Phoenix Whisper
Phoenix Whisper
Black Anvil
Gogumador’s gallery tip had been spot-on.
The moment we stepped inside, the place felt like a realm completely severed from the outside world. This was no ordinary junkyard. It was something on an entirely different plane—a forge ruled by searing heat.
The interior sprawled far wider than anything the exterior suggested, and ranks of weapons lined up like a factory floor radiated raw intimidation. Above all else, the heat was so thick it stole the breath from your lungs. A sticky, clinging warmth plastered itself to the skin. Crimson flames danced like ravenous maws in the forges that lined every wall, yet the usual thunder of hammer on steel was nowhere to be heard. Only an unnaturally heavy silence hung in the air.
Every weapon covering the walls bled an extraordinary aura—a dagger that dripped chill cold, an axe that hummed and keened of its own accord, a spear wreathed in black mist that coiled like a living snake.
“Hoh… Not bad for a hole-in-the-wall like this.”
Ruby’s eyes, which had been grumbling about the dump, narrowed to slits. She had sensed it on instinct: nothing on these walls was cheap scrap.
“You didn’t know a place like this existed, Ruby?”
“Hmph. Lucky me, then. If I’d known sooner… I’d have been shopping here ages ago.”
Even the Disaster of Flames herself—Ruby Scarlet, the infamous arsonist—had never heard of this spot. Maybe that was for the best. If she had, she would have cleaned the place out and gone on an even worse rampage.
I smirked and gave a little nod.
“Is that so? Well, better late than never.”
“…Yeah. Thanks a lot for dragging me all the way into this sewer.”
Ruby crossed her arms and sniped at me, but her words and her body language were miles apart. Her gaze was already glued to a dagger on the wall that shimmered with blue light; she couldn’t tear her eyes away.
I let out a low, deliberate chuckle.
“Sewer? This is a treasure vault. Look at that twitching mouth of yours—you like it, don’t you? Be honest.”
“Ha? Don’t make me laugh.”
Ruby whipped her head away, crimson hair flashing.
“Don’t get the wrong idea. The mana density’s just thicker than outside, so it’s actually breathable. There’s no way I’d give a damn about that junk.”
“Junk? Come on. That axe over there—isn’t that exactly your style? Just look at it. Fiery as hell.”
I pointed with my chin at a massive battle-axe. Its edge gleamed ice-blue, a majestic silhouette that made the knees go weak just looking at it.
“Who the hell walks around with a crude hunk of metal like that? I hate that crap. Still…”
She trailed off, hesitating. Then her lips moved and she muttered under her breath.
“…Well. The polish isn’t bad. I’ll give it that much—maintenance looks solid.”
“Haha, right? Then what about that staff? Three flame amplification stones set into it.”
“…Arrangement’s tacky. If it were me, I’d have set them way more efficiently.”
The words came out prickly, yet Ruby’s red eyes were already sparkling like jewels. She looked exactly like a child who had just walked into a toy store for the first time—curiosity and excitement barely contained. Born fighter through and through; the sight of a true masterpiece made her blood sing.
I drove the needle in a little deeper.
“See? Eyes rolled clean back in your head. Wipe that drool, would you?”
“What?! I am not drooling! Who’s eyes are rolling?! Am I some brat like you?!”
Ruby bellowed and made a show of kicking at my shin.
“Piles of scrap like this? My secret base is buried in the stuff—you trip over it!”
“Secret base? You’ve got a cute little hideout like that too?”
At that, Ruby’s eyes narrowed and a wicked little smile curved her lips.
“Why? You curious?”
“Hmm… not really.”
“You little—talking back to me now?!”
A tiny spark crackled to life in her palm.
“Want me to roast you right here?”
“Haha! Easy. Play with fire in this place and we’ll both end up as matching kebabs. Besides… the owner’s coming out.”
I pointed past the counter into the darkness. Heavy footsteps thudded closer, each one landing like a blow to the chest. Even Ruby reined in her panting and fixed a wary stare forward.
Clang. Creak.
A mountain of a man in a grease-blackened leather apron shouldered his way out of the shadows. One eye was covered by a black patch; crude mechanical implants jutted from the thick forearms he had rolled up. He looked less like a blacksmith and more like a living weapon that had learned to walk.
“Been a while since any crazy bastards came looking for ‘beer hotter than a hammer.’”
He exhaled a long plume of gray smoke from the cigar clenched in his teeth and looked us over.
“…Do your lovey-dovey crap outside. What the hell do you want bad enough to crawl into this sewer?”
“Ha?! Who the hell is lovey-dovey with this guy?!”
“More importantly… you. Witch of Flames, Ruby Scarlet?”
So he recognized her after all. Even a secret shop like this had heard the full weight of her reputation.
“You know me pretty well for a country-looking fatso.”
“What did you just—?”
Oh no. At this rate we wouldn’t be shopping; we’d be starting a war. I stepped smoothly between them and offered a gentle smile.
