Maya remained astonished for a while before the sparkle in his eyes vanished and he returned to that empty state, devoid of any pulse of life.
Maya smiled and said, "That is my duty toward you as your wife; so don't give it a second thought. If you fear for yourself, I fear for you—and if your burden grows heavy, mine grows heavy as well. We are one. Whether you are sad or joyful, so will I be."
"Come now, go back to sleep. You must still be exhausted; you have endured a harrowing time."
Sword of the Sky lay back down on his bed, while Maya left the room. She leaned her back against the door, placed her small hands on her chest, and said, "There is hope—it will surely return as it once was."
Maya saw a glimmer of hope in Sword of the Sky's eyes for a moment. Even if it was only a single moment, it infused her heart with hope and joy, so that all sorrow vanished from her face and was replaced by the radiant light of new life.
Maya turned toward the other trainees with brightness and delight. In a large hall, many round tables and chairs were arranged; the students or trainees sat there, waiting to eat.
The hunters had returned with plentiful quail and three desert goats. The apprentice girls immediately took the catch and began cooking so that everyone could eat happily, without worrying that their supplies might run out.
Maya sat at one of the tables next to her father, Raven, and many of the elite trainees.
Raven saw the glow on Maya's face and smiled. "Does that mean he's well now?"
Maya replied, "Yes, he is. Although he has suffered many psychological shocks and isn't in the best condition, I am certain he will overcome it."
Raven spoke: "Just trust him, and then he will surely return to his usual self."
One of the students jumped in: "Haven't you asked him about Kater, Luke, and Rio? We are worried about them."
Maya answered, "I haven't asked him, and he has no intention of telling me exactly what happened to them…"
But before Maya could finish her sentence, Sword of the Sky was standing right behind her.
He sat on the chair beside her and said, "Inside the bellies of the demonic creatures."
All the students, as well as Maya and Raven, were stunned. His expression was cold and devoid of any emotion.
One of the students asked, "Who is inside the bellies of those demonic creatures?"
Sword of the Sky answered with a cold, expressionless face, "Isn't it obvious? Luke, Rio, and Kater… they were swallowed whole."
Those words sent terror and fear into the hearts of everyone present, including Raven, who was taken aback by his son-in-law's statement.
Raven spoke: "Are you certain of what you're saying?"
Sword of the Sky replied, "I witnessed it with my own eyes. They were devoured before me. I am the only survivor, and I wish I were not. I have lost everything I owned: my brothers and my friends… nothing remains for me but my beloved wife."
Sword of the Sky took Maya's hand, which was beside him, and his right eye began to well up with tears once more, amid the emptiness of his silver eyes.
Maya's brilliance turned into sorrow again. She gripped his hand and said, "Do not worry, for I am with you now and will remain by your side."
Sadness and resentment appeared on Raven's face and on the faces of all his trainees.
He spoke with sorrow: "You must have faced countless hardships and trials without our presence. What happened to my dear students is indeed tragic; I cannot bear to lose any more of them. Therefore, we must become stronger, fiercer, so that we can endure every hardship and trial."
Sword of the Sky fell silent, while Maya spoke to him: "Why did you come here? You need to rest."
He replied, "I couldn't sleep. I tossed and turned on the bed over and over, but sleep eluded me. So I could not bear to stay alone, and I came to join you."
His voice was measured, as in his choice of words, but his features were frozen—as if he were a machine speaking, but unable to express emotion.
The more his companions saw this happen again and again, the deeper the sorrow grew on their faces.
Finally, after a long while, the girls began distributing the dishes around the tables. Empty bellies were filled so that strength and vitality could be renewed.
But as soon as they approached Sword of the Sky's table and those of the elite trainees, Sword of the Sky rose and said, "Enjoy your meal. I do not wish to trouble you, and I will not eat. I will inhale the fresh air outside, so there is no need to worry on my account; there is no danger now."
Then he waved his hand and said, "Do not worry about me, Maya. I promise I will be all right. I shall return shortly."
He then headed toward the stairs leading out of the hideout. When he emerged, he found a dark sky, clear of gray clouds, filled instead with brightly colored stars whose brilliance lit the world after the inferno of daytime.
