Chapter 40: Chapter 40 - Seven Divine Blades ( Part 4)
Deep under Asterion Mountains...
It was dark.
Not dark because of lack of light.
Darkness here felt... ancient.
Heavy.
Old enough to carry the burden of eight centuries.
Single person walked in the silence of endless corridors.
Echoes of his steps resounded off walls made of black stone.
His face was hidden behind silver mask.
Long black cloak hid his body.
Beside him walked dozens of armed followers, each of them wearing emblem of crimson snake wrapped around broken sword.
The infamous underground organization...
Crimson Serpent.
They existed in the shadows for decades now.
Murders.
Smuggling.
Forbidden artifacts.
Ancient experiments.
Just hearing their name terrified most of the kingdoms.
But today...
They acted cautiously.
Because this place...
Was older than history itself.
---
The masked man stopped in front of huge stone door.
Its height was about thirty meters.
Doors were decorated by glowing runes.
Seven swords were carved on its surface.
Each one looked different.
Each one emanated enormous power.
The masked man slowly reached out.
"...Impressive."
One of his followers stepped forward nervously.
"Lord Kael..."
"If the legends are correct..."
"This place belongs to the Sword King."
Kael Noctis chuckled quietly.
"So it does."
"But kings die."
"And their treasures remain."
---
Another follower frowned.
"Our scouts reported powerful barrier here."
Kael nodded.
"They did."
He turned towards glowing door.
"But something has changed."
The runes...
They were starting to fade.
Small cracks appeared on the ancient seal.
Mana flowed outside like silver mist.
The tomb itself...
It was getting weaker.
---
Far away...
In Royal Academy...
Jennie suddenly stood up from bed.
Her heart was beating fast.
"...Seal..."
Spiritual presence of Excalibur resounded in her mind.
Its usually calm voice sounded worried.
"The First Chamber was breached."
Jennie quickly dressed in dark traveling clothes, wearing her maid uniform.
She carefully put Excalibur in her white hair.
"I need to go."
"Master..."
"I know."
"If Gram awakens first..."
She couldn’t finish the sentence.
She already knew.
---
Inside the tomb...
The huge stone door slowly opened.
BOOOOOOM...
Ancient air started to flow out.
Clouds of dust appeared on the ground.
Blue spirit flames started to glow one after another, lighting giant underground chamber.
Broken statues were standing on both sides of the corridor.
Each of them depicted heroes bowing in front of seven swords.
In the middle...
Single crimson sword hovered silently above black altar.
Divine chains were bound on the blade hundreds of times.
Every chain was covered with sacred inscriptions.
But even after eight centuries...
Sword was still sealed.
---
Kael started to walk slowly.
His every step echoed in the chamber.
One of his followers stopped.
"My Lord..."
"Maybe we should wait?"
Kael smiled behind the mask.
"For what?"
"For the kingdom?"
"For Church?"
"For Hunter Association?"
"They all are too late."
He stopped in front of the altar.
One meter was separating him from the sword.
---
Suddenly...
Deep male voice resounded in the chamber.
It didn’t belong to any person.
It belonged to the blade itself.
"...Another human."
All members of Crimson Serpent froze.
The sword...
It was talking.
Kael looked upwards.
"So..."
"You still have consciousness."
The crimson blade started to laugh.
Laughter filled with endless contempt.
"Of course."
"I watched your kind kill each other for centuries."
"Your hatred never let me down."
---
Kael kept calm.
"I’m here to take your power."
Sword fell silent.
Then...
It started to laugh again.
Loudly this time.
"Take?"
"You are wrong."
The chains around blade started to shake.
"Humans don’t take me."
"...I choose."
---
Chamber started to shake.
Cracks appeared on the altar.
Some followers started to back away.
One of them fell down in fear.
"My Lord!"
"The sword is alive!"
Kael didn’t move.
His crimson eyes were looking at the legendary blade.
---
Sword started to rotate slowly.
Its sharp edge was pointing right at him.
Several seconds passed...
Then...
Sword started to talk again.
Its tone completely changed.
Almost...
Interesting.
"Your heart..."
"...is overflowing."
Kael kept silent.
"Hatred."
"Resentment."
"Ambition."
"Desire to destroy."
Dark crimson flames appeared around the chamber.
Divine chains were groaning.
One...
Cracked.
CLANG!
Second one.
CLANG!
Third one...
Ancient seal was failing.
Far away...
Jennie stumbled.
She put her hand on her chest.
"...No."
Voice of Excalibur was filled with anxiety.
"Gram found someone."
Face of Jennie paled.
"Please..."
"...Don’t choose him."
Back in the chamber...
Last chain cracked.
The crimson blade flew freely after eight hundred years.
Wave of murderous intent filled the tomb.
Every follower lost consciousness.
But Kael remained standing.
Blade slowly started to approach him.
Slowly.
Patiently.
And stopped right in front of his face.
Silence.
Whisper of the blade.
"Tell me, human..."
"If I give you the power to destroy kingdoms..."
"...what will you give me in return?"
Kael slowly raised his hand.
Gloved fingers wrapped around hilt of the blade.
Cruel smile appeared under the silver mask.
"Everything."
The moment he grabbed the blade...
Entire mountain started to shake.
Far above, the column of silver light turned blood-red.
And all over the continent...
Every Divine Blade sensed it.
The Blade of Wrath...
