The right sword shone with near flawlessness. The rust and corrosion had all but vanished. Nothing but a few hairline cracks remained near the guard, marking the last crackling remnants in the world. A bit more effort and the weapon would not only be perfectly mended but also have its destiny fulfilled. Without a doubt, March had done a lot in the time he was gone. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the weapon Dallion intended to enter.

“It’s not too late to change your mind,” the vice guild master said.

“How far has anyone gotten?” Dallion moved closer to the second blade. The patches of metal among the decay only made it look in a far worse condition than it was. There had to be more than crackling cities in that realm.

“They’ve gotten close to the first temple, from what I hear. Progress is less structured than during the first sword expeditions. It’s difficult to tell. When you go in, you’ll see what I have in mind.”

“In that case, let’s not keep anyone waiting.” Dallion placed a finger on the tip of the blade. “See you in a moment.”

WORLD ITEM AWAKENING

A bone cutting chill greeted Dallion as he entered the world. It was colder than anything he’d experienced in a while. Thankfully, Lux immediately appeared, wrapping Dallion in a layer of flames.

You are in the WORLD of AURA SWORD

Unseal all Temples to fulfill the WORLD’s destiny.

The vast hall Dallion had found himself in shared similar characteristics with the temple of the other sword he’d been in. Large columns filled the chamber, covered in long, extinguished torches. What seemed to be an abandoned altar could be seen a short distance away, the designs covering its side long faded with time.

“Why are all the swords so chilly?” Dallion asked, rubbing his hands.

That was the limit to our realm creation, the armadil shield replied. Creating a world came with its flaws, and time only made things worse. It was never intended for people to be trapped here for so long.

That was a painfully scary thing to say. Still, Dallion hoped against hope that everyone was wrong and that remnants of the dryad race would be found deeper inside.

Splitting into fifty instances, Dallion proceeded to explore the temple. What in the past would have taken him hours was done in a matter of minutes. Unfortunately, there was nothing of importance to be found. The few depictions of the Moons were faded, and while they appeared to include an Eighth Moon, there wasn’t enough detail to make any conclusions. Still, Dallion used the Vermillion ring to make copies, just in case.

Why do you keep wasting time with ancient mysteries? Nil asked.

“It’s my time to waste. Besides, time doesn’t pass here.”

Time passes in the mind, the old echo said. Diverting your attention dilutes your resolve. I thought you’d learned that lesson.

“Maybe. Sometimes distractions are a good thing, though.”

Dallion made his way to the temple’s outer door, then pushed it open. He was prepared to find himself in a frozen wilderness. What he saw, however, caught him off guard completely. Ice and snow continued for as far as the eye could see. However, unlike last time, the ice was pitch black. Plumes of black and reddish smoke rose into the sky, removing any trace of blueness. At that moment, Dallion immediately understood why the expedition was making such slow progress.

The cracklings had evolved and spread to such an extent that there was almost nothing left. It was a miracle in itself that the realm hadn’t been destroyed. Dallion could only assume that the guardians remained strong enough to guard their temples—the final defense the realm had. If there were any survivors of the former race, they had to be there.

A thick smell of ash and corroded metal filled the air, giving the impression that Dallion was in a chemical plant. In a way, he almost was. Large cities of walls and chimneys filled the landscape. Some of them were so close to each other that their walls touched. Here and there, empty areas were visible, the black ground occupied by a few crackling villages. These had to be the results of March’s expeditions. She had no doubt destroyed a city or ten, but the overabundance of cracklings had quickly attempted to fill the void by forming smallish villages.

“Were all swords created at the same time?” Dallion asked.

Pretty much, Vihrogon replied. Some were made better than others. It’s always a matter of the people inside, though. Some tend to get along better than others.

“You don’t think anyone survived?”

Here? Not a chance. In all the swords… probably not. After this amount of time, even the best of people tend to fall. Especially when the Star’s involved.

Dallion didn’t say a thing. At his current level, he could probably combine his line attack with a spark to destroy a few dozen cities. It was definitely going to be easier than sneaking through. However, that wasn’t going to amount to much.

“Lux, I’ll need you to get me to the last temple.” Dallion said. “Vihrogon, can you direct him to to the temple?”

Shouldn’t be a problem, the armadil shield replied. The structure of the sword worlds is similar.

“Okay, cocoon me,” Dallion said.

You’re not going to fight?

“Not today,” Dallion sighed. “I just want to find the crown.”

The shield on Dallion’s arm extended, forming a metal sphere around him. As it did, Lux jumped off Dallion and onto the shield. There was a momentary flash of cold, but it quickly dissipated. Then Dallion felt the extreme acceleration of the firebird propelling the sphere—and him with it—forward.

There was no telling how long the trip lasted. Dallion felt it continued for far longer than mere minutes. However, he had only his senses to rely on. While it lasted, he kept thinking of the Star. There was no guarantee that the poison plague was created by him, although it seemed like something he would do.

Nil, are you sure that the Academy isn’t involved in this?

