Tales of a Ninja Magician: Of Games of Body and Soul

Unfocused Storytelling

Meiko's father entered her little shack. The massive man bypassed the junk that was littering every nook and cranny and placed a sword of his design on Meiko's table. It was a short, two-edged blade with a triangular tip and parallel cutting edges. A custom modification that immediately caught the observing eye was a small shield attached to the side by two parallel bars that kept the shield far enough for a potential wielder to fit their hand inside.

"There, I made my daughter sword." The man stated as Meiko's hazy eyes may have missed out on the opportunity to fully comprehend what was happening right in front of her.

The redhead slipped her hand in and gripped the sword's hilt, lifting it up and trying to swing it around in a manner that kept the shield always facing outside, she'd have had to turn her hand in a very awkward manner to make it face inside.

"It limits my movements a bit." Meiko sighed. "My design goes something like this."

The girl leaned under the junk she had scattered over her table, all bits and pieces of massive projects she was excited enough with to have her hype propel her to the heavens if it was given a shape of a propelling gaseous stream, however soon abandoned.

After a short while, the blacksmith pulled out a glove that had a sharp sword sticking out of it. The glove that Meiko shoved her hand into the grip and control the sword looked a massive, decorated thimble that fit around her entire hand.

"This doesn't?" Meiko's father lifted an eyebrow, observing Meiko's curious thrusting movements and predictable slashing arcs.

"It does but... If I adapt my style to it this might do." Meiko shrugged. The blacksmith put both weapons by her shoulder greaves and weaved a pair of hand seals. In a spiraling eclipse of blue light, both weapons disappeared inside her greaves while the light formed a shiny glyph symbol on the armor pieces then faded away shortly.

"What's the problem? You look tired." The man wondered while Meiko armored up as quickly as she could. Since graduation from the Academy, she had perfected the models for her armors and could now slip into and out of them quite easily. The way which Mana used her uniform in battle was a minor inspiration to the modifications but, then again, it was Meiko who taught Mana her redirection-and-counter fighting style so the redhead liked to think that everyone was inspiring one another.

"I just... It's not easy, placing a chakra coat over your weapon. Imbuement is the strongest possible armor for a weapon, it will never wear or break while it is imbued with chakra during battle and it will cut through anything that's not imbued with chakra too. Even Audra can withstand just a few strikes of an imbued weapon." Meiko sighed.

"So that's why you asked me to make you a weapon? Easier to imbue?" Meiko's father stroke his stubble. Meiko was stretching out in her limited armor that shielded only her most vital areas.

"Yeah. If it's made by your bloodline I can probably manage it for a short while. I have the power of what it takes to imbue but not the control. I tried doing what Mana told me – focus. I did keep on tampering with tools this past couple of days hoping that would be enough focusing..." Meiko finally prepared for her departure. She had to meet up with Chestnut Hanasaku and Kiyomi by the Administration.

*****

"You're derailing the story!" Kiyomi complained. "This isn't even about the mission we were in! At this pace, we'll never hear about what happened to Mana today!"

"Okay, you take over then." Meiko crossed her hands over her chest as if challenging her friend to do better.

*****