Guided by Izaya, Krieg arrived at an ancient ruin. Looking at the degree of weathering on the stone structures, he recalled the lessons Robin had once given him and estimated the site to be incredibly old.
There were carvings resembling script scattered about, but since he hadn't learned that much from her, he could only confirm its antiquity.
Izaya and Maya prepared to head inside. Seeing how dark the interior was, Krieg pulled a lantern from his rucksack, lit it, and handed it to Maya.
He figured it was better for her to hold the light so that his own hands remained free to react to any sudden threats.
They passed through a narrow corridor and emerged into a spacious chamber. In the center of the room sat a solitary stone sarcophagus.
"…It is inside this."
"When was the last time it was opened?"
"…To be precise, it is merely passed down that the sword resides within."
"So, there's a possibility it's already been stolen?"
"I doubt it... but since we have lived by faith in the legend alone, we won't know for sure until we look..."
Izaya placed a hand on the lid of the sarcophagus. The surface was thick with moss and appeared ancient, but Krieg's quick inspection showed that the lid was sealed tight without a single gap.
"Marine Mister, this looks really heavy," Maya chirped.
"Maya is right," Izaya added. "This is too much for one person. We should go call the men from the village. Wait here a moment."
As both the girl and the elder said, the stone lid was massive—certainly too heavy for an ordinary human to move alone. However, they were standing before a man who held the rank of Rear Admiral at Marine Headquarters.
As if to say this was no problem at all, Krieg struck his armored gauntlets together with a sharp clank.
"Now, Elder, Maya-chan... for a Marine, this is light work."
He gripped the edge of the lid. With a low, grinding rumbllle, the stone began to shift. With one final heave of his immense strength, the incredibly heavy lid rose. Krieg carried it effortlessly and leaned it against the chamber wall.
"Now then, let's see if this 'Seven-Starred Sword' is actually in here," he said, ignoring the slack-jawed expressions of Izaya and Maya as he peered into the sarcophagus.
Inside lay a single double-edged longsword.
The blade was not quite two meters long, but it was significantly longer than a standard sword. What caught his eye was the "fuller" (the groove in the blade), which was unusually wide and engraved with patterns or perhaps characters that Krieg couldn't decipher.
The grip was covered in a white material—possibly some kind of skin—and the pommel featured a decorative red cord.
The crossguard shared a circular ornamental design with the pommel. Krieg couldn't tell if the fittings were gold or brass, but they gave off a dull, heavy luster under the lantern light.
Above all, the sword emitted a strange, eerie atmosphere that made one feel an inexplicable, burning urge to reach out and take hold of it.
"Elder, is this the Seven-Starred Sword for certain?"
"Yes... that ominous form... it is undoubtedly the Seven-Starred Sword of legend."
"So it's safe to say it's been here for a long time?"
"It would seem so... is something bothering you?"
"Well, no matter how tightly the sarcophagus was sealed, look at the blade, the guard, the grip... even this cord on the pommel shows absolutely no signs of rust or decay. Setting aside any talk of 'curses,' this sword is clearly made of an extraordinary material."
"Hmm... its composition was never passed down. After all, it is said the sword was bestowed by the Seven Gods of Asuka."
There goes the non-scientific talk again... Krieg thought, keeping his expression neutral.
"Well, I don't see a scabbard. I'll wrap it in something for now and find a proper case later..."
Krieg reached out his hand toward the hilt.
"No! You must not touch it!!"
"Mister! Stop!"
The warnings from Izaya and Maya were a second too late. Krieg's fingers clamped firmly around the hilt of the Seven-Starred Sword.
Fortunately, his hand was still encased in his armor-plated gauntlet.
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