“…That’s far enough.”
“Hmph.”
“Human who dragged a villain like her in here… who the hell are you?”
Under the blacksmith’s murderous stare I removed my top hat and gave a polite bow.
“Forgive the late-night intrusion. My name is Aris Mardia, dedicated counselor to Ruby Scarlet, dispatched by the Holy See.”
“Counselor, huh… You’re pretty famous yourself. Word is the southern hero Elara von Heim was completely reborn after you treated her. They’re calling her a savior of humanity now.”
Elara. Had she really taken my advice and thrown herself into hero work? It seemed the mental treatment had stuck; she was walking a proper path. Her rising fame even made my own shoulders feel a little lighter.
“I’m honored you know the name. Greetings aside, I’ve come to procure a weapon for this lady.”
I gestured toward the pouting Ruby Scarlet. She snorted and turned her face away.
“A weapon for a notorious piece of work like her?”
“For the upcoming tournament. And… Ruby is not the monstrous criminal the world paints her as.”
“What?”
The blacksmith’s brow furrowed as if he’d just heard pure nonsense. I smiled and pressed on.
“…Her way of expressing herself is a little rough, that’s all. Inside, she’s warmer than anyone.”
“Well I’ll be damned… You’re one hell of a teacher.”
My shameless defense drew a hollow laugh of disbelief from the blacksmith. Ruby flinched and shot me a glare.
“Hey. Who the hell is warm? Don’t piss me off.”
“See? She’s embarrassed.”
I brushed it off with an easy grin and turned back to the blacksmith with the real request.
“I’m looking for a bow. One without a string.”
“…No string?”
His single eye flashed sharp. The gaze slid past me and locked onto Ruby, who stood with arms crossed behind me.
“For that witch?”
“Yes. As you can see, her firepower is so extreme that ordinary bowstrings simply can’t survive. She needs something that can weave her own mana directly into a mana string.”
“Hmm.”
The blacksmith stroked his beard with that massive mechanical arm, lost in thought for a moment. The eye behind the patch glittered.
“True enough… Selling a weapon like that to her is illegal under imperial law. But the fact you crawled all the way here is almost admirable.”
“Is that so? Thank you. Haha.”
He looked Ruby Scarlet up and down once more, then smirked and nodded.
“Makes sense. Looking at her mana signature, anything ordinary would be ash in three seconds. Market bows wouldn’t even rate as toothpicks.”
“What did you just say, you one-eyed elf bastard?! I’ll shut that mouth of yours—!”
Ruby surged forward, but I raised a hand and stopped her lightly.
“Exactly right. That’s why we came all this way. Because if anyone has the real article that can handle her flames, it’s you.”
The flattery-laced jab made the blacksmith’s mouth twist upward. He didn’t seem to mind having his skill acknowledged.
“Smooth talker. Fine. You brought enough coin, I assume? My goods aren’t cheap.”
“Of course. We’re prepared to pay top price.”
“Good. Wait here.”
He turned his massive frame and vanished into the storeroom behind the counter. While the clatter of metal and dull thuds drifted out, Ruby jabbed me in the ribs.
“Hey, kid.”
“What is it?”
“…Warm inside, my ass. Say that bullshit one more time and I’ll turn your tongue into a lump of charcoal.”
The growl was there, but it lacked its usual lethal edge. The tips of her ears looked faintly pink.
“It’s the truth, so what? Besides, running my mouth like that is how we get him to bring out the good stuff.”
“…Hmph. Excuses.”
She grumbled, yet she never stepped away from my side.
A short while later the blacksmith reappeared carrying a long, dust-caked case. He set it on the counter with a heavy thud that vibrated through the floorboards.
“This is the one. Even that crazy witch should be satisfied with this.”
His rough hands undid the latches and lifted the lid. Creak.
Inside lay something too strange and beautiful to simply call a bow. A jet-black metal frame, a grip set with a single crimson jewel. The curved limbs that flared out to either end looked exactly like the wings of a bird of prey. Yet the most important part—the string—was missing. Only empty air stretched between the tips.
“…What the hell is this? A toy?”
Ruby’s brow furrowed.
“Touch it first, then talk, missy. Whether it can handle your little fire games or not, you’ll know the second you grip it.”
At the blacksmith’s taunt she pouted, then snatched the bow up.
“Hmph. Fine, let’s see. If it’s trash I’ll burn this whole shop to—uh?!”
The instant her fingers closed around the grip, the crimson jewel set in the black frame pulsed like a heartbeat.
Woooong—!
A fine resonance thrummed. Mana pouring from her fingertips raced through the frame like blood through veins. Between the sharp wing-tips a blazing flame string materialized and drew taut.
Hissssss—!
The air around them ignited in an instant. This was no ordinary thread. It was pure, high-density mana compressed into a scarlet energy line that looked ready to incinerate anything it touched.
“…Ha.”
