A elderly couple was walking in a wasteland and talking to each other leisurely. They were dressed in good looking robes. The lady had a pointy hat on top of her head and staff that looked like a top tier item and the man had an adventurer's attire with a great sword at his back. Both of them still looked young to be called elderly though.
From a normal person's point of view they looked like just some ordinary couple, but after a little while, they could definitely see that they exude a very faint aura which showed their competence and wisdom.
The lady said to the man "So Merlin, what do you want to do when we meet the sword wielder?"
The man showed a carefree look and answered with a confident look "Don't know maybe spar with him a bit. It has been a while…."
The woman lets out a sigh hearing that. At most times, the man keeps his cool but it seemed that this time around he won't be as cool minded.
"You know we are not at our peak anymore, think seriously, I don't really wanna fight. A war can start with how we handle this matter. Can you even make your strongest swings anymore? After our last fight you were the one mortally wounded. Well I am still up and running though." the Woman said with a huff. Her condescending way of talking was backed up by the immense power she had.
Hearing the woman, the old man swung his sword in thin air and the place where the sword was swung looked as if it had just cut the very air creating a vacuum. Nobody even saw when the sword was unsheathed and sheathed back. The way the old man handled his great sword had made him one of the strongest in this world, right now he may not be the strongest anymore but he still holds the weight as a strong military nation alone. Fighting thousands isn't even considered a challenge to him.
Seeing the display of his old might still remain, the woman sighed again and said "I see, so even death won't change you is that it? Although… we are kinda immortal at this point..."
"Don't worry, I still have the greatest mage in the world for me, so even a cursed sword Wielder will be a piece of cake."
The old man's answer was very confident which made a small smile appear on the woman's face and they started going forward again to their destination which as a matter of fact also moved towards them.
................
They found this out after journeying a month and during the journey they often thought that "could this Wielder really be able to sense their presence from this far away". Although they were reluctant to agree with it, they prepared themselves for the worst.
Their traveling speed increased which showed just how much they were agitated and they traveled a distance of 1 year, in half a year. Within this much time, they thought of many things. Some of the facts they discovered was that the Wielder was not moving towards them, but towards the civilization and his pace was really slow which showed as if the Wielder was seriously wounded... but no cursed sword Wielder would be wounded for this long. Even if wounded, the wielder would still go berserk, so moving this slow was unpredictable.
They just couldn't picture the sword Wielder being able to walk around leisurely, eating food and sleeping like it was no one's business, but their subject of concern was doing just that.
"Till now didn't every Wielder turn berserk or at least a little crazy? Is something else happening?"
"Don't know but maybe it's just a slow start. A strong will sometimes hinders the sword to act but it won't stay that way for long….. any will would break in front of that sword, haah!" slashing apart a monster with a single swing,
The old man answered the women's concerns with optimism and they started moving forward again. After traveling another month, they stopped near a forest area with a small river line and they started making a makeshift camp, they had made a decision to stop at this place and wait for the cursed sword Wielder, they were sure that he would pass by this spot, so after their preparation were done, they completely erased their presences and waited for their encounter with the inevitable.
"Melinda I don't feel anything."
At the mans sudden comment the woman called Melinda made a questioning look and asked
"About what?"
"I don't feel any danger. I can still sense the cursed sword but there isn't that feeling of despair. It's as though it has been controlled or has been overwhelmed, but I just can't seem to point out what overwhelming power did that. In all of history, whenever the sword was wielded, deep malicious energy went berserk....but "
At the old man's remark, the woman was shocked. It was shocking, wielding the Cursed sword was said to be the mark of a legendary swordsman and warrior, even if it was just for a day.
Still, not only to be able to wield it but also to be able to use the sword and not the other way around where the sword controlled the wielder, this concept was far removed from reality.
This theory is so far-fetched, it wasn't even considered in dreams, let alone reality. But right now her partner, who was also among those who could never have believed that the cursed sword would ever have a user worth wielding it, was saying the exact opposite of fact.
