Reincarnated as a Sword Vol. 6

by Yuu Tanaka

  Perhaps that was why the Blue Cats hated the Black Cats so much. Their evolved abilities were quite similar, and I could easily imagine the Blue Cats resenting the Black Cats for their strength.

  “There’s a lot going on right now! You wouldn’t know Fran was still in the arena if not for the streaks of black lightning furiously circling Gaudartha! You can hear him scream in pain, folks!” the commentator cried.

  It looked like a black dome of electricity had formed around Gaudartha. I struck his Phoenix Armor, producing a high-pitched ring with each contact. It was still repairing itself, although I was outpacing its capabilities so far. Although Gaudartha’s armor was in top shape, the same couldn’t be said for the beastman himself. Cords of black lightning twisted and struck, burning him up.

  “Ngaaaah!”

  Eventually, he abandoned all pretense of defense and started swinging his greataxe in desperation. He held it out and spun, emitting Wave Blasts. The combination served to clear the immediate area, but Fran was agile enough to duck under the axe. As for the Wave Blast, she used Absolute Barrier to handle it. Being at the limits of her mana, she could only use it for a split second, but she timed it perfectly.

  Fran could read Gaudartha’s every move. Although the large man was throwing all of his fast attacks at her in a last-ditch attempt at victory, they all seemed slow to Fran. She was definitely faster than him. Despite his best attempts, he couldn’t stop her flurry of attacks.

  “Haaaaa!”

  “Hrngh…!”

  Gaudartha crossed his arms in front of his body, accepting that he couldn’t land a hit. He put all his efforts into defense. Turtling seemed like the coward’s way out, but Gaudartha hadn’t lost an ounce of his fighting spirit. He was set on taking this strategy to victory.

  No wonder he’s Rigdith’s personal bodyguard! He already figured out our weakness!

  Hm!

  Awakened Flashing Thunderclap drained Fran’s health and mana with every use. The move was risky, and while not as dangerous as Unleash Potential, its power didn’t come without cost. Flashing Thunderclap wreaked havoc on its user’s body—mere movement took away health. All of the Ten Ancestors’ special powers worked on the same principle. The raw power of the Godbeast was far too strong for mortals. Limits had to be instituted to prevent its users from self-destructing.

  Gaudartha was an elite guard and a descendant of the Ten Tribes. He knew that, as powerful as they were, their skills were just as dangerous to their users. He carried his battle of attrition to its logical conclusion. He would defend himself until Fran was drained of every bit of energy.

  And he was right. Fran was tiring. It was nothing short of a miracle that her tiny body had lasted this long. A normal beastman would’ve exhausted themselves by now, yet Fran showed no signs of stopping.

  I could feel Gaudartha’s bewilderment. Fran shouldn’t be able to use Flashing Thunderclap for long periods of time, especially considering how fast she was and the number of attacks she was landing. By all accounts, she should’ve self-destructed.

  But Fran was no ordinary beastman. She had me as a spare mana tank, and I kept her health up by constantly healing her. It was the only way she could prolong the effects of the skill.

  “How are you still—argh!”

  That said, we were still pressed for time. Fran’s life was dropping faster and faster the longer this went on. Eventually, the upkeep would be impossible for me to heal through. Gaudartha only had a sliver of health left. Just one final push should do it. But Fran’s health was reaching critical levels too, and I had to heal her every few seconds just to keep her from expiring. She knew that as well as I did.

  I’ll end it now, Teacher!

  Go for it!

  Fran could stop using her skill and finish Gaudartha off with her regular attacks. That would be the most prudent way to secure victory. But Fran kept Flashing Thunderclap on. She was going to win as a Black Sky Tiger and prove the strength of the Black Cat tribe to the world.

  I’ll finish him off using the big one.

  The big one? I’m not sure if that’s safe considering the amount of space we have…

  We’ll be fine!

  Are you sure about this?

  Hm!

  Well, no use talking her out of it. Then I’ll focus on defense.

  Thanks.

  Jet, get one more hit in and hide.

