Chapter 25: A New Look

“It’s ready!” The tailor boomed, slapping the pendant into Meisatsu’s palm. “I even threw in a bonus!”

They were back at the tailor's shop to retrieve his new gear.

Like a child receiving a brand-new toy, Meisatsu eagerly poked and prodded at it. His excitement practically radiating out of him like a sun. Finally! I get my signature look!

He slung it around the pendant over his neck with great anticipation. 

"......" Then, hesitantly, he asked “Eh... What happens now...?”

The tailor grinned, crossing his arms with gusto. “Just think of slipping into some new clothes—and watch the magic happen!”

Just think of wearing clothes... Sounds simple enough…

Ayame on the other hand could, barely contain herself. Dozens of vivid images flashed through her lusty mind—Meisatsu in shining armor, riding atop a mighty steed, looking every bit the Hero he was destined to be.

She had—momentarily—forgotten his playful descriptions from the other day.

“Hnnnngh!” Calling on the full capacity of his imagination, he strained with all his might. “Hrrrrrgh!!”

To Ayame’s surprise, she watched as the pendant hovered around his neck, thick, glossy strands spewing outward. The thread-like material wound around his limbs, slowly enveloping his entire frame.

The scene was mesmerizing, holding Ayame’s gaze as she silently watched the transformation unfold.

WHOOSH!

An all-black cape fanned out from Meisatsu’s shoulders, draping gracefully down his back like an extension of himself... 

It looked as if it was woven with darkness...

Behind his cluttered counter, the tailor struggled to contain his pride. A smile that teetered between modesty and self-satisfaction formed on his face as he motioned for Meisatsu to approach the mirror in the back.

“Woah…” He scooped up the flowing cape behind him. “Woah!!!”

“That should be my best work yet,” the tailor stated confidently. “Does it suit your tastes?”

“No.” Meisatsu’s face darkened for a moment, then lit up again. “It’s even better!”

Ayame paced around him, her eyes sparkling. “I’ve never seen a design like this before… It looks awesome!”

Meisatsu nodded at her remark. “I know, right!!!”

“But what would you call it?” the tailor asked, a hint of concern in his voice. “The last Hero named his gear. You should too.”

“Oh! Right,” Ayame added, brow furrowing. “I think it was called True Gold Amour.”

Meisatsu—still in the middle of snuggling his cape—snapped back to the moment, facing Ayame. “Where’d you hear that?”

“You do know there’s a library in Beetho, don’t you, Satsu?” Her tone carried a teasing, almost patronizing edge. The one he dreaded.

Though formal education was rare in Beetho, a general library existed, filled with books on Asturia’s history and other useful knowledge.

“O-of course I do!” His wavering voice betrayed him. “I just...haven’t had time to go there…”

In other words, history—unrelated to guns—wasn’t exactly his thing.

“So, what’ll you call it?!” The tailor’s patience was being stretched thin, waiting for the heroic name that would be bestowed upon his work.

“Yeah Satsu! You give the best names!”

“I see.” His right brow arched, and he chuckled smugly. “I’ll call it…!”

Both of them leaned in, the tension tugged them closer…

“The Dark Night…” Meisatsu said, with his voice dark, and gritty.

A name that was definitely not inspired by a certain, caped crusader…

As the others processed the name he had given, an uncomfortable silence filled the room, then—

“That’s simply wonderful! To think my handiwork would be given such a magnificent name!” Tears welled in the tailor’s eyes, and he dabbed them away with a cloth.

“The Dark Night…” Ayame repeated softly to herself, then her eyes burned with a fierce pride. “Yes! A name worthy of my Satsu! Someday, everyone across the nation will know it!”

I honestly just thought of a comic book though… Oh well…

“Notice anything yet?” the tailor asked, gesturing toward a small symbol on Meisatsu’s left chest.

It was a thin strip of light-ash-colored metal, shaped into… “My Glock?” Meisatsu whispered in awe, tracing it with a finger.

So that's what its called... The tailor pondered before continuing, “That’s it. I met a Blacksmith and told him to trace an outline I carved out of cloth.”

Meisatsu traced his fingers over it. “Thank—”

“And that’s not all!” The tailor wagged a finger. “The real bonus? That material is enchanted with magic for damage reduction!”

“All that for three golds and some silvers?!” Ayame backed up cautiously. “I guess you really do care about the Heroes…”

Just what I needed! Something to boost my defense! Meisatsu couldn’t believe how perfect the addition was. “Anyway to test it out?!”

