Chapter 22- Reunion With An Old Friend

November 3, 2056

"No! Not this! Anything but this!"

Kuroba couldn't help but chuckle in amusement as she watched the Red King squirm in her chair at the dinner table. The small redhead held down by her shoulders by a stunning older girl with long white hair. Right in front of Yuniko was a plate of an unidentified substance (supposedly it was meant to be curry, but it was so badly burned and put together that it was better to describe it as mush), which looked extremely unappetizing. Just looking at it made the fairy princess's stomach turn.

Now then, you're probably wondering how such a terrible looking dish got made. It's quite simple really. Marth was the one who cooked it. Everyone in the Harbingers knew just how bad he was at cooking, with him practically ruining every dish he ever tries to prepare, even with assistance from his more culinary skilled friends. Hence why he never cooks, as no matter how hard he tries, his cooking skills never improve. As for why he cooked this time, well it's to punish Niko of course.

The demon siblings promised to hold the Red King accountable if she ever betrayed the Black Legion during the subjugation of Chrome Disaster. When the Armor of Catastrophe finally appeared, she attacked the surviving members of Nega Nebulus, nearly killing Kuroba and banishing her from the Accelerated World forever.

As Marth and Kisara are demons, their moral structure was different from humans and fairies, but even they had lines they don't cross. There were a number of ways they could have punished Niko while in the real world, but they chose to do none of them since she was still a kid. In fact, Kuroba was glad they went with this for her punishment. It was way more entertaining than anything she saw online.

Given that she was resisting, Marth opted to feed Niko himself, all with a seemingly innocent smile on his face, totally playing the part of a caring elder brother. Adding to his little act, he was talking to the Red King as if she was younger than she really is.

"Here comes the airplane!" he said in singsong.

"Open wide, little sister," Kisara added with a devious smile, keeping a firm grip on the redhead so that she can't escape.

"N-no! I-I'm full. I can't eat anymore!" the Red King screamed out in desperation, constantly moving her head from left to right to keep the spoonful of disgust entering her mouth.

"Nonsense," Marth replied. "How can you grow up big and strong if you don't get enough to eat? I made this meal especially for you."

Just listening to Yuniko's screams of terror was almost therapeutic to Kuroba. She wasn't really mad at the Red King, after all she herself had pulled a similar stunt two years ago. However, she couldn't deny that Niko was getting her just desserts. Let this be a lesson for any who cross the Umbris family.

After several forced bites, Yuniko practically burst into tears. "Okay, okay! I'm sorry! I'll be good, just don't feed this crap again!"

Kisara giggled, leaning her head close to the younger girl's ear. "Is that a promise, little sister?" she asked slowly. "Perhaps maybe one more bite will do."

"No, please! I won't attack any of you again! Just please, don't make me eat big brother's poison again!"

Marth cracked a smirk, as if in triumph. "Heh, I think she's learned her lesson. I never thought my cooking could be so useful." He rose out of his chair and took the plate of inedible food into the kitchen to throw away.

Honestly, maybe the best way to defeat the Darkfallen was just to subject them to the Dark Swordsman's cooking. While not as deadly as the actual poison from the Spider of Despair, Marth's food had a way of wearing people down. Honestly it was the tamest form of torture he had at his disposal.

Despite the relatively cheery atmosphere within the apartment, Kuroba couldn't help but feel a sense of dread. The memory of seeing the demon prince overtaken by his own power haunted her, and she was the reason why that had happened. No matter how hard she thought about it, there was nothing she could have done to have changed things. Marth's cursed power was the only thing that could have ended the fight. But at what cost? She has seen enough anime and played enough video games to know that power like Marth's always comes with a price. Even without knowing the proper context, she knew that even for that brief moment, the repercussions of using that terrible power would be heavy on the demon prince.

The moment he returned from the kitchen, Kuroba chose to ask the question that was plaguing her. "Hey, Marth. What was that power you used back there? I've never seen anything like that before."

"What are you talking about?" Fuko asked in confusion.

Ah yes. The brunette wasn't there to witness it, so it was only natural that she was confused. This also gave the implication that she herself hadn't witnessed Marth use that power beforehand or was even told about it. However, both Kisara and Medusa looked away in silence. It was clear that they knew the truth about their brother.

Even Marth looked hesitant to say anything. It pained Kuroba to see him in such a way. It was a topic he really didn't like to talk about. Unfortunately, the choice to remain silent had been taken from him the moment he had decided to unleash the power of his curse.

