The battle begins! Viraa informs Alissia and the others of a unique method that may help even the odds against Avarice and his group. Meanwhile, Avarice and his group finally begin the final phase of their agenda. Can Alissia and her friends prevail...
Junichiro held out the two remaining energy converters Trevor and Verin had developed for them.
"What is that?" Kaila asked, eyeing the objects curiously. Claeg picked one up and turned it in his large hands.
"You place them onto yourself, and they either amplify your speed, strength, or power," he explained to them.
"We won't need that," Kaila said, returning to her screens as Claeg flicked the device back to Junichiro, who snatched it midair.
"I am well aware of what the two of you together are capable of, but having this will ensure that you have the upper hand should the need arise." A threatening tone trickled into his words as he held out the converters again.
Claeg and Kaila both faltered as they started to reach out to grab one, but Avarice intervened.
"Leave them. They're free to choose whether or not they want to use the devices. With their abilities, I doubt they'd need any further enhancements if they're pushed that far."
"Very well," Junichiro conceded respectfully as he placed them in his spatial bag, but his facial expression made it clear he would prefer everyone had some insurance.
Verin had always seen Junichiro as too uptight, too cautious, probably due to his overzealousness. When Avarice was concerned, this made him easily manipulated, which she played on to get him to go against Avarice. But now...she could feel a shift in the air somehow. Something had changed, but she couldn't figure out what. She felt like insurance was precisely what they needed.
She looked at Junichiro intently, watching his tenseness as the others were more or less carefree. He could feel it too.
"Hey, J, come here for a sec," Trevor called out from his workbench. He waved an arm, ushering Junichiro over.
When Junichiro arrived, Verin watched as Trevor presented him with a new blade. It was a broader, silver-bladed, leather-hilted sword much bigger than the thin blade Junichiro typically used.
"I've been learning smithing to make you a better sword," Trevor grinned proudly. "I salvaged some cindium here and there of the years so that I could make it for you—an upgrade from the old sword you're always carrying around."
Junichiro grabbed hold of the blade's hilt.
"The bits of cindium you have been... procuring during your inventory checks—this is what you have used it for?" Junichiro held the blade up to the light for a better look. He was putting up a stoic front, but Verin could tell through her Empath that, despite Trevor breaking the rules, he deeply appreciated the effort his brother put into crafting his gift.
"Yeah," Trevor laughed nervously. "Check it out; you can switch it from a broad sword that's designed for power to a thin katana suited for speed and precision."
Trevor demonstrated this by placing his thumb on a piece of the hilt, causing the blade to morph from its expansive state to a more compacted, curved blade.
Junichiro smiled as he held the blade and switched between the two forms while practicing his swinging.
"As always, your skills astonish me, brother," Junichiro told him with pride. "I will cherish this blade as a new addition to my arsenal."
"Thanks, I'm really glad you like it, J. Truth be told, I'd been procrastinating, but after you nearly died for me..."
Avarice suddenly appeared next to Trevor and placed a hand softly on top of his head.
"It truly is a magnificent blade, son. Well done," Avarice added. He looked down at Junichiro's hip, eyeing the hilt of his old blade.
"I'll be taking your old blade, Junichiro."
Verin watched silently, just as confused as Trever and Junichiro's expressions were.
Junichiro opened his mouth to speak.
"Father, don't you already..."
Avarice cut him off, pointing at his old sword.
"That sword's cut down many for my sake in the past. Its services aren't finished yet," he declared as Junichiro slowly handed him the old blade.
"I still have one last mission for it before I allow it to depart from us."
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Fun fact: Trevor, though immature at times, truly loves his family-primarily Avarice, Junichiro, and Wren. While he fears and respects Verin, he doesn't love her the same way he does the others. For whatever reason, it never clicked that way, i guess.
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