One Piece: The Archangel's Guide

Chapter 32: The Seven Star Sword

In the ancient legends of Asuka Island, the Seven Star Sword originated from an internal conflict within the royal family thousands of years ago, a struggle caused by three princes who fell in love with the same shrine maiden. That war led to the deaths of countless soldiers and civilians, and the kingdom disintegrated in a very short time.

At that time, the entire kingdom was littered with corpses, and so much blood was shed it could float shields. During the most tragic period of the war, a celestial phenomenon occurred: a blood moon hung in the sky. Amidst the endless blood and death, the supremely evil cursed sword—the Seven Star Sword—was born.

Later, the surviving shrine maiden used three sacred jewels to create a barrier to seal this cursed sword.

Today, thousands of years later, the blood moon once again shrouded Asuka Island.

This change instantly awakened this generation's elderly shrine maiden. She hurriedly called the villagers and, after making preparations, brought the three sacred jewels that had been passed down through the generations to the altar. Under the command of the highly respected shrine maiden, the group split into four. Three parties took one jewel each and headed for the three towers, while the shrine maiden prepared to deploy the barrier, ready to seal the Seven Star Sword at any moment.

The elderly shrine maiden was carried on the back of a young and strong villager, and they quickly reached the area where the ruins were located. However, after everyone ascended the altar, the shrine maiden's expression gradually eased. Behind her, a group of strong young men looked at the Seven Star Sword, which was emitting a gloomy green light, with astonishment. Some even stared at the sword with an entranced expression.

The Seven Star Sword, glinting with a gloomy green light, still lay quietly on the altar. There were no traces of any human activity around.

"Thank goodness," the old shrine maiden let out a long sigh of relief. "No accidents have occurred during this blood moon."

The old shrine maiden's face relaxed. The fact that the Seven Star Sword had not caused any problems during the terrifying blood moon was the best possible outcome. Every catastrophe in history had occurred during a blood moon, when a swordsman who had heard the legends overestimated their own strength and drew the Seven Star Sword, leading to tragedy. This time, thankfully, no accident had occurred.

Soon, the shrine maiden shook her head, casting the chaotic thoughts from her mind. She strode out of the altar to see if the preparations at the distant towers were complete. Once they were, this blood moon could be passed safely.

However, the moment she left, a young man who was seeing the Seven Star Sword for the first time with his own eyes took advantage of the others' inattention and walked onto the altar. By the time someone saw him, the young man had already curiously reached out and touched its hilt.

In an instant, the young man's eyes turned crimson, and his face became ferocious.

Seeing this, the others sensed that something was terribly wrong. They subconsciously backed away, preparing to call for help from the highly respected shrine maiden outside. However, his movement attracted the attention of the young man controlled by the Seven Star Sword.

In the dim space, a shadowy figure turned its head, its ominous eyes reflected in the eyes of the onlookers.

The next moment, piercing screams echoed from the altar. "ARGGHH!!"

The shrine maiden heard this, her face changing drastically, and she quickly turned and rushed back into the altar. However, it was already too late.

The dim altar was already stained red with blood. Severed pieces of flesh were scattered carelessly on the ground. At the very center of the dismembered limbs, a figure holding the Seven Star Sword stood quietly, staring expressionlessly at the old shrine maiden.

The ominous aura and thick smell of blood that washed over her made the shrine maiden instinctively retreat. But she quickly regained her composure. The setup at the three towers was nearly complete; the power of the Seven Star Sword would be greatly weakened.

Just then, the villagers who had heard the screams also arrived and saw the tragic scene on the altar. Their faces changed dramatically, and they trembled uncontrollably. But they didn't forget to lead the highly respected old shrine maiden away, protecting her behind them.

Soon, about thirty villagers armed with various farm tools trembled as they stepped forward, preparing to subdue the maddened youth.

The shrine maiden's eyes were wide with fury. She broke free from the villagers' support and subconsciously shouted, "Don't go over there! You don't understand its power!"

Just then, the youth, wreathed in an ominous aura, slowly walked off the altar. Under everyone's gaze, he raised the Seven Star Sword, which glowed with a gloomy green light. The green light blossomed, reflected in the eyes of the villagers. The cursed sword's ominous power instantly corroded their minds, controlling them.

Then, the thirty-some people turned in unison to face the remaining villagers, their pupils now a gloomy green.

"This is a disaster..." The white-haired old shrine maiden felt a sense of despair. In this situation, even if they succeeded in resealing the Seven Star Sword, there was no chance that she and the villagers on her side would survive.

The villagers behind her were stunned. They subconsciously called out their family members' names.

"Hey, you brat, don't you scare me!"

"Zaku!! What are you doing?!"

Seeing that their family members didn't respond, they even wanted to go forward and pull them back.

"No, don't go!"

The shrine maiden wanted to step forward and stop them, but the villagers, having lost their reason, completely ignored the woman they usually held in high esteem. They pushed her aside and went to meet their families. However, what greeted them was not the warm embrace of the past, but a cold, sharp blade.

The old shrine maiden closed her eyes in despair, unwilling to witness the scene of them killing each other.

However, events took a turn that the shrine maiden could never have expected.

A bone-chilling cold spread from an unknown source. A frigid wind blew, sweeping over everyone. This sudden change made the old shrine maiden instinctively open her eyes.

She saw that ice had covered the altar. As far as the eye could see, it was as if winter had descended in an instant. Hard ice radiating a biting chill spread out, looking like blood-red crystals embedded in the earth under the light of the blood moon.

Dangerous, yet incredibly alluring.

Soon, many villagers stared at the human-shaped ice sculptures, their sharp blades raised to strike, at a loss for what to do.

THUMP... The sound of heavy footsteps echoed.

Then, from the nearby forest came the sound of breaking branches and falling trees. It was as if a prehistoric beast was on patrol, carving a wide path through the jungle.

Then, a giant hand with five sharp blades extended from the forest, slicing through several large trees as if a hot knife through butter. With a mournful cry, the trees fell, kicking up a cloud of snow that covered dozens of meters.

Under the blood moon, the massive, dark silhouette of a creature with terrifying antlers was faintly visible, a pair of scarlet lights flickering from within the snow. An invisible wave swept over, causing all the villagers' hearts to race, their teeth to chatter, as they trembled in fear.

One wave had not yet settled, and another had already risen.

However, before the villagers and the shrine maiden had time to react, two sets of crisp footsteps sounded from within the swirling snow. Then, two slender figures, one tall and one short, both carrying backpacks, walked out.

"The thing in that person's hand, is that the Seven Star Sword?" a clear, young girl's voice rang out, echoing in the ruins.

The next moment, another female voice sounded, answering her question.

"It should be."