At first, Kuroba thought the siblings would do something to incapacitate Yuniko since she was the only one present who didn't know what they really were. Surprisingly, the trio chose to leave her alone, saying that as one of the witnesses of Marth's true power, she did deserve an explanation for what happened. What she would do upon learning the truth would be up to her. However, if the Red King were to use this information to bring harm to the Umbris family or the Harbingers, then they will do whatever it takes to silence her.

The first few minutes were spent getting Niko up to speed on what the Harbingers really were, as that knowledge was necessary for them to go into detail about Marth's situation. Naturally, the Red King was skeptical of their claims, but after Kisara created a flame in her palm without the use of any tools, she had no choice but to believe them.

What came later was the bombshell of Marth being the seventh demon lord, the Wrath Lord. They explained that the Wrath Lord was meant to serve as Sinestra's enforcer, the one to keep the other demon lords in line. However, the first Wrath feel victim to a terrible curse while on a mission. By the time the other demon lords found him, the curse had completely overtaken him, his mind reduced to that of a feral beast. He was no longer the Wrath Lord, but an entity referred to as the Lord of Calamity. They and Sinestra had no choice but to destroy him, else he would have brought ruin to the rest of the world. However, some of the other demon lords were killed in the brutal battle until their fallen comrade was finally slain.

The Wrath Lord position itself became taboo after Sinestra learned that the curse was hereditary, which she learned after the second Wrath Lord fell victim to it as well. In order to break the cycle of death and destruction, the Goddess of Darkness had erased all mention of the seventh demon lord, the knowledge only passed down to the remaining six demon lords. However, despite all her precautions, one human king managed to learn of the existence of the seventh. Seven thousand years ago, he appeared before the primordial goddess with his half-demon son and forced her to make the boy her seventh champion, using the boy's life to force her cooperation.

That human king was Lambert while the half-demon was obviously Zane. To this day, it still wasn't clear how the King of Arcadia learned of the existence of the Wrath Lord or why he forced Zane to become Sinestra's enforcer. Still, regardless of the king's reason, it didn't change the fact that Marth will eventually become the next Lord of Calamity, and arguably the strongest one in existence, once the curse overtakes him.

Silence befell the group as they tried to process the information that they heard. Eventually, it was Kazuto who would find his voice first.

"Man, that's beyond messed up," the Black Swordsman spoke up, his eyes filled with sympathy. "Is there any way to break the curse?"

"No," Marth replied, a slight shake of his head. "The only way to escape the curse is to pass the Wrath Lord position onto another person. However, not even that option is available to me because demon lord succession isn't possible without the approval of Sinestra, and she's been missing since the War of Light and Shadow seven thousand years ago."

"So basically, you're screwed," Shino said, her bluntness getting a chuckle out of the demon prince. "How long do you have until the curse overtakes you?"

"Hard to say. Every time I use its power, the faster the corruption spreads. Maybe another year if I'm lucky."

"Which means we're racing against the clock in order to get your plan underway, Master," Takumu voiced, his tone grim, reflecting the currently tense atmosphere of the room.

"Plan? What plan?" Niko asked curiously.

As with all the Harbingers, Kuroba didn't need clarification regarding the "plan" that the male brunette mentioned. It was the plan Marth was preparing against the Darkfallen, the demons who oppose the Goddess of Darkness. Granted, even she didn't know the full extent of his plan, his justification being that he wanted to minimize the risk of it getting leaked out. Regardless of his reasoning, Kuroba was still willing to put her faith in the boy she loved. She won't him walk this blood-soaked path alone.

"It's nothing you need to be concerned about," the Black King spoke up, taking a sip of her tea that Marth had prepared. "That is unless you plan to join the Harbingers too."

"Hmm. I'll have to think about it. Who knows, maybe it could be fun."

That nearly caused Kuroba to spit out her tea. She was joking with that last remark. She didn't think that the Red King would take it seriously. Did she not understand what she was getting herself into? A decision like this shouldn't be made lightly.

Thankfully the demon prince shared her sentiments as he gazed firmly at the redhead, his face too impassive to read. "I won't deny you possess an aptitude for magic, a rare trait to be seen in humans nowadays. I'm sure that with the proper amount of training, you could make yourself to be a valuable asset for the Harbingers." Those words seemed to make the Red King smile with pride, but quickly went away with the following sentence. "However, if you wish to join the Harbingers, your regular life will effectively end. The things we do are not confined within the safety of a game like Brain Burst. There is real danger with what we do, danger that can kill you if you're not careful. You must be willing to risk your very life for the sake of your teammates. Tell me, are you prepared to do that, Yuniko Kozuki?"