  Woof!

  Jet obeyed, harassing Gaudartha one more time before retreating to the shadows. I saw him run all the way to the stands. That should do it. It was the only way to be safe from Fran’s attack. Once she made sure Jet was at a safe distance, Fran declared her final move.

  “Black Thunderfall!”

  The black lightning around Fran’s body glowed brighter. It gathered together and, with the rumbling of a drum, formed a bolt which launched itself at Gaudartha. The black lightning went wild inside the barrier and soon culminated in a grand explosion.

  Kabooom!

  I used what little mana I had left to protect Fran with Absolute Barrier, but the explosion proved far too powerful. It threw Fran like a leaf. She smacked right into the barrier.

  “Gah…!”

  Bits of rubble flew with the speed of bullets. Fran would’ve been gravely injured if it weren’t for her barrier. The air around us became hot enough to scald.

  Good thing we have Barrier on, but this is ridiculous!

  “Hm!”

  The innumerable bolts of lightning crawled along the arena like serpents looking for prey, but they had no effect on Fran, thanks to her Thunder Immunity. The barrier I cast around my blade prevented me from melting.

  Was that…too much?

  I didn’t know about that. Fact was, we were up against Gaudartha, who was a monster… If anything, that might not have been enough. We waited for the hurricane to subside, keeping our eyes open for any sudden movement.

  When the spectators could see again, they gasped with awe at the giant crater where Gaudartha had been standing. Fran’s Black Lightning was seven times worse than the rhino’s Ground Shaker.

  In the midst of the chaos, Gaudartha was on his knees, unmoving. The ground beneath him was red as molten glass, galvanized by the heat of Fran’s lightning. His Phoenix Armor was in pieces, having taken so much damage that it couldn’t repair itself. What little flesh we could see under the armor was an ashen gray, and I wouldn’t be surprised if nothing was left of the man but his armor.

  “Did we win?”

  Don’t say that yet, you’ll jinx it!

  “Hm?”

  Despite my superstitious protest, a pillar of white light shone on the arena. It encased Gaudartha in red light. About a minute or so later, the rhino was standing there, fully restored.

  Wait, did we just—

  “The Cradle of Time has activated! Gaudartha has died and come back to life! Which means the winner of this round is the Swordceress Fran!”

  Chapter 5:

  Her Greatest Wish

  SEVERAL DAYS before the tournament—before Fran’s match with Zehmet, before our run-in with the Beast King at the Blue Cat encampment—we’d been training in the dungeon.

  Let’s get some rest, Fran.

  “Just a little more.”

  I can tell that your concentration is dropping.

  The endless fighting was beginning to take its toll. Mental exhaustion not only cost her fights, but also meant that she missed obvious traps. She was racking up damage from careless mistakes, but Fran only bit her lip and resolved to try harder.

  “Just a bit more…”

  Well, if you say so.

  I sighed. I wanted her to be in top condition for the qualifiers, but Fran had other plans. Before she locked into combat with the Beast King, she wanted to evolve. It was the only way we’d have a chance against him, and Fran was beginning to panic. She showed no signs of evolving any time soon. I would have to use my trump card.

  You wanna go see Lumina?

  “What for?”
>
  We can ask her why there’s so few monsters in the dungeon today.

  “Sure.”

  Fran nodded. My plan worked. I didn’t want to bother the Black Cat Dungeon Master, but Fran needed a break before she killed herself. We trekked through the dungeon and found Lumina sitting in the center of the room, looking spaced-out.

  Huh?!

  “Ah…!”

  Lumina’s aura alarmed us. Her body was changing. Her white skin, which made her look so much like Fran, was darkening. A change in mere outward appearance was usually no cause for concern, but the degree of malice she exuded was distressing. We had only seen this kind of malice in Fiends. While she had yet to surpass the Archfiend Linford of Bulbola, she exhibited levels far beyond an average Goblin King.

  “Lumina…?” Fran called out weakly.

