Chapter 67: Chapter 54: Cursed Weapon.

Echoes of Fire and Shadows

Chapter 54: Cursed Weapon.

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-----Laura's POV-----

Carnage… Absolute Carnage… I didn't have any other words in my mind to describe the scene currently unfolding right in front of my own eyes.

Flames powerful enough to set the entire city ablaze which were easily contained in the shape of small orbs were flying around the street as if they had a mind of their own and turning the enemy's weapons into melted metal… All the while a youthful woman looked at the spheres of flames with a serene and somewhat satisfied expression.

That was my older sister, living up to her nickname as the Crimson Witch, the successor of the greatest magician of the last century… Lilia Mardyk, a woman famous for what happens when she loses her almost infinite patience. A herald of destruction…

"You dare call that a spell? My children can do better with their eyes blindfolded and without uttering a single word." Lilia unnie said with mild disappointment as her spheres of flames turned a water spell into steam without being destroyed.

"M-M-Monster… H-H-How can your puny fireballs beat our spells!? We are using Cindered Scepters! It shouldn't be possible for you to overpower us!" One of the Laurent thugs shouted with increasing fear and disbelief.

Cindered Scepters are one of the most powerful and expensive equipment a mage could have. It is said that the scepters multiply the magical capabilities of their user by fifty times or so and allow the user to use more grades of magic than they normally could.

Some say that they are made with the scales and tears of a True Dragon, others say that they are made with the remains of a mythical monster whose fur is as tough as Adamantite, and finally, some others say that they are made completely out of Orichalcum. 

It is the dream of every mage to possess a single scepter whose monetary value is enough to buy a noble title or an entire county. That should more or less explain how rare these tools are, yet every single of the Laurent mages has one… A demonstration of the monetary power of the richest family in the Empire…

"I would be insulting my teacher if I lost against someone who didn't master the basics of spellcasting and heavily relies on a tool to be threatening and to try to act as a proud magician." My older sister scoffed while dusting her sundress. "Cindered scepters are such wonderful things… In the right hands, of course." Lilia unnie smiled innocently before attacking the thug from before with her flame spheres.

"Ugh…! Damn you! You'll pay for…-!" The thug shouted as he pointed the scepter at my sister, however his weapon was quickly knocked out of his hand.

I could only watch mouth agape as the scepter flew in the air and landed on my sister's hands.

"As I said, this is a wonderful tool, but only in the right hands. In the hands of a magician who knows what they are doing." Lilia unnie said with a serious tone as she examined the scepter. "This would be a good birthday present for my son if it wasn't for two things… I won't give him anything bought with the bloodstained money of the Laurents, and I won't hand him a cheap imitation when I could find him a real one. Not like he needs one right now though…" My older sister looked at the scepter with an uncaring expression before throwing the tool to the side of the street.

As soon as the scepter touched the ground, it was immediately set ablaze with blue flames. In just a matter of seconds, the scepter was consumed by those flames, not leaving even the smallest amount of ashes behind…

"W-W-What…? I-I-It can't be… The scepter is…" The thug who had lost his weapon looked to the ground and at my sister with disbelief and despair.

"As expected… Even with all their treasured riches, the Laurents are not kind enough to give such a thing as a Cindered Scepters to a bunch of common thugs, let alone one for each of them." Lilia unnie said before letting out an innocent giggle.

That same giggle immediately sent chills down my spine… I knew that she was beyond pissed…

"I suppose I should handle this insult to all magical arts as well… There's no way I can let these imitations of such an atrocious quality out in the wild. Prepare yourselves." My older sister smiled while raising her right hand. As soon as she did that the spheres of flames she had conjured bombarded the thugs.

Wails and screams of pain followed shortly after the bombardment started.

It was a terrifying spectacle. My sister was certainly still living up to her nickname. Her spells were extremely powerful, yet she was holding back and making sure not to kill any of the thugs. Her objective was to induce as much pain as humanly possible upon her enemies. She was not going to grant them the gift of death for their transgression. That is the reason why my sister is known as the Crimson Witch here in the capital.

