Chapter 5 - No Hit and Run!

What is this?

I was quite bewildered at the moment. After all, I had never heard of the Spirit Sword talking to people in the original story. Even the protagonist, who used the Spirit Sword for nearly a year, never mentioned it speaking.

Yet now it was happening to me. The Spirit Sword was talking to me, curious about how I had passed through this dungeon.

I guess it is strange...

Honestly, I couldn't deny that feeling. I wasn’t someone with incredible talent like the protagonist; I was just an ordinary person. For someone like me to pass through a labyrinth that even the protagonist barely managed after five attempts, without triggering a single trap, was indeed surprising.

I could fully understand why the Spirit Sword was saying this to me.

[Won't you tell me? How did you pass through here? The mana I sense from your body is at rock bottom, and your movements don't seem extraordinary either.]

"Hmm..."

But I couldn't tell the reason. How could I reveal that I was a reincarnator in this world? I decided to keep that fact absolutely secret, lest revealing it might cause unforeseen problems.

"I was just lucky, I guess."

So I decided to deflect casually. Scratching my head, I just said it was luck.

[Luck? Is this... something that can be done by luck?]

Of course, it spoke in a tone that didn't believe my words at all. 

Well, saying it was just luck is a bit of a stretch, isn't it? Should I have thought more before speaking?

I felt some regret, but it couldn't be helped.

"If dungeons like this exist and talking swords exist, couldn't I have a lucky day once in a while too?"

[...]

"Even I can be special sometimes, you know."

I decided to just insist on it. Since revealing the truth was absolutely impossible, I continued to push the lie.

[Is that so...? Alright, I'll accept that for now. Whatever the reason, a master is a master. I'll keep that in mind and watch you for a while.]

Of course, it didn't immediately believe me just because I insisted. The sword still showed a distrustful reaction. Perhaps it realized further conversation would be meaningless?

Or maybe it just got tired of it? I wasn’t sure, but the Spirit Sword fell silent again. The sword didn't speak to me anymore.

By the way, what did it mean by watching?

I wasn’t sure, but it seemed I managed to get through it somehow. With that, the conversation with the sword ended, and I moved to leave the ruins.

***

There was a somewhat sudden event. Who would have known the sword would suddenly start talking to me? Even now, I felt quite unsettled.

But still, I achieved my goal, right?

I looked at the Spirit Sword with a satisfied smile. With this sword, I should be able to fight to some extent. I thought it was an essential item for surviving in this harsh world.

For me, this sword might be nothing short of a lifeline, right?

Anyway, now that I had obtained the item, I was planning to return. Just as I had left the ruins again and was about to move to go back to the church...

...What's that?

I sensed presences. And quite a number of them. I looked around just in case, and about a dozen men wearing hoods revealed themselves.

"Hey, stop right there!" one of them shouted. 

Following him, they all started to surround me.

"Oh ho, looks like you've got quite an expensive item there?"

He must be the leader of this group? The man pointed at the Spirit Sword in my hand and smiled vilely. His eyes were full of greed.

"Hand over that sword while I'm asking nicely. Then we might spare your life."

So they were after the Spirit Sword? It certainly didn't look ordinary. It would fetch a high price anywhere.

The bandit was telling me to put down the sword and get lost.

"Sorry, but I can't give this up."

Of course, that was out of the question. 

Would you give up your lifeline if you were in my place? 

I firmly refused.

"This bastard doesn't understand words. Everyone, attack and take that sword!"

Frowning at my answer as if displeased, the leader waved his hand and gave the order. The bandits all rushed at me at once. If it were the usual me, I would have felt the threat of death at this moment.

But now, I have the Spirit Sword.

Shing.

The blue-glowing blade. I took an awkward stance and faced the bandits. The Spirit Sword was a cheat item. I calculated that I could win with this.

Will it work out?

But still, I felt a little worried at first. After all, I had never properly learned how to use a sword.

Just look at my awkward stance now. I was clearly a novice when it came to swordsmanship. So I wondered if I could really defeat these bandits even with the Spirit Sword.

That worry was real. But it was only for a moment.

"Arghhhh!!!"

The first bandit swung a rusty sword. I panicked and raised the Spirit Sword to defend. At that moment, a blue light flashed from the Spirit Sword, deflecting the rusty sword. The force sent the bandit stumbling backward, losing his balance.

Is this the mana amplification?

One of the Spirit Sword's effects, maximizing the user's mana. The Spirit Sword was amplifying the mana enveloping my body, creating a simple difference in strength. That was why they were being deflected so easily.

"Ugh! What's with this guy!"

The bandits stepped back in confusion. One of them, wielding a club, didn't retreat and charged at me. I instinctively raised the sword to block the club, and it was instantly cut in two.

"What the hell is this guy!?"

The confused bandits changed their weapons and charged again. But it was just a repeat of what happened before.

"Stay calm. Shoot arrows and throw daggers!!!"

In this situation, the one who seemed to be the leader ordered them to attack from a distance. Following his words, attacks soon rained down from afar.

So there's a barrier too, huh?

Of course, I wasn't worried about this either. The Spirit Sword's second ability: barrier. The moment the arrows touched that veil, they stopped in mid-air and fell to the ground.

The same happened with the daggers.

"Even arrows don't work? What kind of magic is this?"

The leader shouted, but no matter how many arrows and daggers they threw, it was all in vain. They grew increasingly anxious. I didn't miss this opportunity.

I should use that.

The Spirit Sword's third ability: magic release.

I raised the Spirit Sword high. At that moment, blue light explosively burst from the blade. Like a wave rushing out, intense mana spread towards the bandits.

"Aaargh!"

The bandits touched by the light screamed and fell back. Their hands holding weapons trembled, and some collapsed unconscious on the ground. The impact of the magic was overwhelming.

To be able to sweep them all away at once like this. Even I was surprised by the power this sword possessed after using it.

"Aaaah!!! Spare me. Please spare me."

Of course, there was one person who was lucky enough to survive. 

Did that guy survive? 

The bandit leader, barely maintaining his balance, looked at me trembling.

It seemed he barely saved his life, probably because he was a bit farther away. Of course, I had no intention of sparing him.

"Wait... Wait! I was wrong. I was wrong. I'll never do this again! Please spare me."

Even if he begged for his life, a bandit was still a bandit. I couldn't let him live. I raised my blade and slowly approached him.

"I have children! Please spare me... no, please spare my life."

However, he uttered words that made me pause for a moment.

"You have children?"

Is that really true? 

As it was something I couldn't just ignore in my current situation, I lowered my sword for a moment and continued speaking.

"Y-yes, I have children. I have children. Five of them!"

Then, did the bandit leader gain hope that he could live? The expression of the trembling bandit leader started to brighten. 

He spoke confidently, saying he had five children, "Five children? Where are all these children?"

"In the cities we've raided."

"Raided cities?"

"Y-yes. They should be weaned by now. I have five children. Haha... haha..."

But he seemed to have made a grave miscalculation. If he had been a bit more composed, he would have realized what he was saying. But now he was in a panic, facing death. Thanks to that, he spoke only the truth without lies.

"Haa..."

I fully understood what kind of man he was. I let out a shallow sigh and raised the Spirit Sword high.

"You're truly worse than a dog."

"Aaaagh!!!"

And I slammed the magic release into his face with full force.