[I am hurt by that you know? I didn’t choose my name]

 

The voice again said in my head. “Wait, you are the sword, aren’t you?”, I thought in my head.

 

[Yes, master. Or, to say more precisely, I am the spirit of the sword]

 

“Sword spirit?”, I thought.

 

[Yes]

 

Replied the sword. I decided to communicate via thoughts only, as if I was seen by someone speaking to the air, they would think I have gone mad.

 

I said in my mind, “I see, so tell me this. Why did you suddenly forcefully contract with me? I was obviously on the fence about contracting you”.

 

[Well, that’s because I was lonely. It has been 10,000 years since I formed a contract with anyone. I couldn’t make a contract a contract with just anyone. There were certain requirements and you fit and even exceed my requirements. Plus, your compatibility with me was perfect like 100% perfect. How could let you go away?]

 

I frowned and thought, “You should learn a thing or two about ‘consent’. Besides I am having a bad feeling about this contracting thing. What’s up with your creation and past anyway?”.

 

[That I don’t know]

 

Replied the sword. “What? What do you mean?”, I thought, confused.

 

[Well, you see, my previous master died due to some reason. And somehow after the contract was broken due to his death, I lost all memories leading to the breach of contract. I do not remember anything, I am sorry]

 

Said the sword. “You seem to have no remorse for forcing a contract with me. Sigh, and you are useless for getting any information too. Just my luck.”, I thought.

 

[I said I was lonely. And I am truly sorry for not providing information. But look on the bright side. I double your abilities and even help increase your growth rate. Isn’t it a good deal?]

 

Said the sword. “It’s too good of a deal. Makes you wonder what price I have to pay for it?”, I thought.

 

[You worry too much. It’s probably nothing. Maybe I am just that good? You should always look at the bright side]

 

Said the sword. “And how are you so sure it will be ok?”, I thought.

 

[Well……..I always like to think on the positives]

 

Said the sword, “As, I thought, you are useless and unreliable”, I thought.

 

[Hey, I am not useless, didn’t you hear me say about my benefits?]

 

Said the sword angrily. “Yes, you do. But since I don’t know the dangers associated with being contracted with you, you are useless to me”, I thought.

 

[Hmph!]

 

Said the sword and stopped talking.

 

I sighed and got out of the training room, took a bath and freshened up and put on clothes.

 

As I was watching TV in the living room, the girls came back home.

 

“We are back”, they all said together excitedly upon seeing me.

 

I smiled and replied, “welcome back”.

 

Honoka asked, “How did your meeting with uncle go?”. Everyone looked at me curiously.

 

Well, they will know about it later anyway, once I use it, so let’s just tell them.

 

I showed them the sword and said, “I got this artifact”.

 

Sakura immediately excitedly exclaimed, “An artifact!” and rushed in front of me.

 

She looked at it and said, “Can I see it?”.

 

I shrugged and gave her the artifact. She examined it carefully and said, “It looks great and I can feel a great deal of energy coming from it, though I don’t seem able to use it. Is it a contract artifact?”.

 

I nodded and said, “Yes”. “Let me see it too”, said Honoka. Everyone else said, “Me too!”, “Me too!”.

 

So Sakura passed the artifact to the girls and they took turns examining it and praising it’s quality.

 

“So what are it’s effects?”, asked Sakura.

 

“It doubles my stats and helps me grow faster”, I said.

 

Everyone had shocked faces upon hearing that.

 

Sakura said, “That sounds like a wonderful artifact!”.

 

“But it looks too good to be true. I also have a bad feeling about it”, I said.

 

Ayaka said, “Now that you say it, it does seem to be the case. The problem is it was probably tested by your father, correct? And even we couldn’t sense anything, so I don’t think analyzing it will yield anything”.

 

I nodded and said, “I agree”.

 

Megumi said, “If anything happens we will protect you, so you don’t need to worry Takeru”. Everyone agreed saying, “Yes, yes”.

 

I smiled and said, “Thank you guys”.

 

[For the last time, I am not dangerous]

 

The sword spirit roared in my head but I ignored it.