The Mech Touch

One way or another, the threat of the Heavensword had to be addressed one way or another.

While many Larkinsons were grateful that it had shown Dise the way to trigger her second apotheosis, the clan would still suffer a severe loss if Ketis lost her swordsmanship and her passion in her craft in the process!

Perhaps other people might argue that red humanity needed a sword saint in control of a recharged Heavensword far more than a weak Journeyman Mech Designer and swordmaster combination, but Ketis did not ascribe to this idea!

Now that the Heavensword had revealed a small measure of its mysterious history by unveiling realistic energy projections of the sword cultivators who may have wielded the grand work in the past, Ketis had gained a little more insight into the weapon.

The Heavensword likely served as an artifact that was passed down from one generation to another through an existing formal inheritance process.

This suggested that the Heavensword originally represented an institution rather than just a single

Owner.

Whether this institution was a family, a state or a sect, the Heavensword likely served as the symbol of authority as well as a tool to enforce the holder's power over the masses.

At the same time, the Heavensword also imposed its own standards and requirements into the wielder. This meant that the institution would always have a leader that conformed to its original values and principles. Any selfish and less pure leaders would inevitably get brainwashed by the Heavensword and cease to become a problem anymore!

Ketis had to admit that if this was how the Heavensword was designed to work, then it must have done good job all of this time.

It was a pity that the institution ultimately couldn't survive the passage of time.

What was a relic weapon supposed to do when the institution it was meant to represent had disappeared in the dustbin of history?

Its actions in the Majestic Teal Star Sector gave Ketis a lot of clues of its eventual answer.

The Heavensword did not try to bring back the institution, knowing that the Big Two would not allow it. The broken Milky Way was unable to generate enough energy to restore the original swordsmanship of the old institution anyway.

The sentient artifact therefore proceeded to do the next best thing and try to create a small haven where traditional swordsmanship could still be practiced among humans.

Of course, a barren galaxy like the Milky Way was unable to make swordmasters harness the power of heaven and imbue their attacks with strong elemental traces, so the results were not too good. The Heavensword was only able to keep a semblance of traditional swordsmanship alive. All of the fancy use of different energies became invalid, leaving only the purest expression of willpower as a means of wielding extraordinary power in modern times.

How many years had the Heavensword experienced in a universe that had lost its main source of exotic radiation?

It must have been pure torture for the sword to experience more eons than any other ancient. artifact, and spent much of that time in an energy-deprived state.

Yet the sword managed to stay intact and not get too corrupted in the process!

Perhaps the Heavensword had already deviated far from its original state, but it could have been

Worse.

In a way, managing to survive for so many years and withstand all of the changes that took place in the Milky Way was a testament of its strength and its adaptability.

The fact that t also retained a semblance of its original mission and raison d'être after going through so many events that could completely change the lives of other sentients was a testament of its remarkably strong conviction!

Even if the Heavensword was not able to develop extraordinary willpower due to its nature as an object, Ketis believed that it could easily match that of a sword god!

How could a sword with a 'will' comparable to a sword god be so easy to negotiate with? It was already powerful enough to ignore most existing human institutions!

In this regard, Ketis found that it was already a blessing that the Heavensword was willing to compromise with her. The fact that it bothered to expend its energy to conduct a test showed that it cared for her opinion. ṝἈΝỔʙËṧ

Why was this the case?

What did the Heavensword want from her, exactly?

How far was the Heavensword willing to go to fulfill its objectives in a more energy-rich galaxy like the Red Ocean?

Would it care at all about the wants and needs of its wielder?

Ketis did not have enough information to deduce the answers to these crucial questions, so she had no choice but to make a few assumptions and hope that she was mostly correct.

"Heavensword." She spoke in a serious tone even as she maintained a guarded stance. 'I admire your power, but that does not mean I covet it. No matter how much power and knowledge you can give me, it will only turn me into a shadow of your original owners and makers. I have no interest in reviving the brilliance of the past. I am a mech designer and a swordmaster. I am more than capable enough to forge my own path. I am developing my own form of swordsmanship, and will mold my own personal sword to match its requirements. I have no need for your inheritance, especially if it comes at the cost of giving up who I am. You should go elsewhere if you want to pass on your inheritance to red humanity. There are more swordmasters in the Red Ocean than Fred Walinski and myself. Even if their qualifications are inferior from your perspective, they are fully willing to follow your directives and bear your power!"

""

The Heavensword did not make any other move aside from floating in front of Ketis with its tip pointed downwards.

What did this mean?

Did it even register her words?

It had already demonstrated earlier that it was capable of at least one direct form of communication that was understandable to humans!

Ketis grew frustrated at this relic's bizarre behavior.