The young orphan looked pale from the demon prince's words, beads of sweat rolling down her forehead. They were harsh, but everything he said was the truth. He wasn't trying to scare her into submission, but to warn her of the clear danger she would be placing herself in if she chose to join their fight. This fight wasn't about fun and games, it was a war, a war that could actually cost them their lives.

Every member of the Harbingers knew the risks when they swore their allegiance to Marth. They were fully prepared to risk their lives for their cause. Yuniko's mental age may have surpassed her physical age because of Brain Burst, but she was still a little girl. Was it really to send her to the battlefield that could kill her for real? Not even Kuroba could find an answer to that.

"You don't have to answer us right now," Kisara spoke up in sympathy, a gentle smile gracing her face. "Think about it for a bit and then tell us your answer."

That seemed to cheer Niko up a little as she too cracked a light smile as well. "Thanks, big sister. I will. For now, I'll stay a regular Burst Linker, but I'll make sure to keep your secret safe. Although it's not like a lot of people would believe me anyway."

Yeah, that was true too. Given her young age, even if Yuniko told anyone about the Harbingers' secrets, they would probably just dismiss them as the delusions of a child. Still, there was always the possibility that she could unintentionally tip off an enemy spy, putting the entire team in jeopardy. That was why they were so protective of their secrets.

Marth was taking quite the risk by choosing not to erase the Red King's memory (granted he probably would have had Rias do it instead as he was still pretty bad at mental magic). Perhaps he was taking a leap of faith, seeing just how much he can trust Niko. It was hard to guess his intentions, but it didn't shake Kuroba's faith in him.

Speaking of magic, that actually brought another question to mind, one that she had forgotten about. There was no doubt in her mind that it would not be an easy one to answer, however, she had to know the truth. She needed to know where those black flames came from and what their true nature was.

Steeling her nerves, she prepared her next words very carefully. "Hey, Marth. During the battle with Chrome Disaster, you used a spell I've never seen you use before. How were you able to unleash a high-level fire spell when you don't have the proper affinity for it?"

And just like that, the air in the room got even more tense. All eyes fell upon the Dark Swordsman, who stared at the fairy princess in silence. After what felt like an eternity, he finally took a breath and broke the silence in a slow voice.

"To answer that question, I first need to explain the basics of magic and how elemental affinities work. Mom wanted to wait until you were a bit further along in Scathach's training, but I guess this can't be helped."

Marth rose from his seat and trotted over to the edge of the dining room, all eyes following him as he did so. He typed something onto his virtual interface and created a digital whiteboard, almost as though he were a college professor about to give a lecture. First, he drew a plain filled-in circle on the board before surrounding it with symbols that represent the six elements: earth, fire, water, wind, light and darkness. Once he was done, he began his lecture to the class.

"To get things started, everyone possesses some degree of magic within their bodies, and it can be found in the environment. Whether a person has the aptitude to be a mage is determined upon their birth. Next there's elemental affinity. Every person, whether they are human, demon, fairy or twili, are born with an elemental affinity. This affinity will affect what kinds of magic you can practice, especially if you possess the aptitude to be a mage, mainly your offensive spells. Your affinity cannot be changed unless you are reincarnated, but even that is fifty percent chance of even happening, let alone factoring in the low chances of reincarnation itself. As an example of affinity, Asuna possesses a water affinity, making her ideal for support and healing."

"Does that mean healing magic is limited to only water mages?" Takumu questioned, to which Marth shook his head.

"No, that is actually a common misconception. Many believe that in order to use healing magic, one must be able to use either water or light magic, but that's actually not the case at all," he explained. "Healing magic is classified as a separate type of magic, and it can be used by anyone provided they have the aptitude to be mages. If healers were confined to only practitioners of either water or light magic, especially the latter, then that would cause a terrible imbalance between the magic power of the main races."

"What do you mean by that?" Kuroba asked, looking terribly confused.

The demon prince cracked a small smile, showing a rare sign of excitement. "A rather good question if I must say so. This one requires a bit more backstory, so please bear with me." In anticipation of the next part of his lecture, Marth drew two more circles (which were meant to represent souls), with the circle of his right having the symbol of light within it while the left circle had the symbol of darkness. "The first soul represents the fairy race, while the second represents the demons. Because they were created by the goddesses of light and darkness respectively, all of them possess the proper affinity to use magic of that element. However, to compensate for this, how strong that affinity is will vary from person to person. Also, because they are creatures of light, no fairy can be born with a dark affinity and vice versa with the demons. Now do you all see the issue of having healing magic confined to just light and water magic?"

