Weapons. It's an equal-opportunity method of inflicting pain, since it isn't limited to those born with the capability to wield it, like magic. While magic and supernatural abilities can be honed, anyone can pick up a sword or gun and master it, with the proper technique and diligence. Weapons are empowering and have historical, cultural, and technological significance. Many other areas of intelligence have been developed due to the use of weapons--notably medicine, criminal justice/crime scene investigation, anthropology, archaeology, and human behavioral science. Weapons are an extension of our bodies--they cannot be welded effectively if they are viewed as separate. They are extremely significant to the development of human society in a very real sense. While violence and war destroys people, it is often the catalyst of our greatest achievements. The industrial revolution could not have happened without a demand for steel and oil for munitions and war machines.
It is tangible evidence of the complete development and evolution of humans on this planet. When you pick up a club, a blade, a gun, you are holding history.
I've always thought the "weapons versus magic" discussion ultimately became a decision between "brains versus brawn," but weapons require just as much, if not more in some cases, skill and sharpness when used in battle. Magic is mostly memorization and control of finer motor function--it takes your entire body to have strength to swing a blade or pull the trigger.