Gulo, The Gluttonous Blade

The greatest test of both his first and second life hovered before him, a risk he would never have dared take in his previous life. 

There was no turning back for Loid Stoner now. The young man steeled his resolve and pushed aside all hesitation, heading toward the unknown without clarity.

I may have just sold my soul to something far worse than the devil... So be it.

Loid answered with a calm that felt almost unnatural.

"Very well. Then how do we do this?"

Elisia simply stared at him with a faint, slightly surprised expression, an emotion she seldom allowed herself to show.

"You're not afraid?" she asked, almost incredulously. "You know the cost. You could die."

A small, honest smile lifted one corner of Loid's mouth. "Of course I'm scared."

Still, he stepped closer to the hungry black blade.

"I lived a life full of regrets... and I still died. So I might as well take this chance... and die on my own terms."

She smiled.

"Hmph. Fair," she said. "For my sake, I truly hope it doesn't come to that."

Elisia's tone turned more businesslike. "The ritual is simple in form, brutal in effect. Draw blood. Touch the blade with that blood. Everything after that is on you."

It sounded too simple, and that was exactly what made it dangerous.

Loid stared at it, drawing a slow breath as he steadied himself, the pressure in his chest easing into something quieter. Gulo's aura pulsed; its black steel braided with violet miasma that seemed alive with a patient, predatory hunger, eager to consume whatever it touched.

Well, who knows. With my luck, I'll probably end up in another world...

Then again, he quickly reconsidered that optimistic thought.

...Yeah. I'm pushing it, aren't I?

He bent down, picked up a jagged shard of stone, and pressed it into his palm. A sharp pang of pain shot through him, but he held it in, clenching his teeth as blood spilled down his hand and dripped onto the concrete floor.

Slowly, he stepped into the sword's penumbra. With every step, a crushing violet pressure settled over him, making his body feel heavier.

Loid's instincts screamed at him to flee.

Regardless, he pressed on. His bloodied hand reached out, apprehensive at first, before finally wrapping around the hilt. The steel was scorching hot, like a fresh blade from the forge.

Energy erupted.

Violet-black light tore outward, warping the stone walls and pillars alike. Loid staggered as freezing pins stabbed through his arms, followed by a burning ache that settled deep into his bones.

The cavern rumbled. A resonance like the cry of a wounded animal rolled through the tomb, reverberating in his chest and teeth.

His veins lit up with a violent rush of heat and cold, twisting together as something foreign forced its way through his body.

For a sliver of a second, thick black tendrils crawled up his arms. He swore the blade would tear him apart from the inside out, ripping his very essence away.

"Ngh...!"

Loid clenched his grip tighter, trying to pull back as violet energy raged between him and the blade. Something within his abdomen spiraled uncontrollably, setting his entire nervous system ablaze with agony.

My insides... they're burning...!

Slowly, Loid began to loosen his grip.

Then Elisia's voice cut through the chaos.

"Don't let go. You're almost there."

It hadn't even been five seconds since he grabbed the blade, yet to Loid it felt like an eternity in hell.

The violet aura shifted, then buckled before slowly settling around him like a cloak.

Loid dropped to his knees and coughed, his chest heaving, blood beading along his fingers, yet his grip never fully broke. The violet energy had settled into a far calmer rhythm around his body.

When silence finally settled over the tomb, violet light shimmered through his eyes, reflecting off the blade that still hummed in his scorched grasp.

Elisia watched, chained and enthralled.

"Perfect..." she murmured. "So it begins."

The storm of mana spiraling within his body softened, its chaos folding into a steady pulse that coursed through his bloodstream. Loid flexed his fingers, staring at them with eyes shining in wonder.

"My body..." he breathed. "It feels different. Like it's overflowing with energy. Is this what it feels like... to have real strength?"

A breathless laugh escaped him.

"Hah... it's incredible."

Gulo dissolved in his grasp, its black steel unraveling into violet mist before drifting away.

The witch regarded him with quiet satisfaction.

Well, well... it seems my gamble paid off. Hmph, she thought.

Loid smirked as he turned toward her.

"Elisia... get ready. You're about to witness the show of a lifetime."

He strode forward with dramatic purpose, feeling like a man ready to slay giants. Seizing her collar with his bloodied hand, he pulled with all his strength.

Nothing happened.

A drop of condensation fell from the ceiling above, echoing once through the silence.

"Huh?"

The collar didn't budge, its surface gleaming as if the damn thing were mocking him. Elisia blinked, then let out a snort before her composure shattered and laughter burst from her.

"Oh no-you were trying so hard to... look cool!" she stammered between fits of laughter.

"Wha-hey! Don't laugh!" Loid snapped, his face heating as he yanked harder. The chains didn't so much as scratch.

Despite her attempts to compose herself, tears streamed down Elisia's face, laughter rattling her restraints with every shake of her shoulders.

"I-I'm sorry! I just-you had the perfect line and everything!"

Loid glared at her, his lips twitching.

"You could've told me sooner these things couldn't be broken."

"Well, yes," she wheezed, wiping at her eyes. "They're forged from pure mana itself. Unbreakable by force or spells."

"You never stood a chance."

Loid rubbed his temple and muttered, "Well, shit... my first real power moment, and I botched it."

"Oh, don't pout." She smiled through the last of her laughter. "It was... adorable."

"Adorable?" Loid scoffed, turning away. "Yeah, that's it. I'm out. Enjoy the rest of your imprisonment..."

Her smirk only widened.

"Mm... but then who would tell you about the skills Gulo grants its wielder? Like... oh, I don't know..."

She paused deliberately.

"...Devour."

Loid froze mid-step.

"...Go on."

"Finally, you're listening," Elisia purred. "Devour lets you absorb any magical construct. Including these chains."

Loid's eyes lit up, disbelief and excitement warring across his face.

"That's... insanely broken. Okay, fine. How do I use it?"

"Simple. Feel the mana inside you. Shape it with intent. Guide it through your body... and let your imagination finish the rest."

"Sounds like you just described playing make-believe," Loid muttered.

Elisia winked.

"Yes... except in this world, make-believe can topple kingdoms."

"...Right. Comforting."

With a sigh, he placed his hand on her collar once more, closed his eyes, focused, and whispered, "Devour."

For a moment, nothing happened.

Then violet mana bled from his palm, snaking into the collar. The chains rattled violently, as though they were trying to repel the invading energy. Their golden glow writhed before fading into a decayed gray as corruption spread across every link.

An instant later, it crumbled into dust, scattering like ashes.

A small, unreadable smile formed on Elisia's face. She rolled her shoulders and flexed her fingers, each movement sending sharp cracks snapping through the chamber as she tested the freedom of her body once more.

"Ahh... freedom at last," she said with relief.

Loid stared at the lingering violet energy dancing across his palm, still unable to fathom that he had just used magic.

Then, without warning, his heart thudded violently. He staggered back a step, clutching at his chest as his vision blurred, the chamber swimming around him.

"Wait... what's... going... on...? I don't..."

His knees buckled.

"S-so... dizzy..."

He collapsed face-first onto the cold stone floor, faint violet markings pulsing along his arm.