Azaroth couldn't help but feel a thrill at the thought of getting the fire techniques. At first, when Alex had jumped for joy, he thought he was the one that got the fire techniques.
"So which one is your technique, Stallus?" Alex asked when he had calmed down.
"Crystal. It's under Earth Elemental but very different and more complex than that," Stallus said.
"Why do you get it in the first place? You did not get to choose," Alex said.
Stallus shrugged, and Azaroth saw something flash in her eyes. Azaroth recognized it, hate and fear with a mixture of anger. What happened to her that made her this way? Azaroth thought.
"I... it's complicated, but the Inferno Legion tested to see if I could learn it first," Stallus said.
Azaroth saw Kael nod slowly as he listened to Stallus. So she was lying then, Azaroth thought. It was obvious from the way she slowed and had to think about it.
Kael was just going along with whatever she was saying.
Alex nodded, accepting easily, but maybe not easily enough, because Azaroth could see the way his eyes tightened as he looked down at Stallus.
"Wow. That's good! It must be a very complicated technique, and you must have shown a lot of potential!" Alex said, and Azaroth could hear the forced cheer he put in.
Stallus shook her head. "Not that complicated, but still."
There was silence then until Kael cleared his throat. "These techniques were difficult to acquire since the Inferno Legion is heavily based on the fire techniques."
Kael leaned forward, his voice blank and low. "I will advise you to show progress. Your techniques came at heavy prices, and the Inferno Legion always collects their debt—one way or another."
They nodded; it wasn't like they were naive. The Inferno Legion wouldn't give them power unless they could use that power, and a powerful Awakener is a mobile army.
How will they control this weapon though? Azaroth looked at the others. The Inferno Legion could never hope to control Stallus; Azaroth could see the hate in her eyes, the waiting anger she was ready to unleash.
Catena isn't the type that could be easily moved by emotion, wealth, or power. It would be difficult to control him.
Alex, on the other hand, was surprisingly the most complicated. He acted like he was an open book while little was known about him. Azaroth was sure he had a plan of his own; he only had to figure it out.
Azaroth himself had a debt to collect from the Inferno Legion, and he planned to collect it in full. There was no controlling him either.
So how did the Inferno Legion plan to control the living weapons they were equipping? Azaroth had no idea, but he knew they had a plan. Humans always do.
"I know you understand. Now to your second gift," Kael said and started unlocking the chest. He opened the chest, and Azaroth saw weapons—four naked weapons.
A thick long sword, a chain, a sabre, and a thin sword.
"These weapons are made from the bones of different monsters. They are made specifically for you. They are the weapons you will use all your life," Kael said, standing up and laying each weapon in front of them.
Stallus sucked in a breath as her sabre was put in front of her, and Azaroth understood her reaction.
The weapons were beautiful—if death was ever beautiful. They were made of sleek black material that drank any light that shone on them. Only the sharpened areas were shining.
Catena's chains were made of the same material, and they had one spiked ball and one smooth ball. The chain had a metal mechanism in the middle to help reel it in.
"With a quick essence manipulation, you can control the length of the chain with the mechanism in the middle," Kael said as he watched Catena admire the chain.
Azaroth's sword was the same as his old one; the only thing different was that it was made of a different material, and the hilt was longer and the grip firmer. Still, Azaroth already liked the weapon.
Stallus stood up with her new weapon and went to the training area for a quick stabbing technique.
She grinned, and her blue eyes sparkled. "This is something. It's lighter than any sabre I've ever handled. I'll be much faster with this."
"Are we giving them names?" Alex asked as he caressed his weapon.
"No!" Kael shouted.
Alex recoiled, and Catena looked up sharply while Stallus stopped her practice. Azaroth merely glanced at Kael.
Kael took a deep breath. "The weapons will name themselves."
"What do you mean?" Azaroth demanded. Weapons naming themselves? Ridiculous. He hadn't heard anything like that before.
"You remember what I told you about the new way of teaching? Well, it includes weapons," Kael said, going to the chest to bring out sheaths for their weapons.
"What do you mean?" Stallus asked.
"The weapons we've given you will grow with you, and you must always imbue your essence into them. Not only when fighting but always. As time passes, they will grow and even gain consciousness. They will amplify your powers and change in ways we can't yet predict," Kael explained. "And their attacks will get more powerful."
Stallus nodded, looking at her sabre. "Is your weapon like this?"
Kael shook his head. "No, it was just recently discovered, and very few have a 'soul weapon.' That's what it's called. I only use my weapon for fighting, and I change it often. A soul weapon must be only one weapon."
Azaroth tightened his hand on his weapon as he sheathed it. He would gain a soul weapon. That seemed like a very good deal to him... he paused. Which energy would he put inside? The chaos energy or his normal one?
Azaroth frowned. Maybe he should put both. He would have to ask the red eyes about it whenever they met.
"So this is what The Yama Project is all about. Different techniques and soul weapons. Seems it's a good time to join the Hounds after all!" Alex said.
Indeed, Azaroth thought.