Echoes of Fire and Shadows

Chapter 56: Dying Scarlet.

I couldn't help but stare at my status with surprise and a little bit of disbelief…

STATUS

Name: Julius / Crux Navar

Race: Human

Age: 10 years old 

Ability Points: 7,999 points

Titles: Reincarnator(?) / Transmigrator(?) / Expert Lady Killer NEW! / Experienced Goblin Slayer / Experienced Hunter / Skilled Chef / Skilled Weapon Master / Renowned Soap Artisan / Juli / 'Humie' of the Fairy Princess  / Shameless Flirt /  Adorable Cutie NEW! / The Favorite Person of the Blue Roses of Nebandia NEW! / Onii-chan/Oppa NEW! / Master of Dying Scarlet NEW!

Jobs: Unemployed

Level: 27 (17 → 27)

EXP: 2,399/ 30,498 

Attributes

• HP: 3,744 (1,568 →3,744)
• MP: 8,110 (5,464 →8,110)
• DEX: 620 (410 →620)
• STR: 700 (499 →700)
• VIT:  1,278 (950 →1,278)
• DEF: 230 (160 →230)
• RES: 250 (175 →250)
• LUCK: 136 (102 →136)
• SPD: 630 (541 →630)
• INT: 219 (198 →219)
  

  ---

 Common Skills 

• Appraisal / Level 5 ↑ LEVEL UP!

• Charm / Level 6 ↑ LEVEL UP!

• Cooking / Level 9

• Enhance Mind / Level 7 ↑ LEVEL UP!

• Hunting / Level 10 - MAX LEVEL! 

• Riding / Level 8 ↑ LEVEL UP!

• Stealth / Level 7

Combat

• Archery / Level 9 

• Armed Combat: Daggers / Level 8

• Armed Combat: Scythes / Level 5 ↑ LEVEL UP!

• Fighting Spirit / Level 6 ↑ LEVEL UP!

• Spearmanship / Level 3

• Swordsmanship / Level 10 - MAX LEVEL! 

• Throwing Weapons: Chakrams / Level 6

• Throwing Weapons: Knives / Level 6

• Unarmed Combat / Level 8 ↑ LEVEL UP!

Magic

• Mana Manipulation / Level 10 - MAX LEVEL! 

• Mana Perception / Level 10 - MAX LEVEL!

• Magic: Earth Element / Level 9 

• Magic: Fire Element / Level 8 ↑ LEVEL UP!

• Magic: Wind Element / Level 10 - MAX LEVEL!

• Magic: Water Element / Level 10 - MAX LEVEL!

• Magic: Light Element / Level 8

• Magic: Dark Element / Level 5 ↑ LEVEL UP!

Resistances

• Charm Resist / Level 7 ↑ LEVEL UP!

• Elemental Resistance: Earth / Level 3

• Elemental Resistance: Fire / Level 6

• Elemental Resistance: Wind / Level 9

• Elemental Resistance: Water / Level 7

• Elemental Resistance: Light / Level 6

• Elemental Resistance: Dark / Level 3 

• Pain Resist / Level 9 ↑ LEVEL UP!

• Paralysis Resist / Level 3

• Poison Resist / Level 2 

• Mental Corruption Resistance / Level 10 - MAX LEVEL!

Crafting

• Accessory Making / Level 5 ↑ LEVEL UP!

• Alchemy / Level 4

• Construction / Level 6

• Magic Tool Creation / Level 1

• Smithing  / Level 1

• Soap Making / Level 10 - MAX LEVEL!

• Tailoring / Level 2

• Woodworking / Level 3

Only a day ago, I was on the level limit for children and now, mere hours into the morning of my birthday, I am above that limit by seven levels…

That is obviously thanks to all the battles I have fought until now. According to Lia, experience and level-ups can be stored by the system if the user has reached their limit to level-up.

But most of the level-ups I got do not come from that stored experience. At most, my battle with Rexon and Band of the Warhawk provided enough experience to level up at least three times, while my battle with Gideon and his lackeys, if it can be called that, barely provided any experience to me.