"Saint Linda Cross and Saint Dise Larkinson managed to pass your test. You have seen how powerful they are. You have seen how they managed to defeat your energy manifestations. The Larkinson Clan has more expert pilots and ace pilots who are willing and able to fight on my behalf. Is that enough to prove that I am not weak?"

The Heavensword maintained its inanimate facade, giving Ketis no clue what it was truly thinking about.

After thirty or so seconds of non-activity, the relic weapon finally began to make a move.

It slowly approached Ketis, but in a manner that was not as aggressive as before.

Ketis remained on guard and was ready to chop her Bloodsinger at the grand work if it came within her reach.

However, the floating Heavensword paused just outside of it, as if knowing that the weapon would invade her private space if it moved just a centimeter closer.

This was an encouraging sign. It respected her rights. This meant that it was sincerely putting effort

Into trying to accommodate her demands.

Was it enough to lead the Heavensword away?

"What are you doing?!"

It turned out that the answer was no!

The Heavensword took action so quickly that Ketis did not even have time to think up a response!

Within a blink of an eye, Ketis suddenly found that her sword stance had changed!

Instead of appearing poised to hack down her Bloodsinger upon the target of her wrath, she

Suddenly held two very different swords in a dual-wielding sword stance!

It looked incredibly awkward for her to wield her personal greatsword in one hand, but Ketis was strong and skilled enough to bear the weight of the Bloodsinger.

What really bothered her was the fact that the Heavensword had forced itself into one of her

Armored hands!

Ketis naturally tried to get rid of the weapon as soon as possible, but it acted as if it remained

Magnetized to her gauntlet!

"Get off, you blasted sword!"

The swordmaster swung her arm multiple directions. All it did was cause her to change her grip on

The Heavensword.

She discovered that the relic weapon 'permitted' her to hold it in any way onto its grip, but did not allow her to drop or discard the artifact!

Ketis temporarily let go of her Bloodsinger, allowing the greatsword to float within easy reach, before attempting to pry the Heavensword off her grip.

She discovered that she was easily able to transfer her grip on the Heavensword from her left hand to her right hand and vice versa.

Yet any attempt to remove both of her limbs from the sticky weapon failed to produce any results!

"This is annoying!"

Ketis took back her Bloodsinger and retreated from the hangar bay.

Once she passed through an airlock and entered a changing room, she removed her custom suit of

Armor and pulled off her gauntlets straight away.

"Of course this loophole doesn't work.

While she was able to remove her gauntlets without effort, the hilt of the Heavensword automatically

Found its way into the palm of her closest hand.

"Damnit!"

Ketis grew so frustrated at the Heavensword's naughty behavior that she swung the blade in a

Random direction!

This careless motion accidentally caused the blade to shoot out a small but potent wave of heavenly

Energy!

The bulkhead of the changing room and the compartments further in the rear got breached! Alarms began to ring and Ketis received multiple emergency notifications!

Though the accident caused her to become even more angry at the Heavensword, she quickly

Suppressed her emotions and told the crew of the combat carrier not to worry about her condition.

In any case, the vessel was currently being run by a skeleton crew, and no one should have been stationed anywhere close to her location.

That was no excuse for her to lose control like that. She had to remind herself that she was currently holding an actual grand work, one that contained vast powers and energies that were more than capable of destroying an entire settlement if not more!

Once Ketis managed to handle the incident of her own making, she grew more morose as she

Studied the swords in her hand.

One of them held the hilt of her trusty Bloodsinger.

The other held the undesirable Heavensword.

The apparent message was pretty clear.

"Is this your solution? Since I refuse to replace my Bloodsinger with you, are you just fine with

Coexisting with my original weapon?"

This was a compromise solution that Ketis had never imagined. If this was truly the direction that the Heavensword was going for, then... the swordmaster did not think it was unacceptable.

"...Fine. If this is what you want, then I can live with it, I suppose. Just don't interfere with my swordsmanship or my choice of weapons. I am the swordswoman here. I decide which sword to

Wield, is that clear?"

""

"...Can you permit me to let go of you, now? I can't keep holding you in my hands on a permanent. basis. I am still human! Do you have a scabbard where I can stow your flashy blade?"

Ketis felt a narrow object pressing lightly on her back.

She turned her head around and just managed to observe the familiar scabbard that used to be worn

By the Heavensword Saints of previous generations.

When Ketis cautiously lifted the arm holding the relic weapon and slowly sheathed behind her

Back, she experimentally let go of the hilt.

Her hand became free again!

"Yes!"

Naturally, Ketis tried to pry the scabbard off her back, but only managed to lift it slightly from her

Back before it absolutely refused to move further away!

"Damnit!"

It appeared that the Heavensword had decided to make itself a permanent fixture in her life!

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