CHAPTER 14: Kogetsu
"What are you doing?" Zodac asked, his voice hesitant but alert.
"Listen," the old enchantress said sharply.
"Do you or do you not want to wield a weapon? Don't waste my time — I've got better things to do."
She turned to leave, but Zodac's desperate voice echoed through the shop.
"Wait! Please… help me."
A long silence filled the air. Then finally, she sighed.
"Fine. Let's get this over with."
This time, as she moved closer, Zodac didn't back away. He stood still, bracing himself for whatever was coming.
The old enchantress raised her hand and placed it firmly over his chest. Her lips moved softly, whispering ancient words:
"Crest… unlocked."
A faint golden light pulsed from her palm, and a small circular portal manifested on Zodac's chest — revealing a fragment of the red crystal buried within him. Its glow flickered wildly, alive yet restrained.
"Wait—what are you about to do? Have you even done this before?" Zodac asked nervously.
"Uh… no," she said plainly.
"What—WHAT?!" Zodac shouted, but it was too late.
In an instant, her two fingers pierced through the portal and tapped the crystal twice. A sharp wave of energy rippled through his entire body. His eyes widened in shock as pain surged from his chest outward. With another tap, two small shards broke free from the main crystal and shot into her waiting palm. The portal sealed shut immediately afterward.
Zodac fell to the floor, gasping for air as pain coursed through him.
"Wha… what was that?" he stammered, clutching his chest.
"Relax," she said dryly. "The pain will fade… eventually."
"Ugh…" Zodac groaned, forcing himself upright, sweat glistening on his forehead.
He noticed the tiny shards glowing faintly in her hand.
"What are you going to do with those?"
Without replying, she disappeared into the back room. Moments later, she returned carrying a thin, rusty blade — its handle cracked, its edge dulled with age. She set it on the table before them.
"This," she said, "is Kogetsu."
Zodac frowned at the battered sword. He reached out and touched the blade with one finger — a spark of blue lightning jolted from it, forcing him to jerk his hand back.
"Still shocking…" he muttered.
The enchantress placed one of the red crystal shards where the blade met the handle. As soon as it made contact, a dim red light enveloped the sword, humming softly. The glow grew brighter, then slowly subsided — revealing a transformed weapon.
The old rusted blade was gone. In its place lay a sleek, crimson sword, its blade gleaming with black streaks that shimmered faintly under the light. The handle was gold, wrapped in a red diamond-patterned grip, and the crystal shard pulsed at its center.
Zodac stared in awe. "It's… beautiful."
"Don't just stand there—pick it up!" the enchantress barked.
Zodac hesitated, then reached for the sword. He lightly touched the blade — no lightning this time. A smile spread across his face as he grasped it fully.
"I don't believe it," he said, his voice full of relief and joy.
"I can't believe that actually worked," the enchantress muttered under her breath.
Zodac gave her a look.
"At least it worked, didn't it?" she shot back with a smirk.
He laughed softly and admired the weapon — its sharpness, its balance, its weight. It was as though the blade had been reborn. But just as he continued to marvel, Kogetsu suddenly vanished from his grip.
"What? Where did it go?" he exclaimed, spinning around in confusion. Then his panel flashed before his eyes:
ELEMENTAL: WOOD — LV 5
Primary Weapon: Kogetsu
[Equipped]
"Whoa," he said, eyes widening again. Then new text scrolled across the panel:
Kogetsu: Primary Skills (Locked)
Skills: [**********]
[**********]
[**********]
[**********]
[**********]
"Five locked skills?!" he said, excitement rushing through him. "Kogetsu… has potential!"
The enchantress watched, unimpressed — she couldn't see his panel, only his strange excitement.
With a sigh, she fetched another weapon — a short dagger, dull and worn. Just like before, she dropped the second crystal shard onto it. A soft red glow spread, transforming the dagger into a stunning twin to Kogetsu — red and black blade, golden handle with red stripes.
"It's gorgeous," Zodac said, beaming. Then an idea struck him.
He stretched out his hand, and the dagger began to vibrate, lifting off the table. It floated through the air and landed perfectly in his palm.
A new message appeared before his eyes:
(Weapon Equipped)
System Detected: Weapon has no name.
Assign a name to Secondary Weapon.
"What the…" Zodac murmured.
"What do you see?" the enchantress asked.
"It says I need to name the weapon," he replied.
"Then name it already. We don't have all day," she said flatly.
Zodac rubbed his chin. "Name a weapon, huh? Never thought I'd get to do that."
He started pacing.
"Scorpion? …No, too obvious."
"Red Fang? …Hmm, cliché."
"Dragon's Breath? …No, doesn't fit."
"Zeitgeist? …What does that even mean?"
He groaned. "Ugh, all these names are garbage."
"Can you speed it up?" the enchantress snapped.
"Oh—sorry!" Zodac said quickly, returning to his thoughts, determined to find the perfect name.