Reincarnated as a sword.., p.1
Reincarnated as a Sword Vol. 12, page 1
Table of Contents
Color Inserts
Title Page
Copyrights and Credits
Table of Contents Page
Chapter 1: Fran and the Thieves’ Guild
Chapter 2: Rescuing Garrus
Chapter 3: Blood on the Streets
Chapter 4: Clash of the Titans
Chapter 5: Black Cat Saint
Chapter 6: King Granzell
Epilogue
Extra Chapter: Fran the Ripper
Newsletter
Chapter 1:
Fran and the Thieves’ Guild
SIDE: FREDERICK
“HERE?”
“Arf.”
“This room is empty… You’re sure the young lady was here?”
“Woof!”
Jet, Fran’s familiar, nodded to answer my question. He was an advanced familiar and had no problem understanding my words. We parted from the main group outside of Marquis Aschtner’s mansion and went to save Velmeria.
Jet’s nose was incredibly sharp, and he immediately led us to a mansion in the noble district. It belonged to a minor noble—a gift for allying themselves with Aschtner. There was no barrier, which made it all the more suspicious.
We entered the mansion and sensed no signs of life. There weren’t even any servants around. However, the mansion looked lived-in, so it was definitely in use. Jet and I headed inside. Between his nose and my Scouting Skills, we quickly found the mansion’s hidden paths.
Those paths carried us to a secret chamber where the sun didn’t shine. It was outfitted with suspicious concoctions and contraptions, which looked out-of-place in a noble house like this. Large magic circles were drawn on the ceilings and floors, and the Mad Faith Sword was neatly tucked away in a corner. Marquis Aschtner was conducting strange experiments here, to be sure.
Velmeria was nowhere to be found, but her scent was fresh enough for Jet to pick up on it. We had just missed her.
“Can you find any sign of her?” I asked.
Jet sniffed the air. “Arf!”
“A piece of metal? It is emitting peculiar mana…”
Jet pointed his nose at a shard of metal on a shelf. It appeared to be a broken piece of a sword, but it was still emitting a powerful mana.
“Hang on to this, Jet.”
“Woof.”
Apparently, Jet could hide things away in his shadows. I didn’t know whether that broken sword could take us to Velmeria, but it might be evidence of the marquis’ crimes.
“Anything else?”
“Grrr!”
“What…?!”
Just as we were about to canvas the room further, Jet leapt up and pinned me down. For a moment, I thought he had betrayed me, but his hostility was pointed at someone else. Blood dripped from the wolf’s body.
“What on earth…?!”
“Hee hee hee! Nice job taking the hit, pup!”
Jet growled again, and a chorus of shrill laughter echoed through the room. We were surrounded! And I didn’t even notice our enemies waiting for us! I quickly got up to get a visual on our enemy, but when I did, it left me speechless.
Or rather, she did.
“Velmeria…?”
“What? You know who we are?”
“Huh…? Who are you?!”
Standing before us was exactly the person we were looking for. But, even if she looked like Velmeria, she felt nothing like her. Even just standing there, she exuded a sort of violence—her face twisted into a cruel expression. Even her voice was distorted.
Was this really Velmeria? Or was it a shapeshifter wearing her visage? My intuition said “no.” Like it or not, the one standing before us really was Velmeria. In body, at least.
“Me?” she asked. “Let’s see. Who am I?”
“What?”
“Tell me, who am I?”
“Velmeria, what are you talking about?”
“Grrrr!”
“Ha ha ha! Man, I wish I knew!”
Whatever was inside Velmeria let out a wicked laugh, and the room filled with repulsive mana. The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end.
That was when I knew the strength of our enemy.
That was when I knew that we couldn’t win.
I knew what I had to do.
“Jet, get out of here! I’ll keep it occupied!”
I was entrusted with Jet’s care. I couldn’t let him die here!
“Woof…!”
Fortunately, Jet complied and sunk into the shadows. He wasn’t about to attempt any heroics—fighting an enemy he couldn’t defeat.
The creature chuckled. “Not so fast!”
“Tch!”
I took the brunt of the next hit as the creature attacked the shadows.
“Do you mind?” she said. “I was in the middle of something!”
“You’re not leaving this place.”
“So that’s how it’s going to be. Anyway, what was that just now?” she asked. “It looked like you completely deleted my attack…”
“A fine question.”
“Hee hee! So, you’ve got a trick up your sleeve! I can sense Malice from you. Is that the answer?”
My Drakefiend Halfling abilities allowed me to erase other people’s magic. Technically, I could bend the rules of mana rather than the mana itself. Advanced Fiends sometimes possessed the same power. It was difficult to figure out at first, but my enemy knew what it was immediately.
Nullifying her attack had taken a lot out of me. I probably had two or three charges of it left. I needed to keep the creature talking and buy Jet more time. I could always teleport out of here if need be—provided this thing didn’t kill me in one hit.
Suddenly, the creature’s expression shifted.
“Hey…did you take the piece of metal from the shelf?” she asked.
“I’m not sure I follow.”
