"Philips? Who is he?" Edward asked the woman, she just smiled and replied:

"Mr. Philips is the owner of this place, he used to be a hunter, perhaps you can learn a few things from him."

"What about you? Why are you here?"

"I don't remember clearly, Mr. Philips brought me here when I lost my memory, he told me that I was also a hunter, and that day he suggested that I become a person to help hunters come to this place. That's what I can tell you right now, Hunter."

Edward thought about Sophia's answer. A retired hunter, perhaps you can learn something more from this person. Edward entered the mansion with curiosity, mixed in there is a bit of anxiety because you can't predict what the person you will meet will look like. Behind the large door was a spacious room with a piano in the middle, a good indication that Philips was probably an elegant person.

"Ah, you must be the new hunter."

From a dark corner, an older man, elegantly dressed,a wrinkled face with ear-length silver hair, holding a cane and sitting in a wheelchair, gradually appeared before Edward.

"Forgive me, hunter. Let me introduce myself, I am Philips, the owner of this place, and was also a hunter. Perhaps I say a bit too much because Sophia has already told you." The old man's old eyes looked towards Edward.

"Yes, she told me, sir."

The old man smiled lightly, while his eyes still examined Edward from top to bottom.

"So, if you don't mind, may I ask if this outfit belongs to you or someone else? It looks like the outfit of someone I know."

Edward calmly said that he got this outfit from another hunter. A bit of sadness escaped with a sigh when Philips heard the answer.

"Well, No wonder he hasn't been back here in a while."

"You know that person?"

"Yes, he was here, used to be a part of this place. He is an experienced hunter who has served this place for years."

Edward was surprised about the identity of the hunter he met. Before he could think anything, Philips spoke up:

"I'm quite surprised that a stranger like you can remember him."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, if you don't know, a hunter who serves this place incurs a unique curse in exchange for power, it can be anything from losing small things to losing everything. precious things. His curse is that no one will remember him except those connected to this place. It's unfortunate that I have to say that you may experience the same or worse."

Edward was shocked when he heard about the curse, he could lose something, but then he calmed down when he realized he had nothing left to lose. His relatives were no longer there, he had no money, inheritance, or relatives. Now losing something else was fine with Edward, at least he wouldn't be followed by that disease.

"I'm also surprised by something else, the curse hasn't broken out on you yet. Normally, as soon as you step into the mansion, the curse will immediately spread. And another part is feeling secure because you can continue what he left behind."

Edward hesitated for a moment then asked:

"Actually...what does a hunter do? I don't really know what a hunter does and I...to tell the truth, I'm not a real hunter..."

Philips calmly asked Edward again:

"Well, then you have no combat experience, right?"

Edward nodded:

"The only thing I know is how to use a basic gun from this gun, and also this pair of knives from that guy."

Edward handed over a gun from the pharmacy owner and a pair of daggers from the other hunter. Philips looked at those things and made comments.

"Hmmm, Hunter Pistol, compact and convenient. And that is...The Blades of Mercy, a pair of blades made from a material called "Paradise  Ores", deadly sharp, with heavenly speed, killing their prey before they even realize it. More specifically, they can be combined into a single blade to increase damage. And both were made here."

"Hm, I didn't think these things had such a special origin."

Philips just chuckled.

"There are many surprises here, Edward. Now you will have a little test with Sophia."

"Hey wait, I haven't told you my name yet?! Wait, the...test?"

"That's right, now follow me."

"Wait, do you have to explain it to me?"

Edward walked behind Philips, he moved the wheelchair slowly out of the mansion and towards the garden with a field of white flowers. Stepping inside, Sophia was waiting, wearing the outfit of a female hunter with a pair of curved sword in her hands.

"Hey do you really want me to fight her?"

"Really, I'm not joking? I hope she has mercy, Edward."

"It should be the other way around.." Edward said.

"You'll have to take that back in a few minutes..."

Philips walked towards the giant tree to make room for the test to begin, Sophia was still standing there, the bun has been changed to a ponytail. Edward looked at Sophia, a memory flashing through his mind, a small memory of a faceless woman tying his shoelaces as a child. It could be your mother, aunt, sister or someone else. Edward couldn't remember the vague memories that flashed through his mind before the battle. Edward approached, even though he didn't want to, he still had to fight her. Edward carried an old sword on his back that he had taken from the armory before the battle.

"Are you ready, Mr. Hunter?" Sophia asked.

"I'm...ready." Edward replied.

Sophia laughed, she began to tell the rules of the match.

"If you can disarm me, you will win. And if you let me disarm you, I will win. Is that okay, hunter?"

Edward nodded, he pulled the sword from his back, held it in his hand and was ready for battle instead of the pair of knives because he thought this sword was more suitable for him. Sophia seemed to recognize that sword, turned to Philips and asked:

"Do you really believe that Hunter can use it?"