  She finally took notice of us. “Fran…”

  Or perhaps not. Lumina was acting strange, which I suspected was the cause of the strangeness in the dungeon today. Fiends hated all the other races. Slaughter and destruction were their sole purpose. What if Lumina was infected with the same corruption? We wouldn’t be able to defeat her easily.

  Lumina turned to look at Fran. She looked relieved to see the young Black Cat, but only for a second. Her expression soon hardened again.

  “Hm. It’s me.”

  “I see.” An unusually cold response. She would always welcome Fran with warmth and congeniality, but the malice was taking its toll.

  “There are no monsters in the dungeon.”

  “I see,” Lumina responded coldly. She wasn’t at all pleased to see Fran.

  “Umm…”

  “Fran. Leave.”

  “What?”

  “I am occupied with many things. I have no time to pamper you. Leave. I do not wish to see you…”

  Lumina grabbed Fran’s shoulder and pushed her towards the exit. What was with her today? There had to be some reason. It didn’t make sense.

  “But…!”

  “You are not to come here ever again. That is final.”

  Her words left Fran utterly shocked. She was confused by Lumina’s sudden change. I checked her statements with Essence of Falsehood and found that they were true. That said, I didn’t know whether her apparent cruelty was really what she wanted. Essence of Falsehood only allowed me to test the validity of a statement, and not the hidden meaning. Our encounter with Solus proved that.

  If we left the dungeon now, we would probably never see Lumina again. Fran would be too afraid. We needed to know the truth. And we needed to do it before she turned into a Fiend, or it would be too late.

  “Lumina…” Fran croaked.

  She was terrified, but it was not the same fear that she had of the Beast King. She was afraid of losing a dear friend. Worse, she was afraid that Lumina hated her. A storm of emotions whirled through Fran’s heart. In all her solitary life, she had finally met one of her kind. She got along with her, even respected her. Even if Lumina turned into a Fiend, Fran would still love her.

  The pain of Lumina’s rejection was too much. Fran had already lost Inina. If Lumina hated her, then she would not recover. At the same time, she couldn’t ask for the truth.

  I had to take matters into my own hands. Should I reveal myself? Fran and Lumina’s relationship was infinitely more important than keeping my identity concealed. I made up my mind.

  Why are you turning Fran away?

  “Who…was that…?” Lumina turned around, trying to identify the source of my voice.

  Over here!

  I pulled myself out of Fran’s sheath, declaring my existence.

  “The sword has a will of its own…! And it’s talking… Are you an Intelligent Weapon?”

  Yeah.

  “By the gods… To think that your kind actually exists.”

  “Are you sure about this, Teacher?”

  Absolutely not! But it’s too late for that now!

  It was the first time I’d revealed myself to anyone. I was already regretting my decision. Still, I wasn’t going to let Lumina send Fran off without an explanation. I knew that it pained Fran to keep my identity hidden from Lumina. She didn’t want to have any secrets between them, and I felt her relief now.

  My name is Teacher.

  “Teacher? That’s supposed to be your name?”

  That’s right. It’s the best name Fran ever thought up and she gave it to me. I am Teacher the Intelligent Weapon, Fran’s partner!

  Lumina smiled at my declaration, tears welling up in her eyes. “Her partner. I see… So you’re not alone, after all. Thank goodness.”

  “Hm?”

  “Nothing. Pay no mind.”

  But I’d heard that “thank goodness” loud and clear. Lumina was worried for Fran. Was turning her away all an act?

  “Are you a Godsword, by chance?” Lumina wasted no time in changing the subject. Since it was clear that she didn’t really hate Fran, I obliged.

  I don’t think so. I’m just a sword with strange powers. Sorry about that.

  “Strange powers? Like what?!”

  Where did I start? My whole existence was strange.

  What do you think, Fran? I can shrug it off by saying that I’m a talking, floating sword if you want.

  Do you…mind me telling her everything?

  It figured. Fran didn’t want to hide any of it. Dias had already figured out that I was an Intelligent Weapon, so it was a little too late for privacy now. Still, Fran wanted to explain me to Lumina, and I was more than happy to let her.