Ruby’s pupils dilated. Red fire danced inside her eyes.
“This…”
The grip settled into her hand as if it had been made for her alone. The conductivity that accepted her mana without the slightest rejection—no, that amplified it explosively. Above all, the design philosophy of taking her own flames and shaping them directly into a weapon. It had sniped her tastes with perfect precision.
Legendary Magic Bow
Crafted from the feathers of Las Phoenix, the most ferocious black phoenix on the continent. No physical string or arrows—manifests them from the wielder’s own fire magic. Prototype discarded by the Imperial Military for excessive power; ordinary soldiers suffer burns on mere contact.
“Prototype the imperial brass used and then tried to scrap. Name’s Phoenix Whisper. Made from the feathers of Las Phoenix, the black phoenix they call the most vicious on the continent. Power’s so high regular soldiers get burned just touching it.”
The blacksmith chuckled darkly.
“Well? Like it, Miss Witch of Flames?”
Instead of answering, Ruby curled one corner of her mouth into a grin. The smile was beautiful enough to raise gooseflesh—and dangerous enough to match.
“…Not bad.”
She drew the empty air as if nocking an arrow. There was no shaft, yet the moment she pulled, flames gathered of their own accord and shaped themselves into an arrow.
“Mind if I test it?”
“Hmm. No harm in it… but remember this: the second you aim at my shop, your head comes off too.”
He issued the warning and flicked a glance at the workers. The elves stopped what they were doing and watched Ruby with tense faces.
“…Hmph. Who said I’d torch a hole-in-the-wall like this? I don’t burn things that aren’t worth the trouble.”
Ruby settled into stance with indifferent eyes. Maybe it was the elf blood in her veins—her form with a bow was flawless from the first second, not a single wasted motion.
“Watch close. See how my flames dance when they meet a toy like this.”
She stepped her left foot forward, spine ramrod straight. Left arm extended, bow raised; right hand snatched the invisible string as if plucking it from the air.
Hwaaaang!!
In that instant red mana rose from her entire body like heat haze. Flame born at her fingertips raced along the string and instantly took the shape of an arrow. This was no ordinary fire arrow. Crimson fire whirled and roared as if a living beast were howling, burning with ferocious intensity. The heat overwhelmed even the forge’s own furnaces; my skin prickled.
“…Hoh.”
The blacksmith’s single eye glittered with interest.
“Target’s over there.”
He jerked his chin toward the far corner of the forge—a target board reinforced with thick steel plating. The surface was scorched and dented from countless weapon tests.
Ruby drew the string all the way back without a second’s hesitation. The taut mana string hummed and screamed.
“Here it comes!”
Paaang—!
A sharp crack of air, and the flame arrow left her fingers, painting a crimson trail. The speed was too fast for the eye to follow.
KWAAAAANG—!!!
An explosion that felt like it would split eardrums erupted. The instant the arrow struck the steel target, a massive pillar of fire roared upward as if it meant to punch through the ceiling. Shockwaves rattled every tool in the forge; acrid smoke swallowed the room.
“…Cough, cough!”
Everyone around us hacked and choked. I waved the smoke aside, and the ruin came into view.
The thick steel plate was simply gone. In its place lay a pool of molten red metal and a gaping hole blasted clean through the wall. Cool night air from the back alley poured in through the breach.
…
Silence.
No one inside the forge could close their mouths. The working elves, the blacksmith, even I stood staring blankly at the ruined wall. Only Ruby lowered the bow with clear satisfaction and caught her breath.
“Huu…”
Beads of sweat dotted her forehead, yet the smile on her lips was brighter and more pure than I had ever seen—like a child’s.
“…Not half bad.”
She stroked the bow with almost reverent care and murmured,
“No. I like it. A lot…”
I finally shook myself free of the daze and looked at the blacksmith. His expression was shifting from pure shock into a booming, delighted laugh.
“Ke—kehahahaha!”
He slapped his knee and roared.
“Crazy bitch! You’re a real crazy bitch! You punched a hole straight through my shop wall!”
The words were curses, yet the voice rang with unmistakable praise—the pure joy of a craftsman who had finally met an owner who could handle his masterpiece perfectly… no, beyond perfectly.
“Good! Damn good! That bow is yours now, Witch of Flames!”
“Wait—about the wall repair—”
My timid question was drowned under the blacksmith’s hearty laughter.
“Repair costs? Screw that! I just watched power like this with my own eyes—what’s a lousy wall matter?! Instead, take that bow and burn every battlefield you step on! Got it?!”
“Hmph. Obviously. I was going to do that anyway.”
Ruby answered with absolute confidence. The strongest weapon now rested in her hands.
The Heavenly Spirit Tournament.
Every preparation for the competition was complete. To the walking powder keg named Ruby Scarlet, we had just attached a detonator called Phoenix Whisper.
I couldn’t even begin to imagine what kind of chaos this tournament was about to become.