“Don’t play dumb with me, you bastard! Holy Order’s fragment! Where is it?!”
“You’re talking nonsense!”
“Well, I guess I’ll have to beat you up then! Hope you don’t die!”
“I won’t die so easily!”
***
We left the Aschtner mansion and started making our way back to the guild. Along the way, we came across a scene of terrible carnage. A swordsman was burning the area down with Flame spells. He had a Fanatix replica plunged into his back, and these weren’t your ordinary Flame spells, either. A single cast took no time at all and produced multiple explosions. Even a single one was enough to destroy several buildings, so the wooden houses in this district didn’t stand a chance. Frightened screams filled the streets as people tried to get to safety.
“Bastard!” Erianthe shouted as she leapt into action.
The grim look on her face told me that she was prepared to sacrifice herself to buy more time for her people. The guildmaster knew she couldn’t defeat the fanatic. It was uncertain if she’d even last long enough to buy them any time.
It’s in Godsword Release…! What is going on?!
The sword driven the fanatic’s back had been unleashed for some reason. It was so strong that, before I Identified it, I thought it was the real Fanatix. Replica or not, that sword still possessed Godsword Release—the fanatic’s overwhelming power was proof enough of that.
“Stop that!”
“Raaaagh!”
A shock wave burst out of the swordsman and blasted Erianthe over ten meters away, into a wall. She managed to shield herself with her greatsword, but the impact was strong enough to split her blade in two. And still the fanatic wasn’t done with her. He followed his attack up with a barrage of No-Cast Flame spells. A single fireball was enough to burn a human to ashes, and Erianthe had nowhere to run.
Dammit!
I flew into the fray, using telekinesis to scatter the Flame spell. I wish I could’ve protected her from further away, but I was still spent from the Aschtner fight. To deal with the spells properly, I needed to be up close.
“Huh? What just happened?” Erianthe said, watching Fran’s sword float around on its own.
Well, time to go all in!
I created a doppelganger and directed it to appear in front of Erianthe. It looked suspicious as all hell, but I wasn’t about to reveal my true identity!
I cast a Wind spell around the clone for dramatic effect and had it grab me by the hilt. For Erianthe and the others, it looked like a mysterious man had appeared out of nowhere.
Be not afraid. I’m a friend of Fran’s.
“You’re the master of curry!”
Colbert had only met me once, but he remembered. As soon as Erianthe heard him, her suspicions disappeared.
Fight him head-on and you’ll die. You know this, don’t you?
“Yes, but even so…!” Erianthe protested.
I’ll handle it. I may not look like much, but I taught Fran everything she knows. You look after her in the meantime, all right? I’m counting on you!
“Hey, wait—”
The fanatic was staring at me now, so the time for arguments was over. I left Erianthe and Colbert behind and jumped into battle. I hoped that they wouldn’t waste time arguing with each other, and the adventurers didn’t disappoint. They recognized the situation they were in and retreated from the battle immediately.
Now I just need to keep him occupied until he self-destructs.
Red beams rained down on me. Focused Flare Blasts, and twenty of them, and all at the same time. This fanatic’s mana control was absurd
The beams melted the stone buildings and they exploded, leaving holes everywhere. Fortunately, I was left unscathed. I had recovered just enough mana to use Dimension Shift.
Wind whirled around me, quickly turning into a tornado as the fanatic turned a Wind spell against me. The storm picked up rubble, gaining speed and growing in size. If I let the tornado develop further, it would ruin the whole city. I teleported and Air Hiked my way up into the sky, exposing myself to danger. The fanatic probably thought I was completely defenseless, but his expressionless face showed no sign of surprise. Still, I managed to get his attention, and that was enough.
The Inferno Bursts fused and amplified each other, creating a giant pillar of flame all around me. It was the same attack the P.A. had used back in the Lich fight, except this was several times more powerful. But, even in the midst of such terrible firepower, Dimension Shift ensured that I made it out unharmed. That spell took up a lot of mana, but I only had to sustain it for a few moments.
Meanwhile, the stress of Godsword Release was rapidly draining the fanatic’s health and mana. He only had a few more minutes left at best. More time for civilians to get to safety.
Tsch!
I fired a weak Thunder spell at the enemy. It wasn’t strong enough to damage him, but it was enough to keep his attention on me. As expected, the fanatic struck back by summoning a volley of exploding fireballs around me.
KABOOM!
Flare Explode activated, and the sky was filled with fire. It probably would have looked quite pretty to a bystander, assuming you were watching from a distance, that is. All the while, Dimension Shift kept me safe. It really was a useful spell, even considering its cost.
Missed me!
I provoked the fanatic with another attack, and he retaliated with another explosion, but it was pointless. His decision-making capabilities were lost in his berserk state. If he were smarter, he would realize that his attacks weren’t working. The fanatic was more powerful than an A-Rank adventurer, but he was dumber than a reckless greenhorn. Keeping him occupied for a little while longer wasn’t going to be an issue.
That’s right, buddy. Just keep shooting fireworks into the sky!
