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I have to lend this project to more people, they aught to not like the way I might talk about them

1

Heavy.

My arms fell limp, strength was gone from them, I couldn’t even lift a finger, I was paralyzed. A thick pure black blade slammed into the ground, twigs shattered and ground compressed bellow it, it was a magic sword.

Most of the time, someone would have magic that increased the power of their weapons. It was something of a tradition, mastery over the blade was often something someone couldn’t fully achieve in their life-time, often the most promising student would inherit their master’s magic. My brain churned to find an answer, what makes a magic weapon?

“Something wrong Mr. Hero?, I’ll cut your arms off, maybe kicks are more your style.” Kensei lowered his stance, keeping track of his movements took all of my concentration.

He only had one arm, *that should make it easier right?*

I knew better than that, I had to take this seriously. Concentrate, concentrate…

Kensei’s hand jumped to the handle of his blade, still in it’s sheathe, then immediately slid off, not grabbing it and instead lunging towards me. I had to block, his hand was flat and he swung it like a blade at my neck, it was too fast, too fast-

Clang-

“Hah, that sword, I can see why you’re the Hero.” Kensei said as he slowly backed off, his hand still out in front of him ready to intercept any attack that might come his way. It took me a moment to realize what had happened. I had not blocked the blade, instead, the magic blade had leapt from the ground to take the hit.

Without turning my head I looked down at the sword, a steaming mark was left where his hand crushed the blade, indeed, crushed. Gold liquid poured out of the black blade’s wound, it started to solidify over it and made a jagged plate of gold scales in it’s place. Magic held the life of one person, meaning that this sword did too, I knew who it was.

2

There was once a blacksmith named Gavel, he is the most famous weapon forger in history, they say every strike of his hammer was like lightning, and he would only make blades in the heat of a volcano, but that wasn’t true…

“Elias, never take that armor off, no matter how inconvenient, you may never see your own face, you may never be able to feel the warmth of another, you may never be hurt.”

Gavel was a human, with no magic, he was only dedicated to his craft, and craft he did. They say he forged suits of armor for 10,000 soldiers one weak before they went to war, that he could beat a stone into the sharpest sword, that wasn’t right either…

“I am indebted to your family, so perhaps things could have turned out differently, maybe it isn’t my right to protect you, still, He is going to be after you, best for you to lie low, you are Elias, remember that”

He professed that he only ever beat things into the right shape, the metal did the rest of the work for him, the only power he said he had was to find the right metals. Yet legends spread about him, painting him in the place right next to the seats of every major society in the world. In truth he had only made 101 suits of armor and 100 weapons, they were all custom and all of them were gifts, he lived a nomadic life, refusing payment and traveling the world.

“If your metal should ever break, I wont scold you for not having your armor on, if that ever happens I worry for the world’s safety, remember that this isn’t your fight, that’s why I never gave you a weapon, the Dreg King is not someone you should pick a fight with, I’ll hammer that into you.”

His fame was spread by those who received his gifts, it was the only compensation he asked for. Anyone that met him would know that he cared not for fame, yet he still asked for his name to be spread as far as possible, his gifts saved the lives of those who used them many times over, they were more than happy to oblige.

“Now, come round, I cooked some stew, make sure to eat every day of your life, even if you forget everything else”

He used to pat my head.

3

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Kensei spoke.

“Hah, Gavel you bastard, I won’t be listening to a word you say, but to see you again like this, I guess this is the only way you could have forged the God slaying blade, selfish of you to die before me, hah!” He yanked his sword from the sheath, thrusting it weakly at my neck.

The blade rose to block it again, the black crystal of it’s body shattering and reforming into more golden scales. “Gavel, can you even hear me? nevermind, you were always this stubborn, listen Hero boy…”

Suddenly he was talking to me, he seemed to be trying to pick a fight with the magic itself, does he understand that I am the one that made it? The way he puts it, it was a sword Gavel made.

He died making this sword, *what changed his mind so late in life?* That was a question for later, for now, it seemed my opponent would start to take this seriously. Let yourself fall into a battle focus...

Kensei sheathed his sword and began walking towards me, at the same time, my sword, Crownsplitter, rose slowly to my hands, bolts of black lightning jumped off of it, crawling first along the ground, then in the palms of my hand. I channeled magic into my arms and hands, specifically that of Herse, strength returned to my limbs, but I localized it, every ounce of strength into my hands and fingers, I was able to lift Crownsplitter.

Finally I could match Kensei, it was now a dual.

Kensei’s armor was strange, I could only assume it was custom made from Gavel, that meant it was tough, and most likely had a special ability. Particularly his boots had wheels in the bottom, I had no idea what purpose those had in battle, but every step he took he slid forward, he was quicker than he appeared.

Soon he got within range of my blade, I needed to steel myself, Gavel’s crown blade broke under Kensei’s fist, I wouldn’t make it out of this unscathed if I got hit.

“Hey kid, what’s your name” Kensei made no motion to attack, he only circled around me sliding around on those wheels. I made sure to keep track of him with my body, shifting to face him.

“Elias, no last name.” He stopped moving and faced me, I could feel his eyes through our helmets, he knelt down, not in respect. It was a battle stance.