So, the reason why I got so many level-ups was thanks to the ancient weapon in my hands, Dying Scarlet. Because of said weapon, I also got a new skill, which is currently on its max level…

But before we continue with that, I should explain what has happened until now.

After my adoptive parents basically mopped the floor with the blood of those Laurent goons and I retrieved Dying Scarlet from the fool who didn't know what he was even holding, we decided to postpone our little birthday excursion to explore the city and wait for Ophelia to come to help us out from this sticky situation while the city guards and the knights investigate everything…

But this situation didn't affect the spirits of the people around me, especially my mom… After getting her hands dirty and fighting a one-sided battle against the Laurent thugs, she brought us all to the patio and started running around the house to decorate everything. She vehemently forbade me from helping her since I'm still the birthday boy, so I am currently on the patio sitting with everyone that wasn’t recruited by my mom to decorate the house.

So it is currently Laura, Mia, Leaf, Liliana, Luna, and I here chilling on the patio.

Naturally, after having to confront their former tormentors and their traumas, my adoptive sisters have been practically glued to me ever since the fight ended… Especially Luna, after I retrieved Dying Scarlet, she has not let go of me for anything.

Even right now, Luna’s arms are tightly wrapped around my neck while she rests her head against my shoulder.

I’m obviously not complaining about this, but it does piss me off and makes me want to beat up Gideon and his buddies again for what they did to Liliana and Luna.

Ah, I guess I should mention what happened with those idiots and the sad excuse they have as parents… Basically, they were all tied up and gagged at the stable by Felix’s parents. They said that they would pick them up when the whole investigation is done and when Ophelia arrives to help us with the possibility of retaliation from the Laurents.

Though, I’m not particularly worried about that possibility at the moment… 

(Are you sure that Dad will be able to hold himself back? I think it is the first time that I see him that pissed off… It would be pretty disastrous if he destroyed the entire noble district right before the tournament…) I asked the goddess that lives in my head.

My adoptive father left a while ago with all the living Laurent thugs and the corpses of their companions to have a serious talk with his former family… He emphasized the part about the serious talk with some very intense killing intent…

(Don’t worry. Things are already done on his end.) Lia replied with a relaxed tone.

(I see… I assume that the Laurents won’t be coming after us to try to slit our throats at night, right?) I asked as I looked to the sky above, thinking about the countermeasures I had come up with to deal with the Laurent assassins.

(You can rest assured that they won’t be trying anything against us any time soon. Your father threatened them real good and he practically shattered their pride by showing them that he actually had the intention to kill them… It would have been better for the people of the Empire if Fred had actually killed them, but I can understand why he didn’t. The human heart is more fragile than it seems, no matter how strong you are.) Lia reassured me. (Maybe it is actually for the better this way… If the Laurents all die, then all the criminals in the Empire would immediately start fighting to see who is going to become the new king of the underworld.  Sigh… They are like Hydras in a way, cut one head, and two more will take its place… Poor Marina will have a lot of work in the future trying to fix that situation.) Lia sounded a bit troubled.

Even if they were our enemies and the worst scum in this country, I have to agree with Lia. After all, the Emperor keeps the Laurents around for a reason… I haven’t met him yet, but I can at the very least get an idea of what he might be thinking about this. The Laurent family is the lesser evil in his eyes. Compared to anyone else who might rise to take the power of the Laurents, my dad’s former family is more predictable and far easier to control. 

At least that’s what I can assume about the Emperor’s views on the Laurents… I obviously do not share those views, but I can understand why.

“So… Are you finally going to explain what’s the deal with that cursed weapon?” Laura asked with a lot of curiosity in her eyes as she pointed at the miniature scythe in my hands.

Ah, it seems like I went off the rails a bit… I guess I should explain why I leveled up so much now…

<Do not confuse me with a simple cursed weapon, Elf. I am much more than that.> Dying Scarlet spoke with an indignant tone.

Compared to when it was in the hands of the leader of the Laurent thugs, Dying Scarlet had changed a whole lot. Instead of that murderous aura and that ominous black color, Dying Scarlet was now painted in a less threatening bright red (scarlet obviously) with some lines of gold along the edge and the shaft.

