The Gear of War : Jiyū

Azazel and Kiyotaka spent sleepless days working on the next generation of Sacred-Gears, the Gears of War.

The end of the week was approaching without the two friends realizing it. Fatigue had accumulated on their bodies like a hammer.

Kiyotaka struck with the light hammer on the sword, the vices held it firmly and prevented it from falling to the ground.

He and Azazel had worked hard on several different prototypes. The first test was on jewelry. The experiment consisted of concentrating the magic in the air, without going through magic circles, inside the jewelry.

It was a failure, but it didn't stop them, a flame had awakened in their heart. The tested jewels could concentrate magic in a small zone of effect, before their destruction.

Then, the two scientists made several tests on simple weapons like iron swords, bows, or axes.

They changed the composition of the weapon with the hammer of light.

In his research, Kiyotaka had discovered that light was the primary factor in building a Sacred-Gear, and therefore, it was necessary for the creation process.

The weapons tested could acquire an element like fire or lightning without any risk of it being destroyed, without catalyst crystals. Unfortunately, the weapon could only contain one natural element before it exploded.

However, that didn't suit them, still weren't close to the Sacred-Gear. The ultimate goal of their plans was something that surpassed Sacred-Gear, reaching the Longinus class.

The days went by even faster, as did the failures than they no longer counted.

Kiyotaka put the hammer on the ledge of the mini forge, sweat soaking his clothes and his forehead, mixed with the scent of infamous sweat.

He focused all his attention on the weapon, raised his hand to it, from which a magic circle of yellow color appeared. The circle lit up the whole room and woke Azazel sleeping on the floor.

Azazel rubbed his eyes in fatigue before focusing on Kiyotaka's face. The young man was at an ultimate level of concentration, his eyes closed, he was breathing in a regular rhythm, neither too much nor too little.

The fallen angel opened his eyes wide, not believing it. Kiyotaka had found the solution he hadn't thought of from the start. The solution, which is logically the simplest, but which nobody, not even him who had spent most of his time in the development of a Sacred-Gear, had found.

From the yellow light came a small spark which settled in the hilt of the weapon, for a gust of wind to instantly extinguish it. A cycle then took place between the flame and the wind.

Suddenly, an explosion threw Kiyotaka into the attic wall that made him spit out a mouthful of blood.

He stood up with difficulty, despite his bones screaming in pain when a pair of bat wings magically appeared behind his back.

Kiyotaka boldly raised his hand toward the weapon, which cycled endlessly and created devastating little explosions, which turned the room upside down.

"Azazel, we have to take it somewhere else !!" Kiyotaka's hand began to burn, his teeth grinding in pain.

The fallen angel was in a daze, his childish eyes shining with millions of stars.

"AZAZEL !!" The sparks numbed Kiyotaka's arm, which gradually turned to charcoal. Despite his superior strength and toughness after becoming a devil and being taught dragon magic, which strengthens his body, Kiyotaka's arm could not resist.

Azazel shook his head, he came out of his stupor spreading his 12 black wings from his back. Quickly, the fallen angel rushed behind Kiyotaka, gripped him firmly, and lifted him to the sky.

The two smashed through the top of the attic that contained the protective magic that Kiyotaka had placed.

"AAAAAH!" The boy's arm had turned completely black, small cuts slashed his arm, from which blood was escaping.

Azazel flew over the city as best he could, the sword generating small gusts of wind of unparalleled intensity. They were caught in a remarkably bright light of orange and red, illuminating the city with a second sun.

"Azazel!" Kiyotaka screamed the fallen angel's name in pain.

"Hang on, Kiyotaka" The fallen angel spotted a closed park, he rushed into it at breakneck speed. Its twelve wings worked in perfect coordination.

A thud pierced the sky as the two landed in the park. The impact was so violent that a massive crater had formed there.

"Azazel, you need to create a shield around, I feel-" Kiyotaka didn't have time to finish his sentence as a much explosion spread in his direction.

The blast of the impact was so powerful it had razed the forest in the blink of an eye.

Azazel quickly complied. He put a protective barrier around the area with his fallen angel magic and waited.

As for Kiyotaka, he emptied himself, focused on the yellow light, still present on the weapon which was going crazy as time passed.

The spark became a fiery flame, and the wind became a storm, the two raged in the grip.

The fire and the wind slowly approached, swaying in back and forth movements, finally uniting perfectly in a unique bond due to the yellow light.

Yet, it was not over, since a blue liquid appeared near the other two. It was inserted between the two already present thanks to the yellow light.

The wind blows around Kiyotaka and Azazel. The man watched in wonder the scene that unfolded before his eyes. The gusts of fire, wind, and water raged across the barrier, which was beginning to crack from the power released by the three elements.

Then a new element slipped between the three already existing, another, and another.

The cycle continued until it reached 7 elements, namely : Fire, Water, Lightning, Wind, Light, Darkness, and Space. All were trapped by the yellow light and formed a small compact disc in the handle.

Azazel began to falter, his strength diminished, his body was under pressure from the elements. The protection barrier began to crack from the power emitted by the elemental disc.

Kiyotaka was much worse, the 7 were unleashed on him, his whole body filled with holes, blood, and massive burning. His eyes were blurry and his breathing was rough.

"AAAAH!" He pushed with all his might, the yellow light encompassing the elemental disk which lessened the pressure around them.

All the elements calmed down after a few minutes and finally united in a last effort from the teenager.

Kiyotaka inserted the disc into the grip of the weapon, then closed it.

He took the handle in his hands, from which a small red circle appeared between the handle and his palm. A white light illuminated the boy as his injuries began to heal at breakneck speed that even surprised the fallen angel who couldn't believe his eyes.

The holes in his body closed, the burn marks disappeared in the blink of an eye.

The light finally managed to heal all of the boy's wounds except the one on his right arm, which the charcoal black wouldn't go away.

Azazel rushed to Kiyotaka. He helped him walk to a bench that had managed to survive the cataclysm.

The two sat on it. Silence seized them.

Kiyotaka had the handle in his hands. It shone a silver sparkling with white light as if polished by the elements.

Around it, little symbols were carved and represented the seven elements.

Kiyotaka looked at Azazel with a tired smile. The man was staring at the handle with eager, but happy eyes.

"We did it, Azazel" Laughed Kiyotaka.

"We made it kid! We created a new Sacred-Gear!" Azazel also followed him with a happy laugh.

"A Gear of War," Kiyotaka whispered absently, looking at the hilt.

"Well, kid, what are you going to call it?" Azazel punched him in the shoulder that pulled him out of his thoughts.

Kiyotaka didn't look at him. He got up with difficulty from the bench and then lifted the handle in the air.

Azazel watched him do it, tears in his eyes.

The brightest smile he ever had, Kiyotaka opened his mouth "Jiyū"