Oh, Kuroba could already see the issue crop up. In most RPGs and anime, practically all the healing spells were categorized as light magic, with the occasional water spells here and there. However, with this magic system, such a limitation would be a terrible handicap. Even if the strength of their light affinity may vary, this limitation would make the fairies the most dominant race on the planet as humans would have to pray that they manage to have enough light or water mages (the former being rare among their ranks) to serve as healers while demons could only have water mages as healers due to their own race's limitations. Even someone as inexperienced as her in magecraft knew just how vital healing magic served in combat. She then voiced her thoughts, which caused the smile on Marth's face to widen.

"That's exactly right. Which is why healing magic was developed into a separate category of magic instead of being confined behind the elemental affinities. Your skill in that field is instead determined by your prowess as a mage and how much practice you put into it. For example, as a healer, Kisara is second only to Asuna, with her able to use some of the high-level spells with ease, meanwhile I struggle with some of the most basic spells since I focus more on offensive-oriented spells."

That got a chuckle out of the entire group, even Yuniko. As it turns out, it takes a lot of dedication to become a healer. It arguably takes more training than for any of the elemental spells, which is why most mages don't practice their healing arts as it would take time away from mastering their specific element. Having two healers (not even factoring in Rias and Elaine) within the Harbingers could not be overstated enough.

Things were starting to come together in Kuroba's mind, like the pieces of a puzzle. Still, there were a few questions about the magic system still plaguing her.

"Is it possible for someone to be born with more than one elemental affinity?" she asked, bringing one of those questions to light.

"Actually, yes. While not as common, it is possible for someone to be born with multiple elemental affinities, typically two. Also, keep in mind that for demons and fairies, we do not factor in their light and dark affinities since those are practically built into their genetics. In terms of someone possessing multiple affinities, the first one who comes to mind is Rias, as she possesses the ability to use fire, water and wind magic. Thanks to her talent in the mystic arts, she's considered to be the second strongest demoness to ever live, and one of the strongest sorceresses."

The second strongest? After getting properly crushed by the Crimson Sorceress a few times in training matches, none of which seeing Kuroba land even a scratch on the demoness's figure, it was admittedly intimidating to hear that there was someone who surpassed even someone like Rias, who was a demon lord. However, the Black King had an idea who this person was, and as if he were reading her mind, Marth soon said the name of the person in question.

"I doubt this is to anyone's surprise, but the strongest demoness in Eternus's history was me and Kisara's birthmother, Altena Umbris." The way he said the Pride Lord's name sounded remorseful. It brought a pain to Kuroba's heart, but she then watched him shrug off his sorrow to continue with the lecture. "Part of what made Altena so strong was that she was able to control all four of the main elements, an extremely rare gift and known as total affinity. In fact, there are only two other people who possess such an affinity: The Fairy Queen Anthiese Arnor and the twili sorceress Roselia le Fay, otherwise known as the Blood Moon Witch."

Only three people were ever recorded with having a total affinity? To call such a gift rare was an understatement, never mind the fact that one of them had died seven thousand years ago. Hearing the mention of the word "twili" again brought bit of a stir among the class, which Fuko addressed by asking the differences between twilis and the other races.

In case it wasn't obvious, twili was clearly taken from the word "twilight". It was the general term for children produced from the union of a fairy and demon. Given that both races hate each other, such children were rare and fell under heavy discrimination, with the fairies shunning them while demons would even go so far as to hunt them for sport. Even the parents weren't better treated as most of them would be executed for birthing a "freak". It was very rare for a twili to survive adolescence.

However, as if in a cruel twist of irony, some of the best mages in history were actually the offspring between the two races. Most twilis were born with a high aptitude for magic, had a minimum of at least two affinities, and had the potential to either use light or dark magic (sometimes both). With that in consideration, it made Kuroba wonder how Roselia fared against Altena and Anthiese, who were the strongest of their respective races. Supposedly the trio had a battle royale to decide who was stronger a long time ago, but the outcome was never recorded. Although those very same records did make note that the battle apparently lasted for an entire week and nearly brought ruin to an entire nation. How true those claims were though were still a subject to debate even today.

However, while she was overwhelmed with the amount of information she just learned, there was still one question she still needed to be answered, and it was arguably the most important one. Without it, she might not be able to make sense of what she saw in the Accelerated World.

