User blog:Seieireppa/God Eater ∂: Those Who Change History, chapter 8

Flames.

''At the root of all creation is flame. The universe began in flames and the earth was forged in flames.''

''At the root of destruction too is flame. Flames burn all before them, reducing all to ash, indiscriminately.''

Yet from destruction can come creation.

As the flames burned bright within the forge, the metal ore within began to break down, the heat of the flames reducing it to its component elements. Eventually, they would destroy the furnace and rake out the pure metals within, but not before adding a crucial element.

“Sir Nobunaga,” Hideyoshi began, motioning towards the latter, “please, cast in the blade of the Akai Ryūtei. The flames of the forge will break it down, where it will be absorbed into the tamahagane, the steel for the sword, and become one with it. Once this is done, which will be in two or three days, we will break down the forge and smelt the tamahagane into a block of metal, which I will work into a blade over the course of a day. Once I am done with the forging, I will craft a hilt and guard, and then I will hand it off to you. From there, it is up to you to bond with your blade as I have with mine.”

Nobunaga did as instructed, throwing the blade from the Akai Ryūtei’s arm into the furnace. As soon as the blade touched the coals and tamahagane, the furnace erupted forth with brilliant blue flames that were mysteriously cold instead of hot.

“Worry not,” counseled Hideyoshi. “This is part of the process whereby the Aragami body part, and the Oracle Matter that comprises it, fuses with the tamahagane on an atomic level and becomes one with the steel.”

Nobunaga merely watched on as the cold blue flames burned high, forging and tempering the material within into something new and alive. With this, Nobunaga thought to himself, he would hold the power of the Kamigui in his own hands…

A day passed, and then another, and finally on the third day Nobunaga and company returned to the forge. Here, the three of them — Nobunaga, Mitsuhide, and Hideyoshi — took pick in hand and broke down the walls of the furnace. What awaited them within was a gently glowing lump of steel and coal that pulsated with a gentle blue light that was cool to the touch.

Hideyoshi raked through the mound of steel, picking out choice lumps and grouping them together. The pieces of metal he chose possessed a hue of deepest red, contrasted with the pale red of the rest of the metal, while still giving off a blue light, something Nobunaga found curious. With the metal he had gathered, Hideyoshi took a small vial from his belt, uncorked the neck, and sprinkled a strange powder onto the metal fragments he had chosen. When this powder touched the metal, bright green sparks and similarly-colored flames erupted forth, causing the metal to take on a green glow.

“Pardon my asking, Hideyoshi,” interjected Mitsuhide, who was watching the process, “but, when forging a sword, is it not advisable to bring the tamahagane pieces to a second forge and work them therein?”

“Normally, yes,” Hideyoshi replied, “but in the case of this metal, infused with Oracle Matter, normal flames can no longer suffice. What I have here in this vial is powdered Oracle Matter in its purest form, which, when contacting Oracle-infused steel, reacts with the air around it to produce Oracle flames which can melt even the strongest metal. It is essential for it to be out in the open so as to achieve maximum airflow over the steel while the Oracle flames do their job. However, I will need to remain here to tend to the steel while it undergoes its evolution.”

Mitsuhide turned to Nobunaga. “In that case, milord, would it not be wise to leave Hideyoshi to his business and attend the strategy meeting for the coming campaign against Shingen’s forces?”

“No,” came Nobunaga’s curt reply. “I wish to remain here and see this blade through to its ultimate birth. I assume you have no problem with that?”

“No, but…”

Mitsuhide’s thoughts were interrupted by the sound of footsteps at the entrance to the forge.

“I thought I’d find you here, Brother,” came the irate voice of the visitor, a girl with stunning red-brown hair who appeared to be no older than seventeen years of age. “You’ve been stealing off to the forge every day for the past three days, and now I see why. Care to explain yourself, Brother?”

“Now, now, Oichi,” replied Nobunaga. “What I’m doing here will allow me to suppress the Aragami threat and bring peace and unity to all Japan… and once I’ve done that, you’ll be able to live in happiness, Oichi.”  Nobunaga stood up and walked over to his younger sister, ruffling her hair.

“If you say so, Brother,” Oichi responded reluctantly. “But honestly, why must men always concern themselves with fighting?”

Nobunaga let out a hearty laugh. “It’s always men this and men that with you, Oichi,” he exclaimed. “Would it not be prudent to concern yourself with womanly matters for once?”

Mitsuhide added his own chuckle as Oichi puffed up her cheeks in displeasure, turning and storming out of the forge.

Nobunaga loved Oichi with all his heart, and more than anything he wanted to rid the world of the Aragami so that she would not have to worry about whether her brother would be coming home from the front the next day, every day. While his ultimate goal was still the unification of Japan, he knew that there was no point if he could not be there for his sister.

And thus a day passed, and Nobunaga’s sword was finally complete…

TO BE CONTINUED