—Frey Starlight's POV—
Melina extended her hand. I grabbed it with some effort, using it to pull myself up from the ground, my body aching from the relentless beating I had just taken.
"You fought well," she said.
Coming from the infamous swordmaster, those words felt oddly out of place... especially with her massive claymore still resting near my throat.
"Should I take that as a compliment?"
"Not in the slightest."
She shook her head.
"Your ability to stand is proof enough."
It wasn't exactly comforting, but Melina never sugarcoated things. This might've been her version of high praise.
We had fought for exactly fifteen minutes...the limit of how long I could maintain Blood form with Balerion, amplified by Dark Sister's aura surge.
And even with all that, I barely managed to keep up with the iron hurricane that was Melina.
Naturally, the moment those fifteen minutes ended, the battle was over.
Throughout the fight—and even now—there was something strange in her eyes. A look I couldn't quite place, but one I couldn't ignore anymore.
"Um... is something wrong?"
"You…"
She answered without hesitation.
"I never thought I'd see someone wielding two of the Ancient Weapons at once."
"Is that really such a big deal?"
I knew no one had ever wielded two of the Seven Legendary Swords at the same time. But in the end, they were still just weapons ... anyone could technically find them.
Apparently, I was wrong.
Her piercing stare told me just how little I understood.
"SS ranked swords aren't ordinary weapons. Not just anyone can handle them."
That made some sense, though I hadn't struggled with either sword so far.
"Are there... requirements or something?"
I couldn't recall writing anything like that in the lore ...aside from Vermithor, Snow's sword.
Thankfully, Melina was patient enough to explain.
"These swords aren't just forged steel," she said, gently running her hand over her golden claymore.
"They're fragments of riddles, shaped into blades. Sometimes, it's the sword that leads you ...not the other way around."
They weren't meant to be lumped in with ordinary weapons.
"You must've experienced it ...those moments when the sword feels alive. When it acts not as a tool, but as something… sentient."
I looked at Balerion.
The Black dread had been with me since my Shadow Sect days. We'd seen a lot together.
And yes .. there were moments. Moments where it moved or acted in ways beyond my understanding.
"I see. You've felt it too."
"Kind of…"
"It's like possession," she said.
"A subtle one."
"Possession?"
"Yes. Sometimes the nature of the blade affects you ... a thirst for blood, a surge of emotion, or even something more direct… like the blade moving on its own."
"…"
"What I mean is .. these swords have a will of their own. They test their wielders before they ever submit."
A test...
Was what happened in the Shadow Sect Balerion's trial?
And what about Dark Sister? It had followed me from the start .. did that mean I'd already passed its test?
"Frey Starlight, because they have will, these swords gradually consume the one who bears them. They constantly influence you. That's why wielding two of them is nearly impossible."
"Everyone who's tried… either died or went insane."
Most people could barely handle one. Add another, and it should've crushed me. And even if they could, the swords themselves had pride .. they refused to be wielded together.
"But here you are."
Melina stepped around me slowly, eyes analyzing every inch of me.
"Carrying two blazing swords as if it were nothing."
"Your body can withstand blows meant for someone in the SS class, and you're barely in B rank."
Even if Dark Sister and Balerion boosted my power tremendously, it shouldn't be enough to close that kind of gap.
"Your foundation matters. Everything else is just reinforcement."
"There's something… unusual about you."
Her words… weren't wrong.
"I won't argue with that," I said with a faint smile.
"Even I don't fully understand myself."
There was far more chaos inside my life than I could ever make sense of.
"May I ask you something?" she said. "Why do you fight?"
"…What do you mean?"
"Everyone who comes to the temple has something driving them. A desire or ambition that pushes them to fight."
Things like power, fame… or even something trivial like wanting to make friends or live a better life.
"Which one are you, Lord Starlight?"
The moment she asked, I realized ... she had seen through me.
She was the type who could read an opponent with just a few exchanges of the blade.
"A reason to fight… I used to have one. Not too long ago. But now… not anymore."
"My goal was clear ... distant, yes, and the path to it was rough, often feeling impossible…"
"But it was always there. I knew exactly what I wanted. That clarity helped me fight beyond my limits. But now... there's too much clouding my mind."
"A lot has happened recently, so what should I strive for now? Should I burn what remains of me chasing revenge against a distant enemy beyond my reach? Or should I search for other truths hidden behind the curtain? Or perhaps... it's all far simpler than that?"
"I don't know anymore."
I had no idea what Melina saw in me. Or what she felt from the emptiness of my words, from the hollowness in my eyes.
But she reached out, gently placing her hand on my shoulder.
It was a slim hand ... fitting for a woman. Yet the firmness in her touch proved otherwise.
It was the hand of someone who had devoted everything to the blade.
"It's alright," she said softly. "You can fill that emptiness, piece by piece, and figure out who you are in time. That's why the temple exists, after all."
Mybe that was her way of telling me… to lean on her. That she would help me.
I couldn't fully grasp her true intentions, but for now ... I chose to accept the hand she offered.
"I'll look forward to that."
She nodded once. After that, we sat together and discussed my new way of fighting.
I wasn't used to dual-wielding yet, but according to her, I had the talent for it. What I needed now was to strengthen my foundation and truly understand my own capabilities.
That included mastering the first stage of Shadow Adaptation, which I had finally reached.
All things considered, I realized I still had a long road ahead of me.
"Well then, I'll see you tomorrow, Lady Melina."
"Yes."
I saluted the red-haired swordswoman and made my way out.
As I walked, I glanced at the annoying system window that occasionally popped up in front of me.
Ding!
Melina Maiden
Current Level: SS
Affection Points: 15
The Claymore Bearer is curious about you.
– More information cannot be displayed due to insufficient Affection Points –
…
Curious about me, huh?
Well, I suppose that's better than her hating me.
With that thought, I left the training field. Meanwhile, Melina remained behind, her eyes lingering on me as she pondered what had just occurred… and what had happened the day before.
Once she was certain she was completely alone, Melina raised her sword skyward, her gaze locked on the blade.
"What a strange generation."
Her crimson eyes reflected against the golden edge of the claymore.
"Yesterday, the Church's Champion came to me in that strange form of his. And today, the Victoriad Champion wields two flaming swords."
Strangest of all ... both had managed to withstand her blows.
"Am I starting to rust?"
In that moment .. They say someone heard the sound of a sword cutting through the air… from miles away.