Instead of a cursed weapon a villain would use, it now looked more like a flashy and heroic weapon of legend.

I have a good explanation for the changes that the scythe has gone through. It is also the reason why I leveled up so much.

Basically, it is all because Dying Scarlet recognized me as its new master. As soon as the title appeared on my status, I gained an obnoxious amount of experience points and it triggered that massive level-up fiesta… 

Whether I absorbed some of my dad’s mana or simply because being the master of this scythe is such a massive feat, I am still not sure why I got so many experience points…

Also, since I became the master of this mythical weapon, it was finally allowed to show its true form. Contrary to Bron, who was not recognized as worthy, causing the scythe to be dyed in that pitch black color, and also causing him to lose his mind over the overwhelming power Dying Scarlet granted him.

Which also explains why I got a new skill. A skill that protects my mind from being corroded and overtaken just like Dying Scarlet did with Bron. A simple, yet very useful skill that definitely will come in handy now and in the future.

"I have a name, you know?" Laura got a little pissed off.

<So do I, Elf. So do not call me cursed weapon or scythe...> Dying Scarlet replied.

Noticing the tension between the two building up, I decided to intervene.

"Take it easy, you two." I scolded the scythe and my adoptive aunt. 

"No fighting between friends ever!" Leaf said with authority while standing on top of my head.

Thanks to Leaf adorably meddling in, both Laura and Dying Scarlet fell silent. It was cute.

"I was planning to explain everything either way, so." I couldn’t help but smile a little at the sight. “To put it shortly, Dying Scarlet is part of a set of weapons that were forged by my ancestor, the Demon King Bass, before he came with the demon race to Hresviae. That set of weapons was called [The Five Abyssal Weapons].” I explained to everyone as I entered my teaching mode.

<That is correct, Master. I was born from the bones and ashes of our enemies. My whole being was made with the bones of an ancient dragon, and my edge was made with its blood. The power of both dragons and demons flows within this one, Master.> Dying Scarlet immediately approved of my words and gave an even more morbid explanation.

“Wow… That’s…” Laura looked at the scythe with disbelief. “So all of the abyssal weapons were made by the God of Magic himself after he became a mortal… You got your hands on something really outrageous…” After she managed to compose herself, Laura then looked at me with worry in her eyes.

“Yep… Even I can’t fully believe it, you know? After all, two of the weapons went missing after Bass was slain two thousand years ago, one of those being Dying Scarlet. It was extremely fortunate for us to find a family relic in this place. Though, I can’t deny that I am a little indignant that a person like Bron had it in his hands…” I ended up scratching the back of my head and smiling awkwardly just like my dad would do.

“Hey! Hey! Can all of [The Five Abyssal Weapons] talk like Dying Scarlet does?” Mia suddenly raised her hand and tilted her head in an adorable manner.

“From what I know, all of the weapons have the ability to talk. Though, there are records of only a few of them talking. Dying Scarlet being one of them.” I nodded before taking a look at the scythe.

<That is again correct, Master. I do not mind talking with others besides my master, however, the others believe that exchanging words with our masters is a sacred deed, something that must not be done with others.> Dying Scarlet spoke with a somewhat deadpan tone.

“So… If you don’t mind me asking, what are the other weapons' names? Do they also have pretty names like you?” Liliana asked Dying Scarlet while hugging me very tightly.

<Pretty? My name…? I see… My name is pretty… I see I see…> Thanks to Liliana’s question, Dying Scarlet suddenly started talking in a bashful manner.

Hmm…? That’s odd…

“They do have names like that, but they are not their actual names, you know? They are nicknames. [The Five Abyssal Weapons] all have names that they only tell their wielder once they are recognized as their master.” I said to Liliana while patting her head. “The other weapons are a peerless sword nicknamed [Azure Tranquility], a bow that will never fail to hit its target, [Verdant Destruction], a staff that heals all wounds known as [Violet Restoration], and finally [Golden Awakening], a weapon whose shape has been long forgotten.” I couldn’t help but recite the contents of a book my biological mother had read to me a long time ago.

[Golden Awakening] is the other abyssal weapon that went missing after the defeat of my ancestor.

