* * * The room was a large, open space. It was markedly inorganic, in the style of the ancient civilization and was reminiscent of the bottom floor of the Labyrinth of Bonds. That floor, however, had not been filled with corpses. “…Aren’t these guys from the Fanged Fiends?” Leon asked with a shudder, and Nick nodded. Only Zem didn’t seem to understand, so Leon explained. “They’re a martial arts school that became an adventurers’ party, just like Combat Masters. Their leader was a qilinian, which are even rarer than dragonians. He was a master spearman and one of the strongest adventurers alive. He was supposed to be a match for Argus.” “I see… So the guild sent them, and Argus defeated them all,” Zem surmised. Argus sighed. “They were skilled, but not enough to handle my natural strength. None of them were fit to be sacrifices.” “Is that what you’re looking for? A sacrifice to feed to the Sword of Tasuki? What’ll you gain from helping him accomplish his goals? Are his ideals really so wonderful?” asked Nick. “I don’t know,” replied Argus. “What?” “I told you, Combat Masters was only meant for assassination. Olivia founded it to efficiently kill the Sword of Tasuki’s wielders and contractors. Practitioners of this style do not choose their prey. It is not meant for training the mind and bettering the self, either. It is not our business to know our employer’s thoughts.” Nick had wanted to ask Argus something before they fought: Why had Argus betrayed humanity to ally with the Sword of Tasuki? But watching Argus now, he knew that asking would be naive. He was urging Nick to approach him with the resolve to kill, or accept death. Nick scolded himself, remembering that he had come here to answer that challenge. “Let’s do this, guys,” Nick said. Argus was the first to move. He struck with no warning or windup whatsoever, almost as if they’d had the misfortune of being struck by lightning. Leon just barely blocked his blow and escaped. “…Don’t panic! This is good for us! Zem!” yelled Nick. “Okay!” ““Union!”” they shouted together, transforming into Nick/Zem and charging at Argus. ““You know what to do, right, Leon?!”” they asked. “Of course! Let’s go, Sword of Evolution!” he shouted. “O lost moonlight! I beseech you, manifest now to burn away the old ways and instigate change! Evolution!” the Sword of Evolution chanted, shining with a golden light. Leon’s fur grew, his muscles swelled, and his face turned bestial as his body settled somewhere between tiger and human. He dashed around the room, kicking off the floor, the walls, and the ceiling, with beastlike movements that were more natural than what Light Body allowed. “…What?!” Argus gasped—his first real expression of shock. “His physique is certainly impressive, but that is all. I struggle to understand why the Sword of Tasuki has become so fixated on him… Okay, Leon! Show him your almighty strength!” the Sword of Evolution encouraged him. Argus braced himself. Leon’s body swelled even larger until he was over three times his ordinary height. His fur grew longer and hardened until he resembled a giant hedgehog. Then he charged straight at Argus. “Grk…!” Argus swung his greatsword to cleave through Leon, but Nick/Zem got in his way with a palm strike as fast as a crossbow bolt. This was a combo move they and Leon had devised in the Sword of Might’s simulations. Leon continued charging at Argus head-on, his entire body equipped for both defense and offense. “Not good enough!” Argus yelled. He sidestepped Nick/Zem’s strike, then slashed his sword like the Grim Reaper’s scythe and cut off Leon’s head. But Leon didn’t stop charging. “Ha. Do you expect to harm him with a little haircut?” The head Argus had severed was a fake made of hardened, needlelike fur. Leon’s hair hid his real head like armor, cleverly hiding his most vulnerable point. Leon wrapped his body around Argus, tightly binding him with his wiry fur. ““Here’s one more!”” Nick/Zem swung at Argus to hit him with all their might while he was restrained. Before they made contact, Argus ripped Leon off with his incredible arm strength and swung him around like a ball and chain. ““Gah…!”” Nick/Zem gasped as Argus threw Leon’s body at them. Whether the battle was skill against skill or strength against strength, Argus was indomitable. “What the hell?! He’s far stronger than the simulation!” Leon shouted. ““We knew that going in. We need to regroup!”” Nick/Zem responded. Nick/Zem activated Stepping and challenged Argus to a fistfight. Both of their punches landed with inhumanly heavy impact sounds, and the metal floor cracked