The Art Of Sword

Sunz: Where am I? I know that I’m not sleeping! Why is everything feel so real but I don’t feel any pain at the same time? (showing the wound on his arm.)

Sword: Interesting isn’t it! I’ll be honest this is also the first time I experience something like this. But one thing I do know is where we are right now.

Sword grabs Sunz’s hand and walks him under a nearby tree to shelter from the storm. When they reach the tree Sword explains the situation “We are in someone’s memory. To be exact it’s the memory of that blacksmith girl.”

Sunz: What? How can it be her and why her especially?

Sword: I am as clueless as you are man. Even though I said that this is her memory. It’s also my first time seeing this, but it feels like I have seen it before. For now, let’s just wait for the event. I know it coming.

Sunz (Event?) he wonders. So they wait for a bit, until everything starts to play out how it should be without Sunz and Sword interference. As the event starts to play out in front of their eyes. The wound on Sunz’s hand has also been healed. Sunz (It’s going to happen again.)

A woman in purple clothes appears in front of the four graves then she kneels down before them and starts mourning, reciting all of the words that Sunz heard from before.

(Why didn’t you go with them!),(It’s all your fault!),(You don’t deserve to live anymore!), (That’s right! It’s all my fault! The five of us grow up together, but now with four of you gone. It’s best for all of us to be reunited!)

The purple clothes she was wearing from before now are soaked in rainwater and covered in mud. While mourning she starts to slowly pull out a small knife from her tool belt.

At first, she was hesitant, holding the knife in her hand then with a swift movement blood start to flow down her arm, dripping onto the muddy ground.

While Sunz and Sword observing the event, right after the blood starts to drip both of them start to experience their own event.

For Sunz the cut appears on his hand once again but this time. He can feel every second of that pain, and the amount of blood loss makes him feel like he could faint at any time.

But for Sword, it was something different. He starts to recover part of his memories. A flash of many events starts to appear in front of his eyes. He remember who he was, a lone swordsman with one objective. Travel to every sword clan, kill all of the masters but leave the students alive.

Sword said, “So I was the one that started all of this.” As he saw himself commit suicide by pulverizing his body to dust leaving nothing behind, not even his sword. And what he sees next is the younger version of the blacksmith girl reading books. He doesn’t know why he is there but he only has one objective and it is to observe.

The two return to their sense but what they had experienced will be on their mind for a while. For Sunz it is the feeling of nearly dying. For Sword it is the memories of his past.

The blacksmith girl has no reaction to her cut and she just whispers to herself (Why can’t I die!) and fall to the ground on her back while looking at the dark sky. She just stays like that not moving at all until someone walks toward her while holding an umbrella.

That person then asks “Why are you out here covered in mud and blood? Young lady!”. The girl takes a closer look at that person and realizes that, it was the same merchant that visited her family store years ago.

Still holding the knife in her hand. She tried to attack the Merchant but was unsuccessful when he just need to take a step back to dodge her attack. The girl stands up, still clutching onto the knife, and screams at the merchant “IT WAS YOU! IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT THAT THEY ALL DIE! IF YOU HAVEN’T GIVEN THEM THOSE BOOKS! THEY WOULD STILL BE HERE!”

Merchant: Then I would like to know. Why didn’t you come with them? Why did all of you spit up and go your own path, when you all could have seen each other wins!

The girl is now silent after hearing what the Merchant and realizes their mistake. Tears continue to flow once again as the Merchant continues to speak.

Merchant: I had been keeping an eye on all of you, since I gave out the books to you five. It’s also broken my heart when I had to witness each of their death.

The girl was shocked to know that he was there, witnessing their death: Then why! WHY DIDN’T YOU SAVE THEM!

Merchant: The merchants aren’t allowed to interfere with events, that include the person's death. Their wounds are something I don’t want to touch but I’ll reattach their limb and put them in a coffin to have a good burial.

The girl: So you were the one that bring them back. For that, I appreciate your work. Now, please accept my one request.

KILL ME AND BURIED ME NEXT TO THEM.

Merchant: I will not accept that request because it means I’m interfering with an event.

The girl: I know that you’ll say that. But! Why can’t I die? Is this your work too, why are you still trapping me in this meaningless life?

Merchant: That is not me who is keeping you alive. It’s your hatred for revenge, to kill those that killed your family (The 4 boys).

The girl: That is not true! It was all my fault, if I had gone with them I could have “Kill the master for them!”

The girl pause for a moment and ask Merchant: Did I just say that?

Merchant: Your emotion is slowly leaking out. Now you have seen me again you must be thinking that I can help you revenge, right?

The girl's heart started to beating fast and she said to herself (Haha he is right. What I want now is revenge! It’s better to accomplish something before I die than just dying for no reason.)

The girl now with a new expression on her face and a confident voice asks Merchant: So what can you do to help me?

Merchant: Finally your true self has returned. There are 2 things I want to give you for your quest.

Merchant steps closer to the girl, pull out a blank piece of paper and stick it onto her clean arm. The paper then dissolves into her arm then he explains what the paper does “The name of your target will slowly show up on your skin the closer you are to them. Your brain will also know their exact location.”

The second thing he gives to her is a piece of metal. He first put it under her wound to let it absorb a drop of blood. Then put the metal into her hand. The metal's sudden reaction when touching the girl's hand was. It turns into a sword that fits inside her hand with no disadvantage in the weight.

The girl: Why are you giving me a sword when I can just forge one myself?

Merchant: Looks like you still don’t know something special about yourself, but that is for you to figure out on this quest.

The girl looks at all of the gifts Merchant gave her and said: I guess this is the moment we said our goodbye.

Merchant: It is! I only hope the best for you on this adventure.

The girl: Thank you for everything you have done for us. Even though the worst scenario did happen. At least you gave us some hope.

As the rain stops both turn their back against each other and walk away. The girl turn her back to see Merchant one last time, but he was gone leaving no trace behind. That was what she thought, then she feel a sharp pain in her hand. When she takes a look at it, the hand had fully healed.

The girl: I’m sorry for the tragedy that happened to the four of you. To make sure you guys rest in peace I’ll finish what you all set out to do.

As the girl walking away from the graves the whole place start to phasing out Sunz and Sword just looks at each other until one of them speaks up.

Sword: I’ll do more research on this and we might meet again after your second round. And make sure that you have to win it, not only the next round but this whole tournament!

Sunz: I will! That is my objective after all!

Sword: Then may we meet again!

The whole world turns into a flash of bright light bringing Sunz back to reality. When he wakes up he sees that he is sitting in the corner of the room with Yama, Jun, and Sogae keeping check on him.