A purple-haired boy burst into the room, his balled-up fist trembling with rage.

  “Father!”

  His voice cracked, filled with desperation. Marching up to the desk, he smmed his hand down.

  “It’s been a month and there’s still no news on Akari’s whereabouts!”

  His patience had long worn thin.

  It had been four long weeks since Akari disappeared, four weeks of silence, rumors, and sleepless nights. The pain of her vanishing hurt him to his soul, but what twisted the knife deeper was the fact that she had only just awoken from her coma before vanishing again. That timing haunted him.

  He had changed. In just a month, he’d grown taller, his body shedding the look of a ten year-old. He trained relentlessly, perhaps even harder than Akari ever had. Every hour, every sparring session, was for this moment—to stand before Duke Ignius with a single request.

  “Allow me to take a few knights and search for her!”

  His voice had deepened slightly—a subtle reminder that he was changing, growing. Becoming something more.

  The duke didn’t even look up. “No.”

  He answered with a stern voice, continuing to sift through the mountains of paperwork in front of him.

  Ren clenched his jaw, then walked around the desk to face him directly.

  “Father, this isn’t a decision made on a whim.”

  At these words, Duke Ignius stopped doing paperwork.

  Looking Ren in the eyes, he stood up and said,

  “Come with me then.”

  Ren, seeing he was making progress, obeyed the order.

  They walked down the crimson hallway, gold accents glinting in the mplight. The silence between them was heavy. Ren’s expression was hard, determined. The duke’s was unreadable—solemn.

  “You’re right, we have no leads,” the duke said, turning down the next corridor. The stairs loomed ahead, leading down.

  Ren, by this point, knew where they were going.

  They were heading toward the training field.

  His heart began to quicken, beating with new life at this realization.

  “But this isn’t a matter for a child. You’re inexperienced, too young... too weak.”

  The words cut deeper than any bde. Never had his father spoken so pinly to him.

  It just showed how vehemently he opposed Ren's plea.

  “Father…”

  They stepped onto the field, the sun’s warm beams resting on Ren’s skin.

  The duke extended a hand, and two swords shimmered into existence, conjured so fluidly that even Ren, someone who only knew about swords, was amazed.

  Until now, he’d never seen his father use magic.

  The swords looked as if they were made by master craftsmen.

  One of the bdes fell to the ground with a metallic thunk.

  “Pick it up,” the duke said. “I’ll judge if you’re ready.”

  Ren froze, stunned.

  He’d been taught swordsmanship since he could walk. He spent more time holding a bde than he spent being an actual child.

  But never in his entire life, had he even seen his father hold a sword.

  Now he was supposed to fight him?

  Ren didn’t know what to think.

  His palms began to sweat as he grabbed the sword.

  It was the perfect weight.

  He ran his fingers along the cool steel, his nerves calming slightly.

  “Alright…” he whispered, steadying his breath.

  He raised his right elbow above his shoulder, the sword tip aimed directly at his father’s heart. His left hand hovered near the hilt, fingers spread.

  Mana surged from within, beginning in his chest, flowing outward. His core lit up with warmth and tension as the energy spread to every limb.

  The duke remained still, giving Ren the first move.

  And that’s just what he did.

  Ren lunged, his bde thrusting toward his father’s neck.

  *Cng!*

  The duke’s sword met his mid-strike, immediately stopping the attack. Not even a heartbeat ter, he knocked Ren’s sword aside and countered with a swing toward Ren’s chest.

  ‘He’s too fast!’

  Ren didn’t resist the momentum of his deflected bde. He let it carry him, using it to pivot out of range.

  It let him slip just out of range.

  “Hmph,” Ren grunted, jumping right back into striking range.

  Ren attacked again, this time diagonally—but it was blocked just as easily. The duke didn’t strike this time. Instead, he swept Ren’s legs out from under him with a fluid motion.

  Ren twisted his body mid-fall, sshing as he dropped. His bde caught the badge on his father’s coat, slicing it free.

  The duke smiled faintly and kicked Ren back across the field.

  “Good, but it’s not enough.”

  Ren hit the ground hard. Pain shot through his side and ankle. Two hits taken. One lucky graze. His hand throbbed, and his body felt sore already.

  No chance of victory.

  But…

  ‘If it’s for Akari, I must!’

  He forced himself up, sword trembling in his grip. His eyes shimmered—faint gold bleeding into their usual pale violet.

  The duke’s gaze sharpened.

  ‘He’s awakening his soul weapon… So young. Maybe—’

  Before the thought finished, Ren was already in front of him.

  His eyes now bzed like molten gold.

  ‘Strike!’

  *Cng!*

  Their bdes met, the duke's sword getting pushed back for the first time.

  ‘Again!’

  *Cng… Cng.. Cng!*

  Ren didn’t stop.

  He couldn’t stop.

  He desperately wanted to search for his sister.

  And the only way to do that…Was to prove himself—here and now.

  Each strike came with more strength than the st, his gilded eyes shimmering with hope, desperation, and the unbreakable will of someone who refuses to fall.

  The duke smiled, a mask for a deeper, unreadable emotion, and pced his hand on Ren’s head, quicker than Ren could react. In that same instant, he pced a hand on Ren’s head and disarmed him in one smooth motion.

  “Well done, Ren.”

  Ren stood frozen, his heart thundering. He didn’t fully grasp what had just happened—but somehow, he knew. It was over. And that made him smile.

  “Prepare yourself. You leave at dawn.”