Beyond The Crimson Gate-Chapter 48: New Sword

Axel leaned over the table to observe what the person in front of him was doing. 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚

"Jeez. I know that you technically designed the principles with which this would operate but I can build it, okay?" The dark skinned, teen that Axel was looking at lamented.

Axel ran his hand through his hair, "I am just trying to see how it works."

The boy, or Dave, as Axel had come to know, smiled slightly.

"The great Axel doesn’t know how electromagnetism works? Ha!" Dave held his stomach and laughed.

He was an engineer whom Axel had befriended a couple of weeks ago.

"You know the idea is ingenious. The fact that you went this far shows great care. Who’s the lucky lady?" Dave’s white teeth shone as he smiled.

"Do you take weapons as love gestures?" Axel raised an eyebrow and Dave scoffed.

"Don’t you?"

Axel opened his mouth to say something but held his tongue, "Anyway, it’s for a guy." He actually said.

"Oh? I didn’t know you were... zesty. Ahem. It’s okay, ’tis the 21st century." Dave patted Axel to reassure him.

The latter scrunched his face, "No, you idiot, I don’t swing that way and it’s for my best friend."

Dave nodded mindlessly, "Hmhmm, yeah. Whatever you say."

Axel raised his finger but sighed and dropped his shoulders in resignation.

"Damn. Best friend or not, he is very lucky." Dave spoke as he stood up and handed Axel an object.

It was the handle of a sword. It had a red pattern on its body and looked completely normal except for a slide fader on its side.

"So when are you going to give it to him?" Dave asked, still eyeing his creation with pride.

"Oh. I texted him. He should be on his way and thank you for agreeing to hide this from Cayenne." His words carried sincerity.

Dave patted Axel’s shoulder, "No problem, my man. Plus, I never really liked her anyway, and I get to meet this ’best friend’ of yours."

Axel ignored the air quotes Dave made around ’bestfriend’ and continued to wait.

The door to the workshop opened up and Kale walked through undisturbed.

He had a small lizard on his shoulder, Axel looked at it and decided to question him later.

"Bro." Kale took him in a bear hug, "Let go. I can’t. Breathe." Axel struggled to speak.

Kale immense let go and shifted uncomfortably, "Sorry, I’m certainly stronger now." He chuckled.

His eyes finally fixed on the third person in the room. Kale tilted his head slightly, then stretched out his hand.

"I’m Kale, nice to meet you." He let out a sincere smile.

"Oh? He’s cute. I’m Dave." Dave nudged Axel before taking Kale’s hand in a firm shake.

Kale turned to Axel to question the statement from Dave but the latter mouthed ’Later’ and Kale nodded.

"So might I know why I was invited here?" Kale asked, leaning against the nearest wall.

Axel and Dave exchanged glances before the former tossed the handle to Kale.

He caught it with a blank expression until he noticed what it was.

"A sword? Thanks, man. One of my swords shattered and the other is out of commission." Kale lightly referenced the events in Dimension Zero.

Catalyst ran across Kale’s shoulder before jumping to the floor and running off to explore the workshop.

Dave raised his hand to complain, "Don’t worry, Catalyst will follow me out. He’s a good lizard."

Axel’s puzzled look reminded Kale that he hadn’t introduced Catalyst to him.

"Oh, I hatched him during my little ’trip’ and he has been with me ever since. I’m not joking, he has simply refused to leave me alone." Kale chuckled a bit as he saw Catalyst run headfirst into a wall.

Axel nodded in understanding.

"And about that sword? It’s nothing like you have ever seen." Dave smiled.

Kale was deeply interested now. He looked at the handle and saw the slide fader on the side.

He slid it all the way up and a box in the room started to shake.

A dozen shards flew to Kale and the latter flinched, expecting damage.

The shards, however, attached themselves to the hilt, fitting into one another like a jigsaw puzzle until a whole sword was made.

"Once you turn the slide fader all the way, the shards from your sword. This way it can’t be broken." Axel spoke and Kale nodded in astonishment.

He slid it halfway down and the shards separated but still stayed hovering in the air.

Kale swung it, and the sword still stayed intact, but cut at a far larger range.

There was space between the shards so it cut farther. It had immense reach.

Taking a deep breath, Kale swung it once more, but mid-swing, the fader slid all the way down.

The shard flew and pierced some boxes. Kale slid it up again and the sword reassembled.

A large smile was plastered on his face and he thanked both parties.

Kale spent a couple of hours catching up with Axel and even became friends with Dave.

Soon, he took Catalyst and left.

Months passed slowly. During this time, Kale had taken his sword to his training with Mr. Daniel and his swordsmanship improved drastically.

He had tried feeding Catalyst, but the latter refused to eat anything, so he let it be.

Kale had also tried to hang out with Ian and Ming but they were both far too busy with training.

He hardly saw them and when he did, they were usually on their way to something else.

Now, he was looking at his phone. More specifically at the notification.

[Kale Vincoff, Congratulations.]

[You and a select few have been chosen to be part of a task force]

[You will be taken with members from Military Base Beta, Omega, Theta, and Gamma]

[Together, you will face threats and challenges that others are too incompetent to face]

[Participation is MANDATORY]

[Head over to any lab to collect your battle suit]

[You leave tomorrow]