However, unlike my older sister, my brother-in-law did the exact opposite of what she did…

"'C'mon! This is all you've got!? I am completely unarmed and you cannot even stand up to a simple greeting!? Tsk… I should have expected as much from my father's goons. All bark and no bite!" My brother-in-law, Fred oppa, clicked his tongue while he looked at the Laurent thugs in frustration. His whole arm was fully stretched pointing forward with his fist closed and his muscles twitching from the raw power he had just used.

On his side of things, the battle was already pretty much over. Most of the thugs, or “small flies” as my brother-in-law called them, were laying on the ground motionless… Thanks to the spirits, I could tell that only a handful of the thugs were still alive. The Skull Crusher had killed them all with only one punch to the empty air in front of him… His attack was so fast that even the spirits were confused about what had happened just moments ago… 

A feat like this could only be pulled off by the strongest man alive, Frederick Armanz.

"Oh? At least a few managed to stand back up." My brother-in-law looked with surprise at the few that managed to survive his attack.

Only two people had managed to survive the sudden attack. The leader of the Laurent thugs and one of the parents of the guys who had bullied my nieces all those years ago…

“Fuck… Don’t fucking tell me that he has gotten even stronger since the last time he was in the capital…” Said Braun, the father of the boy called Gideon. As he managed to stand back up, his whole body started trembling uncontrollably. Even though there was a considerable distance between us, I was able to notice the increasing fear in his eyes.

“Hehehe! Finally! A true challenge!” Bron, the leader of the thugs, used the shaft of his scythe to help himself to stand up. “I’ve been for years to be able to fight against the disowned bastard son of Lord Laurent! I can finally confirm with my own hands if you’re truly the strongest man alive!” The edge of his scythe suddenly started shining with a faint and ominous crimson light… The entire scythe had changed colors, fully becoming pitch black.

“Bron… You can’t be serious… Are you seriously planning to fight him head-on!? Have you lost your mind!? He's the one that even the Ten Songs of Rokkshar can't take one on one, you know!?” Braun looked at the leader of the Laurent thugs with disbelief.

"That's exactly what I'm planning to do! It is finally time for the world to know my glory! My name will echo for eons through the halls of the Goddess of Victory after I defeat you, Frederick Laurent!" Bron's whole body was engulfed with a crimson-colored aura, the same crimson as his ominous sight scythe…

Just the mere sight of Bron's weapon or the aura wrapping violently around him made me have difficulties breathing or even moving a muscle, I wanted to run away as fast as I could… It was terrifying…

Even the usually lively spirits in the area were all looking at Bron with caution… Some were even preparing spells in case they needed to protect me…

That scythe was bad news… There was definitely something strange and very dangerous about that weapon…

"First of all, I ain't no Laurent. My name is Fred Armanz. Never ever call me a Laurent again… Unless you want me to act in Lady Skell's place and show you an eternity of suffering." My brother-in-law spoke with a severe tone while his arms remained crossed. "Second of all, if you think that a Cursed Weapon is enough to defeat me, you're in for a painful revelation pal.” Fred oppa didn’t seem to feel threatened in the slightest.

A Cursed Weapon… Just like its name implies, it is a weapon that has been cursed by its past wielders. Just like the Blessed Weapons that the gods grant to us mortals from time to time which absorb the positive emotions and even the blessings and some divinity from the gods, a Cursed Weapon absorbs all the negative energies and emotions from its wielders and those around them.

It is said that these cursed weapons can muster power beyond belief, but the price to access said power is usually too much for the user to pay. More often than not they are double-edged blades, killing their wielder after they abuse the weapon's power.

