Chapter 23: Kopis

  rad was sitting on the bed opposite to Anira who was still sleeping deeply.

  Alone in a room at night with a beautiful girl sleeping defenselessly—It is quite nerve-wrag to say the least. But I have a girlfriend, so I better not do anything.

  rad took a peek at his panion, his eyes gazed upon some exposed skin through the fold of her midnight-styled corset dress.

  I never had a girlfriend in my previous life. Is it because of that, or because I’ve ied rad's inal memories, that I've bee a little perverted? I have no idea. Wait, what am I thinking at times like this? I should focus on what’s important right now.

  Turning his attention to the straifa his hands, rad flipped it over, iing it from all angles.

  “So this thing is an artifact created by Alexander. It sure sounds like a big deal, but it doesn’t look like it,” he murmured, unimpressed by its extremely rusty junk like appearance.

  It’s strange how this was just sitting in a regur museum without much security. That probably means nobody has identified it as an artifact yet. If they had, it would’ve caused a huge otion.

  rad paused for a moment and thought to himself the relevant information relied by Anira to him.

  If I remember correctly Anira told me that it is some kind of locked artifact that must be a reason why nobody was able to discover its true nature.

  rad had a hypothesis but he was not sure “from the description of Alexander from Anira, I think he might have—” rad took a g the sleeping girl in front of him.

  Reality be cruel, ’t it, Alexander? I don’t know you, but I feel some kind of sympathy. Still, I’ll always be grateful for the care you showed Anira.

  rad let out a small chuckle “funny how you and I are separated by thousands of years but I still feel like I know you…”

  rad looked back at the strange piece of junk in his hands mulling over the password and murmured to himself.

  “A locked artifact…huh.. password…password”

  If Alexander expected someoo find this iure, he would have chosen something only he and someoo him would know.

  rad's blue eyes sharpened with realization. Holding the artifact firmly, he spoke without any doubts in his mind.

  “Anira Veil”

  …..

  …..

  …..

  …..

  Nothing—

  As rad was about to think of something else, a strange light illuminated rad. It was a small warm light cirg around the artifact for a few seds.

  It actually worked..wow.. I ot believe I got it on the first try…

  rad's eyes widened wheiced the old junk had been transformed into a golden firearm—a revolver. Otom there was something written on it i handwriting. It was written in Polyphant but as a history student he had some idea how to read it.

  Kopis 5505.

  “Ko..pis..” rad read it slowly. The firearm felt heavy. It was a long barrel revolver with polish finish and crimson touch at the end. The der was slightly golden and it had a wooden grip with very beautiful craftsmanship. It iece of beauty.

  “5505…if i remember Alexander died at 5506 L.C, so it was made one year before his death.” rad affirmed the beautiful gun as his firaced the expertly inscribed letters in Polyphant.

  “Kopis…I like this name. You will be my on.” rad felt a sense of achievement holding the gun but despite his amusement a question came to his mind.

  “This world doesn't have effit bullets to fire. It takes not only time to shoot but misfires more often than not. So why did Alexander make this to begin with?”

  rad frowned in puzzlement as he started to do some testing on his own. As the night deepend with his curiosity on his newly acquired on.

  Anira woke up suddenly. When she opened her eyes she saw her master pying with an artifact she was very familiar with as she had seen this in a certain man’s hand.

  “Lord, you are able to unlock the artifact so quickly. You truly are a great mind..”

  “Ohh Anira, you are up” rad replied wheiced Anira sitting on the bed now.

  “Before we depart. I want to test this artifact but this pce is too dangerous to test this kind of thing. We don't know what will happen.”

  “Yes my lord. Let's use Are Veil for the test”

  rad nodded slightly in agreement.

  “By mine lord’s will,

  A world that none should ken,

  A world cloaked in nameless mist,

  A woverned by The Eye,

  A world yclept Are Veil”

  Dense mist surrouhe duo. It engulfed them in an instant. Their sight ged, in front of them ace which was eternally quiet and calm and infinitely wide. Only residence of the pce was a liviient mist.

  This pce always gives me such creeps. It felt like somewhere we should not be.

  “Anira i think I essentially put some Brahman into the der and if I am right, it should fire a projectile with unbelievable speed and precision, at least that's what my instinct is telling me”

  “Whenever an Essentia obtains an artifabsp; It generally gives a hint how to use itself but it's not direct. Your instincts might be the result of artifact’s guidanbsp;

  “Are artifacts alive ?” rad asked with intrigued.

  “To some extent yes my lord, Artifacts usually are fusion of living Brahman property with non-living things. Current stific theories don't have any crete expnation why artifacts get created as they are very rare and usually handled with utmost care in the world. So it is very hard to do much of researbsp;

  Artifacts are also a mystery like everything in this world. This is very iing heless.

  “Anira stay back, let me give it a try” rad pulled his arms forward in a shooting position which he had seen in tless mainstream media in his previous life. His mind tensed up due to the unfamiliar feeling of the on in his hand. He took a firmed stance, his feet anchored to the dense living mist below him. His deep blue eyes sharpen, with a sharp inhale his finger curled around the trigger rad pushed his Brahman into the der of the Kopis as it moved slightly before instantly firing a projectile of densed Brahman energy into the infinity inside Are Veil.

