"What do you want, Black Sword…!?" I yelled.

    "My name is Night Fury."

    When she replied, her tone became serious.

    Did she really care about her name this much…?

    "Then what do you want, Night Fury…?"

    When I asked again— Night Fury came closer to me.

    She was so close enough that her mouth was just right next to my left ear— but I had to pretend that I couldn''t see her.

    "That should be my question, my dear master~ Had thou not come here in seek for power?"

    "Mrk…!?"

    As she whispered to my ear, I immediately backed away while swinging my scabbard at her— which she dodged by backing away.

    "Yet… you don''t seem like you want power." She said to me.

    "What if I am… and what if I''m not…?!" I said.

    Hearing that, Night Fury lifted her blade to point at my face, right in front of my eyes. But, because her blade is longer than the scabbard in my hand— I can''t reach her with this distance, while she could reach me in only a step.

    "If you''re not, then I will kill both of you— right here, right now." She murmured.

    Even if I knew that sword was so close— I gave no response to it.

    It seems she was convinced that I couldn''t see, and lowered her sword.

    "And if you are…" She continued as she walked closer to me once again. "…Then take my blade and kill her."

    I really wanted to stab her with the scabbard and end this farce, but there''s no guarantee that we would be able to make it out from this basement.

    What''s more, I had this unease that she''s not just good with a sword. Even if I did react to stab her with the scabbard, she could probably defend herself and kill us b?r?handed.

    If she is really a sword spirit of the Black Sword… then her real body must be the Black Sword itself— so even if I stab her current silhouette body, it will be futile.

    While I thought of the possibility to destroy her real body, the Black Sword— I found it to be impossible. The Black Sword withstood who knows how many years of weight and pressure that are 200 times the normal gravity…

    And in worst case, this spirit is ingenious, too.

    Out of seven of us, she noticed that Kuroyuki was the easiest to deal with due to her bad condition. That''s why she held her hostage to stop the rest of us.

    …This is unlike anything I''ve faced before. So I need to be careful.

    My main priority… is to ensure Kuroyuki''s safety.

    "…After killing her and obtaining power……" I murmured.

    "M…?" She seems to be dumbfounded. "I beg your pardon…?"

    "I said— what if I killed her and obtained power?"

    "Y-You could become strong…!" She said to me, with her hand placed at her ?h?st. "Look, I''m a really powerful sword…!"

    …Why is she pointing at her silhouette body and not the blade……?

    "What are you expecting me to reply…!? I can see you!? It''s pitch-black here…! And there''s no guarantee that I would be able to escape from here!"

    "Please rest ?ssured, my dear master. I could remove this barrier whenever I want."

    "Do you really think I would trust a person like you— who told me to kill so easily…!?"

    "Ufufu~" She chuckled. "My dear master… can you really do so…?"

    "…!"

    Just the moment I got the upper hand— she took control of the flow of conversation again...!

    If she had eyes… then it''s probably malicious.

    If she had a smile… then it''s probably evil.

    "Stop calling me master," I uttered. "It''s not like you would listen to me."

    For some reason, she circled behind me, and seemed to be taking some quick glances at Kuroyuki.

    "I would… if you asked kindly." She whispered.

    I can''t help but admit— she''s right. She really released Kuroyuki when I asked her to.

    But… this is a bait too— to test whether I''m reluctant to her words.

    Suddenly, Night Fury hugs me from behind.

    "Even this body… could be yours." She said to me.

    "Ungh…!?"

    But suddenly, my heart felt a terrible sting that''s enough to make me feel numb.

    I quickly escaped from her embrace and kept a distance— pointing my blade at her.

    “Hah— hah— hah— hah—” I was gasping.

    What''s was that…!?

    Why did my heart— feel so painful…!?

    "My~ You could see really well in this darkness~ How heartless of you to lie to me… my dear master~"

    …It was another bait…!?

    "Hahaha… You got me…"

    …Crap. I had no choice but to admit it for now.

    "Don''t you think it''s time to be honest with me~?"

    "…!"

    She knew all along…!?

    I''ve lost in this conversation for good.

    Time to get real.

    "I will ask you again— what on earth do you want, Night Fury!?" I said.

    "I want you to be my master~ That''s all~"

    "…and the killing!?"

    "Because the price to obtain me… is to take one''s life with my blade."

    "…Why must you choose her?"

    "She''s dying, isn''t she? I will make full use of her life by not letting it go to waste."

    "What nonsense are you talking about…"

    "Didn''t you realize? She''s unconscious now."

    "KUROYUKI…!"

    I screamed. But there''s not the slightest response.

    "N-No…!"

    I quickly ran past Night Fury and reached Kuroyuki, checking on her.

    "ARGHH…!?"

    Her skin— it''s cold-burning my fingers…!

    Her hypothermia is getting worse. No, this isn''t even hypothermia anymore…!

    My fingers are numb. It''s impossible to check for her pulse at this rate…!

    I quickly placed my left fingers over her sleeve to check her pulse.

    …It was— weak.

    "My… my… Don''t be sad… my dear master…"

    When I noticed, Night Fury had already picked up her blade.

    "…I''ll end her life swiftly." She uttered.

    THUNK!

    Before her sword reached Kuroyuki— I managed to stop it by blocking with my scabbard.

    But what''s with this strength…!? She''s just as strong as that bastard…!

    "YAHH…!"

    I mustered my strength and pushed Night Fury away.

    CLANK…!

    Before Night Fury could recover her posture and attack again— I carried Kuroyuki and head towards the last unattended stone pillar.

    "Ah… Even at a time like this… You are still protecting her…?"

    Night Fury sounds disappointed when she says that. And somehow, she looked at her blade for some reason.

    "Because I''m sure if this happens to me… she would do the same for me as well," I replied.

    I carefully let Kuroyuki''s lifeless body lean on the stone pillar.

    "Even… if you die…?"

    "Nonsense." I retorted. "We aren''t going to die today…!"

    "Then… I will be the one to destroy your hopes."

    While spouting those words, Night Fury immediately closed our distance with a quick step.

    She then did a backhanded swing with her blade. I quickly cladded the scabbard with ''Hard-Defensive Cladding'' to stop her blade.

    THUNK!

    Even though her blade bounced off, yet I could feel some feedback from that powerful slash. It seems she intended to push me away from Kuroyuki.

    WHACK!

    "Ow…!?" I ?r??n?d.

    She immediately followed up with a left elbow to the jaw.

    Luckily it only grazed my chin…! I wasn''t told that sword spirits knew how to do martial arts…!

    Taste this front kick!

    "Ufufu~"

    She read ahead of me and did a sidestep to the right to dodge it when I threw a front kick.

    WHACK!

    Her left elbow continued to a backhanded punch…!?

    She let go of her sword…

    BAM!

    "Geh!?"

    …and threw a powerful right-hook on my face.

    It was enough to make me unconscious in one hit— if I wasn''t cladded with ''Hard-Defensive Cladding''.

    The surprising thing is— Night Fury noticed.

    "Mrk…!?"

    She then pushed my front leg by extending her right foot to break my posture.

    And when I was falling on my back—

    BAM!

    "ARGHHHHHHH!!?"

    —she slammed her knee directly to my spine.

    It was painful, but I endured and turned to grab her waist— trying to push her down.

    "Not a chance~"

    "Wah!?"

    Crap— she saw through my intentions…!

    She then grabs onto my belt and spins my body so that my head is facing downwards.

    "There~"

    WHAM!

    "Gaah—!?"

    Which, she slammed my back to the ground.

    I''m near to seven-hundred kilograms, yet she threw me so quickly like this…!?