After saying her name, Sarah says nothing. I don’t know if I’m supposed to respond or not, but right before I could say anything Sarah continues, “I would assume she’s your mom but I could be wrong because you don’t seem to have any fox features.”

Fox features would be news to me, so I ask “What do you mean fox features?”

Ava answers, “Our empress isn’t human. She’s a kitsune. Well, she’s not a normal one by any means. Her power probably is at the top of the continent.”

I don’t really know how to respond to any of this… It might have meant more to the original body’s owner, but I feel nothing for the empress. If she looks for me, I’ll address it then, maybe. Trying to change the subject, I say “Why do you think I was given this card?”

Sarah shrugs her shoulders and simply says, “Dunno. Maybe the empress wanted you to escape on your own. On a different note, can you even use it correctly?”

I shake my head no and say, “I can’t whenever I use it. I go berserk.” while remembering what happened when we were trying to escape.

Sarah responds with “Well, it sounds like you are closer than you think. If it doesn’t take a physical toll, you can work it out by feeding it mana. It’ll give you a boost in power for constant mana drain and since it’s so strong it’ll take a lot.” in a slightly giddy tone.

When it catches my attention that she specified which one it does, I question, “Wait, why does it matter which the sword decides to do?”

Sarah responds “If it’s physically draining you, your comparability is absolutely nonexistent and you might as well give up on trying to use that artifact.”

That’s good to know for the future and I guess that means Ava can’t use my weapon. Before I can say anymore Sarah asks “Can I try to use your artifact?” Then steps closer, thrusting her chest out a little and continues, “I’ll help start earning money!”

Being excited about earning my own cash, I tell her it’s fine. She picks it up, and it lets out a bright light and it takes a new shape for a second. It stays as a regularly sized blade with the light completely gone, then suddenly the light comes back.

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The sword grows bigger and bigger till it’s at the very least the size of Sarah, but that doesn’t last long. Her veins begin to become more prominent. Instantly she drops it and it transforms back into a card before it lands right on the table. With a deep breath she says in a still breathless tone, “M-man, that can really pack a punch.”

Ava chimes in, “Tell me about it. When I tried to use it to cut open a door, I thought my heart was going to explode.”

I’ve never had the physical backlash from it so I can’t understand it, but if it’s anything like the mental ones, then it’s probably a good idea for them not to use it again. Just remembering my times using it gives me a chill down my spine. It feels like you lose all control and all you can think about is destroying everything.

Then it fades in your conscious thoughts while you are going through your day, but when everything gets quiet and you are alone with your thoughts, they come back. Shaking my head, I refocus myself back on Ava and Sarah.

Sarah picks back up the card and looks at both sides carefully, then asks “Can you show me what it’s like when you use it? Or is that too much?”

Ava instantly intervenes by saying, “No no no! His mastery is just as bad if not worse, and he has an even lower chance than us since he doesn’t know how to use mana and magic.”

Sarah retorts back, “He’ll be fine. We’ll both be here to stop him if he tries anything while under the influence.”

She snaps back, “You don’t know how he reacts like I do!”

Sarah gets quiet for a minute but then assures Ava, “Know what? I’ll teach him how to attempt to suppress the artifact's will.”

Then Sarah walks up to me and puts her hands out, then tells me, “Put your hands on top of mine!”

I comply quickly, and then a strange feeling comes over me. It feels like my gut is being run through a washer.

Before I can say anything about it, Sarah tells me, “I know it’ll be uncomfortable at first, but remember this feeling it’s your Mana Stem output being moved to mostly your hands.”

Sarah eventually lets go, then hands me a knife off the table and tells me, “Most people who are blessed with an affinity for magic unconsciously have it flow unevenly throughout the body. Remember the feeling from before and instead of just focusing on your hands but both hands on this and try to focus it there.”

Once I place both hands on it, a deep breath escapes my lips as I recreate the same feeling somehow. Now I’m supposed to move this to the weapon?

How?

I was just told mana feels like a stomach ache and not a clue beyond that. While trying to move my mana to the knife, I feel all my muscles flex but the feeling does not leave my hands.

It’s really just a foreign concept to me…

How was it with the artifact? They must be similar, right? My eyes close and I picture the artifact transforming. How it takes shape. Then I look down at the knife and there’s a dull pink glow coming off it.