The forge glowed bright under the light of molten lava. Tsuna held a short kukri in one hand, its guard inlaid with two different crystals—one blue, one green.
A faint chill shimmered along the blade's edge, proof that this was no ordinary Magic Sword. Even without invoking its enchantments, the weapon itself possessed considerable cutting power.
"This dragon fang is even sharper than I imagined. Even without using magic, this Magic Sword's performance rivals that of a standard second-tier weapon."
"And it has two completely different types of magic—'Red Mist,' which blocks and weakens spells, and flames that can reach extreme temperatures. There's no usage limit, but… it still needs an energy reserve, right? Otherwise, where does its power come from?"
"That," Hephaestus said with a smile as she approached, pointing at the two differently colored crystals on the guard, "is another reason this Magic Sword transcends normal rules."
"These crystals formed naturally around Amphisbaena's twin heads. They already possessed energy storage properties. When combined with the other materials and refined through the sublimation of Excellia, they became self-sustaining. The two crystals generate their own energy and have incredibly high efficiency—each one can store enough to unleash three spells."
"Once they're fully drained, the crystals dim to their lowest brightness. Recharging them takes about thirty minutes."
"That fast?" Tsuna couldn't help exclaiming. "Only thirty minutes to fully recharge? Can these crystals absorb energy from the air?"
"That's why I said this Magic Sword breaks all conventions."
Hephaestus herself rarely forged such unusual weapons, but there was no rule stating that all Magic Swords had to come with usage limits.
And with Excellia as a forging catalyst, of course the result would be something extraordinary.
"Of course, besides absorbing ambient energy on standby, it can also be recharged temporarily through direct Mind infusion or by using a Magic Stone."
"However, the Magic Sword's Mind consumption is quite high—it would take at least a Level 4 professional mage to replenish its energy manually."
"For ordinary Adventurers, they'll just have to wait the thirty minutes for the automatic recharge."
Tsuna chuckled. He had been a bit too optimistic.
After all, this Magic Sword could store six spells' worth of power. Naturally, an average mage's Mind would be drained long before completing a recharge.
Still, the fact that it could replenish itself in only thirty minutes made it absurdly powerful.
"I see. I was overthinking it."
Tsuna looked down at the kukri in his hand and voiced the thought forming in his mind.
"Tsubaki, Lady Hephaestus—if Excellia-based forging can elevate materials into higher forms, then the amount of Excellia used and the materials chosen must influence the weapon's direction of sublimation, right?"
Even from this single weapon, that much was clear.
Weapons forged through Excellia would inevitably reflect the properties of their materials, affecting the kinds of magic or skills they manifested.
For example, the materials dropped by Amphisbaena had directly shaped this kukri's abilities.
Tsubaki and Hephaestus exchanged glances, smiles spreading across their faces.
"You guessed it. Lady Hephaestus and I have already thought of that."
"So we plan to conduct further experimental forges using other materials. This time, we'll incorporate ultra-hard metals and Unbreakable alloys."
Tsuna wasn't surprised. If he, a relative newcomer to forging, could think of that, there was no way these two masters hadn't.
The moment he felt both of their gazes on him, he already knew what was coming.
"So… I'm guessing there's something you need me to do?"
Tsubaki's grin deepened, her tone turning half-playful, half-pleading.
"Hehe~ well, you see… we'll be forging a lot of experimental weapons, and we might not have enough Excellia for it."
"Oh, that's all?"
Seeing her almost fawning expression, Tsuna had expected something more serious. Turns out, it was just about gathering Excellia.
"Excellia isn't too hard to get, but right now, only Goliath's left in the Dungeon. Amphisbaena's still regenerating, so our supply will be limited."
It was something that needed to be planned in advance.
Currently, there weren't many Floor Bosses in the Dungeon that could yield enough Excellia. Goliath, which was about to respawn soon, was the best target available.
"That's plenty!"
Tsubaki didn't seem worried about how much Excellia Goliath would provide. Even if it produced less per kill, its respawn cycle was fast.
Amphisbaena took a full month to return. Goliath, only three weeks.
She did the math quickly—before the Joint Expedition began, she could harvest Excellia from at least two Goliaths.
That would be more than enough to forge several prototype weapons.
The thought of new creations being born from her hands filled Tsubaki with barely restrained excitement.
Tsuna could clearly feel it—the thrill of crafting, the joy of refining one's skill. That was what made Tsubaki happiest.
Lowering his gaze, he paused for a moment, then lifted the Magic Sword and gave it a small shake.
"Tsubaki, what are you planning to do with this kukri?"
"Sell it, of course. I'd rather see my weapons used than sitting in a display case. The price will definitely exceed that of a standard first-tier weapon. After all, it can be used infinitely and even recharges on its own. It'll sell for a premium, no doubt about that."
Tsubaki's tone brimmed with confidence.
Both in performance and enchantment, this Magic Sword easily rivaled—or even surpassed—top-grade first-tier weapons.
"Oh, right," Tsubaki suddenly said, as if remembering something.
She stepped closer to Tsuna, meeting his curious gaze. Then, without warning, she leaned forward and pressed her lips softly against his.
When she looked up again, a faint blush colored her bronze skin.
"That was my way of saying thank you."
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