Dad and I spent the rest of the week training out there, putting me through my paces, the sphere training had been completely different I had to dodge sixty while trying to catch one, all in the space of a three meter by 3 meter square, oh the battering I got, but my reflexes quickly improved, my instincts for hunting had also gotten better, catching larger pray and eating well even after a tiring day of training.

Dad was tougher and scarier than any animalia I had even fought before, no wonder Dumah was scared of his presence, anything else related to the darkness he could quickly deal with, just not them.

Dad had decided it would soon be time to return home, not wanting to leave Cathopia without us for too long, and an important event would happen soon, but did not say what, just that we would need to be present as the heads of the clan.

Unfortunately, he also discovered my biggest secret as without Tigra’s presence, the nightmares quickly returned. He told me it was something I would have to come to terms with on my own, but I felt like they were getting worse, some nights even Tigra could not keep them away.

“Before we go home, you have to beat me in a sparring match,” said dad. We were standing out between the trees. “I want to test you.” Dad smirked. “A single hit to me should do the trick and you are now allowed to use your talismans.”

“Alright, just like back in the forests,” I smirked remembering our fight together.

“I suppose so, but this time I won’t be trying to kill you,” he remarked.

“I’ve gotten stronger since then,” I commented.

“And I have never stopped improving myself.” Dad drew Zekon, the sword glowing red with his power. “I hope you’re ready for a beating.”

“Been having those all week,” I taunted back, drawing Raziel and Arata.

Dad raised his hand. “Fire ring.” Wind blew and fire formed into a ring, aimed at me. Larana’s wings took shape, jumping forward, twisting through the centre, rolling forward, ready to respond with my own attack, but dad was waiting, swiping Zekon as I stood up, leaning back just enough to avoid being cut.

I had no chance to react as he was on the move, changing the direction of his attack in a second, coming back upwards, heat radiating from his sword. I quickly used Larana to push me away with a gust of wind, twisting on my heel, summoning a tornado to ward him off.

“Going to have to do better than that.” Dad ran through the tornado with Zekon’s form changing into a bow. The power from Zekon released cancelled out my tornado. Drawing the string, not even aiming he released five arrows at once, filled with pure energy.

“He’s too fast,” I cried out as I swiped away at his arrows, dispelling them. Responding with waves of fire and lightning.

Dad unfazed moved out of the way of each one. “Need to be faster than that.” Dad’s fused armour appeared as he dashed forward.

“Mila.” I called for her fused armour but didn’t have the chance for it to take full form.

“Alex you are too slow.” Dad shook his head. “You don’t need to tell her what to do, she already knows.”

I felt frustrated, compared to dad’s flowing movements, I was sloppy, slow, perhaps it was just pure luck I had defeated Cutter, Scorlax and even the draw in that fight against Dumah; and my luck had run out against dad.

“You have too much doubt, master,” snarled Raziel. “Stop thinking too much and attack, following your instincts.”

“You’ve told him a hundred times brother, he will never learn,” snorted Arata.

“Have faith in yourself master,” spoke Larana. Have fun, enjoy this battle with Master Yamato.”

I relaxed a little more, took a breath and exhaled. “Alright.”

Dad sent powerful attacks of fire in my direction. I moved slightly to the right, then the left, using Larana’s wind on the edges of my blades to redirect the fire. Dad was next coming at me with a blazing thrust. I did the same I had done with his projectiles, redirecting his flow of attack.

“A bit better,” he smirked, sweeping round me to come against my back. “But still not quite good enough.”

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“Really.” I jumped away, focusing on Mila’s power, her armour took form faster this time, but I knew dad had let me. “Sea of bubbles.” Bubbles infused with all my talismans elements appeared around him, tightly to prevent him from moving. I lifted the newly formed trident, summoning more above him, in the form of giant rain drops, to fall upon him.

I felt the temperature rose and steam rise, my bubbles fizzling into nothing, even the elements of lightning and fire within had not scratched him.

“Not bad, would have gotten someone else but not Dumah,” he remarked.

“How about this then.” I summoned a tidal wave of water, infused with lightning, buzzing with charged energy.

Dad smirked, his fused armour changing colour from red to green. I’d not seen this before. He held his hand forward splitting the oncoming wave down the middle. My battle experience come to nothing compared to dad’s.

“A wind battle master, quickly,” said Larana. “While he is holding back the water.”