"Is it possible for a person to gain another elemental affinity after birth?"

Silence befell the apartment once more. After a few moments, Marth nodded his head in confirmation. "Yes, there is a way for someone to gain an affinity outside of reincarnation, but the method is kinda complex. Medusa, can you take over for this last part?"

There was no doubt in Kuroba's mind that her protégé was more than qualified to explain these specific circumstances. However, because he was still in training, he wanted someone more familiar with the concept to take over the explanation.

"Of course, little brother." All eyes gazed at the snake goddess as she made her way over to the demon prince. "As Marth mentioned, it is possible for a person to gain an affinity without reincarnating." Snapping her fingers crisply, a purple magic circle appeared on the virtual board, its runes and design extremely intricate. "This is the spell, Transference. As the name implies, it allows the user to transfer their elemental affinity to another person. However, it does not stop at that as it grants the receiver all the knowledge and skills the user has with that element. Overall, it seems like a rather broken spell."

"I'm sensing a but coming up," Kazuto predicted.

Not minding the interruption, the minor deity nodded her head and continued with, "But there are a few handicaps built into the spell. Because of how easily it can be used when in the wrong hands, a variety of safeguards were built into the spell. First, the user and the receiver will be connected via a spiritual link. Think of it like a cellphone receiving signals from a satellite. The receiver draws on their own magical energy to cast spells, but they need to maintain that link with the user in order to use their new elemental spells. If one of them dies, like say the receiver kills the user to try to keep their affinity, the link is severed, and they lose that affinity. Secondly, both participants must freely give their consent to use the spell, without any coercion whatsoever. Thirdly, they need to have a strong bond with each other, otherwise the link will never hold, and the spell will break."

"Wow. They sure didn't pull any punches with that transfer spell," Yuniko commented.

"It was necessary in order to ensure that a tyrant mage king could never emerge. Think about it, if you managed to steal the powers of Altena, Anthiese or any one of the of the top spellcasters, just how much destruction could you cause with those powers? In the wrong hands, that single spell could bring about the end of the world. Thankfully, because of those safeguards, Transference has hardly seen use, much less in that manner. Spells can be modified if you're skilled enough, but this one was purposefully designed to fail if changed in anyway, which is another safeguard."

"Sheesh," Shino muttered slowly. "Talk about going overboard. So is that why Marth is able to use fire magic? Because he used the Transference spell?"

All three siblings looked a little hesitant to answer. It would be Kisara would speak up in her brother's stead.

"We don't actually know why he has a fire affinity. We know that he didn't receive it from reincarnating, but as to how he got it otherwise, that part's not exactly clear. We discovered it by accident during a mission in Farondis, where Marth nearly destroyed a mountainside with his flames. Mom had Elaine test the magical signature of his fire to see if we can determine its origins and we're waiting to hear back from her. The most we do know about those flames right now…aren't particularly good."

Just hearing that last sentence made Kuroba's stomach curl up and her blood run cold.

According to a legend passed down in Eternus, fire that was color of black was the sign of the apocalypse. Anything they touched would be scorched without remorse, the land horribly scarred and unable to recover. Wounds caused by these flames were nearly impossible to heal. Only the best healers would have a chance at healing such cursed wounds. Even the gods were fearful of them. The demons had a name for these flames, a name that they don't use lightly.

The Flames of Destruction.

To make matters worse, the last time those flames were seen was seven thousand years ago, during the climax of the War of Light and Shadow. If they have truly returned, then things were more dire than everyone thought. There was still no explanation as to why Marth possessed them though. Was it because of his position as the Wrath Lord and subsequently the next Lord of Calamity? No, according to Medusa, none of the previous Wrath Lords could produce the cursed flames. However, whenever Marth did use those flames, it did speed up the corruption of his curse so there might be some connection.

Still, it didn't change the fact that it was troubling to hear that the boy she loved possessed such a dangerous magic. There was so much they didn't know, the answers locked behind their missing memories. The key to unraveling this whole mystery was locked behind what happened that fateful day seven thousand years ago.

She could only hope that their memories will return before they reach the point of no return.


Marth suddenly emerged from a magic circle and found himself standing before the entrance of a large forest. The skyline was a deep starry blue, the grass and leaves bioluminescent with a similar color. The inside of the forest was absolutely in a thick fog and shadow, with barely any light trickling from above. He couldn't make out anything from just few feet under the thick tree line. Far in the distance of the woods was an enormous tree that pierced the heavens, its massive and jagged branches stretching out in every direction.

