"You really are a disgrace!"
Duke held Akshan's Kindred's Mercy, aiming it straight at him.
"Akshan!"
"Ugh… ugh… ugh…"
Seeing his own weapon pointed at him by Duke, Akshan's eyes went wide. He muffled complaints through the foul cloth gag, grunting incessantly. He was certain he didn't know Duke—but why did Duke know him?
An old enemy? Or an acquaintance of his mentor, Satya?
He had no memory.
"Remove the gag. I want to have a chat with him," Duke said, sitting in his chair while idly spinning Kindred's Mercy. Eurydice signaled someone to remove the foul cloth from Akshan's mouth.
"Peh! Ugh! Gah!" Akshan spat repeatedly, gagging violently. The cloth had clearly disgusted him, leaving him heaving and sputtering.
"How long has it been since you washed this thing?!"
Duke glanced at him but didn't comment further, returning his attention to the weapon.
Kindred's Mercy was composed of three parts: the gun body, the grip, and the front triple-claw hook.
The gun body was black, the handle white, with a curved, spray-gun-like guard. There was no trigger—because it didn't need one.
The white grip was reinforced with golden bands and could be detached, transforming the weapon into a boomerang.
The clawed tip wasn't physically connected to the gun; it linked magically.
When needed, it could fire the hooks to help movement—though this was obviously a later modification. It could also separate and spin, releasing the weapon's fiercest light projectiles.
As a Sunstone weapon, this was only Duke's second time seeing one. The first was with Lucian, whose twin guns were also Sunstone weapons.
The defining feature: no trigger. Activation required unwavering belief and intense willpower as "ammunition."
As long as the fire of faith and flame of will in a person's heart never died, a Sunstone weapon effectively had infinite ammo.
But using it required aptitude. For the weak-willed, it was merely decorative. In the hands of someone resolute, however, the weapon could convert belief into devastating combat power.
"I wanted to study a Sunstone weapon back then… now I finally have the chance."
Duke clumsily disassembled Kindred's Mercy. But as his understanding deepened, his movements became increasingly precise.
To Akshan, watching this unfold, it was terrifying.
"Hey!" he blurted, only to be punched sharply in the abdomen. He curled like a shrimp but still tried to speak.
"Don't dismantle it recklessly. It's hard to repair if damaged!"
"When I make a weapon, you're still playing house. Don't worry too much," Duke replied, reassembling the parts and recalibrating the weapon's balance.
"Hmph, my Kindred's Mercy isn't an ordinary weapon!" Akshan scoffed at Duke's confidence.
Duke glanced at him. "It's just a Sunstone weapon. I know more about this than you do."
"No trigger, yes—but that doesn't mean it can't be used. Sunstone weapons fire with belief and willpower!" Duke tightened his grip. The triple-claw tip began to rotate, petals unfurling like a flower. Sparks flickered between the three Sunstones.
"Edyth, deploy two targets!"
As soon as Duke finished speaking, several targets appeared in the hall.
The instant they materialized, searing beams of holy light shot forth, shattering all the targets.
The fragments smoked gently on the floor, proving the Sunstone weapon's light didn't just purify the undead—it also carried intense heat.
"Not bad at all," Duke said, raising the weapon as the rotating bars calmed.
"You… you know how to use it!"
Akshan's eyes widened in disbelief. His first encounter with the weapon had taken three days to master. Yet Duke casually unleashed its power.
"Is it that hard?" Duke set the weapon aside on the table, pulled out a cigarette, lit it, and inhaled deeply—simply focusing his faith and will through the weapon, letting it serve as a channel.
He then told Eurydice, "Alright, release him."
"I want to talk to him!"
Eurydice bowed deeply, showing utmost respect, and nodded. She also ordered the guards to remove all of Akshan's chains.
Free at last, Akshan was tossed to the ground. Rubbing his joints, he slowly stood, but his eyes were locked on the Kindred's Mercy beside Duke.
"Listen, man," Akshan paused, lowering his stance. "I've already paid for my mistakes. Can you give it back?"
Duke shrugged—clearly, until he had fully examined the weapon, it wasn't going back to Akshan.
It wasn't fair, perhaps, but as a prisoner, Akshan needed to accept his status.
"Then this is really annoying," Akshan muttered.
