A Saniwa's Duty

Starter

The trio sat cross-legged in a circle in the middle of the spacious lobby, Chiaki examining her sword yet again.

"You asked about my photokinesis, right?", Chiaki rested the sword back on her lap. "What about it?"

"To put it simply, photokinesis and divine magic are somewhat alike, so it'll be a little easier for you to properly control your powers," the smith said knowingly, arms folded and tucked behind his sleeves.

"Okay, but how do I use it?"

"Look within yourself, and the sword. Trust that it does you no harm, and free the spirit trapped within."

"Alright," Tetsuo cut in before his sister could ask again. "You said the sword has a... spirit inside, yes?"

"Hmm, what about it?" Kuroba questioned nonchalantly.

"Does that mean," the boy continued. "That this sword is a tsukumogami?"

The smith paused to gather his thoughts. "Well, not exactly. Tsukumogami acquire a spirit over the course of time, like say, a hundred years, whereas saniwa sages unlock the spirit within them. A simple matter of take versus give."

Seeing the perplexed looks the children shot him, Kuroba added, "Well, that, and the fact that these swords do not become youkai."

"If not that," Tetsuo pressed further. "Then what?"

"That is for her to find out," the smith gestured to Chiaki, whose mouth curled into an annoyed scowl as she continued to gaze at the sword. Then her eyes lit up and she fished the Link card from her Index.

"Do you know where this thing goes by the way?" the girl said as she handed over the card.

"As a matter of fact, I do," Kuroba accepted and stood up. "I'll be right back. You just figure it out, okay? Trust your instincts." And with that, he turned on his heels and left.

The sage mumbled a 'As if I wasn't planning to already', which earned her a nudge from her brother. She shot him a glare before picking up the sword yet again, and turning it over.

Look inside yourself. Chiaki closed her eyes and took several deep breaths to calm her nerves. Trust your instincts, the sword, and the spirit that awaits within. It won't hurt you.

The sage could feel warmth gradually travelling from her chest and her head to her arms, snaking their way down to her fingertips, and she felt the sword turn lightweight. Heat and blinding light seared her eyelids, but she dared not open them, concentrating.

The heat and light died down after a moment. From beside her, she heard her brother wheeze. "Holy shit."

Chiaki opened her eyes and blinked a few times, rubbing her eyes just to make sure what stood before her was real.

"Whoa," Tetsuo muttered. "What the fuck just happened?"

"I'm Yamanbagiri Kunihiro," the figure introduced himself. He looked quite unlike the usual swordsman, from his hair to his body's frame, and even his attire, which looked more like something a private high school student would wear, coupled with some armor plates. A sheated sword rested between his belt and he wore a white cloak, tattered and dirtied at the hem.

Yamanbagiri saw the looks of disbelief that the siblings exchanged with each other before turning their attention to him.

"What's with that look?," he asked as he tugged his cloak to hide more of himself. Chiaki was looking him up and down with awe, while Tetsuo silenty took a photo, reminding himself to Tweet about it later. Kunihiro saw what they were doing. "Does the fact that I'm a duplicate bother you?"