As Faela and Alonso crossed blades, Tetsuko focused, concentrating on two things at once. Part of her mind kept her energy at her handle to stop the ancient Celeste from poisoning her.

The other half of her slowed down the unconscious flow that coursed through her body naturally. Because of that, her edge became dull and could not even cut brittle paper.

Even so, her metal body was still a blade, a weapon. In the hands of a strong and skillful wielder like the worshiper, she could still be used to crush Faela’s bones if he landed a hit.

However, not only she wasn’t wounded, the soldier was stronger and even more skilled than Alonso was.

She dodged when she could and deflected Tetsuko when she couldn’t. And when neither were possible, Faela met the enemy’s dull weapon with her sword.

Tetsuko knew there was a limit to that though. Even someone like her will trouble to withstand the brute of a worshiper head on. And when his wounds heal completely, she’ll die.

I need to do something before that, Tetsuko though, forcing her mind to the limit to find a way to help Alonso. Not only for my wielder, but for the man who wielded me for the first time. I still remember Fael’s last request. To hear his story. And to tell the world, to his sister.

But what can I do?

Cooling half her energy to dull her edge and holding the ancient and dark Celeste at the same time was harder and more exhausting than she imagined. If Faela could at least hold him down for an instant…

The soul in the sword knew she was asking too much. She’s already doing everything she can to stop him.

As time passed, and his wounds healed, the worshiper pressed harder and harder against the soldier.

Faela wasn’t only in the defensive though. Whenever she found an opening in Alonso’s wild and enraged attacks, she didn’t miss the brief chance and struck. However, even though her weapon stabbed at the worshiper’s broken elbow or wounded shoulder, it only managed to get a scream from the enemy.

It wasn’t enough to slow him down anymore. And even worse, as the ancient Celeste rushed to heal the latest wound, it grew wilder and healed the old ones faster.

At this rate, she’ll die along with Alonso’s ember…

Despite the effort, Tetsuko closed her eyes and concentrated in her, in her metal body, in her soul. She could feel the energy inside her, still and cool at the edge and hard at the handle.

If I wanna help Alonso, I can’t just stop that poison. I need to do the same… To push back and take control… Just like when I moved his wrist for an instant.

Taking deep breaths in her mind, she tried to move her energy only in the center of her body. However, just as always, it flowed on the edge, sharpening her. At once she pulled back and made it slow down.

Even so, she wasn’t fast enough. In the same instant, Faela winced when she deflected Tetsuko. When the blade missed her, it slashed through the stone with ease instead of crushing as it had been so far.

Though the soldier glanced at it through the corner of her eyes, she was already facing the worshiper.

“Even with your soul taken by a monster, you still have your skill, my lord.” Despite her smile, her voice was strained. Even if she tried to hide it, she was panting.

Tetsuko couldn’t help but chuckle. Even in this situation, she can still smile. Guess she’s an idiot who enjoys this kind of fights, just like that idiot woman with one arm.

“You say taken over by a monster, but I’ve just been freed. That’s all,” Alonso said.

Tetsuko couldn’t help but notice her wielder’s voice was normal. There was no struggle for control anymore. But I’ll still fulfill his last wish. Even if he’s gone.

“Sorry, but I know Lord Alonso would never accept that kind of freedom that needs to take lives to spread. The proof of that is that mark on your chest.”

The demon mark on the worshiper’s chest was black and full of blisters, proof the mark had been forced on the lord and not accepted.

It’s like with Diego, according to Celia. But she said her father lost his mind the moment it appeared. Why Alonso wasn’t like that?

Tetsuko thought about it for a moment, but then she brushed it off her mind. There’s no time to waste thinking about that! I need to find a way to control my energy without sharpening my edge and still keeping the Celeste at bay!

As the soldier and the worshiper crossed blades, the soul in the sword went through her experience manipulating the Celeste that lies inside every living being.

From the moment I realized I had it… Everything I’ve learned…

Then she knew of a way.

I don’t know if it’ll work, but it’s better than nothing.

At once she sent part of her energy to her tip, keeping cool to avoid sharpening herself. Then Tetsuko brought it down to the end of her handle as fast as she could.

When her energy collided against the ancient one on the worshiper’s fingers, it pushed the Celeste back. It was only a little, like trying to drive away the darkness with the sparks from when she struck hot metal with a hammer. However, it enough to prove she could do it.

I just need to do it before he kills her, Tetsuko thought, feeling her blood rushing, even though she had no blood nor veins in her metal body. It’s like I’m trying to stab someone through a wall, but I can do it!

Alonso showed no reaction to what the soul in his sword was doing. He was too focused on killing Faela and healing his wounds. He didn’t even seem to notice there was a former human inside his weapon.

That’s perfect for me, then. She sent more of her energy to her tip and then brought it down. Once again she pushed the ancient Celeste that was possessing Alonso back. And once again it was almost nothing. Tetsuko barely managed to reach the joints of his fingers.

