Chapter 4 - "Cursed Manor and First Love"

"But I tell you that she saw it!" (Eva)

"Yeah, yeah..." (Shun)

*Blam*

"Buarg!" (Shun) Those strange sound kinda became a habit... Goddamn you werebear...

"You don't believe me!" (Eva)

"Arg! Stop doing that!" (Shun)

Hello there, it's Shun, I'm now Ten years old and right now I'm arguing with my five years old sister who have the bad habit of using magic to make me faceplant the floor. I started training to resist it, but when she attack me without warning I still kiss the floor...

"It's not like you seen it with your own eyes!" (Shun)

"Are you saying my best friend is lying?!" (Eva)

"No I'm only saying that fear must have made Clara imagine things." (Shun)

As I finished my line my sister once again attacked me using magic, but this time I seen it coming and stood my ground using all my strength to stay standing.

"He he, don't think it will always work!" (Shun)

"In my name, elemental of water do my binding and become the arrow that strike my enemy, Aqua blast!" (Eva)

Holy cow! Furious, my tempest of a sister launched at me a ball made of water, but those kind of attack are something I can easily evade, and I did, by doing a half step to the side. But if I was a normal Ten years old kid that could have seriously killed me as testify the wall behind me who look like a mess.

"Are you trying to kill me?!" (Shun)

"Humph!"(Eva)

Apparently furious that I dared to dodge her magic, my little sister turned around while puffing her cheek in a cute way and crossed her arms, making a point that she was really angry.

*Sigh* "Fine I will go and see if it's really there, so go to mother who must be waiting for you to start your lesson." (Shun)

I'm really spoiling her...

"Yes! I knew you would do it if I asked! You the best bro!" (Eva)

She said while hugging me, showing a bright smile. Seeing that, I couldn't help but spoil her, but didn't she just said something that made it clear she is using me? What a fearsome little girl! Even though she's an adult inside... Yeah I forgot to mention it, as it took a long time for my father to get the birthcard for her. She's also a champion, you certainly wonder what are the chance for a family to give birth to two high blessed beings? None, it's just that the one who blessed Eva, the god of water Xenesio, is also an eternal rival of Ymylfana and choose this family to birth Eva, as to mess with his rival... Seriously are all gods such bastards?

But at least I got a lot of information by sharing with her our experience at meeting deity, first, it seem that every champion are from my world, since every ones of them are reincarnated being, the gods can only take dying soul from my world with no gods, as they have a rule that say they can't mess with souls of there one world and the ones of other gods. It's seem that rule was created before my world was know and was to make it so gods don't play with mortals soul...

Yup the one who made the rule seriously screwed up there, why he didn't just made a rule that make it so that gods can't play with mortals soul apart from doing their job and clean them, that my friend, will stay a mystery...

That and I also learned what a champion was supposed to do, it seem our only job is to gain fame for ourself, so they can gain mortals faiths in return, it's look like gods are in a constant war over the numbers of devotes they have to their cult. But is seem like Eva quite doubt that as it seem her god who was also a nutcase tried to evade the question quite a lot before giving her that answer.

Anyway her being a reincarnate soul explain how she was able to use magic this well so soon, but that also mean she messed with me, not out of childish innocence but clearly out of sadistic impulse. Goddammit if only she wasn't such a cute little sister...

"I'm counting on you!" (Eva)

"Yeah, yeah, now go..." (Shun)

After making clear that she wouldn't accept any failure from me, she ran to the second floor where my mother was waiting for her to continue teaching her magic and necessary knowledge like how to read and write this world language, that our blessing don't give us. But mother was it really necessary to teach her such scary spells at her age? I guess that seeing me hunt since I was able to walk kinda make a point, that kid in this family needed to learn how to defend themselves at a young age... Wait, doesn't that mean it's my fault?

