-Reyha Kingdom; Gallo's Outskirts; Goblin's Lair; 10th Floor-
"How?... I still lost... Hahaha!" Iketica began laughing out loud.
"It was a good fight. In all honesty, you really surprised me... No, actually scared me a bit when you pulled out a new move like that. Just how many moves does your technique have?" Kymani pulled his greatsword back and helped Iketica get up as he asked.
"Thanks, but it's not really my technique, Zendrius was the one who taught it to me... And I'm pretty sure it has a total of 5 moves if I'm not misremembering. It's actually all thanks to you that I could use the second move at all, I've been stuck trying to master the first move for ages, but my body could never handle it before... Fighting you here gave me new strength and allowed me to finally move forward... Even better! I can use the second move now! I can't thank you enough for this." Iketica replied with a smile.
"Wait... You mean the same Zendrius from Rakuia's story?" Kymani asked for confirmation.
"Yeah, he came to talk to me when he noticed I liked Rakuia and said something about how he'll help me out, then Dentria threatened to skin me alive if I hurt Rakuia, saying she's too precious... Those two were quite odd." Iketica responded.
"So, it was created by Zendrius... That's a bit different, but what are the other moves of the technique then?... Actually, can you explain how it works at all? I just want to confirm something." Kymani inquired.
"Hum... It goes, Yellow sun, Red sun, Blue moon, White moon, and finally Starry Night. Each move of the technique is a bit more complicated than the previous one, and the technique itself has a basis of three skills, Mirage Step, Mirage Exchange, and Light Conversion." Iketica explained.
"That's different from what I thought... But I guess it goes for the same effect. Thank you, that will help a lot." Kymani was satisfied.
"No problem, it's nice if I can help as well." Iketica smiled.
"Getting along better than I thought, you two surprised me." Rakuia commented after walking closer to the two.
"I don't know why we wouldn't. It's a man's romance to have a rival that can always push them further! Hehehe!" Iketica answered.
"I'm not sure where that idea came from, but I will come back here every so often to visit and spar a bit." Kymani added.
"How nice, do you want to start our fight now or move to that later?" Rakuia asked.
"Now would be preferable, but can I get a blindfold?" Kymani stated.
"What?" Rakuia's narrowed and she leaned in a bit closer to Kymani, visibly confused.
"It's a challenge of this Gods, I have to fight you without my sight." Kymani elaborated with a half-truth.
"... Ok, Iketica dear, please go get a blindfold." Rakuia didn't question it and just told Iketica to go get one, which he left to do.
"Thanks..." Kymani was grateful for her understanding.
"Don't sweat it, I get that and won't pry, but something I'm still curious about, is your reason for getting stronger, you said you would tell me later, and I believe we are much later by now." Rakuia expressed.
"Hmmm... Ok, then. Back when I was much younger.... About 4 or 5 I think..." Kymani began telling a story.
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Kymani POV
Back then, I would spend my time with my parents mostly watching something together as we discussed or just getting immersed in some story. With my dad, I would watch a lot of anime or things of the sort. While with my mother it was either dramas, novellas, or surprisingly superhero animated shows since she really liked comics and it was one of her hobbies.
I remember vividly, actually, I think this is the most vivid my memories have ever been, and I was watching another anime with my father. It was fun and we both enjoyed it, then we watched a few more, and each had its own thing going on. The stories and just animation mesmerized me, then inspired my young self.
"I want to make the perfect journey, the best ever." I claimed with no understanding of what I was even really saying.
"Really? That's very ambitious of you, but if you want to do that, you're going to need a great main character, do you have anything in mind?" My dad amused me and let me go on with it.
"Hum... Me! I'll be the main character!" I responded as one would come to expect from a child.
"Oh, is that so? Then what kind of main character will you be? If you want the best journey, you have to be the best main character, otherwise, it doesn't work." He half-teased me while pushing me to think while seeing how seriously I was going to take this.
"... I... Hmmm, I'll... I'll be super strong! So strong no bad guys can do anything!" I answered.
"Ah, ok but then what will the others do, if you can just take care of everything yourself? Plus, how do you know you're the strongest? Maybe you just never met anyone stronger than you, but it doesn't mean they aren't there." He pointed out.
"Then, I'll be the strongest, and work with others. Then I'll challenge every until I'm the last one standing!" I was very proud of my childish answer at the time.
"Hahaha, will you?" Dad asked me.
"I will!" I energetically replied.
"... I'm sorry, son, but I don't believe you can." He responded.
"... Then... Then... I'll make you believe! I'll do it!" I insisted.
"... Hum, I still don't think you can, it sounds impossible." He continued.
"I will! You'll see!" I also persisted.
"Fine then, if you can't prove me wrong by the time you're... 100? Yeah, by 100 I'll kick you out of the house." He said teasing with a menacing smile.
Not having much understanding of time passing and how things would be in the future, I ran out of the room to call my mom, saying. "Mom! Mom! Dad is being mean! He said he'll kick me out when I'm 100 years old!" Of course, thinking back on it gets a few chuckles me, and for the most part, it wasn't something I ever thought too deeply about after a few years.
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"But then, here I am with a chance to actually make my childish a reality, and yes even now it's stupid and unrealistic with low chances of being possible, thing is, I don't care! Before I thought it was completely impossible! Now that there is an ounce of possibility, I'll use it to its fullest, and I don't care how dumb or childish it is. It's a part of me, and I'm proud of it! I'll be the strongest and greatest master of all things in the best journey before becoming 100 years old to prove my dad wrong! That's my dream or fantasy... Plus a harem of beautiful women... But that came with puberty..." Kymani finished as he smiled with hints of awkwardness, but the confidence in his words or eyes is palpable.
"Hahahaha! I didn't expect that at all... Good luck on your journey. I hope it's as great as you hope to make it. I won't lie, it is an insane goal, especially with a time limit on it, but that's the spirit! Make sure to tell me the whole story once it's all over." Rakuia replied with a wide smile in satisfaction.
"So that was it… The master is quite foolish, but somehow it's noted, I'll take it into consideration in the future." Lavenica smiled slightly shaking her head at the kind of master she has, but the smile never went away.
"... After this, I'm beginning to wonder if the requirement for being strong is to be a bit insane..." Iketica questioned while thinking of all the strong individuals he knows, and became worried as his deduction only seemed to be further cemented. Even so, he shook his head, and bright the blindfold to Kymani.
Having that settled, Iketica became the referee and Kymani once again took a stance, now unable to see using his eyes and now having to resort to his skills and other senses to visualize the world around him.
"Ok, it's time for the battle to begin!" Iketica announced.