Fraxinus, one of the World Trees, which looked as breathtaking as ever. If it was here, then this was indeed the Darkwood Forest. That new teleportation spell he and his mother had been working on the last two years had worked as intended. Previously you needed to set waypoints in order to teleport, but they can be easily destroyed if you know what you're looking for, or worse, serve as a backdoor into your stronghold. This made teleporting not very efficient but research on better ways was stagnant as it was not an easy spell to cast. Even with waypoints locking in your destination's coordinates for you, one slipup in the casting could send far from your destination, like getting stuck in a cliffside or falling into a volcano. It was much safer for even fairies and demons to just use vehicles or flight magic for travel.

This improved version of the spell, codenamed "Gate", instead drew on the caster's memories of a location they've been to before and use that as a reference point to transport. As long as you had a clear idea of where your destination was, you could warp there with no issue. You could even warp people next to you if you so wished. The only downside is that you need to be an expert spellcaster to perform it, not to mention that the spell itself is a glutton for mana.

As a demon lord and an expert mage, Marth had a much higher capacity for mana than normal, but even he can't get too reckless with Gate unless he wanted to black out from mana deficiency. That being said, he didn't come to Eternus alone, so he hand picked which Harbingers who will accompany him into these woods and witness something incredible. In fact, he could already hear them arriving now.

"Wow. That turned out better than I expected."

"I knew we would be alright. After all, my master is not one who puts his subordinates in unnecessary danger."

"You sure like to place a lot of faith in Marth. Then again, he is one of the seven demon lords."

"Anyone else feeling a little dizzy? The world seems to be spinning where I'm standing."

"Ha-ha. If that's how you feel, Kuroba, then perhaps you should stay here or go back to Earth. After how long you spent with Marth in the Accelerated World, I think I'm due for some alone time with him."

"Very funny, Fuko. Speaking of which, you're looking a little unsteady on your feet. Maybe Kisara should carry you, or better yet, you go back to the apartment and take a nap."

While he had no idea what the two fairies were arguing about, he couldn't help but find their little fights somewhat amusing (at least when they weren't actively trying to make him feel flustered). Just seeing them interact like regular people made him glad that he was able to help them reunite and make up. He still didn't know what had caused the two Burst Linkers to have their falling out, but he wasn't going to push for an answer, he respected them too much to do otherwise. They'll tell him when they were ready.

In case it wasn't obvious, the people Marth selected to accompany him were Kisara, Cynthia, Kirito, Fuko and Kuroba. This was his first time transporting more than one person with Gate (his second test subject obviously being his loyal familiar), so he was glad to see that they all arrived relatively sound. The dizziness Kuroba mentioned earlier was an expected side-effect from the spell. Luckily it was one you can become immune too once you've had enough experience with the spell.

They were all dressed in their combat attire. Kirito's (big shocker) outfit was entirely black, with a twin-tailed overcoat with white fur around the popped collar, fingerless gloves, leather boots and all. He looked a lot like his Spriggan avatar from Alfheim Online. Before they had departed, he had mentioned something about wanting to recreate his blackwyrm coat from SAO. That was a big deal, considering that was the outfit of the Black Swordsman, a title that Kirito disliked.

"You and I both know that we won't get anywhere by running from our past," he had said to his best friend. "If you're willing to become the Dark Swordsman again by doing this, then I'll take on being the Black Swordsman once more. We're a team after all. We support each other, no matter what happens."

It was certainly comforting having someone like Kirito by his side. He was the closest thing he had for a brother. He helped to keep Marth grounded, especially when he did things the human swordsman frowned upon, otherwise his own darkness might have consumed him long ago. It was largely because of him that the demon prince had such faith in his plan's endgame.

Now then, back to Fuko and Kuroba. The brunette's attire was largely similar to what she wore in her past life. The bodysuit perfectly accented her features, like her bust, giving her a rather seductive appearance, while also not restricting her movements. As for the Black King, she opted instead for a black Eastern style dress that opened from the left of her waist, revealing the dark purple pants underneath, a black undershirt with long sleeves, with matching gloves and heeled boots. Around her waist as also a purple belt, no doubt for her sword once she reclaims it.

