Raphael stood silently among the crowd of men, watching two warriors exchange fierce blows in the center of the ring. Their movements were sharp, calculated—each strike of their wooden swords crackled through the air like thunder. Raphael’s gaze followed their every move, the fluidity of their battle mesmerizing him. These men fought not just with brute strength but with skill and finesse. For a moment, he found himself captivated by their display.

Angelo, standing beside Raphael, noticed how engrossed the boy had become. “Hey, kid,” Angelo said with a nudge, his voice barely cutting through the cheers. Raphael turned to him, his blank expression hiding any sense of familiarity. He had seen Angelo before but didn’t know much about him.

“You want to try sparring yourself?” Angelo asked, a sly grin forming on his face. Raphael hesitated, his gaze shifting between the two warriors still locked in combat, their bodies drenched in sweat. After a moment, Raphael nodded.

Angelo’s grin widened. “Alright then, how about a match with me?”

Raphael didn’t speak, only nodded once more. The spar in the ring had ended in a draw, both fighters collapsing to the ground in exhaustion. Angelo beckoned Raphael to follow him, and the two of them moved to the center of the space. The crowd murmured in curiosity, their excitement for the next bout growing.

“Here,” Angelo said, grabbing two wooden swords from a nearby man. The man was stocky, with a scar running down his cheek—a battle-hardened veteran. Angelo tossed one of the swords to Raphael, who caught it with ease.

As the two squared off, the crowd began to jeer. “Hey, Angelo! Challenging a kid? Have you no shame?”

Another voice chimed in, “Yeah, what’s the point of this?”

Angelo waved them off with a laugh. “This is just training, nothing more. Right, kid?”

Raphael gave a small nod in agreement. The men still seemed doubtful, but they let the fight continue. Angelo, sizing up the young beastkin, motioned toward him. “Go ahead, kid. I won’t attack first.”

Raphael’s expression remained calm as he rushed forward, his wooden sword swinging down toward Angelo. Angelo dodged easily, chuckling. “Come on, you can do better than that.”

The crowd began to shout for Angelo to end the spar and let someone else take a turn. But Angelo continued to dodge Raphael’s strikes with a smirk, clearly enjoying himself. The boy’s attacks were relentless, though none seemed to land.

Yet, as the spar progressed, something changed. Angelo’s grin slowly faded as he noticed Raphael’s movements becoming faster, sharper. For a moment, he could’ve sworn that the boy’s strikes had become more precise, his swings nearly impossible to predict. In a flash of motion, Raphael’s sword grazed Angelo’s hair, cutting a small lock free.

Angelo stepped back, his eyes wide in shock. “This kid...”

The men around them gasped, realizing the intensity of Raphael’s improvement. Angelo’s playful attitude vanished as he faced Raphael, whose blank expression hid a simmering anger. Angelo chuckled nervously, wiping the sweat from his brow. “Sorry for underestimating you, kid. I won’t hold back now.”

Raphael didn’t respond. Instead, he rushed forward again, his speed even greater than before. Angelo barely managed to dodge, his mind racing. This kid isn’t normal, he thought. He’s already moving like he knows how to fight.

The crowd erupted, now cheering for Raphael as he pressed his attack. Angelo, realizing he’d been wrong to toy with the boy, deflected a strike with his sword, the force sending a shock up his arm. He grinned, adrenaline pumping through his veins. “Come on, Raphael! Show me what you’ve got!”

Raphael’s strikes grew more ferocious, his sword moving like a blur. Each swing was met with Angelo’s swift deflections, though the impact of each strike was beginning to take its toll. Both men moved as if driven by instinct, neither willing to give an inch. Despite the hits he was taking, Raphael kept coming, his body ignoring the pain.

From the sidelines, Elara, Stubby, and the boss watched in disbelief. “This isn’t just a spar anymore,” Elara muttered, her eyes widening. She tried to move forward, but Stubby grabbed her arm. “Don’t,” he warned. “You’ll only get hurt.”

“Why?” she snapped, struggling against his grip.

Stubby motioned toward Angelo. “Look at him. That’s not the face of a man in control—he’s savoring this.”