  All right, if you say so.

  Thanks.

  Fran told her everything. That I absorbed crystals, that I used to be a human, and that for some reason I woke up in the Demon Wolf’s Garden. Lumina listened to her like a grandmother listening to her grandchild talk about their day. The cold act had dropped, the malice from before completely gone. She was the Black Cat Lumina again, who loved Fran dearly.

  I had a vested interest in this conversation. The five-hundred-year-old Dungeon Master might know where I came from. But Lumina’s first interjection came only on hearing about my ability to absorb crystals.

  “You can gain skills from crystals? I didn’t know such a possibility existed! Can you absorb anything? Even Unique and Extra skills?”

  I haven’t found a skill I couldn’t extract from a crystal so far.

  “The power to obtain any skill…”

  No, no. Just from crystals. Let’s be clear here.

  Even so, a cog was turning in Lumina’s mind. “I see… I see! Ha ha ha ha!”

  “What?”

  “No, it’s nothing but…I see now!” Lumina burst into laughter. In any case, she looked like she was in a more cooperative mood now.

  My turn to ask. Why did you ask Fran to go away?

  “Let’s just say I have my reasons.”

  Which are?

  “That, I cannot say. But believe me when I say it is for Fran’s own good.”

  Perhaps it was connected to Fran’s Evolution? You sounded like you didn’t want to see her. Why?

  “Because I didn’t want to hurt her.”

  What?

  “But in doing so, I suppose I already have hurt her…Fran?”

  “Hm?”

  “I’m sorry!” Lumina bowed her head in apology. We couldn’t make heads or tails of what was going on. “My foolish designs have caused you great pain. I am sorry. It seems I got ahead of myself.”

  “That’s okay. So you don’t hate me, Lumina?”

  “Banish the thought! I would never hate you!”

  “That’s good.”

  But it didn’t explain why Lumina wanted to avoid Fran in the first place, or why learning of my existence had changed her mind.

  I guess you’re not in the position to answer my questions?

  “And for that, I apologize. I do wish to tell you everything…”

  No, that’s all right.

  “In any case, it seems you really can communicate with me. Your abiliti
es are very powerful, indeed. I would believe you if you said you were a Godsword.”

  I’m flattered, but I have it on good authority that I’m too weak.

  I told Lumina about Garrus’ assessment, but she came up with an entirely different conclusion. “A Godsword isn’t defined by its prowess in battle.”

  Wait, really?

  “Indeed. Wait here. I’ll be back shortly.” Lumina disappeared into the back room and returned with an aged brown scroll. “Have a look at this.”

  What is it?

  “A list of Godswords I obtained a long time ago. It’s incomplete, however.”

  Wow, really?!

  “So these are the names of the Godswords?”

  Now this was interesting. I looked at the scroll to find a list of names.

  The First Godsword Alpha - Ulmer

  Mad Sword Berserk - Dionis

  X - Wisdom Sword Cherubim - Elmera

  War Carriage Sword Chariot - Folcan

  Searching Godsword Explorer - Elmera

  X - Mad Faith Sword Fanatic - Dionis

  Land Sword Gaia - Ulmer

  X - Spirit Sword Holy Order - Ulmer

  Gaolgate Sword Hel - Folcan

  Flame Sword Ignis - Ulmer

  X - Sentencing Sword Judgment - Ulmer

  Serpent Lord Sword Jormugandr - Fargo

  Water Sprite Sword Crystalos - Ulmer

  Cruel Dragon Sword Lindworm - Fargo

  X - Nuclear Sword Meltdown - Folcan

  Lunar Sword Moonlight - Cruselca

  Grimoire Sword Necronomicon - Elmera

  Communion Sword Oratorio - Cruselca

  Hypocrite Sword Pacifist - Dionis

  Feathered Serpent Sword Quetzal—

  The left column listed the names of the swords. Ignis, our old acquaintance, was among them. There were Xs next to some of the names though, and the list was cut off mid-sentence. To the right were some human-sounding names, probably the ones who crafted the blades.