The Legendary Sword Born of Hatred and Confusion
“This is worthless, this is worthless, and this is worthless,” Oscar’s tired voice rang out through the forest. They were in the training grounds Miledi had picked out so they could work on mastering their respective ancient magic.
“U-Umm, O-kun, you don’t have to be that focused on making something unique, you know...?” Miledi said in a gentle voice.
Everyone’s training was mostly complete, but Oscar looked dissatisfied with all of the prototype weapons he’d developed.
“Yes, I do! What kind of craftsman would I be otherwise?!”
“Hyaaah!”
Oscar turned from his failed prototypes to glare at Miledi, who took a few stunned steps backward.
“Besides, I refuse to let that hack artist make fun of my creations any longer!”
Indeed, the true reason Oscar was so obsessed with getting his weapons perfect was related to Vandre. Vandre’s mastery of martial arts let him use all sorts of weapons, and he usually used his ice magic to create whatever he needed in the moment. That versatility was part of why his fighting style was so deadly. Oscar had figured if Vandre was using weapons anyway, it’d make more sense for him to use his artifacts rather than ice weapons. But Vandre found it easier to use the magic he’d practiced for decades to just make whatever he imagined in his head rather than use Oscar’s Treasure Trove to pull out the exact kind of weapon he needed, so he’d given up on using any of Oscar’s artifacts. But now that Oscar had reached new heights with his creation magic, he was once again trying to craft something Vandre would be willing to use.
“I guess Van-kun is pretty picky about his weapons...” Miledi mused.
“Even the ones he makes instantly have all sorts of artistic flourishes to them.”
“He criticized all the ones you made too, calling them ugly.”
“He even asked me to do the impossible and make a weapon that’ll always catch the enemy by surprise...”
“Look, O-kun, I get it. But I still think you shouldn’t let his comments get to you.”
Unfortunately, Oscar’s craftsman spirit wouldn’t let him rest until he made something that met Vandre’s expectations.
“All right, let’s use these.”
Oscar grabbed the weapons he thought were most likely to win Vandre’s approval, then ran over to where the young demon was strengthening his familiars.
Prepare to get your socks knocked off, you muffler fiend!
Miledi exchanged a glance with Naiz and the others, then followed after Oscar with a sigh.
“Behold, Van, I made new weapons for you! This time I know you’ll have nothing but praise for them!”
“Hmph, so you’re finally back, talentless four-eyes. All right, let’s take a look at what you’ve got.”
They get along so well... Miledi thought, a little excited to see what these new weapons of Oscar’s could do.
“First off, we have this!”
The first thing Oscar pulled out of his Treasure Trove was a big fish.
“Is it my eyesight that’s going...or your sanity?”
“It’s unique, right? Plus, it showcases the beauty of nature. Its true strength only reveals itself with the help of Meiru’s magic, but this is the autonomous swimming, oscillating fish club!”
“Don’t associate me with that awful thing!” Meiru exclaimed.
Vandre froze the flopping fish club with his ice magic and tossed it into the forest.
“Ngh, if that isn’t good enough, then how about this!” Oscar roared as he pulled out a warhammer decorated with feathers, ribbons, and colorful star and heart stickers.
“Every single time you hit someone with this, it emits hearts and stars to blind your foes. I’d originally planned on adding these functions to Laus’s warhammer, but...”
“You better not!” Laus said, clutching his hammer protectively.
“Think about how novel it would be for a moody guy like you to fight with a girly weapon like—“
“Do I look like a weirdo to you, moron?! I don’t want everyone thinking I’ve lost it!” Vandre exclaimed as he created a hammer of ice to smash Oscar’s fancy hammer.
Oscar continued to bring out more weapons, each one even stranger than the last: a mop that actually had a sword hidden inside it, a pair of tonfas with multiple gimmicks that could be activated via magic, a metal book wrapped in chains that could be used like a flail, and so on. Miledi and the others were thoroughly disillusioned by the end of the presentation.
“You’re the most worthless four-eyes I’ve ever met,” Vandre said in disgust. “How do you not have a single artistic bone in your body? I almost pity you.”
He folded his arms and narrowed his eyes at Oscar, then continued, “You’re a third-rate craftsman with no naming sense. You don’t give a damn about anything except the functionality of what you make and—“
“C-Come on, Van-chan! That’s going too far!” Miledi exclaimed, coming to Oscar’s defense. For a moment, Oscar just looked down quietly, but then his Treasure Trove gleamed again and he pulled out a massive greatsword, planting it blade-first into the ground.
“Oho,” Vandre said, looking over the sword with great interest. The weapon was beautiful. The hilt’s design, the ornamentation on the guard, and the image of a rising dragon that ran along the length of the blade were all exquisite. Despite being a greatsword, the blade had the kind of wave-pattern that you only saw on thinner katanas. The magic circles engraved along the weapon’s length were artfully placed.
“Wow, I guess you really can do it if you try. You should have just shown me this in the first—“
“Truth is, I made this sword for myself. But if you like it, you can have it. It’s called the Dragon Slayer.”
Vandre stopped trying to pull the sword out, his hands still wrapped around the hilt. Oscar gave him a winsome smile and said, “It has anti-ice magic properties. I made it to get rid of pesky ice dragons!”
A gust of wind filled the silence that followed. Oscar and Vandre smiled at each other for a few seconds until finally, Vandre said, “Die, you shitty four-eyes!”
“Taste my wrath, you muffler freak!”
Another one of their fights ensued, which ironically did a wonderful job of showcasing the various features of Oscar’s Dragon Slayer. In the end, Vandre decided it was the sword he would take with him into the final battle, and it was the same sword resting on his shoulder when they invaded the theocracy’s capital.
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