Elara’s gaze shifted to Angelo, who now had a wild grin plastered across his face, his eyes gleaming with excitement. He was no longer playing around; he was a predator, enjoying the hunt. “He’s like a lion,” the boss muttered, “toying with his prey, savoring the end.”

Elara’s heart sank as she watched Raphael struggle against the overwhelming force of Angelo’s attacks. She bit her lip, worry gnawing at her. “If this keeps up—”

“Don’t worry,” Stubby said quietly. “I’ll step in if things get too far.”

Raphael, his breathing heavy, suddenly pulled back as Angelo launched another strike. Angelo smiled darkly, his voice dripping with arrogance. “Is that all you’ve got?” The crowd, still cheering for Raphael, fell silent as the beastkin seemed to hesitate.

But Raphael wasn’t done. Without warning, he dashed forward, grabbing a handful of sand and flinging it into Angelo’s eyes. “Arrgh! You damn kid!” Angelo roared, blinded.

In the chaos, Raphael struck, his wooden sword aimed at Angelo’s head. Angelo, however, managed to react just in time, slashing out at Raphael’s face. Elara screamed as Angelo’s weapon cut across Raphael’s eyes, blood spraying into the air.

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Ignoring the pain, Raphael’s sword connected with Angelo’s head, knocking him unconscious. The crowd erupted in cheers, though Elara rushed forward, her heart pounding. Stubby moved toward Angelo, checking him. “Is he dead?” the boss asked.

Stubby shook his head. “No, just knocked out.”

As Elara knelt beside Raphael, her hands trembling as she tended to his wounds, the boss watched with a frown. That boy... he thought. He isn’t normal. Could he be a Named One? But he dismissed the thought with a shake of his head. “No... they don’t exist anymore.”

Stubby poked Angelo’s limp body with a stick. “So, are we done with the tests?”

The boss sighed. “Yeah. We’re done.”

As they carried Angelo away, the men dispersed, but the boss couldn't shake the feeling that Raphael was far more than he seemed.

Inside the cottage, Elara was tending to Raphael’s wounds. He sat quietly, cuts visible on his body, while she worked, her expression a mix of frustration and concern.

"You idiot," she muttered, her voice thick with emotion. "Why do you always have to fight?"

Raphael remained silent, his eyes closed tightly against the pain. Elara waited for a response but, seeing none, sighed and stood up abruptly. She quickly left the room, returning moments later with a white blindfold in her hands. Dropping it to the ground beside him, she leaned in closer.

"Open your eyes," she instructed gently.

Raphael hesitated, then slowly opened them, only to flinch and immediately shut them again, his face contorted in pain as he raised his hands to his eyes. Elara, seeing his struggle, knelt beside him and hugged him tightly, tears welling up in her eyes.

"You don't have to fight anymore. You don't have to train. I'll always be here with you," she whispered, her voice trembling with the weight of her emotions.

A single tear slipped from Raphael's eye, but even that stung, causing him to wince. Elara pulled away, wiping her own tears before resuming her task of bandaging his wounds. Minutes passed, and when she was finally done, she picked up the cloth to clean his face. After a moment of silence, she spoke again.

"Can you try opening your eyes now?" she asked softly.

Raphael shook his head no, unable to endure the pain. Elara sighed heavily, picking up the white blindfold once more. As she carefully tied it around his eyes, she continued speaking, her voice cracking. "I don't know if you'll ever be able to see again... but this blindfold should help keep the sunlight from hurting your eyes."

Raphael nodded in understanding, his face expressionless.

Just then, the door creaked open, and Stubby and the Boss entered the cottage, both shirtless and looking guilty. Elara’s face immediately hardened with anger. "What do you want?" she snapped.

Without hesitation, both men dropped to their knees, bowing deeply as they spoke in unison. "We’re sorry."

Elara let out a sarcastic laugh, crossing her arms. "Sorry? For what, exactly? For letting Angelo fight Raphael? For standing there and watching? Or maybe for lacking any shred of dignity as men?"

Stubby said nothing, his head bowed in shame, while the Boss spoke up, his voice heavy with remorse. "We didn’t expect things to escalate like this. I’m truly sorry—"

"Big problem?" Elara interrupted, throwing the remaining bandages at him in frustration. "You have no idea what kind of problem this is! I don't know if Raphael will ever be able to see again. Are you happy now? Or is this all because he's a beastkin?"