As for why Kuroba chose that style for her combat outfit, she wanted to honor Japanese depictions of Eastern swordfighters as despite being a reincarnation of fairy royalty, she was born in Japan. Honestly, the look suited her. It made her stand out from Celine and Yuuki, giving the Black King her own identity. Not to mention, it looked very comfortable and easy to move around in. Supposedly Scathach was already making an improved version of Kuroba's combat attire, but she'll have to earn it if she wanted to wear it. Marth himself had seen a glimpse of it and he definitely couldn't wait to see Kuroba in it. It was an outfit fit for a princess, but that was a story for another day.

Clearing his throat, Marth prepared to address his comrades as the effects of Gate faded away. "Alright. We'll be making our way into the Darkwood Forest. This goes without saying but don't wander off from the group. If you get separated, there's a high probability that you'll end up dead and we won't be able to find you. Luckily for us, I know how to safely navigate this place, so stick close to me and you'll be fine."

Oh, he regretted his choice of words because the moment they stepped foot below the tree line, Kuroba and Fuko immediately closed in and wrapped themselves tightly around his arms. It was an amusing sight for the observers, but it was rather annoying for the guide.

"What?" the brunette asked innocently, making sure to take ample advantage of her bigger breasts by pressing them against the demon prince's arm. "You said 'stick close'. Well, I'm not taking any risks whatsoever."

"A-and I'm afraid of the dark," Kuroba added with a fake stutter. "You wouldn't send a scared young woman away, would you?"

"Ugh. Leave it to you two to find some way to make a joke out of this." Did they not see just how dangerous these woods are? Hundreds, if not thousands, of people have gotten lost and tied underneath these trees, all of whom seeking to claim the treasure that lies within. It was no exaggeration to call the Darkwood Forest a cursed place.

A beastly howl echoed in the air, sounding reminiscent of a wolf. Supposedly there were rumors of monsters dwelling here, but Marth rarely encountered them. None of them were particularly strong and the routes he took generally avoided their trails. Still, that didn't mean he could lower his guard. With the lack of proper lighting, this was the ideal place to set up an ambush.

Using fire magic or torches to light the way was dangerous too, as that would draw in the creatures dwelling in this place regardless of the path you take. Thankfully, night vision spells worked here, and Kirito was rather skilled at it thanks to his moderate affinity for dark magic (though he preferred using rune magic as opposed to the traditional form). However, night vision only really countered the terrible lighting of perpetual dark of the forest. There was still the thick fog that hindered their visibility.

It was as thick as pea soup, making it hard for one to see even a few feet in front of them. It would be easy to get lost in this soup. A shame this fog was a permanent feature of this forest, otherwise it would look rather beautiful thanks to the glimmering leaves and grass. Luckily, he has just the spell to reduce such an annoying feature.

Though it took some effort, he managed to get one of his arms free from the clingy fairies and unleashed the wind spell Defog, creating multiple blades of wind and unleashing them into the immediate area. As the name implies, it is a spell to dissipate fog, however it worked rather unusually within areas like the Darkwood Forest. Typically, the spell worked by dispelling all the fog within a ten-mile radius (sometimes farther depending on the skill of the caster), however in places like the Darkwood Forest, only the immediate area would be affected, the max perimeter being around seven meters. Thankfully the perimeter moved alongside the caster, so the spell won't need to be recast unless it wears off on its own or the caster runs out of magical energy.

With Marth's current reserves, he should have more than enough to navigate through the woods. Still, something feels different from his previous visits. The forest felt more agitated, as if it was angry at something. At first, he thought about it being mad at Fuko and Kuroba since they were fairies, ergo beings of light invading the territory of the darkness, but that explanation didn't feel right. Just what was going on here?

"Master, look over there," Cynthia said suddenly, pointing towards a certain direction.

Right underneath the trunk of a twisted tree was a thin wooden stick, the end of it charred and burnt. It was a torch. Someone else had entered the Darkwood Forest, and there was only one reason why anyone would enter this frightful place.

"Marth," Kirito said cautiously, already summoning projections of his beloved swords.

"I know. We're not alone here. We need to hurry. Sophia may be in danger."

And with that, the group hasten their trek within the darkened woods. Strangely enough, they didn't encounter anyone, neither Lemure nor humanoid, as they dashed. That wasn't reassuring as it was possible that the intruders had already arrived at the shrine.

After what felt like an eternity, the group suddenly found themselves at a large clearing within the sea of trees. The edges of the tree line were surrounded by worn walls made of black stone. Scattered across the clearing were the weathered remains of buildings made of the same material, a stone path line connecting them. It looked almost like the remnants of a small village, one that had existed a long time ago. No matter how many times he sees this place, he couldn't help but feel a sense of loneliness. Supposedly this was the first place that Sophia destroyed during her rampage before she was sealed within the Lunaris, but Marth had some doubts about the authenticity of that legend. Regardless, how many people lived here when this village was at its prime? What were they like?

