116 An Old Acquaintance

Cherry followed the sound of clanging metal.

She knew this sound, she had heard it often for many years and she couldn't possibly mistake it for anything else.

This was the technique of her former teacher and master. The very same one who used her own masterpiece to kill her.

Memories from long ago surfaced in her mind. Of the day her master found her half starved and begging in the street. Of the very first dagger she had smithed under his guidance. Of how excited she was to show him that she had finally caught up to him, and the sense of betrayal that had followed soon after.

He had been as closest to a father figure she had ever possessed.

All ruined by a moment of greed.

She reached a heavily reinforced sea stone alloy door, the sounds were coming from right behind it. Cherry pulled out her spear and easily destroyed the lock with a sharp thrust, and then kicked the door open.

The clanging of hammer on metal didn't stop as she stepped inside.

Before a very exquisite forge was a young man who looked about the same age as herself hammering away at an unfinished blade.

Cherry didn't stop him. Instead she observed his every movement, making sure that she was correct. It was possible he could be an apprentice mimicking his master.

But she was sure now, it was too skillful to be an apprentice and anyone he taught would have developed their own style by the time they reached this level.

He stopped hammering at the blade and stuck it back into the forge to bring the heat back up. Then he stretched his fingers and turned to look at her.

"Although you rudely barged into my smithy, at least you have the sense not to interrupt me. Who are you and what do you want?" He spoke curtly, not the least bit nervous.

{ You know who I am. } Cherry spoke in a language that wasn't native to this world.

His eyes widened almost imperceivably.

{ I see. You've come to kill me then? } He asked, glancing at the spear in her hand. { Not bad work given the garbage we have to work with in this world. A bound weapon? }

{ First I'll get answers from you, then I'll send you on your way swiftly. } Cherry replied, not answering his own question.

{ Ask away. } He said, leaning against a workbench. { What first, why did I do it? You might gte a kick out of that one. }

{ First tell me if and who you've told about immortal techniques from our world. } Cherry ordered, maintaining her vigilance.

{ No one, not even that creepy undead bastard. I'd sooner die before giving away one of my advantages. } He said, taking a metal file to his nails.

{ Good. You can die now. } Cherry brandished her spear.

{ Wait wait wait wait! You really don't want to know anything else?!" He got flustered. Seeing her momentarily pause, he started to plead his case. "I knew this day would come eventually the day I came to my senses about 6 years ago. I've had my answers to whatever questions you might ask all figured out you know? At least let me do that much! }

Cherry was annoyed, why couldn't the bastard just accept his death like a man instead of trying to stall for time?

{ Fine, no one can save you in any case. } Cherry said. She was somewhat curious and knowing would help her to let it go. { Why don't we start with "Why", then? }

{ I-it's not like I wanted to do it, you know? I did care about you somewhat, but it was you or me. } He said. { You see, I was a fraud! All my greatest works, especially the Spear of Aeons, were robbed from their real creators and passed off as my own. The other masters were starting to get suspicious since I hadn't produced anything comparable in a long time. then you came along with that sword... }

{ You expect me to believe that you cared about me when you murdered me?! } Cherry growled in response.

{ I know it sounds like a lie, but it's the truth. I have always lived while putting myself before all others, but that doesn't means I couldn't care about someone else... } He said, leaning back in a subconscious attempt to distance himself.

{ You said you came to yourself 6 years ago. Why did you take so long when I came to myself 18 years ago? } Cherry calmed herself and asked. She had her own ideas, but wanted his opinion on the matter. Fraud or not, he at least had a great deal more experience than her.

{ Ah, I see. That makes sense. You were only stabbed, while I was at the epicenter of the sword's self destruction. The injuries to my soul were much greater, so it took longer to recover. Though frankly it's surprising either of us recovered. } He spoke, habitually starting to lecture her. { I suspect there must have been a problem with your soul annihilating inscription, or perhaps it's just that soul destruction has been misunderstood the whole time. After all, if the soul is sent outside the myriad realms, it accomplishes basically the same thing. }

Cherry thought that made sense. Perhaps she'd try to study soul related devil fruit more closely in the future and see if she could work out what happened, but that was for a different time.

{ Well, that's all I want to know. Goodbye and good riddance. } Cherry thrust her spear without holding back.

Her old master didn't dodge but instead smirked at her. Soon she found out why as a clawed skeletal hand latched onto her spear only centimeters from piercing his heart.

"Hahaha! Foolish girl! Not every powerhouse is involved in the war!" He sneered.

Wilson Alexander held the spear firmly in his grasp. "That was a close one."

Cherry felt foolish. She had let her emotions cloud her judgement and forgotten about this bag of bones, and that she couldn't pick him up with Life Sense.

"Now uphold your end of the deal. Kill her and send her soul to hell! Then I'll tell you all my secrets!" The young blacksmith shouted.

"Couldn't even do it yourself, huh? Coward." Cherry mocked, but she was quite anxious now. Wilson didn't have a reason to kill her before, but he did now and she wasn't sure she could escape him.

Wilson surprised both of the reincarnated immortals however. He placed a hand on the younger man's head, then pulled Cherry's spear to pierce his heart.

"I was almost too late to send you off, young man." Wilson spoke in a grandfatherly tone, but his face was twisted with a sadistic perversion.

"W-what...?" Were the only words the young man could speak before the light vanished from his eyes.

Wilson pulled a ghostly wisp from the man's head that struggled in his grasp. He turned to look at the flabbergasted Cherry.

"You want to know why?" He said, Cherry nodded. "I already told you about my hobby. Between the two of you, his soul is so much more appealing. A soul from another world filled with so much sin and darkness, it'll be delicious to send him to hell..."

His voice trailed off as he unhinged his jaw and slurped up the wisp. Cherry thought she heard it scream faintly as it was pulled into the dark abyss below.

"What about me then?" Cherry asked tentatively.

"You can go, just take credit for his death for me, will you? That's the only reason I didn't kill him earlier, they would have annoyed me a lot about killing their talented new blacksmith." Wilson said, but he saw she was a bit confused.

"You've got all the time in the world to become more delicious. I can wait." He licked his lips, then stalked out of the room.

Cherry watched him leave, keeping her guard up in case he changed his mind. After a while she sighed as some of the tension left her body. She glanced around the room.

'This is some pretty high quality metal, guess I won't leave empty handed.' She thought, scooping it all up into a thick bag she found nearby.

'Time to go!' Cherry scurried out, not even taking a second glance at the crumpled form of her former master. He was behind her now, no longer a plague upon her second chance.

'I'm definitely going to kill that old bastard when I'm strong enough, though. You're not gonna eat my soul, sicko.' She thought as she worked her way back to the battle.