“Ye ain't going, I ain't got the money!”

“The school is covering it all” Suzu replied, a sigh escaping her pursed lips.

“The fuck would they pay fer a useless twat? Ye can barely cook soup... ”

She winced slightly at the cutting remark, but this was a relatively normal conversation for them. In Suzu's mind, her kind father was dead. The man before her now was merely a simple beast.

“Bah, who's gonna cook me dinner?”

“Eat at the bar. You won't need to feed me while I'm there.”

“Ahh, yeah. Would save me from doing the shopping, won't taste like utter shit either. Whatever, don't come back unless you find a job. And grab me some more wine while you're doing dinner, yeah?”

Suzu quietly nodded, secretly pleased at how easily she had swayed him. All it took was the mention of saving money...

While she awkwardly prepared dinner, her father greedily downed the fresh bottle, ranting about something unintelligible. The chicken soup she served went mostly on his clothes and at one point, he turned to throw up beside the table.

'Why did I have to get such a disgusting beast as my father, gods? My last father may have been strict, but at least he was respectable!'

Suzu retreated to her room, flopping heavily onto her bed as she pondered over everything that had happened. She had finally managed to find the weapon she had been wanting for years! And Haru bought it for her without even thinking twice! He was like a fairy-tale prince, swooping in and... paying for her weapon?

'Calm down, you're truly turning silly!'

But no matter how hard she tried, the more she thought, the more excited she became. She could finally leave this terrible house and be together with Haruki. Away from this pig of a father. She deeply yearned for independence and it couldn't come soon enough.

After a few quiet days, Suzu headed back to the Nito's store, hands shaking and knees weak.

“Nito-san?”

She poked her head around the decrepit door, glancing around the gloomy, unlit store as her heart frantically attempted to escape her chest.

“Ahh, come in Suzu-chan! It's ready to go!” Nito was standing behind the register, an excited smile lighting up his face as her voice gently echoed around the small room.

His words lit a spark inside Suzu, sending her excitement to a feverish peak. Her steps had a bounce and she was humming brightly as she followed Nito to a small storage cupboard.

“At first, I couldn't get the blade right. I went through a few different pieces before deciding on a special smelting technique my master taught me many years ago. I only remembered it after you mentioned the patterned steel of your homeland, so I used your blade as a prototype, if you will.”

Suzu took quick steps forward, grabbing the dark metal shaft of the presented weapon. With shaking hands, she gently removed the cloth cover and a small gasp escaped her lips. A beautiful patterned blade, about 40cm long, glowing in the soft light of the cooling forge.

Small black nightshade flowers were carved along the spine of the subtly curved blade, while the pole itself was adorned with stunning silver Maki-e Cherry blossoms, inter-connected by thin, winding golden vines that spiraled the entire length.

“It's not up to the level of my Sensei, but that's still a genuine Damascus Steel blade. It will last you a life time if you look after it. Feel free to take it outside for a test swing.”

Still entranced by the elegant beauty of the weapon, Suzu came to her senses for a moment.

“Inspect”

Damascus Steel Naginata (50/50) (Rare)

50-100 physical damage

Average speed

25% Armour Penetration

This polearm was crafted by a skilled smith,

using a forgotten technique. A formidable

weapon that bears a stunning beauty.

Stats unlock at Level 15 (Identified)

+50 Strength

+30 Dexterity

+5% Attack Speed

+5% Attack Range

Engraved: Nightshade rune

Strikes against humanoids

will cause a slow, paralyzing

poison to enter their wound.

Suzu drew in a sharp breath as she read over the stats a second time. It was such a significant upgrade from the blunt iron dagger she usually carried.

Despite her small size, Suzu's arms easily bore the weight of the large weapon as she stood in awe.

“Come, I have a small yard outside.”

Nito gestured towards an open door. A small, paved area came into view and she happily raced outside, immediately beginning her old training routine. With so many years of familiarity, she could easily determine how well this weapon compared to her old one.

Shing! Shing!

It was like night and day! While her old Naginata had been decently made, it would chip and dull after only a few strikes. If she had solely relied on her weapon, she would have died far younger than she did.

With an elegant pirouette, Suzu cut a vicious whirlwind of death around her. Even the air seemed to shatter as the singing blade danced effortlessly, flashing with a golden crescent as it caught the sun.

Shing! Shing!

Finishing up the routine, Suzu turned and casually bisected a falling leaf with a satisfied nod, instinctively snapping to attention with a flourish. Her naginata let out an ear numbing CLANG as it planted firmly on the stone.

“Bravo!” Nito cheered from the side. After seeing how easily she had handled the weapon, the doubts in his mind vanished. The job had quickly become his own little pet project, so he had grown attached. Designing it had been a challenge, but it had also been the most fun he'd had in years. After finally seeing her wield it flawlessly, Nito was satisfied.

“I'm glad that this weapon is going to someone with skills worthy of wielding it.” Nito bowed gently.

Suzu nodded stiffly, trying to hold back her tears. It had been so long since anyone had complimented her weapon skills, years of pent up frustration threatened to burst forth.

With a quick turn away from Nito, Suzu brutalized another stray leaf as she settled her thoughts.

Burning desire quickly overwhelmed the melancholy in her heart, her face splitting into a devilish grin as herself of her goals. “Thank you, Nito-sensei. With your weapon in hand, I will tear apart my enemies.”

Her hand balled into a tight fist as she spoke.

Nito staggered back a few steps as the atmosphere around her turned cold, her terrifying gaze hitting him like a casually dropped anvil.

'This little girl... I wouldn't want to meet her on the battlefield... Wait, is that... a panther behind her?'

Nito shivered again, firmly shaking his head.

'I've met many people with nastier auras over the years... Even so, she's still damned scary.'

Seeing Suzu caressing the polearm with a strange look in her eyes, Nito wandered quietly back to his counter.

Noticing she was alone, Suzu's face grew serious. Turning to the west, she bowed so low that her hair swept the soiled stone.

'Thank you, Haru.'

With her new weapon finally in hand, Suzu skipped happily towards home.