"So what's your final thought then?"
"Nothing really, for a warrior like me fighting someone that great would truly be the most satisfying thing but staying with you has also brought me to have a good time without fighting and violence. What do you want, Melinda? I can't say that we will surely fight but if there is someone who can control the cursed sword, he can't be normal or understanding, there has to be some catch. And if for me ... we can't go back to that peaceful life then..."
"Hey don't forget I am a fighter mage, so I also love to see strong people and fight but I love you too, so you don't have to hold back. I'm with you, let's see this to the end. Whether we need to abandon that life or not..."
They had complete faith in each other which was forged by staying together for a long long time. They had vowed to live together and die together so they made up their minds that after tomorrow, they would meet the strongest cursed sword or the strongest Wielder. whatever they would find, they would meet it with everything they got.
Their preparation was without any flaw but they would never anticipate what was to come, for this would surely be the most shockingly surprising thing they would ever encounter in their life.
...….
My life at the edge of the world was something akin to hell…. I sure wasn't exaggerating.
"Say? Why the hell does the air sting here?" I asked Amanori, my current nemesis turned master.
[How could I know? I don't even need air.] she said extremely plainly.
"I mean even if you don't need it… don't you at least need to know why this is like this?" I asked her, becoming a bit more agitated. She could probably show me a little more mercy.
[Well... long ago, one of my wielders released her hate here. From then on this land has become a Miasma infested territory. Since this Miasma sucks in any mana, I think because centuries of mana-less atmosphere, turned the air and Miasma into one. If you think about it… this air should be poison too in a sense.]
"Damn… that wielder had to have a lot of hate in her…." I can't even fathom just how much this Edge of the world covers. But to think Miasma could be so deadly….
[Time has changed this place. The monsters here can't even be compared to the other regions. These monsters are more akin to demons at this point. Although they have no intelligence, they are stronger than any other place.]
"Hmm… a newly formed ecology huh…"
{Answer: after much analysis, the System has deemed that the Edge of the world has changed because of mana deprivation. And the animals, trees and even the atmosphere have taken a new shape by the infestation of incomparable Miasma. As such, the host's Body is unsuited for the situation, the Host is currently experiencing negative effects from the atmosphere here.}
"Oh… System, you sure know a lot…. Then… I wonder why you are making my body so that I can use mana… when there is no mana here…"
{Answer: Miasma has already possessed Hosts body beyond repair, using Amanori and bonding with her has only made it worse. As that is the case, System has deemed that Host should have a body that can use Miasma as a power source, and since Miasma is a mana eater, it can be said the problem of Host not compatible with this world's mana will be solved making you able to use mana. Even though Miasma can be used to enhance the body, the System currently has too little information on it. As such System is only making use of Miasma to compensate for mana. More so, mana can be used to get exponentially stronger Without any side effects.}
"I know this much…. Mana is cheating to become stronger… the more you have, the stronger you are.. I know it… but still… this body… it is weak… I hope this life force will be enough to build up my body…." the excess life energy I had was a boon that this body had. The System was using that to get my body enhanced… but I wonder how long it will last me…
As I traveled along the barren world, my life as a stranded boy only got difficult. Holding the cursed sword was hard. She had her wielders experience pain akin to dying every moment they held her…. But soon enough, I got used to it too. For some reason all that pressure got sucked in by me over time. My body started to adapt more. The monsters here were ruthless but I began to work out from those problems. One by one, months passed and.
7 long months later...
.....
For the past 7 months, I've been travelling at my own pace and I was kinda getting used to my sword buddy too. We had passed a lot of hairy situations together, it seemed to have mellowed her out a bit.
I think I can understand her a little.
[Don't try to understand me! keh! demon child. I may have agreed to let you wield me but that's it!]