Those were the teachings of my dear grandmother… 

This is the first time I ever see a cursed weapon in my life… I never expected to feel such pressure coming from one… Even when I have been trained to fight at the academy and by my grandparents, the evil aura coming from Bron’s weapon is too much for me to bear… I can’t fathom what it is like for a normal person who knows nothing about fighting…

“This is not just your average cursed weapon, o mighty Skull Crusher.” Bron said to my brother-in-law in a mocking tone while gazing at his ominous weapon which was emitting an aura of violence and murder… "This weapon will be the one that will end your life." Bron pointed his scythe at Fred oppa while his ominous aura engulfed the whole area around him.

"Hehe… We'll see about that. This is not the first time I have heard those words. Hope you're ready to meet Lady Skell." My brother-in-law mocked Bron while taking a stance. 

He was seemingly planning to take this battle seriously…

"Die!" In a flash, Bron suddenly shot forward from the place he was standing and leaped at Fred oppa, holding his scythe above in order to cut off his head in one clean cut…

Even when Bron’s attack was about to connect, Fred oppa didn’t seem like he had the intention of blocking. He just stood there, watching as Bron’s scythe quickly approached his neck.

A loud clang soon followed right after the scythe came into contact with my brother-in-law’s neck… I couldn’t help but feel sick at the sight, but I couldn’t look away from it.

“Just as I expected… You sure were talking big about killing me, your future glory, and whatnot, but this is pitiful. Your attack didn’t even sting, you know?” My brother-in-law spoke with mild disappointment as he pushed the edge of the scythe with just one of his fingers.

“Was it truly pitiful? I got you right where I want you!” Bron said with a maniacal smile while pushing the scythe back towards Fred oppa.

Thanks to Bron’s ominous words, I was able to quickly notice why he seemed so confident…

The edge of the scythe was absorbing Fred oppa's mana... Like a flowing river, waves of the blue-colored energy were being quickly transferred from my brother-in-law's neck and finger towards Bron's weapon…

My bad feeling about Bron's weapon was right… 

"I told you! This will be the day the world shall know my glory! The glory of Bron The Widowmaker!" Bron shouted before a twisted smile appeared on his face. "I shall defeat you with your own strength no less! Ironic, isn't it!? The strongest man alive defeated with his own strength!" Bron then started cackling maniacally while he mocked my brother-in-law…

"You should know that glory eventually fades into bloodstains, Widowmaker." Fred oppa smirked as he pushed back the scythe, not even bothering to care that his mana was being absorbed. "So what if this puny weapon of yours can absorb my strength? I have more than I'll ever need! In fact, why don't I give you some more?" He spoke with absolute confidence just before clenching his fist and launching an attack.

My brother-in-law's punch was quickly and effortlessly stopped with the shaft of the scythe by Bron. I was amazed that the weapon was able to withstand a direct attack from Fred oppa, who could easily demolish an entire town with his bare hands if he ever wished to do so…

"Heh, this is a good weapon… Even though I was a little serious with that punch, it didn't shatter." Fred oppa smiled as if he found this situation enjoyable.

"I told you, this is not an ordinary cursed weapon." Bron smiled as the ominous aura surrounding his weapon became bigger and more powerful… “It is my turn now! Let’s see how you handle this!” Bron immediately pushed back his scythe with a smirk on his face.

Much to everyone’s surprise, including my brother-in-law’s, Bron was now suddenly able to overpower Fred oppa… The edge of his scythe was once again pressed against the neck of the mighty Skull Crusher, however, just like Bron’s previous attempt, his weapon was still not capable of cutting through the skin of the strongest man alive.

