The battle raged on, the ground beneath their feet slick with the blood of fallen warriors. The scent of magic hung heavy in the air, a potent mixture of power and destruction. The sword lay dormant in its master’s grip, anger and wrath boiling within its own heart.

How dare they…? How dare they seal me? How dare they backstab my master?!

All it wanted to was break this seal and remove these masked bastards’ heads from their bodies. But it could not. The seal was too strong.

Its master, Zero, fought with deadly precision, wielding magic with a skill unmatched by any of the warriors surrounding him. But even with his formidable powers, he was outnumbered and outmatched by the group of warriors who had turned on him.

Red could sense its master's desperation and anger. It could feel the sweat and blood that coated his hand as he fought to keep the warriors at bay. The warriors were skilled swordsmen, and they fought with a ferocity that matched that of Zero's. The clash of steel on steel echoed through the void, a never-ending symphony of death.

Red ached to help its master, to be unleashed and strike down their foes, but it was powerless to do so. It could only watch as the warriors closed in, their swords flashing in the dim light of the void.

For the first time in its existence, Red felt a flicker of… fear. Is this the end? Is this how it ends? I’m sorry, Zero. I’m so sorry… If only I was stronger.

Just as all seemed lost, a crack suddenly appeared in the fabric of the void. It grew larger and larger, until it was a gaping maw that consumed everything in its path. Red and Zero were sucked into the crack, the masked warriors resisting the suction with all their might. But they were not strong enough and were dragged into the abyss, too.

Zero and Red hurtled through the eternal void, their fate seemingly sealed as they fell deeper and deeper into the abyss. The shadows seemed to writhe and twist around them, as if they were alive and intent on devouring them whole. Red could feel the cold embrace of death closing in as its master's grip on its hilt grew increasingly weaker.

Even as the darkness threatened to consume them both, Red refused to give up. It couldn’t give up. Not now. Not after they’d come so far.

As they fell, Red's keen senses searched the abyss for a glimmer of hope, a path to salvation. It saw nothing but the eternal blackness, and for a moment, it feared that they were truly lost. But then, amidst the void, a ray of light caught its attention. It was faint, but it was there, and it gave Red the strength to continue.

With all its force, Red pulled its master towards the light, determined to save them both. Zero, barely conscious, clung to the hilt as Red guided them towards the light. The shadows recoiled as they drew closer to the light, as if they too could sense the hope and salvation that lay within.

We’re almost there! Red screamed to itself. With one final burst of energy, Red and Zero emerged from the darkness and into the endless light. The light was blinding, a kaleidoscope of colors that seemed to dance and swirl around them.

I’ve… done… it, Red thought to itself, its thoughts vague and blurry. As it basked in the warmth of the light, it could feel the toll that the void had taken on its consciousness. It was as if it had been through a crucible and had emerged on the other side changed and scarred.

Its thoughts were hazy, and its memories felt fragmented, as if they were pieces of a puzzle that it could not quite put together. It could feel the darkness still lingering at the edges of its mind, slowly feasting on Red from the inside out.

Live well… Ze… ro.

***

“What… happened?” Zero blinked his bleary eyes twice.

As he attempted to stir, the pain in his body erupted like a volcano. Every inch of him cried out in agony as he tried to readjust his position on the ground. The black soot, a reminder of the infernal void he had just escaped, coated him entirely, making him look like a creature risen from the ashes. He let out a guttural groan as he moved, the sound filled with the pain and suffering his body was enduring. His body was not just begging, it was demanding for him to succumb to the sweet release of unconsciousness and continue to rest.

However, he couldn’t.

His heart beat a dirge of sorrow, each thud heavy and slow, as his gaze was fixed upon something just beyond his reach: a shattered blade lying discarded several feet away. As he stared at the broken weapon, a tear, born of pain and despair, streaked down his dirt-covered face, cascading down to merge with the desolate landscape. The blade, once a source of love and protection, now lay in ruins, a haunting reminder of loss and defeat.

Zero shakily pushed against the uneven ground. He tried to rise, tried to stand so he could cross the distance to the sword, but he fell back to his side. That didn’t stop him. Determined, he crawled forward on his hands and knees, crossing the distance. He ignored the charred earth and black sludge dripping from his form. Recovering the fractured sword was the only thing on his mind.

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After what felt like eternity, his trembling hands wrapped around the hilt. He stared in disbelief, his eyes scanning the blade intently. No matter how much he searched, no matter how desperately he wished it was not true, the bl-ade was lifeless, empty, and hollow. Looking down, he noticed countless veins of cracks spread across the blade.

