Chapter 60

The skies above Raureif shimmered a soft blue-white as mana currents rolled like clouds. On the raised snow-flecked plateau overlooking the capital, Lily Kurogane Mizuyari and Sanguinella von Blutschwert stood across from Kalt XVIII, who clutched his current weapon—a temporary spellcaster sword still faintly glowing from yesterday’s training.

He exhaled slowly, stance shaky but improving. His cloak fluttered against the wind.

Kalt
So… I have a sword for my basic casting. A scythe for emergencies. And a mind that can barely handle one at a time.

Sanguinella
(smirking, katana drawn)
Well you’re lucky I don’t even need to pick. I just fight, look good, and let the magic figure itself out.

She launched forward, the wind bending around her step, but Kalt blocked with his sword—barely—and used the recoil to backstep. His breathing was sharp. Controlled.

Then came Lily.

She dropped from above like a streak of shadow and silver, her Dramatic Play twirling in one hand. She landed next to him, crouched, then raised her finger toward the scythe on the ground.

Lily
You can’t split your focus forever. Shizuku doesn’t either.

Kalt
You mean... with Mizuki Kurogane?

Lily
Exactly. His weapon morphs—adapts based on his intent. Blade to Gun. Gun to Lance. Even to a crystal if needed.

Kalt
...Then how do I do that?

Lily walked over and picked up his scythe. She tapped the handle twice with her finger and handed it back.

Lily
Make it a morphing weapon.

Kalt
(staring)
That's it?

Lily
That’s the start. It takes soul-thread forging, a resonance link, and lots of failure. But if your mana signature can anchor a base form—say your spellcaster sword—then the scythe can become a mode instead of a separate weapon.

Sanguinella leapt in beside them, flipping her ice-and-blood katana over her shoulder.

Sanguinella
Think of it like... dressing your blade in different outfits.

Kalt
And what if I mess up the resonance link?

Lily
(stretching)
Then it explodes.

Kalt
(pauses)
...Good to know.

Kalt swings his scythe one-handed while simultaneously casting from the spellblade.

Sanguinella keeps pressuring him with speed drills—every missed block earns him a flick to the forehead.

Lily corrects his stance, guides his casting glyphs into a single-thread casting matrix, and begins mana-weaving tutorials.

By sunset, Kalt’s spellcaster sword begins glowing at the hilt, reacting faintly to the presence of the scythe. The two weapons quiver in his hands.

Kalt
(muttering to the weapons)
"One day. I’ll make you one."

"You’re already starting. Just don’t rush it. The blade will only respond when you’re ready."