Chapter 43: The First Dominion
The world, once a blueprint of golden lines, was now a vibrant symphony of colored forms, each humming with its own Aetheric song. Kairo stood in the center of the Crucible, his new sight a dizzying, overwhelming marvel. He saw Kasumi not as a wireframe, but as a being of pure, controlled crimson fire. He saw the Eclipse Blade not as a shape, but as a wound in reality, a sliver of hungry purple shadow. And he saw the Quest in his mind, clear and absolute. Lift the Eclipse Blade from the ground using only the power of your Seigan.
"The quest your 'system' has given you is a logical one," Kasumi said, her voice pulling him from his reverie. She had already processed his explanation of the Codex's directives, accepting it as just one more piece of his impossible nature. "Lifting a pebble is a parlor trick. Lifting a Founder-grade weapon is a measure of true mastery. Your Dominion, as you call it, is a blunt instrument. We will sharpen it."
She gestured to the blade lying twenty feet away. "You failed to lift it before because you were trying to command an object with a will of its own. An Aetheric weapon is not a dead thing. It has a resonance, a spirit. You heard its song. Do not shout at it. Learn to hum along."
Her advice was a perfect key, unlocking the puzzle his own mind was already working on. It was not about overwhelming force. It was about harmony.
Kairo took a deep breath, the effects of the recovery potion a cool, clean fire in his veins. His Aether core, now at Level 10, was a deeper, more substantial well. He focused his will, not as a blunt needle of force, but as a gentle, resonant wave. He extended his golden Seigan-Aether towards the resting blade.
In his new Aetheric Vision, he saw the interaction with breathtaking clarity. His own golden energy, the color of command and absolute order, washed over the deep purple aura of the Eclipse Blade. The blade's aura recoiled slightly, its shadowy energy resisting his, like oil repelling water. It was a conflict of natures.
I am treating it like an enemy to be conquered, he realized. Not a tool to be wielded.
He changed his approach. He remembered the vision, the feeling of the blades as anchors, extensions of his own will. He did not push his Aether at the blade. He invited the blade's Aether to him. He focused on the memory of its hum, the unique frequency he had felt when he first touched it, and he mirrored it with his own golden energy.
It was like trying to match a master musician's note having only heard it once. His first attempt was flat. The blade remained inert. He felt a sharp drain on his core.
AET: 99 -> 94
"You are forcing it," Kasumi critiqued from the sidelines, her crimson form a silent, watchful judge. "You are screaming at a sleeping cat. You will only startle it. Be gentle. Be patient. Find its rhythm."
He took another breath, steadying himself. He ignored the drain, the frustration. He focused, listening with his soul, trying to recall that perfect, resonant note. He extended his Aether again, this time a soft, searching hum. The golden light of his will gently brushed against the purple shadow of the blade.
There. A flicker. For a fraction of a second, the two energies did not repel. They harmonized. A single, low note, almost too deep to hear, resonated through the Crucible.
He held onto it. He nurtured that fledgling connection, pouring more of his will into maintaining the perfect frequency. The quiet hum grew, becoming a steady, resonant thrum that vibrated in his bones. He could see it in his Aetheric Vision. His golden aura was no longer fighting the purple shadow. It was enveloping it, weaving into it, the two colors swirling together into a beautiful, terrifying spiral of gold and deepest indigo.
He felt the blade's "will" quiescent, accepting. It was no longer resisting. It was listening.
"Now," he whispered to himself.
He focused the entirety of his command into a single, clear thought. Ascend.
The Eclipse Blade did not float. It did not rise.
It answered.
With a sound like tearing silk, the deep purple aura of the blade flared. It dissolved into a wisp of pure, solidified night, taking the physical blade with it. It was gone.
Before Kairo could even process the failure, the air directly in front of his outstretched hand shimmered. The same wisp of purple shadow tore a hole in reality and solidified.
The cool, leather-wrapped hilt of the Eclipse Blade slapped gently into his waiting palm.
It had not lifted. It had teleported. It had answered his call.
Silence.
Kairo stood there, the impossible sword now a solid, perfect weight in his hand. The connection he felt to it was no longer just physical. It was a pact. A spiritual bond between the Founder's Echo in his soul and the Founder's weapon in his hand. He could feel its hunger, its ancient desire for battle.
Kasumi was motionless, her crimson aura frozen in a state of pure, unadulterated astonishment. "That... was not Force Manipulation," she breathed, her voice tight with disbelief. "That was your other gift. The Shadow Step. The blade... it responded to your pact, not just your Seigan. They are... connected."
The Founder's Codex chimed in his mind, confirming her awe-struck diagnosis.
[Founder's Quest Complete: The First Dominion]
[Objective fulfilled in an unexpected manner. The resonant bond between your Seigan and the Founder-Grade weapon has created a synergistic link with your Aether Pact Gift.]
[Reward Granted: 50 Stat Points. Skill: [Lesser Force Manipulation] has evolved.]
[New Skill Gained: [Dominion of the Serpent's Hand (E-Grade)] - You can now exert a stronger telekinetic force on objects within your sight. Your control is more precise. You have a rudimentary grasp of how to 'push' and 'pull' Aetheric as well as physical objects. Cost is moderate.]
A river of new knowledge and potential flooded his mind. He had not just gained a skill. He had unlocked a new paradigm. The ability to affect Aether itself.
But there was more.
[Quest Complete: The Eclipse Blade]
[Objective fulfilled: You have successfully channeled your [Shadow Step] ability through the blade.]
[Reward Granted: 50 Stat Points. Insight: [Domain of the Silent Blade] unlocked.]
A hundred stat points. An entirely new application for his power. And an Insight whose name promised a deeper mastery of the Akashi arts than he had ever dreamed of. It was a treasure hoard beyond measure. A quantum leap in his power.
"Kairo." Kasumi's voice was a sharp crack in his triumphant haze. She had recovered from her shock, and it had been replaced by a burning, obsessive fire. "Drop the blade. Do it again."
She had to understand. She had to see it again. She had to quantify the miracle.
Kairo looked at the sword in his hand, then at the blazing crimson form of his instructor. A slow smile spread across his face. For the first time, it was not a cold, calculated expression. It was a genuine smile of pure, unadulterated power.
"No, Instructor," he said, his voice no longer a boy's whisper, but a calm, resonant tone that held the weight of his new reality.
He held the Eclipse Blade aloft, its purple aura flaring in harmony with his own. He felt the silver thread of his Shadowcat pact, the golden will of the Founder's Echo, and the raw, physical strength of his own reforged body, all converging into a single, perfect point.
"The lesson is over," Kairo said. "Now, the training begins."
He pointed the tip of the shadow-wreathed blade at her.
"And today, Instructor," he declared, his voice ringing with an authority that was not a boy's, not a scholar's, but a king's. "You will be my sparring partner."