“Those are pretty cute as well… But nicknames? Isn't that just like Dad with his title of Skull Crusher?” Liliana nodded to herself with a pleased expression.

“Yes, but not quite…” I said while smiling awkwardly. “According to what I heard from Lia, [The Five Abyssal Weapons] will show their true power once their real name is uttered by their wielder.” I said as I looked at Dying Scarlet, who was still muttering some strange things after being complimented by Liliana.

(You could always ask me what Dying Scarlet’s power is about, you know?) Thiasis said in her usual playful manner.

(I know I can. But that would just spoil the surprise, wouldn’t it? You said it yourself that I should treat Dying Scarlet as if it was a person and form a bond with it if I want to completely master it.) I replied to the goddess in an equally playful way.

(Hehehe! I'm glad that you're doing things properly~.) Thiasis said with a lot of satisfaction.

“Can we see it…? Dying Scarlet’s true power?” For the first time since she saved me from Gideon's attack, Luna had finally decided to speak again.

“I wanna see the pretty scythe’s power too! Do you think it can shrink things like me?” Leaf immediately got excited as soon as she heard Luna’s words. 

“I don’t see why not.” I nodded in agreement. After all, I also wanted to see the true power of the treasure I had received.

<Ehh…?> For some reason, Dying Scarlet let out a voice filled with befuddlement and confusion.

"Well, you heard them. Can you show us your power please, Remillia?" I asked while looking at my new companion.

<I refuse.> Dying Scarlet, or rather, Remillia the mythical scythe immediately refused my request.

I was taken aback by the weapon's sudden refusal… Everyone also looked at the mythical scythe in stunned silence.

"Is there any particular reason? Did we say something to offend you?" I couldn’t help but stare at the scythe with increasing worry.

<Erm… No, Master hasn’t done anything of the sort. It is just that… I am not mentally prepared for it yet… I need some time before I can do something like that…> Remillia’s usually somber voice sounded extremely bashful once more. 

Mentally prepared? Is the power of Dying Scarlet that outrageous that it needs time to prepare itself?

<I haven’t even seen that myself, so I can’t show it to Master just yet, let alone such a large group…> The mythical scythe on my hands was acting extremely shyly all of a sudden.

“I see… Well, I suppose it is fine. I’m not going to pressure you or anything, so take your time.”  I tried to reassure the living weapon.

“I guess it can’t be helped… I’ll wait until you’re ready to show us.” Luna said with an understanding expression as she started to gently caress Dying Scarlet.

“I wanted to see if it could shrink people like me…” Leaf was a little disappointed. “I guess I can wait if you let me call you Remi!” Her disappointment lasted mere moments, as she quickly became reinvigorated.

<That’s… Thank you for understanding.> Remillia appeared to be massively relieved. <Master, if it is fine with you, I’d like to take my leave for the time being.> Remillia said almost as if it was pleading to me.

“It is fine by me, but I have to ask… Where are you planning to go?” I looked at Remillia with confusion.

<Thank you, my Master. Should the need arise, I will come to your aid and slaughter our enemies. Now, if you’ll excuse me…> Dying Scarlet ignored my question while some white light suddenly engulfed the weapon… It seemed like it was in a hurry to leave this conversation…

Soon, that white light became brighter and brighter until I could no longer see the silhouette of the mythical weapon… In just a few moments, Remillia had lost its shape and became a bright ball of red light the size of a tiny marble. 

Without waiting for my input or for any of us to express surprise, that tiny marble suddenly flew toward my chest and disappeared the moment it crashed against my heart…

All of us were pretty much left speechless… I was aware that Dying Scarlet had the ability to change its shape and size at will, but I didn’t know that it could do something like that… 

It felt a little weird to have the weapon residing within me. My chest felt a little warmer and a little fuzzy…

(Heh, it seems like the little Scarlet is still just as shy and awkward as it was back when Basalto’s son was its wielder! That’s cute!) Thiasis spoke in my mind with a lot of amusement.

"Well… That was quite something… I never expected to meet a talking scythe created by the most feared being in the continent…" Laura seemed like she didn't know what to make out of this situation. "So… Umm… Dying Scarlet mentioned someone called Rhaego… Do you know who that is?" She asked, trying to come up with another topic.

