The Humpback Sector of Lower Atlantis was a notoriously lawless part of the Plateau. There was nothing shocking at first sight but you only needed to observe one area for more than a minute to see that there was something wrong.

Barely any traffic, quiet, lower number of Sun Veils, damaged streets, and shady exchanges. Not to mention the occasional traces of dried blood.

On one of those streets, a scruffy man with a scar on his cheek handed a bag of Talys to someone in return for a small pouch which he promptly stuffed in a pocket before they both walked away from each other.

The buyer came to a stop next to a street pole and took a smoke. He was about to light it up and a pair of boots crept into his lowered field of vision. He scowled and slowly raised his eyes which widened at the suggestive figure of a woman until he was staring at an ominous mask.

His gaze lingered a bit on the curves of the stranger until he spoke up, “…what do you want?”

Non-verbally, the woman answered by reaching for the zipper of her upper garment and opening it by a few centimeters so it showed her cleavage. “Wanna come with me to the back?” Her sultry voice sounded and the man first froze, before grinning perversely.

‘Looks like I hit the jackpot today. Lucky,’ he thought and followed the girl into an alley. When they were out of view, his thoughts had long been overcome by lust. He started reaching for his pants whilst sneering, “Alright, bitch, why don’t you start—”

He never finished his sentence as the woman turned around faster than his reaction time and with a single knuckle, blurring as if it was overlapped with a hundred others, she hit his forehead and shook his brain hard enough to knock him out instantly. He collapsed on the ground with his eyes rolled over and on cue, a third person came out of the shadows.

“Goodness. This is the fourth one who falls for the exact same trap,” Hans sounded exasperated as he approached the unconscious man. “Are all men truly this foolish nowadays?”

The woman snorted and waved her hand as the visual effects of Ripple of Rupture faded.

“Didn’t I tell you so? Not only do they lower their guard, but they forget to even think properly if I show them even just a small bit of submission,” under the feminine guise, Rakna said and zipped his jacket back up before crossing his arms.

“{I have to say…}” Nyx muttered with a complicated tone. “{You truly are a terrifying actor. Don’t you feel embarrassed? As a woman, I would have no idea of your real gender if I didn’t know you personally. And your voice… how do you… do it so… sultrily?}” She asked timidly whilst imagining him using that tone while in his normal appearance.

For some reason, the image made her queasy and peculiarly bashful at the same time.

“There’s no shame in deception,” Rakna responded calmly.

“No, I believe there is plenty of shame to have,” Hans deadpanned as he read a thin book he had conjured from the unconscious man. After a few pages, he scoffed coldly, “You have my clearance. This one is more than worthy of the gallows.”

“Got it,” the shapeshifter acquiesced and unhesitatingly impaled the man’s brain with a claw. Right afterward, he clenched the corpse’s head and called upon a skill. “[Dead Men Tell.]”

The scattering soul of the dead man was robbed of its last moments of freedom and torn apart by the therian. He perused its memories for a short moment before letting go of its remnants.

“Found it,” he stated and Hans nodded. He unrolled his scroll to look at the map he had made and confirmed that a new mark hadn’t appeared. The ‘journey’ was no more.

“So, we have our way in,” the author said and let the painting dissolve into motes of light. “Do we proceed in the same manner?”

“Mhm, but before that…” Rakna waved his fingers and reinforced the array of runes he had set up earlier to conceal themselves. “I want to do something before going for good. If I understand what a lack of System support means correctly, there are a few specific things that can help me. More than just my Nirvana Skills, or my more exclusive skills that are too powerful for the System to be fully in charge of… it’s my soul and this beauty over here,” he said whilst patting his scarf.

Hans raised an eyebrow as he sensed the fake woman, as he liked to call him internally, gathering a hefty amount of mana.

“[Forger of The Stars,]” he intoned and a harmonious hammering sound echoed in the alleyway followed by a gush of frost energy. “[Fragarach,]” he called and a large sword was formed in front of him. The core of wind energy inside the diamond-shaped hole of its blade was just as powerful looking as when he summoned it during his Simulation.

“I got two new evolution slots when I reached level 125,” he uttered as he pulled out his scarf from his neck. “I already used one on an improved version of Alzero and with this one, it might just be enough to make Sonata into the ideal tool for this mission,” he said and brought the two together while Hans spectated inquisitively.

