IN A FOREST WITH TALL TREES, A WILD BEAST WITH PITCH-BLACK FUR EMITTED A DARK AURA HAD A DEEP SCAR ACROSS ITS HEAD WAS GROWLING AT A YOUNG BOY WHO WAS A FEW METERS FACING IT. HE COULD BE SEEN HOLDING A CURVED, SINGLE-EDGED BLADE.
“COME ON YOU STUPID BEAST IF NOT THEN LET ME” THE BOY PROVOKED THE BEAST, THE BOY DASHED TO THE BEAST TO PERFORM A DOWNWARD SLASH TO ITS CHEST, STILL IN THE LAST MOMENT THE BEAST CROSSED ITS ARMS HOWEVER THE SWORD MADE A DEEP GASH THAT COVERED THE BEAST’S ARM, IT ROARED MADLY THEN THE BOY USED ITS ARM AS A FOOTSTEP TO JUMP HIGH PERFORMING A BACKFLIP WHILE IN THE AIR,
THE BOY ROARED [ONURIS 1ST STYLE: SPEAR-THRUST ] AS THE BOY THRUST FORWARD A BEAM OF CONCENTRATED LIGHT SHOT OUT FROM THE TIP OF THE SWORD THREATENING TO PIERCE THE BEAST’S HEART HOWEVER DUE TO INSTINCT THE BEAST EVADED TO THE RIGHT NONETHELESS THE BEAM SHOT THROUGH ITS LEFT SHOULDER CRIPPLING IT.
THE BEAST GROWLED IN PAIN AND STAGGERED TO FALL, JUST AS THE BOY’S FEET TOUCHED THE GROUND HE MUTTERED UNDER HIS BREATH [HERMES 1ST MOVEMENT: BURST-STEP] IN A FRACTION OF A SECOND THE BOY APPEARED ABOVE THE BEAST‘S HEAD THEN HE BEHEADED ITS NECK IN A SWIFT DIAGONAL SLASH.
“FINALLY, IT’S DEAD AFTER ALL THAT TIME HAHA..” BREATHING HEAVILY FROM FATIGUE THE BOY STATED.
“NICE WORK KID, BUT THERE WERE TOO MANY MISTAKES, YOUR CONTROL OF MANA IS STILL LACKING AND YOU REQUIRE MORE BATTLE EXPERIENCE” STATED AN OLD MAN WHO INSTANTLY APPEARED BESIDE THE YOUNG BOY.
“COME ON GRANDPA, IT WAS A FANTASTIC FIGHT“ SAID THE YOUNG BOY AS THE SUN SHONE ON HIS FACE REVEALING DREAMY HAZEL EYES WITH CURLY DARK BROWN HAIR COVERED IN BLOOD AND SWEAT.
“FANTASTIC MY ASS, DO YOU THINK A MERE 11-YEAR-OLD KID CAN PERFORM THE [GOD STYLES], WHAT YOU PERFORMED WAS JUST AN IMITATION THAT DOESN'T HOLD A FRACTION OF THE TRUE STYLE CAPABILITIES, TCH”
”GO HOME AND WASH UP YOU STINK OF BLOOD“ SPOKE THE OLD MAN AS HE PINCHED HIS NOSE.
“AY AY OLD MAN” SAID THE BOY AS HE WALKED AWAY.
”THAT CHEEKY BRAT, HE NEEDS SOME BEATING FOR DISRESPECTING ME” THE OLD MAN GLANCED AT THE CORPSE OF THE BEAST AND WAVED HIS HAND A BLACK SPHERE APPEARED OUT OF THIN AIR AND FLEW TO THE CORPSE POF THE CORPSE MAGICALLY DISAPPEARED AS IF IT WASN'T THERE.
“BUT TRULY WHAT MONSTER EVEN PERFORMING 2 DIFFERENT [GOD STYLES] EVEN IF ITS AN IMITATION AND LEARNING THE BASICS OF SOME OTHERS, I PITY THE ENEMIES OF AZURE” AS THE OLD MAN WAS THINKING, HE SENSED AN EAGLE FLYING IN THE SKY THEN THE EAGLE FLEW DOWN LANDING THE ARM OF THE OLD MAN THEN THE OLD MAN TOOK A PAPER THAT WAS FOLDED AROUND ITS LEG AND READ IT.