“It is just a matter of time before my ebon blade absorbs all of your strength so I can turn it entirely my own! Your end is near, Skull Crusher! And after this, I will take down your father and the Laurents next! Hehehe, with this kind of strength, I do not need to be backed by them anymore!” With just a little taste of power, Bron was already losing himself lusting for more… “HAHAHA! Who knows! Maybe I’ll even subdue the Ten Songs to my bidding and become Emperor as well! I’ll conquer this whole world! I will be the strongest!” A sinister smile appeared on Bron’s face as spoke about the Ten Songs…

I couldn’t help but frown and feel disgusted thanks to the words of the power-hungry fool in front of me… Even the usually playful spirits in the area whispered in my ears words filled with contempt and disgust while looking at the man…

“Taking over the whole word huh… That dream sounds really tiring and annoying… I’m more simple-minded when it comes to dreams, you know? Living in a nice cozy house in the middle of a forest with my family, having some nice neighbors, a comfortable bed, and nice warm meals. A relaxed life is where the true happiness is at.” My brother-in-law suddenly spoke with a relaxed tone even though he was seemingly struggling to push away the edge of the scythe away from his neck. “However, it is thanks to idiots like you and my father with an annoying thirst for power that my dream life keeps being interrupted. I was just about to celebrate my child’s birthday, you bastard… Do you think this rusty old knife that can’t even get through my skin will make you conquer the world? I have heard lunatics saying some crazy stuff before, but you’re definitely going batshit insane, aren’t you?” An expression of rage suddenly appeared on Fred oppa’s face just before he gathered his strength and pushed back Bron with his ominous scythe several meters away… 

“Hehehe! HAHAHA! More! Fight more! The more you fight, the stronger I will become!” Bron smiled viciously as he held his scythe close to his body.

My brother-in-law immediately started cracking his knuckles while keeping his gaze on Bron… The sounds that his bones produced were far more intimidating than the weapon Bron was holding in his hand… It was then that I knew that Fred oppa was about to go completely serious…

Shit… This is bad… Just how much destruction will be caused by him? Our house? The neighborhood? The entire fucking district? I’m scared to find out that answer… All of us need to run as far as we possibly can if we don’t want to get caught in the middle… Guess I’ll just have to tell Sarana to…-

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For some reason, at that time I felt compelled to take a look at Julius… He was still being hugged by his sisters. It almost seemed like he was the oldest of the siblings while comforted Liliana and Luna without fail. He looked eerily calm despite the events unfolding around us… Even though his mother was unleashing a magical hell upon the poor bastards who still had the will to fight against her and his father who seemingly was about to go all out at this very moment against the power-hungry fool with the ominous scythe, Julius looked completely serene.

In fact, while I was looking at him, his eyes met mine… His lips moved yet not a single word could be heard from him… I was able to read his lips and understand him perfectly… “Everything will be fine” is what he said to me. His lips curled into a gentle smile right after that, a smile that momentarily made me forget what was happening all around me…

Despite not even hearing his voice, the tension I was feeling just mere seconds ago was rapidly fading… The spirits around me were even starting to get a bit giddy and restless thanks to the change in my mood.

“If it is my strength that you wanted to take to achieve your world domination, then you will get all of it…”  Fred oppa suddenly took a battle stance, something I had not seen in a very long time…

In the blink of an eye, the hulking bear of a man known as the Skull Crusher rushed at the man with the ominous scythe. Fred oppa launched a flurry of powerful blows as soon as Bron was within his reach.

Although I was using mana on my eyes to enhance my sight, I was still unable to fully see the battle thanks to my brother-in-law’s overwhelming speed and power. All I could hear were loud clangs each time Fred oppa’s fist came into contact with Bron’s scythe… All I could see were the blurry arms of my brother-in-law and the shaft of the ominous scythe which was surprisingly blocking each of Fred oppa’s attacks without fail…

“C’mon, Skull Crusher! Is that all you have!? The rumors about your strength must have been overly exaggerated all these years! You’re a fucking joke! HAHAHA!” Bron laughed ominously as he continued to block my brother-in-law’s attacks with his weapon. The aura engulfing him and his scythe grew more sinister each time an attack was blocked…

