๐๐ธ๐ถ๐ฟ๐ฎ ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐บ๐ฎ๐บ๐ผ๐๐ผ
My wielder or should I say a master is a broken man.
He rides using his horse without a single hint of expression on his face though I know that he's enjoying the scenery of the sunset, hell if you could read his mind and see memories as I can, you would definitely understand him but the points still stand that he is a broken man.
Many things about his personality conflict with each other for example, his above-average social skills conflict with his need to always be alone and not talk to anyone.
Another example is his promise to live and survive yet no matter how many times he tries, he seems to just not be able to commit to it probably due to his self-loathing.
This was due to him, "remaking" his personality when in reality he only suppresses his emotions to avoid hurting himself which would only hurt him in the end but he only managed to realize it later on.
He has a crack, a crack that would slowly expand till he breaks, all he hoped was that it would happen in a place where no one can see him.
Awfully stubborn in taking on everything by himself because he wants to prove to himself that he could survive in this world without leeching off his party.
It was as if the body of Himura Satล and the soul of Himura Satล were completely different.
In a lot of sense, I could see myself in him.
On a rainy day, I was approached by many men, for one reason or another, it seems they wanted me dead.
Japan has entered a peaceful state for some time now so the need for samurais decreased meaning all of their training was for naught.
These sorry excuses of a samurai that approached me with clear bloodlust wanted to show their power but there was no audience other than their retainers, servants, and bodyguards.
In Musashi's teaching, we needed to use everything we've got to gain the slightest of advantages to win.
So immediately, I ran away from them, the samurais ordered their men to capture me while they slowly walked toward me.
Their men were strong as expected since they worked for samurais but I could easily pick them off one by one in this thick forest.
I drew my katana and killed them all one by one as they get tired of chasing me in the path of the mountain especially when it was raining making the dirt all muddy.
I was born and lived in a mountain so I could easily traverse it and pick them off easily leaving the samurais on their own.
However, they were all walking toward me meaning they all conserved their energy till they finally got to me, who was already tired from running and killing their servants.
They were all armored so I didn't expect my barely sharpened katana to cut through their armor especially after killing so many.
But I was still a warrior so I didn't run and prepared myself to die, though now that I think about it, it wasn't cowardly to run away so that you could fight on another day.
Maybe, I just hated myself after all.
I charged at them and mercilessly killed two who didn't even bother wearing their mask so I stabbed them in the eye and through the brain then the fatigue finally caught up with me and soon the other two stabbed me over and over again.
I died in obscurity, hating myself for living such a life. Being a warrior was pretty much a useless concept in a peaceful era unless you were deeply involved in politics.
I was practically useless, no one wanted some common blood kid to guard or fight for them. Why did I even want to fight?
I lost my purpose in life when the fear of starving in the streets became a problem, I fought tooth and nail just to feed myself since I could barely get any job.
When I woke up, I was in a forest on a pedestal, I couldn't move my body so all I could do was wait. God knows how many years have passed, and somebody stumbled upon me.
I screamed for help but he didn't hear me when I was pulled pedestal, I found out that I was a blade, similar to the sword Excalibur based on Himura's memory.
I managed to talk to him since I was somewhat connected with him now that he was wielding me. I found that we don't even speak the same language nor was I even in the same world.
It took years of learning before I could finally understand the language and speak it, we spoke of many things but found no understanding with each other.
The sword that I was in was able to change everything about it with mana however, I was the middle man of it all, whenever he sends mana to the blade, I always end up receiving it.
When I asked about it, he sent me to a witch and found out about it. I was able to consume the mana he sends to the blade to break a powerful spell which was the reason for me getting trapped here.
So I made a contract with my master to split the mana that I absorbed from our enemies. When he suggested giving me his mana, I said no since it would be best to use it for his spell since they can't give mana.
My first master called me "The ever-changing sword," since I can change my form and everything however the witch called me something else which was only directed at me but since my master wasn't aware that we were talking, he leaves before she could explain anything.
I watched over my first master, giving input when needed however, I still couldn't do much. Unlike Himura, he didn't have any knowledge of any known blade so I stayed as a longsword before a tragic day came.