Still, my Timespace Magic was the only thing keeping me alive right now. The other people in the city might not be so lucky…
Three minutes later, the fanatic ran out of life just as I was starting to worry about my mana reserves. He stopped moving, and his eyes stared blankly into the sky. He wasn’t going to be a threat any longer. That had been the longest three minutes of my second life. I sighed and turned off Dimension Shift. The fanatic’s attacks were so brutal that I activated the spell before they hit. If he had lasted just ten seconds longer, I would’ve had to start teleporting randomly instead.
Just as I was beginning to relax, it happened.
BOOOOOOM!
Whoa!
A sudden explosion. The blast was so powerful that the wind shook me, even as I floated in the air.
Dammit, the clone disappeared!
The explosion flung the rubble of ruined houses all around me. I panicked, doing my best to evade them while storing away the larger pieces. I thought the fanatic had come back to life and started blasting Flame spells again, but this time, the explosion was caused by an excess of mana. Apparently, the mana stored up in the Fanatix replica had nowhere to go after the soldier died, so it gushed out in all directions.
From the sky, I saw a gigantic crater where the fanatic used to be. The explosion destroyed everything around him—flattening the fifty houses at its epicenter and devastating the whole district. Hundreds of houses were damaged by the shock wave alone, and that wasn’t all it did.
As I floated back to the ground, explosions sounded around the capital and pillars of mana rushed up into the sky. I guess my fanatic soldier wasn’t the only one to burn out in an explosive manner. I counted over fifty explosions. Most of them came from the noble district, but the common and business districts weren’t spared, either. The greatest of the explosions were clustered near the palace, and a lot of mana was whirling around that place.
What do they want? They’re not suicide bombers!
Was the destruction of the capital their main goal?
Please be okay, Fran…!
As the explosions continued, I searched for her presence. Our mana was linked, so we could still sense each other’s auras, even if we were miles apart.
Fran was still alive, but I couldn’t tell if she was safe. Using the information from my search, I teleported myself to her.
The Adventurer’s Guild.
Fran and the others had made it there.
“Wh-what?!”
Stellia, the guild receptionist, was startled at my sudden arrival. She was decked out in the red armor of her glory days and wielding a giant mace. She might be a bit wider now than the last time she wore it, but her armor had size adjustability. Once you got some quality enchanted equipment, you really were set for life.
Meanwhile, I was panicking a little. I should’ve teleported higher up in the air so I could sneak into the building unnoticed. Still, I wasn’t about to explain the truth to Stellia. Instead, I flew inside the lobby and found Fran sleeping on the sofa. I moved quietly to her side, setting down beside her pillow.
Good to see you’re okay.
Fran was sleeping soundly, her breathing regular. She was exhausted from the intense battle, but she’d be back to normal after she got some rest.
Stellia stared at me with her mouth agape. Was she suspicious? She might not think I was an Intelligent Weapon, but she might wonder if I was cursed, or a mimic in the shape of a sword. Who knows, maybe mimics were smart enough to camouflage themselves as a sword and track down their owner.
Please! I’m an innocent sword with a return function, I promise!
“Hmm,” Stellia stared at me.
…
“I should check it to be sure.”
I knew it! I just had to make sure that I didn’t move!
My heart raced as Stellia picked me up to examine me, but someone else stayed her hand.
“That sword’s all right, Stellia,” Colbert said.
For some reason, he looked sad.
“You’re sure?”
“Yeah. It’s Fran’s sword, after all. Her beloved master left it to her…”
His voice was shaking, and I was sure that he was getting misty-eyed.
“So,” Colbert sniffed. “This is the Master of Curry’s last will and testament.”
Wait… My last will and testament?
Oh. My clone was missing, so Colbert assumed the sword had returned to Fran on its own. He thought the master of curry perished in battle against the fanatic.
Stellia sighed. “So, this is all that’s left of him.”
“Yeah.”
No! I’m not dead yet, dammit!
Of course, I couldn’t explain myself, so I settled for complaining.
“You will be missed, Master of Curry…”
“Curry?”
In the midst of this tearful mood, the word “curry” pulled Fran from her slumber.
“Curry…”
She scanned the room, looking for her favorite food. Instead, she found me next to her pillow.
“You’re back,” she said, with a look of relief only I could decipher.
She reached out to me and held me tight to her chest.
Everything go okay?
Hm… I noticed you were missing halfway through.
Fran woke up while Erianthe and Colbert were moving her. Even when she was asleep, she knew that I was no longer by her side. She knew that I was all right thanks to Skill Sharing, but the fact that I was gone still worried her. She closed her eyes and sighed, caressing my blade.
“I’m sorry for your loss, Fran,” Stellia said, her voice wavering.
Colbert blew his nose. “Your master was a true hero…!”
The two of them rubbed their eyes. They couldn’t tell what Fran was feeling, but they were trying to be strong for her.
Uhh, Fran…
I was about to ask her to explain when someone entered the room.
“You’re awake.”
“Erianthe.”
“I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but there have been further developments,” Erianthe said.
The stern look on her face told me that, whatever she had to say, it was important. Explaining my circumstances to Colbert and the others could wait.
