Vaan stumbled back, the memories of what he just saw pounding in his head. “That… Those bastards…!”

A headache. Not only that, but the dichotomous and incongruent emotions had intensified.

Desire and sadistic joy at the princess’s troubles.

Indignation and fury at her fate.

But also… Relief that it was him who had found her.

Vaan’s head throbbed, unable to reconcile the different feelings he had.

So in the end, he decided not to think about it and focused on what he did instead.

Restoration. The ability to restore something to a prior state… he decided to use it to bring back Eve’s shattered mind. Or rather, the shattered mind of Evelyn Edenia.

It was cruel. Doing so would be forcing her to face her life head on, denying her the escape that mental suicide gave her. He also wasn’t sure if it would work. The mind, after all, was a complicated thing with countless pieces. Something he experienced personally the moment he activated his ability.

Vaan saw the princess’s story. Saw her ideals, hopes, dreams. Saw her betrayal. Saw her despair. Saw the person she trusted most vanish without a trace, leaving her to that cruel fate.

Knowing all of that, pulling her back from the abyss was cruel. She would experience everything again, but without the luxury of running away. Him, who was forcing that girl with such unreliable shoulders to bear that burden was even crueler than the ones who caused it in the first place.

But in the end, Vaan didn’t care. Or rather, he refused to let himself care.

That was because…

“It’s not a bad dream, you know?” He muttered.

She wasn’t wrong. Although the way she went about it was silly and reckless, the enthusiasm she carried, the light she gave off as she ran around trying to save everyone… that was genuine. What was wrong was the darkness in everyone surrounding her that didn’t permit such light to shine.

“…Then again, I’m not much better.”

He lied.

Now that it was over, Vaan realized it. He could return the princess to the start. Erase her tragedies and play up the fact that he saved her. Be her true companion and knight. A ‘hero’ along with the princess. He could even restore Durandal to the state before she was captured and give it to her.

But… staring at Evelyn’s unconscious form and tempting body, he muttered, “I told you, didn’t I? I’m selfish.”

Yes. He was selfish. Despite it all, he still wanted her first. To be indebted to him wasn’t enough. He wanted to own her, dominate her, make it so that she would never leave.

He wanted to make it up to her, protect her, make it so that she would never be sad again.

-A headache. The incompatible thoughts and emotions clashing again.

Vaan grit his teeth and grabbed his forehead. “It’s not like anyone asked me to be a hero…”

That was it. He wasn’t a hero, so he would do as he liked.

And he liked the thought having that beautiful young princess at his side.

Whether it was because he wanted to own her, or wanted to keep her safe, he didn’t care. He didn’t need to care.

With that thought, his splitting head returned to normal. The throbbing headache vanished, leaving his mind eerily calm.

Vaan shook his head and then carried Evelyn over to his bed, placing her there to rest. Afterwards, he sat down on the chair that Evelyn left vacant. As he did, his eyes naturally drifted over to her unconscious form again.

A faint sense of worry. The darker emotions welling up again.

Vaan clicked his tongue and forced his thoughts away from the princess.

No matter what he wanted to do, he couldn’t do anything to her now. His ‘restoration’ was complete and thorough, but would take some time to finish. In the meanwhile, he might as well work on other things.

Vaan pointedly spun his chair around and said, “Let’s see… there was that Sacred Sword, right?” He unfastened the blade from his side and then pulled it out.

A splendid sword glowing with light. One that looked more like a work of art than something that was a weapon of war and combat.

At least, that’s how it appeared the moment Vaan drew the blade. But as if telling him he wasn’t worthy, the moment the full length of the blade was revealed, it turned dark, completely losing its luster. Moreover, the sword suddenly became heavy, as if it was a cartload of steel rather than a simple blade.

Caught off guard at the sudden change, Vaan lurched and dropped it to the ground, causing the blade to clatter.

“Tch. So it’s like that, huh?”

The sword chose its wielder. And Vaan was not the one that the sacred sword chosed.

That blade, Durandal, was the property of the princess sleeping on the bed. But it seemed like her plight had caused the sword to abandon her as well. Otherwise, when she was holding it before, it would have shone with all its splendor.

That pissed him off. The sword was what lent credence to the princess’s dream. Because she was chosen, she validated her ideals and set forth to achieve them. And that sword supported her along the way.

But after striving so hard… After she gave it her all, after she was betrayed and tossed aside, even the one thing she trusted in from the very beginning had abandoned her.

Vaan glared at the sacred sword.

Initially, he was just going to unseal it. Restore its state to when it had its full power. Turn it back and then either use it for himself or give it to Eve. But now…

“I don’t need you.”

Vaan bent down and placed his right hand on the sword.

Did it realize his intentions? The sword began to shine again. Light bloomed and slowly returned the sword to its former splendor.

But.

“Too late.”

