Clenching my jaw, my brows creased together, biting my lower lip hard until they bleed, making me taste the metallic iron sipping to my tongue.
A soft sigh came out of my lips. "I'm sorry, Amana," I whispered, staring at the unconscious woman with a conflicted face. "You'll have to endure it for a while. I'll make sure to return you back to being human."
"Harharhar! That's what you get for crossing me! Harharhar! Stupid!" The little Tianak remarks, cackling in a mocking way as she squirms from Amana's strong grip.
Raging blood coursed through my veins as I felt nothing but killing intent for this little thing. However, it only lasted for a brief second as my face returned to the usual stoic expression. The chilling water attribute cooled down my heating furious heart.
Transforming the white blade back into its original form, I grasp the Tianak's neck, almost suffocating it.
With a deadpan face, I wrapped it inside with the dark fabric, knotting the edge with a Void Rope; a rope made from the Void Plant, which has nullifying traits.
Every time the user is utilising their mana, the Void Rope will absorb that energy like a source of food, making its traits grow stronger.
"Arrrggh! Just you wait, I'll devour you once I get out of here, grrrr!!" The Tianak squealed, kicking and punching the fabric. "Huh…? Why did I return back into human form? What did you do to me!!!"
Turning a deaf ear to the little Tianak inside the sack, I threw it inside the Shadow Circlet dimension.
Now that I handle the little Tianak, I glance at Amana's pale complexion; her body is laid awkwardly on the surface slope of the hill.
Despite feeling bad for using Amana as bait earlier, my face remains blank once more; like the emotions that had been displayed on my face earlier didn't actually happen. My face is unable to express anything again as I gaze down at Amana with an expressionless face.
What happened was unexpected; it wasn't part of the plan. I made another mistake.
"I'm sorry," I whispered yet again; this time with no extra emotion beside my cold voice. "I'll set things right, Amana, don't worry."
Taking another set of Void Rope, I tied Amana's wrist and ankles. I stored her sword in my Shadow Circlet. Afterwards, I lifted Amana's body, resting her somewhere comfortable.
Then I trudged toward the Kamatayan Sword, lowering my upper body as I picked the gigantic blade by its handle, dripping with inky blood from the Tiktik creatures.
The dark elves said that the Kamatayan Sword feeds on the Diabolic race and other fiend-like creatures, so they won't spread plague or increase the number of Aswangs. Because if a monster comes eating the flesh and meat of the Aswangs, they'll turn into an aswang as well. That's why they gave me the Kamatayan Sword.
In return, the blade will grow stronger; enlarging its stomach to feast on more demons; enhancing its traits as a Beastly Weapon, a type of item that evolves sentient and powerful features, in which an individual can use once the weapon accepts them as the owner and the master.
Though, the dark elves warned me not to over-feed it in a day. Or the blade might develop into a Glutton; a type of weapon that became an excessively greedy eater. According to the dark elves, the past owner of the blade was devoured by the Kamatayan Sword, because the previous owner overdid it.
That's why for a long time, the Kamatayan Sword was never held by anyone again, but King Hayam Wuruk believed that I could tame it, so he gave it to me, hoping that it could somehow aid me on my journey.
In all honesty, I didn't want to accept such a dangerous thing, especially knowing that this sword ate its own owner.
But if I'm planning to continue with this lightbringer crap, I will need to do things properly. Otherwise, I might just end up causing trouble for everyone.
After all, I can't possibly leave the corpses of the aswangs unattended. It will spread disease to the people and other life matters. So the only reason I accepted this Kamatayan Sword is for me to have a vacuum cleaner.
Anyway, I'll just make sure to not repeat the mistakes of the previous owner. At that, I channelled some of my mana on the Kamatayan Sword, the large blade glowed crimson red.
I felt a menacing pressure from the Kamatayan Sword, as if wanting to consume me.
[Kekekeke…puny human! Dare to subdue me with that lame mana of yours?] A childish voice transmitted through my mind.
"Oh…you can talk?" I mumbled in delight, feeling glad. What's more, the sword itself took the initiative to talk, then that means it's probably willing to negotiate.
At that, I opened my mouth again as I added. "Speak your terms, let's negotiate."
