The forge shifts as Yuki steps inside—unlike Ren's wind chamber or Haru's pressure vault, Yuki finds himself standing in a void. The forge isn't lit by fire… but by stars. Countless floating embers spiral in the blackness like memories.
Ashir watches from the distance, but says nothing.
A voice—one that sounds like Kairo's and also Velar's, layered with a thousand echoes—calls to Yuki.
"You can't forge what you don't understand. Show the forge who you are."
The Trial Begins
Visions surge. His life. His aunt. Himari smiling. Aiko crying. Ren shouting his name. Nogitsune standing back-to-back with him. Pain. Hope. Fire. Void.
Each memory becomes a fragment of metal, floating around him.
But when Yuki reaches for them—they reject him. Searing pain strikes his hands. The forge is testing not his strength… but his truth.
Kairo appears beside him, arms crossed, gaze calm.
"You can't lie to it. Not even a little. It's not asking who you want to be… but who you already are."
Yuki breathes.
And then, he accepts everything—the fear, the rage, the joy, the void, the light.
The Soul Ignites
The floating shards spiral inward. His aura bursts into a swirl of gold, deep violet, and ink-black. From it, the shape of his weapon begins to form.
A scythe.
Elegant. Monolithic. Ancient-looking—but not decayed.
Its blade curves like a crescent moon, shifting color depending on his aura. The handle is etched in moving lines—like ripples in water distorted by time.
Ashir steps forward, his eyes wide for the first time.
"That's not just a soul-forged weapon… That's a paradox given form."
Yuki holds it in both hands—and the void goes silent.
After Yuki exits the forge chamber, still catching his breath and gripping his new scythe, Ashir stays behind. His eyes follow Yuki silently before he turns and walks down a hidden corridor behind the forge—deep into the heart of the mountain.
There, in a chamber lined with glowing mythic runes and old weapons sealed in crystal, Akuro stands waiting—arms folded, horns faintly visible, as if he's partly phasing between his sealed and true form.
Ashir sighs, placing a hand on one of the weapons sealed in crystal.
Ashir: "You felt it too. That weapon shouldn't exist."
Akuro: "A scythe born of paradox. It's not meant to cut flesh. It's meant to cut fate."
Ashir narrows his eyes.
"He's not ready to wield something like that."
Akuro: "He won't have a choice."
A pause.
Ashir: "And Velar?"
Akuro: "Still dormant. But if the forge recognizes Yuki with that... then Velar will wake soon. And when he does, he won't be the same."
They both look toward a wall etched with ancient names—some of them scratched out, some glowing faintly.
Akuro: "This world isn't prepared for what's coming. But neither are we."
Ashir tightens his grip on the hilt of a sword frozen in crystal.
Ashir: "Then we'd better make sure they're armed… before the truth arrives."
The sun begins to dip beyond the jagged mountains that ring the hidden Kingdom. A wind rolls across the plateau where the group reunites after their trials. The ground here hums with spiritual energy—this was once a place where mythic kings gathered.
Ashir steps forward with Akuro behind him, carrying a long cloth-wrapped bundle.
Ashir: "You have all passed the forge's call. Now comes the moment to bind what you've awakened… to yourselves."
He gestures, and the cloth unwraps in midair, revealing a glowing rack of newly awakened weapons.
Yuki steps forward first
He holds his scythe—blackened metal infused with streaks of violet energy that pulse like a heartbeat. It's longer than him, sleek, yet heavy with presence. The blade curves unnaturally, almost like it's cutting through space itself. When Yuki swings it experimentally, the air around it distorts.
Akuro (whispering to Ashir): "A weapon that cuts the threads of destiny… and he doesn't even realize it yet."
Ren approaches next
Ashir nods, and from the rack, Ren draws Jinrai, the Blade of Thunderous Winds. The katana hums with pressure and streaks of lightning arc along its sheath. As he unsheathes it, wind circles around him, lifting his hair and cloak.
Ren: "It sings with every breath I take. The wind… finally answers me without restraint."
He slashes once, and a shockwave of thunder rumbles across the plateau, causing the others to shield their eyes.
Haru steps up
He silently reaches for his weapon—a Fistbound Gauntlets: Raiken carved from the spine of a fallen star, wrapped in red spiritual cords. The weapon pulses with raw force, Haru puts it on with one hand, his aura spiking.
Haru: "It doesn't ask questions. It just… strikes with me."
He slams his fists into the ground, and a circle of golden light explodes outward. Akuro flinches slightly.
Aiko's weapon
A twin-blade fan, forged from mythic ice and sealed lightning, clicks open in her hands. As she dances with it briefly, illusions shimmer in her wake—reflections of herself from different timelines.
Aiko: "It responds to what I feel. It's not just a weapon—it listens to hearts."
She looks toward Yuki with quiet confidence.
Himari's weapon
From the rack, a chakram-like ring blade floats into Himari's hand, glowing with a gentle pink aura. It reflects her medium powers—delicate, yet piercing through spiritual deception. She twirls it with grace before holding it close.
Spirit Thread Whip: Tsukihana
A silver-threaded whip woven with spirit silk, appearing almost invisible. It dances like moonlight and sings when used. It binds or cuts depending on Himari's intention.
Himari: "It's connected to memory… mine and others'. I'll master it—no matter what I have to remember."
Kai steps forward last
He call's out his twin blades(Nenshō), with a smooth mythril finish and runes glowing along the blade's edge. It's unexpectedly deadly—and also perfectly balanced for slicing ingredients. Kai grins.
Kai: ""Ashir said it's one of a kind. Cuts spirit and steak the same way."
He swings the cleaver-axe once, and the air hums with a clean whoosh. A tree several meters away is neatly sliced, not through the trunk—but the essence of it. The tree stands untouched for a heartbeat… then dissolves into leaves.
Everyone stares. Even Haru raises a brow.
Kai (smirking): "Guess dinner's on me."
Ashir steps forward, voice low and resonant
Ashir: "These are not just weapons. They are soul-echoes—fragments of who you are, and who you might become. They will evolve as you do. But beware—should your spirit falter… they may turn on you."
He casts his eyes toward Yuki, who hasn't let go of his scythe even once.
Yuki's Scythe Reacts
Without warning, Yuki's scythe pulses violently. The blade flickers between real and void. It begins to hum, and a phantom flame dances along its edge—the same void-fire that surrounded him when he sealed Kairo long ago.
Everyone goes still.
Yuki (breathing deeply): "…It's hungry. It wants something more."
Aiko (softly): "It's waiting for you to stop holding back."
Himari (serious): "The scythe is your truth… not just a weapon. If you hesitate, it will show you."