Chapter 338: To Accept Is To Be Reborn [Part 2]
Lapiz’s original weapon was a Super Rare bow, which had decent stats.
But Aeris wanted a better weapon for her, something that would perfectly suit her fighting style.
Although Lapiz used a bow in battle, Aeris knew that her sister was also very proficient in dual wielding short swords and other light weapons like rapiers.
This was why she wanted to see what kind of weapon Enigma would transform into. That would allow her to check if her assumptions were correct.
Since Enigma would transform into the weapon that perfectly matched its wielder, Lapiz would be able to increase her fighting prowess in anticipation of the dungeon expedition.
After sending her request to the Student Council, Lapiz had been given special permission to temporarily join the delegation from the Kingdom of Faelarun and become part of Prince Kaelen’s team during the dungeon competition.
"Go on, sister. Give it a try." Prince Kaelen also wanted to see what kind of weapon Enigma would transform to.
"Understood." Lapiz smiled faintly and lightly pricked her finger with the tip of a dagger.
She then let her blood fall on top of the floating silver orb, which immediately glowed brighter after receiving her blood.
"Now, hold it and use your magic to activate its transformation," Aeris reminded.
Lapiz took a deep breath before placing her palm on the warm surface of the silver orb.
She channeled her magic into it. Immediately, the golden runes blazed brightly like miniature suns.
The orb trembled in her hand before elongating. It stretched outward as metallic rings unfolded and collapsed into each other, reshaping into something entirely new.
Aeris and Prince Kaelen leaned forward, their eyes wide with curiosity.
However, when the weapon finally took form, both of them gasped in shock because this was a weapon that they weren’t expecting to see.
"This..." Prince Kaelen frowned before shifting his gaze to Aeris. "Sister, are you sure that this item is legit?"
"I... I don’t know." Aeris looked at the weapon in Lapiz’s hands, thinking that there might be some kind of mistake. "Lapiz, give me back that item. I am going to the Velvet Vault to complain."
To her surprise, Lapiz shook her head and smiled.
"There’s no need for that, sister," Lapiz said as her hands gripped the handle of her weapon firmly. "I’m also surprised, but for some reason, I think that Enigma didn’t make a mistake."
The elven princess was holding onto a Deathscythe, whose blade shone faintly like the moon in the darkest of nights.
The handle was streaked in silver and black, and its unconventional appearance seemed to be reminding everyone that it was a very deadly weapon that not many could use so easily.
For a brief moment, Aeris and Prince Kaelen saw a black silhouette appear behind Lapiz.
It was not just the phantom of the scythe’s power, but something deeper, an archetype carved into the flow of fate itself.
A tall figure cloaked in black stood behind her, its form skeletal yet regal, as if wearing invisible armor.
In one hand, it carried a great black banner adorned with a white rose, blooming eternal against the void. Behind it, a white horse pawed the ground, calm yet unyielding, a symbol of inevitability.
The horizon shimmered. Between two towers, a golden sun began to rise, or perhaps set. Its light was neither cruel nor kind, but inevitable. The air itself whispered a truth older than the dawn of the world.
From the depths of Lapiz’s eyes, the number "XIII" written in gold letters manifested for a few seconds.
They then heard a voice, both chilling and warm at the same time, inside of their heads.
"Not the end, but the turning of a page. To resist is sorrow. To accept is to be reborn."
The phantom dissolved as quickly as it appeared, leaving behind only the elegant deathscythe in Lapiz’s hands.
Lapiz herself seemed to have fallen into a trance, as if she had been marked by something stirring within the very depths of her soul.
————
Somewhere in the multiverse...
A young man with short black hair and green eyes, looked over the horizon.
"A Cannon Fodder has been marked," the young man said softly, his eyes narrowing as if someone had pricked his reverse scale, which could cause an entire continent to be destroyed if he so wished for it.
————
Back in the Obsidian Fang’s sacred grove...
"Lapiz, are you alright?!" Aeris called out to her sister, afraid to touch her because it might trigger some backlash from the sudden enlightenment that she received.
Prince Kaelen was already standing, poised to react to anything unexpected.
He was deeply shaken because he could clearly sense that the power of some kind of divinity had entered his sister’s body.
A few minutes later, clarity returned in Lapiz’s eyes, and a soft sigh escaped her lips.
It was as if she had just woken up from a very wonderful dream, which made her subconsciously lean her head on the handle of her deathscythe. Her weapon hummed as if to acknowledge its new Mistress.
"Sister, are you hurt?" Prince Kaelen asked as he lightly touched Lapiz’s shoulder, making sure that she was alright.
The moment she was touched, Lapiz’s eyes abruptly widened.
"Where... ah... right." Lapiz, who seemed to be still half-asleep, pinched the bridge of her nose.
She squeezed her eyes shut and counted to three before opening them. She looked at her siblings, who had worry written all over their faces.
"What happened?" Lapiz blinked. "Is there something wrong with my face?"
"No, there’s nothing wrong with your pretty face, Lapiz." Aeris approached her sister and gave her a hug. "We just... saw something that made us feel worried. Did you hear anything earlier?"
For a moment, Lapiz hesitated. Then she nodded.
"Yes. I heard a voice," Lapiz replied. "It said... It said, ’Not the end, but the turning of a page. To resist is sorrow. To accept is to be reborn.’"
The young lady then glanced at Enigma and asked it a question.
"Were you the one that talked to me, Enigma?" Lapiz inquired.
The deathscythe hummed, as if telling Lapiz that it didn’t do anything.
"Still... a deathscythe?" Prince Kaelen rubbed his chin. "I don’t know any elves who use this as a weapon."
Aeris frowned slightly. "Neither do I. Elves are known for bows, swords, and spears... not scythes. This doesn’t make sense."
But Lapiz shook her head, her gaze fixed on the moonlit edge of the weapon.
"Perhaps it doesn’t have to." Lapiz smiled faintly. "Sister, thank you for the gift. I promise to take good care of Enigma."
"Well, I’m happy that you feel that way," Aeris replied, but there was still a tinge of worry in her tone. "However, if you feel that this weapon doesn’t suit you, don’t hesitate to talk to me so I can find you a replacement, okay?"
"Yes." Lapiz nodded.
Enigma then transformed back into a silver orb before merging with the back of Lapiz’s right hand.
The symbol, XIII, appeared at the back of her hand for a brief moment, but no one, not even Lapiz, was able to see it.