The eagle sized Fla Swallow waved its wings frantically.
"You said you wanted to get back at the Church, right? Then that ans you want to beat their tyrant! It’s a woman! They call her a pope! I know where she is!"
"Tell where," Elian demanded curtly.
"I don’t know what the place is called. But I can take you there!" the bird then raised both wings to the air as it shrieked. "They butcher us for parts—eggs, feathers, at. You want to ruin their plans? Set us free."
Elian nodded. What the Fla Swallow said was in line with what he already knew.
"Okay, how do I get you out?"
"The old man from earlier! He should have a key around his neck. That will open the cage."
Turning around the living weapon gazed at all that remained of Arjun. Only, aside from a streak of blood there was hardly anything left.
"Yeah, he didn’t have it on him."
"What? That’s impossible! The key was bound to his soul! It’s how he got the Knight role despite not being from Averignis," the swallow snapped.
The Fla Swallow kept rambling. Elian, however, was already moved on.
Bianca, do you want to turn them all to material or let them go? There is hardly any at on the birds nor the humans. Apart from the core, there would be hardly anything we can use to make Father-in-law’s body.
His Anchor’s whisper ca a mont later, "If it’s only material, we can hit the ironwood Giants afterwards. They are all larger than my father. As for these birds, they would do well as servants. Besides, I think you will love them."
I would? Why do you think that?
"Fla Swallows are extrely aggressive. Their entire culture revolves around burning things for the love of fire. It is no coincidence their talents are all shades of Pyromaniacs."
Elian smiled, he then turned to Bianca and asked, "You want the fat one as a pet?"
Her smile was radiant as she nodded, "I do, I will call him Burny."
"Of course you would," He chuckled.
Elian braced his core. The turbines in his body all whirled to life.
"Burny, tell all your bird friends to step away from the door."
"Are you deaf or sothing? I just spent over five minutes telling you that this door is protected by our mana. It’s impossible to overpower it! And who are you calling Burny!"
Without replying, Elian stabbed Pile Driver into the cage and fired.
A powerful impact struck the structure making it shake violently, but it held.
Not enough huh?
Again, Elian reloaded a Cinderglass block and detonated it.
BOOM!
The point of impact caved inward from the blast.
"Oy! Stop it! The Swallows are going to die of fright!"
Despite Burny’s complaints Elian brought his weapon before him to examine it. Steam hissed, smoke curled—Pile Driver was heating to critical levels. Elian noticed that even the firing chamber began to warp from the trendous force.
Hmm, it will break at this pace. Waiting for it to cool down will make it last longer but it would be too slow. I need a way to fire rapidly. Maybe sothing like a revolver?
At Elian’s musing Pile Driver’s fra began to morph in real ti. From a simple box, the back portion reshaped itself to make a revolving cylinder.
Rather than wait for the chamber to cool, it would be better to just swap the entire thing. Each firing chamber can cool while I cycle through them. It’s a bit bulky, but I should be able to manage the weight.
From having just one firing chamber, Pile Driver now had eight arranged in a circle. Elian grew pleased at his upgrade. He loaded Cinderglass ammunition in each hole like bullets in a revolver.
Right, let’s try again.
He then drove the weapon deeper into the dent he just made and fired. A powerful impact slamd into the dent deforming it further. The rumbling made all who saw his weapon shudder in terror.
Now turn.
Pile Driver’s new revolving cylinder turned, placing a fresh cartridge in front of the nail. Elian smiled, the turning process needed work, but the core principle was solid.
"As always, the stuff you co up with is insane. Brutally efficient but insane," Bianca mumbled.
Cycling through each firing chamber, repeated shocks rocked the tal cage. Bit by bit the wall bent, warped until it finally ripped from the abuse. It sounded like a lightning bolt pounding the sa target over and over. But Elian was hardly done.
"Reload."
Like a relentless jackhamr Elian pumled the bird cage. And when it could not take anymore one final shot broke it apart—shattering the cage wall and slamming the warped tal into the far end like a cannonball. Silence followed.
Good. I rena you Pile Revolver.
"Unbelievable. You really are insa—"
Plop.
Burny fainted, face-first into the floor. His eyes were unfocused and it was only now that Elian took a mont to look around. All the Fla Swallows looked dazed, glassy-eyed, slumped across the walls like stunned cinders.
"What the hell happened?"
At that mont a beautiful woman appeared beside him, she giggled like a child as she answered, "You did my Weapon. They look like that because of you."
"Huh? I didn’t even touch them."
Bianca’s eyes narrowed in delight; she then strolled inside the gigantic bird sanctuary like she was on vacation.
"Didn’t Burny explain earlier? This bird cage is a modified mana battery. Mainly it sucks up the mana of everyone in it. The Church then added a mana powered shield to keep it secure."
Elian then began to count the Fla Swallows although they were all at low and mid Radiant rank there were hundreds of them. Combined their mana might even be greater than Bianca’s
"Seven-point-six million mana, Elian. That’s what you just punched through with a nail. Over 500 Fla Swallows with around 15,000 mana each. And you blew all that apart with nothing but pure physics."
"... That’s quite sothing," the living weapon said in awe.
Bianca bead as she rejoiced, "It is. I expected Forged to be amazing, but you have taken it beyond my wildest dreams. I cannot wait to see what you co up with next."
Elian felt pleased as Bianca’s praise. Strangely enough he wasn’t aiming to impress. He just solved problems—the sa way any man would. Approaching his master, Elian asked while keeping an eye out for new threats.
"Father-in-law said that there should be a Knight ranked opponent. From what Burny said earlier that should have been Arjun. While the humans were weaker than expected, we should still move to the 3rd floor soon."
"Yes, that would be for the best. It is a sha we cannot take them with us. When I was being chased, I often thought about subordinating a pair of Fla Swallows. Imagining them burning my enemies comforted many a night," Bianca reminisced as she crouched down.
She smiled sadly as she picked up Burny. "They are quite beautiful to look at when they fly covered in bright flas. I saw them from the windows of my room in the past and wanted to fly away like them."
Her grim mory made Elian’s body flinch. Although, he knew more of her past, she still hasn’t told her everything. Hearing how much these birds ant to Bianca, Elian made up his mind.
"Then let’s take them all as our own."
At words, the witch shook her head and stood up.
"Elian, stop. The Snow Wolves are one thing but this is too much. I am already grateful for your vow to save Fralha. You cannot possibly subordinate an entire race just because of my whims. Please don’t be absurd," Bianca reasoned.
"Why can’t I?"
"Huh?"
Elian ca closer and grabbed Bianca’s hand. He then interlocked their fingers together in a lover’s hold.
"Why can’t I conquer the Fla Swallows of Averignis. You being fond of them is as good as reason as any. If I take them under my protection the sa as Fralha it should work out sohow."
"Can you even hear yourself, my weapon? These are living sentient beings. You cannot just trample over their wishes because of ," Bianca contested.
Elian ca closer and touched her face with his freehand. Bianca no longer froze at the gesture. Closing her eyes she just enjoyed her partner’s caress.
"Bianca. I aim to be a Tyrant. You are my Anchor. This is the price of my affection. The stronger I beco the heavier your words shall be. I may be your sword and your shield, but your happiness is my purpose. Only the scales have changed, the ideal has not."
Bianca opened her eyes which grew moist, "Sigh. How ridiculous. You really are burdening with a lot, you know?"
"You can just as easily let go," Elian teased.
Bianca’s lips parted, but no words ca. For a mont, she simply stared at him, until—"Never."
The woman held Elian’s hand tighter, her voice was stern and full of conviction.
"If such is the price to be your Anchor, then I accept the responsibility with pride."
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