The backyard air shimmered with anticipation. Wooden swords in hand, Raizo faced his father, Lay, standing tall and proud. Behind them, Fenra and Silvia stood close, arms extended—both vying to hold Raizo's precious weapon.
"I will carry your sword, Raizo," Fenra declared firmly, tail flicking. "I can protect it better than she can."
Silvia frowned, her green-highlighted golden hair bouncing as she stepped forward. "No, Raizo. Let me carry it. Don't let the mutt lay her filthy paws on your sword."
Fenra's ears twitched aggressively. "What did you just say, pointy ear?"
"I said mutt," Silvia repeated with a coy smile.
Fenra clenched her fists. "Come on, then. Show me what you've got."
"Oh, I will," Silvia said smugly.
Reyna, watching from the doorway, cradled Raizo's sword and smirked. "My, my."
Before the tension could explode, Raizo stepped in. "Stop it, you two. Don't fight here."
They both looked away, embarrassed, and muttered apologies.
Raizo turned to his mother. "Here—hold onto this for me."
He gently handed her the Voidbringer, then stepped forward, his eyes locking with his father's.
"You ready, son?" Lay asked, his voice stern.
Raizo's crimson-red eye glowed. "Yes. I am."
In a flash, Lay dashed forward. Their wooden swords clashed. Raizo slid backward, bracing his stance, but Lay didn't let up. Strike after strike rained down like a storm, and Raizo struggled to keep up.
"Is that all you've got, Raizo?" Lay barked mid-swing. "You can't protect your companions with a style like that!"
But in his heart, Lay thought, You've grown so much. Back when you were five, you couldn't even take one strike from me… but look at you now. I'm proud of you.
Raizo leapt back, breathing hard. "Then let me show you… what I can really do."
He raised his sword and chanted:
> "Flames of fury, blade of might, ignite and strike this night!"
—Fire Magic: Flame Blade!
Flames erupted around his wooden sword, engulfing it in roaring red light.
Reyna gasped. "Magic?"
But Raizo wasn't done.
> "Wind's fury, accelerate within!"
—Wind Magic: Boost!
Lay and Reyna's eyes widened further. "He used… two elements?" Reyna whispered.
Lay's lips curved into a smile. "Then I'll match you."
> "Wind's fury, accelerate within!"
—Wind Magic: Boost!
The two warriors lunged forward. Their blades collided, flame and wind bursting around them with every strike. Power surged in the air, and the sky above seemed to tremble.
Inside the house, the villagers could feel it.
"There's mana… coming from the Hayagashi home," someone said.
They rushed to the door. Reyna opened it, holding her son's sword.
"What's happening here?"
"It's a spar," Reyna said calmly. "Between Lay and Raizo."
They followed her to the backyard—and gasped.
There stood Raizo, wielding a flaming sword, holding his ground against the former Hero of Zenith.
"The boy with the Gluttony skill…?" one whispered. "He's standing toe-to-toe with Lay?!"
Fenra cupped her hands. "Come on, Raizo! You've got this!"
Silvia joined her. "Show him what you're made of!"
The two swordsmen clashed again, their movements becoming a blur. Lay narrowed his eyes. With a deep breath, he activated one of his techniques—his perception slowed time, and he saw a brief opening in Raizo's stance.
With a single, powerful swing, Lay knocked Raizo's sword into the air.
Raizo's eyes widened. He held up his hand.
"…I yield."
The spar was over.
The villagers watched silently as the sword landed beside him. Then, satisfied, they slowly left the Hayagashi property.
Lay turned, wiping sweat from his brow. "Raizo, come with me. There's something I want to show you."
Raizo nodded, reaching for his sword. "Wait—"
Reyna stepped forward and handed it back to him, smiling.
With his blade sheathed once again, Raizo followed his father into the forest, the sun dipping lower into the sky behind them.
Meanwhile, inside the house…
Fenra and Silvia helped Reyna prepare dinner. The aroma of roasted vegetables and spiced soup filled the air.
Reyna glanced at the two girls. "So… do you both love my son?"
They both froze.
Fenra was the first to step forward. "Yes, ma'am. I love your son."
Reyna blinked. "Can you tell me why?"
Fenra's ears lowered, but she spoke clearly. "Before I met Raizo… I was nothing. A therianthrope with no place, sold into slavery. A man freed me once—but he betrayed me. He used me, then led hunters to my tribe."
She swallowed. "When I was left to die… it was Raizo who saved me. He healed me without hesitation. I told him my story. That I was abandoned by my own people because I was different—because my eyes and hair were purple, not white or gold like theirs."
She looked up. "But Raizo said… 'You're not cursed. You're strong.' And with him, I helped save my village."
Her cheeks turned red. "That's when I fell for him. He's different from the others. Like a knight in shining armor."
Reyna dabbed her eyes. "That's… very sweet."
She turned to Silvia. "And you?"
Silvia also blushed. "I love your son too, ma'am."
She looked down. "I was a free elf once… living with my older brother and sister. But we were ambushed by hunters. We were separated and sold. For weeks, I was treated like garbage. Then… I was put in a cage."
Her eyes watered. "Until Raizo appeared. He bought me. But the thing is… not even a minute passed before he unlocked my chains."
She clutched her chest. "He trusted me. Believed I wouldn't run. That's how… I fell in love with him."
Reyna smiled. "You haven't told him, have you?"
Both girls shook their heads. "Not yet," they said in unison.
Reyna leaned in. "If I were you, I'd confess. Who knows—someone else might beat you to it."
The two looked at each other in panic.
"Then I'll confess before her!" they shouted at the same time.
"Not if I confess first!"
Reyna giggled. "Good luck, you two."
As laughter and rivalry filled the cozy home, the fire crackled warmly in the hearth.
Outside, Raizo walked beside his father under the starlit canopy of Zenith's woods—unaware that two hearts now raced faster for him.
And in the quiet of the village, a new chapter in Raizo's journey was just beginning.