“SO IT’S TIME HUH, I HOPE AZURE WILL BE READY FOR WHAT IS COMING, I WISH THAT I WOULD BE THERE FOR HIM” SPOKE THE OLD MAN SORROWFULLY, THE OLD MAN TAPPED ON A GOLDEN GEMSTONE THAT RESEMBLE THE [KEY OF LIFE] TIED ON A BLACK LEATHER BRACELET, A PEN APPEARED ON HIS HAND, THEN HE WROTE A REPLY TO THE LETTER AND TIED IT TO THE EAGLE’S LEG.
“SEND IT FAST, I HOPE IT REACHES THERE IN TIME” WHEN THE OLD MAN MUTTERED, HE STARTED COUGHING BLOOD VIOLENTLY. ”COUGH COUG- HA SORRY AZURE I DON'T HAVE MUCH TIME, I SHOULD PREPARE FOR TOMORROW” STATED THE OLD MAN AS HE WIPED THE BLOOD OFF HIS HAND, THEN THE OLD MAN HEADED HOME WHEN HE REACHED A COTTAGE HE STARTED REMINISCING ABOUT HIS MEMORIES WITH AZURE ”HAHA, MY STORY MAY END HERE BUT CONTINUE YOURS AND TELL ME ABOUT IT WHEN WE MEET AGAIN, BE STRONG, MY CHILD” “SHUT THE F*** UP OLD MAN, I WANNA GET SOME SLEEP” INTERPRETED AZURE THE OLD MAN AS HE OPENED A WINDOW ABOVE THE DOOR.
“OH HAHA IT APPEARS THERE IS SOMEONE IN A DIRE NEED OF A BEATING, BUT TODAY I AM FEELING BENEVOLENT SO I WILL LET YOU OFF THE HOOK” WHEN AZURE HEARD THE FIRST PART, HE REMEMBERED A LOT OF BAD MEMORIES BUT HIS WORRIES WERE UNCALLED FOR.
“THANK YOU O BENEVOLENT ONE” SAID AZURE RESPECTFULLY
“HAHA FINE, GO TO BED YOUR SWEET WORDS WON’T GET YOU ANYWHERE” SAID THE OLD MAN AS HE WAVED HIS HAND INDICATING FOR HIM TO GO AWAY.
“HAS GRANDPA FINALLY GONE SENILE” THOUGHT AZURE AS HE FELT HE WAS FAR TO BE HEARD.
“I HEARD, YOU BRAT”
“SH*T, I AM SORRY O BENOVELENT ONE, PLEASE HAVE MERCY” SCREAMED AZURE AS HE RAN TO HIS ROOM AS HIS LIFE DEPENDED ON HIM LUCKILY THE OLD MAN DIDN’T FOLLOW SOON AZURE FELL ASLEEP FROM TIREDNESS.
THE OLD MAN ENTERED A ROOM, THE ROOM WAS FILLED WITH BOOKSHELVES, HE SAT DOWN ON A DESK, LIT A CANDLE AND TOOK A PAPER LAYING ON THE SIDE AND STARTED WRITING TILL A RAY OF WARM SUNLIGHT SHONE ON THE LETTER SHOWING A DAMP LETTER.
“I NEED TO GET READY” THE OLD MAN SAID, WIPING A TEAR WITH THE HINT OF A DEADLY RESOLVE.
AZURE POV,
FEELING A VERY COLD SENSATION ON MY BODY I SHOT UP AWAKE, LOOKING AROUND, I SAW GRANDPA,
“WAKE UP KID, GET DRESSED IN YOUR BATTLE SUIT, THEN JOIN ME IN THE KITCHEN” WITH AN UNREADABLE EXPRESSION.
‘WHEN I HEARD THE FIRST PART I FELT THAT WE ARE GOING TO TRAIN BUT HEARING THE REST I THOUGHT WHY THE KITCHEN, NORMALLY WE WOULD SPAR FIRST, THEN I GO HUNTING FOR FOOD’
BUT BEFORE I COULD ASK WHAT WAS GOING ON, GRANDPA WAS ALREADY OUT OF MY ROOM, DRYING MY BODY FROM THE COLD WATER THEN WEARING THE BATTLE SUIT I HEADED FOR THE KITCHEN,
GOING DOWN THE STAIRS I SAW THE GROUND FLOOR TOTALLY OUT OF LIGHT,
“GRANDPA, WHY THE LIGHT’S —”
A POP SOUND FOLLOWED BY A BRILLIANT FLASH OF LIGHT,
THE MOMENT LIGHTS WERE BACK ON I SAW GRANDPA HOLDING A BEAUTIFUL CAKE WITH CANDLES IN THE SHAPE OF THE NUMBER ‘12’
“HAPPY BIRTHDAY MY DEAR CHILD” ANNOUNCED GRANDPA WITH A VERY HEARTWARMING SMILE.
