Aurafall: Fragments Of Power-Chapter 50: Yielding Spine

The [Yielding Spine] was a Vestige Leo didn’t know how he had earned. The system had only announced it once he reached the Castle of Light.

Vestige

| Name | Yielding Spine |

| Rank | Sagittarius |

| Type | Weapon |

"Another Sagittarius? I’m really lucky," Leo muttered.

Suddenly, a grim expression appeared on his face. Obtaining such high-ranked Vestiges usually meant the descriptions were going to be the opposite of joyful.

"Ah, the descriptions," Leo groaned.

Description: ["I trust you to save us, Aquarius."

"Do you want the Spirit of Madness to achieve its dream, or the countless humans living in the city and the realm at large? Soon enough, the rest of the realm will be reaching our region and further increasing your burden. What will you do?"

"Will you save us?"

Aquarius’s answer was the same to every question and remark: "I’ll save you."

But then... he failed. He couldn’t save any of them. They all died. The Great Sea Realm fell."]

Leo placed his palm on his face. "I knew it. No, no... I’m done with these system descriptions."

He hissed and checked the Characteristics of the Vestige.

[Death Wish]: The blade sharpens itself on the wielder’s own life force. By willingly bleeding onto it, the user can temporarily increase the prowess of their strikes. However, the blade will continue to drain Aura until it is dismissed.

[Severed Link]: The Vestige can detach its segments at will, allowing them to float and strike independently within a five-meter radius.

[Unbroken Vow]: As long as the user remembers what they are fighting for, the Vestige will not break, regardless of the force applied to it. It increases in size when in close contact with the soul; the closer it is, the larger it grows.

[Echo of the Fallen]: This Vestige whispers bitter truths into the minds of both the wielder and the opponent. The insidiousness evolves as the user ranks up.

Leo should have known. This Vestige possessed the same dreadfulness as the [Shell of Dread].

"So the last one is the Unique Characteristic."

Then, he suddenly raised an eyebrow. "Huh? But I haven’t heard any whispers. It must be the [Impervious Solitude] of the [Shell of Dread] protecting me."

With that, he summoned the [Yielding Spine]. Since he wasn’t wearing the [Shell of Dread], he wanted to feel the true prowess of his weapon Vestige. The Vestige coalesced from red sparks and appeared in his hand, its red blade catching the light of the moon. He turned it from left to right, observing the pointed blade.

Unlike a standard broadsword or a curved saber, the [Yielding Spine] was a specialized pointed sword—a weapon designed for the most lethal form of martial arts: the art of the precision thrust. In the hands of a master, a pointed blade was less of a cleaver and more of a needle. It would surely take Leo time to learn how to use it effectively while weaving its Characteristics into battle flawlessly.

Ultimately, battling with a normal weapon and battling with a Vestige were two different things. Implementing the Characteristics of a Vestige into battle was no easy task. There were Characteristics that activated automatically and those that required user activation; one still had to control both at a moderate rate.

With the [Yielding Spine], it was going to be tough. The [Death Wish] Characteristic had to be the hardest one yet. It was helpful for increasing the prowess of his attacks, but it meant risking his life force and depleting the aura in his Living Seed at a rapid pace.

[Severed Link] was a good Characteristic, but using it would also be difficult. Controlling multiple segments of the [Yielding Spine] would surely take a toll on his mental state, considering the gap between his own rank and that of his sword.

[Unbroken Vow] seemed to be the only "normal" Characteristic of the Vestige so far. In summary: the stronger his will and goals, the stronger the Vestige. In a sense, it made the weapon indestructible.

"No wonder it resisted Sigurd’s freezing abilities," Leo mused.

He frowned, remembering Sigurd’s powers. He was a Capricorn, so why was he able to freeze water and heal himself with it at the same time? He felt Sigurd still had more tricks up his... Viking fur?

"Tch. He’s just a Capricorn. That’s so unfair."

The last Characteristic, the Unique one, was the most mysterious. Leo hadn’t heard any whispers even after summoning it without the [Shell of Dread]. He could already feel the sword slowly draining his Living Seed, though it was at an insignificant rate since he wasn’t engaged in battle.

Just as he was about to discard the Characteristic as non-functional, he heard a whisper in his mind.

"Tch. Do I have to say something before you realize how pathetic you are?"

’What in the aura? Who said that?’

The voice hissed. "First you ask why you aren’t hearing whispers, and then you ask who said that after the whispers start. I know you’re young, but are young people this dumb?"

"Dumb?" Leo hissed under his breath, his eyes snapping to the glowing red edge of the blade. "I’m the one holding your hilt, you overgrown back-scratcher. Show some respect."

The voice cackled.

"Respect? For someone like you?" the voice drawled, dripping with a condescension that made Leo’s blood boil. "Aquarius was a fool, but at least he was a magnificent one. You? Argh, don’t get me started. I’m greater than you in every way. For starters, I’m arguably your only weapon."

Leo frowned, annoyed by the remarks of the red sword.

"If you’re so great, why are you a sword and not a person?" Leo countered, his internal voice sharp. "You’re nothing but my slave. If it weren’t for me, you wouldn’t be here today."

For a second, the red sparks on the blade dimmed to a bruised purple. Then came a laughter that was a dry, hacking sound echoing in the back of his mind.

"Clever. A bit of spine in the spine. Maybe you aren’t completely hopeless." The voice shifted, losing its mockery and replacing it with a chilling gravity. "But don’t mistake my presence for a partnership, Leo Atlantis. I am actually bent on making your life hell."

Leo smiled.

"Good. I also want to make my life hell. I hope you’re good at it."