"Yeah… That's the previous master of Dying Scarlet. The eldest son of the original Demon King." I explained as I remembered the story of Rhaego with sadness… “The tragic death of his lover was the event that triggered the Thousand-Year War, as well as the almost extinction of the demon race.” I nodded to myself while thinking of Lia’s explanation.

“That’s morbid… Sorry, I shouldn’t have asked…” Laura was looking at me with a very awkward look on her face. “Though, now I think I understand why Dying Scarlet seemed so lonely when you took it away from that guy Bron… For a weapon to have such heavy regret and hate… It must have really loved Rhaego to swear revenge upon the whole human race…” Laura’s empathetic nature came to light again while she looked at the sky with pity.

“Umm… Does Remi still have plans to get revenge? Isn’t that bad? Liliana, Luna, and Juli are all humies…” Leaf suddenly grew concerned, which was a little out of character for her.

Oh… Well, that could be an issue… I know that Remillia won’t hurt me or anyone I care about since it recognized me as its master, but I’m not really sure if it still wants to get revenge. I would understand if it wants to get revenge, after all, that is my objective too, but it would be EXTREMELY bad if suddenly started to kill innocents indiscriminately.

(You don’t need to worry about that. Remillia won’t do such a thing.) Thiasis spoke with a reassuring tone. (Dying Scarlet still lives by the morals of Rhaego and holds their time together dear. Since you and Rhaego pretty much share the same morals, it is only a matter of spending some time with you before those murderous ideas banish from its mind. After all, the ones that Dying Scarlet actually wants to kill are no longer in this world. Their bloodline does not even exist anymore. Remillia just needs time to come to terms with that.) Thiasis explained with certainty.

(Are you sure about that? Because the idea of a scarlet scythe flying around, murdering everything in its path does not sound fun in the slightest…) I expressed my concerns to the goddess.

(Trust me on this one, Julius. Remillia does resent humans for what happened to Rhaego… Quite a bit actually… But believe me when I tell you that it would never start killing innocents for no reason. Dying Scarlet would never do something that would sadden or bring shame to its previous master.) Thiasis sounded completely confident as she tried to ease my worries.

(I do trust you. That bloodthirst from before was concerning, but since you have known Remillia for longer, I guess I will just wait and see.) I said to the goddess.

“Lia said that it is fine. Remillia won’t do anything to harm us. Especially now that I am its wielder.” It was now my turn to ease up Leaf’s concerns.

“Is that so…?” Leaf tilted her head and looked at me with worry for a second. “I guess if Juli says so, then it must be true. That’s good then!” Leaf quickly smiled and returned to her usual happy-go-lucky self.

Heh… It is really reassuring to have someone like Leaf around. Her cheerful personality really helps me to forget about the incident with those idiots from before…

“Changing the topic… How about we play some games while we wait for everything to be ready? I think we shouldn’t be here looking all gloomy, especially now! This is supposed to be a special day!” Mia suddenly rose from her seat all excited before shooting a loving glance in my direction.

“Yeah, I think we should stop being all serious for a bit and just have some fun.” Laura nodded in agreement with a smile on her face. “Though, I’m really sorry that we couldn’t go sightseeing around the city… I promise I will show you around later, okay?” Laura’s smile became a little awkward while looking at me.

“Don’t worry. It is not like it was your fault.” I shook my head. “But I’ll be looking forward to it. There are a lot of places that I want to go and see!” I smiled back at her.

“Just leave it to me!” Laura said proudly after I reassured her. “So? What do you guys want to play?” She asked.

“Tag! I wanna play tag!” Leaf immediately started jumping around on top of my head. It was difficult to resist the urge to laugh since it felt really ticklish…

“Oho! That sounds fun! Today will be finally the day when I will catch you Leaf! You’ll see!” Mia said as her eyes became filled with determination.

“I wonder if you can do that! I’m feeling like flying around a lot today!” Leaf taunted Mia in a very childish manner.