‘RIGHT, INDEED TODAY IS MY BIRTHDAY ’
WHEN GRANDPA PLACED THE CAKE ON THE KITCHEN TABLE, I WENT FOR A HUG WITHOUT A THOUGHT.
“TH- THANKS GRANDPA“
“COME ON BLOW THE CANDLES AND MAKE A WISH”
‘I WISH FOR GRANDPA TO SEE ME BECOME THE STRONGEST OF ALL TIME’
“ALRIGHT, LET’S CUT THE CAKE AND EAT IT OUTSIDE” I FOLLOWED GRANDPA OUTSIDE THEN, WE BOTH SAT ON OPPOSITE LOGS
WHILE EATING A PIECE OF THE CAKE.
“I HAVE A FEW GIFTS FOR YOU MY BOY” BREAKING THE SILENCE GRANDPA STATED.
AS HE WAVED HIS HAND A FEW OBJECTS APPEARED ON HIS HAND, A CURVED SWORD THAT WAS SHEATHED, A STRANGE BRACELET, A NECKLACE, AND FINALLY A LETTER.
“WOAH, WHY THE SUDDEN GENEROSITY JUST FOR A BIRTHDAY PRESENT” I SAID WHILE EYEING THE GIFTS.
“WELL, LET ME EXPLAIN, FIRST THIS SWORD IS CALLED A KATANA FROM WHERE I COME FROM,” SAID GRANDPA AS HE UNSHEATHED THIS ‘KATANA’ I SAW A BREATHTAKING PITCH-BLACK SINGLE-EDGED BLADE WITH A SKY BLUE HIGHLIGHT WITH A CIRCULAR AND LONG GRIP TO ACCOMMODATE TWO HANDS.
“IT IS AN ARTIFACT,—”
“WHAT DOES THAT MEA-”
“DON’T INTERRUPT ME, AS I WAS SAYING IT IS A SOUL-BONDED ARTIFACT AT THAT, YOU CAN USE, TRY IT NOW “ AS GRANDPA HANDED ME THE KATANA I STOOD ABOUT A FEW METERS TO A TREE, I MADE A NORMAL DOWNWARD SLASH
SWISH
THE TREE WAS CUT CLEANLY IN HALF.
“WHA-”
“RELAX KID, AS I JUST SAID IT IS AN ARTIFACT, NOW POUR SOME OF YOUR BLOOD ON THE BLADE AND TRY TO CONTROL IT”
“WHY WOULD I DO THA—”
“NOW, DO IT BEFORE I GET IMPATIENT, TCH” SAID THE GRANDPA AS HE CLICKED HIS TONGUE IN ANNOYANCE.
NOT TO MAKE GRANDPA MORE ANNOYED I MADE A SMALL CUT ON MY FINGER AND DROPPED MY BLOOD ON THE KATANA,
SUDDENLY, I FELT THE SWORD GETTING HEAVIER WITH EACH PASSING SECOND UNTIL I HAD TO RELEASE MANA TO SUPPORT MYSELF FROM FALLING DOWN
“GRANDPA, IS THIS NORMAL” I SHOUTED WHILE SUDDENLY ALMOST ALL OF MY MANA WAS SUCKED INTO THE SWORD,
“YES, IT SOUL-BONDED WEAPON”
WHEN I THOUGHT THAT I WOULDN’T BE ABLE TO HOLD IN FOR LONGER, I FELT A JOLT OF ELECTRICITY RUNNING THROUGHOUT MY BODY, THE SWORD STARTED TO FADE AND AT THE SAME TIME A BLACK MARKING WAS SLOWLY
ETCHING ITSELF ON MY ARM I GRIMACE FROM PAIN AFTER A FEW SECONDS THE MARKING APPEARED TO BE THE SAME SHAPE AS THE SWORD BUT SEVERAL CHAINS WERE AROUND THE SHEATH
“HAH, CARE TO EXPLAIN TO ME WHAT IS GOING ON” BREATHING HEAVILY I ASKED,
“TRY TO CALL THE SWORD”
FOLLOWING GRANDPA’S WORDS, I THOUGHT OF THE SWORD, POF THE SWORD MATERIALIZED IN MY HAND
“SO, EVERY TIME I THINK OF THE SWORD IT APPEARS IN MY HANDS, THEN WHAT HAPPENS IF I LEFT IT IN A PLACE FAR AWAY FROM ME AND ANYTHING ELSE TO KEEP IN MIND”
“YOU PROBABLY COULD SUMMON IT BACK WITH IMBUING MANA INTO THE SWORD MARKING, THE AMOUNT OF MANA IS IN A RELATION TO DISTANCE, AS THE CONSUMPTION OF MANA INCREASES AS DISTANCE INCREASES, AND DON’T USE THE KATANA IN FRONT OF PEOPLE”
“WHY”
“BECAUSE IT’S A SOUL-BONDED AND THEY ARE VERY RARE, THE ONLY WAY FOR IT TO BE UNBONDED IS THE DEATH OF ITS USER”
“SO, WHY HAVE YOU GIVEN IT TO ME” I SHUDDERED AT THE MERE THOUGHT OF BEING HUNTED FOR A SWORD.