Yeah now she can read my mind as well, actually she has made a place inside my head already. I don't know how that works but the system gave a notification that we were finally in sync. Amanori was finally a part of me, a part that can't be separated. I wonder if anyone in the past has done this… but… I am sure, what I have done… is the best for both of us. The pain she brings would now last for all my life… but I am sure I will be able to work through it.
"Hey Amanori, I think we'll see someone nearby. I have been getting a gut feeling for some time."
[Kuh… I thought you didn't know how to sense presence, but you're still on the mark..... hmm wait.....
Hmm yeah, I feel them , they are still far away . We are moving that way so we should be able to attack and destroy them. Keh! How do you always sense these timings and presences? You are a demon child aren't you?…..]
"Hey, you just said something evil right now didn't you? Don't skip it over and change the subject?." even though she called me a demon.. .I couldn't feel any ill feelings… as a matter of fact…. I feel as if she had an admiration for demons…. I wondered why….
[What? You're a demon child, I will never take that back.]
"No, not that, you just said to destroy the first 2 people I see in this world as if that was normal. "
[Yeah that's common sense, sheesh kids these days, they just have to have a say in everything. I am the elder here so you listen to mee! ]
"Damn, I guess evil has really seeped into you to the point where you consider it a common sense huhh! I guess it can't be helped but hey, don't make yourself elderly now , you're just a tantrum thrower like a child too, remember the time when we were crossing that valley what you did ?"
[grrrr… do what you want!! Hmph!]
There she goes again. She even gets angry fast just like a child, well it was good that she was still open to learning new experiences. I hope she doesn't wreck my common sense before I can teach her a little.
After some time since Wielding her, I was able to understand that she had a female type personality, since she also had a child-like voice. I wasn't able to discern that at first, But now I could finally at least communicate with her or rather she took some interest in my pitiful self and considered helping me. If you want to know how I fixed our relationship, it was simple. I asked for her forgiveness on my knees and told her to be my master… I know it sounds pathetic but sometimes you have to gravel where you need to. I learnt that in my 1st life quite well. Not to mention if I had not done that… I would not be standing here right now. I'd probably be in some monster's belly by now… not to mention.. I was in some monster's belly when I had done that… Thanks to That, I am still standing here…. Amanori is a sadist...
While thinking and talking like that, I was making my camp for the night. Maybe I can see the first 2 people in this world in a day or two. I hope they are good people. Thinking about those things, I drifted off to sleep.
"Thanks again Amanori, I can sleep and rest in full because of you now. I hope I could've befriended you sooner…. Although… I know for sure you still would have made me gravel at that time.."
[Yeah yeah this is nothing for a great existence like me, hu hu hu you will see my greatness when I will cut thousands of bodies with you holding me, yeah, I wait for that dreadful day.]
Please don't say such horrible things with a cute voice in a dreamy accent, you sound like a teen waiting for a wedding with her crush. I'll surely get that dream now huuuuh…..
[khu khu khu..]
That cute voice with a creepy vibe was the last thing I heard before I was getting in a deep slumber, because Amanori can release a cursed aura, nothing can come near me. It reaches at least 5 meters and also repels insects too, so my sleeping condition has improved a lot since she has done this. I never knew that graveling could be this much helpful. Although, after I had graveled to a sword… the despair that I felt can't be compared to any other feeling. That day I also vowed not to do that again.
Tomorrow should be another good day.
In these 7 months, I had some how befriended Amanori, even though she is a sword she is sensitive too… but the thing is, I also got to know what she really was, she was the incarnation of destruction in this world...literally, since the time she remembers, she has always destroyed everything she encountered and has made all of her wielders go berserk…. No matter what or who wielded her, she made them go berserk until they broke and died…
But I was different because I was not corrupted by her curse. The sole existence who could defy her.. It may sound like we are not compatible at all after hearing this but.. For some unknown reason, she really matches me to a T.
And why wouldn't she? As lucky as I was now… Amanori was the incarnation of bad luck after all… I wonder if we balanced each other out… anyway, I guess black and white really do stick together.