“I wanna play chess.” Luna whispered in my ear before burying her head against my shoulder again. She had gotten increasingly clingier after the confrontation with those morons ended.

“How about football? It has been ages since the last time we played! I kinda wanna get back at Marina the next time we see her, so I can’t be rusty!” Liliana said with enthusiasm just as she hugged me even tighter than before.

“I changed my mind... Let’s play football.” As soon as she heard our older sister’s suggestion, Luna immediately stood up and looked at each of us with a serious expression. She had gotten fired up all of a sudden…

“Oh, you taught them how to play football? That’s great! You’re about the witness the might of the best player on my middle school’s team!” Laura said with confidence as she pointed at herself with confidence.

Marina… It would have been nice to have her with us too for my birthday… Eliana said that she was out of the city on an excursion with her father and that she would return today, didn’t she? I wonder if it might be possible to see her…

(Well, would you look at that? Those wishes might become true really soon, you know~? Sooner than you think, actually~.) Immediately after reading my mind, the goddess started giggling like a little girl… She was extremely amused.

(Wait… Don’t tell me that…-) Just as I was about to ask her what she meant, my thoughts were interrupted by some cheers and shouts.

Those cheers and shouts were followed shortly after by a loud neighing from some horses and then it came… A deafening silence.

As I turned my head around, I was able to the roof of what seemed to be a carriage… A very expensive-looking carriage… A carriage that looked incredibly similar to the one Alicia and Eliana had brought yesterday…

“Wait… Don’t tell me that Lady Eliana and Her Highness came back already…” Laura seemed to be getting increasingly nervous, all thanks to the fact of her fear of her identity being discovered.

“Not quite… Though you’re not that far from the truth.” I said as a smile started to form on my face.

Immediately after that exchange ended, the gate to the patio was swiftly opened by two people I wasn’t expecting to see…

The ones to open the gate to the patio were none other than Neris and Elissa. Both of them looked quite stiff and nervous, but the adults that were with them, Felix’s parents Martha and Rick looked even more nervous than them… And it was all due to the person walking behind them with a huge smile on her face…

Just like Thiasis had just said in an attempt to tease me, the universe or even fate itself had decided to grant us our wish… The Crown Princess of the Empire, or rather, Marina, my self-proclaimed best friend had arrived.

-----Remillia’s POV-----

“I see… So this is the insides of my new Master’s soul…” I said as I looked at the endless landscape in front of me.

It was such a bizarre sight… Small islands that were floating above an endless dark void with ruins and all types of odd buildings and landmarks, all made of stone resting on top of the islands… All of which were bathed by the ethereal moonlight from the starry sky above.

It was as if I was looking at the remains of a ruined civilization…

“Such a strange place…” I couldn’t help but contain my curiosity as I looked around my new home.

An endless void of nothing below and a bright and starry night sky up above… Such conflicting contrast could only make me think of one word to describe the soul of my new master…

“This is really Chaotic for a small child like him… No, to begin with, this is not the soul of a common mortal… Just what is he?” Since I was all alone in this place, I ended up speaking my thoughts out loud. “Well, I suppose the only way to find that answer is to explore for a bit… I guess it is time for me to take a look at my new appearance.” I said to myself as I hovered a few centimeters above the ground of a small island with a lake.

I wonder how I will look like this time… I was so used to the form I took after Master Rhaego became my wielder… Sigh… It might be difficult to adapt to a new form all of a sudden…

While those kinds of thoughts were running through my mind, my body had already been engulfed by warm energy… Energy that came from deep within my new master, giving a new shape to this old scythe…

In the blink of an eye, a new world of sensations was opened to me once more… The warm wind now hitting my face, the cold feeling coming from the grass beneath my small feet, an already vast and infinite world becoming even bigger than before as my short limbs tried to reach for something far beyond me…

“Odd… I used to be way taller than this… Huh… This voice… You have to be kidding me…” I couldn’t believe the changes I was going through.

Without missing a beat, I ran with my newly formed short legs towards the lake nearby…

“...” I was both mesmerized as well as speechless thanks to the sight of my new appearance.

