Ethan led the group through the city, still hearing voices from every side praising what they'd done.
"THAT WAS THEM! The Second Floor raid!"
"They defeated the Guardian!"
"They opened the path!"
Saharim felt different. Lighter. Like the air itself had started circulating again.
Marcus walked in silence.
Without his sword.
The emptiness in his hand drew more attention than any wound. It wasn't just the absence of metal. It was the absence of something that had always been there.
Sienna noticed in three steps.
On the fourth, she decided not to forgive.
She stopped walking all of a sudden.
"Good."
Everyone stopped with her.
Marcus turned slightly.
"What?"
Sienna crossed her arms and pointed directly at his empty hand.
"We need to talk about this."
Marcus sighed.
"Later."
"No, no." She wagged a finger. "This is a now problem. A serious problem. A group problem."
Jay blinked.
"A g-group problem?"
Sienna nodded with the most fake-serious face she'd ever worn.
"Exactly." She started circling Marcus like a ruthless evaluator. "Because, you see…" She stopped in front of him. "…we have a logistical issue."
Marcus frowned.
"What issue?"
"You."
Silence.
Ethan already brought a hand to his face.
"Sienna…"
"Relax, Ethan. I'm being professional." She pointed at the empty hand again. "We have here a melee DPS soldier…"
She paused dramatically.
"…without a sword."
Jay's eyes went wide.
"Oh…"
"OH NO, Jay." Sienna kept going. "Not 'oh.' This is SERIOUS."
She threw her arms open.
"A DPS without a weapon is useless! That's basic statistics! It's like a mage with no mana, a tank with no shield, or Marcus…" she pointed again, "…without a sword."
Marcus clenched his teeth.
"I broke it to destroy the boss's weapon."
"Of course you did." Sienna nodded way too fast. "Pure heroism. Very beautiful. Very dramatic."
She took a deep breath… and smiled.
"But now, technically, you are a problem."
Marcus turned his head.
"A problem?"
"Yes." She clapped once. "We can't keep a useless DPS in the party. That's an unwritten rule."
Jay tried to help.
"He saved everyone…"
"He did." Sienna agreed. "And now he's good for nothing. Life is like that."
She put a hand on Marcus's shoulder with fake sympathy.
"Marcus… I'm sorry… but I think we're going to have to kick you out of the group."
Marcus stopped walking.
"What?"
"Kick you out," she said slowly. "Nothing personal. Just… math."
Elenya crossed her arms, amused.
"And what does he do after that?"
Sienna grinned huge.
"Survives however he can."
She pointed at the ground.
"He's gonna sit right there in the plaza, stare at the horizon, remember his glory days… and think: 'I used to be a hero.'"
Marcus shut his eyes.
"You're exaggerating."
"I am not!" Sienna pushed on, delighted. "I'm already preparing emotionally."
She pressed a hand to her chest.
"When you're struggling… cold… swordless… honorless… I will remember you."
Marcus opened one eye.
"What do you mean?"
"I'll remember you and bring food," she said like it was a massive charity. "Once a week. Maybe. If I'm in a good mood."
Jay started laughing.
"Sienna…"
"And I'll go: 'Look, everyone… that guy…'" she pointed at an imaginary Marcus sitting on the ground, "'…that guy saved the Second Floor. Now he lives off stale bread.'"
Ethan couldn't take it and laughed out loud.
"You're awful."
"I'm realistic," Sienna replied. "Post-hero life is hard."
Marcus inhaled slowly.
"I'm going to get another sword."
"Sure you are." Sienna nodded. "Someday. When Taiga feels sorry for you."
She leaned in and stage-whispered loudly enough for everyone to hear:
"Until then, you are officially an 'ex-DPS.'"
Marcus finally looked at her.
"Are you done?"
Sienna thought for half a second.
"No."
She flashed a wicked smile.
"But I'll give you a break… because I want to see Taiga's face when she finds out you broke your sword at the climax of the fight."