Sword of the Sky continued walking, hands in his pockets, tilting his head as he kicked gravel along the path.
But when he raised his head, he found before him a strange youth carrying a sack full of weapons and swords of all kinds.
As he walked closer, he stumbled over a rock on the path and fell with the sack full of weapons.
The youth appeared about eighteen or nineteen, with milky-white hair, wearing round spectacles, and with skin as pale as snow—he clearly was not from this region.
Sword of the Sky hurried to help him to his feet: "Are you hurt? You look a bit clumsy, but still very handsome."
The youth began gathering his swords and weapons from the ground, and so did Sword of the Sky.
As Sword of the Sky reached for one of the swords to lift it, he was surprised by its weight.
Yet that did not deter him from lifting it.
When the swords scraped the ground, the youth cried out one word: "Careful—it is no ordinary sword!"
The blade immediately burst into intense blue and orange flame. Sword of the Sky was astonished by what happened, which caused him to drop it from his hands.
At that moment, Oran stopped reading and glanced at his companions, whose faces were very serious.
Rin spoke: "Continue reading, Oran. It seems we are close to finding the thread that leads to the truth of these demonic weapons."
Oran, too, clearly did not intend to stop.
Chapter Two, Part Four
The eyes of Sword of the Sky glowed with life for a moment, and he went to shake the youth's hand with excited words: "What was that? Can you tell me the truth about this sword?"
The youth scratched the back of his head and said sarcastically, "Heh heh, I don't know what to say."
Sword of the Sky replied, "Please, just tell me—no need to worry. If you tell me, I will provide you a safe place and free food."
The youth was astonished and said, "Do you really mean that? Will you promise me that? I haven't eaten anything for a whole day!"
Sword of the Sky answered, "I promise." His gaze shone with warmth and enthusiasm, for with each word he spoke, the emptiness seemed to vanish.
The youth began: "My name is Zane, and I am both a blacksmith and a researcher. I was expelled from my village in the Frost Mountains after they disowned me—being an orphan, they considered my inventions failures, worthless."
"Then I passed through the Southern Forest to reach the Western Desert in search of rare minerals and components. Here I am now, stuck because of this catastrophe in which I might die at any moment."
"As for your question about why this sword ignited? Let me answer you…"
Zane spoke with excessive enthusiasm: "Actually, I made this sword just last night. After I found a rare metal—unknown to anyone—I decided to call it magnesium. Whenever it rubs against something, it ignites and its flame intensifies. I discovered this in one of the desert caves while trying to pry it from the ground; as I dug along its sides, it caught fire! I was as surprised as anyone."
"That's why I immediately melted and forged it into a sword, intending to sell it here in Arian. But it seems that will no longer happen, heh heh heh." The youth laughed a few laughs before his expression turned to annoyance.
Zane continued: "I forgot to mention—I also made a scabbard for it from ordinary metal with some metal scales inside, so that it would rub as it was drawn, igniting automatically."
Zane rummaged through his gear, took out the scabbard, and handed it to Sword of the Sky: "Here—take it and try it."
Sword of the Sky slowly and calmly sheathed the sword, when Zane spoke: "What are you doing? Put it in quickly!"
Sword of the Sky replied, "Didn't you say you made scales so that it ignites if I sheathe it quickly? Won't it ignite then?"
Zane laughed sarcastically, saying, "I'm not so stupid as to miss finding a solution for that. Let me show you."
Zane took the sword and scabbard from Sword of the Sky, inserted the blade swiftly—and nothing happened.
But when he drew it out again, the sword flared up once more.
Sword of the Sky was amazed by what he saw, when Zane approached him and said, "If you want to extinguish it, all you have to do is sheath it again, where the air doesn't enter as well, causing the fire to die out. Come, get closer so I can show you."
Sword of the Sky approached him so Zane could demonstrate the scabbard's function up close: "Do you see these scales? They have their own mechanism: when you insert the sword, they contract inside the scabbard, but as soon as you draw it out, they try to grip it, generating the friction."
The light in Sword of the Sky's eyes brightened at what he saw. He said without realizing the words slipping out: "You truly are a genius."