“Right.” Mila’s armour disappeared replaced by Larana’s, her wings spreading wide, sure I had a high sync rate to form Mila’s fused armour, but my connection to Larana was still far greater.

I dashed forward boosted by her power, coming through the waves and at dad, who gazed at me with pride, he was smiling, perhaps even enjoying himself. Dad’s energy changed and he came to greet me, our two powers came into contact through our blades.

“Let’s see how well you have mastered her power,” said dad.

“Alright, let’s start with air cutter!” I shouted as thousands of air blades appeared behind him. I sent dad back, sealing him with a bubble shape concentration of wind, then let lose my attack.

“Dragon blades.” Dad responded releasing his own form of the attack, it didn’t look as strong but there were far more of them; sealed within my bubble had done nothing to stop him. I know I had mastered most of Larana’s power, but dad had far more years of experience under his belt, him and Zekon were a formidable force, no one had beaten them.

Our two attacks of wind clashed, dad’s dragon blade outnumbered mine, cancelling out my attacks and coming for me, using Larana I created a wind barrier which redirected their flow around me.

“Not bad,” nodded dad, his fused armour glowed, releasing a burst of power, tearing apart my seal. “You have grown so much over the years, but you still have much to learn and master.” He shook his head. “You can never beat Dumah at your current skill level.” He sighed.

“I am not done yet!” I shouted, dashing forward. So far, we had used our talismans to do the talking, now I would use my blades, before he could change back to fire, that’s what I thought but he had changed in the blink of an eye.

We both thrusted forward, with flaming blades, our blades coming in side by side, the energy of Zekon’s power and Raziel’s bouncing off one another. Zekon was just as powerful as the winged lions. I twisted Raziel under Zekon, flipping the blade upwards, disarming dad, his fused armour vanished. He held an expression of surprise, Zekon’s sword twirling in the air. I sheathed Arata, reaching out to grab Zekon.

“Alex, don’t!” shouted dad, but I had already grabbed Zekon, feeling an immense heat and pain shooting through my body, what was this?

A light spread through my body, seeing a glimpse of the goddess, as she reached her hands through mine, engulfing Zekon’s sword. A pulse of energy pushed me back, smashing against a tree, Zekon flung in the air landing in the ground, the blade flashing with lightning.

I hit the ground hard, my body numb as I looked up.

“What…?” I could hardly speak.

“Alex.” Dad rushed to my side. “No one can touch Zekon, but me, all who have die a painful death.” He rested his hand on my back. “Are you alright?”

“I saw the goddess,” I said. “Look.” I pointed towards Zekon, a golden stone forming on the hilt, sparks of lightning shooting off in every direction.

Dad curiously walked toward his sword; he reached out his hand. “Zekon.” Dad lifted Zekon’s sword from the ground, the sword splitting in two, twin swords. “What? His lightning element has been restored, but how?” Dad gazed at me. “The goddess, she healed him through you.”

Zekon appeared, a great dragon, his body was mainly red, his belly was a flow of three colours, red, green and yellow. Four great horns upon his head, a long black ridge along his back, his amber eyes gazing upon me.

Dad gazed up at him as he towered high above us. “Zekon.”

“Yamato, your son carries the true light of the goddess, it has somehow restored a portion of my lost power,” spoke Zekon. “I hope you can handle more of my power.”

“You know I can,” remarked Yamato, gripping the twin swords tighter, dad closed his eyes, his body glowing as his fused armour returned, this time in lightning yellow, sparks exploding off his body.

“Lightning too,” I just watched, still unable to move.

Dad opened his eyes, dispersing the power unleashed, Zekon’s swords returning to a single sword. “This is to remain between you and I,” said dad. “No one is to know of Zekon’s restored power.” Dad glanced at Zekon. “Maybe one day, all of your power can be returned to you.”

“That can only be done through him, but he lacks control, and it will be some time before everything of his fate is revealed, but for now, thank you, young Fang, even though it was unintentional.” Zekon vanished.

“He rarely shows his form, to even me, be honoured,” he smiled. Dad sheathed Zekon and came over, helping me to my feet. “We’ll return home tomorrow, I am sure Tigra grows inpatient for your return, but you must start to take things more seriously, the darkness will move its own plans forward.”

“So not allowed to tell anyone.” I wanted verification.

“No one,” he shook his head.

“Mum, King Alton, Tigra, Zack…” I began saying a bunch of names.

“Absolutely no one.” He glared at me. “Our little secret.”