“I don’t remember exactly how many years ago it was, but that day, the old, muscular man took me. I could feel how powerful he was,” thought the sword.

  Perfect Rose, an elegant katana with rose motifs on its hilt. Its blade, once white, was now stained red from countless battles. Its owner, Nagatomo, had given it this name.

  Nagatomo sat in a room adorned with red rose motifs, drinking sake with Luke, whom he had considered a close friend for years. Luke slowly set his cup down on the table and looked at Nagatomo.

  “Nagatomo, we’ve been friends for years. But why have you never let me use Perfect Rose?” he asked, a hint of hurt in his voice.

  Nagatomo narrowed his eyes and looked at Luke. “Luke, how many times have I explained this to you? Perfect Rose is bound to my soul. If anyone else tries to wield it, they’ll be poisoned and die.”

  Luke smiled faintly. “The same old story, huh? Don’t you trust me?”

  Before Nagatomo could make sense of Luke’s smile, the atmosphere in the room shifted. Three figures appeared: the Spear Saint in the center, the Alchemy Saint to his right, and the Shield Saint to his left.

  Nagatomo quickly rose to his feet and gripped Perfect Rose. But his reaction speed wasn’t what it used to be. His body felt heavy.

  “It’s over, Nagatomo. There’s nowhere to run. Surrender,” growled the Shield Saint.

  The Alchemy Saint added with a sly smile, “You’ve been poisoned, Nagatomo. You’ve lost 40% of your strength.”

  Nagatomo’s eyes widened. Poisoned? How? He suddenly looked at Luke, who was still sitting at the table, smiling faintly.

  “Luke... Why did you do this to me?” Nagatomo shouted, his voice filled with pain and anger. “I treated you like family! I took care of you!”

  Luke slowly set his cup down on the table. “I’m sorry, Nagatomo. But this wasn’t my choice.”

  Nagatomo’s eyes burned with rage. He drew Perfect Rose and focused his energy into the blade. “Perfect Rose, it’s your turn now!”

  The sword echoed in Nagatomo’s mind: ‘Finally! I don’t have to hold back anymore!’

  Nagatomo swiftly swung the blade toward Luke. A wave of energy split Luke in two, and his body collapsed to the ground.

  The Saints watched in shock. The Shield Saint muttered in a trembling voice, “Even with the poison, he’s still this strong?”

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  The Spear Saint pointed his spear at Nagatomo. “Because of you, we lost everything, Nagatomo. Our country was destroyed, our families killed. Today, we take our revenge!”

  Nagatomo glared at the Spear Saint. “Because of me? You lost everything because of your own greed. How far will you go to take Perfect Rose?”

  The Alchemy Saint took a step forward. “This sword doesn’t belong in the hands of a killer like you. We’ll take it, Nagatomo. Whether you like it or not.”

  Nagatomo swung Perfect Rose and stepped toward the Saints. “Then let’s begin. Perfect Rose, show them our power!”

  The sword echoed excitedly in Nagatomo’s mind: ‘Oh, yeah! Finally, we’re having some fun!’

  The Spear Saint, Shield Saint, and Alchemy Saint attacked simultaneously. Seeing this, Nagatomo activated one of his signature moves: “Garden of Eternity.” He moved like a child playing in a rose garden, dodging every attack at the last second.

  The frustrated Shield Saint snapped, “Stop running away like a coward and fight like a man!”

  The Spear Saint suddenly had an idea and turned to the Alchemy Saint. “Do you have more poison? If so, give it to me. I’ll coat my spear with it.”

  The Alchemy Saint retrieved the poison from her spatial ring and handed it over. “This poison loses its potency 15 minutes after exposure to air. But once it enters the bloodstream, it dulls the victim’s emotions.”

  Meanwhile, the Shield Saint kept Nagatomo occupied.

  “Let’s get serious, then,” said Nagatomo, using the “Dragon Spiral” technique. This technique allowed his katana to bend unpredictably, striking from unexpected angles.

  The Shield Saint was shocked. He had assumed Nagatomo couldn’t use energy due to the poison. But now, he was being utterly overwhelmed.

  Just as things seemed to be going well, Nagatomo felt a chill down his spine. As he turned, the Spear Saint’s spear pierced his side.

  Normally, a single spear wound wouldn’t faze Nagatomo, but now he staggered. As another spear thrust came, Nagatomo caught the tip with his bare hand. The Spear Saint tried to pull back, but the spear wouldn’t budge.

  The Spear Saint panicked and tried to retreat, but a overwhelming killing intent washed over him. Nagatomo vanished and reappeared behind him. As the Spear Saint turned, he heard a soft whisper: “Galaxy Eraser.”

  The Spear Saint realized he was dead. A second later, his body disintegrated, leaving a massive crater in its wake.

  The shockwave from the attack affected the Shield Saint and Alchemy Saint, causing them to cough up blood. They looked up and saw Nagatomo laughing. They realized they had messed with the wrong person.

  Nagatomo turned to the Shield Saint. With a single horizontal slash, he decapitated him without giving him a chance to defend.

  The Alchemy Saint, terrified, stammered, “Nagatomo, I think we can make a deal. I can heal you—”

  Nagatomo cut her off with a laugh. “Heal me? I make those who wrong me suffer even more.” He killed her without hesitation.

  Exhausted, Nagatomo took a deep breath. His energy was spent, and the poison was taking its toll.

  After the battle, Nagatomo lay on the ground, on the verge of death. The poison’s effects had worsened. He looked up at the sky and whispered, “I’ve lived a long life, full of adventures. Now, our journey ends.”

  He turned to Perfect Rose. “You were my companion, my most trusted partner. I hope your next wielder is worthy of you.”

  He gazed at the sky one last time. “It was a good journey, my friend. Take care of yourself.”

  That day, the legend of Nagatomo came to an end. He died with a smile on his face.