“BECAUSE YOU WILL NEED IT” WHEN THE OLD MAN FINISHED SAYING THESE WORDS, HIS DEMEANOR SUDDENLY CHANGED.
“FROM NOW ON LISTEN WELL AZURE I WILL TELL YOU MY ORIGIN” ANNOUNCED THE OLD MAN AS HE LOOKED INTO MY EYES, I NODDED TO HIM I WAS INTERESTED IN THIS TOPIC BUT THE OLD MAN ALWAYS AVOIDED IT.
“I CAME FROM A DIFFERENT WORLD—” “-DIFFER-”
“INDEED A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT WORLD, IN THAT WORLD HUMANITY DIDN’T HAVE MANA, AURA, OR ANY OTHER FORM OF ENERGY THAT DEFIES THE LAWS OF PHYSICS THAT I TAUGHT YOU, HUMANITY ONLY USED ITS INTELLIGENCE AND UNITY TO ACHIEVE THE SO-CALLED WORLD PEACE BUT IT WAS VERY FRAGILE AFTER MANY WARS AND CONFLICT THAT LEAD TO THE EXTINCTION OF SOME CIVILIZATION, IN THE 21ST CENTURY, I WAS BORN IN A MIDDLE-CLASS FAMILY, I LOVED THE STUDY OF ANCIENT CIVILIZATIONS,
SO I BECAME AN ARCHAEOLOGIST WHICH MEANS I STUDIED HISTORY AND THE SITES OF THOSE CIVILIZATIONS, WHEN I WAS IN ONE OF THEM I FOUND A BROKEN STONE TABLET, WHEN I TRANSLATED WHAT WAS WRITTEN ON IT;
‘WHEN THEE BREAKS OF THE SHACKLES FATE THEE SHALL BECOME IN CONTROL’
‘WHO MANAGES TO FIND THE PIECES LEFT BY THOSE SO-CALLED ANCIENT GODS SHALL GAIN A POWER OF LIFE AND DEATH, TIME AND SPACE, AND CONTROL OVER THE THREADS OF FATE‘
‘THE TRUTH IS OF FATE IS — THE LAST SENTENCE WAS WRITTEN IN A DIFFERENT LANGUAGE THAT WAS NEVER SEEN BEFORE,
WHEN I SAW WHAT WAS WRITTEN I DON’T KNOW WHY BUT I SOMEHOW BELIEVED WHAT WAS WRITTEN, WHEN I SHARED IT WITH THE WORLD WHAT I FOUND, THEY LAUGHED AT ME SAYING IT’S SOME NONSENSE, BUT I TRAVELED THE WHOLE WORLD VISITED MULTIPLE SITES OF ANCIENT CIVILIZATIONS, IN MY SEARCH, I FOUNDED A TOMB OF ONE OF THESE ANCIENT GODS ‘HORUS: AN ANCIENT EGYPTIAN GOD’ ON THE TOMB WAS WRITTEN, ‘WHO AWAKENS MY EYES SHALL SEE THROUGH SPACE AND TIME’
THE MOMENT I READ THESE WORDS THE GROUND STARTED TO SHAKE AND A PILLAR WAS RAISED FROM THE GROUND ON THE PILLAR, THERE WAS A SILVER GEMSTONE IN THE SHAPE OF [HORUS EYE] TIED ON A BLACK LEATHER BRACELET, — OH IT APPEARS WE DON’T HAVE MUCH TIME AZURE,—”—WHY DON’T WE HAVE TI—” I INTERPRET GRANDPA AS HE SUDDENLY STOPPED TALKING AND GAZED TO THE FOREST FAR AWAY.
“THEY CAME —”
“WHO— “
TO BE CONTINUED...
Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.
A/N: Word count= 1989 WORDS