Chapter 20 — Interlude: What Am I Supposed to Do with Freedom at This Point?
Shigeto looked down at Rei’s body. Despite being beheaded, she wore a serene expression. The perfect surprise attack had taken her life before she knew anything was even happening. Although he felt like he should have loved her, he surprisingly felt nothing. She must have been using her power to manipulate his feelings after all.
Shigeto decided to make a grave for her. Even if he wasn’t in love, she was still one of his classmates and a companion who had traveled with him for a long time. While he wasn’t pleased about having been manipulated, he wasn’t upset enough to leave her body to the elements.
Pulling out a shovel, he began to dig just outside of the cave. With his physical attributes enhanced by the Gift, it wasn’t particularly strenuous work, and he finished in no time. With the burial complete, he returned to the cave to watch over the World Sword.
The mission that had been given to him was to wait there until the World Sword had been repaired. That likely included fighting off those who might come to steal it, but there were no signs of anyone else approaching the cave.
While he waited, he felt the Femme Fatale powers lose their grip on him. His feelings for the woman named Kris had vanished entirely.
“There’s not much point in releasing me now. Maybe she died?” It was the same feeling he’d had when Rei had died—a feeling of calm, like he had finally become himself again. “Ha ha ha...what am I supposed to do with freedom at this point?”
Shigeto was at a loss. He had escaped the powers of the Femme Fatale, but there wasn’t anything more for him to do. His friends were dead. His powers were gone. All he had left were physical abilities that were slightly better than an ordinary person’s and the items that his Book of Prophecy had led him to acquire. Some would consider that plenty of power, but for Shigeto, who had done nothing but follow the book’s instructions until then, it felt like being thrown out into the cold. He had no idea how to survive with only minimal physical abilities and some random items.
“I suppose I’ll just take the World Sword with me.”
Although it seemed like a powerful weapon, he wasn’t trained in swordsmanship and doubted that a well-made sword was enough to defeat the Sages. The Book of Prophecy had said it could, so it must have been possible somehow, but he had no knowledge of the details.
Still, it didn’t sit well with him to abandon the weapon he had spent so long trying to obtain. He looked at the World Sword’s cocoon. Within the sphere of water floating in the air, the sword inside was beginning to regain its original shape. With nothing else to do, he sat down and waited.
After some time, the sound of something clanging to the ground woke him up. The sphere of water hovering in the air had vanished, and the sword had dropped to the floor.
Shigeto took it in his hands. It was a double-edged blade, beautiful yet simple.
“It does feel like it could cut anything...”
Even though he didn’t know how to use it, merely holding it inspired a deep desire for him to possess the weapon. He certainly didn’t want to give it to anyone else.
“No scabbard, though?”
Carrying it around as a naked blade would be dangerous. Suddenly, a scabbard appeared around it.
“What was that?” he said, confused.
“You called?”
“Huh?”
Navi appeared at his side.
“What’s going on? My prophecy powers were stolen, so you should be with that woman. Did she die and return the power to me or something?”
“No, the powers she steals aren’t returned upon death,” Navi replied.
“Then why are you here?”
“You’re confused and want information, right? So the World Sword created me.”
“I don’t understand... Are you the Navi that I know?”
“Yes. I am your Navi. The World Sword searched the past and found that, as a being born from one of your skills, I was the best option to explain the situation.” Navi had a victorious smile on her face. “Now then. Let me tell you about the World Sword!”
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