Chapter 7 - Unsheathed 1

Waking up, Daku looked at his surroundings. He was still on the balcony.

"I must have fallen asleep here!" He said to himself as he then stood up and made his way into the house.

He was welcomed with the nice smell of eggs as Aina was seen in the kitchen, cooking his guessed

"You're awake finally!" Tana said as she walked past him and went to take a seat near the kitchen counter.

"Did you sleep well, Daku sama?" Aina asked, carrying the plate of eggs to the counter.

"Yah I did, why call me sama? You're way stronger than me, I'm pretty certain!"

Aina smiled warmly at Daku's remark and replied, "Oh, it's just a sign of respect, Daku-sama. Strength isn't the only measure of someone's worth. We all have our own unique abilities and strengths."

Daku blushed slightly, feeling touched by Aina's words. He sat down at the counter and started to eat, savoring the delicious eggs Aina had prepared.

"Here, this is the map of the Demon realm… You can use it to locate whatever destination you have in mind," Dina said, handing over the map to Daku as he collected it.

"Thanks, umm… I have a question though, do you guys know where the Demon sword owned by the Demon Lord may be?"

"Daku!?" Tana panicked, as she wasn't expecting him to ask such a question.

Although they trusted Aina and Dina, the fact that the Demon Lord once was killed and removed from his throne, asking such a question would make them get suspicious.

But to her surprise, they heard Dina say, "Of course we know where the Demon sword is."

"Yah, it's at the mount Vil, not too far from here… You could get there in a daytime if you go by land," Aina said.

Which left Daku and Tana a little surprised and taken aback.

They knew well that if the sword belonged to the Demon Lord, then it would have been well-kept and hidden in the hands of those who had killed him, but why did they know about it?

"Why do you guys know where the Demon sword is? " Tana asked.

"We aren't the only ones who know, literally everyone in the Demon realm is aware of the whereabouts of the Demon sword!" Dina said.

"Well you see, after the Demon Lord was killed by the four great Demon kings, his sword was placed on the grounds of mount Vil and as he took its last breath the sword locked itself into the ground!"

"The Demon kings had tried all their best to unsheathe the sword, but no one had been able to pull it from the ground. After all, the sword is just as powerful as the Demon Lord, not just anyone can claim it, so a prophecy said that whose over can remove the sword would become the next and strongest Demon Lord that is ever existed."

"So numerous Demon warriors and Demon hunters had tried their best but to no avail, so for the past five thousand years… That sword has been stuck in the ground, awaiting the return of it's master!"

Aina explained as Daku sighed slightly, 'It seems like even with me dead, my sword still hasn't forgotten the scent of my blood… that's very nice, now getting the sword won't be that hard haha haha!' Daku exclaimed.

After they were done eating, Tana and Daku then made their way out of the house as they bid Aina and Dina farewell.

They were given new clothes and a potion which covered their human scent. Apart from that, Aina had given Tana some gold coins, which they could use for money and shelter for some time.

"So where are we off to next?" Tana asked as she walked beside Daku.

"Vil Mount!" He said as he then took hold of her hands as they both dab through the market square.

"Ahhh! You weird boy, let goo!"

***

It took them 8 hours to finally get to their destination, 'Mount Vil, Ah! I still remember every area of this place like the back of my head, after all… this was where I was betrayed by those who I trusted!'

Denchi said as Daku and Tana made their way into the inn.

Thanks to some loose horses, they were able to get there faster than Dina had predicted.

It was already four in the evening and Daku booked a room for them both as he made his way to the mount with Tana beside him.

The landscape transitioned from lush forests to rugged mountains as they made their way through treacherous terrain. Tana watched as Daku led the way, his determination etched on his face, while she stayed close by, keeping a watchful eye on their surroundings.

Just then, Daku stopped in his tracks, which took Tana surprised.

With a bitten tongue, Daku asked Denchi, "What if I'm unable to remove the sword? What then?"

But Denchi was silent for sometime, until he then said, "You will remove the sword… You are the chosen one, the only human who has been able to awaken me after five thousand years, if you can release me from that orb, then you will be more than capable to unsheathe my sword!"

Denchi was brief with his words, as Daku just sighed. He can't allow negative thoughts to cloud his mind and not now of all times.

And finally, they continued their journey as Tana was strangely silent all through.

*

Tana felt a sense of awe as she gazed up at the towering peak, its jagged rocks reaching towards the sky. Daku took a deep breath and squared his shoulders, ready to face the challenges ahead.

As they made their way up the mountain, Tana noticed a shift in the atmosphere. The air grew heavy with a sense of ancient power, and an eerie silence enveloped them. The tension was palpable, and Tana could feel the weight of the task at hand.

Reaching the summit, they found themselves in a small clearing where a stone pedestal stood.

Upon it rested the Demon Lord's sword, its gleaming, wickedly sharp blade contrasting with the roughness of the stone. Daku approached it, his hand outstretched.

"You can do it, Daku!" Daku heard Tana say as she stood some few meter away with he tumps up and a weird smile on her face.

And with that, he nodded, 'Finally boy, set my sword free and start your journey to become the strongest Demon Lord that will ever exist in this world!'

Denchi said, However, as Daku touched the hilt, a jolt of energy shot up his arm, causing him to recoil in pain.

Tana rushed to his side, concern etched on her face. "Daku, are you alright?" she asked, placing a gentle hand on his back.

Daku's brows furrowed in frustration. "I can't remove it,"