Sonata glowed ominously and ravenously wrapped around the weapon, swallowing and breaking it down into absorbable energy. Soon enough, a version of Fragarach with a crimson edge and an azure blade appeared. The exposed core of energy now seemed to hold a mix of red, green, blue, and black energy.

❮ ◈ ❯

Evolution Successful!

Rhapsodic Sonata has achieved full transformation into a Soul Weapon!

‘Primal Curse’ has been replaced by ‘Apotheosis of Soul Armament’.

---

Designation: Soul Weapon/Blade/Crux Augury Sword

Name: Rhapsodic Sonata

Rarity: Unique

Attack Power: +2000~3000

Magic Power: +1000~1500

Durability: 100%

Perks:

- Intertwined Miniature Eion Systems: The item possesses memory of form and is able to switch from one form to another. Currently available: Scarf, Guandao, Bow, Kusarigama, Twin Daggers, Greatsword, One-Handed Double-Edged Sword, Twin Katanas, Scythe, Cao Sword, Crux Augury Sword.

- Eion Energy Production

- Demonic Spiritual Anchor

- Gale Outbreak (All Forms)

- Hyper Mana Oscillation Blade (Bladed Forms)

- Skulking Wraith (All forms)

- Skulk Life Down (Bladed Forms)

- Tainted Holiness (All Forms)

- Shield of Piety (All Forms)

- Crescent of a Falling Star (Bladed Forms)

- 10 000 Nights of Severance (Bladed Forms)

- Tender Hands of Clemency (Bladed Forms)

- Symphony of Magic (All Forms)

- Lifeblood Rage (All forms) (27 627/30 000 BU)

- Absolute Dimensional Stability: Rhapsodic Sonata has absorbed the properties of a weapon crafted with nothing more than dimensional structure in mind. Eion is an energy generated from friction between dimensions and perfectly synergized with the perk. Sonata is several times more resistant to all sorts of damage and can affect many kinds of non-solid phenomena.

- Focal Concentration (All Forms): Dimensional power is constantly being infused into the blade and, coupled with its excellent stability, it allows interaction with Focal Points in order to pierce through and destroy dimensions. It however necessitates being directed through the influence of a Shuttle Specter Physique for its full potential to be exerted.

- Apotheosis of Soul Armament: This weapon is in eternal resonance with the wielder’s soul and its size and finer details can be altered at will. Soul power can be channeled through it even when distanced apart from the wielder. Attack and Magic Power will be attributed a bonus based on the owner’s current strength. Any damage, ranging from a nick to total destruction, will always be reconstructed as long as a connection to the wielder’s soul exists. Finally, the item itself can be stored and taken out of the soul without cost or delay.

Note: Regular Soul Weapons would have the feature of changing forms at will, no matter what it is. But due to Sonata’s unique ego as well as specialized transformations, only forms unlocked through evolutions can be used.

- The Three Decrees of Dominion: The Whisperer: The user can communicate with the air itself and bend it to their will. The Answerer: Its presence compels the truth to be stated. The Retaliator: Wounds inflicted by this weapon will be cursed to resist healing.

Description:

A masterpiece forged by a master blacksmith, the Earth conqueror himself, with the technology of an advanced civilization. It was given to Rakna Xiorra as a gift by the one who bears the name of Blade.

After many evolutions and enhancements, it has gained both the facets of impiety and holiness and has reached the peak of unison with its wielder, becoming a Soul Weapon. It has gained a spark of ego and through an incredibly unique feat, it has assimilated a Spell Matrix as its own to function as a magic catalyst.

This is a weapon impervious to the erosion of time and impervious to defeat itself.

Note: Evolvable

❮ ◈ ❯

As Rakna read the new perks and adjusted to the new sensation, a sliver of surprise wormed into Hans’ expression. The latter had no problem peering into Sonata’s description, after all.

“That is… frightening,” he couldn’t help but remark. “Soul Weapon aside, the number of perks and their variety is bordering on the absurd. Merely being able to wield it would transform a weaker Host into a monster.”

The disguised therian snorted charmingly and swung the large sword. The air around the blade whistled as if responding to it. “This is perfect. Items are one thing Eva told me will definitely not work in Plateau Zero aside from specific aspects such as Allegro’s nanite composition.”