[KEKEKE! SPLENDID! TRULY DARING!] The childish voice replied in a boisterous rowdy tone. [Very well, puny human, give me at least one reason why I should negotiate with you.]
Reason?
"Then…if you decline in negotiating terms with me, I'll just not employ you. Though, I must say…that would be problematic on my part as well," I stated in a matter of fact tone.
[Wait…you're giving up? Just like that…?] The childish voice muttered in disbelief.
"Well, it's too troublesome and a pain-in-the-ass; I already have a lot on my plate right now, so I don't plan on adding anything more." I shrug, staring at the glowing sword in my hand.
For a moment, only silence lingered as the Kamatayan Sword remained quiet.
"So…you don't really want to negotiate?" I probed.
Still no response.
"Alright, then good bye," I said, retracting back my mana. "It was nice chatting with you."
[Wait…!] The childish voice yelps.
At that, I slowly channelled the mana again. "What? Be quick about it, I still have a lot of things to do."
[Alright, alright…geez, human.] The childish voice muttered, annoyed. [Anyway, my terms are simple; I want to be fed at least a thousand times a day; no more than that. Otherwise, I'll lose my mind. Do you understand, puny human?]
"Wait, you want me to feed you a thousand times a day?" I repeated.
[Of course, how will I grow stronger if you don't do that, human?] The childish voice remarks in a mocking tone.
"No, that's troublesome, I can't always find demons and kill them just to feed you," I stated.
[Tsk, then a week should be fine, right?] The childish voice replied, irritated.
I shook my head with a blank face. "Still a no."
[What…?! Then a month!] The childish voice exclaimed angrily.
"No," I replied firmly.
[Then when do you plan on feeding me?!] The childish voice complained frustratedly.
"I can only feed you if I find a Diabolic race, a demon, or anything fiend-like creatures like the Aswangs that declines negotiating and is harmful," I said.
[Tsk. If only I had another choice…] The childish voice muttered. [Hmmp. Come on, human, give me a drop of your blood, so we can form a blood contract.]
I nodded. "Alright."
[Hurry up.] The childish voice demanded.
At that, I slit the blade of the Kamatayan Sword to my finger, dropping my blood on it. "It's done, what's next?"
[Kekeke, next is my soul binding to your body. I'm warning you, don't use your mana to defend your body, otherwise, we will both receive a backlash, so be prepared, puny human, I'm very powerful.] The childish voice rejoiced.
"Go ahead," I replied blankly.
[Hmmp.] The childish voice scoffed, and I felt my heart throbbing hot, making me dizzy.
I cough out a mouthful of blood as my other knee drops to the ground, holding the sword and using it as a support. A heavy pressure weighed on me; like my body is being pulled down by a massive gravity.
[I told you I'm powerful, well, endure it for a while. I'm not fully bound to you yet, and if we stop mid-way, we will both receive internal damage. So grit your teeth.]
I didn't respond as I vomited more blood on the ground. Dark noise started ringing in my ears as heat coursed through my veins.
"Why is it hot?" I questioned, clenching my jaws as I found it hard to speak.
[Of course, it's because I have a fire attribute in my traits.] The childish voice responded. [Didn't you know these things when you used your mana to awaken me?]
"No…not really." I panted, gasping for more air. "Care to explain things to me?"
[You actually don't know a thing…? Are you stupid or what? I can't believe I'm binding myself to a puny human like you, what a regretful decision.]
"Well, you don't have a choice now, do you?" I mumbled. "Furthermore, the dark elves didn't explain much of anything; they only said that I could probably utilise you and aid me with my endeavours. And honestly, they said they don't know your traits since everyone is afraid to hold you again. No one knows what kind of powers you hold except for feeding on the blood of the Diabolic race and other fiends."
[Tsk, so that's why I slept for so long, damn elves!] The childish voice grumbled.
"And since we're going to become partners soon, why not give me a brief lecture about you?" I suggested.
[I don't have much choice anyway…] The childish voice muttered.
"I'm waiting," I replied.
[Tsk, fine! I am called Kamatayan, which means death! I am mighty because of the earth attribute. I am fiery since I have the fire attribute. And I hold chaos for the dark attribute supports me as a whole. Which means that you won't be able to awaken me if you don't have these three attributes in your mana. Do you understand?]
