A.N still on break don't expect consistent updates
"So how exactly is this thing supposed to work exactly?" Durandal asked.
She stood in front of a table with ELF Shamash resting on it. In her hands was the 12th Divine Key, Jizo Mitama. A slightly nervous-looking Theresa stood on a chair nearby, also staring at the table.
In the end I decided it was a good thing, Theresa could restrain ELF Shamash with Oath of Judah in a way that wouldn't render it in need of another power system overhaul.
"How should I know? It's not like I've ever used it. Maybe you can practice on something?" I suggested.
Durandal shrugged. I pulled out my Schicksal communicator. I could use my Battlesuit's fold-out HUD if I needed to contact someone, but this communicator didn't contain anything sensitive, at least not to Durandal.
"So what, I just touch it with the sword?" Durandal asked.
"Again, how should I know? Aren't divine keys supposed to be synced to their users?" I asked.
"I feel… something. It doesn't feel like using the Abyssal Flower at all." Durandal spoke up.
"Well, I mean, just try… like touching it to the communicator?"
Durandal touched the tip of the sword on the communicator, instantly black fog spread out from where it made contact.
"What's happening? Is it working?" I asked.
"I don't know," Durandal admitted.
"You don't feel anything at all?"
"No, I am definitely feeling it, but I don't know what to do."
"Try imagining the communicator unlocking. That's what I do with Oath of Judah's chains, I just think what I want and it just sort of happens," Theresa offered.
The communicator suddenly unlocked and showed the home screen.
"Can you lift the Jizo Mitama back up?" I asked.
Durandal lifted the katana, and the black fog faded away. I quickly snatched my communicator off of the desk.
Powering it off and on again, I was once again greeted by the lock screen. Typing in the pin and checking out some of the functions, I confirmed it still worked. I placed it back on the table.
"This thing, I don't know if it's capable of really. Try and permanently disable the password."
Durandal touched the katana to the communicator again, and said "So I just imagine the password being gone?"
As she spoke, the phone booted into the homescreen again, lifting the sword, I grabbed it and gave it a quick onceover yet again. This time after powering it off and on again, it didn't require a password but booted directly into the homescreen.
"Okay, try and restore it." I put it back on the desk.
Picking it up again, I tried entering my password, it didn't work.
"It didn't work?" Durandal asked.
"It might be whatever password Durandal imagined," Theresa added.
"Give it to me," Durandal said. I handed it over. She typed a different pin, and the device booted back into the home screen.
"Can I have that back?" I asked. Taking it, I went into settings, checked under security, and confirmed the change.
Quickly giving the communicator back to Durandal for the pin, and typing out my Schicksal account password, I changed the pin back to the original, powering it on and off, and typing in the new pin, it booted once again into the homescreen.
"Looks like you don't need to be specific about what you ask. I don't know what to imagine for the ELF though." I said.
"What do you want to do exactly?" Durandal asked.
"The authority is a bust, but it's still a powerful combat unit. I'm almost useless against human targets, so I need a counter. I'm hoping this will be it."
"Authority for what?" Theresa asked.
"Not important, too long to explain and it didn't work anyway." I stated.
"So, I imagine it follows orders?" Durandal clarified.
"Also make it actively loyal and helpful, not just a machine that obeys," I added.
"Okay." Durandal confirmed.
She touched Jizo Mitama's tip to the inactive ELF. Nothing happened.
"Keep the Divine Key in contact; I'll enable the ELF," Reaching into a pouch I had requested installed on my Battlesuit's left side on the waist (It didn't have pockets), I pulled out the remote trigger that Otto had given me in the Lab.
"I'm activating it now," I warned, pressing the button.
The ELF's eyes opened, then black fog spread across its form. After a few seconds, Durandal lifted Jizo Mitama. The fog vanished, leaving the ELF sitting upright on the table, eyes glowing faintly.
"Hello?" I asked.
"Hello," Shamash replied.
"Can you sit up?"
It did. I wasn't sure if it was obeying or acting independently.
"You are the one who defeated me?" It asked.
I tensed slightly. "Yes."
"I would like to know how you did that," Shamash said.
"That can wait for later, how are you currently feeling?" I asked.
"All internal systems fully operational, however, some of the Soulium around my wrists is not responding to commands, my hands are currently bound together." Shamash stated.
"That is because you attacked us, are you going to do that again?" I asked.
"My directives have been changed. I am now to assist you in combat. I will not attack you."
"How do you feel about that, given we were just fighting?" I asked.
"My feelings are irrelevant. I cannot violate my directives."
Of course, it could be completely lying, however it probably wasn't fully on board with the whole idea, despite me asking Durandal to try and make it actively loyal.