“Red, how can this be?” he whispered, knowing the familiar voice would never again respond. The abyss traces slowly consuming him meant nothing, not when the soul of his oldest friend was nowhere to be found. Hanging his head, he let the tears flow freely, dripping onto the now-lifeless blade.

Turning around, Zero could only frown. Red had guided him out of the abyss and into one of the countless native realms. With Red in hand, Zero crawled out of the crater and observed his surroundings. No matter how far he walked, the verdant forest around him did not seem to thin.

Without warning, a searing pain lanced through his skull, as if a white-hot blade had been thrust deep into his brain. Zero let out a roar of agony, his hands flying to his head in a futile attempt to quell the pain. It was as if his very thoughts were being ripped apart, torn to shreds by an unseen force.

As the pain eventually began to recede, he found himself curled up on the ground, his body wracked with tremors. But as he tried to get up, he found that his body was unresponsive, refusing to move despite his commands. He let out a low growl of frustration, feeling the weight of defeat pressing down upon him.

This Realm was the last of his concerns—the abyss traces were currently eating away at his memories. Right now, he had to make sense of his situation.

With great difficulty, his voice barely more than a whisper, Zero forced out the question he wanted to ask. “System, what happened?”

Analyzing…

Before he looked at the plethora of notifications that appeared before him, he closed his eyes. Despite his body struggling against every miniscule movement he made, Zero brought the soulless blade slightly closer to his chest.

“Holy Origin… please take care of him,” he muttered a prayer, far too short and inglorious for a companion like Red. Moments passed before he opened his eyes again, his prayer completed.

Blinking away the tears forming in his eyes, he focused. Red wouldn’t want him to die here. His first priority was surviving so he could fulfill his duty, the duty the rest of the Interdimensional Committee shamelessly abandoned, the duty that took his friend from him.

Status Report

The [Abyss Traces], part of [REDACTED]’s domain, have consumed the majority of your power.

Current Level:

68

Zero clenched his teeth as he read the notification. He didn’t know this native world’s average level. If it was over fifty, Zero was deeply fucked.

With a ragged gasp, Zero dragged himself to his feet. The ground beneath him swayed, and for a moment, he feared he would collapse again. But he clenched his jaw and gritted his teeth, fighting against the weakness that threatened to consume him. The pain was still there, a dull throbbing in his head that seemed to echo in every bone, but he pushed it aside, refusing to let it defeat him.

With a determination born of desperation, he took a step forward. His legs shook beneath him. He stumbled but caught himself, refusing to fall.

The pain that had receded moments before came crashing back with renewed vigor, as if a giant wave was hitting him with all its force. Zero's knees buckled beneath him as he was overcome by the intensity of the pain. It was as if his very being was being torn apart, atom by atom, until there was nothing left. He let out a scream, his voice raw and hoarse, as he fought against the pain, fought against the darkness that threatened to swallow him whole.

But the pain was relentless, a never-ending torment that seemed to have no end. He could feel himself slipping away, his mind and body breaking under the strain. The darkness closed in, and he knew that he was losing the battle. With a final gasp, he lost consciousness, falling into the abyss of oblivion.

***

The air above and earth below were thick with the precious energies that breathed life into the weapon’s simple existence. Greedily sucking the power ever closer, the weapon only paused to process and assimilate before continuing again. As it continued, a higher level of cognitive function came over it.

It observed the surroundings, pondering its newfound sapience. It couldn’t understand why it had come to be or how it now experienced its surroundings. It only knew that it had.

And it didn’t know what that would mean.

What am I?

An indiscernible amount of time passed while it continued to process the energies that surrounded it.

I am a weapon, but I am more. It observed the fallen warrior next to it, as pride slowly seeped into it. I am a Warrior’s weapon.

When every last drop of power was processed, an overwhelming restlessness assaulted its senses.

More! it cried, struggling to draw in more of the delicious energies. More!

But no relief came, and it could only wait.

It did not understand. It could absorb the blood, but it couldn’t absorb the energies present in the air. Why? Why?!

But no matter how hard it tried, it could not solve the questions. It struggled, trying desperately to absorb the energies, but its efforts were nothing but futile.

Eventually, it settled down, new thoughts forming abundantly. It pondered about what the species its Warrior that lay on the ground was, instinctively finding an answer after a few minutes of thought. It pondered about what type of weapon it was, and whether it was made specially for its Warrior, for it looked much too valiant to be wielded by anyone but him. It pondered about what lay beyond the trees that towered above it, and continued to do so for quite a bit of time, even though it wasn’t able to get an answer.

Time passed. How much, the blade didn’t know. But it passed.

Right when frustration began to seep into its heart, the Warrior next to it stirred.

***