Death Keeper

In the country of Skuldara, At midday in the slums of Fringeville, in a small shaded market near a bridge, where the sun was beating down oppressively, a merchant named Gergon was stationed at a stall slightly apart from the others. As customers passed him by, a hooded youth emerged from the crowd and approached his stand.

???: “Gergon, is that you?”

Gergon, slightly drowsy from the heat and exhaustion of the day, lifted his head. In front of him stood a young man with red hair, streaked with a blue lightning-like pattern on one side. One of his eyes was shut; the other glowed a vivid red.

Gergon: “Depends on who’s asking...”

Rednu: “I’m Rednu. That’s all you need to know for now. Do you know anything about Murasama?”

Gergon’s expression tensed. His brows furrowed, and he averted his gaze.

Gergon: “If you’re talking about street rumors, you’d be wise not to believe everything you hear, kid.”

As Gergon started to lower his head again, Rednu reached into his pocket and placed his hand on the stall. Slowly, he slid a ring with a snake-like design across the surface.

Rednu: “If it were just a rumor... they’d still be in one piece, wouldn’t they?”

Gergon’s eyes widened with fear, sweat starting to form on his forehead. The ring belonged to Tangara, a companion who had recently gone missing—last seen heavily wounded. That meant the man standing before him already knew more than enough. Gergon couldn’t afford to make a mistake.

“…But…”

Despite his efforts to remain calm, Gergon’s voice trembled:

Gergon: “Heh… Seems you already know more than you let on. So then, you understand the situation, don’t you?”

“…He decided to gamble.”

Rednu: “If I knew enough, I wouldn’t be standing here. All signs lead to you. I don’t plan to cause chaos, but you’re aware, aren’t you…”

Rednu’s swords peeked ever so slightly into view.

Rednu: “…I won’t hesitate to use force.”

Gergon realized he was dealing with a Sword Mage.

Gergon: “Look, kid... Relax. Yes, I have the information, but there’s a minor issue—I can’t give it to you…”

He thought to himself: “Five months ago, I found Murasama in the Canyon Cliffs. Seeing such a legendary weapon just lying there felt surreal, but I took it. They say touching the Blood Hunter brings death… I wish I could say I was lucky. But considering my debt to the ‘Silent Circle,’ luck had nothing to do with it...”

Straightening up, he composed himself and focused on Rednu.

Rednu: “Get to the point.”

Gergon: “Do you know the Silent Circle? I made a deal with them for certain illegal goods. I couldn’t pay them back. As part of that debt, I swore an oath of secrecy regarding Murasama—” (This was a lie.) Rednu, sensing the falsehood, thought silently: “Liar.”

Gergon: “—But if the ones I swore to are no longer around... then the oath becomes meaningless, doesn’t it?”

Rednu: “So basically, you want to cut your debt... the sharp way.” sighs “Fine. I hope you have what I think you do. If not, this won’t just be about money anymore.”

As Rednu walked away, Gergon thought to himself:

“I don’t know how it happened, but the day before I was about to put Murasama up for sale, someone contacted me—offering a fortune every month in exchange for the sword. I accepted, of course. I didn’t even have the luxury of reconsidering. But then, the Silent Circle noticed. They started renewing my debt repeatedly. I complained... which only made them angrier. Two months ago, my wife gave birth—but within hours, my child was gone. A day or two later, I found the corpse in a dumpster… I’m certain it was them. I’ve been too scared to leave this district since. I even left my wife. This isn’t about money anymore. But if I’m right about this kid... maybe he can settle the score for me…”

Two Hours Later — The Silent Circle Mansion

Inside the luxurious mansion, guards laughed loudly under crystal chandeliers, playing games and drinking.

“Looks like the monthly debts are coming in again!”

“Hope some of these fools can’t pay... might be fun for us, huh boys?! HAHAHA!”

“Hand me the list, I wanna see which suckers paid early. AHAHA—LOOK AT THAT! Gergon’s on top again, AS ALWAYS!”

“Guess he’s learned not to defy Mr. Corloene, ha—”

Suddenly, the front door exploded open, and a guard stumbled in—covered in blood, barely alive. The room went silent.

Through the dust stepped Rednu.

Rednu: “Does Mr. Corloene live here?”

One of the men: “Who the hell are you? Got a death wish or something?!”

Rednu: “I don’t have time for—”

He vanished in a blur, reappearing behind them.

“—conversation.”

With a swift flick, he sealed the tiny gap in his sword’s sheath— and the men’s torsos split apart in perfect, clean slices.

Guards: “KILL HIM!”

Rednu charged forward like lightning, slicing down opponents and parrying spells and bullets alike. Even when surrounded, he spun his sword in a brutal arc, cleanly bisecting every enemy in reach. He pushed through fleeing workers and up the grand staircase as guards tried to stop him with firearms and magic—but he cut them all down in a single motion.

At the top, he reached a red-draped room. The windows were open. Corloene, terrified, was climbing out the window in an attempt to flee. But Rednu was already beside him.

“…And within roughly 20 minutes…”

On the rooftop, in the rain—Corloene begged for his life.

Corloene: “You can have whatever you want! There’s trillions in the vault! Please… just spare me!”

Rednu: “Funny, isn’t it, Mr. Corloene? All these guards and you’re still crawling like a rat… Don’t worry. I’ll take over the debts owed to you.”

He thought: “I could’ve just threatened him, but this way... he’ll owe me.”

Rednu threw him off the rooftop.

“...The Silent Circle—including Corloene and his guards—was annihilated.”

Fifteen minutes later, the police arrived—but the perpetrator had vanished.

Gergon, now at the scene, stood in shock—but knew he could finally return home, free.

“I may not know who I sold it to… but I know where I sold it.” Despite the gloomy rain, a strange peace surrounded him as he walked down the desolate street.

Walking along the lonesome street, Rednu appeared.

Rednu: “I hope that wasn’t your second lie— because now you owe me… and this isn’t a debt you can repay with money.”

Gergon: “Heh… so you didn’t buy it. Alright, a deal’s a deal. I found Murasama five months ago at the Canyon Cliffs. But it’s no longer with me—I sold it to Element University. Here—I’ll even give you the location...”

Rednu looked at Gergon’s palms and noticed strange scars.

“This man... If he had still been holding it… he would’ve died in three days.” he thought to himself.