“So it is…” He placed his hand on the ground, both of his legs spread behind him, it was a strange pose, almost like a frog getting ready to jump. This was as good a time as any to start…

I took one large step forward, slamming my foot into the ground I pulled Crownsplitter back to my right side, I would be going for a wide sweeping strike. Sensing my hostilities, Kensei yanked at the ground, propelling him towards me without moving his legs, letting those strange wheels carry him, he crouched and pulled his arm close to his chest, making his body as small as possible.

My arms were strong, I could use this sword, so I swung, starting with both hands I turned the bladed edge towards Kensei and twisted my body, bringing the sword sailing through the air, making a whistling sound as it flew, at the end of the swing I only gripped it in my left hand.

I missed, so I let go and attempted to use my right hand to defend myself, I saw Kensei leap from below to above me.

His legs were above him in the air, and his hand was below him, right in front of my face. Before I could react, his hand found purchase grabbing the bottom of my helmet, and he twisted his body right around. The momentum of his jump, around the axle of my head, caused him to land on his feet behind me, the whole of it left me to be dragged to the ground, being slammed on my back and nocking the wind out of me.

I forced magic into my lungs, I gasped and sputtered but they pulled air back in and I could move again, I could feel the blood being forced out of them as well, apparently something had ruptured. Crownsplitter flew in front of my face, blocking an elbow drop from Kensei and sending him stumbling. I used the opportunity the best I could, I raised my legs and dropped them down with enough force to jump me to my feet, I lowered my body back down and faced him, thrusting my head into him. That seemed to catch him off guard…

I could hear the snap and crunch, the horn on the top of my helm finding a gap in his armor piercing into his stomach, but before I could pull away his leg came soaring into my chest. On instinct I puffed out my chest to deflect it, and that it did, his foot hit the ground again, disturbing his balance again.

“Woah there kid-” Kensei gritted out the words, I didn’t let him finish though, while my horn was still lodged in his stomach I arched my neck and back, throwing him reeling up into the air. Between my legs, Crownsplitter flew back into my hands, raising it high above my head I followed the arc Kensei had flew in, I poured more and more strength into my hands and eventually my swing caught up with his body, colliding with it, an attack in the air could not not be dodged.

At least that was the idea.

As Kensei flew through the air he twisted his body and threw his arm at the flat side of the Crownsplitter, sinking his fingers into the crystal of it’s body and getting a grip on it. From there he used it as leverage to twist his body even further, twirling his leg into the tip of the sword, breaking the blade in half. Dodging the attack…

Without the blade he could land, and he did so by catching his whole body with his hand, before letting his feet touch the ground again. He stood back and drew his sword with force, he kicked the ground lightly and his wheels slowly carried him away from me. His breathing was unsteady and his stomach was bleeding, was he on his last rope? No-

He just now drew his sword, I only hit him once, and only with a surprise attack. It was a safe bet to say that he was just testing me, if so, I hope I passed.

“Kid… do you know who’s after you? he’s not one to be messed with.” All of the sudden he began speaking, but I knew what he was talking about now. The Dreg King, a few people have mentioned it to me, and all of them seemed deathly afraid of it, why was I the target of someone so frightful?

“Is it because of the prophecy?” I asked, I said this man was my teacher, gathering information was just as important as learning how to fight. For now he made distance between us, as my sword had already regenerated in gold.

“Pff, prophecy?, what an idiot, it’s in your blood, your cursed kid, heh.” He cracked himself up over everything he said, how was he that easygoing while bleeding?

“And why are you hunting me? Are you aligned with him?” I decided to prod further, and I did so while beginning to approach him, closing the distance even as he backed away.

“Ahahaha! Me? with that thing? Not in a million years, but as it stands you’ll get vaporized if you ever meet him.” He cackled as he backed up to a tree. “You could call it toughening you up, but if you happened to die during our fight I wouldn’t be too broken up about it, kahaha!” He jumped off the tree, shifting his legs back and forth, moving on the wheels and picking up speed, he spun around and jumped on his way as he closed in faster than ever before.

He kept spinning and twisting, holding his blade close before, in one motion, he spun into range and arced his blade with extreme speed. It was fast, so fast that halfway through the swing it turned into a blur, and it struck true.

I could feel the cold steel of the blade on my neck, but that’s where it stopped, dead in it’s tracks all of the momentum behind it disappeared.

“tch- Jupiter, that magic of yours is really annoying” Kensei lifted his blade from my neck and turned around, not bothering with me. I couldn’t move, it wasn’t just the shock of an attack of that speed, but I had abused my body with magic. The moment I hesitated, it all came crashing down on me, my lungs burned and my arms were completely numb and unresponsive.

Though I could still see, and in between the rows of trees, a towering knight, with armor as black as charcoal, emerged. The ground shook ever so slightly, his footfall was not light, especially now.

“Long time no see Kensei, I hope you know you can’t win now that I am here.” I had never heard him talk with such gravity, clearly they were well acquainted.

“Jupiter, when will you take the training wheels off?”

Kensei began approaching him.

“What? want to test your luck? I don’t even need to use my weapon on you.”

Jupiter perched his sword in the ground, and spread his arms.

“Go ahead use that blade you have such faith in.”

“Happily.”