Upon hearing that, Zane was surprised and blushed like a tomato, stammering: "Uh… I don't know what to say. No one has ever called me a genius—quite the opposite, actually. They have always called me a foolish fool. So I really thank you for your kind words."
Sword of the Sky leapt: "That's not flattery but truth. You are indeed a genius; you may have changed the world's fate with your invention."
Sword of the Sky said, "Tell me, are you interested in forging a weapon to hunt these demonic creatures?"
At the sound of that, flames of excitement ignited in Zane's eyes: "Yes, absolutely. Since this catastrophe appeared, I haven't thought of anything else but continuing my research to forge something that can face these demonic monsters. Yet it's difficult: I must gather certain components to experiment; it might succeed."
The vacant, forlorn expression did not extinguish, and his silver eyes regained their gleam—this time carrying new light and stronger hope to repel those creatures.
Sword of the Sky jumped in, speaking with enthusiasm: "What are these components? I am fully ready to go with you immediately to start collecting them."
He saw Zane's hesitation but also the excitement and light in his eyes, and Zane at last agreed after pausing: "I need some plants and flowers—both poisonous and medicinal—that grow abundantly in the Frost Mountains and the Southern Forest. I also need some rare and precious minerals that may be found here in the desert or the green plains. Then the most crucial element without which the formula will never succeed: demonic blood, or some of their fangs."
"Perhaps by combining and refining these elements, there is a high chance it will work because of the demonic blood. To defeat these monsters, we must absorb part of them, become like them by overcoming them with their own energy. That is what I've deduced."
Oran again stopped reading, looking at his companions whose faces were filled with astonishment, enthusiasm, and confusion all at once. Then he turned the page and resumed reading.
Chapter Three, Part One
Sword of the Sky looked at the moon, which shone brightly in the sky, casting its light over the night and emitting its cold halo that quenched the inferno of day.
He shifted his gaze from the sky and said, "Let us move at once and gather these components, for the night is still long."
Zane replied with entirely unexpected words: "There is no need—I have already collected all the components, except for the demonic blood and fangs."
Sword of the Sky was rendered speechless; his tongue seemed to knot completely, while shock was etched on his face.
He had not expected to encounter someone who might change the fate of the entire world: the outcast genius who managed to wander, collect, and create simultaneously—and alone—in this savage world.
Zane spoke after seeing Sword of the Sky engulfed in shock: "What is the matter with you? Say something!"
Then he regained his composure and said, "It will require much sacrifice and effort, but in the end, it is worth trying even if it fails. Therefore, follow me now; I will lead you to my hideout."
Zane was very joyful, and the two of them walked on together, chatting lightly.
Sword of the Sky asked, "How did you manage to gather all those components?"
Zane answered, "Not because I foresaw danger, but when I was expelled from my village, I wandered through perilous areas that no human may have approached. By nature, I loved collecting things that were beautiful or strange. I traversed much of the Frost Mountains and managed to find some poisonous and medicinal flowers, relying only on my intuition and sense of smell—I could tell whether a flower was poisonous, medicinal, or ordinary. Then I left the Frost Mountains and entered the Southern Forest to explore its narrow caves and caverns to find some minerals I'd never seen before. Then I tried, through smelting them, to understand these minerals' properties—how long they took to return to a solid state; I even discovered some that, once molten, never returned to solidity, yet when combined with other metals, would return to solid form again."
"After I traversed the entire Southern Forest, I decided to head to the Western Desert, where I discovered magnesium—the metal that burns when friction occurs. Since the catastrophe appeared two days ago, I have thought only of finding a way for humans to defend themselves and reclaim their dominion. That led me to devise a recipe for a super weapon from the components I had gathered; what I managed to forge was this flaming sword and a few failed experiments. But after thinking long and hard, I conceived the idea of adding demonic blood or fangs, given those creatures' nature and their ability to wield elemental powers—fire, lightning, wind, water, and more. Such power must originate in something that naturally generates that energy: their blood. I wanted to add fangs to increase the weapon's hardness—nothing more; otherwi
se, the formula could not be refined."
Sword of the Sky could only praise him and call him a gifted genius all the way until they finally arrived at the hideout's entrance.
I wanted this chapter to be a pivotal point in the story,
so I made it longer.
I hope you enjoy it—
the best is yet to come.