The Mercenaries of Mayhem were finally home.
Jim was sprawled out in one of the mansion's many rooms, still recovering from his injuries. He had a bottle of strong liquor beside him, despite everyone telling him he should be drinking water.
Bob, on the other hand, was grinning ear to ear, already counting the money they had earned from the job.
Meanwhile, Derek had one thing on his mind.
He needed to show the sword to Anna.
In the mansion library, Anna sat with her usual stack of books, flipping through a tome while sipping tea.
Derek entered, holding his new sword in his hand.
Anna barely glanced up. "Oh, it's you."
Derek nodded. "I need you to take a look at this."
He set the greatsword down on the table in front of her.
The moment he did—Anna froze.
Her crimson eyes narrowed, and for the first time since meeting her, Derek saw something in her expression that wasn't boredom or amusement.
It was wariness.
"…What is this?" Anna murmured, staring at the runes.
"You tell me," Derek said. "This is the broken sword from Sword Graveyard."
Anna's normally confident smirk was gone. She reached out, but the moment her fingers hovered near the hilt, she flinched.
Derek stared.
Anna—the Red Dragon—was hesitant to touch it.
"Are you sure?" she asked.
Derek crossed his arms. "It was broken at first. Then, during the battle with the Black Dragon, it… transformed."
Anna frowned deeper.
"…I don't know what this is," she admitted. "But I don't like it."
Derek blinked. "You? Not knowing something?"
She glared at him. "Shut up. I read books, not forbidden artifacts."
She leaned back, eyes still locked on the sword.
"It's ancient," she said. "The runes… they don't match anything I've seen before. But something about it is…"
She tapped her fingers on the table.
"…Threatening."
Derek frowned. "Threatening?"
Anna nodded. "To me."
Derek stared at her.
Anna—a Red Dragon—was saying she felt threatened by his sword.
That wasn't normal.
But Anna shook her head. "Whatever it is, I can't help you. Figure it out yourself."
Derek sighed. "Of course."
He spent the next few days training.
At first, he was curious if the sword would glow again. If its strange aura would return.
But—nothing.
It swung like a normal greatsword now. No glow, no power, just a well-balanced blade.
It didn't make sense.
He had felt it awaken in battle. It had unleashed something. But now? Silent.
That night, as Derek slept, he found himself standing in a vast, empty space.
Unlike before, there was nothing but white mist around him.
Then—footsteps.
A familiar man walked forward.
He wore a crown. His eyes gleamed with wisdom, and he carried an aura of royalty.
He smiled.
"Finally," the man said, his voice calm yet powerful. "You have awakened the sword."
Derek stared.
"…Who are you?"