The Mech Touch

As the Aspect of Transcendence continued to exert its effect on Ketis and Sharpie, more than 90 seconds had already passed.

If a group of ordinary people spent this much time in the organic statue's glow, the area would have been drenched with blood and bodies by now!

Ketis did not hold much concern, though. She was so strong and resilient that the Aspect of Transcendence could not push her to a dangerous extent. She merely allowed it to hone her mind in a way that best complemented Sharpie.

By doing this, she was able to resonate with Sharpie, thereby providing it with greater support for what it was attempting to accomplish.

Under all of these influences, Sharpie had become more focused and active than ever. Its will experienced subtle changes as it became more and more certain of itself.

As its unyielding will grew firmer and more unshakeable, Sharpie made sure to follow Ketis' instructions and search what kind of sword it wanted to be. There were so many different choices out there that it was not easy to narrow down its choices!

"You can do it, Sharpie." Ketis encouraged her companion spirit. "Find the truth in yourself. Cut until you don't feel like cutting any longer."

Sharpie wanted nothing more than to be the best and sharpest sword at her disposal. At least that was what it always thought.

Now, it discovered that it wanted more than that. As a semi-independent life form, Sharpie was able to become more than Ketis' add-on.

Was it possible to separate from Ketis entirely?

Perhaps, but it did not wish to do so. Sharpie and Ketis shared the same root. The thought of cutting their common bond was unthinkable!

Teaming up was always better than trying to go solo. This was also what made companion spirits so brilliant. They enabled people like Ketis to team up with herself!

It was quite typical for Ves to create such a ludicrous invention. With his trust issues, only a companion created out of his own mind deserved to hold his unreserved trust!

Right now, Ketis and Sharpie also trusted each other to a great extent. They had fought together and grown together.

Ketis also started considering Sharpie as more than just a different side of herself. What she sought to accomplish might not have been done before, but that did not stop her from making this attempt.

"You're on the right track, Sharpie! Keep this up! Don't mind the pressure!"

As Sharpie became more engrossed in this process, it unconsciously opened itself up to the Angel of Transcendence even further.

Though its strain increased, the companion spirit benefited from the increased pressure.

It was only under challenging circumstances that it improved the most!

In previous instances, Ketis and Sharpie always progressed the most when they were in battle.

Now, they obtained the same benefits by remaining in the safety of the Larkinson fleet.

While the lack of new stimuli meant that they did not gain as much inspiration this time, the constant pressure and inducements from the Aspect of Transcendence meant that the pair became a lot more effective at introspection!

Right now, Sharpie delved deeper into the nature of its own self and personality. It moved beyond its initial conviction of remaining unyielding and expanded it into a wider context now that it began to see itself as a more comprehensive entity.

It was as if Sharpie used to be a seed that had remained relatively static all this time.

With the Aspect of Transcendence acting as water, the seed finally began to bud into something greater.

The Bloodsinger began to glow brighter as Sharpie's unknown changes began to generate more and more energies.

It was as if the greatsword was having increasingly more difficulties containing the increasingly more active companion spirit!

The aura around Ketis grew sharper and more resilient as she and Sharpie achieved greater harmony with each other.

Perhaps Ves himself had never imagined that Ketis would simultaneously attempt to make her companion spirit stand out further while at the same time resonate with it to a more intimate degree!

The results were astounding. Through all of these influences combined, Sharpie finally experienced a more profound shift that caused it to explode in power!

Though it was not a full breakthrough, Sharpie nonetheless experienced a flood of changes that improved its essence and personality in a way that it could never have accomplished under ordinary circumstances!

Before Ketis' lap, Sharpie's intangible form burst out of the Bloodsinger and hovered in front of Ketis like a proud warrior!

Its initial shape was that of a greatsword that looked nearly identical to that of the Bloodsinger.

For a long time, Sharpie did consider itself as one of Ketis' swords.

It was different now. With the expansion of its other facets, Sharpie evolved into a more complex entity.

The reason why it had grown more comprehensive was because it had successfully expanded its will and conviction!

Ketis opened her eyes. She looked radiant as she felt the changes that Sharpie was experiencing through their bond.

As Sharpie grew stronger, so did she. They were one, but they were also separate.

Ketis slowly reached out with her hand as Sharpie continued to mold itself further. It did not grow in size, but its essence was altering into a higher state.

The resonance between them grew even stronger. The aura of sharpness caused the deck underneath her to incur scars!

"Meow…"

Further back, Lucky watched on with concern as the Aspect of Transcendence kept affecting Ketis and Sharpie in a highly abnormal fashion.

The cat wondered whether he should bring Ves over. The Swordmaiden mech designer had remained in the Aspect of Transcendence's influence for a much longer period of time than anyone else!

Ketis did not pay attention to Lucky's concerns, though. She grew more and more excited as she felt that Sharpie had grown by leaps and bounds!

At a certain point, power exploded from Sharpie as the companion spirit finally found the answer it was looking for! It had discovered what kind of sword it wanted to become!

