As the Night Sword was slowly withdrawn from the golden square that was the manifestation of Kaizen's inventory, Belial and Og'tharoz, unlike any other virtual spectators of the scene, could feel something dark emanating from it.
"What is... that?" Belial asked, hesitantly, and as he stepped back he tripped and fell to the ground.
"It's one of the many swords I've forged, but it's also different from all the others. It is difficult to control, difficult even to predict. An item with fluid statuses that change according to my emotions. Isn't that crazy? It's certainly the sword I've created that I fear the most, because it's the only one I've managed to trap a 'thing' in." Kaizen revealed.
The Night Sword was the fruit of an arduous mission Kaizen had to go through when he wanted to show that he could be trusted by the Order of Dalamyr, an extinct order that looked after and protected the supernatural world in Midgard.
On that mission, Kaizen had to face an Evil Spirit that was cursing a house in the middle of the forest, the spirit of a witch, and by defeating this creature he obtained the item 'Essence of Shadows'. When this item was painstakingly forged into a sword, it bound the evil spirit to it, making it a cursed item.
So, when Belial heard Kaizen's answer, the atmosphere fell silent, as for a moment he began to ponder what exactly those words meant, after all, they weren't an exact answer.
Kaizen, with a serious and determined expression, raised the Night Sword, feeling its weight. Belial looked at Kaizen with a mixture of curiosity and suspicion.
"What do you intend to do to me, Kaizen?" Belial asked, his voice echoing.
Kaizen's answer came in the form of deep concentration. He closed his eyes and began to slowly run his free hand over the blade of his sword. A magical aura, dark and enigmatic, enveloped him as he channeled his power. Og'tharoz watched in silence with his arms crossed, sensing the tension in the air.
"Prepare yourself, Belial. This is a delicate and risky process, but I trust that you will survive," Kaizen warned, his voice laden with a seriousness that did not go unnoticed.
As Kaizen's words echoed, the Sword of the Night began to pulsate with an ethereal luminosity, every few seconds.
Belial felt the pressure around him increase. The air seemed charged with magical electricity, in other words, the purest manifestation of mana. He could hear indistinct murmurs, voices echoing through the air. A feeling of apprehension came over him as Kaizen continued to channel his magic.
Kaizen opened his eyes, revealing an intense glow that resembled distant stars. With a firm gesture, he sliced through the air with the Sword of Night, opening a dimensional portal in front of him.
"This is the path to the private hell I will create for you, Belial. A realm where your essence and that of the evil spirit, the inhabitant of this sword, must intertwine or be subjugated, but where you will be forced to coexist." explained Kaizen, guiding Belial into the portal with a determined look.
Belial hesitated for a moment, looking back, but Kaizen's resolute expression urged him forward. He knew that this was his only chance of survival, although he didn't know exactly what Kaizen meant. So, with an uncertain step, he stepped through the portal, feeling a wave of magical energy envelop him and currents grab him. For him, the scenery changed instantly, transforming into an ethereal realm of shadows and flames.
The portal closed shortly afterwards, leaving him at the mercy of the darkness, but suddenly Kaizen's voice rang out.
"You are now inside the Sword of Night, Belial. It will be a test of endurance for you, but also an opportunity to stay alive," Kaizen declared, his eyes reflecting the dancing flames.
Kaizen knew that he could have used <Sidereal Fusion> to fuse Belial into an empty sword, so that the demon could use it as a receptacle, but that was too good an ending for an evil demon like Belial, unlike him being in the Sword of Night, where there was another being vying with him for control of the sword.
In the midst of all that darkness, Belial felt a sinister presence around him, and suddenly a shadow materialized a few meters in front of him. It was the evil spirit, an ethereal figure with eyes sparking with hatred. The atmosphere vibrated with tension, as if the world itself were shaking.
Belial, as always proud, smiled and said:
"I understand what you've done, Psyker. However, I have often dealt with souls much more powerful than this."
The demon and the evil spirit collided in a chaotic dance of shadows and flames. Belial struggled to maintain his superiority, resisting the magical currents that the evil spirit threw. At that moment, in Kaizen's hands, the Night Sword emanated a pulsating light, as if the cosmos itself was watching the fusion unfold.
Kaizen stood firm, channeling his magic. He knew that this was a crucial moment, a delicate balance between forging a private hell for Belial and calming the evil spirit. The line between success and disaster was thin. It had to be balanced, so that neither killed the other and they only lived in duality.
Inside the sword, the magical landscape around the opponents began to stabilize.
After a few seconds in Midgard, which for Belial were hours, Kaizen lowered the Night Sword, observing the result of his first forging with <Sidereal Foundry>.
Belial was now like the Evil Spirit, with a cloak of shadows, and his eyes were as red and bright as ever.
"You did it, Kaizen. You created a balance where there was chaos. Now the demon Belial and the witch Kulenov are one." said the Sword of Night, like a voice in Kaizen's mind.
Kaizen smiled, feeling a little tired of this forge.
"What have you just done, Kaizen?" Stepping closer, Og'tharoz asked.
"I've created a completely new legendary item." Kaizen raised his tired eyes and replied. "Now, all we have to do is wait for the Bloody Lily to return."