The Mech Touch

Back then, the Larkinson Clan had only recently come into power, and its fleet hadn't earned any glory by completing multiple successful expeditions.

Ketis only came across the traditions of the Heavensword Association a short time ago. She and her fellow Swordmasters only opted to visit the sword-obsessed state in order to take part in its famous Greater Omanderie Festival.

Everyone knew that despite opening the tournaments to foreign swordsmen, the ultimate finalists and victors would always be the powerful seeds fighting in the same of the Heavensword Association's famed sword schools!

It was a complete fluke for Ketis to experience a unique and unprecedented breakthrough under those circumstances.

If Ketis hadn't reached the threshold to Journeyman Mech Designer and if she hadn't received a remarkable sword-oriented companion spirit from Ves, she would have never been able to fulfill both of her ambitions at the same time!

When the Heavensworders realized what she had become, they completely accepted her identity and fully welcomed her into their community.

It felt nice for being appreciated for her strength, work and accomplishments. She hadn't been accustomed to attracting so much attention. It had always been Ves that wowed the crowds.

Though Ketis ultimately decided to decline the invitation to relocate to the Heavensword Association and start a promising new mech company and sword school within the second-rate state, she still became its citizen and accepted many of its benefits.

One of the perks of becoming a swordmaster was to meet with the leader of the state in person.

Ketis had heard much about the Heavensword Saint. As the only existence comparable to an ace pilot, the strongest swordsman of the state enjoyed absolute respect and obedience from every Heavensworder.

No matter what kind of personalities the swordmasters possessed, none dared to disobey the only individual that could unquestionably defeat them in a sword duel!

Ketis also experienced this mental suppression. Her pride and confidence in becoming a swordmaster quickly dulled the closer she came to meeting the best swordsman in the entire galaxy.

This was not an exaggeration. Even though the MTA deliberately suppressed the news and prevented it from becoming common knowledge, every citizen of the state believed with all of their hearts that the strongest human swordsman was the wielder of the legendary Heavensword!

As befitting to the meaning of 'heaven', the powerful sword saint preferred to reside in floating gardens that were situated high in the air.

When Ketis stepped out of her shuttle with her personal weapon being carried by a Heavensworder attendant, she strode into a garden and immediately felt at peace.

This was remarkable. The unrest in her heart along with the frenetic ideas generated by her active mind had put her in a persistent state of excitement since the moment she had broken through.

As a mech designer, becoming a Journeyman represented a new beginning!

Now that she had proven the viability of her design philosophy, she gained the qualifications to design more exceptional mechs.

She already had many ideas on how to design mechs that not only wielded sharper blades than anything she had designed before, but also imbued them with the knowledge and expertise she derived from being a swordmaster!

Such a mech was completely unprecedented in the mech community. Ketis did not fear that anyone else had designed such mechs before. The thought of being the first to design swordsman mechs that could allow its pilots to experience a fraction of the power of a swordmaster fueled her urge to head to a design lab and work on her projects straight away!

It was only after she had stepped into this idyllic garden that all of those urges and desires faded away.

ραпdα -n૦νe| , c૦m She could feel that she wasn't being suppressed by force. Ketis experienced Lufa's glow enough times to learn when her emotions were forcibly dampened.

The effect she experienced was more like entering a sanctuary where the concerns of the present no longer mattered anymore.

It felt as if she received the rewards that she had earned. A part of her wanted to do nothing more than to close her eyes and lay down on the grass in order to enjoy a wonderful rest.

Ketis did not get fooled. How could it be so easy for her to gain what she wanted? Having experienced many emotion-manipulating glows in the past, she could easily recognize that all of these feelings and impulses did not represent her true self.

It was highly uncharacteristic for her to give in to the bliss exerted by this environment. It was nothing more than an illusion that had no basis in reality!

She concentrated her mind and quietly recalled Sharpie from her greatsword.

As soon as her companion spirit returned home, she became larger than life. The strength of her willpower skyrocketed as her living sword intent helped her to resist this pervasive influence!

A clapping sound suddenly spread across the garden.

Though the pressure did not decrease, Ketis could clearly sense the appearance of a single individual.

In the meantime, the attendant who carried her greatsword had silently retreated, leaving behind the weapon which continued to float in the air with the help of its floating scabbard.

Ketis immediately recognized the white-bearded man.

The man's appearance was iconic and appeared on many banners and projections.

His elegant pale robe, his dignified white beard, his lean and athletic body and above all else his sheer gravitas made it clear that he was the strongest sword wielder currently alive!

Perhaps there were ace pilots and god pilots that somehow exceeded the Heavensword Saint in terms of swordsmanship skills, but they didn't really count because they were entangled with mechs.

Though Ketis didn't really understand the distinctions, the new friends she made among her peers had already taught her that there were fundamental differences between ace pilots and sword saints.