Anyway let me tell you the mission my sister entrusted me... It's ghost hunting, well to be precise it's to restore the honor of my little sister best friend. Let me explain, two day ago my sister who love to go to the closest village to play with her friends, find out that her best friend, Clara, a seven years old young villager, was being insulted and ignored by the others kids. As to why, it's because the day before while playing in the wood, west of the village who are much safer than the one close to the mansion, the little girl got lost, while searching the way back she found an abandoned manor hidden in the wood. That manor was quite know in the neighborhood, and rumors of it being cursed was running in the village, curious and completely forgetting she was lost, the little girl approached the manor, but as she was, she saw the ghost of a young girl by the window.

She then ran away in a panic and finally found her way back to the village, and of course she told to everyone in the village that she saw a ghost. The villager took the matter seriously because of the rumor, and rushed to the manor as to verify the truth and to know if they had to ask the service of an exorcist to clean the manor from a foul soul. It's well know in this world that it's never good to have a vengeful spirit near your home, but of course on the site the villagers didn't found even a trace of a ghost and was quite pissed at the commotion the lie of the little girl provoked. And that why I now got the task to clean the good name of my sister friend inspecting the manor myself and get proof that she didn't lie.

Frankly, it's a bother... I really don't have any motivation since it's for Clara and I don't like her, she is a haughty bitch who love to play prank and insult others, it's no wonder people easily thought she was lying... So now why should I walk for two hour for a dumb kid who just reap what she sow? Well since my little sister asked me, I can't say no... I'm seriously starting to wonder if I'm not a siscon? Well then let's equip myself and go.

So I armed myself with my saber and wore my chainmail, that I haven't stole this time, my parents seeing, after the werebear incident, that they couldn't stop me from doing whatever I wanted, they decided that I should at least wear good equipment, so my father gave two piece of is old equipment, who was a 2 ft long pirate looking saber with an enchantment that made the blade harder to broke and a chainmail who is enchanted to fit the wielder, perfect equipment for a kid.

And after taking something to eat on the road, I departed and arrived to the said manor after running for a hour, I didn't want to waist more time that I should on this, and because of my daily training I wasn't even short of breath. Anyway what can I say about the manor other that it's quite creepy, it's no wonder that there such rumor for this place with a look like that. At the two side of the fence door who opened to the front garden, was two ugly looking gargoyle, the said front garden looked like something close to a marsh, with wild plants who were crawling out of tainted water and insects who were flying in a dark mass everywhere.

"..." (Shun)

Okay let's walk back and say I found nothing, yup that's a good plan! It's not that I'm afraid mind you, it's just that it's really to much of a bother to investigate this place who was dirty, smelly and freakin' big.

But then I saw in my blind spot a shadow move behind the second floor window...

"Fuck, now I'm curious..."

My curiosity being my new found motivation I entered the garden, and if the smell wasn't enough, insects started to bite me, so I slapped the hell out of them with my brutal strength.

I became much more stronger since my fight with the werebear and became quite the warrior, right now my strength is enough to raise a boulder with a weight of 200 Kg (440lb) with no difficulty, yeah even though I'm only ten years old I'm now far more stronger that I was in my previous life. But strangely and hopefully even with a body with that much strength it look like I'm not growing to have a gorilla body and keep a slender figure, I wonder how it work, is that a effect of the champion blessing?

Finally reaching the door after my struggle against the insects army,I slowly opened it and looked through a small gap and entered slowly while unsheathing the saber at my side, I walked silently in the entrance who was an enormous hall with a giant staircase who seemed to split in two to the two side of the room, on the wall where the staircase split, was hanged a humongous painting who showed a happy family smiling while taking a pose.

That's weird, since I entered here I have this strange feeling I really should search this place yet should not, what with the contradiction?

"Hello!"

Will I was looking around a voice suddenly called to me, surprising the hell out of me since I didn't felt any presence.

I turned around in a panic to look at the origin of the voice and saw a young girl who was looking down at me from the top of the stairs.