“Ah!” Bending over, the tailor grabbed something beneath the counter. Rising, he held a bow and arrow in his hands. “This will do!”

WHY'S A  BOW AND ARROW LYING AROUND IN HIS SHOP?!!

The mood darkened as a black aura seemed to radiate from Ayame, warping the room.

“J-just watch!” Quivering slightly as he ignored Ayame’s menacing presence, the tailor strung the bow and fired.

SNAP!

It snapped in two as it struck Meisatsu. The pieces clattering to the floor.

“S-see?” the tailor asked, fearfully glancing at Ayame.

A less tense atmosphere returned. Meisatsu noted that with the new suit, he barely felt the impact. BULLETPROOF still allowed sensitivity to touch, but when the arrow struck, there was nothing.

Alright, things are looking good.

Meisatsu and Ayame prepared to leave, heading for the door. Meisatsu had it halfway open when he remembered a crucial question...

“How do I change back?!”

“Just think of slipping out of your clothes!” the tailor answered, brimming with absolute certainty. “It’s that easy!”

“I see…” Meisatsu muttered, straining his imaginative powers once more as the suit retracted like a viscous, liquid-like substance back into his pendant.

And he missed the—constant, overly loud—voice of his father echoing through the house—it was oddly comforting...

Then there was the newest addition to the household Simuru. His squishy lovable companion. I wonder what he’s up too now…

Arriving in his room, Meisatsu dove onto the bed and stared at the ceiling. Another familiar presence floated to the forefront of his thoughts... Scroll. Guess I’ll pay him a visit.

Focusing, Meisatsu entered the void, ready for a casual chat with Scroll.

“Nice suit,” Scroll remarked. His usual sarcasm laced the words as Meisatsu approached. “Still in that phase, LOL!”

Meisatsu’s face flushed with a bright red. He glanced down at himself, clad in his new suit. “But when…”

means you thought about it, and when you got here, it just… manifested, LOL!” Scroll explained, laughing as he did.

So essentially, my thoughts ratted me out?! He made a mental note to himself. Definitely gotta work on that.

“Anyway, how does it look?!” Meisatsu grabbed his cape and fanned it out dramatically. “Pretty sick, right?”

“It does look cool, I suppose…” Scroll added—smirking? “Let me guess... You have a catchphrase too?”

Smiling wryly, Meisatsu nodded eagerly , whipped out his Glock, and struck a pose. “I am the gun that will shoot the heavens!”

“You sure you’re man enough to be saying stuff like that?”

“I’m more than man enough!”

“......” 

They stood in silence for a few seconds before Scroll broke it... 

“You’ll be getting that bike soon, huh?”

“Y-yeah, I better go rest up!”

“You should…”

Back on his bed, Meisatsu sighed as he reeled. Well, that was awkward…

The next day was spent exploring more of the city with Ayame. Meisatsu, as expected, made sure to carve out some time to test his mobility in the new suit.

At first, it really was a struggle. Every few steps, his cape would either snag on something, or his footing would falter, sending him sprawling to the ground. After countless attempts—and just as many stumbles—he finally got the hang of running without tripping over the flowing fabric.

Satisfied, he then moved on to testing the suit’s durability. Pulling out his Glock, he fired several rounds at his chest. Each bullet was harmlessly deflected off the suit’s—enchanted?—material, leaving barely a scratch behind.

✦✦✦

It was finally the day they were to meet up with Elana to collect his custom made Magi-Mobile.

“Prepare to have ya minds blown!”

Her voice echoed through the spacious section workshop, now cleared of most construction clutter. Only a handful of her employees remained—less than half the number who had been present the last time they visited.

She had explained earlier that it was an off day for the majority, but a few had stayed behind, eager to witness the Hero’s reaction—especially those who had helped bring his request to life.

Grabbing the edge of the covers, she prepared to whip it off with dramatic flair, and her mind drifted back to the Magi-Mobile’s construction…

Three Days Ago...

As they studied the three drawings, several of them murmured amongst themselves.

“Two wheels? Why had we never thought of that…?”

“I guess that’s the Hero for you,” another one replied, shrugging.

Elena then went over the other requirements Meisatsu had requested. She told them wanted a "VEE TWO engine". As she explained, she mimicked the peculiar sound he had described to illustrate her point.

Finally, she turned to two of her best employees, ready to assign the most critical tasks.

“The two of ya are on figurin’ out how to make that sound with magic. Got it?”