radially around them. Argus withstood the constant blows by continually casting healing spells and countering with punches of his own. Next, Leon constructed a new body and intervened. He clashed with Argus again and again, creating a spectacle so bizarre, onlookers would never have known it was a fight between two people. Still, Argus steadily adapted to his assault. The movement of Leon’s Evolution-altered body was unique compared to humans and mutated monsters but definitely not random. “That’s enough. I’ve discerned your skill and techniques. You cannot defeat me with bodies grown artificially by the Sword of Might. That holy sword…doesn’t seem very strong either,” Argus said, his voice rich with disappointment. Argus wasn’t uninjured, but the party was nowhere close to killing him. Continuing the fight in this manner would lead only to their defeat. ““…Give us your worst,”” Nick/Zem responded, resuming their fighting stance. The Swords of Bonds, who had yet to speak, then began to shine. Particles of light emerged from the handle, the guard, and the blade, filling the area around them. “Hmph… Healing magic…?” asked Argus. ““It is a healing barrier that prevents people within it from being harmed or killed. It instantaneously purifies and heals injuries.”” Nick/Zem’s and Leon’s wounds disappeared, but so did the damage they had worked so hard to inflict on Argus. Confusion flashed across Argus’s face, but he quickly realized their intentions. “…I see. You’re healing the body parts I severed as well, essentially using the spell as puppet magic,” he said. Leon’s fake head, as well as the fur and skin Argus had cut off his body, combined and morphed into a human shape, creating a puppet clone of Leon. The clone began to squirm. “That was just a warmup. You’re talking as if this is over, which means we’ve seen your full capabilities,” said the Sword of Evolution. “Say that after you’ve won,” responded Argus. He raised his greatsword, and another turbulent battle began. The clone tried to coil around Argus, but he cut it down. It re-formed and tried again, and Argus smashed it to pieces with a punch. Simply adding one more party member wasn’t enough to restrain him. Argus then grabbed one of the clone’s arms and ripped it off. “Got you.” What looked like an arm had actually been the Sword of Evolution’s sheath, cleverly disguised as part of the clone’s body. “I invite you to evolution’s ultimate destination! O moonglade, warp your image! Irrational Moonlight!” the Sword of Evolution chanted, releasing a strange light. “Wh-what…? No!” Argus yelled. He tried to drop the sword, but an arm grew out of his waist and grabbed it. He then tried to break the blade with his fist, but another new hand restrained his arm. His eyes became bloodshot, horns sprouted from his forehead, and his skin color changed with dizzying speed. It almost looked as if he was turning into a monster. Argus’s Evolution was much more twisted and dramatic than Leon’s. ““You dumbass! Did you really think we’d try to beat you in a fair fight?!”” Nick/Zem sneered. That had come from Nick’s mind, and his heart wept as he said it. They punched Argus while casting the spell Restoration to make sure their ploy worked. This had been Nick’s plan. Argus couldn’t use magic, and he didn’t have any special abilities despite being the Sword of Tasuki’s wielder. He likely received his skill from the Sword of Tasuki, but he relied on nothing but his ordinary human body to use it. With decades of training, Nick could theoretically reach Argus’s level of skill. Argus lacked the natural toughness of a beastman or a dragonian. He wasn’t even blessed with mana as some humans were. That was precisely why the Sword of Tasuki chose him—he wanted to use him to explore human potential. That had given Nick an idea—he could ruin the Sword of Tasuki’s plans by distorting Argus’s body so he was no longer human. The Sword of Evolution had a dramatic effect on the body of his wielder. Leon had been thoroughly exhausted after allowing himself to be used by the sword with no regard for his safety. This time, however, Nick/Zem used their healing barrier to prevent that exhaustion in Argus and accelerate the evolution. It was a drastic move, but a clever one. Argus could no longer Awaken at the peak of ordinary human potential. Nick had racked his brain for a way to ruin Argus and the Sword of Tasuki’s plans, and this was the dirty move he’d come up with. ““This evolution will affect your mind as it progresses. You’ll no longer be yourself. There’s no guarantee that the final result of your