrasil.
The dwarf had used Mirai's bones and Zorba's Spiral Stone from the previous regression as core materials, forging them into this powerful Demonic Death Sword—an embodiment of Death, Ghosts, Demons, and Chaos in perfect harmony.
The weapon was bound to Louis's soul. The moment he grasped it, his connection to those two treasures "updated," surging with newfound power.
He had refused to let Mirai's bones remain mere remnants, or Zorba's Spiral Stone linger as a lifeless object in his soul. Both would only bring sorrow. Instead, he had transformed them into a new companion—a sword to stand by him for the rest of his life.
"I never imagined you'd ask me to use a person's bones for a sword," Dorfus said, walking over after finishing his work. "At first I wanted to kill you. Then I realized they felt more like demon bones than human. And that Spiral Stone? I'd never worked with anything like it. Got excited and did it anyway… I just hope those bones didn't belong to anyone innocent."
"Well… technically they did," Louis sighed sorrowfully.
"What?!" Dorfus growled, gripping his hammer.
"Not in the way you think," Louis said quietly. "They were lent to me by someone who sacrificed themselves for me—someone I can never forgive. That's why I wanted to turn their remains into a weapon. So I can always… so I can always hold their hand as I fight against Fate."
"…" Dorfus raised an eyebrow, sighed, and took a drag from his cigar. "Whatever you say. Now get lost—I'm busy."
"Hah. We might not see each other for a long time. Thank you for everything, Dorfus," Louis said, turning to leave.
As the prince walked away, Dorfus exhaled heavily. He knew Louis had saved the entire kingdom. He was grateful—yet he was a stubborn old dwarf who disliked praise or thanks.
What truly puzzled him was Gungnir, the spear Louis claimed to have found in the labyrinth. When Dorfus held it, the weapon felt unmistakably like his own work—even bore his signature. He had never crafted it… yet it was undeniably his.
He no longer questioned how Louis possessed a spear he had never made. Whatever burden the prince carried was clearly monumental—something that might decide the fate of the world without anyone ever realizing.
"Whatever path you choose, prince…"
"Hm?"
Louis paused and glanced back.
The dwarf met his gaze directly.
"Make sure it's the right one."
Louis fell silent for a moment, then nodded.
"I will."
As Louis returned to the castle, lost in thought, footsteps echoed behind him.
"Louis! We finally found you! Let's go eat together outside!"
Mirai ran toward him, radiant as ever—bright red eyes shining, long black-and-red hair flowing, her slender figure full of life.
"Mirai…"
Even though he had tried to suppress his feelings, seeing her like this always set his heart racing. He wanted more than a greeting—he wanted to hold her, to kiss her.
"The right path…"
Louis clenched his fists, remembering Dorfus's words. Moving forward without regrets.
"Heh, were you training? You feel stronger."
"Yeah, I was."
"L-Louis?"
Mirai blushed deeply as Louis approached and pulled her into a gentle embrace.
"...?!"
Her face turned scarlet; her eyes lost focus as she felt his warmth surround her.
Then his face drew near. He pressed a soft kiss to her forehead while tenderly holding her hands.
"Yes… let's go eat together."
He took her hand and led her outside. Mirai moved stiffly, legs barely cooperating, as though "Mirai.exe" had completely crashed.
Worse still, Louis said nothing about the embrace or the kiss. He simply continued walking as though nothing had happened, leaving her utterly flustered and bewildered.
"J-Just what was that?!"
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