Philips just smiled, as if he knew the outcome.

"I believe he can."

"Then I believe you, Mr. Philips. Shall we begin, Hunter?"

"Just call me Edward."

*Laughs* "As you wish, Edward."

Sophia attached the small sword on the left to the hilt of the large sword, lowered her center of gravity and pointed the tip of the sword at Edward, a cold feeling ran down his spine and transmitted to Edward's brain. Unconsciously, he shielded the sword in front of him just as Sophia's blade was about to pierce his chest. The force of the stabbing force pushed Edward back a bit. Before I could tell what was happening, from above, Sophia was like a falcon with a sword tip descending towards Edward. He dodged to the side and Sophia's stab missed its target. Taking advantage of the force from the dodge, Edward swung his sword to counterattack at Sophia. Sophia raised her sword to block the attack and was pushed quite a distance away. Philips implicitly complimented Edward.

"Well, it's quite promising, using inertia to counterattack, that kid knows how to choose people."

After Sophia blocked Edward's attack, a bit of anger appeared on her face, but somewhere there was also excitement.

"Well, perhaps I'm being a little too lenient with you, Edward." Sophia split the sword back into two small ones, looking at Edward with eyes as if he wanted to devour him, his lips curled into a smile.

"Hey, what's with that look? You're not trying to kill me, are you?"

"Not at first, but I underestimated you. You're more talented than I thought so I had to be tough on you."

Without saying anything else, Sophia immediately rushed towards Edward and delivered a series of quick, decisive stabs , full of death but no less graceful. Edward could only block but not all, some of the stabs hit his arms and chest, blood began to flow out and seep into his clothes. But the above things only made Sophia more excited and increased the frequency of her attacks. The more he resisted, the more Edward's strength was eroded. He tried to find a loophole to counterattack but it was completely useless. All of Sophia's attacks had absolutely no gaps for Edward to take advantage of to counterattack.

"She has absolutely no gaps in her attacks and keeps attacking...like this...sooner or later I won't last..."

Sophia continuously attacked, while attacking, switching between one-sword form and two-sword form increases attack speed and avoids creating gaps. Losing strength, Edward gradually knelt down, seizing an opening, Sophia immediately kicked him in the chest. The kick was so strong that he vomited blood, flew away and lay motionless on the ground. Sophia calmly walked closer to investigate, he was completely motionless. Only then did Sophia prepare to take the sword from Edward's hand, but when her hand tried to take the sword away from Edward's hand, but when he was unconscious, he still did not let go of the sword, no matter how much force Sophia used. Still, it was impossible to take the sword out of his hand.

"I still... haven't lost..." Edward spoke:

Sophia was startled and jumped back, clutching her weapon.

"He can still stand up..."

Edward propped the sword against the ground and stood up with difficulty, blood flowing from the mask that was about to fall off his mouth. The pain from the cuts and blows in the middle of his chest made it difficult for Edward to keep his balance on his tired legs. Sophia began to notice something unusual about Edward, on his shoulder there was something that looked like hair but it was platinum in color.

"Edward, what's that on your shoulder..?" Sophia asked.

"It doesn't matter...what's important now...is this battle...I...haven't lost yet...I must..I MUST WIN!"

Edward answered but this time it wasn't his voice but a combination of male and female voices, but every word was completely clear. The crow's beak mask gradually fell from Edward's face and land to the ground. No longer the face of a young man in his twenties, now his face is that of a beautiful girl, with long, straight platinum hair sparkling golden eyes and red lips and a voice that was now completely female. Edward held the sword with both hands, clasped in front of his chest. A stream of green light surrounded Edward, the sword transformed from an old sword into a greatsword with a green blade that was as translucent as moon light.

"Moonlight...Vortex"

Edward said and suddenly lowered his body and rushed straight towards Sophia and strike a strongly thurst with green twinkling aura. Sophia's hand suddenly rose to block the attack, but it was too late. Sophia felt Edward's murderous intent and like the blade of the great sword was already pressed against her neck, the oppressive feeling like Death was approaching made her afraid to let go of her weapon, be ready to accept the ending. But the tip of Edward's sword did not pierce her directly, but only grazed her shoulder. Edward just gently took Sophia's weapon and said:

"I won..." That was what he said  before completely falling to the ground, the great sword also returned to its original state. 

...

Across Great West Ocean, far to the west of Lisbeth, where sky-high chimneys release streams of black smoke all day long, giant gears move non-stop. Where metal and innovation go hand in hand, the power of science and technology has grown to prosperity, in a place like a magnificent palace built of marble and metal, there is a throne, on it was a man sitting, another person was kneeling on the red carpet in front of the man.

"Father, I have prepared everything you asked for, the rest is your instructions."

The man on the throne let out a burst of laughter

"Good...Very good...Ark really needs people like you, Romeo..."