  Bang.

  The recoil jolted through rad's arms as a sharp pain courses through his entire body. He screamed out.

  “Ahhhhhhh…”

  “My Lord!” hearing her master's audible scream, Anira ran towards rad, her face full of wariness.

  “Are…you alright…let me see…” she sat down to look at rad arms as she pulled his arms gently into her hands for careful iion.

  Seeing Anira's face full of wariness rad chucked and tapped her head with his finger.

  “Stupid” rad said softly “Your lord is not so weak. Don't worry, I am fine. I expected it as I am not a trained shooter. I need some practibsp;

  Anira looked at her master's deep blue eyes with her crimson eyes. A moment of silence fell between them iernally lonely space where infinity aernity lost its meaning.

  rad felt a little awkward staring at Anira. “Ani-” as he was about to say something. Anira pulled out a sword of air.

  Ability: Mist sword Yoru

  First rad felt fused but wheiced the blood red eyes of Anira was serious he tensed up.

  “Anira?”

  rad felt a surge of fear, blood in his vein froze for a moment as he saw a sword made of mist densed into a solid obje Anira's slender hands as she stood up staring down at rad as if she was the master of him, not the other way around. In her deep crimson eyes rad saw nothingness as if they were void of emotions ready to cut down any enemy at the moment.

  “Wai-” before rad even utter a single word the Sword’s sharp edges cut through rad’s arms.

  Did she finally decide to get rid of me ? I hought such situations would arrive so soon.

  Panic took hold of rad’s heart as he screamed visibly while closing his eyes.

  “Noooooooo—”

  “....”

  “....”

  After a brief silenira looked at her master who was screaming, closing his eyes and asked “My lord, does it hurt now?”

  “Huh?”

  When rad opened his eyes he noticed his arms were intact. The bde went through his flesh but didn't infliy injuries on him but the pain from before was gone as if it was here to begin with.

  “Anira….what did you do?” rad asked with a surprised face.

  “My lord, my sword steal information. So I stole your pain through the cut.”

  “Is that so…” rad felt again at awe seeing the otherworldly ability of his partner. Suddenly a question surfaced into his mind.

  After reading the book about Brahman rad’s grasp on the fuals of Brahman was gettier slowly. He just couldn't accept anything as it is.

  “Anira, If I am correct, Brahmahe servation w. Right ?”

  “Yes…My lord” Anira nodded slightly.

  “So it ot be possible for information to be lost forever. Where does that information go that you stole it” rad looked at Anira with a curious gaze.

  “...”

  Seeing Anira's silence rad stood up and said

  “Anira, you and I are immoral. That means for better or for worse we will be together for a long time. Even though I rusted anyone in my entire life, due to this strae I decided to trust you. I wanted you to also trust-”

  “I trust you more than myself, my lord. “ Anira said before rad finished.

  “Then tell me the truth,” rad insisted.

  Anira lowered her head slightly.

  “Hmm…whatever my sword stole must be returo its inal source within a fixed time limit. The limit varies depending upon what i stole” She whispered in a low voice.

  “What if you are uo return it?” rad asked.

  “It will returo myself as pure Brahman but usually all Brahman shares a different characteristics so it will increase the entropy and caused me some backsh”

  rad was stuo see Anira’s a.

  Why is she like that? This stupid girl.

  Sigh

  After a deep exhale he said “Listen Anira, I don't want to see you getting hurt, I know you are strong but still it doesn't feel right to me. So please return the pain to me. It is not much. I bare with it”

  Anira lifted her head to look at her master seeing rad's blue eyes she replied

  “No….”

  rad felt he was rejected by a girl after he proposed. His mouth twitched slightly.

  Stubborn.

  “Okay, you are a really stubbirl, let's do this your way. As your lord I order you to return my pain to me” rad said in an authoritative voice.

  I don't know if she will listen or not. I at least try.

  “As you wish my lord….” Anira’s face had visible disappoi.

  As she again cut through the arms of rad. The pain instantly returned.

  Ahhhh…sudden pain after experieng relief is the worst kind of pain.

  “Good and sorry to make you do something you didn't want” his voice softened again.

  “You are the great lord, so it is my-”

  “No, as I said before I see you as a partner. So i am sorry”

  After rad apologies an awkward silence fell iire space. After a brief pause he scratched the back of his head and started walking in the opposite dire of Anira. Suddenly rad realised something.

  “Anira…you could have told me about this ability before suddenly using it, so why didn't you say something before sg me like that?” rad asked while giving Anira side eyes.

  Anira turned her head slightly from rad's dire and replied “That was for calliupid from before, my lord”

  “Huh?” rad felt fused at first but after recalling the early versation, he burst out in ughter.

  “My lord? What's so funny?” Anira tilted her head slightly.

  “Nothing, you are the best partner ever Anira, let’s have some dinner before returning” rad said while ughing.

  “Yes my Lord” Anira replied with a warm smile.