In a mountain of bodies, there lies my master hanged like the ones around me, he died trying to protect the witch but they both died anyway.
There were already theories of the afterlife being a thing after a few apostles asked their god and relayed his or her diety's answer.
But it didn't stop those who are mortal from still fearing death as they know that they will not be able to do what they wish in that so-called afterlife, concluding that there was no heaven, only hell.
I was skeptical about these gods and the afterlife, after all, I was here and now I made my own conclusion.
"Is this hell?"
That was the first question I asked, to see or hear, I needed a master but even in this dark void, I knew that my master was dead and there was nothing I could do about it.
I was obsessed with being a warrior and now I was transformed into a sword and was forced to watch my masters die over and over again.
The most plausible explanation was that I was in hell, tormented to see those who wield me die with only me being able to watch powerlessly.
It took years for me to finally get another master's. Many years have passed since that day and all I was doing was hallow in rage and sadness.
A tiny girl approaches the skull-filled land, running away from something or someone.
I gave her the same schpiel that I gave on my first master however, I gave her one warning.
"I am cursed, there is a chance that you might die in the future, little one, are you alright with that?"
The little girl only gave me a nod before pulling me out of the ground, the weight was light for her to swing easily but was still sharp. It's obvious that she had no experience in swordsmanship so I ordered her what to do.
Years passed again and she died a happy woman beside her family, no one knows of my existence and the sword was placed back at the pedestal where I once woke up, waiting to be wielded again.
I thought that I did good, I managed to see her die of old age instead of dying to a blade but nothing changed.
My facade broke down and I cried in the dark void, mourning her death.
This was the price of immortality in a mortal world, I have seen many of my master's enemies die yet my master's natural death hurt more and that was because I talk to her, and bonded with her which made her death more painful.
The mana required hasn't even reached a fraction of a fraction yet I was already this broken. "Oh this is hell alright, let me guess, the moment I need one more enemy to free, I would be sent into a deep and dark place, never to be seen again?"
I asked with a broken will but no one answered, I recall the witch's words to me but nothing came to me of the meaning of those words.
Many masters wielded me and died either in battle or peacefully and soon it would fall to the hands of Jin, he was a kind one but he was supported by his allies so he never had a will to survive, he took it for granted.
When I saw Himura for the first time, I knew that he would be a great master and I was right but that never meant that it was good news.
For the first time, I talked to Jin, he was at first but I explained myself and proved it by changing the sword, he was already retiring as an adventurer so convincing him to give me to Himura was fairly easy. When Jin and I separated, I didn't feel as hurt because I never bonded with him and I plan to do that with Himura.
Since I consumed the rest of the mana, I couldn't even connect myself with Himura so I was left with seeing his memories, oh such painful memories.
Although I saw myself within those memories, I wasn't sympathetic, after all, he knew that this was because of him, and receiving sympathy for something that was his fault only gave the opposite effect.
He was also smart enough to start pouring mana to me but his mana count did practically nothing and the moment he talked to me and I actually responded was my first mistake.
He asked on a whim and fell for it and now he plans to talk to me during our journey together making me slowly but surely bond with him and soon I realized my second fatal mistake.
Himura was an independent man, he hated help because he was still stuck in proving himself so he saw gestures of kindness as chains.
The reason, he never thought of ever leaving his party was because he owed a favor to them.
Astoria for helping him land a job and staying with him until a party was formed.
Freya for her bountiful kindness and guidance on Himura truly befitting the title of "Mother" and Alice, because he was that roped her in this party.
If he left now, it would be like helping someone but stopping midway because he got bored of it and that fact chained him to the party and now there was me.
Himura doesn't age but so we would be together hopefully till I get free but the number of years that would take is something I can't fathom.
I was already broken after a fraction of those incoming years but I know Himura would be broken too and now he wields me, he feels a sense of responsibility to free me from my curse making me his biggest chain from the path of freedom.
We were approaching the town and all I could hope is that we survive, Himura was still expressionless but I could feel his heartbeat raising.
"You can do this, just do it your own way."
I said as he stopped at the gate.