As the older man came close, Ketis felt more and more at peace. She understood that it wasn't just the saint who produced this effect.

A large part of the reason why this entire floating garden felt like heaven was because of the powerful weapon sheathed behind the sword saint's back!

Now that she noticed it, she wondered how she managed to overlook it. Her eyes briefly grew dizzy as she had the illusion that she managed to catch a glimpse of an entirely different world locked inside the weapon.

It was as if the legendary Heavensword captured a chunk of heaven inside its form!

A strong bond tied the Heavensword Saint and the legendary sword together. The strength of this bond exceeded that of the Larkinson Network and vastly surpassed that of the bond between Ketis and Sharpie!

Now that she had entered the sight of a sword saint, Ketis remembered the manners that she had recently learned and made a respectful bow.

There was no need for her to bow too low or prostrate before the ground. That would be an affront to her dignity as a swordmaster.

She merely tilted her head and body low enough to convey just enough respect towards the holder of the Heavensword.

"Sir."

The Heavensword Saint responded with a friendly nod and smile. "Swordmaster Ketis… of the Larkinson Clan. It is a pleasure to meet with you. Of the swordmasters that I have met before, your youth and exuberance stands out, and so do your sources of power. What you have done is impossible. Our state and people have never anticipated that a high-ranking mech designer can concurrently become a swordmaster. It does not take a close examination to conclude that you have relied on a special circumstance to break the rules."

"I… ehhh…"

The Heavensword Saint turned around and swished his elegant white robe. "No matter. You do not have to divulge your personal circumstances if you are unable or unwilling to share your story. We are not concerned with your history, your past deeds or your future intentions. Your conviction as a swordmaster tells us enough about you that we do not have to be concerned that you will not abuse your newfound powers and bring disgrace to our association."

Ketis relaxed a bit as she could feel the truth and goodwill in the older man's words.

"Thank you… the truth is that it is rather inconvenient for me to explain my double breakthroughs. It involves the clan that I am a part of. You should ask our patriarch for details if you want to know more."

"Understood. Thank you for sharing that, young woman. Your display of power at the First Sword Arena has turned many spectators into admirers. I anticipate that many of them wish to join your Larkinson Clan in order to follow you and learn from you. Please be generous to them and make them feel welcome. It is up to you to decide how many teachings you wish to pass on to them. It is my hope that they can reciprocate and teach you more about our ancient traditions. A brief visit to our state is not enough for you to understand the bottomless heritage that we have preserved for countless generations."

The Heavensworderes possessed a lot of pride in their heritage and traditions. They talked about it constantly even though Ketis never really managed to obtain a history book that clearly explained the origins of traditional swordsmanship.

Oh well.

"Our clan always welcomes the addition of skilled mech pilots." Ketis generously replied. "Anyone who joins will have to pledge their loyalty to our clan, though. Our patriarch doesn't like it when people aren't serious about embracing the identity of a Larkinson."

"Understood. My people shall take that into account."

A brief silence ensued as Ketis and the Heavensword Saint continued to feel each other out with their extraordinary senses.

Although the heavenly aura still pressed onto Ketis' mind, her newfound strength as a swordmaster easily allowed her to resist its influence.

Anyone else who met the Heavensword Saint would not be able to keep their minds straight!

"Would you like to hold it?" The saint suddenly asked.

"Huh?"

"The Heavensword. Would you like to hold it in your hands? It is a unique experience to any swordmaster, and I have a hunch that your background as a swordmaster will grant you further gains from studying this relic."

Ketis couldn't believe how simple it was for her to get her hands on the weapon that literally named an entire second-rate state!

"I would love to hold your blade if you are okay with it." She said with remarkable patience even as every fiber in her being urged her to hurry up! "I can sense that it holds a lot of power. Is it… safe for me to hold this weapon?"

The old man's eyes turned grave.

"You are sharp enough to notice that. I have met numerous newly promoted swordmasters who have grown so unstable that they only see its might, not its thorns. Holding the Heavensword requires… a great amount of inner faith. If you do not believe in yourself, then you will get lost in power that does not belong to you. You will understand when you hold it yourself."

This caused Ketis to grow more vigilant, but not by much. She not only believed in herself, but also believed in Sharpie. Her companion spirit had changed her life and helped her transform her own willpower. What was a mere Heavensword in comparison to the wonder that occupied her mind?

The Heavensword Saint slowly unsheathed his weapon.

The pressure in the floating garden skyrocketed as the glowing weapon revealed its naked form to Ketis for the first time!

Its current wielder slowly drew out a blade that glowed with strong sacred power!

Just looking at it caused Ketis to develop the impulse to lower herself to her knees and worship this most magnificent relic that had ever been forged by a human smith!

"What… what a perfect sword!"