The Art of the Sea

Before she could retort, the curtain flipped back. Jarce’s warm smile filled the space.

“Anna? They said you can stay and… What are you doing? You were… talking to yourself?”

She froze, mouth half-open, the sword humming in her hand like a cat that knew it had ruined everything. “I was—” she began.

“He can’t hear me, you know,” the sword cut in smoothly. “Try to explain, ‘Oh mister knight, the sword keeps bullying me!’ Go on, do it. Embarrass yourself.”

Anna’s eye twitched.

Jarce tilted his head, brow furrowing. “You’re trembling. Are you afraid? It’s alright, you’re safe here. Everyone agrees that you can go with us; it’s just that you can’t leave this carriage.”

Anna nods. “Thank you. I’m fine with staying here also; besides, the sun burns me.”

Jarce nods back, “Yeah, if you need anything, do call me up. I’ll be near.”

The sword gasped mockingly. “Aww, how touching! The gallant knight coddling his poor, helpless vampire girl. Kyaaa~ Anna-chan, he thinks you’re fragile. Should I tell him what you really like?”

Her grip tightened on the hilt. She whispered through clenched teeth, “Shut your glowing mouth. I’m going to burn you…”

“…Pardon?” Jarce blinked.

“I said…” she shot out quickly, “shut the window. It’s burning me...”

The sword wheezed with laughter. “Truly Tokyo’s top student at work.”

Her glare deepened, sharp enough to carve steel. The sword pulsed faintly, searing her palm.

“One day,” she muttered under her breath, “I will throw you in a ditch.”

“KYAAA, don’t threaten me, scary vampire girl!” The sword shrieked, flustered. “…B-but also, I’d look dazzling in a ditch, so… hmph!”

Jarce lingered for a moment, clearly confused but too polite to pry further. “…Right. Well, there are many guards here. So, it’s fine if you want to rest; we will protect you.”

He let the curtain fall, leaving them in dim half-light again.

“Phew, close call,” the sword whispered, smug. “You almost confessed to having a talking sword girl...”

“No, I did not!”

“Mnnaaaa! You actually did.”

Anna sighed, exasperated, muttering, “Where the hell am I… Where is Orivaneia?! It’s all going so well until this glowstick decides to destroy my life…”

“KYAAA! I’m not a glowstick! Take that back! I am Maren! I have a name! Call me Lady Maren!”

“NO! Just tell me where Ori is! I haven’t said goodbye or anything to her. Stop joking around.”

Maren became quiet for once.

“Uh… Maren?”

“Honestly… I don’t know… I also couldn’t recall anything…”

Anna’s face darkens. “But you think I would trust that? You said you’re her weapon. You both clearly tricked me into this place!”

“No, no! I wouldn’t… I haven’t met Orivaneia since defeating Morvane, so I am as confused as you are.”

“And when is that?”

“Probably 2200 years ago? I don’t really know… I thought Lady Orivaneia stopped going to this world since then…”

“I met her! She saved my life! Without her, I am already dead…”

“But are you sure you met her?”

“Definitely… Or what?! You don’t trust me either?”

“It’s just that… I can see all your backstory from birth until now… And your memories before in this carriage are that you were betrayed by your friend and got kicked to the field of the end… And that’s it… You woke up in here with me…”

“What?! There’s more! After that field of the end, I met Orivaneia! She gave me a name! And she did many more things!”

The sword glow seems to fade. “I want to trust you, but… I don’t see any of that in your memories…”

Anna stared down, trying to make sense of it all… But she can’t. “Just…!”

“Just?”

Anna lay down with the sword in her hand.

You can read my mind, right? I’m too tired to speak… I will think of this later… Just protect me when I’m sleeping, ok? Goodbye. You’re here, so maybe Orivaneia told you to protect me.

Maren scoffed, “Protect you?! Why would Orivaneia send me to protect such a puny human? I am built to save the world. Or perhaps… You are her world?” The sword asks, using the flirty tone of Orivaneia.

Anna quickly got up again and tightened her grip on the sword. “I’m going to kill you if I can. Stop joking around in a time like this.”

“Ouch! Wait, wait! I trust you! Don’t choke me!”

“Huh… That’s choking you?”

“Of course it is! But I suppose you’re right; Lady Orivaneia may send me to be your weapon… Let’s finish our bond then… Can you open your magic info? In my info, my user is still pending…”

“Magic inf—Oh… The game UI…” She pulls it out from her hand, and Maren floats beside her. “You see that? The family. You’re bonded with me, but you haven’t accepted…. EH?! Your name is Orivanne?! In my info your name is still unknown…”

Anna sighed, touching the accept button to be the user of Maren. “Yeah! You have any problem now?! And look at all these useless skills: Divine Blessing A, Orivaneia’s Path A+, and—!”

“Ok, ok! I trust you… You also have 23 million mana… You’re clearly not some random person… And having Orivanne as a name is…”

“Wait a minute, 23?!” She checked, and it seems like the truth… “The last time I checked, I have only replenished around two hundred thousand of mana from the peoples… And 23 million max mana? What is happening here…”

“Hmph! Don’t flatter yourself! Lady Orivaneia has 810 million mana!”

But Anna still locked onto the number. “No, wait, Maren… I’m serious, my max mana should be 20 million, and I can’t siphon any mana from nature. Do you know how my mana capacity is now 23 million, and it’s almost full?”

Maren is silent for a moment. “Uh… I don’t know.”

“YOU STUPID SWORD! I THOUGHT YOU WERE SMART!” She said, choking the handle again.

“KYAAA!! I’M SORRY! I’M JUST A WEAPON! NOT ALL WISE!”

Anna let go of her grip. “Fair enough.”

“So, Maren, how much mana do YOU have?”

“20 million? And I’m pretty sure that’s your mana. I’m a magical weapon; I need to take it from my user.”

“Hmm… my mana is your mana?”

“Exactly… My 20 million is your 20 million. If mine goes down, yours also will, and if mine goes up, yours also will.”

Anna’s eyes brighten up. “You can siphon mana from nature?!”

“Of course I can. So you better thank me, I suppose. That 20 million is now rechargeable by me.”

Anna quickly hugs the sword. “I love you.”

“KYAAAAA, don’t hug me so suddenly! This is rude!! And also, ANNA—!”

“Hmm?” Anna slowly releases Maren.

“This is very bad bad! I just remember!”

“Bad?”

“I remember that giving divine blessing is prohibited! And not only that… I see that you also have her name and magic skills, and now she has given me to you… She may be in big trouble...”

“So she will be punished?! By who?”

“I can’t tell… but AAAHHHH…”

Anna looked down as she gritted her teeth, “You said that she has over 800 million mana, right?!”

“Anna…”

“I used to believe that she was the strongest, but… You’re right… Having her not as the main god truly makes sense… This world isn’t as broken, thankfully… It’s fine; I have you now. At least she gave me something that can protect me.”

Maren continued, “I guess you’re right… But… but don’t think that I will protect you that much, ok? 20 million is still so little for me! I need at least 50 million to use my full power! So you better get going! Fight!”

Anna looked at the sharpness of the blade. “This talking glowing stick says too much. Won’t you shut your mouth?”

“Mnnaaaa!! I’m not a talking glowing stick! I am Ars Maren, the one who sealed Morvane in the Sea of Eternity. I’m the holy Sword of the Sea!”

“Yeah, yeah. Just protect me, ok? O Sword of the Sea. Just being awake in the day like this made me tired.”

“I—I guess I can’t keep you up… Vampires usually can’t wake up during the day, so it’s amazing that you do. So fine, just sleep! Orivaneia sent me here, so I must do my job right.”