Marcus walked off.
Sienna followed behind, laughing.
"Relax!" she shouted. "Every hero goes through this phase! The 'unarmed and unemployed' phase!"
Elenya shook her head.
"She's going to kill you emotionally before any boss does."
Marcus muttered, almost smiling:
"I'll survive."
Sienna heard him.
"You will." She replied. "But without a sword."
Taiga's tent appeared at the end of the main street, lit by magical lanterns hanging wherever they fit. The place looked less like a workshop and more like a battlefield the mess had won: tools, fabrics, metal plates, arcane threads, and weird parts scattered everywhere.
Taiga was there.
Sitting.
Tapping her fingers on the table.
Eyes fixed on the street.
Clearly waiting.
When she saw the group approaching, her eyes widened.
"…YOU."
She sprang up so fast she knocked the sword she'd been working on to the ground.
"YOU CAME BACK!"
Jay lifted a hand in a timid wave.
"H-hi…"
Before anyone else could speak, Sienna stepped forward and pointed at Marcus like she was returning a defective product.
"Taiga, good evening." She made an exaggerated formal gesture. "We came to return an item."
Taiga frowned.
"What item?"
Sienna pointed at Marcus's empty hand.
"A melee DPS. It arrived broken."
Silence.
Jay choked.
Ethan closed his eyes.
Marcus clenched his jaw.
"Sienna…" Marcus warned.
"Relax." She raised a hand. "I'm being honest."
Taiga tilted her head, scanning Marcus up and down. Then looked at the empty hand. Then at the other empty hand.
"Where…" she began slowly, "…is the sword?"
Marcus breathed in.
"It broke."
Taiga blinked.
"It broke."
"It broke," he confirmed.
Taiga froze.
Two seconds.
Three.
"…WHAT DO YOU MEAN IT BROKE?!"
She took two steps forward.
"You BROKE the sword?!"
Sienna crossed her arms, satisfied.
"Final blow. Very symbolic. Very hero."
Taiga turned her head slowly toward Sienna.
"You be quiet."
"Fair."
Taiga looked back at Marcus.
"HOW DID YOU DO THAT?"
"I broke it to destroy the boss's weapon," Marcus said, firm.
Taiga took a deep breath.
"…Okay."
She rubbed her face with both hands.
"Okay." she repeated. "Of course it broke. Because obviously it broke. Things always break."
Sienna leaned toward Marcus.
"See? Didn't even need to kick you out. The blacksmith is already disappointed."
"I heard that," Taiga growled.
"I said it quietly."
Taiga held out her hand.
"Where are the pieces?"
Marcus opened his inventory and set the fragments of shattered steel on the table. Small. Twisted. Still carrying the marks of the impact.
Taiga picked one up.
Squeezed.
Made a face.
"You literally TURNED this into shards."
"It was against a divine spear."
"A sword wasn't made to become dust."
Sienna tilted her head.
"I disagree. It was very poetic."
"You are going to leave," Taiga pointed at Sienna, "or I'm going to test something new on your head."
Sienna smiled.
"Valid threat."
Marcus pulled the golden fragment of the Conqueror's spear from his inventory and set it on the table.
Golden light spilled across the tent.
Runes reacted.
Taiga froze.
Her smile vanished.
She approached slowly, like she was standing in front of a dangerous animal.
"…WHAT IS THAT?"
Ethan crossed his arms.
"Fragment of Amun-Rael's spear."
Taiga touched the metal with her fingertips.
The glow responded.
She smiled.
But it wasn't a normal smile.
It was the smile of someone who just got a dangerous idea.
"Ah."
Sienna leaned in.
"Is 'ah' good or bad?"
"'Ah' means," Taiga said, "that this idiot," she pointed at Marcus, "broke his sword in the right place."
Marcus blinked.
"What?"
Taiga picked up the golden fragment and then one of the broken sword pieces.
"You didn't destroy your weapon," she said calmly. "You made room for a better one."