The Married Life Of Immortals

"No!" Bane roared as the rat casually used its tail to block at his strikes with Kyōka, and Yume like it was nothing. "This isn't fair!"

At Bane's complaining, the rat slashed its tail powerfully forcing Bane to use both his weapons to block. Even then, Bane was blown back off his feet and into the stairs. Before he could get off the ground, the rat that had been fighting him scurried away, all while making a tittering noise that was reminiscent of laughter.

"What the hell is with this thing?!" Bane complained, and Eve's voice perked up.

'They seem to have absorbed a great deal of spiritual energy, but I can also sense one that is even stronger coming closer.'

Bane could only groan and roll his eyes.

"So, you be the scallywag that old bat sent to challenge my boys and me, aye?" A voice asked from the darkness. As it did, another rat walked out into the light. This one was much bigger than the others, almost three feet tall, standing on its back legs.

"You can talk?" Bane asked, not liking this situation very much.

"Aye, talking is what I does, but not what I do best!" The rat laughed and then pulled a toothpick that looked to be made from bone from its mouth. "My name be Borat, and I am the king round this part. If you want me to bow down to you, then you will have to prove you're better than I!"

"Wait," Bane said with a sigh. "I couldn't even touch your... friend? Whatever, the other rat. What is even the point of trying to fight you in my current state?"

Borat gave Bane an appraisal and nodded. "Yup, you be weak, but yer never gonna get stronger if you don't fight! Kyōka and Yume are a good pair, but I am surprised that the old bitty let you take Agarta too!"

Bane could only shrug at this. "Well, she didn't have much choice. The weapons decided to bind themselves to me, and now I have them. She wasn't very impressed."

This made Borat laugh out loud to the point that he even fell over clutching his side. All the while Bane just stared at him, not sure what to make of this entire situation.

'This quest Madam Dory gave you doesn't feel like you are supposed to be able to complete it, does it? I can say for certain that, at your current level, even if you tried your best and gave it your all, even the rat would still beat you,' Eve explained, and Bane nodded internally.

'That is quite possible, and I also don't really feel any hostility coming from this Borat fellow. I know he is a monster, and the first one I have met, but I don't feel scared of him for some reason,' Bane replaced as the rat king sat up.

"You are confused, right? Why send you to your doom when I am so strong?" Borat asked as he wiped a tear from his beady black eye.

Bane could only nod. "Yes. I don't think I have a snowball's chance in hell of beating you, so I am trying to figure out why I am here."

Suddenly, the rat exploded into white smoke, and when the smoke cleared, a black-bladed, thin rapier with a red hand guard appeared in his place. Before Bane could ask any question, Borat's voice came from the weapon. "I am also an astral soul weapon, but I specialize in training people to use them. Normally, that crazy bat would send me someone to whom she lent a weapon, and I would decide if they were worthy of it. Then, if I thought they were, the person in question would return up top, and Dory would fleece them for every magical item and piece of gold they had to their name. Though, I suppose that won't work on you, right?"

Bane frowned at this. "What? You mean the whole point of this was to let me pick a weapon, fall in love with it, and then have that crazy witch ask for all my children and organs as payment?!"

"Pretty much," Borat replied and then returned to his rat form.

"Impressive," Bane murmured, making Borat frown for the first time.

"Impressive? Not really the type of thing I expected you to say... no, it is the last thing I expected!" Borat blinked in surprise, but Bane only shrugged.

"I was a criminal in my past life, and as far as scams go, this is pretty timid. I might even go as far as saying there is nothing wrong with it. The more someone pays for something, especially if they had to earn it, the more likely they are to care for the weapons. If anything, Madam Dory does all this to protect the weapons, even if she is lining her own pockets. Quite respectable in my opinion," Bane explained, and Borat stayed silent for a while.

Finally, after what felt like forever, Borat took the toothpick from his mouth and held it up between himself and Bane with a grin.

Bane took a deep breath, focusing on the task at hand. Borat's grin widened, and the rat king twirled the toothpick between his fingers like a skilled swordsman. "Alright, scallywag, let's see what you've got," Borat challenged, his voice filled with playful menace.

Without hesitation, Bane summoned Kyōka to his right hand, the blade glowing faintly in the dim light of the cellar. He felt a surge of energy from the weapon as if Kyōka itself was eager to test its mettle against the rat king. Bane summoned Yume to his left hand, the blade's edge shimmering with a ghostly light, ready to weave illusions and confound his opponent.