At this rate by the time I manage to get to the wrist, the fight will be long over and Faela will be dead…

But to push back this Celeste… Taking over the fingers will be hard enough as it is… The wrist will be impossible…

Tetsuko sent her energy at the tip once again, but instead of sending it down, she gathered. Gather and fold… Like you’re making an arrowhead. One that will pierce this foul Celeste…

In her mind, she saw her old human body holding a bow. I was never a good archer, she thought before she released an arrow, sending it to her base.

She pushed the Celeste back to the base of the fingers. At the same time, she felt her energy invading and taking over Alonso’s fingers for a moment.

The worshiper’s hand trembled and the hand loosened the grip around Tetsuko’s handle a little.

Faela noticed and tried to take advantage, slashing at the broken wound.

Alonso screamed in pain, tightened the grip and swung Tetsuko at her.

The soldier jumped back. In the air, she blocked it and was sent backward. When she landed, her face became pale; there was a crack on her sword.

Just like Tetsuko, Faela knew her weapon wouldn’t resist much longer. Three, maybe four attacks at best. We need to finish this soon.

She wasn’t the only one who realized that. Both Faela and Alonso could tell the fight was getting closer to the end.

The worshiper pressed on, swinging Tetsuko so fast she could feel herself cutting the wind.

The soldier gave up blocking or deflecting, focusing solely on dodging.

However, that wasn’t a fight she could afford to do that.

Tetsuko’s edge was getting closer and closer to her.

If she could at least hear my voice, we could work together… The soul in the sword shook her head in her mind. I can’t wish what I don’t have. It’s a waste of time. I need to figure out a way with what I can do now.

She was running out of time though.

Dodging all the time now was taking its toll on the soldier. Faela panted and sweated more than ever now. Then she had to block when Alonso swung his sword down at her collarbone. And that wasn’t the worst. Though she tried to hide it from her enemy, Tetsuko saw her hands trembling with the impact.

Damn it… The worshiper already realized and is now using my blunt edge in his advantage…

I need to take over Alonso’s fingers to make him drop me. Or at slow down a swing to create an opening for her.

And Tetsuko knew just how. In her mind, she flashed a tense smile. It’s gonna be like trying to bring a hammer down with all my strength to strike the metal gently…

But it’s the only way I can think of to help my dying wielder…

Tetsuko split the energy she wasn’t using to block the ancient Celeste from entering her body in two. One she sent to her tip, gathering and folding like an arrowhead again. The other she left in the balance center in her metal body.

Alonso swung her horizontally, aiming to slice Faela in two by the waist.

Not yet…

The soldier couldn’t dodge and had to block the weapon with her sword, making the crack expand.

The worshiper punched Faela, sending against the stone castle wall.

She lost the air in her lungs and gasped for air.

Alonso leapt. To the soldier’s and the soul in the sword’s astonishment, he placed the hand of the broken elbow on the handle and raised Tetsuko.

Crap! It’s healed!

Damn it! It’s now or never!

As the soul in the sword shouted in her mind, she shifted the energy at her center to the opposite edge. At the same time, she shot the arrowhead Celeste at the tip down.

It was little, but the energy on the edge shifted her weight distribution and destroyed the balance. However, it was enough to make Alonso lose strength in the attack.

At the same time, as her energy hit the ancient Celeste, she took control over the worshiper’s finger, loosening the grip.

The sword moved backward and when Alonso took his eyes off Faela to look at Tetsuko, the soldier thrust her arms. As the blade went through the worshiper’s heart, it broke.

Alonso widened his eyes and then fell backward. His sword landed next to him, the tip piercing the stone ground and staying up.

Panting and holding her right side, Faela looked at the worshiper.

As he died, Tetsuko could feel the ember burning brighter. It’s not like he’s getting stronger. It’s the darkness that’s leaving.

“Thank you, Faela,” Alonso said with a faint smile. “And thank you, Tetsuko.”

As he coughed blood, he looked at the starry sky.

“Faela, the fight’s not over. There are still worshipers… And they might even be worse than the Grand Priest,” the lord said in a weak voice, his eyes growing pale. “You need to warn the king… and stop those demon worshipers at any cost… Please…”

“Yes, my lord,” Faela said, bowing to the dying noble as best she could.

Alonso turned to Tetsuko by his side. “Thank you for helping me to the end… I know I wasn’t the best wielder, but still, hope I was good enough for you.”

You were. Thanks to you, I’m stronger.

“Good… Then please… help this Kingdom. Kill those worshipers and become stronger.” Alonso took a deep breath and looked at Faela. “Take my sword… Her name is Tetsuko… and she’ll help you… Trust her… If I had, maybe I wouldn’t have ended like this…”

The noble used the last of his strength to watch as Faela walked closer to the sword with a soul. When her fingers closed around the handle, he smiled, closed his eyes and rested his head on the ground.

In the next moment, the noble known was Alonso was truly dead.