"Oh…" I mouthed thoughtfully. "No wonder."
So the Kamatayan Sword has the earth attribute, which is probably what is holding me down. Because gravity is part of the earth's subcategories.
After a while, I felt my body gradually returning to normal as the pressure became more lax.
[Alright, it's done, my soul is bound to you.] The childish voice states.
"Good," I replied, standing up. "Then I'll feed you now?"
[Kekeke…you don't need to ask when it comes to that.] The childish voice mumbled joyfully.
At that, I went to the corpse scattered randomly, pointing the glowing crimson sword at those dismembered body parts.
The blade splits in half, transforming to large teeth, flicking a red snake-like tongue.
[Alright, go close to those bodies, so I could eat them.] The childish voice demanded.
"..."
Speechlessly, I strolled, walking as I held the grip of the monster-like sword, feeding it dead bodies like I'm just holding a vacuum cleaner, and the blade devoured them whole, leaving no trace.
Not even the stinky inky blood.
"Alright, that's all for now," I said, retracting my mana, then the gigantic sword stopped glowing red, turning back to its usual black form. "I'll put you back to the Shadow Circlet."
[Wait, puny human…] The childish voice uttered.
"Oh, you can still talk?" I mumbled.
[Of course, I can.] The childish voice mocked. [After all, I'm now fully awakened after being bound to you.]
"So that's how it works," I said expressionless. "Well then, go back to the Shadow Circlet first."
[No, wait, puny human…!]
"What?" I asked with a blank face, holding the grip of the black giant sword.
[I don't want to be put in your dark dimension, just carry me around with you.] The childish voice demanded.
I shook my head. "No, you're far too heavy to carry." I declined as I gazed at the sword in my hand.
[Tsk. Don't fret, alright? I'll teach you how you can change my form and turn myself into a small dagger.] The childish voice muttered proudly.
"Is that so? If that's the case, I have no problem carrying you around then," I replied.
[Hrmp.] The childish voice harrump. [Concentrate your mind, and think of me becoming small like a dagger.]
"Alright," I said as I nodded, visualising the gigantic black sword transforming into a small dark dagger.
Little by little, the black sword shrunk in size until it became so small like a dagger.
"This is enough," I mumbled as the Kamatayan Sword became a small dagger.
[Then don't put me in that dark dimension again! I don't like being stuck there, it reminds me of my gloomy days…]
"Well…alright," I said.
Then I took a red bandana scarf from the Shadow Circlet, wrapping the black blade, and tying its loose ends to the leather belt on the side of my hips.
[In the future, you must find a pretty looking scabbard to sheath me, puny human. You're making me look ugly.] The childish voice commented disdainfully.
"If I have time, I'll do just that," I comforted.
[Hmmp.]
At that, I strolled around the area as my eyes roamed around to make sure that the place was thoroughly cleaned. Seeing no inky or stinky anything left, I prayed for all those I killed in my heart. I prayed, hoping that I did bring peace to them by ending their life.
After that, I went back to Amana, and while walking, my eyes searched around, making sure that I didn't leave a single mess. As I moved, my eyes happened to pass on the brown satchel bag.
Jogging my way towards it, I grabbed the satchel bag, then I looked around, seeing more scattered items in the area. Crystal balls, villager clothes and uniforms, piles of papers, a bunch of books, and many other things that are too familiar.
Treading my way to those items, I pick them up one by one, storing them all inside the satchel bag.
Among those items is the familiar brooch ornament; green gemstone in the middle; Baybayin script symbols on the golden case; on top is a joker's clown or jester's hat made out of silver. It's my student badge in Mystic Academy.
Alexandra stored my student emblem and uniform for me when she dragged me into this place. This long red coat, white long sleeves, and dark pants; this uniform is mine.
[Do you have a habit of collecting trash? Why are you picking these things up? That's dirty.] The childish voice muttered in disgust.
"No, this is Professor's bag…" I mumbled in a heavy tone. "This brown satchel bag is always with her. And those things are her possessions. This badge is my identification emblem in Mystic Academy."
[Oh…who is this…professor?] The childish voice asked.
"My benefactor," I answered, storing all items inside the Shadow Circlet.