Borat lunged forward with surprising speed, the toothpick flashing towards Bane's face. Bane instinctively parried with Kyōka, feeling the impact resonate through his arm. He countered with a swift slash from Yume, aiming to disorient Borat with an illusion, but the rat king deftly sidestepped, his movements fluid and precise.

"Not bad, not bad," Borat chuckled, his eyes gleaming with excitement. "But you'll have to do better than that!"

Bane gritted his teeth and focused. He needed to push himself harder, to tap into the full potential of his weapons. He hurled one of Agarta's knives towards Borat, watching as it curved mid-air, its trajectory unpredictable. Borat barely managed to deflect it with his toothpick, his eyes widening in surprise.

Taking advantage of the momentary distraction, Bane closed the distance, slashing with Kyōka and Yume in a flurry of attacks. The blades moved with a grace that belied their power, each strikes a blend of lunar energy and illusion. Borat, however, met each attack with a skill that spoke of centuries of experience, his toothpick and tail blocking and parrying with ease.

"Remember," Borat said, his voice calm even amid the fight, "your soul weapons are an extension of your body. They move with your will and respond to your thoughts. Trust in them, and they will guide you."

Bane nodded, his determination steeling. He could feel the connection with his weapons growing stronger, their energies aligning with his own. He summoned another of Agarta's knives, feeling the rogue's playful spirit urging him on. With a swift motion, he threw the knife, and it seemed to dance through the air, weaving around Borat's defenses and nicking his cheek.

"That's more like it!" Borat exclaimed, his grin widening. "Now, let's see if you can handle this!"

With a burst of speed, Borat attacked, his toothpick a blur of motion. Bane barely managed to keep up, parrying and dodging with all his might. The rat king's strikes were relentless, each one pushing Bane to his limits. He could feel the strain on his muscles, the sweat dripping down his face, but he refused to give in.

In a desperate move, Bane summoned both Kyōka and Yume back to his hands, their combined power surging through him. He unleashed a powerful slash with Kyōka, the blade glowing with lunar energy. Borat deflected it, but the force of the blow sent him skidding back.

Bane didn't let up. He followed with a series of rapid strikes from Yume, each one creating illusions that made it difficult for Borat to track his movements. The rat king stumbled, momentarily disoriented, and Bane seized the opportunity. He hurled Agarta's knife once more, aiming for Borat's heart.

But Borat was not so easily defeated. With a swift motion, he caught the knife between his teeth, his eyes gleaming with determination. "Not bad, boy," he said, his voice muffled by the blade. "But you've got a long way to go."

With a powerful kick, Borat sent Bane sprawling to the ground. Bane groaned, feeling the impact reverberate through his body. But he refused to give up. He scrambled to his feet, summoning his weapons once more. He could feel their spirits urging him on, their power coursing through his veins.

"Good," Borat said, his tone approving. "You've got spirit. Now, let's see if you can finish this."

Bane took a deep breath, focusing all his energy on his weapons. He could feel their connection growing stronger, their spirits merging with his own. He summoned Agarta's knives, feeling the rogue's playful energy guiding his aim. He hurled them with precision, watching as they curved through the air, each one aimed at a vital point.

Borat dodged and deflected, but the knives kept coming, their trajectories unpredictable. He stumbled, momentarily overwhelmed, and Bane seized the opportunity. With a powerful slash from Kyōka, he sent the rat king sprawling to the ground.

Breathing heavily, Bane stood over Borat, his weapons still at the ready. "Yield," he said, his voice firm.

Borat laughed, a deep, rumbling sound that echoed through the cellar. “You’re 100 years too early if you think that you can beat me!” Borat cackled.

Before Bane could react, Borat vanished, and a kick was planted into his side at the same time. Bane was rocketed off his feet and into the wall before he knew what had happened. The moment he tried to get up, Borat was there pressing his toothpick into Bane's neck.

"It be your turn to yield, boy!" Borat chuckled, and Bane let his body go limp, and he let out a long sigh as he panted for air.

"I give up, you win," Bane groaned, making Borat laugh again.

"Ye did good, but this is only the beginning! Come see me when you can and we can fight as much as you want! I want to make sure you do good for those kids you got there now!" Borat laughed, and Bane looked down at his new weapons with a grin.

"Sounds good, King Borat. I appreciate the advice and ass-kicking," Bane groaned as he got up and headed back up the stairs rubbing his head. He still wasn’t completely sure what was going on, but hopefully, Madam Dory would have some answers.