85 The tool (1/2)
Marcus was feeling nostalgic.
His entire life he had been ordered by his mother to find and slay demons.
From the very first day he gained any sense of awareness he was forced to endure her end her weird obsession with the idea of killing anything that was fuelled by cursed energy.
He wasn't entirely sure why this was so important for her. At first, he just assumed that his mother some kind of noble soul that felt joy by helping humanity and was trying to free them from the menace of demons.
But that didn't felt right.
His mother didn't seem to show any signs of honestly caring about the people around her. Not even Marcus himself.
She always looked at him as if he was just some tool that she was using to finish up her goal.
Marcus probably would never have noticed her weird behavior and start acting suspicious of her if it wasn't for his father.
Marcus didn't get to spend a lot of time with Marceus, but the moments he did share with him were some of the fondest memories he ever had.
Marceus made him feel calm, comfortable, relaxed, safe. He made Marcus feel like he was someone you could trust, someone you could talk to, someone you wanted to talk to.
His mother felt like the complete opposite. Marcus never had any desire to engage in conversations with his mom since most of her talks could be resumed with either ”Kill demons” or ”Do your job”.
He wanted to run away sometimes and stop trying to listen to his mother's command, but anytime he tried to, she would just show up and start hurting him.
He wasn't sure how, but anytime Marcus even considered the idea of leaving his mother behind, she would appear out of nowhere and start releasing some kind of energy blast that would electrocute him.
Marcus tried to escape from her seventy-four times, and his mother found him and punished him every single time to remind him that he could not oppose her.
Even though he wanted to keep his promise to his father, the promise that he would continue his work without fail, Marcus was still just a kid.
He was scared, alone, and confused.
Why did he have to kill demons? Why did his mother keep torturing him? Why did his father abandon him? Why did the kids around him get to play and have fun while he was stuck in this nightmare? Why was no one showing up to save him?
Marcus wanted answers. He didn't want a solution, he just wanted to know why. Why did he have to receive such a life? What did he do deserve this? Why him and not anyone else?
If only someone could give him a reason, maybe he could endure it properly. But nobody did.
Marcus had no one he could rely on.
He was a tool, and tools don't need an explanation, they just need to continue to work without breaking. If they did break, the owner would have to find another one, and his mother really didn't want to find another tool.
One day, maybe out of piety, his mother saw how much the boy was suffering and decided to give him a present.
”Marcus... How would you like to have a partner?”
”...? Partner...?”
”Yes! You see... You are a sword, my boy. Swords are made to be held by warriors. If you could find someone to use you, maybe you wouldn't feel so depressed all the time, and you would be able to unleash your full power!”
”... My full... Power...?”
Marcus was intrigued by the idea. Not because he wanted to become stronger, but because he just wanted someone besides his mother to talk to.
Apparently there was some kind of competition going on around the world where people were trying to find out where Marcus was so they could use his power.
Marcus got excited. He assumed that many people would start coming looking for him wanting to be his friend. Maybe even save him from his mother.
So he waited, and waited, and kept waiting. But as time went on, he realized, nobody was coming.
Marcus didn't know why. He was the strongest sword in the world, and yet, not one soul was in sight to try and become his partner.
He tried to ask permission to his mother to investigate the situation and started to ask around a few citizens.
Apparently, there was some girl who had discovered the secret location of Marcus, and because of that, everyone was looking for her instead of him.
Marcus had no idea what they were talking about. He never even talked to a girl. He never even talked to another kid! His friendship circle extended to his dead father and his terrifying mother.
Who was this girl? How did she know about him? What did she want with him? And why hadn't she arrived to save him yet?
The weapon-kid started to lose hope again. This mysterious girl was not coming no matter how much he waited. Marcus assumed that it was his fate to simply kill demons forever by himself.
However, this changed one day when he saw someone watching him alone.
He was just finishing slaying another demon in half and drenching the ground with its blood when he heard the voice of someone who was observing him.
”Beautiful!!”
”...?”
Marcus turned around and noticed a small girl with black skin, black hair, and a black dress. She was looking at him as if he was some kind of painting with wide eyes full of sparkles.
”Huh... Hi...?”
”You just killed that demon in two seconds!!”
”... Yes...?”
”That was amazing!!”
”Oh...! Thanks...?”
”How did you do that??”
”Ah, that's something I inherited from my father... I can turn my body into blades that can cut anything.”
”Oh!! You're the living weapon!!”
”Almost... I'm his son... My father was the living weapon.”
”Oh! I see... I see... So where is your partner?”
”Don't have one...”
”Eh...? Why not??”
”...”
Marcus made a face as if he himself wanted to know that answer as well.
”Don't know... It's just that... No one came for me...”
”Oh...”
”...”
”Would you... Would it be ok if I became your partner?”
”You...??”
”Me!!”
”...”
Marcus wasn't sure about that idea. His mother wanted his partner to be some kind of warrior that would help him unleash his full potential. What could a little girl with twin ponytails like her possibly unleash?
”I don't know... My job is kinda dangerous...”
”Please!!!!! Just give me a chance!!”
”Ok... But my mother needs to approve you too... She is the one that gets the final word.”
”Yes!! Thank you!! I won't disappoint you!!”