“Who knows! Maybe you’re right and they were exaggerating!” Fred oppa answered playfully as he suddenly increased the already overwhelming speed of his flurry of punches. “Or maybe they weren’t… I still haven’t used [Fighting Spirit], you know?” He smiled fearlessly as the speed and power of his attacks increased even more…

Despite being caught by the flurry of blows of my brother-in-law, Bron still managed to skillfully parry and deflect all of Fred oppa’s attacks… It was an unbelievable situation for everyone… No one could believe that such a person who was capable of going toe to toe with the Skull Crusher was working as a common thug for the Laurents… It was unreal…

Of course, despite how shocking this situation was, I still knew that it was only possible for Bron to go one on one against Fred oppa thanks to that ominous black scythe of his…

“Oh? So you’re still underestimating me!? I’ll make you use your [Fighting Spirit]! It is time for me to go on the offensive! Hahaha! You’ll pay for the mistake of underestimating me, fool!” Bron said while laughing right before parrying one of Fred oppa’s punches. Bron immediately followed up by trying to cut off his stretched arm with the sharp edge of his scythe.

Just like the previous times, a loud metallic sound echoed in the area after the edge of the scythe came into contact with the skin of my brother-in-law… Even after seemingly using his newfound strength, Bron was unable to harm Fred oppa.

The mere sight of that made me think of Fred oppa as the usual tanky characters in those old games my father used to like so much back on Earth…

“No, I won’t even bother. Even if you absorb my strength, you’re still unable to hurt me.” Fred oppa stopped his flurry of blows and spoke to Bron. He looked unimpressed. “Besides, I can already see that you and your weapon are about to reach your limits. So how about if we end this now? I’m getting a little bored of this little game.” Said my brother-in-law as he casually flicked the scythe away from his arm. 

“Why, you!? You think you can look down on me just like that!? Reaching my limit!? You’re pretty fucking mistaken if you believe that! I’m growing stronger and stronger by the second thanks to this scythe! Because of that, my next attack will definitely end your miserable life!” Bron shouted as loudly as he could. His face was no longer filled with confidence but with rage. Maniacal rage…

Bron soon jumped back a few paces away from my brother-in-law… The aura that was engulfing the leader of the Laurent thugs had seemingly reached its zenith… Bron’s whole body and the space of at least one meter around him were fully covered in a dense black aura. Even the aura that Julius produced a while ago by using [Fighting Spirit] lacked in comparison to this one…

“Sigh… You just hate to see it… When people refuse to listen to reason.” Fred oppa suddenly crossed his arms again and spoke with a lot of annoyance in his voice. “Go on then. Give it your best shot, even though I already know how this will end.” He said to Bron. He looked like he had completely lost interest in this fight all of a sudden.

“Don’t you dare mock me!” Bron leaped forward, raising his scythe above his head and then bringing it down with all his might as soon as Fred oppa was within his range of attack. The power he had put into his weapon was enough to cause shockwaves all around us…

However, this time around there was no loud clang coming from the scythe crashing against the skin of my brother-in-law… The only thing I heard was the sound of the edge of the scythe cutting through the air for just an instant…

For the first time ever, I had seen my brother-in-law dodge an attack… The tall muscular man had effortlessly dodged the powerful scythe at the last second…

“See? Even if your weapon can steal my mana, my strength, or whatever, it is still not enough to close the gap between us.” Fred oppa spoke with an uninterested expression while he looked at Bron. “Honestly, you’re not even half bad. If you were to spend your time training instead of relying on cursed weapons like you’re doing, you might actually have a chance against me… Sigh… Just surrender before it is too late, aye? I’m starting to feel pity towards you even though you work for my father.” Fred oppa suddenly shook his head. For some reason, he looked like he had no will left to fight.

“You…! Do you think can still mock me just because you dodged one of my attacks!? How dare you!?” Bron roared with rage and frustration as he leaped again to attack my brother-in-law.