evolution will be a creature with a sentient mind. This is good-bye,”” Nick/Zem said, glaring at Argus with both love and hate in their eyes. They had no idea what Argus was thinking in that moment. Or at least they tried to convince themselves of that. “…Run,” Argus grunted. The truth was that they saw genuine concern in his eyes. ““Got something else up your sleeve? Go ahead and try it.”” “I…failed. This was my limit.” ““That’s right. You’re finished.”” “I thought that if my soul had to be trapped by the Sword of Tasuki…I may as well make it my duty to kill him myself… But that was an error of judgment…” Nick tried to ask him what he was going on about, but Zem stopped him, urging him to listen. Leon watched quietly, too, but for a different reason. He was tense, overcome by a sense of foreboding that one wrong move could spell disaster. “If you elevate your soul any further…the Sword of Tasuki will want to make you…or one of your comrades…his next wielder… He’s always looking for potential…” ““Potential…?”” “You’ve become much stronger than I thought… I even feel…proud…” Nick’s heart pounded in his chest. He had always wanted to hear those words from Argus. All his hard work and training had paid off. But Nick had never expected to hear it after he had abandoned all his hopes and affection for his mentor. “Get out, while you can… The Sword of Tasuki…will ensnare you… He’ll stop at nothing…to Awaken humanity…,” Argus wheezed. “I-is that true…?! This is really bad! We need to retreat at once!” the Sword of Might, who had been very quiet up until now, suddenly screamed. That got everyone’s attention. Nick/Zem were about to ask for an explanation when… “Well, this is a problem.” …A sinister voice echoed around the room, sending harrowing shivers through all of them. It was hard to tell if it was coming from the ceiling or the floor. “…Shit, he’s here,” Leon said with a shudder. He had put down the Sword of Evolution and returned to his normal form. They soon realized where the voice was coming from. A black hole had opened in the chest of the still-evolving Argus. If Karan had been here, she would have had one single, overwhelming thought: This looked just like what happened with Garos. ““You use your contractors as relay points, just as we were told,”” Nick/Zem said, glaring into the hole cautiously. The malicious eye in the hole, however, was looking at Leon. “Who are you again…? Oh yes, I remember. You’re Leon from the Silver Tiger Troop. I must congratulate you. You managed to hide the Sword of Evolution from us completely. I knew you must have used some kind of magic item during your outburst at the casino, but it still never crossed my mind. You might’ve just been lucky, but I’m surprised you escaped my gaze for so long,” the Sword of Tasuki said. “Sorry ’bout that. You want an apology?” Leon asked mockingly. “No. Giving you that little push was more than worth it. Seeing people grow makes me genuinely happy.” “Excuse me?” Leon responded, his sneer turning to a confused frown. “The Silver Tiger Troop was a good party. Every member was rich with potential. I gave them a trial, and the man who emerged alive is standing here before me. How could I not be happy to see that?” The look in the depths of Callios’s eye repulsed Leon and Nick/Zem. He observed human lives with the pure curiosity of a scientist studying a small animal or microbe. The other holy swords were arrogant, but this was on another level entirely. “Hmph. Someone’s feeling cocky. All you do is absorb the bodies of heroes and abuse their divine blessings and skills. I’ll give you an end fitting for the disgrace to a holy sword that you are,” the Sword of Evolution said. “The Sword of Evolution. I always thought your power was dull, but I never knew it was this unsightly. Look what you did to my poor wielder,” the Sword of Tasuki said, his voice brimming with a dark anger. That was the first flicker of emotion they had seen him show toward anyone. “I was a little reluctant about this myself. Altering a person’s soul along with their body is an unsavory use of my power… But it was clearly effective. I don’t know how exactly the Sword of Tasuki bound you, Argus, but you should now be able to oppose him.” Argus was the Sword of Evolution’s current wielder. The sword was trying to read his mind and incite him to fight. “I feel fatigue and a bottomless sense of despair within you. I could see it immediately upon facing you. You hate that holy sword, don’t you? What did he do to you? What did he take?” the sword asked. “Don’t misunderstand. I haven’t taken anything from