Vaan closed his eyes. Beneath his fingers, he had the perfect material to craft a sword to his liking. A weapon that could help the powerless him.

The blade vibrated, as if resisting his attempts. But it was too little too late.

Vaan went over his attributes. A blade that could take advantage of his strengths.

His body was weak. He could enhance it, but at the moment, it would take time. Instead of physical strength, he had his mana and his changed physique that allowed him to use it like an extension of his own body.

He had restoration, the ability to restore something to its former state.

He had the ‘Spark of Creation’, an unlisted skill that let him create things from pure imagination.

Magic. Creation. Restoration.

Combining them all… what he needed at the moment…

A sword that could defend. A sword that could attack.

Mana shield. Mana compression. Elemental damage. Healing.

A blade that gives a compressed mana shield to deflect projectiles, magical, and physical attacks.

A blade that drew mana to extend its length. An invisible wave attack at the lowest level to split apart all defenses.

A blade that drew mana in from the surroundings to grant the wielder the ability over all elements, a conversion blade.

A blade that made the user immortal, constantly restoring their body to a ‘saved’ state as long as there was matter in the surroundings. A sword that would never dull.

Those were his options. What could help him the most.

Vaan wanted a sword that could do all of them… but he could tell. The sword he had was insufficient. The materials making up the blade beneath his hand was enough for only one of those.

Vaan considered it. There were other options that he could use, but those were the ones that his intuition told him were the most effective.

“…In the end, life is more important.” Muttering that, Vaan made his decision.

He chose the restoration blade. Something that wouldn’t dull his senses but sharpen them. Something that didn’t grant strength, but fostered strength.

Heat flowed from beneath his hands, and the familiar spark of light flew out, landing on Durandal.

The sword vibrated, desperately struggling Vaan’s ability. It tried to maintain its form and Vaan could almost hear a voice yelling at him, desperately pleading for him to stop.

He ignored it.

A sword more sacred than beautiful, a crystal trained by the human heart alone.

A sword that would never betray the wielder.

Unlike the unfaithful Durandal, this sword would protect its wielder to the bitter end, a companion that would never let its owner die while it remained in existence.

The sacred sword Durandal strained against his touch, light scattering as it tried to resist the Spark of Creation. At the same time, there was enough heat to scorch his hand… but Vaan persisted. And eventually, the heat died down. When it did, he opened his eyes.

The blade was like he envisioned. A pure sword that was simple and elegant. A blade of pure white silver, unmarked and pristine. A crossguard made of steel, with a hilt wrapped in black velvet.

“So this is it.” Vaan smiled and grabbed the hilt of the sword. Unlike Durandal, the nameless sword he had created was light. It felt natural in his hand, even as he held it with just his right hand even though it was meant to be used two handed.

Moreover, he felt a… warmth? From the sword. As if it was trying to reassure him. A quiet voice that said that it would stand by his side. Moreover, the fatigue he felt from staying up so late was washed away, making it feel like he was in top condition.

Somehow, he felt its properties. As if the sword itself was trying to show off, like a child trying to impress its parent. And then, in his mind’s eye, a status screen appeared.

[Status Screen]

Name: Unnamed Sword of Restoration

Owner: Vaan

[Skills]

Restoration – Owner maintains peak condition at all times. As long as there is ‘energy’ available to use and as long as the sword exists, all lethal wounds will be restored.

Loyalty – This sword will not allow another to wield it and exists within the owner’s soul. So long as its owner lives, it will remain at their side unless asked to protect another. Even then, the sword will immediately return to the owner once lethal danger emerges.

Sacred Aura – The sword aids its owner’s growth. Detrimental effects from training are erased instantaneously while positive effects are added. Body and mana are passively refined over time.

 “Mm… this is better than I thought.”

After realizing its properties, Vaan had to admit that the blade turned out beyond what he envisioned. All he thought about was the healing property, but it seemed that his emotions went through.

A sword that wouldn’t turn on its wielder. A sword that would aid its wielder’s growth. A sword that would protect and remain to the bitter end.

“But you still lack a name huh?”

The sword vibrated a bit in response.

“Hm…”

A half-hearted name could work for an ordinary weapon, since the wielder was what mattered more. But this sword would be more than just an ordinary weapon.

Not just a weapon. Not just a tool.

Like Eve, it would be Vaan’s companion.

Thus…

“Vivian. That is your name.”

A name with its origin in ‘Live’, Vive. What he hoped it would help him do in this cruel and ruthless world.

The sword… Vivian warmed up in Vaan’s hands. It seemed that the sword was happy with its name as well.

Vaan smiled. “Then… go rest for now. I still have some work to do.”

Vivian warmed again and then faded away. Even so, while it was gone, Vaan could still feel the sword’s presence, not far away. The effects would still occur, meaning that he didn’t need to worry about it.

“With that settled…” Vaan stretched and stared back at the sleeping princess, frowning.