Bron started to swing his scythe around wildly, desperately trying to land a hit on Fred oppa who was now nimbly dodging each and every single attack despite his large and muscular build…

The battle I was witnessing was proof enough of how monstrously strong the people of this could be… Would the military of Earth be able to fight back against someone whose skin may be harder than concrete? Against someone who could easily turn a city to ashes with a single swing of her wand? They might be able to do so with tanks, missiles, and stuff, but there’s one thing that is crystal clear to me right now… A battle is far scarier in this world… 

And the worst part about this is that they are not even using ridiculous things like [Fighting Spirit], [Transcendence], or even [High-Spirit Summoning]... Could Fred oppa stop a missile or a tank with his [Fighting Spirit]? That is something too scary to think about…

“WHY! WON’T! YOU! STOP! DODGING!” Bron roared with indignation while swinging his scythe. “YOU SHOULDN’T BE ABLE TO MOVE LIKE THIS AFTER I STARTED DRAINING YOUR MANA!” He gritted his teeth, making a loud disgusting sound while looking incredibly enraged…

“It gets boring to just stand there and take your pitiful attacks. Since this fight won’t be as enjoyable as I initially thought, I might as well get a good warm-up. You know, to get the blood flowing and stuff.”  My brother-in-law replied with a deadpan tone.

“YOU! STOP MOCKING ME, YOU BASTARD!” Bron shouted as he raised his scythe above his head. “I’LL SHOW YOU! YOU’LL PAY FOR YOUR INSOLENCE! I AM THE STRONGEST IN THIS WORLD!” Bron dashed once again towards my brother-in-law in a futile attempt to end his life, however…

Fred oppa suddenly sidestepped Bron and place one of his feet right in front of Bron’s, making him trip and almost fall face first against the hard cobblestone street…

“I’m not even mocking you in the slightest… This is becoming a really sad spectacle, can we stop now?” Fred oppa said while he looked at Bron with a bored expression.

“STOP THAT! THE ONLY WAY THIS WILL STOP IS WHEN ONE OF US ENDS UP DEAD!” Bron replied angrily as he barely managed to regain his footing. “AND THAT ONE WILL BE YOU!” Braun turned back, swinging his scythe horizontally aiming to cut my brother-in-law in half.

However, before the attack could connect or even Fred oppa had the chance to dodge, something truly unexpected happened…

“Sheesh… Even though I tried to prevent this from happening in front of the children… Sigh… As usual, anyone who works for my father does not know when to listen to reason. I can’t believe I used to be like that in the past.” Fred oppa spoke with pity in his voice.

“Huh…?” Bron could only stare at him with confusion. His mind couldn’t process what had just happened to him.

Both of Bron’s arms had suddenly exploded without warning… His blood started to violently pour out from his wounds, painting the cobblestone beneath his feet in a dark crimson…

But that wasn’t all, the ominous black scythe remained floating in the air between my brother-in-law and the now injured leader of the Laurent thugs… The weapon was still engulfed in the powerful sinister aura from before… No, it was way stronger than before… Just by looking at it, it made me feel like its edge was pressed against my neck.

“A cursed weapon that absorbs the mana of your opponent to enhance the power of its user… Doesn’t it sound too good to be true? Did you seriously think that using the ability of your weapon for as long as you did wouldn’t have any drawbacks?” Fred oppa shook his head as he looked at Bron with even more pity than before.

 “W-W-Why…? Why has this happened…? This wasn’t supposed to happen… Did the scythe betray me… No way… It told me that it had chosen me… It told me that I was destined to rule the world…” Bron stumbled backward as he hopelessly watched how life was rapidly escaping his body through the blood coming out from where his arms used to be.