Or maybe it was fully on board now, and just acted like how an ELF of Kevin would act, in other words, a complete block of ice.
Can't really confirm it now, but I can see if it immediately tries to attack me. I felt much more confident that I could survive a hit with my new Battlesuit.
Which reminds me, I was somewhat insane to face Shamash with only passive armor, given how I would kill a normal Battlesuit if my concentration broke. Lucky it had been pretty decent, and if I got hurt I could have healed myself back up.
"Durandal, can you use Jizo Mitama to unbind its hands?" I asked.
Durandal frowned, before complying and unbinding its hands.
The ELF stood up on the table, looking somewhat adorable in appearance, even if it could level a city.
"I am fully operational, my power system overhaul is performing at 97% of my original capacity. I am ready for my next mission." It proclaimed.
"We should perform combat tests to see its performance." Durantal suggested.
"You can use the new Memorial Arena that was just brought online a few weeks ago." Theresa added, I had almost forgotten she was here.
"That might destroy the arena. Better to fly somewhere uninhabited," I countered.
"I can control my output and avoid collateral damage," Shamash stated.
"I would rather not have my new arena destroyed, even if it is just a possibility." Theresa had apparently changed her mind.
"Durandal, how about a spar between you and Shamash, you might be able to go all out." I suggested.
"My designation is actually Captain Shamash," the ELF noted.
"That's dumb. I'm just going to call you Shamash," I said.
"That is acceptable," it replied.
"I am fine with a fight." Durandal stated in a neutral way, but she definitely looked excited.
"Don't blow up my island! If you want to fight at full power, do it elsewhere!" Theresa warned. Then, after a moment, she added, "Actually, stay here a while. Kiana and the others keep bugging me about you, they say you only answer texts with one or two words before ignoring them."
I had intentionally avoided seeing them on the way here, this building was connected to St. Freya's air terminal.
"I can stay for a bit. We still need to run tests," I said.
Both combat and loyalty tests. Maybe interacting with Kiana and the others would reveal more about Shamash's behavior.
Durandal put the 12th Divine Key back on the table, and Theresa picked it up, walking through the door, there was someone dressed in a labcoat that I had never seen before, who Theresa handed the Divine Key too, before starting to walk down the hall.
I waved at the St. Freya scientist, they smiled but didn't wave back since they were holding the Divine Key with thick protective gloves with both hands.
I started following Theresa down the hall, before turning back to see that both Durandal and Shamash were following along as well.
"So, Shamash, what exactly do you know about the current Era?" I asked.
"I was on standby for one thousand, five hundred, twenty three years and six months before our last encounter, four days ago. The only information about the current Era I possess is from our fight, and the room we were just in." It stated.
"Well, that's fine, I can have Otto prepare an information package for you when we get back to Schicksal HQ. S.A.V.E projects ARK and EMBER have failed, as you know, Kevin attempted to activate project STIGMA early, and Regulator was successfully activated. As for VALUKA, you will soon be able to see if it has a result or not in the coming days."
I hoped that Su would vouch for me, or for Durandal, or just for Schicksal in general. I was pretty hopeful that they would, otherwise I would have to count on whatever loyalty Durandal instilled in Shamash using the Divine Key, which I wasn't quite sure of yet.
Theresa frowned at the mention of Otto, and said "You really shouldn't trust grandpa, I know him better than most."
Do you really think so? Probably as a person you understand him better than most, but you have little understanding of his motivations.
"I am fine, Otto Apocalypse has been vouched for by trustworthy people, and I know his true motivation." I stated.
"And what, exactly, is his true motivation." Theresa asked, "I know that it's not fighting the Honkai, the way he acts it's almost like it's a distraction."
"I am not so sure that it is like that." No, it definitely was, "However I am sure he will eventually tell you what drives him someday, and not too far in the distant future."
Theresa frowned again. "You were always annoyingly mysterious."
I clasped my hands behind my back, which felt awkward while walking. "I learned from the best teachers. Some of the greatest priests in history. We all share the same reverence for our gods." (none)
The whole power armor thing didn't really quite fit in with the whole priest vibe I was going for, but maybe I could be a Saintess.
I wonder if I could ask Nagamitsu to add a Halo to my battlesuit, it already had golden green wings when the flight systems were active, so it wouldn't exactly look out of place.
Huh, I wonder if this thing will still work in the Honkai: Star Rail universe.
I know that Divine Keys can be powered by Imaginary Energy, unless Welt was still using Honkai energy to power his mimicry Star of Eden without a Herrscher core and only minor amounts of Honkai Resistance.
Maybe Nagamitsu could create a Battlesuit that ran purely off of the Path Energy that leaked from my body.
"We are almost at the exit." Theresa stated.