The two elves exchanged exasperated looks at the thought of having to replicate—by trial and error—the peculiar sound using Sound Magic. The male elf on the left, by chance, was the one who had interrupted Meisatsu the last time he was moving parts of the Magi-Mobiles around. 

Beside him, a female elf frowned slightly, her arms crossed as she silently braced herself for the painstaking task ahead.

With a weak sigh, the male elf muttered, “You’re the boss…” while the female simply nodded in reluctant agreement.

Meanwhile, Elena couldn’t tear her eyes away from the flawless sketches before her, utterly engrossed. Such fascination was only natural for someone with the Role... High-Craftsman.

The Role—High-Craftsman—fell under the Royal Class, towering above a regular Craftsman in both skill and precision. While both Roles excelled at constructing everyday contraptions, a High-Craftsman could elevate even the simplest design to unprecedented heights. Anything given to them always emerged perfectly—or even better—than originally intended.

With a wild glint in her eyes, almost drooling, Elena barked out her orders, “The rest of ya, support ’em!”

As her team scattered to carry out her commands, she locked her gaze on a chunk of metal tucked quietly in a distant corner, clutching a hammer. A thin line of emerald light traced the edges of her irises as she activated one of her most important abilities…

TRUE CRAFT

The skill allowed her to seize every last detail of her intended creation, leaving no room for error. A lecherous smile crept across her face as she began hammering away with manic precision.

And thus...the construction began.

 Both siblings’ jaws now dropped in sync as the covers where whipped off, speechless at the magnificent work of art that it was.

The Magi-Mobile gleamed with a black sheen across its low-slung chassis. Thick, imposing wheels gripping the ground, and polished silver exhausts caught the light.  Its wide handlebars, and muscular frame, gave it a rugged, commanding presence.

“Hope I got it right?” Elena chuckled, still wondering if she did justice to Meisatsu’s design on paper.

“Heck yeah you did!” Meisatsu ran over, running his hands along the Magi-Mobiles sleek body as he gripped the handles.

Ayame remained motionless, still trying to process the aesthetic charm of the vehicle. The few workers present offered light applause and murmurs of approval.

The few workers present lightly applauded from their spots, murmuring amongst themselves.

Circling the marvel, Meisatsu’s eyes caught a silver plating on both sides of the engine, engraved with—

V2

“It’s… beautiful…” Ayame whispered as awe—and reluctant defeat—threaded her voice. No, I won’t let you take Satsu from me!

“How do I start it?” Meisatsu searched for a keyhole, but found none. He only spotted a thumb-shaped dent between the handles.

Elena stuck out her thumb, gesturing toward the spot. “Just place your thumb here!”

Meisatsu obeyed. The moment his thumb touched the dent, it felt as if something was being drawn from him. It was a strange, draining sensation.

Suddenly, the—magical?—engine roared to life. Golden circuit-like patterns pulsed along the body, then faded into a soft glow that traced the entire surface.

“That’s your magic power!” Elena nudged him before adding, “Since you’re the first one to start it, only you can turn it on now!”

“I feel…weird...” Meisatsu held his head and huffing lightly.

“It’s normal at first. You’ll get used to it. That’s how ya charge it!” she explained. “It needs a lot of magic power to run for long periods, but since you’re the Hero, I’m sure you’ll manage.”

No wonder it wasn’t popular, Meisatsu thought. Only people with above-average magic power could use one...

When he paired that with the cost, it became even more apparent why...

He listened closely. The engine rumbled with the sound he had tried to describe—flawlessly replicated, better than he could imagine.

“You created the sound too?!”

“You can thank those two,” Elena said, pointing to her two best employees at the back, their dark circles betraying sleepless nights. “They tinkered with spells until they got it right.”

She nodded at the proudly.

“Thanks!” Meisatsu called out, and they waved back nervously. “Also… how many kilometers an hour can this bad boy go?!”

He gave the Magi-Mobile a firm tap.

“The heck’s a kilometer?”

Ahh… It’s like that, huh?  He decided to try a different approach. “I mean, how fast does it go?

“It goes up to... I guess that part's up to ya!" She gestured toward a circular crystalline display perched atop the starting point.

On the display, the numbers—

000

—glowed with gold light, while small, rune-like inscriptions danced around them.

I’ll have to guess its speed when I try it out later… Meisatsu sighed, but he was still very much excited. Still, it's pretty cool!!!

“You can give it a spin round the city tomorrow!” Elena added cheerfully.