Zev was astonished when the sword responded to his words. He had been speaking to it because of the memories he shared with Zendrake, but this moment was something entirely new. In his past life, Zendrake had never approached him like this.
"What?!" he shouted.
Zev staggered backward and instinctively released the sword, but instead of falling, it remained suspended in the air.
Just by looking at it, he could tell that Zendrake's presence was real—it wasn't a hallucination. Taking a deep breath to steady himself, Zev fixed his gaze on the sword, his expression turning serious.
In Zev's mind, what was the point of being shocked anymore? After all, he had somehow returned to the past something that defied logic and sounded more like a wild fantasy than reality.
"I'm asking you, little boy. How do you know my name?" Zendrake's voice cut through the air, sharp and commanding.
It was real undeniably real. The force behind his voice carried a weight that Zev could feel pressing against his chest, like invisible hands tightening around him. In that moment, two choices warred inside his head: should he tell the truth and reveal his regression, or lie?
He exhaled slowly, a weary sigh escaping his lips. "There's no point in hiding it."
He raised his eyes and spoke clearly. "I came from the future… and somehow ended up in the past. In that future, you're my weapon."
Silence fell like a blanket over the area.
Then Zendrake laughed loud, amused, and echoing. "Hahaha! You're a funny one, little boy."
But the laughter didn't last. A sudden surge of pressure burst from him like a storm, and Zev felt it hammer against his body, forcing him to take a step back.
"But I am not someone you can toy with," Zendrake growled, his voice now cold. "Tell me the truth, before I kill you."
There was no falsehood in Zendrake's words. Zev could feel it an attack could come at any moment. He wasn't sure why, but his instincts took over and he raised his guard just in case. Even so, he held firm to his decision.
"I already told you. There's no reason for me to lie."
He never finished the sentence.
Zendrake charged forward without warning, his speed blinding. The strike came straight for Zev's neck.
Clang!
The sharp sound of metal crashing against metal rang in Zev's ears. His eyes widened in disbelief. Zendrake had split his sword in half.
If Zev hadn't tilted his body to the side at the last second, he would have been dead.
Zev was stunned. He knew an attack like that should have been impossible to dodge with his current body. The pain confirmed it, his injury from the spider fight still throbbed, sharp and unforgiving, especially when he tried to block the strike.
"You're quite good, little boy," Zendrake said with a smirk. "You managed to avoid my attack, even in your condition."
Then his tone turned colder.
"But the next one won't be so forgiving. If I were you, I would take this chance to tell the truth while I'm still offering it."
Zev clicked his tongue in frustration. He knew he wouldn't survive another blow.
"Tch."
He dropped his broken sword and lowered his guard. Then, meeting Zendrake's eyes without flinching, he took a step forward.
"That is the truth," he said calmly. "If you don't believe me, then here I am. Kill me."
"Hahaha! Do you think I'll show mercy just because you're a kid?" Zendrake's voice was filled with scorn. "If that's what you want, then I'll grant your wish—gladly."
A wave of spiritual energy surged from his body, far stronger than before. The air grew heavy, pulsing with raw power.
Swish!
The sword shot toward Zev, moving so fast it blurred before his eyes. He tried to track it, but his vision couldn't keep up. Maybe he could have followed its path using spiritual energy, but that option was gone. His injuries had already robbed him of that ability.
With no other choice, he shut his eyes.
There was no escape. This time, he accepted it.
Fortunately, Zendrake stopped just before the sword touched Zev's chest.
"You really are insane, kid," he muttered, stepping back. His stance relaxed slightly, making it clear he no longer intended to strike.
But Zev knew it wasn't because Zendrake believed him. There was another reason one that kept him from landing the final blow.
"Tch. If I weren't at risk of losing consciousness, I wouldn't hesitate to kill you," Zendrake growled, clearly frustrated.
Zev's thoughts raced. If his assumption was correct, Zendrake couldn't kill him. Doing so would force him into unconsciousness. Just as his master once explained, the bond between them was absolute. Their fates were now intertwined.
To be honest, Zev had already accepted that he was going to die. He had no tricks left, nothing hidden up his sleeve. In his mind, it was over.
That was why he considered himself lucky. Somehow, Zendrake had spared him. He had been given a second chance.
The tension drained from his body all at once. As relief washed over him, his legs gave out, and he collapsed to the ground.
Moments later, everything faded to black as he lost consciousness.
-
Twelve hours had passed since Zev entered the forest and stepped into the cave. The sun had already risen, and all the students were expected to gather for the official new student assembly.
But Zev was still lying on the cold, hard ground.
"How long do you plan to sleep, huh?" Zendrake's firm voice cut through the silence, sharp enough to wake him.
Zev's eyes snapped open. Floating beside him was the sword, hovering in the air.
He didn't answer right away. Instead, he pushed himself into a seated position, wincing slightly. As he moved, he realized something strange—his body had begun to recover.
It was one of the few blessings of having monster genes in his system. His healing rate was far beyond that of a normal human.
Zev stood up and said casually, "I'm going to leave now." His tone was calm, as if the sword hadn't just tried to kill him moments ago. "How about you?"
He had planned to take the sword from the start, but since it seemed to have its own consciousness, he wasn't so sure anymore.
Zendrake replied smoothly, "What do you think? Of course, I plan to stick with you. I didn't kill you for a reason." Then the sword slid back into its scabbard. "Pick me up."
Zev smiled faintly as he strapped the sword to his waist. "Why didn't you kill me?" he asked.
"Isn't it obvious?" Zendrake said. "You're the first one to find me. The moment you used your spiritual energy, we bonded. If I killed you, I would die too."
Zev paused, the pieces falling into place. It was clear now, Zendrake had never intended to kill him. Instead, the sword wanted to learn more how he managed obtain information about him.
Both of them left the cave without any trouble. Yet Zendrake remained curious about how this little boy had learned his name. He asked several times, but Zev gave the same answer each time. Eventually, Zendrake grew tired of pressing.
"I will learn your secret..." he muttered.
Soon, Zev spotted the Mutant Academy in the distance. A small worry nagged at him—would others be able to hear Zendrake's voice? But as they passed through the academy gates and mingled with the other students, it became clear that only Zev could hear the sword.
He didn't bother attending the assembly. He already knew what to expect.
Instead, he went straight to his room to rest. After all the severe injuries he had suffered, rest was exactly what he needed.
Aside from that, Zev knew that after resting today, many events were about to unfold.
Before drifting off to sleep, he tried to use his spiritual energy to clear the blockage inside him. It didn't take long to realize it would take some time before he fully recovered.
Meanwhile, Zendrake watched with quiet admiration. He was impressed that this little kid could control his spiritual energy without much struggle. After all, Zev was clearly no ordinary child—especially after dodging his attack.
Lying on the bed, Zev glanced at the sword resting beside him.
"I'm curious, Zendrake. What is your true purpose?" he asked.
The sword responded without hesitation. "It's simple. To annihilate all demonic creatures."