The city was burning. Smoke filled the sky, and the sound of fighting echoed through every street.
Emma and I ran through the crowd — rebels, soldiers, even normal people with sticks — all swinging at each other.
"This place is crazy!" Emma shouted, blocking a rebel's attack with her twin blades.
"Tell me about it!" I said, kicking a soldier away. "We need to reach the docks!"
We turned down a side street, but it wasn't any better. Marines were fighting rebels there too.
"Why are the Marines here?" I yelled.
Emma blocked a bullet with her sword. "Maybe they came for you!"
"Not funny!"
We kept running, fighting anyone who got in the way. I swung my sword and managed to take a few down, but the blade cracked a little every time it hit.
Then I heard shouting ahead. A man in a long Marine coat stood in the middle of the road. He had short gray hair and a scar across his cheek. Behind him, rows of Marines waited — hundreds of them.
"Hold it right there!" he shouted. "I'm Vice Captain Brand of the Navy! You two are under arrest for attacking Marines and helping rebels!"
"Helping? We're just trying to survive!" I said.
He pointed his sword forward. "Attack!"
Four hundred Marines charged toward us.
"Emma," I said quietly.
"Yeah?"
"We're surrounded."
"No kidding!"
We both ran forward to meet them. Swords clashed. Bullets flew. Emma spun through the crowd, her dual blades flashing, cutting through anyone who got too close.
I blocked an attack — CRACK! My cheap sword snapped in half.
"Oh, come on!" I yelled, tossing the broken hilt.
Emma glanced back mid-swing. "What happened!?"
"Your sword broke!"
She kicked a Marine down. "It's not my fault! You hit too hard!"
Another Marine charged. I grabbed a metal pipe and used it like a club, but it bent after one swing.
"Emma, I need a weapon!"
"Then get one!" she shouted.
She suddenly ran toward a weapon shop nearby, dodging bullets and leaping through the broken window.
"Emma!?" I shouted, blocking another attack.
A moment later, she came running back, holding a black sword wrapped in cloth. "Catch!"
I caught it midair. The second I touched the hilt, the air around me felt strange — heavy, dark.
"What is this?" I asked.
"The shopkeeper said it's cursed," Emma said, cutting down two Marines. "So it's perfect for you!"
I didn't have time to argue. I swung the sword.
A wave of air exploded forward, knocking down the front line of Marines. Even the Vice Captain stepped back, eyes wide.
"That power…" he muttered.
Emma grinned. "Looks like you found your match."
I looked at the sword — its blade was black with red marks that seemed to move under the light.
The Marines charged again. I raised the sword and slashed. The ground cracked. Dust flew.
Emma fought beside me, her twin blades slicing through the chaos. "We need to move before more come!"
"Right!" I said.
The Vice Captain shouted from behind the smoke, "Don't let them escape! Take them down!"
I turned to Emma. "You ready?"
She smiled. "I was born ready."
The smoke began to clear. Bodies of Marines lay all around us. Only one man was still standing...Vice Captain Brand.
His coat was torn, his sword cracked.
I lowered the black sword and looked at it. The strange red lines glowed faintly. Then I noticed the handle — the same markings, the same shape.
My eyes widened. "Wait a second…"
Emma caught her breath beside me. "What?"
"This sword," I said slowly. "It's the same one from that shop. The one the old man said wasn't for sale."
Emma smirked, wiping sweat from her forehead. "So what?"
"You stole it, didn't you?" I asked.
She shrugged. "Borrowed. Big difference."
I sighed. "You really have no shame."
Before she could answer, Brand took a step forward, sword in hand.
"You two caused enough trouble," he said. "Attacking Marines, destroying the street, stealing. Your luck ends here."
He raised his sword and charged. His speed surprised me — one moment he was far away, the next his blade was inches from my neck. I barely blocked it.
The clash sent a shock through my arms.
"Fast," I muttered.
Brand pushed me back. "You're strong, kid, but strength without control is nothing."
He swung again. I dodged, feeling the cursed sword vibrate in my hand like it wanted to move on its own. The ground cracked under each strike we exchanged.
"Noah, finish this already!" Emma yelled.
"I'm trying!" I shouted back, blocking another heavy swing.
Brand's blade sliced my sleeve, cutting the skin beneath. I winced. He was stronger than I expected.
"You fight well," Brand said, "but this ends now!"
He raised his sword high and brought it down with all his strength. I crossed my blade to block — sparks flew. The cursed sword pulsed again, and a wave of force blasted outward, throwing both of us back.
Brand slid across the ground but quickly stood. "That sword…" he said. "It's not normal, is it?"
I didn't answer. I tightened my grip and stepped forward. The red marks on the blade glowed brighter.
Brand attacked again. I met his strike head-on. Our blades clashed again and again, faster and faster, until everything around us was just dust and sparks.
Finally, I saw an opening. I kicked the sand into his face and swung the sword down with both hands.
The black blade hit the ground — a shockwave tore through the street. The sand exploded upward, knocking Brand off his feet.
When the dust settled, he was lying on the ground, his sword broken beside him.
He coughed and looked up at me. "Who… are you?"
I stared at the cursed sword still humming in my grip. "Just a pirate," I said.
Emma walked up, wiping her blades clean. "That was too close."
I nodded. "Let's get out of here before more show up."
She glanced at the sword. "Nice weapon, huh?"
I looked at her and sighed. "You're paying for it, if we ever see the old man again."
She grinned. "Sure, captain. If the old man's still alive."