Speechless

The swirling snowflakes returned to the earth as two young women, one tall and one short, each possessing a distinct and contrasting beauty, walked slowly out. They approached the crowd with steps that were either light and airy or steady and composed.

Under the gaze of everyone present, the two stepped across the frost-covered ground, passing the crowd and heading straight toward the altar.

The old Witch watched them walk toward the altar with such ease and nonchalance, instinctively reaching out to stop them. "Don't go! The power of the Seven Star Sword will..."

However, the next moment, she stood frozen in shock, her pupils trembling violently.

Looking up, a faint, indistinct figure stood upon the altar. The Seven Star Sword, which the Witch regarded as a calamity, was currently held in his palm, being examined with careful scrutiny.

Uta turned her head, gripping the shoulder straps of the backpack in front of her, and flashed a confident, radiant smile at the old Witch.

"The Seven Star Sword?"

"We're very strong, you know!"

"A mere Cursed Blade is not even a fraction as good as Louis!"

It was just a terrifying Cursed Blade amplified by the Blood Moon; Uta expressed that such a blade was nothing more than that.

On the altar, Louis raised the Seven Star Sword in his hand, combining his vision with Observation Haki to meticulously observe the eerie green glow upon the blade.

Most famous blades in the world were crafted in the style of common katanas, but the Seven Star Sword that Louis held in his palm was different.

It was a double-edged sword in its entirety. The hilt was about three or four fists long. The edges on both sides were a pale blue, while the central section was pitch black, engraved with mysterious patterns and emitting an ominous, ghostly green light.

At Louis's feet, the young man who had been controlled by the Seven Star Sword lay collapsed on the ground, having lost consciousness.

The time he had been eroded by the Seven Star Sword was short, so there wouldn't be any immediate problems. However, that might not be the case once the villagers here realized what had happened.

Having killed so many people, the families of the victims wouldn't care whether he had been controlled or if it wasn't his own volition.

Lacking strength yet unable to restrain one's own curiosity, ultimately leading to tragedy—this person was not worthy of sympathy.

Compared to the unlucky youth at his feet, Louis was more interested in the Seven Star Sword in his hand.

The first impression the Seven Star Sword gave Louis was one of extreme malevolence and ill omen. A power distinct from Haki or Devil Fruits was attempting to enter Louis's body.

At the same time, whispers that only Louis could hear echoed incessantly, urging him to open his mind and promising to grant him immense power.

To this, Louis remained unmoved.

Instead, he raised the Seven Star Sword and turned to slash at the nearby stone wall of the ruins.

Clang... The blade sank into the stone wall with ease. Following Louis's movement, it slowly left an incredibly smooth cut across the stone.

Seeing this, a flash of surprise crossed Louis's eyes.

The force he had applied was very light, basically equivalent to the casual strength of an ordinary ten-year-old child.

Even so, the Seven Star Sword sliced through the stone wall as if it were a hot knife cutting through butter.

This meant that even an ordinary ten-year-old child could achieve this level of destruction while wielding it. Of course, whether they could withstand the erosion of the Seven Star Sword was another matter entirely.

After some thought, Louis made up his mind. He would take the Seven Star Sword with him and use it as a secondary weapon.

Subsequently, Louis held it up before him once again, observing both sides of the blade to see if any scratches had been left behind by the recent cutting.

Just as Louis was examining the sharp blade again, the annoying whispering sound rang out once more.

"Let go..."

"Give... stronger..."

"..."

"Tsk..." Louis frowned, a hint of impatience flickering in his eyes.

The next second, Louis reached out his other hand with an expressionless face and grabbed the blade of the Seven Star Sword with his bare hand.

Then, Louis exerted force with both hands, bending the Seven Star Sword into a visible arc.

Top-tier legendary swords in this world would not bend even a millimeter, even if a Dragon stepped on them.

Yet now, the Seven Star Sword was being bent into a clear arc in Louis's hands at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Seeing this situation, the elderly witch stood frozen on the spot. Yelena and Uta also looked as if they had seen a ghost.

Although they did not know the origin of this sword, the fact that it possessed its own consciousness and controlled many villagers was enough to prove its extraordinary nature.

Most importantly, they had not expected Louis to want to destroy the sword.

On the altar, the whispering that had made Louis feel impatient vanished.

But Louis paid it no mind, gradually increasing the strength in his hands, causing the arc of the Seven Star Sword to grow wider and wider.

Soon, the arc of the Seven Star Sword reached an extremely dangerous degree. If it were pushed even a fraction further, there would be a risk of it snapping at any moment.

Just at this moment, the eerie green light on the blade disappeared. This was an extremely rare occurrence; the Blood Moon in the sky had not yet faded, yet the Seven Star Sword had already stabilized—something that was nearly impossible in the past.

But now, the Seven Star Sword itself seemed to have fallen into a deathly silence, its inherent malevolence and ominous aura reduced to a minimum, making it look completely ordinary.

Seeing this, Louis released the blade, allowing it to return to a straight position. He then used his foot to flick the scabbard up and sheathed the blade.

If the Seven Star Sword hadn't yielded just now, Louis really would have snapped it in two. He needed a tool for cutting people, not a chatty nuisance.

The Blood Moon of Asca Island still hung high in the sky.

However, the Seven Star Sword that had been controlling the villagers had now settled down.

The villagers who had been influenced by the Seven Star Sword gradually returned to normal, and the eyelids of the unlucky youth beneath Louis's feet trembled slightly.

Seeing this, Yelena, who was beneath the altar, used her ability to undo the ice, freeing the villagers she had trapped.

Shortly after, Uta kicked her legs as she climbed onto the altar, coming to Louis's side to curiously examine the Seven Star Sword in his hand.

"This sword actually became even stronger under the Blood Moon, how amazing!"

Thump... Louis tapped the head that had leaned in toward him.

"Ouch!" Uta exclaimed, clutching her head.

Louis glanced at Uta, who was now crouching and holding her head, and said irritably, "Don't be too curious..."

Just then, Yelena stepped forward, helped Uta up, and rubbed her head.

Afterward, she looked at the sword in Louis's hand and said thoughtfully, "Are you planning to take this sword with you?"

"Yeah, this is a very rare Cursed Blade. It wouldn't be bad to use as a secondary weapon."

Louis had also learned swordsmanship on the Sky Island. Although he wouldn't dare call himself a master swordsman, he had no problem using it in conjunction with his spear.

"As long as you're happy..."

Yelena offered no further comment. She felt that Louis could fight just as well empty-handed, believing his indestructible body was his best weapon.

At that moment, the white-haired witch stepped forward tremblingly, looking up at Louis, who held the Seven Star Sword.

Although the night was deep and the Blood Moon hung high, the witch could still clearly see Louis's appearance under the light of the torches that had been relit.

Golden body proportions, a perfect face that didn't seem to belong to a human, and pure, flawless wings.

His eyes were like stars, incredibly gentle, as if bestowing equal kindness upon all things. His entire being radiated a sacred and noble aura, inviolable.

Amidst the astonished gazes of the crowd, she fell to her knees with a thud, her aged, kindly face filled with devotion.

"Lord God, have you come to reclaim this baleful sword that has brought endless disaster to Asca Island?"

As she spoke, two lines of tears streamed down the old witch's wrinkled face. The look she cast toward Louis was full of hope and longing.

"..." Uta and Yelena fell silent.

As for Louis, he replied indifferently.

"I am not a god..."