him. We both consented to our contract.” “He consented? I find that hard to believe.” “We are each bound by the other’s actions. It’s only natural for us both to feel some dissatisfaction with the arrangement.” The Sword of Evolution fell silent. Nick/Zem, Leon, and the Sword of Bonds watched warily. They all had a bad feeling something unforeseen was about to happen. The Sword of Tasuki broke the silence with a bright voice. “…Oh, I get it now. That’s how you thought of us… I want to clear up a major misunderstanding. Hear me out.” ““A misunderstanding?”” Nick/Zem repeated. “Argus and I both swore ourselves to secrecy, so I can see how this situation would be confusing. He’s always been so honest and stubborn… That couldn’t have been easy on you as his apprentice.” ““Get to the point.”” The Sword of Tasuki shrugged. “You probably know the gist of this already, but my mission is to research humanity’s potential and pursue it. If people do not gain special abilities and realize their potential for versatility and evolution, thereby failing to reach the next stage, they will either find themselves at the whims of the gods or wiped out in a disaster not even the gods can stop, possibly killing the planet itself… That’s probably hard for you to understand. Let me put it more simply. I am working for the benefit of the planet and humanity, and Argus agrees with that. Olivia and that other thorn in my side never understood, unfortunately.” ““What does that have to do with anything?”” “…The Sword of Might—Olivia—raised Argus into the ultimate warrior. I still get chills down my spine thinking of the war against Marde. I had the hero Setsuna’s skills and all the techniques and weapons we used to oppose the demon god on my side, but I was still no match for Argus and his Combat Masters. I thought I had lost. It turned out, however, they also had no way to defeat me, hence why Argus and I formed a contract.” Nick/Zem listened to the Sword of Tasuki, absorbed by his words. “I do my best not to kill anyone except for those who have willingly put themselves under my protection. I can guide a person toward death or injure them to an extent, but it is impossible for me to inflict a lethal wound. It’s been that way for centuries.” It took a moment for Nick/Zem to process what he had said. They were shocked to learn that this man, who had caused so much destruction already, had actually been holding back. “The trials and temptations I offer can lead to death. I encourage destruction and incite hostility. I cannot, however, inflict the final blow. I always leave a possibility of survival. Argus is to blame for that—he bound me so that the best I can do is stab someone with a silly cursed stake that does not immediately kill them. He always demanded proof that my plans and trials did not directly kill anyone. The tiniest violation would bring about a penalty that greatly reduces my power… It was an awful position for me,” the Sword of Tasuki explained. Nick/Zem were astonished by what they were hearing. “In exchange for placing these limitations upon me, Argus promised to train his soul to achieve Awakening and fulfill my goals. And if not for your interference, he might have solved everything.” In other words, the Sword of Tasuki had schemed so extensively only because Argus had forced him into it. “…Admittedly, though, we were at a bit of a dead end. Argus had a high chance of defeating the demon god, but I’m not certain he would have Awakened. The difficulty necessary for an Awakening trial can’t be objectively measured. The task needs to be so difficult that the challenger’s success would be considered a miracle. I might have let Argus grow too strong,” Callios said, shrugging his shoulders. He spoke with the carefree attitude of someone ripping up a losing betting ticket at a dragon race. “This may have been inevitable. Now’s a good time to revise my plan anyway.” With those words, the Sword of Tasuki began to glimmer with powerful mana. “This is bad… The contract relies on Argus’s existence. If he becomes something else, it’s as good as void. The Sword of Tasuki wasn’t holding back—Argus was restraining him.” A malice they had yet to detect from the Sword of Tasuki swelled from the hole in Argus’s chest. The bonds of the contract were coming undone. “…Argus. You can’t perform your Combat Masters moves with that body, and you can’t Awaken, either. You also have no hope of defeating me once I am freed from the contract. Thank you, partner… And farewell,” said the Sword of Tasuki. A desperate battle was about to begin.
Chapter 89
17 min read