There I stood, a short young girl with short light-blue hair and bright red eyes, a pair of horns protruding from the side of my head as well as a pair of bat-like wings coming from my lower back, my facial features appeared to be similar to those of a very delicate doll… Due to my short size, my new form seemed to be close in age to my new master… I also had a pair of long pointy ears that stuck out like a sore thumb…

I was wearing what seemed to be a long-sleeved white sundress with black lace trimmings as well as a gigantic black ribbon attached to my neck. I was barefooted…

“Why am I a little girl now…?” I couldn’t help but let out my disbelief and frustration thanks to this troublesome development.

Just like the soul of my new master, the contrast between my old and new appearance was like that heaven and earth…

“How am I supposed to fight like this…? I look way too feeble like this… Master… Why did you have to formulate such a wish when I recognized you as my wielder?” I asked to the empty air, hoping that my words would reach my new master.

There was not much I could do other than lament my current fate… After all, this new appearance was the result of a genuine wish made by the selfless heart of my new master…

I, Dying Scarlet, or rather, Remillia as my creator branded me upon my birth, will adopt a new appearance based upon the wishes of its wielder once I accept them as my master and tell them my real name.

When Master Rhaego was my wielder, I had the appearance of a relatively handsome young human man. All because the honest desire of the heart of my previous master was to have a genuine friend and a comrade-in-arms that would never abandon him. He wanted us to protect each other’s backs…

His wish couldn’t be more different than the one of my current master… My new master, Crux or Julius as he calls himself, wanted nothing more than protect Me…

“Such an odd person… His resemblance to the Creator and Master Rhaego is uncanny…” I muttered while further examining my new appearance.

I still remember it clearly, the words that the heart of my new master transmitted to me the moment I recognized him as my new wielder…

<I wish nothing more than end your sadness and return to the home you belong to. I shall protect you with all my being so that you will never ever feel alone again. I want you to become my family.>

“Stupid Master… I am supposed to be doing the protection here… I am a weapon… Nothing more than a tool to cause slaughter…” I couldn’t help but pout as I remembered that stupid wish that caused me to have this silly childish appearance.

I wonder how Violet, Verdy, Goldy, and Azury are doing… They would surely laugh if they saw me like this… Goldy would certainly tease about this form until the end of times…

As I looked at the starry sky above, which was filled with thousands upon thousands of unknown constellations, I couldn’t help but think about my brethren and my former master.

“Master Rhaego… The bloodline of your father still lives. It seems that you had a little sister… Because of her, your family still lives on… Our fight was not for naught...” Some tears immediately started to form in the corner of my eyes as an image of my previous master came to my mind.

That youthful muscular blonde punk with a heart of gold that would charge head first into danger to save the innocent without caring about his own life… The person that caused me so many headaches in the past. The same person who could relieve those headaches with a simple smile and words filled with gratitude…

“Master Rhaego… My new master is a kind person… I can feel the hate… That desire for vengeance which flows in his heart, yet he is not yet consumed by it like I was… He still holds hopes for the future and an incredible determination, just like you after that tragedy… No wonder I mistook him for you for a moment, even though you barely look alike.” A soft smile soon appeared on my face.

As those words left my mouth, the warm breeze within this world seemed like it was trying to ease and banish my worries and regrets…

“Master… I still hate the people that took your smile away from us… I hate the humans that betrayed us and forced your hand into a war that we shouldn’t have fought… For hundreds of years, the only thing I could think of was the moment when you last drew a breath… That I had to avenge you no matter what… But after all, I don’t think I can’t do it… I know that it is not what you want me to do, but what can I do about this hate that flows deep within me? I cannot bring myself to forgive those humans, but I cannot bring myself to exterminate their race either… What should I do?” Even if that mysterious wind was trying to help me with my regrets, it just made me feel worse than before.

“Wow… I didn’t think I would see Scarlet doubting himself so much all of a sudden… Wait, I guess since you now have the body of a girl it should be herself now, right?” A familiar annoying voice suddenly reached my ears while I was lamenting my losses.

My sulky mood didn’t last long as it was quickly replaced by the surprise of listening to someone that was not supposed to be in this place…

“Goldy?” I couldn’t help but look at the owner of that annoying voice with a dumbfounded expression.