But then, as I saw the girl my mind blanked and my heart started to hurt like someone was holding it, she had a petite 5ft tall tanned body and looked around 13-14~ Years old, bright long messy red hair, who looked liked like a branching river of red fire, beautiful big red eyes with and from the two jewels sprouted two long eyelash who looked like angel feathers, even her beautiful dress was red. From her description she clearly looked like someone I knew but my mind wasn't registering it or to be more precise I didn't want to acknowledge it and so I hid the thought in a part of my brain. Like you certainly understood from my reaction and my description of her, I fallen in love with her at first sight.

As I was braindead while gazing at the beautiful girl she descended the stair from where she was standing while humming, clearly in quite a good mood. But it was quite strange as it seemed like she was there yet not. Is she really a ghost?

"Are you okay?" (Beautiful girl)

Seeing that I was still absentmindedly looking at her, she giggled while saying that.

"Ah? Uh! Yes I'm okay! Sorry to worry you! By the way I'm Shun, could I have the honor of knowing your name?!"

Clearly panicking from those aliens feelings I talked in a strange fashion.

"Hihihi. My name is Mysty, and I must say I am quite pleased to finally make your acquaintance!"

Mysty, uh? That's a mysterious name who really fit her. But didn't she just say something strange right now? Oh well...

"I see, can I ask you what you are doing in this place Mysty? It sure don't look like you are living here." (Shun)

"Oh but I do live here. But against my will." (Mysty)

Saying that her smile disappeared from her now sad face.

"Huh?! What do you mean?! Is someone else here holding you prisoner?!" (Shun)

It doesn't make sense. She is clearly free from any restrain so how would someone keep her here?

"No this place hold a curse, that hold me here..." (Mysty)

Talking about it seemed to be quite difficult to her as she made an even sadder face while saying that. Looking at her making such face really hurt me, I must do something to change that!

"Is there any way to free you from it?!" (Shun)

Hearing that she did a total 180° and showed a bright smile as if she was waiting for me to say that.

"Why yes! Please follow me!" (Mysty)

I then follow after her who was rapidly walking as if she couldn't waste any second or afraid I change my mind. She then brought me to a library on the second floor, and pointed a finger at a book.

"Please pull this book!"

Following her instruction I pulled the book who seemed to be attached to something and activated a mechanism with a *clunk*

*RRRRRRrrrrrrr...*

While making a lot of noise a part of the bookshelf holding the book opened like a door, showing a hidden stair who was going upstairs.. Secret stairs behind a bookshelf who can be opened by pulling a book... Talk about originality.

The girl then ran up the stairs and I followed after her, up the stairs was a big room dimly lit by what looked like a complex magic circle, where in the middle of it was floating a sword, it was a giant of a sword who looked like it was made of a unique huge piece of red metal of 5,5 ft including the handle, with a long range of saw like teeth on one side while the other side was blunt. But the strangest thing here is that my heart once again while looking at the sword ached like falling in love a second time, yet all I felt was a unique love, like the girl and the sword were two being yet one. It look like I felt a lot of contradictions since I enter this manor and my feelings are a mess.

"Please touch the sword."

As Mysty instructed me I advanced while raising my arm as to touch the blade, but as I was about to touch it, all my sense rang an alarm in mind.

I shouldn't touch it, if I do, I'm going to get eaten.

"Please touch it!" Seeing as I stopped in my track Mysty pushed me to touch it.

Stop, I need to think, I need to think about all the thing i put aside from being love struck.

First: I know there're two old memories in my mind that hint as to the situation, my birthcard and Ymylfana. Why does Mytsy look like a younger version of Ymylfana? The fact that the cursed blades are the daughters of the blade deity look like a big hint here...

Well from those hints it's already quite obvious, but I don't want to acknowledge it! Let's continue, there must be something that go against that logic.

Secondly: The ghost incident, after the villagers heard about a ghost they all came here to look for clues, yet didn't find anything and sure as hell didn't find any young girl who was prisoner of this manor. Why would she hide from them when she could ask for their help...

