Auren stands with his arms crossed, his eyes fixed on the confident and pleased-looking Neffi.
"I'll be happy?" he repeats. "I'd settle for satisfied. Let's see what your employees managed to create."
"Just take a look already!" Neffi says cheerfully, dropping a large box off the cart, right in front of him.
Auren kneels down and carefully opens the box. As expected, he finds several neatly folded outfits inside. All of them are black, made with the latest nanofiber technology—expensive, top-tier stuff, looking like regular designer clothes. Not only are they lightweight and flexible, but they also offer impressive durability and surprising defensive capabilities.
That's nothing new... just a slightly improved version of the old ones.
I'll gladly take them—but these aren't what I was after. Anyway, it looks like the company is slowly but surely improving.
"These are nice," Auren comments, his voice neutral, not quite impressed.
He moves on and opens another box—this one filled with something more substantial. Inside are thick, heavy-duty outfits. These aren't regular clothes; they're advanced combat armor.
Lifting one of them, Auren notes the weight immediately.
"That's it," he says. "They look well-made. If I reinforce them with Aura, they'll be nearly impossible to destroy."
He inspects each piece carefully, his expression turning faintly amused as he notices that Neffi included gloves and boots as well.
I won't be needing those... who could have guessed? It's a waste—these things are worth their weight in gold.
Among the gear, he spots a full-body armored outfit: a solid upper body plate, reinforced pants, and even a dark, slick-looking helmet. All of it is matte black, giving off a dark, intimidating aura.
"Not bad, but they remind me of these so-called superheroes, people like to pretend exist," Auren comments.
"No, more like the villains!" Vanessa points out with a smile.
I can't argue with that....
This is the kind of thing an assassin or special ops soldier would wear. Not bad... I might need something like this eventually. I'll certainly put them to good use... eventually.
Looks like Neffi included multiple sizes, too. Some are clearly a little too big for me, so I won't have to worry about outgrowing them anytime soon. And if I ever need more, I can just place another order.
"Thank you," Auren says. "Now... what about the last thing I asked for?"
Neffi picks up another box. "It should be in here—though I'm not sure it'll work the way you think. Let's just say I'm sceptical. Anyway, your idea intrigued me, so I ordered something similar, but I can control my clothes, so my outfit will feel like additional limbs. I don't know if you can do the same."
"Your Hatsu already proves it's possible," Auren replies confidently. "I should be able to copy you, to a certain degree. I have no doubts it should be possible."
He reaches for an empty cardboard carton nearby, draws Eternity, and begins slicing it into shape. With a few precise cuts, he carves out a long, thin, straight strip of cardboard—something vaguely resembling a blade.
"Nobunaga once told me he cut through steel using a blade made of cardboard," Auren says, holding up the makeshift weapon. He activates Ren, then channels his Aura into the cardboard using Shu.
Gripping it tightly, he slams the Aura-infused strip against Eternity, making sure the real blade is left unprotected—devoid of any Aura.
Despite its incredible sharpness, Eternity doesn't cut through the cardboard.
"If your people built what I ordered correctly," Auren explains, "then it'll work. Just like a flimsy sheet of paper that becomes rigid when infused with Aura. The theory already works—the only question is whether I'm skilled enough to execute it... and whether the product meets my expectations."
He opens the final box—and finds a large, black piece of clothing folded neatly inside.
It's designed to be worn over anything, even thick armor. Auren immediately puts it on, sliding it over his gear like a shirt.
"What's that?!" Vanessa asks, her voice rising in surprise. She circles around Auren, staring at his back. There, two long flaps of cloth hang from his shoulders, resembling wings— however, they are just hanging down his back with no tension visible.
"Two wings?" she says. "That thing looks like a wingsuit! It reminds me of the one I wore back in college. I visited the Traia Cliffs down south—spent a week flying through the mountainside. Crashed a few times, but it was a lot of fun."
