Requiem Of A Failed Hero

"So would you be able to make him whole again?"

Tae Dong-Hyun rubbed his chin and looked down at the broken sword.

"This will be hard and it will take a long time. First of all, I am not sure that this guy would want to enter heat, another thing is... this is clearly an ego weapon... that might have the capability to eat me alive."

"What? So you can't do it?" Raith looked at him with an undermining expression. "...Perhaps, I was overestimating you in my head." He mumbled but loud enough for Dong-Hyun to hear.

He was going to trick the blacksmith into doing it, even though he knew very well that Dong-Hyun's suspicions were on point.

"Hey, hey... Calm down now will you? Did I even say I won't? I just need you to talk to it."

"Huh?" Raith lifted one of his brows. What was this macho macho saying?

"Why will I talk to a sword?" Raith cocked his head with the flow of the question.

"Then you can kiss your demonic sword bye-bye forever. I'm not going to touch that thing unless you talk to it" Dong-Hyun turned away from the sword.

"Ah, wait!" exclaimed.

The blacksmith paused and waited for him.

Even though he had called out for him because he truly wanted the sword to be repaired but how was he supposed to talk with an inanimate object?

"This is embarrassing..." Raith mumbled.

"And that is where your problem began."

"Huh?" Raith lifted his gaze to Dong-Hyun.

"Ego weapons have a consciousness of their own. Even if they can't talk yet, they have emotions and do not want to be treated like some ordinary sword. When it is a bound ego item, the strength of the item is equally proportional to the bond between the master of the item and the item itself."

"What are you saying?" Raith narrowed his gaze.

"I'm saying, this sword is supposed to be an invincible sword. It is not that the sword that broke it was superior but that your bond with it was weak hence the sword could not even reach the true potential of its powers."

"What do you mean our bond is weak? I mean, he sucks blood, and his my choice of weapon all the time." Raith responded, shrugging his arms, his expression was desperately looking to find sense in what Dong-Hyun was saying.

"Do you hear how you address an ego weapon? 'Your choice of weapon' they are called 'Ego weapon' because they have a proud ego. They don't want to be called a weapon. They want to be seen as an equal partner, spoken to just like you would with your fellow humans."

"Really?" Raith lowered his brows into a quizzical frown, looking at the broken sword.

"Yes," Dong-Hyun responded to him.

"I mean, for me when I was–

"Shut up Jae-Hwa, you have never even used an ego weapon before what do you want to contribute? Just stay silent."

Mok Jae-Hwa gulped and continued to watch as he has been watching.

Raith took a step closer to the sword, "Hey, Black... yea, calling you sword of Ba'al is too much of a stress so I will just call you Black"

[You have renamed the sword of Ba'al 'Black']

Raith looked at the message that popped up and continued with his broken sword.

"...I know I have probably talked to you every now and then when we were fighting. But it wasn't well. And maybe you were weak because I didn't invest more into the relationship with us. You can blame your being broken on me, but I will make things better from now. So, stay well while this blacksmith repairs you."

"He can't!"

Whim!

All three of them flung back immediately, they were all standing farther from the platform.

Raith expanded his eyes, "What the hell did I just hear?!"

"The sword talked!" Mok Jae-Hwa was sounding so amazed but pearls of sweat were already forming on his temple.

Black smoke was oozing out of the sword and it was thick, within the black smoke were a two red glints that carved out narrowed eyes.

"What in the world have you brought to my smithy?" Dong-Hyun shrieked. 'I have never heard of egos speaking... I thought they just had the will to act on their own accord and have their own sword skills... this guy...'

"What? What? Why are the three of you all cooped up there, looking like you have just seen the ghost of your own dung?!" The hoarse, yet thick voice resounded in the room again and clearly originated from the black smoke with red eyes that formed atop the broken sword on the platform.

"Is a person's dung even supposed to have a ghost?"

"Arrghhh? Are you telling me I'm wrong? Pretty boy, do you wanna die?" He growled, narrowing his eyes to a slit and sending murderous intent that ran through Mok Jae-Hwa's spine like goosebumps.

'Shit, this thing is no joke' Mok Jae-Hwa felt his body shiver and immediately apologized, "I'm sorry... I just thought– He belatedly stop. '... wait, why am I even apologizing to a sword?' He asked himself.

It was intimidating, the killing intent was so intimidating that it commanded a majestic dominance in the atmosphere.

Raith's and Dong-Hyun's eyes were on Mok Jae-Hwa who apologized without even realizing it.

"What?" Mok Jae-Hwa mumbled with a shoulder shrug.

'Well, I can understand him... That thing is powerful... I have only seen a demonic sword once but that can't even compare to what I am seeing right now.' Dong-Hyun intermittently stole glances at the sword.

"Why is it now that you are speaking?"

"Because you just fucking named me! You are so dumb, so idiotic! Ah for fuck sake, I wish someone brilliant could have picked me up, how did you not know that in order for you to awaken a powerful ego such as I. You have to rename them using your life essence. Hell, what am I even saying to a guy that doesn't even know his own true name."

"Wait, did you say life essence?" Raith closed the distance in an instant, staring into the face of the materialized smoke with red glimmering eyes like that of a viper.

"w-w-what? You think you can intimidate me because you got a little something on you huh? Well, get the shit out of my face you fucking piece of nutcracked nutjob heavenly fucking virgin! Who is also going to die a virgin!!" The black smoke rose larger to materialize some sort of smoky head that slammed against Raith's as he cursed at him.