Stubby remained silent, visibly guilty, while the Boss tried again to apologize. "We’ll punish Angelo for what he did."

Elara scoffed, pacing angrily. "Punish? What kind of punishment could possibly be enough for what he did to Raphael?"

The Boss bowed his head even lower. "We just wanted to test Raphael’s abilities… we didn’t mean for it to go this far."

Elara stopped in her tracks, momentarily stunned. "Test his abilities? What for?"

Stubby, shifting uncomfortably, spoke up. "We thought... since Raphael’s a beastkin, he might be able to help us stop the robberies happening around here."

Elara’s eyes flared with irritation, but before she could respond, the Boss placed a hand on Stubby’s shoulder, signaling him to stop. The Boss turned to Raphael, who was sitting quietly, his fox-like ears twitching.

"I'm sorry, Raphael," the Boss said quietly. "I know nothing I say can bring back your sight."

Raphael, who had been silent the entire time, finally spoke, his voice calm. "It's fine."

Elara turned to him in disbelief. "Raphael, what are you saying?"

Raphael sighed, his tone low and contemplative. "I was expecting to lose my sight. But even if I might not be able to see well, I can still be useful."

The Boss and Stubby exchanged confused glances, while Elara stood in silence, torn between disbelief and sadness. She eventually turned to the men, her voice firm but quieter now. "Please, just step outside for a moment."

The Boss and Stubby complied, leaving the room without protest. As Stubby glanced back at Elara, he saw her gently holding Raphael’s hand before closing the door behind them.

Once alone, Elara turned to Raphael, her voice trembling again. "Why did you forgive them so easily?"

Raphael, leaning back, answered calmly. "They don’t deserve the blame. Testing my strength wasn’t the problem. The problem was me. I was too focused on winning... that’s why I got hurt."

Elara’s eyes softened. She approached him and wrapped her arms around him, holding him close. "I just don’t want to see you hurt anymore... not now, not ever. I can’t stand it when my family gets hurt."

"Thank you, Elara," Raphael whispered, his voice barely audible as he leaned into her hug.

Outside the cottage, Stubby kicked a stone in frustration. "I knew this was a bad plan," he muttered.

The Boss placed a hand on his shoulder, trying to reassure him. "It’s not your fault."

Before Stubby could respond, Elara stepped outside, her expression still stern. "You two can come back in now."

They entered the cottage again, both immediately kneeling in front of Raphael and Elara. "We’re sorry, Raphael," Stubby said earnestly. "I’ll be your legs and never leave your side!"

Elara smacked Stubby on the head. "You’re being too loud."

Stubby rubbed his head, sheepishly muttering, "Sorry..."

The Boss turned to Raphael, concern evident in his voice. "How are your eyes?"

Raphael nodded slowly. "It’s... fine. I can still see."

Elara’s eyes widened in surprise. "What?!"

Stubby and the Boss looked equally shocked. "I can’t see your faces, but I can sense something... like figures, traces of energy."

Stubby scratched his head, confused, while the Boss muttered under his breath, "Arcane perception…"

"What?" Stubby and Elara asked in unison.

The Boss shook his head, smiling faintly. "It’s nothing."

Raphael, however, turned toward the Boss, as if he had heard him clearly.

The Boss quickly shifted the topic. "You should rest, Raphael. Take your time deciding if you want to join us."

Elara, about to protest, was silenced when Raphael firmly responded, "Yes. I’ll join you. I want to protect our home."

The Boss smiled, standing up. "Alright. Rest up. We’ll give you time to recover."

As the Boss and Stubby made their way out, Stubby turned to Raphael with a grin. "Take it easy, alright?"

Once outside, the Boss spoke to Stubby. "Before we make any decisions, we’ll send out three men to check on the situation."

Stubby nodded, his usual cheerfulness returning. "Now you’re thinking!"

Back inside the cottage, Elara sighed as she started cleaning up. "Are you sure about this, Raphael?"

Raphael nodded once more. "Yes."

Elara smiled softly, shaking her head. "Alright... let's get something to eat."

Raphael smiled too, feeling a sense of warmth and safety despite everything.