"Father nearly grounded you after you broke your shoulder," Konrad chimes in, looking mildly annoyed. "He is spoiling you so much. I think that was the first time he was genuinely angry. Also, as usual, you are wrong. A wingsuit doesn't have wings. It looks more like a flying squirrel! You wore one—you should know better. That thing is something else entirely."
"That's not a wingsuit, indeed," Auren explains, stepping forward. "It might look similar, but it has two actual wings. They're made from extremely thin and expensive nanofibers. These things cost a fortune, even compared to the usual products like clothes or body armor. They are hanging down and don't look like real wings... yet. You can't see them for what they are, because they are only supposed to work when I do... this!"
Auren activates Ren. His Aura surges outward, wrapping around the soft black fabric hanging from his back. As the wings absorb the Aura, they inflate and expand—taking on shape and structure. In seconds, he has two large, firm wings extending behind him, looking razor sharp, like they are made out of thin metal.
Then, just as quickly, he stops using Ren. The wings immediately droop, collapsing back into their soft, hanging form.
"Nice," Vanessa mutters, her eyes lighting up with envy as she grabs Neffi's arm. "I want them too! Neffi, you'll order some for me, riiight?"
"If you pay me..." Neffi mutters, trying to shake Vanessa off.
"They'll come in handy," Auren says, keeping his attention on the wings. "Especially if we're on the airship and can't land. But there's more—I've got a plan. There are a few small openings in the wing fabric. If I combine them with Limitless Waters and use Emission... I might be able to channel my Aura through them as boosters. Not just forward, but upward too, if I'm standing straight."
"Seriously?" Vanessa blurts out. "That's awesome! I want them even more now! Damn—does that mean I could actually fly through the air with that thing?!"
Auren shrugs. "Calm down. I haven't even tested it yet—it's just an idea... for now. This is a prototype. It'll probably fail at first; however, even if it merely functions like a basic wingsuit and just lets me glide, it's already useful. Especially for someone owning an airship. No doubt it'll come in handy."
"It could work," Goreinu says thoughtfully. "There are Emission training drills where you stand on your hands and launch yourself into the air using your Aura."
"I'm aware," Auren nods. "I've done them myself."
"With wings like those guiding the Aura—and considering someone as light as you are, Auren—it sounds plausible," Goreinu continues. "You're light, but your Aura is monstrous. Way stronger than most veteran Hunters already. That combination makes it possible. It's actually kind of ingenious, now that I think about it."
"Only people with serious skill in Emission could even hope to pull that off," Konrad adds, nodding. "Auren, Goreinu, Vanessa... maybe Neffi too, if she actually focused. Though my sister probably lacks the patience, intelligence, control, and even the attitud—"
Bonk
His analysis is cut off mid-sentence as Vanessa smacks him on the head with the flat of her hand.
"Transmutation is also useful and required," Auren adds, ignoring the bickering. "It allows me to control the shape of the wings using just my Aura—to steer and maneuver through the air. This'll be my little side project once we're back home."
"Home..." Vanessa repeats, raising an eyebrow. "You said it again."
"Yes," Auren confirms. "It's time I told you about the organisation I'm part of. It all began when I met my former instructors—Buno and Bunu—in Meteor City. They were working outside, supposedly just to earn money. But it turns out... they were actually Elders. Elders of a certain organisation."
He glances at the others, but immediately continues his explanation.
"You could call it a lot of things. A community. A town. An organisation. I'd call it a cult—though don't worry, there's no religion or outright fanaticism involved... mostly. It's a small commune made up of people from all walks of life. But they all have one thing in common—a deep disappointment in governments... and a desire to belong to something trustworthy. A community where they feel safe. I won't lie, there is also a certain... lack of empathy towards outsiders. As much as they love and take care of their own, they see outsiders, especially those connected to governments, as their enemies."
He pauses, then continues.
"It's called Hollow Blade. It's run by Elders and has contacts all over the world. Places like Swardani City... and even Yorknew. There are some of our members in every major nation in the world. Neffi here is the student of one of the Elders."
Neffi waves with a smile, while the rest of the group turns around to stare at her.
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