Before Duke could respond, Akshan lunged like a cheetah—but before he could reach him, the weapon pointed at his head, sending a burst of fragmented light across him.
Kindred's Mercy can reverse life and death, reviving the last person killed by someone struck by this weapon.
Duke tilted his head. "I'm curious… who was the last person you killed?"
Cold sweat formed on Akshan's forehead. He knew the weapon's power well, and he was shocked Duke knew so much about it. Only he and his mentor had ever discussed it. How could Duke know?
"Hey, calm down. Perhaps we're old acquaintances who just haven't met yet," Duke said lightly.
Akshan raised his hands, signaling he no longer intended to attack, and stepped back.
Duke glanced at him. This seemingly obedient man could easily have turned the weapon against Duke if given the chance.
"I know something about Light Sentinels. Honestly, Akshan, you're the opposite of the one I know," Duke said, setting the weapon aside.
"Opposite?"
Akshan raised an eyebrow, dragged a chair over, and sat. Eyeing the unsupported seat, he scratched his chin. "How does this chair hold me?"
"It's solid," Duke replied.
"Anti-gravity tech!"
All the furniture in the hall was fitted with anti-gravity restraints. No supports were needed.
"Whoa, looks magical!" Akshan exclaimed.
"It's technology," Duke corrected with a wave.
He gestured for Eurydice to set down their things and led them out. After a respectful bow, she left with her party.
"So, you say you know Light Sentinels… maybe I know them too. Friend of a friend is a friend," Akshan said, lounging with one leg crossed. "By the way, any food?"
"I've been locked in a cage all this time. Haven't eaten a thing!"
Duke casually clapped his hands, and disciplined drones delivered drinks and fruit.
"Thanks, buddy!" Akshan grabbed fruit and bit in without hesitation. Duke looked at Kindred's Mercy and remarked, "The Light Sentinels I know aren't as unruly as you."
"Funny you mention it—my mentor always said the same about me," Akshan said, finishing the fruit and chugging a cold drink with a satisfied belch.
"I don't even wear the Light Sentinel uniform!" he added, patting his clothes and raising a brow. "Honestly, I like my style."
"I don't care about your style," Duke said, eyeing the rope Akshan had added to the weapon.
"But I do respect your audacity. Adding a tether doesn't upset the weapon's balance."
"Don't see the problem," Akshan said, wiping his hands on his clothes after devouring his snack. "But what exactly do you want?"
He suddenly dropped the joking tone and stared seriously at Duke. "Who are you?"
"Who I am doesn't matter, Akshan," Duke replied, stubbing out his cigarette and lighting a fresh one.
"What matters is that you're my prisoner. Your life is in my hands."
Smoke curled from the cigarette as Duke said calmly: "If you want to leave safely, you'll have to pay your ransom."
"Ransom?" Akshan rolled his eyes. "I was resting in the oasis when I saw a monster attacking children!"
"Imagine a three-headed giant dog tossing kids around like a sandstorm," he continued.
"So that's why a bunch of kids knocked you down?"
Duke's eyes showed a trace of ridicule. Akshan smacked his lips, recalling how he'd shielded the children, only to be kicked in the groin and overpowered by seven or eight kids, buried in sand.
"Those kids were nastier than I was as a child!"
"Enough excuses for failure," Duke rolled his eyes. "I know you dislike rules. Here, you follow mine."
"What rules?"
"Equivalent exchange," Duke said, holding up a finger. "You want your freedom and your weapon back? Then bring me more Sunstone weapons to study."
He glanced at Kindred's Mercy. "They can be lower-tier than this, but they must be Sunstone weapons."
"Buddy, I don't give in easily," Akshan snorted, folding his arms.
"Then I'll give you a chance," Duke said.
"A chance?"
"If you can take Kindred's Mercy, you leave. Can't? Then stay and work for me."
"I'm confident in my skill!"
Akshan rose, cracking his knuckles and staring at Duke.
"Show me then."
"Like this!"
Duke hurled Kindred's Mercy at him. Akshan's eyes glinted as he leapt to catch it.
Then—
Biu!
A light beam struck the weapon first. Its volume instantly expanded to the size of a small car, pinning Akshan to the floor.
"If you can take it, I'll admit defeat!" Duke said calmly, standing from his chair as Akshan struggled under the colossal weapon.
End of chapter....
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