Looking down upon them and the ruins was the gigantic cobalt blue Fraxinus, which has stood there since time immemorial. That World Tree is considered to be the guardian of the Darkwood Forest, with it even having its own conscience, though Marth has yet to speak with it himself. Nothing happens in these woods without Fraxinus knowing about it. Needless to say, the tree was the protector of the Lunaris. Although, given Sophia's personality and her skills, it was debatable if she even needed protecting.

Pushing the thought aside, Marth briskly made his way deeper into the ruins, ignoring the warnings of his comrades. He had to know if his partner was safe. Soon he reached the edge of the town, right under the watch of the World Tree. Up the mini-stairway and surrounded by weathered columns, he saw it.

A jet-black longsword with red accents on the blade, the tip resting in the stone plinth. A wing-shaped cross guard that opened towards the pommel, a diamond-cut ruby embedded in the center. Even from this distance, he could feel the immense power within it, the primordial power of darkness. The ultimate demonic sword. The only weapon capable of rivaling Excalibur.

"Lunaris," he said slowly. It was relief to see that his beloved sword was okay. Still, he was not so lost to his nostalgia to lower his guard so easily. He gave his friends a hand signal to keep a look out while he retrieved the ultimate demonic sword, to which they wordlessly acknowledged, summoning their weapons and getting into flanking positions.

Meanwhile Marth slowly made his way to the black sword. It seemed to react in his presence, with the way the blade was lighting up and darkness welling up from beneath it. Bracing himself for what is to come, he placed both hands onto the hilt, and began to pull up.

Almost immediately, his body flared with pain, the power of the divine weapon flowing within him. It hurt like hell, almost like he had taken a dip in molten magma, but strangely enough, it felt like good pain. It was like he was welcoming an old friend, one that he hadn't seen in a long time, and in a way, that is exactly what he was doing. Everyone watched in awe as the demonic sword began to slow slide out of its plinth, pulsing with purple light with each slight movement.

Soon the blade came free and the pain he felt came to a halt, as if it had never happened. The Lunaris shined beautifully with purple light. It felt just right in his hands, as if it was meant for him alone. Feeling uncharacteristically giddy, he swung the demonic sword three times, as though felling invisible assailants. Once his impulse swings were down, he brought his sword arm to rest by his waist.

Applause could be heard from his friends.

"Congratulations, Marth," Kirito said in excitement, still keeping an eye out for any unwelcome guests. "That's one more divine weapon in our arsenal."

"No kidding," Fuko added. "Do we really need any more of the divine weapons when we've got the Lunaris in our arsenal? It is one of the strongest weapons in existence after all."

"Maybe, but having more of them wouldn't hurt," Kisara replied. "Mom messaged me saying that she's got a surprise for Kirito when she gets back. I'm willing to bet that Elaine got her hands on another divine weapon."

"Excellent," the Black King voiced with a smile. "Once we retrieve the rest of our old weapons, we'll be that much closer to fulfilling Marth's grand plan."

And I will lend all my strength to see your vision realized.

A flash of purple light shot from the Lunaris. A beautiful young woman materialized next to the demon prince. Long black hair with red highlights tied back in a braid. Dazzling ruby eyes. Pale skin. A slim black dress that accented her bust and cleavage, revealing parts of her arms and legs. Matching tights and heeled boots. Silver bracelets wrapped around her wrists. A diamond-cut ruby located just under her collar.

"Hello again, my master," Sophia said with a smile, revealing her dazzling pearl-white teeth. "It's about time you came back for me."

To be continued


Okay, not exactly how I wanted to end this chapter but explaining the magic system took longer than intended. I could have made it easier on myself and explained it earlier on in the story, but none of those instances felt relevant with the topic (which is ironic coming from me given that I have a habit of going into tangents to explain certain character backstories). Part of why I waited so long to explain how magic worked in this universe was because most of the fighting Marth and the others did was in Brain Burst, which works differently than how the real world does. Hopefully the next chapter manages to tie up the remaining parts of this arc while building into the next one (hint, it's not the Seiji arc that's next; it's an arc set in Eternus). But hey, at least Marth finally has his divine weapon again, with how he got it back totally not being a reference to a certain game series. Anyway, that's all I wanted to say. See you guys next time!