As Ketis connected to Sharpie in its new state, she learned the answer as well.

"The meaning of being unyielding is to stand tall in the face of adversity." She said as greater clarity entered her mind.

She stood up and held her Bloodsinger in a proud and rigid stance.

"My sword relishes in defeating the strongest and most challenging opponents."

Thoughts of defeating strong duelists as well as strange beasts and monsters briefly dominated her conscience.

She always felt more alive than ever during these exciting moments!

"My sword shall extend mercy towards the weak."

Ketis thought of the recent battle where she refused to sink the razor-sharp edge of her Bloodsinger into the soft and vulnerable flesh of the pakklaton chicks.

"I will defend myself and my comrades if necessary, but I shall never satisfy myself by cutting down the weak."

She thought back on the times where she cut down hordes of pirates. Back then, she indulged too much in the bloodshed to realize that she might not want to go down this path.

"I am a swordswoman, not a butcher."

She resolved to hold onto a code of honor. Not every target was acceptable for her kill.

"I am a Swordmaiden, but also a Larkinson. However, when it comes down to it, I am myself."

She wanted to be driven by her own rules and by what she thought was right. Though she did not intend to go as far as Venerable Jannzi, she still drew a couple of red lines that she would never wish to cross unless the need was too great!

"This is my sword! My unyielding sword that seeks to cut through everything! If we cannot cut through an obstacle, we shall hone ourselves until we become strong enough to succeed! This shall be the source of our persistence!"

Ketis briefly closed her eyes before opening them up again. Her fiery hot gaze pinned Sharpie's shaking intangible form as their resonance reached a peak!

"SHARPIE!"

The companion spirit's form burst apart!

"Meow!"

When Lucky witnessed the intangible sword breaking into pieces, he grew alarmed! Had Sharpie succumbed?!

The glowing shards did not dissipate, though.

The will that formed the root of Sharpie's existence was still as strong as ever.

It transcended the material.

It transcended the spirit.

It was a stronger and more resilient existence than anything else. Sharpie had become so unyielding that shedding its old form did not damage it in the slightest!

Instead, it liberated itself from the shackles of its former shape. As a sword, Sharpie was too limited in what it could do for Ketis. It could have been so much more than that, and now it finally received the opportunity to reshape itself into a more fitting form!

The shards soon converged back together. Sharpie and Ketis' will ensured that the remnants merged and conformed to a new shape that was a lot more complicated than a simple sword.

Eventually, a surprising shape came into existence.

Sharpie was still the size of a cat.

The difference was that it was no longer a sword.

It, no she, had become a swordswoman!

Sharpie's new appearance was identical to that of Ketis, but scaled down to size.

The evolved companion spirit's intangible shape was completely grey and wore a traditional robe associated with swordmasters.

Perhaps the most peculiar aspect about the humanized companion spirit's appearance was that Sharpie was also wielding a sword!

Right now, the empowered companion spirit was maintaining an identical stance to that of Ketis.

When the swordmaster raised her sword, so did Sharpie.

When Ketis performed a mock attack, her small companion spirit followed suit.

They were completely in sync with each other. The harmony between them grew even stronger as they appeared to mirror each other as if they were clones!

This was not quite what Ketis and Sharpie wanted, though.

The companion spirit twitched as her appearance morphed a bit. With Ketis' blessing, Sharpie gained a stronger sense of self.

Her personality grew a bit more defined and her face began to diverge so that it no longer looked like an exact copy of her origin.

"This is better." Ketis smiled.

Now, the relationship between her and her companion spirit had changed into that of a big sister and little sister.

Ketis was the big sister in this relationship and was in charge for the most part.

Sharpie had literally and figuratively become the little sister that cheered Ketis on but also provided help whenever her talents were needed.

This was the true form of Sharpie!

This was the path of evolution that Sharpie had chosen for itself!

This was the companion spirit that Ketis looked forward to partnering with for the rest of her life!

"You… are my sword."

"Sharp!" Her companion spirit vocalized in an infantile tone! "Sharp! Sharp!"

Once Sharpie completed her journey, she quickly fell back into the Bloodsinger and took a nap.

Ketis raised her mental defenses again and forcibly blocked out the Aspect of Transcendence's glow.

She bowed in front of the organic statue.

"Thank you, Lufa. You truly gave me a lot of help. I will come see you again in the future. You're too useful to be hiding in this corner all the time."

She stepped out of the enclosure and signaled to Lucky to reactivate the locking mechanism.

As the gate slowly slid shut, the curious gem cat flew towards Ketis and sniffed her body from multiple angles.

"Relax, Lucky. I am still the Ketis you know. I just became better."

"Meow."

She took the cat in her arms again and began to pamper him with pets and hugs.

Exhaustion finally kicked in at this point. Though she hadn't done much herself, Sharpie had expended a lot of energy in trying to evolve to her more human state. Since the companion spirit was a part of Ketis, the mech designer had also grown tired as a consequence.

"I could use a good nap. Do you want to cuddle with me in bed?"

"Meow!"