Sitting at the top of a stone pillar nearby was a young boy, with the same appearance as my new master… The only differences were that he had platinum blonde hair and a pair of silver-colored eyes that seemed like they were peering into my very existence.

The boy that looked like my new master was reading a strange book whose cover contained some unintelligible words…

“Yo, Scarlet. Long time no see. It has almost been three thousand years, has it not?” The boy smiled. His familiar annoying voice was mixed with the voice of my new master.

“What are you doing here…? I thought that the Creator lost you when he was slain…” I said as I stared at the boy in disbelief.

“The rumors about my disappearance were greatly exaggerated. The Creator gave me an ultra-secret task that required me to lay low for quite a long while.” The boy laughed in response.

I was now convinced… The one that had taken the shape of my new master was none other than one of my brethren... The other lost Abyssal Weapon, [Golden Awakening].

Our souls have the same wavelength as well as the same residual mana from our Creator… In other words, it was impossible for him to be an imposter. Even with just a short glance, I could recognize any of my siblings without fail.

“So? Are you coming here or not? I believe we have some catching up to do.” Goldy said as he started patting the pillar, beckoning me to sit by his side.

“You still haven’t answered my question… What are you doing inside the soul of my new master…?” I looked at my brethren with suspicion.

“Sigh… Please don’t look at me so coldly… It is giving me the creeps…” Goldy shuddered in response. “Look, it is quite a long story, okay? I’m going to tell you everything, but in exchange, I’m gonna need you to stay quiet and keep what I’m about to tell you from your master… At least for the time being.” He looked troubled.

“Why do you want me to keep a secret from a descendant of our Creator? This goes against our orders…” I grew enraged at the mere idea of going against the one who had brought us to life.

“Because this is also an order from Lord Bass.” Goldy suddenly jumped from the pillar, landing on top of the water of the lake in front of me. Instead of sinking to the bottom, he simply remained floating above the water. “Until Julius awakens the power of a True Demon, I am not allowed to reveal myself or my orders to him.” He said with a serious expression while he held that strange book close to his chest.

“Goldy… Did the Creator truly order that to you? What makes you think I will just stay quiet and not tell my new master anything?” I questioned my sibling.

“Because I know more than anyone that you’d go as far as sacrificing your own existence to protect your wielder. Something that Master Rhaego denied you in his last moments.” He spoke with a voice filled with nostalgia. “What I’m about to tell you is something that would endanger the life of your current master if he were to hear it now, that is why I know you’ll stay quiet… So please listen to me, o my dear sibling…” Goldy suddenly bowed to me, almost desperately pleading for me to listen.

I was left stunned by the sight… The most prideful of our siblings after myself was bowing as if his life depended on it… I didn’t know what to say to my sibling who looked ever so desperate…

Chapter 56: Dying Scarlet.

END

GodlyKamui

Heya! New chapter! Sorry for the wait! I had a bit of a writer's block and I didn't know in which direction I wanted to take this chapter, but I was able to beat the block once more! Huehuehue! I really love how this chapter turned up! It is one of my favorites when it comes to the chapters I have written recently.

So, Dying Scarlet or rather, Remillia... Yeah, she's kind of an intentional parody of Remilia Scarlet from Touhou (one of my fave characters ever tbh). My explanation for that? I just saw the opportunity to introduce something I liked and took it. Though, I must say that this Remillia will be very different personality-wise compared to 2hou Remilia.

There's also the mystery of Golden Awakening being inside of Julius... I wonder what's up with that heh.

There are a million interesting things I could point out in this chapter alone, but I won't do it now since I have to go to work in 4 hours and I need to get some sleep so... Teehee~!

Oh! But wait! I forgot to mention that the status screen has made its glorious return after I completely forgot to update it for like twenty-five chapters lol! We also have reached 400k words, so there's that too~.

As usual, I do hope that you enjoyed the chapter, please don't forget to comment and leave some hearts since that motivates me to continue writing the story! Also, join the discord to talk about the story and see the new picrew character illustrations I'm working on! Here's the link: https://discord.gg/uH6APbzrFR

Buh-bye!