Reynar stood in the middle of the room, his sharp eyes glinting with a mix of challenge and amusement. He gestured to the wall where his collection of weapons hung. Each was well-worn but meticulously cared for, their blades gleaming under the soft light filtering through the windows.

"Choose," Reynar said, his voice steady. "If you manage to beat me, the weapon will be yours. Consider it a gift before you set sail."

Caius's eyes widened, disbelief flashing across his face. "Wait… you're serious?"

Before Reynar could answer, Jory burst out laughing, shaking his head. "That's not fair!" he said, his voice playful, though with a hint of jealousy. "Caius gets to pick any weapon? I've been staring at those swords for years, too!"

Reynar glanced at Jory, raising an eyebrow. "Unfair, you say?" he replied with a smirk. "I'll give you the same offer, Jory—if you're ready to set sail or join Caius in this challenge right now."

Jory's grin widened, but he quickly waved his hands in mock surrender. "Whoa, whoa, I'm not ready for that yet! Besides, if we both went against you, it'd look like we were outnumbering you."

Caius couldn't help but chuckle at Jory's words. The idea of two teaming against Reynar sounded bold, but both knew the truth. Reynar would still come out on top even with a hundred of them.

Reynar's eyes gleamed with amusement as he looked at Jory. "Outnumbered, huh? You know as well as I do that numbers wouldn't change a thing."

Jory sighed dramatically. "Yeah, yeah… I know. But it's still not fair!"

Caius, grinning now, stepped forward toward the wall of weapons. His eyes scanned the blades he had admired for years, his heart racing as he felt the weight of Reynar's offer.

"You've got this," Jory said with a grin. "Pick something good so I can be jealous for real."

Caius's gaze settled on a pair of twin cutlasses, their dark, blood-red hilts gleaming under the light. Slowly, he reached out and took hold of the double cutlass, feeling the familiar yet powerful weight of the blades in his hands.

"I choose these," Caius said, his voice firm.

Jory whistled. "Of course, the cutlasses. You've been eyeing those since we first stepped foot in here!"

Reynar's eyes narrowed approvingly. "Good choice. But remember, Caius—only if you can defeat me."

The three of them moved toward the seaside, the sound of waves crashing against the shore adding a steady rhythm to the tension building in the air. The sun was beginning its slow descent, casting a warm, golden glow over the cliffs. It was a place where the sea met the sky in perfect harmony, and Jory couldn't resist a comment.

"Man, Caius," Jory said, grinning as he nudged his friend. "If you defeat Reynar here, it will be pretty dramatic. Just look at this view—the sunset frames your victory. You couldn't ask for a better scene!"

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Caius smiled, shaking his head. "You're getting ahead of yourself, Jory."

Reynar, walking ahead, chuckled at the banter. "Dramatic, perhaps, but impossible," he said with a grin that carried confidence and challenge. "No one on this island—or the nearby islands, for that matter—could defeat me. Even in my current condition."

Caius and Jory exchanged glances, intrigued by Reynar's words, but they kept quiet. Reynar continued his voice calm but carrying the weight of a man who had seen more than they could imagine. "Only those from The Severed Seas could hope to give me a fight. But to defeat me? Not yet."

The name struck both Caius and Jory like a wave crashing against the shore. They had never heard of such a place, which wasn't part of the world they knew. Jory's eyes narrowed in curiosity, while Caius couldn't help but feel a spark of intrigue growing inside him.

"The Severed Seas?" Caius asked, his voice cautious but eager. "Where is that? I've never heard of it."

Reynar turned to face Caius, his expression serious. "That's because you're not yet ready to hear about it. If you manage to beat me today, your next step will be to find out how to get there."

Caius's heart raced with excitement. The idea of a place beyond anything he knew—a place that held warriors strong enough to challenge Reynar—was terrifying and exhilarating. But first, he had to focus on the task at hand.

"You always make things more interesting," Jory said with a smirk, shaking his head in mock disbelief. "Now Caius is going to be twice as motivated, thanks to that little mystery."

Reynar grinned. "Good. He'll need every bit of that motivation if he thinks he stands a chance."

Reynar stopped just a few feet from the water's edge, his eyes fixed on Caius with the intensity of a seasoned warrior. The gentle crash of the waves seemed to fade into the background as the air between them grew still. Caius could feel the weight of the moment settle on his shoulders. This wasn't like any of the training sessions before. This was real.

"For this test," Reynar began, his voice serious and appropriate for the moment. "I'll be using less than one percent of my strength. All you need to do is land a single critical hit. If you manage that, you pass."

Caius blinked, feeling a rush of confusion. "Less than one percent?" he echoed, his brow furrowing. That didn't sound like much, but knowing Reynar, it was more than enough. He shifted on his feet, gripping the hilts of the twin cutlasses a little tighter.

Jory, standing off to the side, looked just as concerned. "Hold on," he interjected, his voice edged with worry. "Caius is using real weapons this time. What happens if he actually manages to land a hit? Won't that be dangerous for you, Reynar?"

Reynar threw his head back and laughed—a deep, hearty sound that echoed across the cliffs. "Dangerous for me?" he repeated, shaking his head in amusement. "No, boy. You've got it all wrong." He turned his gaze back to Caius, a glint of challenge in his eyes. "It's not me you should be worried about. It's Caius."

Caius blinked again, his heart beating as he stared at Reynar. "What do you mean?"

"Even with one percent of my power," Reynar continued, a grin tugging at his lips, "a single hit from me will leave you more than just bruised, boy. It'll injure you. Possibly worse."

Jory paled at that, and Caius felt his stomach twist. He had known this would be difficult, but hearing it like this made it all too real. He gulped, gripping his swords even tighter.

"Relax," Reynar said, his voice turning somewhat playful again. "I'm not going to attack. I'll only defend. If I fought back, well… let's just say this test would end much sooner than you'd like."

Both Caius and Jory let out a collective sigh of relief. Caius nodded, regaining some of his focus. The task ahead was still daunting, but knowing that Reynar wouldn't strike back made it feel less like a death sentence.

"Alright," Caius said, taking a deep breath. "I'm ready."

Reynar's grin widened, and he raised his hands before him, ready to face Caius. "Let's see if you really are."