“So, the perks will be rendered useless but the material itself will still function as intended,” Hans stated in understanding. “Such things as your Bio-Mechanical eye and body, which are traits, will similarly not be subjected to restrictions.”

Rakna nodded and mentally willed Sonata to switch to a less conspicuous form. It promptly turned into a regular-sized one-handed sword and altered its color scheme to blend in with its wielder’s clothes.

“However, now that Sonata has fully become a Soul Weapon, there are high chances it has already escaped the clutches of the System’s infrastructure,” he concluded and commanded the sword to create a scabbard around its blade before hanging it to his belt.

“All right. Now, I just have to test something,” Rakna declared and stared at Hans. “Answer me; do you find me attractive in this form?”

“Yes,” the author responded automatically and his expression stiffened. His eyes widened as if he was horrified at what had just left his mouth. “…you bastard…” He uttered infuriatingly. This was the first time he had used an actual insult in years.

On the other hand, Rakna nodded satisfyingly. “Good. It works beautifully. You wanted to lie, but were forced to tell the truth instead.”

Hans just glared at him.

“{Poor man…}” Fray commented.

“{Jokes aside, you didn’t even use mana or a keyword,}” Nyx raised her voice. “{You are a walking ‘truth field’ as long as you carry Sonata in any way or form. It’s frankly scary.}”

“I agree. The question is; how strong is it?” Rakna wondered and triggered Crystal Sight to dig up every detail about the perk. “Hm, the range is about 10 meters from Sonata itself. But the strength of the compelling force doesn’t seem to be measurable.”

Hans clicked his tongue. “A difference in psychic or soul power presumably. Perhaps both. But by inference, I would say it will work on almost anybody who is not prepared for it. Though the effect of obliging an answer might require a steeper gap between you and the target.”

“I agree,” Rakna said and popped his neck. He glanced at the corpse on the ground and used Forger of The Stars to create one more weapon. This one was much smaller and weaker than Fragarach though. It was a jagged black dagger with quite a dark aura.

The therian casually flipped it and held the blade with two fingers. He threw it at the corpse and it cleanly stabbed the dead man’s back. Immediately after, crimson runes appeared on the dagger and a wriggling mass of reddish gasses began to devour the body; audibly and loudly. The sounds of bones and flesh being chewed were dreadful to hear.

This dagger was the result of an experiment Rakna had conducted when forging a cursed item for the first time. Curses were an interesting force. The way they are created is different from regular spells. Not to mention they occasionally have outlandish uses, just like Flavia had done when she cursed a literal meteor to derail its path.

Curses were a disrupting force. Sacrifices and corruption; such were its devoted heralds.

“Why would you make such a dagger?” Hans sighed as he saw the dagger devour the corpse before disappearing altogether as if it was never there. “What an unpleasant thing.”

“It’s not like I crafted a dagger that eats flesh and bones for the sake of it,” Rakna deadpanned. “It’s more like an accident. I truly wanted to get a grasp on curses to apply on weapons.”

“Why?”

“Because curses are the deadliest anti-personnel counters,” he replied sharply. “People react badly when they hear that word for a good reason. It latches onto you; makes you fear for your life. And the best ones will never let you go until you die.”

“…”

“Just like the perk that was just added to Sonata,” Rakna added whilst patting the sword. “A cursed wound that doesn’t heal. Curses are like that; they deny the very freedom of all concepts. There’s no better ally in a battle. Cowardly or evil; who cares?”

“…then you ought to ask your enamored friend for assistance. A Chaos Witch with a Sub-Path of Sorceress would handle curses far better than you bastardizing your runes,” Hans said, naturally having discerned everything as to how that dagger had been made.

The therian smiled wryly. “Enamored friend, eh?” He repeated in amusement as they both walked out into the street again, heading to the location where they could meet the middleman supposed to be able to transfer them to Plateau Zero.

“Why do you not just claim all of them already? Polyamory is not that rare of a thing.”

“…why should I even take advice from you?”

“Listen to your elder.”

“Do you even have experience in relationships?”

“Unnecessary. I understand and write them.”

“Your fictional stories don’t give you any qualification to counsel anyone.”

“I disagree. I have not heard of my works being criticized for romance as of yet.”

“You really are a piece of work…”

The duo chatted about a dubious topic as they walked down the murky streets, bewildering the passersby who happened to hear it.