Ornn wasn't afraid of the heat. He simply grabbed the partially cooled sword sheath with his bare hands.
It was ten meters long. For Ornn's massive frame, it was little more than a short sword, but for Ato, it was impossible to carry!
The sheath was dark red, its main body a regular rectangle decorated with patterns resembling flowing magma.
It was much wider than an ordinary sheath for a slender sword, clearly made to hold a greatsword.
Its tip was fairly sharp, and its overall shape looked like an isosceles triangle joined to a rectangular body.
Ato looked at the sheath, so perfectly regular and pleasing in its geometry, then at the oddly shaped Demonic Sword of the Darkin behind him. He couldn't help complaining, "Why do you have so many spikes? No wonder you can't find a suitable sheath..."
"Before I was sealed, I was at my most irrational, consumed by madness. When I broke free of the seal, I looked like this. It wasn't something I could control," Aatrox said, sounding entirely justified.
"It's done." Ornn's thick beard couldn't hide his delight. "This is the work I'm most proud of in a thousand years."
Ornn released his grip, and the dark red sheath floated into the air by itself, drifting toward Ato.
As it traveled, it kept shrinking. By the time it reached Ato, it was less than two meters long—just the right size to sling across his back.
"It's that smart?" Ato stepped forward and picked up the sheath. It still radiated the heat of the forge. "The sword and the sheath don't look like they'll fit together at all..."
"Their shapes aren't a reason they can't be a perfect match." Ornn was still basking in the satisfaction of having crafted such a fine piece. "Give it a try."
Ato seemed to understand. He grasped the hilt of the Demonic Sword of the Darkin, lined it up with the mouth of the sheath, and tried to slide it inside.
Despite their very different appearances, both the sword's enormous tip and the spikes above its hilt slid smoothly into the sheath.
The entire blade disappeared inside, leaving only the hilt outside. Nothing got stuck, as though the sheath had infinite space within.
"So this is a divine weapon made by a Demigod? Old man, how does it feel?"
"Fascinating." This time, Aatrox's voice sounded directly in Ato's ears; no one else could hear it.
"I do feel much more at ease in here. It can help suppress my madness. Once I regain more of my reason, perhaps I'll be able to command the battlefield as I did when I was a general in the empire."
"Heh. I wasn't just some brute who relied on strength. I once had an entire army under my command!"
Ato turned to communicate with Aatrox through their minds. "Your men all became Darkin and scattered across the world. If you see them again, will they still recognize you?"
"I'm sure of it," Aatrox said firmly. "Even if all they have left is instinct—one single instinct—it will be to obey General Aatrox's orders!"
Ato fell silent for a moment. He hadn't expected the game character he thought he knew so well to have this side to him. His past really had been glorious.
"Well? A sheath that meets every requirement perfectly." Ornn lifted his chin slightly, waiting for praise.
So you're like that too, Ornn... This trip really had been worth it. He'd seen a side of the heroes no one knew about.
"Now draw the greatsword again and take a look."
Could the sheath have another function? Ato drew the Demonic Sword of the Darkin again and couldn't help widening his eyes.
The spikes on the sword and its beating heart had all disappeared. It now looked like an ordinary greatsword made of refined steel.
But Ato soon realized it was only a disguise. At a thought, the sword returned to its original, terrifying appearance.
"That's incredibly useful! Thank you, Ornn, Demigod." Ato sheathed the sword and bowed slightly. "With this magical sheath, I'll have a lot less trouble."
"Mm, it was nothing. Oh, if you see Doran again, tell him this for me: I'll always remember the look in his eyes, full of longing to learn smithing."
"I will, if he's still alive. I should be going. Thank you again for your help, Ornn, Demigod."
"Let me send you out. This space is under my control. Little one, I should thank you too for bringing me news of Doran."
"Though I can't see your fate, I can tell you this much: your arrival may give this world a chance to overcome its crisis. Go and do what you believe is right."
Ornn raised his right hand and enveloped Ato in a blaze of firelight.
He gave Ato a slight nod. Under Ornn's control, Ato left the sweltering Forge Hearth and returned to the frozen wastes of Freljord.
"Not a bad Demigod," Aatrox's voice sounded in Ato's mind.
"I never expected that just news of Master Doran would be enough to convince him to make a sheath."
Ato pulled out a few lengths of hemp rope, wrapped them around the dark red sheath, and slung it over his back. He couldn't hide the smile at the corner of his mouth.
"Now I won't stand out so much. I'll just look like a warrior who uses a greatsword."
"How about it? Do I look like Ichigo Kurosaki?" Ato was still wearing that hooded black robe, and with the greatsword strapped to his back, it was hard not to make the comparison.
"Who's that? It doesn't sound like a person's name."
"Ahem, I got a little carried away..." Ato scratched his head and awkwardly changed the subject. "Once we've met Lissandra, we can leave. We'll head south to Noxus."
"By then, all of Noxus should be gearing up for war. We'll disguise ourselves as Warriors who use greatswords, join the army, and take one of their ships to Ionia."
"War... It brings back memories. Are you going to help Noxus in this invasion?"
"No. I'm not helping either side." Ato had already made up his mind. "The stubborn old fools in Ionia will never understand what they're facing unless an outside force knocks some sense into them."
"As for Noxus, I don't know what to make of them. Ionia put up a halfhearted resistance, and Noxus still lost!"
"Noxus is still ruled by Emperor Braum Darkwill. If they don't lose this war, their internal factions won't go through a major reshuffle."
"If they don't reshuffle, the future balance of power across the continent will change completely... I don't want them becoming the sole dominant power."
"...You understand the current state of the continent very well. You remind me of myself back then." With the sheath suppressing him, Aatrox had regained more of his reason and couldn't help reminiscing.
"As an imperial general, you have to understand the balance of power between your forces and the enemy's. You have to know the art of war, recognize that your own strength is limited, and rely more on your loyal subordinates..."
"Enough, enough. I'm not going to Noxus to become a general." Since they were talking mind to mind, covering his ears wouldn't help. "Our task now is to keep heading north and find Lissandra. I have a deal to make with her."
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