Goddamn it, i really don't like where those hint are pointing to!

Thirdly: Why did she said that she was happy to 'finally' make my acquaintance, like she has already heard of me and was waiting for me.

Shit... Seeing as I couldn't ignore it anymore I turned around to look at her.

"You're a cursed blade right?" (Shun)

Hearing my accusation, she gasped, before making a troubled face.

"So you found out huh... But it doesn't matter!" (Mysty)

"Uh?!" Seeing as she made once again a total 180° she showed me a bright smile and started talking excitedly.

"You're our husband that mother choose for us with her own hands! Hold me! Let's become one and devour the blood of our victims!" (Mysty)

Well, that was a really erotic choices of words, and I can't say I felt nothing from that... But she was seriously starting to get scary.

"Please! Let me devour your soul and become one!" (Mysty)

Holy cow, now that's totally creepy! Yet I found her even more beautiful even while looking crazy, I'm seriously the crazy one. Because of her plea I almost touched the blade but my instinct was clearly telling me that I wasn't strong enough to wield her. I didn't have any choice... RUN! I turned around and started to run like hell was after me.

"Nooo! Please wait!" Saying that, Mysty tried to grip me while crying, but her hands passed right through me.

Like I thought... I found it strange that she could walk around in human form while her real body was sealed, so her current human form must be a projection or a illusion.

"No! Please stop! Don't leave me!"

I could heard crying plea coming from behind me, but I didn't turn around, because I knew that if I did I wouldn't be able to leave her. Goddamn it!!!

I finally exited the building but stopped in front of the door, I turned around and looked at my pursuer who couldn't leave this building, as if to prove my determination I looked straight at her eyes, she was quite the mess with tears and snot running out of her beautiful eyes and charming little nose, seriously how could such a messed up sword could even make that kind of face?

"Hey cursed blade!" (Shun)

Surprised she looked back at me wondering what I was going to say...

"I won't let anyone else have you! So wait here and sit on your pretty ass, while I train to get strong enough to wield you!" (Shun)

Shocked at my word Mysty had a stupid look on her face like she couldn't believe what she just heard, but then she slowly show a smile while sobbing.

"Yes... *Sob* Please don't make me wait for too long..." (Mysty)

Seeing as she received the message I turned around in a grand manner and said a famous cheesy line who was once said by a certain robot in a action movie.

"Humph... I'll be back!" (Shun the tsundere cyborg?)

I'm kinda embarrassed from what I just said but I don't show any sign of it on my face and return to the mansion, my mission accomplished and pretty mentally exhausted from my encounter with my first love and cursed blade...

"I'm back." (Shun)

"Welcome back! So did you find anything?!" (Eva)

Passing the front door my little sister was waiting for me, she probably see me come back from her bedroom window and couldn't wait to hear my report.

"I sure did, and there is really a ghost there." (Shun)

"I knew it!" (Eva)

"But!" I started to take a grave tone.

"The ghost is harmless as long as you leave it alone, tell this to all the villagers, they must leave it alone, and mustn't in any circumstance go there! And your are also included in that!" (Shun)

Eva seemed shocked at first as I never gave her orders or talked to her in such a tone, but she soon looked angry.

"Are you kidding me?! There is no way I leave something this interesting alone!" (Eva)

I looked straight at her eyes with a cold look.

"Then I will have to cut your feet tendons and confine you in the house."

Eva started to shiver as she understood I was serious from my low voice and cold glare. Since I never showed any dark emotion to her it must have been quite a shock and was speechless.

"I understand... Brother..." She finally responded while looking close to crying.

*Sigh* Feeling relief as I won't have to cripple my little sister, I gently caressed her hair, even though she's an adult inside she often show quite the childish reaction, or maybe I'm the abnormal one who can't adapt to his body?

Seeing that I wasn't cold anymore she shown me a little smile before hugging me while I was still stroking her hair, relieved that I was back to her gentle and doting big brother.