It was a disgusting sight… Even though I had been trained for combat by my grandparents and the teachers in the Imperial Academy, the mere sight of large quantities of blood was still enough to make my stomach turn… It was difficult to fight the urge to vomit thanks to that sight…

<A human like you? Rule the world? Don’t be ridiculous… The mere idea of a member of such a traitorous race using me for such a purpose is disgusting beyond words…> A somber voice suddenly spoke with aversion…

Each word that the voice spoke was enough to make me feel an incredible fear… Even so, I desperately looked for the owner of that somber voice…

<You still have my thanks, human. Thanks to you, I am finally fully awake once more. I finally have enough power to enact my vengeance upon the race who betrayed my master and his beloved… I will exterminate each and every human from the face of this world! My master shall be avenged!> The somber voice spoke with delight and increasing expectation.

That voice belonged to nothing other than the thing floating in the air between Fred oppa and the dying Laurent bandit… The ominous black scythe… A cursed weapon that could talk, something that I had never heard about before…

I couldn’t believe what my eyes were seeing…

“Shit… A weapon that is capable of talking… And this bloodthirst… Well, fuck… You were right about this weapon not being an ordinary cursed weapon…” My brother-in-law immediately took a battle stance and faced the floating scythe. He was on high alert.

“Why…? Why would you betray me like that…? You promised me that…-” Bron stumbled as he walked forward, trying to get ahold of the scythe again even when he had lost his arms.

<I never betrayed you. My loyalty was never to you in the first place. Whatever promise I made to you was a complete lie. You served your purpose well, Bron. I have regained enough strength to be on my own… In other words, I no longer need you for anything. Because of that, I will grant you a swift death!> The scythe spoke with disdain towards Bron before suddenly emitting a powerful murderous aura…

The cursed weapon immediately raised itself higher in the air before falling with an unbelievable speed upon Bron, aiming to end his life like a grim reaper would… For Bron and anyone else in his state, that would have been an unavoidable attack… However, yet another unexpected event happened, causing the malicious cursed weapon to stop its attack at the last second…

Julius had left both his sisters where they were standing before and appeared right in front of Bron, opening his arms as wide as he could, almost as if he was willing to receive that attack in Bron’s stead… However, the scythe never touched him in the slightest.

“Jeez… I never thought that we would find one of [The Five Abyssal Weapons] in this city, much less on my own birthday… It is a pleasure to meet you, [Dying Scarlet].” Julius spoke with both amazement and excitement as he introduced himself to the cursed weapon.

[The Five Abyssal Weapons]...? [Dying Scarlet]...?

Despite the many questions I had, I was looking at Julius with shock just like everyone else… Even the mighty Skull Crusher was left mouth agape by the sight.

<Master Rhaego? Is that you…? No… It can’t be… I watched you die… I was there until you drew your last breath… You can’t actually be here… You left for the realm of the dead… Then is this a dream…? Another cruel dream… Am I still trapped in that dark dungeon gathering rust…? Was this just another delusion caused by the memories of my failure…?> The weapon, which had stopped mere millimeters away from Julius’s forehead, spoke with unbearable sadness and regret…

“This is certainly not a delusion, [Dying Scarlet]. You’ve spent countless centuries buried beneath the earth, but right now, you’re finally where you belong. Your master has long departed this world, but his essence still lives on.” Julius spoke with the cursed weapon in a welcoming tone. It was like he was talking with an old friend he hadn’t seen in a long time.

<His essence…? Ahh… That necklace… The power it holds within… And that face… Then you must be…-> The scythe spoke with a voice filled with nostalgia and regret.

“That’s right. I know what you’re thinking, but right now this is not the best place to talk about this, so can you stop your rampage and leave this for later, [Dying Scarlet]?” Julius asked the scythe with an innocent expression as he looked around and saw the shock on everyone’s faces.

The battle against the Laurent goons ended immediately after that, just as my older sister finally put an end to the resistance of the remaining thugs and my adoptive nephew managed to calm down the murderous rage of the cursed scythe…

It wouldn’t be until just a few minutes later that I would learn just how outrageously important and powerful the weapon Julius had managed to get his hands on actually was…

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Chapter 54: Cursed Weapon.

END

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