"Is the legend of the Shichiseiken actually true?!"
When El finally explained the real purpose of this trip, Carina—the only one among the three girls who had read about the Shichiseiken in old records—widened her beautiful eyes in disbelief.
El nodded calmly.
"Over the past two months, I've read the memories of many people. It was through the memories of one particular individual that I learned of the Shichiseiken's existence. That's why I bought the Asuka Island Eternal Pose and brought you here."
"The Shichiseiken is real," he continued."And it's very likely sealed within a stone castle on the far side of the island."
"Then what are we waiting for?" Carina said excitedly."Let's go right now!"
She leaned forward eagerly.
"In the legends, aside from the most beautiful sword, Asuka Island also hides a huge amount of treasure. If the legend of the Shichiseiken is real, then maybe the treasure legend is real too!"
Before El could say anything, Nami's eyes instantly turned into the shape of Belly signs, shining with blinding golden light.
"Treasure… huge amounts of treasure… I want it!!!"
El only smiled faintly and chose not to pour cold water on their enthusiasm.
Even if the three princes of the Asuka Kingdom had once left behind an enormous treasure, after so many years it would have been long emptied by the people of the island.
If it weren't for the Shichiseiken's ability to control those who touched it, turning them into mindless puppets, even the sword itself would likely have been stolen and sold long ago.
After explaining everything, the four returned to the port and sailed toward the rear side of Asuka Island.
The front and back of the island were separated by dense forests and mountains. Most visitors moored their ships at the front port, not the rocky coastline at the back.
As a result, very few people knew that deep within the forests of the back region lived a hidden ethnic group.
They were descendants of the ancient priestess who had sacrificed her life to seal the Shichiseiken.
For generations, their destiny had been to guard the stone castle and protect the three sacred jewels that suppressed the sword's power.
In this generation, the priestess was still nothing more than a ten-year-old girl.
Using a narrow channel formed by seawater cutting through the island, the four reached the forested region where the tribe lived.
They did not advance directly.
Instead, El used Observation Haki to guide the group, deliberately avoiding the tribe and anchoring the ship halfway along the waterway.
If the tribe discovered that their goal was the Shichiseiken, a battle would be unavoidable.
El had not yet awakened Conqueror's Haki. He could not instantly suppress everyone without collateral damage.
If a fight broke out, innocent people would be hurt.
Because of that, El chose to avoid conflict—something he rarely did.
The stone castle itself was easy to locate.
It stood at the end of another waterway, looming silently within the forest.
El picked up Nami, while Kuina carried Carina on her back.The two of them then shot through the forest at a speed invisible to the naked eye, successfully sneaking into the castle without alerting anyone.
Inside the castle were numerous secret chambers.
There were sarcophagi, shattered chests, and decayed containers scattered everywhere.
All of them were empty.
This sight made Carina and Nami visibly distressed.
In their eyes, those sarcophagi and boxes should have been overflowing with gold, jewels, and priceless artifacts.
Unfortunately—there was nothing left.
After a moment's thought, neither of them felt regret anymore.
The castle's location was too obvious. A hidden tribe lived nearby, and a prosperous city existed on the other side of the island.
Even if vast treasures had once been stored here, there was no way they would have survived until today.
"Without the treasure," Carina asked in the dim corridor,"does the most beautiful sword in the legend still exist?"
"Let's find out," El replied with a smile, not giving a direct answer.
"And if it doesn't," he added calmly,"I'll just read the memories of the tribe and see if they know where the Shichiseiken is."
Soon, the four arrived at another hidden chamber.
They opened the sarcophagus inside.
This time—
It was not empty.
An incomparably slender emerald-green longsword lay within, its blade engraved with unfathomable runes. A chilling aura filled the room.
"Is this… real?"
Carina stared at it in disbelief.
"All the treasures are gone, yet the national treasure itself is still here? What were those people thinking?"
"Something's wrong with this sword."
Kuina's brows furrowed slightly.
A swordsman's instinct warned her.
"I can sense an ominous presence."
"Yes," El nodded."This is a cursed sword—and one of the strongest cursed swords in existence."
With anticipation in his eyes, El reached out and grasped the hilt of the Shichiseiken.
Swish—
The instant his hand closed around the hilt, a scarlet light tore through the darkness.
El's vision shattered.
In the next moment, his consciousness seemed to cross time and space.
He saw a crimson full moon hanging in the sky.
Below it lay a sea of corpses, formed from countless human bodies.
Pain, hatred, despair, resentment—
An overwhelming flood of negative emotions surged through the sword and poured into El's body, trying to invade his mind and turn him into a puppet driven only by slaughter.
At that exact moment—
El's innate talent, Life Return (Seimei Kikan), activated on its own.
Just like when he digested the energy of the Nutritional Supplement, the torrent of negative energy was instantly broken down and absorbed.
Invisible to the naked eye, El's Haki surged.
His body became like a magnet, frantically drawing in the immense power the Shichiseiken had accumulated over countless years.
Time lost all meaning.
Then—
The Shichiseiken in El's hand suddenly crumbled into dust and vanished.
At the same instant, an extremely violent shockwave erupted outward from El's body.
PS :
Shichiseiken (Cursed State) – A former holy sword that absorbed centuries of bloodshed and resentment, gaining mind-controlling properties.
◇ BONUS & SUPPORT ◇
◇ 1 bonus chapter for every 10 reviews — drop a comment!
◇ 1 bonus chapter for every 100 Power Stones.
◇ Read 70 chapters ahead on P@treon → patreon.com/Sagamaster789