As if escaping from there, I ran up the stairs and went straight for the rooftops. As I reached it, however, my breathing wasn't disturbed at all. If it were from the past, then I'd probably be panting like a dog in the sumr after that short run.
The sniper rifle in my hand reminded of the purpose I had when coming here, though. I moved to the edge of the fence, where a small table was, and placed the gun on top of it. After sitting down on one of the two stools, I turned to face the starry sky and felt pensive once more.
"It feels like a long ti has passed, but it's only been a few months, huh..."
I guess the effect of my training with the five regressors and the incomplete mory of the ti when I was stuck in that black space with the Demon Worms made completely lose track of ti. It was funny, but I guess doing it frequently can have adverse effects on my social life.
"Right, have I told you how I was apparently the heir of the Seii and Luo clans? Right now, I'm acting as the head of the two, which have basically rged into one now."
Just like yesterday, I felt like telling stories about what happened to with Fatima, who was still stuck inside the gun. Although it was a one-sided conversation, I got the feeling that she was listening to my words with a smile on her face, not missing a single detail.
Soon, midnight ca. Just as I drank so water, quenching my thirst and wetting my slowly drying lips and throat, a voice suddenly echoed in my surroundings.
"(You've really worked hard, Will. I'm proud of you.)"
"...!"
This familiar voice, despite sounding like it was recorded and being played by a cheap speaker, made almost jump out of my chair.
"MASTER!"
I leaned forward, inspecting the gun in front of without touching it, afraid that I would break sothing. However, the gun was still staying still, other than two out of the four energies getting agitated without anyone touching it.
"(Hehe, over here, idiot. Up here.)"
The voice echoed once more, making turn upward, where the stars were supposedly shining. Instead, what I saw was a familiar womanly figure clad in her usual attire of all black.
"... Master... Is it really you?"
The figure, Fatima, was floating in the air, looking down at with a lonely gaze. However, for so reason, I could faintly see the sparking stars through her body.
"Are you... A ghost...?"
"(Haha, no. I'm... Well, I guess I technically am a ghost at the mont?)"
Her words were slightly confused too, but after hearing her next few words, I was convinced as to why she's undecided too.
"(Right now, my soul is rged with the gun's core. To be specific, it was the 13th form's core. So technically, my body is now that of the gun, and I'm just appearing to you now using the projection function.)"
"This gun has such a function?!"
I was surprised to hear about the projection, but I was more surprised by the fact that she was rged with the gun. Taming System, why the hell did you not brief on this drawback beforehand?!
... Well, technically, it was the System's help that managed to save her soul, which was supposed to vanish into nothingness together with that Sealed Space. Beggars can't choose, I suppose.
"But the gun's 13th form? What is it, really?"
I rember her giving the assignnt of figuring it out, but even after I tried to decipher the entire gun's structure, I could only figure out ten out of the twelve that I knew existed. The thirteenth was a complete mystery to , even up to this day.
"(You couldn't figure it out? I guess you still have a lot to learn, my little student.)"
I slightly felt irked by her comnt, as if she was looking down on .
"What little? I rember you screaming that it's too big before, though?"
"(T-That was! Wait, we're not talking about that now, are we?!)"
The way she panicked was cute and extrely nostalgic. I guess she's really the Fatima that I know. I felt a wave of peace wash over as I sighed in relief.
"Anyway, the 13th function is...?"
"(A-Ahem, right. The 13th function of the gun, put simply, is it becoming a chanical Lifeform.)"
"A life form? From an inanimate object?"
I have seen monsters in the shape of plants, rocks, or other inanimate but natural objects, but that was slightly different. A gun, a manmade weapon, turning into a life form? That's sowhat of a farfetched idea, even to .
"(What's with that look? You should know that it's possible, given your knowledge in this [ani] thing that you ntioned before. Sothing like objects gaining life after existing for a long ti.)"
"You an a [Tsukumogami]? That's folklore!"
"(But the idea exists. Just think of it being like that.)"
Master shrugged her shoulders, revealing that the sleeve over her right arm was empty. Looking closer, even her left leg was missing, as her pants hung loosely, empty.
"Your body..."
"(Ah, this? Don't mind it. My soul is mostly damaged, but it can recover. This shape is temporary, at least.)"
She smiled happily while using her other hand to wave the empty sleeve of her coat. Although she downplayed the fact that she lost her right arm and left leg, I could feel the hint of sadness in her voice. She must be lying to again, not wanting to worry much about her.
"... You really suck at lying..."
I sighed before showing an exasperated smile.
She heard my little comnt and scratched her head lightly with an awkward expression on her face.
"(Anyway, back to the topic. A chanical Lifeform. Just as I've said, I rged with the core of the 13th function and partially activated it. However, it's still far from full activation...)"
"Really?"
I asked while tilting my head.
"Then how did you appear before right now?"
"(Simple, I just used the excess energy you had from using the gun earlier. It was hard to convert it, though, so I'm actually running out of ti now.)"
"...!"
As I heard her words, I quickly placed my hand over the gun and poured out all the energy I could muster. As I did, Fatima's figure slowly appeared to have beco more solid, and her transparency almost vanished.
"(Enough, Will. Any more than that and you'd damage the core.)"
Fatima scolded , but I knew that the core wasn't that fragile. It was able to withstand her, a God Tar's, energy, so mine wouldn't even scratch it no matter how hard I tried.
I continued to pour energy until I was feeling lightheaded. However, this isn't enough to deter from continuing.
"(WILL, STOP! OTHERWISE, I'LL GET ANGRY AT YOU!)"
Her words made halt unconsciously. Looking back, her holographic figure was no longer blurry or transparent but looked like it was completely solid. Although I felt like I'd be passing out from how much energy I lost, I guess it was worth it.
"Alright, alright, I'll stop. Chill."
I sighed as I sat back down on the chair, hiding the fact that I was almost unable to keep standing anymore. Fatima glared at , tears visible at the corner of her eyes, as her lips curled into a cute frown.
"So?"
I asked her, prompting her to continue her earlier words. Fatima probably noticed how I was hiding the state of my body, and she coughed lightly before continuing.
"(So, where were we...? Right, the gun is now a half-chanical lifeform with added into the mix. So it can no longer be inserted into any sort of storage.)"
"Ah, so that's the reason... No wonder..."
I was wondering why it beca impossible to stow the gun inside my [Spatial Storage] or the storage rings. Well, it's now treated as half a monster after all.
"(Yes. And now, as your master, let give you an assignnt.)"
The atmosphere around her changed after the words left her mouth, prompting to sit straight and listen attentively.
"(Will, you need to figure out how to completely turn the gun into a chanical Lifeform. As it is now, the core is unstable.)"
"Why? Shouldn't it be more stable with more cores?"
"(The problem is not the number of cores, but the way they repel each other. Given a month or two, I guess the 13th form's core would dissipate...)"
A month... A pretty concrete figure. But that's too short! I turned to Fatima and asked as politely as I could.
"Can I get a hint at least?"
"(No... It's not because I want you to figure it out yourself, but more because I have no idea about it myself. I can tell you the thods for the normal 13th form activation, though.)"
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