That’s a difficult thing to answer, dear boy. It isn’t something that they would do, but accidents are known to happen. It wouldn’t be the first time the Academy did something stupid that got out of control. Remember the dragon shadow they made? Of course, that was rather minor enough to remain unnoticed.

“Minor? I’d hate to see one of their serious mess-ups.”

Hopefully, you never will. There was a slight pause. There’s always the possibility that it’s from a rogue mage.

Now it was Dallion’s turn to remain silent. According to what he had heard, rogue mages were one of the taboos in the world—they existed, but the world preferred to pretend that they didn’t. Nobles viewed them as a threat, the Academy viewed them as a nuisance… in effect, they were high-level mercenaries. Considered too weak, unstable, or disappointing to remain part of the Academy itself, they were left to their own devices. According to the rumors, several of the smaller kingdoms had accepted rogues, providing them a place to stay in exchange for their power.

“You’re a rogue, aren’t you?” Dallion asked.

I’m but a mere echo, dear boy, Nil replied.

In a way, he was right, but Dallion was convinced that Captain Adzorg was a rogue. That could well have been the reason he had been outcast to Nerasol, spending his time in a small, insignificant guild.

One thing about rogues, despite what is said, they are kept on a very tight leash. The Academy keeps an eye on them all the time. If someone does something that might be considered dangerous, steps are taken to prevent them.

“So, you’re saying it can’t be a mage?”

On the contrary. There’s nothing easier than tempting a rogue mage to do something stupid. The reason the Academy constantly monitors spellcasters is the risk that they pose. When one is cast away, certain restrictions are placed to ensure that there’s no chance of a competing organization being born. All the Star has to do is promise to sever the link between the Academy and the rogue to get them to do anything.

“A rogue has made a deal with the Star?”

Wouldn’t be the first time. You’ve seen what happened to the south. Why should a single power-reject be different?

That was a very good question. It also suggested two things: the cause of the poison plague was more than likely not natural, and the person behind it was not to be taken lightly.

The sphere suddenly stopped, causing Dallion to be shoved to the inside.

“We’re here! We’re here!” Lux said.

“Thanks, Lux. Just, next time say it a few seconds in advance.”

“Sure!”

Dallion split into six instances and had the shield open up slightly so he could take a look. The sight had nothing to do with what he had seen before. The crackling villages, the smoke, even the black snow were nowhere to be seen. Instead, Dallion found himself above a white mountain partially covered in forests. While it was a relief that the cracklings hadn’t managed to get this far, this made the realization even more painful; the complete lack of large settlements suggested that the world had become uninhabited centuries ago. The only visible structure was a stone temple within the forest. Using his music vision, Dallion was able to see the guardian’s presence. Solitude colder than the surrounding snow emanated from him.

“Bring me down, Lux.”

That’s not a good idea, Vihrogon said.

“I’m stronger than before. Besides, he won’t attack me.” If there was one thing that he had learned after exploring so many items, it was the guardians’ desire for conversation. “Do you want to meet him in your dryad form?”

No, the shield replied. I’m good like this.

“Do you know the marshal of this sword?”

I used to know all of them. That’s not the reason, though.

Lux slowly descended the metal sphere to the ground. Once there, it contracted to shield size, allowing the firebird to jump back onto Dallion.

“Nox, be ready. Just in case,” Dallion whispered. A few more seconds later, he started his way through the sparse forest surrounding the temple.

Not a single animal could be sensed anywhere in the vicinity. There were no tracks, no burrows, no marks that there had been any at all. Even the trees seemed to be in a state of semi-existence. For all intents and purposes, the world had died long ago. At this point, the best one could do was clear the temples and free the guardians from their misery.

As Dallion kept on walking, a dryad emerged from one of the trees. It didn’t say anything, just observing him calmly as he passed by. It was obvious that the dryad was an echo, though even so Dallion got a sense that the guardian’s level had to be in the high forties.

“Hi,” Dallion said casually, not even looking back. “There was a time when you’d have wiped the floor with me.”

A second echo emerged further ahead.

“Right now, you’re wondering whether you can take me. You’ve no idea what I’m capable of, but you’ve seen me get here with ease. So, was I lucky? Or just really that strong?”

Two more dryads emerged. All of them appeared young, on the verge of adulthood, dressed in fine white clothes.

“Music won’t have any effect,” one of them said.

“Maybe.” Dallion stopped. “But it made you take me seriously, didn’t it? Now, can we talk or do I have to challenge you? The reason I’ve come here isn’t to fight you.”

“What do you want?”

“Shouldn’t we discuss that in the temple?”

“There’s no one else to hear us. Just say what you’ve come to say.”

“I want to see the twi-crown you’re keeping,” Dallion said firmly. “I know you have it.”

Wooden sickles emerged in the echoes’ hands.

“I’m not here to wear it, just to see it.”

You’re lying, the armadil shield told Dallion in his realm. I know you. There’s no way you’ll give up a chance to claim more skills.

Maybe. But I don’t need the crown for that, Dallion thought.