Awakened.
As soon as Kael Noctis touched the crimson handle...
The very flow of time seemed to halt.
Silence filled the room.
The air became incredibly thick.
Breathing almost became impossible.
Then—
BOOOOOOOOM!
Crimson mana shot out from the altar.
It blasted through the ceiling of the underground chamber.
Rocks melted.
Ancient columns fell to pieces.
The mountain started to tremble violently as a crimson beam of energy shot towards the darkened sky.
All around the continent...
People gazed at the heavens in shock.
The silver light of hope was now stained crimson.
At the Royal Academy...
Students rushed to the courtyards.
"What’s going on here?"
"The light changed!"
"Could it be... blood?"
Headmaster Orion looked at the faraway mountains.
His face turned grim.
"... Someone activated a relic."
Professor Gareth tightened his grip on the sword.
"I don’t like it."
Nor Orion did.
The mana present in the air...
It became hostile.
Far away from the academy...
Jennie stood on the cliff facing the distant mountains.
Crimson light reflected in her scarlet eyes.
She knew it already.
"... Too late."
Excalibur floated next to her in its ethereal form.
For the first time...
Legendary holy sword actually sounded saddened.
"Gram has recognized its new master."
Jennie closed her eyes.
"So..."
"It made its choice."
"Yes."
"It chose to be hated."
Deep under the mountain...
Dark crimson flames surrounded Kael Noctis.
His followers screamed in fear as the pressure pushed them to their knees.
One man tried to rise.
His bones immediately started to break.
Another tried to approach.
He was thrown to the other side of the chamber just by the pressure.
Kael remained motionless.
The sword accepted him.
The crimson blade gradually disintegrated into the streams of light.
These streams covered the right arm of Kael like living chains.
Ancient runes appeared on his skin.
They started to glow like molten lava.
Black cloak flapped wildly.
Black hair moved chaotically amidst the storm of mana.
And then...
His silver mask cracked.
One red eye opened through the crack.
It wasn’t human anymore.
Voice resounded in his mind.
Deep.
Mighty.
Full of everlasting fury.
"I am Gram."
"The Blade of Wrath."
Kael smiled.
"I know."
"Do you fear me?"
"No."
"Do you fear death?"
"No."
"Do you fear becoming a monster?"
Kael laughed lightly.
"I became one long ago."
For the first time in centuries...
Gram laughed too.
Harsh and terrible laugh.
"Excellent."
Ancient memories flashed through the mind of Kael.
He saw the battlefield littered with the bodies of people.
Mountains torn apart by the mighty sword strikes.
Entire armies destroyed by one strike.
Kneeling heroes in front of the only king.
Then...
Another memory.
Young man standing beneath the bright blue sky.
Gold armor.
Soft eyes.
Black sword in his hands.
Leonis KingHeart.
Gram’s original master.
This memory flashed as quickly as it appeared.
Kael frowned.
"... Who was that?"
Gram whispered quietly.
"A king."
"The only human I ever accepted."
Kael chuckled.
"And now?"
Long silence followed.
And then—
"Now..."
"... he is gone."
Far away...
Jennie suddenly stopped her movement.
She looked at Excalibur.
"... He remembers me."
Excalibur nodded.
"Seven Divine Blades never forget their masters."
Jennie’s eyes softened.
Despite everything...
Despite the corruption of Gram...
The sword remembered Leonis KingHeart.
"... I will save him."
Excalibur gazed at her.
"Master?"
Jennie smiled bitterly.
"He isn’t evil."
"He is suffering."
"If there is even a little chance..."
"I will bring him back."
Excalibur remained silent.
And then...
It slightly bowed.
"As always from my king."
Jennie awkwardly laughed.
"I’m not a king anymore."
"You may keep saying this."
Back in the tomb...
Crimson flames gradually dissipated.
Kael stood motionlessly.
He had changed.
Dark crimson marks appeared on the right arm of Kael.
Red light was faintly glowing in his eyes.
Black coat made of mana appeared around his body.
And the most remarkable thing...
Gram calmly stood beside him.
Its rusty blade became the freshly sharpened crimson steel.
The blade fully awakened.
One of the surviving followers slowly rose.
"My Lord..."
Kael gazed at him.
Man immediately took several steps back.
Pressure emitted by Kael alone felt incredible.
"... Congratulations."
Kael looked at Gram.
Then at the endless tunnels leading deeper into the mountain.
He smiled.
"This..."
"... is only the beginning."
One of the assassins hesitantly asked,
"What are your orders?"
Kael lifted Gram.
The crimson blade joyfully hummed.
"We go further."
"The Seven Divine Blades were not supposed to be separated."
"We will collect them all."
Another follower hesitated.
"But... there are six left."
Kael nodded.
"Yes."
He smiled wider.
"And one of them..."
"... Has already awakened."
He looked at the distant Kingdom of Seraiya.
At the Royal Academy.
At the certain white-haired girl unaware that her greatest enemy knows about her already.
Gram whispered in the ear of Kael.
"Excalibur..."
"... I can feel my brother."
Kael slowly repeated the name.
"Excalibur."
"What an interesting meeting this will be."
Above them, the Ancient Sword Tomb continued to awake.
Chamber after chamber unlocked.
Seal after seal dissipated.
The era of peace came to its end.
And somewhere in the depths of the tomb...
Five other legendary blades awaited their new masters.
